Date: Mon, 25 Sep 1995 21:42:26 -0400 (EDT)
From: yancy davis 
Subject: (surprised it's not already rev.) 12/31/94

When it comes to New Year's shows, you know you're in for a treat 
already.  There's a feeling of newness in the air that you can almost 
feel.  I knew I was feeling it and probably just about everyone else at 
the Garden, most importantly the band members.

I got to the Garden early, paid my parking fee (almost half as much as 
the ticket itself) and proceeded to check out the scene.  I was skeptical 
as to what kind of gathering there could be without a central parking lot 
for people to go to, but within two to three hours before the show, whole 
streets were blocked off by phans to the chagrin of the Boston dwellers.  
At first, cars would go down the street at a snail's pace while drum 
circles and other spectacles were forced to move, only to set back up at 
the same place and rhythm where we had left off.  There seemed to be an 
extra drum for any who felt the urge to join in, and those who could not 
find one simply improvised with trashcans or beer bottles.  

I got inside around seven and met up with some folks around side-stage on 
the Fishman side.  They were probably the best seats in the house, but we 
didn't realize that until much later.  Huge white balloons (at least 
10-15 feet in diameter) were hung up in various spots along the ceiling, 
dark shadows on their bottoms hinted at large amounts of confetti sure to 
come out later in the evening.  I looked over to my right, and not ten 
feet away stood Page, staring at the massive crowd from the shadows.  I 
called over to him, not necessarily even expecting a reply, but he smiled 
and waved, and there was a real genuine feeling to the whole look.  I 
commented on his stellar jam the night before (I think it was on Scent of 
a Mule) and he bashfully thanked me for the complement.  It was a really 
great start to a great show and I was ready for whatever they wanted to 
play after Page waved goodbye and went backstage.  Moments later he 
returned with the whole band and they went on stage, getting all the 
applause they deserved (which was a lot).  

Golgi started the first set.  It's never really been a favorite of mine, 
but who cared, it was New Years.  It was over before I knew it and a 
sweet NICU brought the audience to a new level.  Thousands of people 
mouthed "Would you please" simultaneously with Trey and there was a lot 
of feeling to the whole thing.  Run Like An Antelope was a nice surprise 
mid-set, and early on too, since it was a three-set show.  Tom Marshall 
came out for his annual appearance singing the first words to a Phish 
song he ever wrote, pointing to his spiked cap as he chanted "Bid you to 
have any SPIKE, man?"  He was having a good time, and so were we.  Glide 
came next, and we all Glided and swayed through the song as it slowly 
built up to its peak and came back down again to lead into Mound.  Not 
exactly my favorite song, or even up there at all, but a good tune for 
audience participation, and this audience was more than willing to clap 
along (with a little rhythmic guidance from Trey).  Zappa's immortal 
Peaches en Regalia came next, and I half expected to see the theme last 
through the whole show again like last year, but if it did, I didn't 
notice.  It was still pretty incredible.  Divided Sky an experience all 
its own.  You see, apparently there was a lot of smoke this particular 
evening, and the fire alarm was set off making a sound even more annoying 
than that of police sirens.  They fought and fought with the Divided 
intro with looks of irritation becoming more and more visible.  Finally, 
they stopped mid-note and uttered a squeal of annoyance which echoed 
pretty much everyone's opinion of the unwelcome alarm.  But they 
persisted in bringing out a DS so powerful that I did not even notice 
when the alarm was turned off.  After that, things were back to normal 
and they closed with an old favorite, Funky Bitch, more than funky enough 
to hold us over until set II.

Set II came around before I knew it, and they began with a crisp acoustic 
My Old Home Place, followed by a crisp electric Maze.  Maze hadn't been 
brought out so far on this four night run, so it was a welcome treat.  
Bouncing Around the Room wasn't that out of the ordinary, but it was cool to
see all of Boston Gardens bounce at once.  It seemed like a good night 
for a Mike's Song, having not played it since the 28th, and they were 
more than happy to oblige.  A nice well rounded Mike's, but I haven't 
gotten this on tape yet, so I can't really remember anything else other 
than I enjoyed it the whole way through.  I do remember thinking that it 
wasn't quite as strong as the one in Philly (the 28th-check it out) but 
good nevertheless.  No Hydrogen for us tonight, but Buffalo Bill stopped 
by for a quickie instead before going back into Mike's and then into a 
soft, lulling Jerusalem of Gold.  Weekapaug came next and tapped off 
Mike's Groove solidly.  The set ended with an a-capella (of course) 
Amazing Grace.

At some point in the evening, Mike had his grandmother come out on stage, 
but unfortunately I can't remember what song (poss. Mike's Song?)   

The midnight hour was approaching as they took a second break and 
apparently the band was hungry because they ordered (I think it was 
Fishman speaking) a LARGE hot dog, LARGE soda and LARGE fries over the  
loudspeaker and wanted it delivered.  The third set started with My 
Sweet One, which was cut-off abruptly so that the band could receive  
their food.  I looked up and for the first time noticed directly over my 
head a platform about 8 feet wide and 15 feet across, draped in cloth 
and slowly descending with Phish jammin' Thus Sprach Zarathustra in the 
background.  The platform landed not five feet from me.  I could've 
reached out and touched it, though the stern looks from the security 
guards advised me against it.  The tarps were removed and underneath 
stood a giant soda cup, tremendous fries, and in the center a hot dog the 
likes of which I've never seen, covered with (plastic) ketchup and other 
toppings.  Suddenly I noticed four squares on the hot dog open up and 
make four seats while Trey and Mike (carrying their instruments) and Page 
and Fish (given a smaller keyboard and a drum synth.) headed over and got 
in.  I think they were still jammin' TSZ while the hot dog lifted up in 
the air about until they were at least 20 feet up.  I can't remember when 
they segued into the James Bond theme and then Auld Lang Syne, but I'm 
pretty sure it was all done airborne.  They slowly floated on the hot dog 
to the other side of the stadium and back, popping the giant confetti 
balloons (and missing a few that they had to sink down lower in order to 
pop).  It was sensory overload.  I don't think I blinked the whole time.  
Check out the inside of A Live One for a picture if you haven't already.  
Tropical Hot Dog Night came on then appropriately while the hot dog 
came in for a landing and Phish got back on stage to finish off the 
evening.  A hot Chalkdust came next leading into a nice little jam.  I 
still had visions of hot dogs in my head, so I don't remember this set 
quite as well.  The Horse> Silent in the morning came next, and there's 
not much I can say about them on any occasion.  Susie Greenberg had the 
audience moving, though, and went into another nice little jam.  I hadn't 
heard Slave to the Traffic Light in a while, so I was pleased, though the 
end had a feel to it as though it was the last song of the set and sure 
enough, it was.  Yeah, I was tired, but I still hate that feeling when 
you know the show is very close to over and I was getting it strong at 
about this point.  They left the stage and the third set was over.

I was a little let down with the encore.  I mean I love Simple and all, 
and didn't mind hearing it at all three of the four end-of-the-year shows 
I was at.  After all, as simple as it is, no matter how many times I've 
heard that song I can't seem to grow tired of it.  No, (and I know that 
after all I witnessed that evening this sounds whiny) I was a little 
upset because I had just assumed that it would be a more than one song 
encore, but I was wrong.  Then again, Phish always surprises me.  It was 
a fine Simple I must say.

Nothing after the show particularly stuck out in my mind except for 
something I witnessed on the way back to my car.  On one side of the 
street was this real fancy restaurant with valet parking and limos in 
the front and all that.  Distinguished old people in fancy clothes and 
furs stood outside, and then right on the other side of this street, not 
twenty feet away, some kid's got a nitrous tank with a long line of long- 
haired, dirty-looking phreaks eagerly awaiting their balloons.  The 
stares we were getting were almost as memorable as the flying hot dog 
(but not quite).  I think I laughed the whole time I was in line.


Yance Davis
yance@wam.umd.edu

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Ethan White 
Subject: New Year's `94/95

		I have one thing to add to Yance's review. (I didn't have as good 
seats as he did, but he did forget to mention one thing). One of the 
high points of the show came during SITM, when the lyric "i think that 
this exact thing happened to me just last year" came up. The whole idea 
of last year/this year/New Year's show made for a huge cheer at this 
point in the song. The place went nuts!
		Also, I just wanted to put my two cents in about the 3rd set-ending 
"Slave." I'd never heard this live, or, I have to admit, ever before 
this. (It was only my 2nd show- my first was the summer show at Great 
Woods when they gave us Gamehenge). Usually when I don't recognize a 
song, I find it hard to get into it right away. This "Slave," however, 
took me to another place- it was just cosmic. 
  An amazing show- there was MUCH more to it than a flying hot dog.

See you at UMASS!!!
Ethan 
efwhite@amherst.edu