Photo by Rob Chapman

Phish continued their New Year’s Run at New York’s Madison Square Garden last night. The show opened with a segue from “Punch You in the Eye” into an unfinished “Prince Caspian” and “Backwards Down the Number Line.” During the latter song, Trey Anastasio name-checked Jon Fishman’s young daughter Ella, who was celebrating her birthday. The group’s first set also included only the second “Vultures” this year.

The Vermont Quartet stretched out more second set, especially during an extended, improvisational-heavy “Piper” that gradually moved into “Twist.” Later, Phish toyed around with the intro to “David Bowie” while quoting a bit of their own “Silent In the Morning.” As of note, during “Boogie On Reggae Woman” Anastasio put down his guitar for a second and move to the front of the stage to kick a giant balloon into the crowd.

Phish will close 2011 at Madison Square Garden tonight. The band also announced an archival release of a show that took place 20 years ago today.

Here’s a look at last night’s setlist via Phish.net

Friday, 12/30/2011, Madison Square Garden, New York, NY

Set 1: Punch You In the Eye > Prince Caspian$this->footnoteID(‘1’,’‘) > Backwards Down the Number Line, Nellie Kane, Divided Sky, Sand, Vultures, Rift, Joy, Quinn the Eskimo

Set 2: Wilson > Axilla > Piper > Twist > Julius > Golgi Apparatus > Also Sprach Zarathustra, The Horse > Silent in the Morning, David Bowie$this->footnoteID(‘2’,’‘), The Squirming Coil

Encore: Boogie On Reggae Woman, Good Times Bad Times

[1] Unfinished.
[2] Silent In the Morning teases.