David Gallo Helps Phish Celebrate New Year's Eve in Memorable Style

	Photo: Rene Huemer. Phish 2013.

Tony Award-winning scenic designer David Gallo, creative director for Phish's New Year's Eve extravaganza, brought fans full circle in Madison Square Garden (MSG) in New York City.

The event was conceived in collaboration with Phish members Trey Anastasio, Mike Gordon, Page McConnell, and Jon Fishman and produced by Phish / Red Light Management in association with production manager Hadden Hippsely.

Gallo was creative director for Phish NYE 2009 in Miami and the past three MSG NYE concerts: Global Meatstick 2010, Steam 2011, and Garden Party 2012. Devotees of the rock band vied for coveted tickets to this end-of-year concert celebration, anticipating a "gag" as it is known among fans, and Phish's way of giving back to their loyal following.

In a sold-out arena, the first set concludes as Phish celebrates their 30 year anniversary with fans. A Fender Rhodes electric piano-shaped cake, an homage to the band's pre-arena days and '88 Colorado tour, is shared followed by a video featuring drummer Fishman and art directed by Gallo. Fishman resurrects Phish's disabled original truck and takes fans on a road trip odyssey from Burlington, Vermont to NYC. Along the way, he dozes off while approaching a low clearance bridge which shears the truck and spills a trail of equipment and memorabilia onto the roadway. The journey continues through tunnels en route to the city and inside the Garden.

Headlights on and with a chug, a re-creation of the original tour truck, JEMP, named for band members Jon, Ernest (Trey), Mike and Page, enters Madison Square Garden. Broken down, shredded-top JEMP is pushed to the center of the Garden floor and the four band members enter through JEMP's cab. From the lifted truck bed outfitted with vintage gear -- a hockey stick microphone as homage to their first gig, milk crate keyboard seat, old Languedocs -- Phish plays a full second set of early material in the round on the Garden floor. Surrounded by an electrified crowd, the band symbolically exits the arena floor together.

The third set resumes on the arena stage and segues seamlessly from Character Zero to countdown, followed by a rousing "Auld Lang Syne" and "Fuego," to a massive confetti and balloon drop courtesy of Future Affairs. More celebratory antics and jamming lead to a video montage of the band, from their Goddard days to Abe Vigoda's Halloween appearance. An a cappella Grind encore counts the days until their 60th anniversary. Lyrics "we find ourselves in the show of life" fittingly closes the event as video fast forwards to images of the band in 2043.

The event required a collaboration of talent and technology. Jersey Carts provided JEMP's custom build. TAIT Towers scenically destroyed the top of the truck and placed two scissor lifts on a custom rolling base to raise the performance area. The transformed truck was dismantled and rebuilt into three sections in the Lititz, Pennsylvania shop for transport and quick reassembly at MSG.

View the event at http://vimeo.com/83445654.