This past weekend, Pink Talking Fish welcomed the new year with a cover-loaded show at Boston’s Paradise Rock Club that featured tributes to Michael Jackson, along with the band’s usual repertoire of Pink Floyd, Talking Heads and Phish tunes. The night was dubbed “Pink Talking Fish In The Mirror.”

The band was joined by several guests on the night, as both a horn and chorus section helped out throughout the two sets, along with Deep Banana Blackout vocalist Jen Durkin. The Bad Horns were comprised of saxophonists Matt Wayne and Lee Ross, trombonist Rob Krahn and trumpeter Little Jimmy, while the vocal section included Kit Holliday, Erin Frawley and Kristene Buckridge.

Durkin helped the collective kick off the night with Jackson’s “Wanna Be Startin’ Something,” and the first set also featured Pink Floyd’s “Money” and “Great Gig in the Sky,” Talking Heads’ “Life During Wartime” and “This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)” and Phish’s “No Men In No Man’s Land,” “Stash” and “Julius,” along wth Jackson favorites “The Way You Make Me Feel,” “Beat It” and “Man In the Mirror.”

The 13-piece ensemble rang in the new year near the beginning of the second set, starting with a mashup of “Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough” and TV On The Radio’s “Golden Age,” which is frequently covered by Phish, and moving into the chorus of George Michael’s “Freedom ’90” which led into the traditional “Auld Lang Syne” at midnight. After many more covers including Jackson’s “Thriller,” Talking Heads’ “Crosseyed and Painless,” Phish’s “Ghost” and more, the night rounded out with an encore of Phish’s “Suzy Greenberg” and Pink Floyd’s “Eclipse.” See the full setlist below.

Pink Talking Fish
Paradise Rock Club, Boston, MA

Set I: Wanna Be Startin’ Something*^% > No Men In No Man’s Land*^% > Money** > Life During Wartime*^%, The Way You Make Me Feel*^%, Stash, Beat It*%, Great Gig In The Sky*% > This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)*%, Man In The Mirror*^%#, Julius*^%#

Set II: Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough/Golden Age Mashup*^%# > Freedom ’90*^%#+ > Auld Lang Syne*^%# > Shake Your Body*^%#, Crosseyed And Painless*^%#, Dogs > Ghost++ > Thank You For Sending Me An Angel, Thriller*^%#, Dogs^% > 2001^%~ > Working Day And Night*^%#

Enc: Suzy Greenberg*^%#~~ > Eclipse*^%#

*w/ Jen Durkin
**w/ Matt Wayne
^w/ The Bad Horns
%w/ Brendan Tommaney
#w/ Kit Holliday, Erin Frawley & Kristene Buckridge
+Chorus only
++w/ “Billie Jean” tease
~w/ “Smooth Criminal” tease
~~w/ “Bad” tease

Pink Talking Fish have also announced a run of winter tour dates kicking off on January 27 in Manchester, TN. The tour also includes a stop at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY, where the band will perform all of Talking Heads’ Stop Making Sense film with members of The Meters, Turkuaz, Stop Making Sense, Kung Fu and Deep Banana Blackout. PTF will also co-headline with Melvin Seals & JGB in Buffalo, NY, on March 7.

See the full dates below.

Pink Talking Fish Tour Dates

January 19–22 Fort Lauderdale, FL – Rock Legends Cruise
January 27 Manchester, TN – The Jewel Nightclub
January 28 Stowe, VT – The Rusty Nail
February 3 Port Chester, NY – The Capitol Theatre*
February 4 Mount Snow, VT – The Snow Barn
February 17 Portsmouth, NH – 3S Artspace
February 18 Plymouth, NH – Flying Monkey
February 22 Kansas City, MO – Riot Room
February 23 St. Louis, MO – 2720 Cherokee
February 24 Denver, CO – Be On Key Psychedelic Ripple
February 25 Denver, CO – Be On Key Psychedelic Ripple
February 26 Winter Park, CO – Ullrs Tavern
March 7 Buffalo, NY – Buffalo Iron Works**
March 8 Toronto, ON – The Mod Club
March 9 Detroit, MI – Magic Bag
March 10 Columbus, OH – Woodlands
March 11 Chicago, IL – Park West
March 12 Grand Rapids, MI – The Stache
April 21 Asheville, NC – New Mountain Theater
April 22 Live Oak, FL – Wanee Music Festival
May 25–28 French Village, MO – Cosmic Reunion Festival

*PTF Stops Making Sense

**w/ Melvin Seals & JGB