Pt. 2 — Phishtory- The History of a Band Called Phish
Phishtory- The History of a Band Called Phish
By Joe Kramer
There are many bands that rocked onto the music scene during the 1980’s that have not come close to the staying power of a band called Phish. Formed in 1980 by four students at the University of Vermont, the band continues to draw sell out crowds at its annual four-day New Year’s concerts at Madison Square Garden as well as during its annual summer tour, thirty-plus years after its founding. Held in disdain by rock music purists and ignored by many more, Phish occupies an unique space in an ever growing universe of rock and rock-like music.
The first thing to try and decipher about this band is exactly what type of music they play. Often compared to the Grateful Dead, Stephen Thomas Erlewhine’s (allmusic.com) biography of the band describes their music as follows: ”The music is somewhat similar to the Dead’s sound — an eclectic, free-form rock & roll encompassing elements of folk, jazz, country, bluegrass, and pop — adhering more to a jazz-derived improvisation than folk tradition.” That’s a lot to unpack. Basically, their music is an amalgam of many genres played out in long jam sessions both on albums and at concerts. Jordan Hoffman of thrillist.com says: “Phish’s music ranges from complex orchestrations to booty-shakin’ thick funk to vast spaced-out ambience. Some of the tunes are really clotheslines on which to hang a new, improvised permutation on themes that will only be performed one-time.”
The consistent point in both descriptions is the theme of improvisation. This is key to the band’s overall vibe. They take the songs they write and “remake” them each time they play a live concert through long, many times rambling jams that can last 20–30 minutes. This seems to be one of the unique aspects of the band and their shows that cements the commitment of the true fan. No two shows are alike. The anticipation by concert-going fans of not only the set list but the direction the music might take, drives the unparalleled multi-concert attendance.
The band today consists of the original four fellow students who formed Phish in 1983 to play local venues in Vermont; Page McConnell, Jon Fishman, Trey Anastasio and Mike Gordon. Although none have ever been described as “great musicians”, their quirky lyrics and music appear more intended to evoke fun than commercial success, although in reality they do both in spades. The band consistently sells out all of their concerts and have reverted to a lottery system for ticket distribution to allow true apostles the opportunity to buy un-scalped tickets.
The concert scene has been described as laid back and carnival like. Most fans are friendly and mellow, and many times families bring young kids who run and play during the show. An important piece of the overall show’s infrastructure is the lightshow orchestrated by long term lighting engineer Chris Kuroda. Hoffman captures the essence of the Phish magnetic draw when he says “What the group’s fans really crave when they see Phish perform is a state of euphoria referred to as the hose, achieved during runs of intense improvisation. When this happens, it’s as if a dam has burst on stage and the musicians’ very essence washes over the delirious crowd.”
Wow! That is quite a description. So, a group of aging, somewhat mediocre talented rockers continue to draw sellout crowds of cult like followers thirty-six years after forming in a dorm room. Sounds possible but not very probable. That my friends is the story of Phish. Although I have yet to join the converted, I certainly am becoming more intrigued by the story.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/phish-mn0000333464/biography
