Wednesday, October 8, 2008

The Phish


"Last Friday night, I got together with Mike, Page and Fish to talk openly about the strong feelings I've been having that Phish has run its course and that we should end it now while it's still on a high note. Once we started talking, it quickly became apparent that the other guys' feelings, while not all the same as mine, were similar in many ways -- most importantly, that we all love and respect Phish and the Phish audience far too much to stand by and allow it to drag on beyond the point of vibrancy and health. We don't want to become caricatures of ourselves, or worse yet, a nostalgia act. By the end of the meeting, we realized that after almost twenty-one years together we were faced with the opportunity to graciously step away in unison, as a group, united in our friendship and our feelings of gratitude.

So Coventry will be the final Phish show. We are proud and thrilled that it will be in our home state of Vermont. We're also excited for the June and August shows, our last tour together. For the sake of clarity, I should say that this is not like the hiatus, which was our last attempt to revitalize ourselves. We're done. It's been an amazing and incredible journey. We thank you all for the love and support that you've shown us."

-- Trey Anastasio May of 2004

Maybe so, maybe not, eh? Phish fans were shell-shocked when the above letter was delivered out of the blue four years ago. Fans were bewildered by the band's sudden departure, and the emotions were off the charts in all directions. Phish left many fans holding a grudge, with a myriad of lingering questions about its downfall.

It took a few years for the truth to finally seep out...And although the problems triggering Phish's downfall were plentiful, it was soon realized that one of the main reasons was Trey Anastasio's drug problem.This is not to say that he was in near death condition, but that the drugs were negatively affecting his performance, attitude, and dedication.

Trey's DWI arrest in upstate NY brought all of this knowledge into focus, and the event will be seen as a catalyst for not only understanding Phish's demise, but also the 'rebirth', if you will. Trey obviously stayed incognito throughout his year and a half long stint of jail and drug treatment. Following his release from the program, he simply made a handful of cameo appearances, and went on his merry way. No tour, no press, nothing.

It wasn't until May of this year that rumors began to crop up that a Phish reunion seemed possible. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Trey acknowledged for the first time how the drugs altered his perception of music. The interview was followed up a few months later with an official letter posted on the band's website, saying although a reunion has not been officially talked about, all four band members were getting together to talk about their future.

New rumors kept popping up everywhere as the year went by, and it all built into a giant crescendo on the night of September 30 of this year ('coincidently Trey's birthday). This will easily be one of the most exciting and bizarre nights of my life, as I don't think I have ever been as excited while sitting alone in my room for 7 hours. The short version of the story is that dozens of online Phish fans came out of the woodwork that night, claiming to have gotten a call from reliable sources that Phish IS reuniting. Normally such rumors are laughed at, as all have never come close to fruition over the past four years. But as more and more online phans shouted the news, the rumor was becoming hard to disclaim. Finally, the rumor of the rumor broke, exclaiming that Phish was announcing the return at 3AM. Many of us stayed up to find out the news: Phish - Hampton - March 6-8 2009 - More dates to come

To say I was exciting was an understatement, as I probably woke up a few people in adjacent rooms with my wild flailing and fist pumping following the video announcement. So, Phish is back, Trey is healthy, and hopefully the band will come back with a vengeance like none other.

And now, some Phish:
















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