The next release in the Live Phish series will be one of the greatest shows Phish ever played, December 30, 1997. With little fanfare, this fully remastered three disc set has just been put up at Dry Goods for $21.

Video of this three and a half hour masterpiece and MP3/FLAC downloads are also available at LivePhish.com. December 30 was always a special day for a Phish show, but the concert the band played on that date in 1997 was some next level shit. We can’t wait to hear the official version of this blockbuster that we’ve been begging for since it happened.

During Phish archivist Kevin Shapiro’s last From The Archives broadcast he hinted that this show might get the Live Phish treatment and this evening we’ve got confirmation. A 1997 Holiday Tour t-shirt has also been put out by the band. I know what I want for hanukkah.

READ ON for the full track listing and Kevin’s essay…

After a standout show on 12/29/97, the band gave a loose, funky performance on the second night of their three-night stand at Madison Square Garden. The band came out of the gates smoking on night three of a four-show holiday tour on December 30th with “Sneakin’ Sally Thru The Alley” > “Taste”. The nearly 3.5 hour marathon was capped by a playful, non-stop second set that highlighted a sublime “AC/DC Bag”, rare “McGrupp And The Watchful Hosemasters” and a heavily-narrated “Harpua” which introduced elements of the New Year’s Eve Udder Ball gag and Tom Marshall’s mysterious appearance from Trey’s past for Phish’s first and only cover of The Proclaimer’s “I Wanna Be (500 Miles)”. An extended “Harry Hood” > “My Soul” and a deep, four-song encore of “Carini” > “Black-Eyed Katy” > a reprised “Sneakin’ Sally” and “Frankenstein” completed a curfew-breaking second set so long that the band got to wish the audience an early happy new year. Paul Languedoc’s 2-track soundboard mix mastered by Fred Kevorkian was sync’d to all the available video shot from the front-of-house position to create this latest LivePhish Video offering. 12/30/97 Madison Square Garden is an excellent example of just how fun a Phish Holiday show could be. Alone or as a necessary companion to the previous show, this is must-hear (and must-see) Phish from the archives. Enjoy!

DISC 1
1. Sneakin’ Sally Thru The Alley >
2. Taste
3. Water In The Sky >
4. Punch You In The Eye >
5. Stash
6. Chalk Dust Torture
7. A Day In The Life

DISC 2
1. AC/DC Bag >
2. McGrupp And The Watchful Hosemasters
3. Harpua >
4. I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) >
5. Harpua >
6. Izabella

DISC 3
1. Harry Hood >
2. My Soul >
3. Sleeping Monkey >
4. Guyute
5. Carini >
6. Black-Eyed Katy >
7. Sneakin’ Sally Thru The Alley >
8. Frankenstein