One simple flash animation and the entire community was whipped into a frenzy.  Leave it to Phish to fuck with us until the end, and if my supposition is right, that is exactly what they are doing.  Yesterday, on Phish.com, the Save the Date map saw California lifted off the map by hot air balloons- supposedly meaning the Halloween festival will not be in Indio, CA- the location that everyone and their mother assumed it would be.  Due to all of the hype and anticipation, Indio hotels have been booked for weeks and some fans have even gone as far as purchasing plane tickets to southern California!  (Questionable decision making in my book.) But with the airlift of California off Phish’s animated map, everything was thrown into question, and the Phish community turned into an all-out freak scene.

It took no time at all for rumors to begin circulating about the festival’s “real ” location, Datelan Army Airfield outside of Yuma, AZ.  These rumors spread like wildfire on message boards and Facebook, and before long, people had RVs on lock-down in Phoenix and Tucson for the festival in the middle of the desert.  It made sense- an old military airfield out in the middle of nowhere- much like their former festival sites, and it still fit in with the heavily rumored fall dates that start in the southwest and move up the west coast.  Leave it to Phish fans- the most obsessive sub-genre of people on this planet- to get to the bottom of this.

All of a sudden, plans were changed.  Whether it was Arizona, New Mexico Georgia, or Vegas- all ideas tossed around the web- it wasn’t gonna’ be Indio. Or was it?  To be honest, my initial thought was that Phish was pulling a prank on us.  But that thought didn’t stop me from booking 30 footers out of Phoenix and Tuscon just in case!  But there had been too much talk about Indio; locals had confirmed the plans, there were all the semantic correlations with the suffering date crop of  the region, people in the organization freely talked about it at Alpine Valley- and all of a sudden it fell through?  It just didn’t feel right.

My first thought was that because the animated California never got destroyed, pillaged, or blackened- like the other eliminated states- it would somehow survive.  Possible clue number two- the design on the balloons had arrows pointing up and down- “What goes up, must come down!”- of course.  At the end of all this, when all the other states are gone, California would float back down and be presented as the official site.  That’s what I thought, but who really knew?  I could definitely picture the band members and Flash animators laughing their asses off as they watched the community spin into a tizzy over the newly-created mystery.

And then later in the day, it was discovered that California wasn’t gone at all, it was in Canada!  If you held down the command button and pressed “+,” the animation zoomed out showing California-very much intact- hovering over the lower 48.  It was brought up that it might just be a fault of the Flash animation, but come on!  If they wanted to take California off the map, they would have- bottom line.  Theories, obsession, mystery, hype, adrenaline….this is all part of the Phish game too, and five years later, it was funny to be in the midst of another full-on freak scene!  Some things never change.

Once people saw California hovering over the country, the consensus seemed to shift back to a festival in Indio, but the mystery is still out there to be solved.  Regardless of where Halloween ends up- and I’m 99% sure it will be in Indio- it’s great to see Phish’s prankster spirit alive and well in 2009.  Taking their fans on a mental scavenger hunt to find the next site, and boosting their heart rates for a while, the organization shook things up on Monday, making the normally mundane start of the week far more exciting.

It’s so great to have Phish back- not only for the music- but for the sheer excitement they bring to everyday life.  Nothing else could have caused such a hectic, yet positive, stir in all of our lives yesterday, and that just speaks to the power of it all.  Reason number 1001 why the world is a better place with a happy and healthy Phish around.  But keep those reservations- wherever you may have them- because who knows what the next twist will bring!

See you in southern California! Probably.

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Phish Thoughts Jam of the Day!

With the new Flash audio player, I thought that I’d add a new feature to the site!  Every day I will feature one standout jam to listen to, separate from the day’s post.  Sometimes I’ll write a paragraph, sometimes a sentence, but there will always be some quality Phish to listen to every day!  You will always be able to download the selection by clicking the orange song header. Enjoy!

12.30.95 Harry Hood

Simply put, this changed my life.

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DOWNLOAD OF THE DAY:

10.11.95 Compton Terrace Tempe, AZ < TORRENT

10.11.95 Compton Terrace Tempe, AZ < MEGAUPLOAD

Rumors spread faster than a California wildfire that the Halloween scene was shifting to Arizona- and it still might!  Here is one show that Phish did play in Arizona back in the Fall of ’95.  A sparsely populated affair that served as my wife’s first, Phish brought out a great second set featuring the rare “Mike’s > McGrupp > Weekapaug”, a hot second set “Gin,” and a bust-out in “Crossroads.”  I love the ’95 Phish, and this one gets glanced over most of the time.

I: Stash, The Old Home Place, Cavern, The Divided Sky, If I Could, Fog That Surrounds, Acoustic Army, Julius, Sample in a Jar

II: Possum, Bathtub Gin, Mound, Mike’s Song > McGrupp and the Watchful Hosemasters > Weekapaug Groove > Llama, Suzy Greenberg > Crossroads, Hello Ma Baby, A Day in the Life

E: Chalk Dust Torture

Source: unknown (possibly Tascam PE125 > DAP1) fob?

2009 just keeps getting better!  As we anxiously await the second leg of summer tour- with the return to Red Rocks, The Gorge, and so many classic venues- Phish has completely diverted everyone’s attention by announcing a three-day, Phish-only, Halloween festival- presumably at Empire Polo Fields in Indio, Ca.  The California desert outside of Palm Springs, after the hot season and surrounded by mountains, will provide an idyllic setting for the longest festival of the band’s career.  While there has been no “official” announcement of its location, all reliable sources are pointing to Indio- site of the annual Coachella festival in Southern California.  For all of those treks made to the easternmost tip of Maine, this time, the circus will come left for the first-ever west coast Phishfest.

For those who thought Bonnaroo marked the end of Phish festivals as we knew them, here is your response.  With reports of eight sets over three days, Phish is upping the ante with their most extensive celebration to date.  Needless to say, the Phish festival has returned!  We will finally reenter those vibrant playgrounds of lore, that hold musical possibilities as vast as the sky above them.  Unlike Bonnaroo, there will be no sitting through lackluster hip-hop sets awaiting our musical adventures- 72 hours of all Phish, all the time!

Whether it takes the form of a huge jam, an innovative art installation, a carnival ride, or a post-show dance party, Phishy energy will overflow at the most anticipated event since the band’s comeback.  With at least another summer leg before traveling to Indio, the band’s playing come Halloween will likely have evolved to far deeper places.  Take these factors and place them in the outskirts of the desert, and we’ve got the recipe for a sublime psychedelic experience.

Beyond the ideal specifics of the weekend, the spirit of the Phish festival will once again descend upon us.  A care-free plane where nothing matters except fun, friends, and Phish, we will once again step foot into a super-sized dream where wishes do come true.  Combining the vast surroundings, the overwhelmingly friendly vibes, and festival infrastructures that out-did any, some of the most surreal moments of the band’s career have come at their larger-than-life festivals.  The Clifford Ball, The Great Went, Lemonwheel, Oswego, Big Cypress, IT, Coventry, and now….Halloween ’09- the greatest tradition has been revived.

Stuffed somewhere in the middle of those eight sets, Phish, by all assumptions, will don their first musical costume since Vegas ’98, when they nailed their second-set cover of Loaded.  A rite that was absent for the band’s final years, Phish will reignite one of their most-loved customs in their first year back.  Though we can postulate forever on which album they will choose, the band has had a knack for picking out gems we would have never considered (e.g. Remain In Light and Loaded). The answer to this question will unfold under the desert stars only four months from now.

The presumed locale of this year’s party will create a completely divergent feel to the many weekends in the Northeast.  With the weather likely to cooperate, a stunning geography, and a diluted east coast mania, this may be the most blissful experience yet.  We will build ourselves a small Phish city to live in for three days straight – west coast style.  And if staying on site isn’t your thing- though for Phish festivals it’s the general m.o.- there are luxury rentals aplenty only miles away.  To make everything even better, the band has finally chosen an “admit-all” site for one of their super-hyped holiday shows, and tickets won’t be a stress on anyone.

As the calendar is about to turn to July, and we are busy finalizing our plans for the end of summer, we have yet another shining moment waiting in the distance.  With Phish back in our lives, everything has taken on a whole new contour with shows upon shows coming up and plenty of new music to listen to in the meantime.  Circle October 29th through November 1st on your calendars now, because this is one you won’t want to miss.  Reviving two of their most time-honored traditions in one fell swoop, these won’t be your average Phish shows- that much is guaranteed.

Trick or Treat?

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DOWNLOAD OF THE DAY:

6.10.2009 Thompson-Boling Arena, Knoxville, TN < TORRENT LINK

6.10.2009 Thompson-Boling Arena, Knoxville, TN < SENDSPACE LINK

In the largest indoor venue in their history, with a capacity of over 24,000, Phish threw down a powerful show on campus at the University of Tennessee.  The second set versions of “Bowie,” Reba,” and “Hood” are all show highlights.

I: Runaway Jim, Punch You in the Eye, Ocelot, Foam, Train Song, Undermind, Mike’s Song > I am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove, The Squirming Coil, Character Zero

II: Get Back on the Train, Waves > A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing > David Bowie, Army of One, Reba, Hello My Baby, Julius,  Cavern, Harry Hood

E: Frankenstein

Source:  Schoeps CCM 4 Lg (ORTF) > Sonosax SX-M2 > Sound Devices 702 (24/48)- Taper: Dennis Tyler

(Remember, if you absolutely can’t torrent, hit me up with an email explaining your situation for a direct link)

While speculation is running rampant about Fenway and the upcoming leg of Summer tour, believe it or not, rumors have been floating around about Halloween for quite a while.  Without knowing what type of fall slate Phish will create after such an extensive summer schedule, it seems like they will be returning to their tradition of donning a musical costume for All Hallows’ Eve.  This is quite the exciting proposition, as Halloween shows were one of the greatest nights of the Phish calendar.

Rumors originally had Phish playing The Knickerbocker (now the Times-Union Center) in downtown Albany.  Then I heard the band would move down I-87 and play a fifteen year anniversary show at Glens Falls, commemorating their first Halloween costume of The Beatles’ White Album. The most recent mumblings involve a return to Vegas for Halloween weekend, a proposition that seems counter-intuitive with Phish’s new family vibe, but who knows with these guys?  The bottom line is that it looks like Phish will be taking us somewhere come the end of October.

As soon as we start talking Halloween, there is immediate conjecture about what album Phish may or should play for set II.  Having already touched on several diverse classics- The White Album, The Who’s Quadrophenia, Talking Head’s Remain In Light, and Velvet Underground’s Loaded– Phish seems to choose their costume wisely, making sure it bears some significance in rock ‘n roll history.  (We must remember the post-Halloween Dark Side show as well.) While positing what record Phish might play come October 31st is fun, most guesses will wind up empty, as Phish seems to select albums that don’t immediately rush to mind.  Nonetheless, it is a fun activity, and (assuming they won’t cover the same artist twice) below are five albums that I think would make great choices for Phish to cover come Halloween- wherever it is.

Graceland – Paul Simon

I have been advocating for this album ever since 1996.  Why?  Because Phish would crush it.  With intricate polyrhythms and percussive arrangements, Graceland would require additional musicians, much like Remain In Light. Bring on the horns!  Bring on the percussionists!  This one would make for an incredibly improvised time in which Phish could really explore the rhythms, textures, and melodies that define Paul Simon’s masterpiece.  Songs like “Diamonds On the Soles of Her Shoes,” “Under African Skies,” and “The Myth of Fingerprints,” would be perfect springboards for Phish to take in their own direction.  And with some singles that everybody in the arena would know (“Boy In the Bubble” and “You Can Call Me Al”) this seems like a perfect choice.

Appetite For Destruction – Guns N’ Roses

If we are talking definitive albums of rock history, Guns N’ Roses’ Appetite For Destruction has to enter the conversation.  Stripping down the ’80’s glam-rock of Hollywood, Axl and crew redefined what it meant to be a metal band in the early 1990s.  With superb songwriting, catchy hooks, and enough energy to blow up the west coast, Appetite took the nation by storm in 1989.  Can you imagine Trey taking the “Paradise City” or “Sweet Child of Mine” solos?  Or Mike and Fish grooving on “Rocket Queen?”  It would be to-die-for.  Even people who never got into this genre of music respect what Guns N’ Roses created with their debut album.  A game changing record in every sense of the term, Phish would certainly do it justice if they wanted to.  Starting off set two with “Welcome to the Jungle?”- forget about it- the room would absolutely blow apart.

Loveless – My Bloody Valentine

This critically acclaimed album by the early ’90s British alternative outfit has often been cited as a possibility for Phish to cover due to Trey’s avowed proclivity for it.  Recorded over two years and nineteen recording studios, My Bloody Valentine came close to declaring bankruptcy during the process.  But what resulted was a hallmark album of the UK’s “shoegazing” scene of the early ’90s, a sub-genre of British alternative music.  Defined by dense, dissonant guitar effects, sheets of sound, and tonal experimentation, band leader Kevin Shields used a tremolo (or whammy) bar to “strum” his guitar, creating the album’s signature sound.  Combined with drum loops and obscured, effect-laden vocals, this record became My Bloody Valentine’s seminal work, as they never recorded another full album.  Phish could transform this already-psychedelic epic into something completely out of hand-  it would be awesome.

Thriller – Michael Jackson

The world’s best selling album of all-time was toyed with in Louisville, KY the night before Halloween ’95, as the band worked “Beat It” teases into “Possum.”  At the Rosemont Horizon, the teases continued as “Harpua’s” story featured Jimmy listening to “the Halloween album” as the band teased “Beat It” once again.  As Phish took the stage for the second set, they continued the joke by hinting “Thriller” before dropping into the less-widely known Quadrophenia.  If the band were to reconsider this idea, Thriller would make as fun of a Halloween set as any album out there.  Taking Phish funk into the disco realm, this album could lend itself to extended dance improv on most tracks.  “Billie Jean,” “Beat It,” and “Wanna Be Startin’ Something” could be monster jams, while the slower R & B songs could be a hilarious venue for Mike and Page to step up to the vocal task.  Though it is unlikely that “Thriller” will materialize at this point, it would be a blast to experience.

Born To Run – Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band

Often hailed as the Boss’ most powerful album, Phish has already covered the title track in jest with Tom Marshall at PNC in 1999.  But if the band took this epic record more seriously, they could expound masterfully on its dramatic compositions.  Imagine Phish interpreting “Jungleland,” or “Thunder Road?”  The emotional quality behind those songs, combined with Phish’s golden touch, could make this an incredibly powerful experience.  With time to improvise in a more upbeat fashion on “Tenth Avenue Freeze Out” and “Backstreets,” this album, if chosen, would certainly surprise the younger fans out there with its poignancy.

Other Albums That Would Be Great: London Calling (The Clash), Exile On Main Street (Rolling Stones), Astral Weeks (Van Morrison), The Joshua Tree (U2), Gish (Smashing Pumpkins), Houses of the Holy (Led Zeppelin), Ziggy Stardust (David Bowie), Songs In the Key of Life (Stevie Wonder)

What album do you think Phish should cover and why?

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LISTEN to a funny a funny interview from Germany in February ’97 talking about Halloween. (4 minutes) –^^ (Roll over link, click play or right click, save as)

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DOWNLOAD OF THE DAY:

10.31.90 Armstrong Hall @ Colorado College SBD < LINK

10.31.90 Armstrong Hall @ Colorado College SBD < TORRENT LINK

This is the first Halloween gig that Phish played in the ’90s, and while they didn’t don a musical costume, they filled their set with every big Phish song they had at the time.  This show was actually webcast follwing Halloween in 1999 when the band skipped their traditional holiday gig.  Enjoy this nugget of Phish history as we render guesses about Halloween ’09! (Note: This is not the LivePhish source.)

I: Buried Alive > Possum, The Squirming Coil, Lizards, Stash, Bouncing Around the Room, You Enjoy Myself, The Asse Festival, My Sweet One, Cavern, Run Like an Antelope

II: The Landlady, Reba, Runaway Jim, Foam, Tweezer, Fee, Oh Kee Pa Ceremony > Suzy Greenberg, HYHU > Love You > HYHU, Mike’s Song > I Am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove

E: Uncle Pen, Big Black Furry Creature From Mars

Set 2 preceded by costume contest.