On the 30th and 31st of December "Vermont's Phinest" headed to the Fleet Center for their highly anticipated holiday performances. Both were sold out shows where Phish's performance left no one disappointed. They lived up to their title "one of the best live bands in the country."

The scene outside the Fleet Center was all too common, thousands of "Phish-heads" jamming Causeway St. Acoustic bands on the side and peddlers of all kind gave this jam-fest the feeling of a giant family gathering.

The December 30th show opened with fast renditions of "Yamar," "The Sloth," "Llama," and "Gumbo," which led into fan favorite "Reba." By this time the whole center was shaking and everyone was in a festive mood.

The night was highlighted by a 30-minute rendition of "Scent of a Mule." This was characterized by 20 minutes of the band jamming with all band members doing solos, including comedian Steven Wright giving a desk bell solo.

On New Year's Eve the band was back for their tradition of playing a New Year's Eve show. Playing another sold-out show, they started a little after eight and played until after one. The second set kicked off with "Chalkdust Torture" which led into a crowd chant for the song "Wilson." The intermission between the second and third sets was a long one with by a remote-controlled hot air balloon with a video camera floating throughout the arena.

The third set kicked off with "2001" which led into New Year's classic "Auld Lang Syne," during which the clock struck twelve and 60,000 balloons dropped to cover the stage and floor. The band continued to play into a 40-minute jam, kicked off by "Down With Disease." The night ended with the Boston Community Choir joining Phish on stage. For an encore they played background while the choir sang a peaceful version of "Amazing Grace." This may have been one of the best sets ever played by Phish.

Almost every song on these evenings was played to perfection. Phish worked like a finely tune machine and showed no sign of tiredness. Their enthusiasm to play in a live forum made the band look like first-time tourers.