Rock Around The Clock December 22, 2002 - New York Post by Phoebe Reilly Every New Yorker knows that there is only one rule to follow on New Year's Eve: find the place you most want to be and stay there, because it's impossible to move around - it's always super-cold, there are never any cabs, and Midtown's a nightmare. If you haven't yet been invited to one blowout party, consider going to a live show - it'll be warm, cozy, and while the alcohol may not be free, there'll be plenty of it. Phish With the Grateful Dead's Jerry Garcia, well, dead, this is your best option for an hours-long jam-band extravaganza (as long as you're comfortable with the term Phish-head). Phish - which has an insanely huge, devoted following, mainly among crunchy, Teva-wearing types - is re-uniting after a two-year break to ring in the New Year at Madison Square Garden - which has been a Phish ritual for the better part of the past decade. This show is sold out because this is the closest thing that hippies still have to a movement and Phish fans mean business (but scalpers and friendly fans with extra tickets are always an option). If extended sets of jazz-infused free-form folk 'n' roll songs and lots of very friendly people appeals to you, by all means find a way to get in. If that seems like too much effort, you can always sit home alone eating Phish Food (the Ben & Jerry's ice cream inspired by the band). Where: Madison Square Garden, Seventh Avenue between 31st and 33rd streets; (212) 465-6741 Copyright © 2002 NYP Holdings, Inc