First Came the Light!
It didn't take long for me to understand why all of these strange people show up to a stadium in Commerce City like a yearly ritual everyone was eager to see start. Phish creates a space for people to feel like they're a part of a community, everyone here for a singular purpose of blasting off to space on a donut, and everyone is dedicated to having fun. It isn't like a normal concert where a bunch of people break out their phones, casually sway side to side, or try and show that they're the coolest person at the show. Everyone is there for the music, and after my first show, that included me. It took me all of 2 years after my first show to understand I had to see Phish at Madison Square Garden. Nowhere else do they do such long runs, and nowhere else do they feel so at home and confident. Primo Phish exists only at YEMSG. So I booked a plane ticket out, a cheap hotel in Koreatown a 5-minute walk away, and headed to the city that never sleeps.
Find the Best City
While it wasn't my first Phish trip (Raleigh, North Carolina, 2022 holds that prize), it was my first trip to stay and play in a big city. Most of my other travels were to places like the Rocky Mountains of Colorado or the rugged Washington Coast. I'd never had a vacation as an adult just in a city with so much to do. I had no idea how to prepare for it. Where would I work remotely for a few days? Can I take the train from JFK to Manhattan? How in the hell do you find the main Grand Central Terminal once you get off the train? It was incredibly intimidating, and I felt like at every opportunity I was squandering my time in the greatest city on Earth. However, it did help me crystalize how I like to travel in a city, what I like to do and see, and how I can devote time to myself.
Exploring the Apple
Once I got into New York, however, I couldn't get enough. After a short walk and many pictures later, I made it to my hotel, checked in, and promptly began walking around the strange and smelly little neighborhood that would be my home for a few days. I was so glad I had made it a priority to engage with photography during this trip. It made me appreciate the architecture and begin to understand the feeling different areas of New York have and what makes them special. My only real mistake was a walk from midtown, to the financial district, and then across the Brooklyn Bridge on my second day in the city. I was incredibly tired from a rager of a Phish show the night before. To top off a 4-mile concrete walk, I messed up a film roll swap on the Brooklyn Bridge and lost the pictures going across the bridge and looking back on Manhattan. Beyond the smallest part of Brooklyn, I got to experience the majesty of Central Park, eat some of the best Italian food I've had outside of Italy, and enjoy wandering aimlessly in one of the busiest cities in the world. I cannot describe the joy of being immersed in an entirely new world and not having to drive around in a car for over a week.
@ the Garden
New York City towers over the American psyche and culture, but it is nothing compared to the warp cannon that Phish fired us out of for 7 nights over 9 days. I finally got the Lizards I had been chasing for 2 years, got the funkiest Cavern that I still throw on for a good groove, and got to witness Phish being as locked in as ever for a series of amazing shows. I didn't believe it until the first note rang out, but Phish really is another beast at MSG. They are locked into the sound of the venue and it really shows. They flip between chase scorching fast llamas and opening demonic hell portals to the tune of 2001, making musical changes on a dime. The band really is special to see at this venue, and after my first experience, I'm sure I'll be back for a New Year's show soon.
The Aftermath
With Phish performing top-tier shows every night and a city that offered endless things to do, this trip will stand out in my mind for a lifetime. It was a chance to chase who I really am and what I enjoy. I came out of the experience a bigger Phish fan than ever, and also knew that a city vacation is a treat that I'll have to bite into again.
