Billy Joel must be stewing.
Rumors have been circulating for several months now about Phish’s plans for summer 2017. Those rumors gained steam during their four-night New Year’s Eve run at Madison Square Garden: Phish would play a limited tour featuring a “bakers dozen” of shows at MSG. Fresh off a successful run in Mexico- their second visit to Riviera Maya- in mid January, Phish announced last week that the Baker’s Dozen was indeed going to happen. The band will play 13 shows at the end of July and beginning of August at the most famous arena in the world.
Rumor has it that Joel, while trying to book some New Years Eve shows back in 2013, called Phish a “second-rate cover band” when he learned the boys had booked the Garden for their 30th anniversary set of shows. During that run, Phish played not a single cover, and Tom Marshall, phriend and lyricist of the band, tweeted “Phish, 4-nights MSG, all originals, no repeats, put THAT bread in your jar piano man!”
Of course, this drama is unconfirmed, but it makes the Baker’s Dozen run slightly more interesting and discussion-worthy. Joel holds the record for most consecutive sellouts of Madison Square Garden at 13, so perhaps management at MSG will raise a banner in honor of Phish’s accomplishment- assuming they sell out each of the 13 shows.
The online ticket request window closed Sunday, February 12 at 11:59 pm, but tickets go on sale to the public February 17. The dates begin on July 21 and wrap up on August 6.
As with most things internet these days, it wasn’t long after the tour announcement before the baker’s dozen memes started showing up. Those brave-and crazy- souls who are going to see the entire 13 show run in 16 days will likely be shadows of themselves when it’s all said and done.
