The rumor mill has been notably quiet as everyone awaits the announcement of summer tour. But despite the lack of rumors, one has grabbed the imagination of the entire community – Phish in Telluride, Colorado. Tentatively slated for August 9-10, some townspeople are talking like the concerts are but a forgone conclusion. No official word has come from the quaint ski town thus far, as the decision now awaits the approval of the community and town councils. Nonetheless, houses, condos, and hotels are already booking up for the potential highlight of summer tour.

Throughout their early history, Phish visited Telluride three times for a total of eleven shows. Six of these shows (plus one in Aspen) comprised their first western road trip, captured on the official release Colorado ’88. At that time, the band played at The Roma and Fly Me to the Moon Saloon, two bars along the town’s scenic main strip. If this dream materializes this summer, the band will shift over to the eastern side of Telluride to Town Park, the site of the famous Telluride Bluegrass Festival and the town’s annual Blues and Brews Festival. The overwhelming concern of the town is the footprint the Phish scene could leave on the gorgeous mountain destination. Nonetheless, the economic boost the two-days might be just enough of an incentive to reel the Phish into the tucked away hamlet.

When talking with a rental agent in town on Tuesday, he indicated that the town expected to hear something more later this week. If that will materialize is yet to be seen, but as the Telluride agent confirmed, once an announcement drops, it will be a fiasco as everyone races to rent the town’s plethora of vacation homes. If this all comes together, however, it could make for an incredibly special weekend that would certainly go down in the lore of summertime Phish. It would also continue the 3.0 trend of unique locales that buck conventional logic, following the path forged by Fenway Park, The Fox Theatre, Bonnaroo, Red Rocks, and Festival 8, while bringing Phish deep into the Rocky Mountains without the lights of Denver shimmering in the distance.

One of the other main issues causing debate is that the dates for the shows would be directly following the Telluride Jazz Celebration, thus putting the two events at conflict for lodging. There has also been fear that the magnitude of Phish scene might overrun the jazz fest altogether. How this all shakes out remains to be seen, but what seemed unlikely at first, might just happen. And if that weren’t enough buzz for Colorado, to go with these rumors, a return to Red Rocks has been said to be settling into the very same dates at the end of July and beginning of August. One way the or the other, the second half of summer seems like it will be passing through the Rockies, and plotting Phish on a two-leg summer course. Official announcements? According to the Denver Post, not for  a couple weeks.

–> Here is an updated Telluride Article – only two more hurdles to clear!

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Jam of the Day:

“Stash” 11.13.97 II

The first huge jam of fall ’97, and funk had nothing to do with it.

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DOWNLOAD OF THE DAY:

10.27.91 Elk Ballroom, Telluride, CO < Torrent

10.27.91 Elk Ballroom, Telluride, CO < Megaupload

Here is one of the last couple shows the band played in Telluride back in 1991. With a rumored return, what better time to bust out this relic. Enjoy! (Torrent will be up at some point today)

I: My Sweet One, Chalk Dust Torture, The Mango Song, Buried Alive, Guelah Papyrus, Fluffhead, Brother, Bouncing Around the Room, Harry Hood, Golgi Apparatus

II: Llama, Colonel Forbin’s Ascent > Fly Famous Mockingbird, Sparkle, It’s Ice, Mike’s Song > I Am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove, Tela, The Landlady > Destiny Unbound, Take the ‘A’ Train, Run Like an Antelope

E: Glide, Possum

Source: Unknown