Phish legacy
The chorus for one of Phish’s earliest songs, “Golgi Apparatus,”
goes “I saw you, with a ticket stub in your hand.”
Well, ticket stubs are all Phish fans have left.
The members of Phish grew tired of swimming in the same old
waters this past summer, and they decided to call it quits after
almost two decades on the road. In doing so, the band left behind
millions of fans, a legacy as one of the top touring acts of all
time, and some of the most innovative, complex music the world has
seen in recent years.
“When we lived and breathed Phish, (it) was beyond intimate,”
said guitarist Trey Anastasio on “The Charlie Rose Show” after the
band announced it was finished. “But what I saw happening was that
it was going away naturally. We’re all growing up and starting to
have lives, so we’re putting less and less effort into it.”
This lack of desire first manifested itself in a 26-month hiatus
starting in fall 2000. The band came back afterward and toured up
through this summer’s farewell tour.
Phish was first and foremost a live band. The group recorded and
sold 10 studio albums during its tenure, but these proceeds paled
in comparison to what the band brought in on its national and
international tours.
And the tours were something else. Hundreds of thousands of
“Phisheads” – a term adapted from the “Deadheads” who used to
feverishly follow the Grateful Dead on tour – traveled along with
the band on tour. The parking lot culture became a spectacle in
itself, with fans arriving extremely early to “prepare” for the
show.
Phish also built on the Dead’s approach to touring. Fans could
set up sound equipment to bootleg concerts, the band attempted to
keep ticket prices low by offering tickets through the Phish Web
site and the band made an effort to make sure each night was a
completely unique experience. Since the band didn’t really have
radio hits, the members were free to choose from Phish’s huge
repertoire of songs every night to make each set list
distinctive.
Phish will forever be remembered for its goofy hijinks,
exceptional musicianship and off-the-beaten-path approach to the
music industry.
For many of the band’s fans, the group will be remembered as a
way of life.
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