Phish's Trey Anastasio Got Stuck Mid-Air And Improvised A Song

Phish has made famed New York City arena Madison Square Garden their New Year's home for a good portion of their career. The venue has become a destination for Phish fans around the globe as the band treats the crowd to memorable shows.

Each New Year's Eve show features a gag once the clock hits Midnight. Past gags have included the band flying over the crowd in a hot dog (which is currently on display at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame), transforming the stage into a pirate ship, and disappearing inside a psychedlic hourglass among others.

The theme of the 2019 gag was clones. As the band took to the stage for their third set, the four members were dressed in colored outfits as it was announced they'd be performing a set of jazz acapella ballads. They went on to perform an acapella rendition of Stephen Sondheim's "Send In The Clowns" from the musical A Little Night Music. The lyrics were changed to "Send In The Clones" foreshadowing the events that were to come.
Following the acapella, four platforms descended onto the stage where each band member stepped onto with their instruments. Phish began to play "First Tube" from their 2000 album Farmhouse as the platforms ascended into the air. Underneath the platforms, an army of clones dressed as each band member took the stage dancing along to the music. 

The plan was for the band to finish their set with "Tweezer Reprise" and descend down to the stage. That was... Almost accomplished.

Guitarist Trey Anastasio's platform malfunctioned causing him to be suspended mid-air. In the face of a potential crisis, Anastasio decided to do what he does best. Improvise.

As two crew members came up to save the day, Anastasio improvised a song appropriately called "Rescue Squad" as he waited to be brought down.

For a band that thrives on improvisation and uses it to craft their setlists, it was an appropriate way to ring in 2020.

 

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