“It’s time you knew the real story of Gamehendge!”
These nine words from actress Annie Golden, playing Jimmy’s Grandma during Phish’s New Year’s Eve concert, released a swell of emotions from Phish fans gathered at Madison Square Garden, witnessing for the first time in nearly 30 years, the first full performance of “Gamehendge.”
Written by guitarist Trey Anastasio as his senior thesis at Godard College, titled The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday, the rock opera tells the tale of retired colonel from Long Island who enters a mythical land where the lizards live under the rule of the evil king Wilson.
To the lay person, this is the plot to a children’s book, but to Phish fans, this is the holy grail of shows, only performed five times prior and not even this century, until December 31, 2023.
With a cast of Annie Golden (Grandma), Mitchell Sink (Jimmy), Jo Equality Lampert (The Wolf), Jeff Williams (Colonel Forbin), Daniel Gaymon (Rutherford) and Rebecca Magazine (Tela), the performance spanned a total of 17 songs, with costumed dancers, a flying mockingbird and slow-moving assassin sloth among them, over two sets, stretching past midnight into the first hour of 2024.
The full show remastered video of the entire performance was released on Tuesday. Watch below and relive Phish’s 83rd show at Madison Square Garden.
Setlist via Phish.net
Phish – Gamehendge/Madison Square Garden, NYC – Sunday, December 31, 2023
Set 1: Everything’s Right, Tube, Ether Edge > Reba, Taste, Ruby Waves, A Life Beyond The Dream, Character Zero
Set 2: Down with Disease, Harpua > The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday > The Lizards > Punch You in the Eye > AC/DC Bag > Tela > Llama > Wilson > The Sloth > Divided Sky
Set 3: McGrupp and the Watchful Hosemasters > Colonel Forbin’s Ascent > Fly Famous Mockingbird > Auld Lang Syne > Split Open and Melt, You Enjoy Myself > Loving Cup > Possum
Encore: Cavern > First Tube > Tweezer Reprise
Additionally – Phish quietly announced a new box set would be available for sale in March. The Spectrum ’97 will celebrate the December 2 and 3 shows during the famed “Phish Destroys America” Fall 1997 tour. More info to come.
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