"And good evening everybody!"



That line--a variation of the 'good afternoon everybody!' line uttered by Chris 'Mad Dog' Russo so often over the years--got the festivities going on Wednesday night at Radio City Music Hall. Three hours later, Mike Francesa and Russo were officially back--if only for a special one night only event.



With a guest list of New York legends--ex-Giants coach Tom Coughlin, former Yankees World Series winner Joe Torre, Rangers immortal Mark Messier, ex-Mets skipper Bobby Valentine and Knicks coach turned national basketball analyst Jeff Van Gundy--memories of 19 years of New York sports came flooding back through the night. Those memories were chronicled in the moment by the former top-rated WFAN hosts, and rehashed in wide-ranging interviews on stage.

After months of talk and build up to Wednesday evening's events--of which proceeds went to the Garden of Dreams foundation--Francesa and Russo didn't disappoint during the show. In fact, it was the old interaction and chemistry between the ex-partners that often brought the crowd to raucous applause.

Russo's energy level was as high as ever, and Francesa's ability to play off Mad Dog's eccentric ways didn't leave--despite the eight-year gap between March 30th's show and the last time Mike and the Mad Dog was heard on WFAN's airwaves in a full-show format.

#MikeandMadDogReunion is underway @RadioCity! Support Garden of Dreams by texting REUNION to 72727 to donate! pic.twitter.com/Xnl8rQ3Nya — Garden of Dreams (@gardenofdreams) March 31, 2016





With the trademark banter, interview style and Mike and the Mad Dog show quirks like over/under predictions, non-major sports conversation (horse racing, tennis, golf) and a glimpse into the best stories of the past, the reunion was as much a trip back in time as a brand new event.



Scroll through the gallery above to see the best of the best photos from the Mike and the Mad Dog reunion program.



Joe Giglio may be reached at jgiglio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoeGiglioSports. Find NJ.com on Facebook.