PHISH
Comprising Trey Anastasio (vocals/guitar), Page McConnell (keyboards/vocals), Mike Gordon (bass/vocals) and Jon Fishman (drums/vocals), Phish were founded in 1983 at the University of Vermont in New England, USA. Anastasio had posted flyers around the campus looking for like-minded musicians. Fishman, Gordon and original second guitarist Jeff Holdsworth responded, but the band only really took shape in 1985 after the recruitment of McConnell and Holdsworth's departure. A regular venue was found at Burlington's Nectar's, before Phish expanded their activities to tours of venues and halls nationwide.
The band's avowedly eclectic music - drawing from jazz, funk, bluegrass, country, punk and pop - introduced them to a large cult audience throughout America, a following that has increased in size ever since.
Their 1988 own label debut, Junta, captured their free-flowing improvisations, while 1990's Lawn Boy (on the Rough Trade Records' subsidiary, Absolute A Go Go) featured improved production and a relatively structured approach to their cross-genre experiments.
Phish, like the Grateful Dead, are a phenomenon, they prove beyond doubt that selling records is secondary to touring regularly. Multi-platinum albums are never likely to figure in Phish's plans; multi-million dollar takings at their concerts, however, are an everyday event. In a surprise move, the band wound down their operation in 2000. After a two year hiatus they announced their return with a New Year's Eve show.
Keep them going with a Phish tee shirt that you can wear anytime you’re feeling Phishy. Get one for your friends and family too!
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