Latest Phish News, Articles and Interviews from Around the Web

PHISH TO PLAY FIRST FULL-LENGTH ACOUSTIC SET AT FESTIVAL 8
This is something I have wanted to see for years now. Phish announced they will play an entire set acoustically "At the Crack of Noon" at Festival 8 next month in Indio, California. Amazingly, this is the first time in history Phish will play a full-length acoustic set.

The one question I have is what will the stage set up look like for the acoustic set? Hopefully, they'll do something similar to the Grateful Dead's acoustic shows, where they gather around in a compact circle at the front and center of the stage, rather than remaining in their usual stage positions just playing acoustic instruments.

Click here to see the planned show times for all eight sets at Festival 8.

It would be killer if they broke out some of the acoustic numbers they used to do bluegrass-style back in 1995, with Page on standup bass, Mike on banjo, Trey on acoustic guitar and Fish on mandolin.

TREY INTERVIEWED ON DAVE-FM ATLANTA
Trey was interviewed by Mara Davis, radio host at Dave-FM in Atlanta, this past Wednesday where they discuss the upcoming musical costume at Festival 8, why Phish didn't play Atlanta on their 2009 Summer Tour, who is in charge of the stereo in his household, why Fishman singing "I Kissed a Girl" was so wrong, and they even delve into Trey's guilty pleasure of listening to Top 40 music -- he sings a couple of lines of the Britney Spears song Circus, which is hilarious. Listen to the entire interview by clicking here.

MIKE GORDON INTERVIEW ON JAMBANDS.COM
Dean Budnick over at Jambands.com (the first place I ever had a freelance article published back in 1999!!) has done it again. He landed an interview with Mike Gordon and managed to put together a piece that doesn't rehash what's already been said about Phish and the boys 1,000 times. Then again, what else would you expect from Budnick. He's one of the pioneers of Jamband journalism.

I was also surprised to see Jambands.com finally revamped their web site. This was long, long, long overdue, and it looks great. Kudos, guys!

Collecting Firewood with Mike Gordon (Jambands.com)

LIST OF MEMBERS OF PHISH SITTING IN WITH OTHER BANDS
Currently, there is a thread over at the PhantasyTour message boards listing links to downloads of performances by Mike, Trey, Page and Fish sitting in with other bands, like the Yonder Mountain String Band, Dave Matthews Band, Jazz Mandolin Project and the Benevento-Russo Duo. The list also includes some "hard-to-find" but outstanding Phish shows/sets, like 9/14/1999 in Boise, Idaho (if you have never heard the second set from this show you need to download it immediately by clicking here), the Fuji Rock Festival in Japan on 7/31/1999 and Cologne, Germany on 2/16/1997 -- the show that more or less kicked off the insane year of CowFunk. And there is other rare stuff dating back to 1982, before Trey and Fishman ever even played together in their dorm hall at the University of Vermont.

Check out the entire thread by clicking here.

FUGUES IN PHISH'S MUSIC
DogGoneBlog came up with another great post, this time delving into the role fugues play in Phish's music. Properly defined, a fugue is "a polyphonic composition based upon one, two, or more themes, which are enunciated by several voices or parts in turn, subjected to contrapuntal treatment, and gradually built up into a complex form having somewhat distinct divisions or stages of development and a marked climax at the end." Sound familiar?

Phish Fugues (DogGoneBlog)

RUMORED FALL TOUR DATES
Mr. Miner over at PhishThoughts.com posted rumored fall tour dates, which fall in line with exactly what I posted here about a month ago. Minor also mentions that Festival 8 ticket sales are not going as well as the band hoped, and his reasoning makes sense -- the shows are about as far away from the East Coast as you can get, and in an expensive resort town ta boot. I was surprised they picked Indio when I first read it, but what do I know ...

Fall Tour? (PhishThoughts.com)

HELP WATERWHEEL WIN $25,000
You can help the WaterWheel Foundation, Phish's charitable arm, win a $25,000 grant by nominating it as your favorite charity. The contest, sponsored by Christie Cookies, is simple: the organization receiving the most votes wins. We should be able to help WaterWheel win this by a landslide.

Click here to vote for the WaterWheel Foundation as your favorite charity.

DOWNLOAD MIKE GORDON BAND BROOKLYN SHOW
And just for kicks, here is a link to download Mike's show from Brooklyn, N.Y. back on Sept. 8. From what I've heard thus far, the Mike Gordon Band is putting out some stellar music. Be sure to check it out. Just about every show is available through the eTree Community Tracker.

Mike Gordon @ Music Hall Of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY 9/8/2009 TLM170 flac16

Phish Biography Set for Nov. 23 Release; Latest News from Around the Web

Apparently there is a Phish biography bagged, tagged and ready for the storeroom Nov. 23. Simply called Phish: The Biography, it's was written by Parke Puterbaugh and published by Dacapo Books.

On the Dacapo web site, Puterbaugh's brief biography says he is "the author, co-author, or editor of nine books, including two books on the music and culture of the 1960s. A former editor and longtime contributor to Rolling Stone magazine, (Puterbaugh) lives in Greensboro, North Carolina."

Puterbaugh also has been a freelance curatorial assistant and writer for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland since its inception. He has annotated more than 30 albums for such labels as Rhino Records, Time-Life Music, and Sony Music.

I've never heard of the guy, and don't recognize his name from magazine bylines either, and I have been an avid reader of Rolling Stone since the mid 1980s -- but that doesn't mean anything.

I wish Phish would have let a long-time fan, who is also a professional writer, put together their biography (someone like, uhm, hmmm, I dunno, me :). Amazon.com says Puterbaugh is a long-time insider. Hopefully the boys had input in this book and it's not 100 percent independently written, especially since the preview says it delves into "the real role drugs played in their breakup," because for whatever reason people outside the world of Phish tend to get things wrong when writing about them. We'll see.

With all of the killer photos out there of the band performing, or otherwise, I really hope the publishers pull their head out of their collective asses and come up with a better cover for the book, which you can see at the top of this page. I mean, seriously ...

LATEST PHISH NEWS FROM AROUND THE WEB

Guilty Pleasures, Final Four: Phish (16) vs. Barry Manilow (2) (EntertainmentWeekly.com)
EW.com has been running a contest over the last month or so searching for the Greatest Guilty Pleasure Musical Act of All Time. (I don't consider Phish a guilty pleasure, any more than someone would consider the Rolling Stones or Neil Young a guilty pleasure, but what do I know.) As of this writing, Phish was leading in the voting 84% to 16% over Barry. If they're gonna be in this stupid contest they might as well win. Cast your vote by clicking here.

Phish Celebrates Happy Reunion (Joy review) (Toledo Blade)
CD Review: Phish's 'Joy' (LA Times)
Jam Central Station 09.19.09: Phish Profiles Part 2-Mike Gordon (411mania.com)
Test Spin: Phish (The Cornell Daily Sun)
Joy Isn't Off-The-Hook Phish, But It's Still Pretty Catchy (Washington Post)
Swimming solo, Phish bassist rocks (Boston Herald)

And for those of you looking for the rumored Fall Tour and New Year's Eve dates, you can find them by clicking here.

Mike Gordon Band 2009 Fall Tour Setlists

MIKE GORDON BAND SET LISTS & NEWS STORIES
Scroll down for news stories from various cities on tour.

Tuesday, September 8th, 2009
Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY

Dig Further Down, Radar Blip, Swamp Music*, What Things Seem**, Can't Stand Still**, Voices, The Field^, Couch Lady, Sarala#, Intensified^^ ->Traveled Too Far

ENCORE
Andelmans' Yard -> 15 Step*** -> Andelmans' Yard

SHOW NOTES
First night of the band's 2009 Fall Tour; * Lynyrd Skynyrd cover; ** Mike original, first time played; ^ Scott Murawski original; #Craig Myers original, with Craig on N'goni and Joe Russo on drums (Todd on percussion) & Marco Benevento on organ (with Tom on Keyboard); ^^ Desmond Dekker cover, with Joe Russo on drums (Todd on percussion) & Marco Benevento on organ (with Tom on Keyboard); *** Radiohead cover, first time played.

Couch Lady video from this show.
Review of the Show (Jambase)

Wednesday, September 9th, 2009
Somerville Theatre, Somerville, MA

Another Door
Ryhmes
Jaded
The Grid
Spiral
Sound
Nobody Home^ Who By Fire*
The Field
God Put A Smile Upon My Face**
Only A Dream

ENCORE
Suskind Hotel >
She Said, She Said

Show Notes:

* Leonard Cohen cover, first time played
^ Tom Cleary original, first time played
** Coldplay cover, first time played

Thursday, September 10th, 2009
Port City Music Hall, Portland, ME

Sugar Shack
Radar Blip
What Things Seem
Morphing Again
Time For Loving Is Now
No One Receiving >
Traveled Too Far >
Couch Lady
Emotional Railroad >
Traveled Too Far >
Meat >
Dig Further Down

ENCORE
River Niger
Voices

Friday, September 11th, 2009
Bearsville Theatre, Woodstock, NY

SOUNDCHECK: Dig Further Down

Suskind Hotel
Walls Of Time
Traveled Too Far
Swamp Music
The Field >
Another Door >
Things That Make You Go Hmm
Crumblin Bones
Percussion Jam*
Dig Further Down

ENCORE
Meat
Only A Dream >
Soulfood Man

Show Notes:

* with Ken Lovelett on lap drum

Saturday, September 12th, 2009
State Theatre, Falls Church, VA

Another Door
Andelmans' Yard
Emotional Railroad
Can't Stand Still
Spiral
Ain't Wasting Time No More* >
La La La*
Sound
Sarala^
Couch Lady >
15 Step
Only A Dream

ENCORE
Sugar Shack
Taking It To The Streets

Show Notes:

* Allman Bros cover, Reid Genauer on guitar & vocals
^ Craig Myers original

Here are some photos from the show.

Monday, September 14th, 2009
Lincoln Theatre, Raleigh, NC
Live: Chatting with Phish's Mike Gordon (Independent Weekly, Raleigh-Durham, N.C.)

Dig Further Down
Sugar Shack
Cruel World
Foundation
Pretend
God Put A Smile Upon My Face
Nobody Home
Suskind Hotel
River Niger
Couch Lady
Meat
Traveled Too Far

ENCORE
What Things Seem
Soulfood Man

Tuesday, September 15th, 2009
The Orange Peel, Asheville, NC

Voices
Andelmans' Yard
Walls Of Time*
Can't Stand Still*
Spiral
Swamp Music
The Field
Midnight
Crumblin Bones
Only A Dream

ENCORE
Things That Make You Go Hmm

Show Notes:

* with Jeff Sipe on drums

Friday, September 18th, 2009
Freebird Live, Jacksonville, FL

SET ONE
Only A Dream
Sound
Rhymes
Can't Stand Still
Andelmans' Yard
The Grid
The Field
Soulfood Man

SET TWO
Suskind Hotel
Swamp Music
Crumblin' Bones
Voices
Beneath The Willow Tree
Beltless Buckler
Another Door >
La La La >
Another Door

ENCORE
Meat

Friday, September 19th, 2009
WorkPlay Soundstage Theatre, Birmingham, AL

Phish fans in their glory as Jamband struts its stuff (Birmingham News)

SET ONE
Andelmans' Yard
Sugar Shack
Walls Of Time
Cruel World
Pretend
Only A Dream >
Soul Food Man
Traveled Too Far

SET TWO
Time (The Revelator)*
Dig Further Down
Spiral
Nobody's Home >
15 Step
Voices
She Said, She said

ENCORE
Time For Loving Is Now

Show Notes:

* Gillian Welch cover, first time played

Monday, September 21st, 2009
Minglewood Hall, Memphis, TN

SET ONE
Can't Stand Still
Meat
Traveled Too Far
Emotional Railroad
Foundation
Who By Fire
Nobody's Home
Suskind Hotel

SET TWO
Andelmans' Yard
The Grid
Makisupa Policeman
God Put A Smile Upon My Face
Sugar Shack
The Field
Cities
Another Door

ENCORE
Alphabet Street



Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009
Mercy Lounge, Nashville, TN

SET ONE
Another Door
Sound
What Things Seem
Spiral
Crumblin' Bones*
Weekly Time*
Swamp Music*

SET TWO
Radar Blip
Peggy-O**
Sugar Shack
River Niger
Still Water
Can't Stand Still
La La La
Traveled Too Far

ENCORE
She Said, She Said

Show Notes:
* with Guthrie Trapp on guitar
** with Tara Nevins on vocals/fiddle

Thursday, September 24th, 2009
The Vogue Theatre, Indianapolis, IN

SET ONE

Dig Further Down
Morphing Again
Wave The Ocean
Emotional Railroad
River Niger
Happy Birthday Tom
Nobody's Home
Voices >
Dig Further Down

SET TWO

Traveled Too Far
I Wanna Hold Your Hand*
Sugar Shack
Meat
Ain't Love Funny >
Kryermaten >
Ain't Love Funny
15 Step
Suskind Hotel
Only A Dream

ENCORE
Things That Make You Go Hmm

Show Notes:

* with Stephanie Kinchaloe on vocals

Click here for photos from this show.

Friday, September 25th, 2009
Park West, Chicago, IL

SET ONE
Another Door
Walls Of Time
Spiral
Can't Stand Still
Time (The Revelator)
The Field
Morphing Again
Souldfood Man
Dig Further Down

SET TWO
Sugar Shack
What Things Seem
Sound*
Hey Now Baby*
15 Step
River Niger
Radar Blip
Traveled Too Far

ENCORE
Rhymes
She Said, She Said

Show Notes:

* with Ivan Neville on keys and vocals

Saturday, September 26th, 2009
Barrymore Theatre, Madison, WI

SET ONE
The Beltless Buckler
Andelmans' Yard
Jaded
Willow Tree
Only A Dream
Pretend
Cruel World
I'm Deranged
Couch Lady

SET TWO
Suskind Hotel
Express Yourself >
Intensified
Crumblin Bones
Cities
Voices >
Midnight >
Voices
Sarala
Another Door

ENCORE
Takin' It To The Streets

Show Notes:

Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey opened

Monday, September 28th, 2009
20th Century Theatre, Cincinnati, OH

SET ONE
Dig Further Down
What Things Seem
Swamp Music
Emotional Railroad
Voices >
Sugar Shack >
Voices
On A Bad Day
Jaded*
Who By Fire*

SET TWO
Soulfood Man
The Grid
Crumblin Bones
River Niger
Things That Make You Go Hmm
Couch Lady
Another Door
Radar Blip

ENCORE
Meat

Show Notes:

* with Mad Dog on Trumpet (Oh, yeah. Mad Dog. That totally clarifies whom he is ...)

Tuesday, September 29th, 2009
The Blind Pig, Ann Arbor, MI

SET ONE
Andelmans' Yard
Morphing Again
Can't Stand Still
15 Step
La La La
Cruel World
Walls Of Time
Suskind Hotel

SET TWO
Time (The Revelator)
Voices >
Nobody's Home >
Voices >
Sound
Sugar Shack
Wave The Ocean
Traveled Too Far

ENCORE
Alphabet Street


Wednesday, September 30th, 2009
Mr. Smalls Theatre, Pittsburgh, PA

SET ONE
I'm Deranged
Another Door
Exit Wound
The Field
Sarala
Revolution
No One Receiving
Only A Dream*

SET TWO
Only A Dream
What Things Seem
Couch Lady
Swamp Music
Ain't Love Funny >
Kryermaten >
Ain't Love Funny
Can't Stand Still
God Put A Smile Upon My Face
Dig Further Down

ENCORE
Makisupa Policeman

Show Notes:

* unfinished, then picked up again to start the second set

Friday, October 2nd, 2009
The Mod Club, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Traveled Too Far
Andelmans' Yard >
I'm Deranged >
Andelmans' Yard >
Crumblin Bones
Sugar Shack
River Niger
Radar Blip
Time (The Revelator)
Another Door
Suskind Hotel

ENCORE
She Said, She Said


Saturday, October 3rd, 2009
Town Ballroom, Buffalo, NY

SET ONE
Can't Stand Still
Sound
Pretend
Spiral
Nobody's Home
Cities
Dig Further Down

SET TWO
Beltless Buckler
15 Step
Cactus
Couch Lady
Time For Lovin'
Meat
Emotional RailRoad
Only A Dream

ENCORE
Takin' it to the Streets


Sunday, October 4th, 2009
Higher Ground, Burlington, VT

SET ONE
Andelmans' Yard
What Things Seem
Sugar Shack*
The Field
Swamp Music
Crumblin' Bones
Dig Further Down
Happy Birthday^

SET TWO
Can't Stand Still >
Time (The Revelator)
Soulfood Man >
La La La >
15 Step
River Niger >
Traveled Too Far

ENCORE
Things That Make You Go Hmm

Show Notes:

Tour closer
* with Page McConnell on keys
^ Happy Birthday sung to crew member Rachel Bischoff
Second set began with introduction of tour crew

Trey Anastasio with the New York Philharmonic Setlist, Show Reviews

TREY ANASTASIO WITH THE NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC AT CARNEGIE HALL SET LIST
SET ONE: First Tube, The Inlaw Josie Wales, Brian and Robert, Divided Sky, Water In the Sky, Pebbles and Marbles, Guyute Orchestral (meaning with My Friend, My Friend inserted in the middle)

SET TWO: Time Turns Elastic, Let Me Lie, You Enjoy Myself

ENCORE: If I Could

A Lesson in Jamming for the Philharmonic (New York Times review)
Trey Anastasio and New York Philharmonic Take on "You Enjoy Myself" (Relix)
Trey Anastasio and New York Philharmonic "You Enjoy Myself" Video (Jambase)
Phish and Fisch with New York Philharmonic in concert (Examiner.com)

Trey uses skiing as inspiration (The Ski Channel)

JON FISHMAN SITING AT THE AMERICAN FOLK FESTIVAL
Back on Aug. 24, Fishman sat in with the band Straight Up Reggae at the Sea Dog Brewing Company in Bangor, Maine at the American Folk Festival. Check out this video clip from one song. These guys are cookin'!!

FESTIVAL 8 WEB SITE ADDING HISTORIC VIDEOS
Phish's Festival 8 web site, which started as more or less an online brochure for the upcoming Halloween festival, now includes videos from past festivals The Great Went and Lemonwheel, and some "hidden" footage from IT, including some great shots of a glowstick war and The Tower Jam (some of the wildest Phish music you'll ever hear), as well.

The page is called the "The8tre" and is found at Phish.com/festival8

The videos include the Down with Disease "art jam," Mike driving around the Lemonwheel campground in a golf cart, towing a horde of skateboarders, the Lemonwheel Elephant coming to life, and the building of the Lemo-phant. There is also, FINALLY, some Big Cypress footage that surfaced. More, please ...

You can check out all of the videos by clicking here.

Check back often as Phish keeps adding videos to the The8tre page.

Latest Phish News and Downloads (including previously uncircualted shows) from Around the Internet

The release of Phish's 11th studio album and first in five years, Joy, is just three days away, and you would think that with a little downtime between live performances that Phish would sort of drop out of the news spotlight. But no. Publications and web sites from all over the U.S., and a few in Europe, continue to devote column space to Phish, with articles and blog entries published and posted all over the place.

So, The Wagger made it easy for the discerning Phish-head to locate these tidbits in one location. Below is the latest Phish news and links to downloads, including some rare gems never before available on a widespread basis, from across the globe -- some you may have already read or heard, some you'll find new. Enjoy!

LATEST NEWS ARTICLES & BLOG ENTRIES ON PHISH
Phish: Joy (ICT Magazine) - from The Wagger -- This is the most poorly written, verbose article I have ever seen in my life. I think the writer wanted his readers to see that he has an exceptional vocabulary, even if he doesn't know how to use the words to string together a readable story.
Album Review: Phish, 'Joy' (Turn it Up - Chicago Tribune)
Phish Hartford Review (RunawayJim.org)
Phish bassist explores musical universe in solo career (Boston Herald)
Can these stars rock autumn? (Wall Street Journal)
Phish: Joy (Jambase)
Phish is back, with 'Joy' (NPR -- includes video)
Billboard Album Review: Phish - Joy (Billboard)
Phish's New Stage Mics (Broadcast Newsroom from back in March)
The Vistor Disc - Revisited (DogGone Blog)
The Lost Art of the Encore (DogGone Blog)
The Night The Moma was Born (Mr. Minor's Phish Thoughts)
Two Great Tastes, but Not Great Together (New York Times)
Jamband Thank You Ma'am (Entertainment Weekly)
Guilty Pleasures: Round Two - VOTE FOR PHISH (Entertainment Weekly)
Joy! The New Phish Album Leaked Across the Internet (Examiner.com)
Phish Tale: Bob Jones, AU Grads Back at Full Throttle (Huntsville Times)
So this is the Band, Phish - a ridiculous, hilarious Blog (Fuck You, Phish)
Mike Gordon Finds Satisfaction in Music and More (Poughkeepsie Journal)
Moments in a Box - The Gorge (Mr. Minor's Phish Thoughts)

LATEST DOWNLOADS, STREAMING AUDIO & VIDEO
Palace Theater, New Haven, CT 3/19/1992 (eTree Community Tracker)
Cumberland County Civic Center, Portland, ME (Mr. Minor's Phish Thoughts)
Phish Soundboard Tracks Leak (Hidden Track)
G.R.A.B. Band, Darien Lake, 7/8/2006 (eTree Community Tracker)
West Palm Beach, Fla., 4/28/1994 - The Wagger's Hometown!!! (eTree Community Tracker)
Phish - The Overload, Halloween 1996 - video (The Butter Room)
Uncirculated DAUD, Las Vegas, 10/30/1998 (eTree Community Tracker)
Uncirculated DAUD, The Paradise, Boston, 3/24/1989 (eTree Community Tracker)

NPR to Feature Phish on Friday, Sept. 4; Joy Box DVD Track Listing; Burlington Free Press Interview with Page

Trey Anastasio and Page McConnell will appear on National Public Radio's (NPR) Morning Edition on Thursday, September 4 for a full feature segment on Phish. Click here to find your local NPR affiliate.

Last week, NPR featured Phish's song "Backwards Down The Number Line" as its "Song Of The Day." In case you missed it you can listen to it by clicking here.

JOY: THE DVD TRACK LISTING RELEASED
As part of Phish's limited edition Joy Box, set for shipping in early October, the band is including a live DVD version of Joy featuring performances of the new material from the first half of Summer Tour 2009.

Joy: THE DVD (from Joy Box)

1. Time Turns Elastic (16:34) - 5/31/09 Boston, MA
2. Sugar Shack (4:52) - 6/7/09 Camden, NJ
3. Joy (5:08) - 6/7/09 Camden, NJ
4. Stealing Time From The Faulty Plan (5:03) - 6/12/09 Manchester, TN
5. Alaska (7:37) - 6/12/09 Manchester, TN
6. Light (12:30) - 6/14/09 Manchester, TN
7. Ocelot (9:32) - 6/19/09 Noblesville, IN
8. Backwards Down The Number Line (7:44) - 6/19/09 Noblesville, IN
9. Kill Devil Falls (8:09) - 6/20/09 East Troy, WI

I Been Around does not appear on Joy: THE DVD because Phish did not debut the song until the final night of Late Summer Tour 2009 at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center. Alaska appears in its place, a song that everyone expected to appear on Joy anyway, but instead is included as part of the bonus studio album, Party Time -- available only by purchasing the Joy Box ... at least for now.

It will be interesting to hear the contrast from the album version of the songs and how Phish worked them up through live performances a couple of months after recording Joy.

BURLINGTON FREE PRESS INTERVIEW WITH PAGE & MORE
Phish's hometown newspaper, the Burlington Free Press, published an interview with Page McConnell called "A Chat with Page, Phish Keyboardist," as well as a slew of other articles about Phish in today's (Thursday, Sept. 3) newspaper.

In the interview with Page, he discusses new, possibly solo, material he plans to work on between now and Festival 8, what those first few moments working together in the studio as Phish felt like, and how the last leg of Summer Tour may have felt better playing in Phish than at any other time in the band's history. Click here to read the Q&A with Page.

The additional articles include:
Phish, back with a banner year
Phish: An update on where they've been and what they've been up to
Phish's new album, 'Joy'