Phish To Split Following Summer Tour - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

AKA · 05-25-2004, 05:14 PM

Phish To Split Following Summer Tour

By Jonathan Cohen
Billboard

In a surprising move, Vermont-based jam band Phish plans to split following the conclusion of its summer tour in August. Guitarist Trey Anastasio confirmed the news today (May 25) on the group's official Web site.

"Last Friday night, I got together with [bassist] Mike [Gordon], [keyboardist] Page [McConnell] and [drummer Jon Fishman] to talk openly about the strong feelings I've been having that Phish has run its course and that we should end it now while it's still on a high note," Anastasio wrote. "Once we started talking, it quickly became apparent that the other guys' feelings, while not all the same as mine, were similar in many ways -- most importantly, that we all love and respect Phish and the Phish audience far too much to stand by and allow it to drag on beyond the point of vibrancy and health."

He continued, "We don't want to become caricatures of ourselves, or worse yet, a nostalgia act. By the end of the meeting, we realized that after almost 21 years together we were faced with the opportunity to graciously step away in unison, as a group, united in our friendship and our feelings of gratitude."

Phish's final shows will be held Aug. 14-15 in Coventry, Vt. "We're also excited for the June and August shows, our last tour together," Anastasio said. "For the sake of clarity, I should say that this is not like the hiatus, which was our last attempt to revitalize ourselves. We're done. It's been an amazing and incredible journey. We thank you all for the love and support that you've shown us."

The group will release what now appears to be its final studio album, "Undermind," June 15 via Elektra.

Phish took a hiatus between 2000-2002, during which its members worked on a variety of solo projects. The quartet has toured fairly regularly since; its 2003 tour took in $14 million from just 19 dates.

In related news, Phish's June 17 concert at Keyspan Park in Coney Island, N.Y., will be broadcast live to 47 movie theaters throughout the United States. The show, to be recorded in high-definition video and Dolby surround sound, will be screened at select Regal, Edwards and United Artists theaters in or near a number of major U.S. markets, including Atlanta, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Los Angeles, New York and Philadelphia.

05-25-2004, 05:14 PM	#1
AKA Member Forum Star Join Date: Dec 17, 2001 Posts: 15,746	Phish To Split Following Summer Tour Phish To Split Following Summer Tour By Jonathan Cohen Billboard In a surprising move, Vermont-based jam band Phish plans to split following the conclusion of its summer tour in August. Guitarist Trey Anastasio confirmed the news today (May 25) on the group's official Web site. "Last Friday night, I got together with [bassist] Mike [Gordon], [keyboardist] Page [McConnell] and [drummer Jon Fishman] to talk openly about the strong feelings I've been having that Phish has run its course and that we should end it now while it's still on a high note," Anastasio wrote. "Once we started talking, it quickly became apparent that the other guys' feelings, while not all the same as mine, were similar in many ways -- most importantly, that we all love and respect Phish and the Phish audience far too much to stand by and allow it to drag on beyond the point of vibrancy and health." He continued, "We don't want to become caricatures of ourselves, or worse yet, a nostalgia act. By the end of the meeting, we realized that after almost 21 years together we were faced with the opportunity to graciously step away in unison, as a group, united in our friendship and our feelings of gratitude." Phish's final shows will be held Aug. 14-15 in Coventry, Vt. "We're also excited for the June and August shows, our last tour together," Anastasio said. "For the sake of clarity, I should say that this is not like the hiatus, which was our last attempt to revitalize ourselves. We're done. It's been an amazing and incredible journey. We thank you all for the love and support that you've shown us." The group will release what now appears to be its final studio album, "Undermind," June 15 via Elektra. Phish took a hiatus between 2000-2002, during which its members worked on a variety of solo projects. The quartet has toured fairly regularly since; its 2003 tour took in $14 million from just 19 dates. In related news, Phish's June 17 concert at Keyspan Park in Coney Island, N.Y., will be broadcast live to 47 movie theaters throughout the United States. The show, to be recorded in high-definition video and Dolby surround sound, will be screened at select Regal, Edwards and United Artists theaters in or near a number of major U.S. markets, including Atlanta, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Los Angeles, New York and Philadelphia.