Who doesn't love the onslaught of Phish content recently. Between the 3D release of Festival 8, the non-stop touring and the loads of great HD quality video footage on YouTube, the band has decided to release a 2 disc DVD of their November 2nd 1996 performance at Coral Sky Amphitheater in West Palm Beach, Florida. According to the band “the complete, uncut concert was created from archival videotapes of the multi-camera lawn screen feed and the audio was mixed from multi-track masters in stereo PCM and 5.1 surround.”
Phish has leaked a video songs from the up-coming DVD, including superb versions of "Julius", "Run Like An Antelope" and "Harry Hood".
With a huge summer tour successfully completed it comes as no surprise that Phish will be embarking on another, albeit shorter fall tour. The jam-giants will be playing the Austin City Limits Festival on October 8, as well as their first shows in Atlantic City. Last Halloween we heard Phish cover the pivotal classic rock album Exile on Main St. by the Stones. Those lucky enough to make to ATL will witness Trey, Mike, Jon and Page drape themselves in musical costumes as they cover another group's record this Halloween.
PHISH FALL 2010 U.S. TOUR DATES
October 8 Austin, TX—Austin City Limits Festival
October 10-12 Broomfield, CO—ISTBANK Center
October 15-16 North Charleston, SC—North Charleston Coliseum
October 19 Augusta, ME—Augusta Civic Center
October 20 Utica, NY—Utica Memorial Auditorium
October 22 Providence, RI—Dunkin Donuts Center
October 23-24 Amherst, MA—Mullins Center
October 26 Manchester, NH—Verizon Wireless Arena
October 29-31 Atlantic City, NJ—Atlantic City Boardwalk Hall
As if 4.20 couldn't get any headier, Phish will be releasing their first 3D movie ever. They're all the rage these days, and it just so happens that they filmed Festival 8 with fully capable 3D cameras. The first screenings of the film will begin on April 30 but on April 20 special advance preview screenings will be held in nine cities across the country, from Massachusetts to California. For those of you lucky enough to grab tickets, you will also be treated to a free 3D poster as well! Tickets for these screenings will go on sale tomorrow. Head to Phish3DMovie.com for more details.
Last night Trey Anastasio inducted Genesis into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Phish also covered two Genesis songs, "Watcher of the Skies" and "No Reply At All", the latter of which I expect to be covered again some point in the near future. And by the near future I mean on Phish's up-coming SUMMER TOUR which was just announced no more than a few minutes ago. That's right, everybody's favourite jamband will be gearing up for a solid 29 show summer tour which will kick off in Chicago and end in New York City. Check out the awesome video announcement too!
Dates: June 11 Chicago, IL Toyota Park June 12 Cuyahoga Falls, OH Blossom Music Center June 13 Hershey, PA Hersheypark Stadium June 15 Portsmouth, VA nTelos Pavilion at Harbor Center June 17 Hartford, CT Comcast Theatre June 18 Hartford, CT Comcast Theatre June 19 Saratoga Springs, NY Saratoga Performing Arts Center June 20 Saratoga Springs, NY Saratoga Performing Arts Center June 22 Mansfield, MA Comcast Center June 24 Camden, NJ Susquehanna Bank Center June 25 Camden, NJ Susquehanna Bank Center June 26 Columbia, MD Merriweather Post Pavilion June 27 Columbia, MD Merriweather Post Pavilion June 29 Canandaigua, NY CMAC July 1 Raleigh, NC Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion July 2 Charlotte, NC Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre July 3 Alpharetta, GA Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park July 4 Alpharetta, GA Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park August 5 Berkeley, CA Greek Theatre August 6 Berkeley, CA Greek Theatre August 7 Berkeley, CA Greek Theatre August 9 Telluride, CO Telluride Town Park August 10 Telluride, CO Telluride Town Park August 12 Noblesville, IN Verizon Wireless Music Center August 13 Noblesville, IN Verizon Wireless Music Center August 14 East Troy, WI Alpine Valley Music Theatre August 15 East Troy, WI Alpine Valley Music Theatre August 17 Wantagh, NY Nikon Theater at Jones Beach August 18 Wantagh, NY Nikon Theater at Jones Beach
The road to recovery has brought us Joy, Phish's first studio effort in five years. Joy is equal parts therapy and provocation. The lyrical themes are heavy and filled with honesty while poppy, often psychedelic music provides the contrast that we have come to expect from Phish. The band isn't afraid to address its shady, public history as lead guitarist Trey Anastasio sings "Got a blank space where my mind should be, got a Clif Bar and some cold green tea " on the standout rocker "Stealing Time From The Faulty Plan". What good, partying Phish fan hasn't lived off a similar diet either on tour or at college? Things get a little more serious on the title track "Joy", a dedication to Anastasio's now departed sister who passed away last year from cancer. In true Phish fashion, the album also has a few odd-ball moments, most notably on the Mike Gordon penned and sung "Sugar Shack" which is both funky and strange in true Gordo fashion. Joy also contains some soon to be Phish classics such as "Ocelet" which is filled with child like imagery and is a welcomed return to Anastasio's playful, narrative style approach to songwriting. Pianist Page McConnell steps into the spotlight on "I Been Around", the albums modern day response to the Phish classic "Lawn Boy". The only downfall of the album is the 13 minute prog-rock number "Time Turns Elastic". With meaningless lyrics such as "But, I'm a submarine, submarine sinks below the ground. A submarine, I'm a submarine, submarine sinks below the ground" its quite difficult to understand what Anastasio was trying to accomplish with this tune. It's safe to say that Joy is a return to Phish being a rock and roll band with pop sensibilities and this is easily their most accessible album to date. While old-school Phish fans may view this this as a downfall, new listeners are sure to have the catchy choruses of "Backwards Down The Number Line" and "Kill Devil Falls" stuck in their heads for days. Ultimately, Joy is a recharged and reinvigorated Phish proving to the world that their reformation is not simply an attempt at testing the waters, but rather a statement that the boys are back for good.
This weekend is a big weekend. For most folks out there, March 6-8 is just like any other regular weekend, but for some of us, this weekend is extremely special and about 5 years in the making. For those of you who guessed it already, the Phish Hampton reunion run is this weekend and even though I was unable to get tickets, like so many of you out there, hold your head up because Phish has not let us down. The boys will be giving away the Hampton shows for free so we can live the experience in the comfort of our homes. Some of you may have wished for a webcast of the shows but for one reason or another, the boys have chosen to go a different route, and I for one am still very gracious. Big Red had this to say: "We really wanted to show our gratitude to all the Phish fans for their support and the overwhelming response they've had to these shows. It's going to be an amazing celebration and we only wish everybody could be there," Phish will be recording the Hampton shows in a mobile multitrack studio, and mixing the shows overnight for immediate delivery on LivePhish.com
Saturday couldn't come any sooner, but I guess we will all just have to wait. My guess on first song is officially Down With Disease. I leave you now with a killer version of Sample in a Jar from the new Clifford Ball DVDs that were just released. Enjoy!
