Author Topic: The End of Phish (Read 450 times)

kevin_k · « **on:** May 25, 2004, 02:32:32 PM »

It was announced today by Trey that Phish will be hanging it up for good after the summer tour.

I don't know how many fans there are on this site, but I for one will miss them.

Once I saw Gordon play his 5-String, I was hooked on the bass guitar. I ended up trading in my trombone for my first bass. That was almost 10 years ago.

Well, it looks like I will be clearing a few days off my schedule and hiking up to Vermont.

All well, that ends well.

goatfoot · « **Reply #1 on:** May 25, 2004, 03:26:50 PM »

I just read the news as well.

Tix's to the VT show are $149.50. I was thinking of catching their IN show ($49).

I've never seen them live but I appreciate their music. I'm sure Trey will still tour heavily with his solo group, but I think Phish was a case where the whole was greater than the sum of the parts.

Kevin

tsarter · « **Reply #2 on:** May 26, 2004, 12:48:13 AM »

Bummer! I recently sold Mike Gordon a Modulus TBX. He invited me out to their Vegas shows, but I was unable to go. I'm particularly sad to have passed now.

(Message edited by tsarter on May 26, 2004)

oggydoggy · « **Reply #3 on:** June 04, 2004, 08:53:02 PM »

Hey the way I see it is their best stuff in the last 5 or so years has been in solo groups, such as Oysterhead(Trey, Les, & Stu Copeland) wow what a band, I saw them live in Utica NY, Stu is a bassists dream drummer. And my other favoritye side project Vida Blue, With Page, Oteil Burbridge, and a great drummer, who's name escapes me. But great stuff. I hope that these types of solo projects come together fast and strong.
My 2 Cents,
-Ed

David Houck · « **Reply #4 on:** June 04, 2004, 11:18:14 PM »

Russell Batiste.

the_mule · « **Reply #5 on:** June 14, 2004, 11:30:25 AM »

I just ordered their last studio album 'Undermind' (released today) via Amazon, and I for one will miss them. I've never seen them live, but I've got some live recordings, but I also think their studio work (e.g. The Story Of The Ghost, Farmhouse) is very good, really focused musically and great songwriting.

jagerphan84 · « **Reply #6 on:** June 15, 2004, 03:37:16 PM »

I will be seeing Phish this weekend at Saratoga (both nights) as well as in Vermont. I have been a phan since about 4th grade (i.e. 1993) and I was lucky enough to see them at their last Worcester show and the 'It' festival (as well as a few less notable shows) and I was genuinely impressed with their live shows, even after listening to their live and studio work for so many years. Since the hiatus, I have not been at all impressed with their studio work and I predicted upon their reformation that they would drop 2 albums, 2 festivals, and call it quits. Right on! I am not by any means happy to see them go, but their recent live shows have been pretty consistently reviewed as mediocre at best, and being a devoted phan, I would rather see them step down now than continue beyond their time and become a 'nostalgia act.'

I agree with you, Ed, about the side projects. I saw Oysterhead at the Tsongas arena in Lowell, and (other than Lake Trout's pitiful attempt to open for them) the show was among the best I have ever seen. I also saw Pork Tornado at Northern Lights and the show was amazing. I was able to talk briefly with Phil Abair (keyboards for PT) after the show, he was a real genuinely good guy. I also have been a fan of Leo Kottke for a good long time, so needless to say I was very pleased with his collaboration with Mike Gordon. Overall I would say that I wish they could jump back about 15 years in age and freshness of material, but once they split I'm sure each of them will continue to please my ears for many years (unintentional poetry).
Sorry to ramble so long, but I had to get my 2 cents in about the most influential band in my life.

Adam

son_of_magni · « **Reply #7 on:** June 16, 2004, 03:09:05 PM »

Adam, are you sure you don't want to give me your tickets for the SPAC concert? How can that place be sold out, I've been there for the jazz fest when there were 30,000 or more people (many years ago)... or can you always walk in and buy lawn tickets?

jagerphan84 · « **Reply #8 on:** June 16, 2004, 03:28:21 PM »

SoM,
In retrospect I should have bought 4 tix instead of 2 knowing that I would find others interested in going. Unfortunately, I did not have the foresight to pick up any extras. They are indeed sold out, including the lawn. To quote a Phish Update email that I received today,

While tickets are sold out for the Brooklyn, Saratoga Springs, Mansfield, and Camden shows, a limited number of tickets still remain for the shows at the Verizon Wireless Music Center in Noblesville, IN on June 23 and 24 and at Alpine Valley in East Troy, WI on June 25 and 26.

I do not know the exact number of tickets sold for the SPAC shows, but given the quality of their previous performances there (read: mind-bogglingly good) as well as the band's own desire to play there again, I would not be surprised if the number is approaching that 30k (although it likely is not quite that high). I got a real kick out of the stats from the 'It' festival--with somewhere in the ball park of 70,000 phans piling into the tiny town of Limestone (waaay in the middle of nowhere) and making it the second-highest populated city in the state of Maine for that weekend. I'm sure Coventry in VT will be equally interesting (and large) if not more so, especially considering that they are nearly sold out! I did not think that selling out a festival was possible, but looks like I will be proven wrong. Leave it to Phish...

Adam

hollis · « **Reply #9 on:** June 16, 2004, 04:15:30 PM »

After these shows all that'll be left of Phish is the tale......

Sorry, I really couldn't stop myself.....

jagerphan84 · « **Reply #10 on:** June 16, 2004, 04:23:04 PM »

No harm, no foul :-)

son_of_magni · « **Reply #11 on:** June 16, 2004, 07:48:14 PM »

Well, I've never climbed the fence before to get into a concert. At age 45+ this might be the time to start!

kevin_k · « **Reply #12 on:** June 17, 2004, 08:04:50 AM »

I'll be going to the Deer Creek and Alpine Shows. I look forward to seeing them again too. My first Phish show was Alpine '96, so it's fitting that Alpine will be my last Phish show.

I will never get use to calling Deer Creek, Verizon Wireless just like I will NEVER call Comiskey Park, US Cellular.

jagerphan84 · « **Reply #13 on:** June 19, 2004, 07:49:32 AM »

For the record...
I read in the paper that 25,000 tickets were sold for each SPAC show. Not too shabby for self-described 'cow funk'...

tsarter · « **Reply #14 on:** June 19, 2004, 08:01:07 AM »

BTW, they did a live simulcast of Thursday's show to about 50 theaters around the country. I caught one near me in Emeryville. What a treat! Great sound, excellent camera work. Could probably see and hear better than had I been there. What's more it was very comfy and I did not get soaking wet like those in Brooklyn. I would love it if more groups did this. I heard Prince recently did the same thing.