Peter Gabriel‘s first tour in nearly a decade hit NYC on Monday for a magestic performance at Madison Square Garden. The tour is in support of Gabriel’s new album, i/o, which he’s been releasing song-by-song, monthly on the full moon. He played all but one track from it, along with classics from throughout his solo career.
The night began quietly, however, with Gabriel giving a short speech before bringing out longtime bassist (and Brooklyn native) Tony Levin, then the rest of the band as they performed “Washing of the Water” and “Growing Up” acoustically around a campfire set under a giant moon. From there the band, which he thanked multiple times during the night, moved to traditional stage setup. Most of the first set was i/o songs, with “Digging in the Dirt” performed midway through to give the crowd an oldie, and “Sledgehammer” closing out the first set.
The second set was heavier on hits, including “Don’t Give Up” (with cellist/vocalist Ayanna Witter-Johnson singing Kate Bush’s part), “Red Rain,” “Big Time,” and a joyous “Solsbury Hill,” which closed out the second set. There were two encores: “In Your Eyes,” where Gabriel held up an inflatable toy boomboox, a nod to Lloyd Dobler, and the show closed out with Gabriel leading the MSG crowd in singing “Happy Birthday” to Jimmy Carter ahead of his 99th birthday, thanking him for his humanitarian work before playing “Biko.”
Check out photos from the show by P Squared, along with the MSG setlist and video, below.
Check out another review of the show on Goldmine.
SETLIST: Peter Gabriel @ Madison Square Garden 9/18/2023
Set 1:
Washing of the Water
Growing Up
Panopticom
Four Kinds of Horses
i/o
Digging in the Dirt
Playing for Time
Olive Tree
This Is Home
Sledgehammer
Set 2:
Darkness
Love Can Heal
Road to Joy
Don’t Give Up
The Court
Red Rain
And Still
Big Time
Live and Let Live
Solsbury Hill
Encore:
In Your Eyes
Encore 2:
Biko