A Moment of ILM Silence Please

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Phish decides to break up with summer tour, new album approaching
By Nekesa Mumbi Moody
NEW YORK (AP) — Phish, the Vermont-based jam band whose legions of dedicated fans made them one of the country’s top touring acts, announced Tuesday that they are breaking up.
The surprise announcement came as the band prepared to release a new album, Undermind, on June 15 and embark on a summer tour, which will kick off June 17 at Coney Island in Brooklyn, a borough of New York City.
Band leader Trey Anastasio made the announcement on the band’s website.
“Last Friday night, I got together with Mike, Page and Fish 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,” he wrote.
The quartet, which includes Anastasio, Jon Fishman, Mike Gordon and Page McConnell, was formed in 1983. The band drew thousands of fans to their concerts with marathon performances and long, experimental jams that melded every type of music, from bluegrass to electronica.
Some shows drew up to 80,000 fans, and for many of them, the band became the centre of their universe. Much like the fans of the Grateful Dead before them, fans would follow the band from show to show. Phish’s encouragement of the taping of their concerts also endeared them to their audiences.
Phish went on a two-year hiatus in 2000. In the interim, band members delved into different solo projects. Anastasio has released three solo albums, including his latest, 2004’s Seis De Mayo, while Gordon released his solo debut, Inside In, last year.
Phish ended their hiatus with a series of shows at New York City’s Madison Square Garden. The first was on New Year’s Eve 2002.
Anastasio called that hiatus an attempt to revitalize themselves. But he said that was no longer an option.
“We don’t want to become caricatures of ourselves, or worse yet, a nostalgia act,” he said. “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 will end their tour in Coventry, Vt., in a two-day festival Aug. 14-15 at Newport State Airport.
“We are proud and thrilled that it will be in our home state of Vermont,” Anastasio said. “It’s been an amazing and incredible journey. We thank you all for the love and support that you’ve shown us.”

― The Huckle-Buck (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 19:53 (twenty-one years ago)

Reunion tour in ten years, if that long.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 19:55 (twenty-one years ago)

they should end it on a low note, instead. Like a really low C.

― hstencil (hstencil), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 19:56 (twenty-one years ago)

Hahaha!

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 19:56 (twenty-one years ago)

"We don’t want to become caricatures of ourselves"

― mookieproof (mookieproof), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 19:57 (twenty-one years ago)

"We don’t want to become caricatures of ourselves, because we're already a caricature of so much else," Anastasio said.

― The Huckle-Buck (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 19:58 (twenty-one years ago)

xpost dammit!

― The Huckle-Buck (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 19:58 (twenty-one years ago)

http://headworks.net/simpsons/photo/Images/Pictures/nelson1a.jpg

― Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 19:58 (twenty-one years ago)

I like them a lot better now than I did when I was punker.

― Be sure to Loop! Loop, Loop, Loop. (ex machina), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 19:58 (twenty-one years ago)

end it on the brown note.

― beaty dna, Tuesday, 25 May 2004 19:59 (twenty-one years ago)

“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. Plus we were tired of hanging around with a fucking pervert who takes photos of little girls.”

― hstencil (hstencil), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 19:59 (twenty-one years ago)

It really freaks me out to think that Phish and Fishbone formed the same year.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 20:00 (twenty-one years ago)

Jordan OTM.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 20:00 (twenty-one years ago)

It freaks me out to think about ghosts.

― deanomgwtf!!!p%3Fmsgid%3D4581997 (deangulberry), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 20:00 (twenty-one years ago)

they should end it on a low note, instead. Like a really low C.

No, I think they definitely want to end it on a "high" note, if you catch my drift.

― Broheems (diamond), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 20:01 (twenty-one years ago)

I think they should end on a note so low that it disrupts the bowels of every living thing in Vermont.

― hstencil (hstencil), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 20:01 (twenty-one years ago)

I was really counting on these guys to be the first band to hit the brown sound. WEEN, THE TASK IS PUT TO YOU NOW.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 20:03 (twenty-one years ago)

this would make me happy, if they were dirt fucking poor...they are like zillionaires.

I still have to brownbag my lunch...life is so unfair.

― ddb, Tuesday, 25 May 2004 20:03 (twenty-one years ago)

You do realize that we're all going to have to deal with various combinations of Phish solo projects now?

― Elvis Telecom (Chris Barrus), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 20:05 (twenty-one years ago)

I think they should end on a note so low that it disrupts the bowels of every living thing in Vermont.

-- hstencil (hstenci...), May 25th, 2004.
http://www.bladezone.com/contents/film/interviews/bill-sanderson/larry_newhart.jpg

― The Huckle-Buck (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 20:06 (twenty-one years ago)

I will reserve my happy dance for when Dave Matthews retires. Phish are like the Velvet Underground compared to that fucking guy.

― AaronHz (AaronHz), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 20:08 (twenty-one years ago)

You do realize that we're all going to have to deal with various combinations of Phish solo projects now?

You mean like Trey Anastacio's two solo albums already out? Or the Vida Blue album already out? Or the Mike Gordon/Leo Kottke duet album already out?

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 20:08 (twenty-one years ago)

ie "now"

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 20:08 (twenty-one years ago)

You mean like Trey Anastacio's two solo albums already out? Or the Vida Blue album already out? Or the Mike Gordon/Leo Kottke duet album already out?

*crickets chirp*

― Elvis Telecom (Chris Barrus), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 20:09 (twenty-one years ago)

trey's got THREE solo albums, jerk.

― The Huckle-Buck (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 20:09 (twenty-one years ago)

mourn trustafarians, mourn.

― frankE (frankE), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 20:10 (twenty-one years ago)

think of how much safer the highways of America will be, come fall.

― The Huckle-Buck (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 20:12 (twenty-one years ago)

TREY AND DAVE MATTHEWS WILL DISCOVER EVEN MORE AFRICAN COUNTRIES NOW!

― hstencil (hstencil), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 20:12 (twenty-one years ago)

Was I having scary hallucinations or did I see a "Trey brings you orchestral arrangements of Phish songs" record in the store?

― Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 20:12 (twenty-one years ago)

think of how much safer the highways of America will be, come fall.

you're mistaking this thread for the "A Moment of ILX Silence Please for the Outlawing of Trucker Speed" thread.

― hstencil (hstencil), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 20:13 (twenty-one years ago)

and there's the "A Moment of ILX Silence Please for the Outlawing of Trucker Hats" thread, too.

― hstencil (hstencil), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 20:15 (twenty-one years ago)

The problem is, these people aren't going to get off the road, they'll just find new bands to follow all over the country. Hence Widespread Panic having a fanbase.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 20:17 (twenty-one years ago)

WIDESPREAD PANIC HAS A POSSE!

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 20:17 (twenty-one years ago)

yeah, real intimidating.

― hstencil (hstencil), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 20:17 (twenty-one years ago)

"dude watch out or I'll, I'll, I'LL BAKE YOU SOME BROWNIES, MAAAAN!"

― hstencil (hstencil), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 20:18 (twenty-one years ago)

There should be a "no take backs" rule when it comes to bands breaking up. Except for the bands I like, in which case they get some room to wiggle out of their premature dissolution. That said, Phish should reform with each of the guys playing a different instrument and beginning their road to pointless noodle-vamps from scratch. Maybe, if we're lucky, they'd end up sounding like a prog Shaggs or something. With stupider lyrics.

Did anyone else see that Slate piece that linked the end of the Grateful Dead and Phish's hiatus to the almost complete shut down of LSD distrubution?

― Josh in Chicago (Josh in Chicago), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 20:19 (twenty-one years ago)

YES AND IT WAS REALLY RIDICULOUSLY SPOT ON HOLY SHIT.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 20:20 (twenty-one years ago)

as our Fearless Leader says "make no mistake", LSD production has been crushed by the DEA. They busted some guy in the midwest who had his lab set up in a fucking *grain silo* and had been responsible for almost one third of all the LSD consumed in the US. Those are DEA numbers tho, so who knows how far off they were.

Good acid *is* much harder to find than it was, say, 20 years ago.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Tuesday, 25 May 2004 20:22 (twenty-one years ago)

good acid now /= good acid 20 or 30 years ago, even. Much heavier doses back then.

"I NEED A MIRACLE!"

― hstencil (hstencil), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 20:24 (twenty-one years ago)

acid polic-ay

― gygax! (gygax!), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 20:24 (twenty-one years ago)

Acid seems to be in short supply in the UK too. Possibly because of the disproportion between the profit to be made and the lengthy sentences handed out for supplying Class A's.

― noodle vague (noodle vague), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 20:25 (twenty-one years ago)

and don't even get me started about High Times recent editorial "shift" (ie, actually publishing anti-marijuana screeds!?! what the fuck)

Acid's too hard to make, you can't charge much for it, and the penalties are too stiff = no economic incentive for production.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Tuesday, 25 May 2004 20:26 (twenty-one years ago)

That makes me sad :-(

― noodle vague (noodle vague), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 20:27 (twenty-one years ago)

plus it's easy to run out of cutesy designs to print on the paper.

― hstencil (hstencil), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 20:28 (twenty-one years ago)

still, they were the band that helped me get thru studying for a million finals during sophomore/junior year.

― Kingfish Disraeli (Kingfish), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 20:28 (twenty-one years ago)

all the kids are just doin Ecstasy these days anyway (now that that's finally hit mainstream middle America in the last few years). Altho why its cheaper to make/import E than acid is a litle beyond me - I guess E is 10 times more expensive to buy than acid, that probably has something to do with it.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Tuesday, 25 May 2004 20:31 (twenty-one years ago)

any acid i took in the last six years was just like really good speed with very minor hallucinations. No talking coyotes or guitars the size of buildings.

That said, you can always count on it for playing a great show.

I just downloaded some Phish songs a few weeks ago after a heated ILM debate, they didn't seem too bad to me. They ain't the Dead, but, who is? Anyway I still don't get all the hatred, and though there's about half a million bands I'd see first, I'm a little bummed I'll never get to see them. I bet they'd be great live.

― roger adultery (roger adultery), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 20:33 (twenty-one years ago)

I hate them because my hippie bitch girlfriend in college loved them.

That's only fair, isn't it?

― Shakey Mo Collier, Tuesday, 25 May 2004 20:34 (twenty-one years ago)

Just take them out back and shoot 'em

Transcribing music from rock to orchestra is not easy, and in doing so, Trey shows his versatility. Although the album shows that Anastasio certainly has talent in orchestral composition, most tracks on "Seis de Mayo" fail to excite and it is clear that the artist would be better off spending more time with Phish.

The last track on the album, "Guyute (Orchestral)," is the finest example of Anastasio's orchestral composition skills. It almost seems as if the song was written for an orchestra and not Phish. The arrangement is dynamic and exciting for all twelve minutes, and the orchestral version is perhaps better than the Phish song itself.

― Elvis Telecom (Chris Barrus), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 20:34 (twenty-one years ago)

In related news, Sam's House of Patchouli in Rochester, New York has announced it is laying off 80% of its workforce. Similar announcement expected soon from Birkenstock, Inc.

― michael alan goldberg (michael alan goldberg), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 20:36 (twenty-one years ago)

Transcribing music from rock to orchestra is not easy...

uh, what?!?!? Yeah, rock bands find it sooo difficult to get producers to arrange strings for them!

― hstencil (hstencil), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 20:38 (twenty-one years ago)

it's really difficult to remember how fucking awful college newspaper music reviewers are until you actually read a piece.

― hstencil (hstencil), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 20:40 (twenty-one years ago)

or until they graduate and get jobs at AMG...

― Kingfish Disraeli (Kingfish), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 20:42 (twenty-one years ago)

that's no way to speak of Ned, dude.

― hstencil (hstencil), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 20:43 (twenty-one years ago)

First Jerry, then God Street Wine, now PHISH...who the hell is next??

I'll use my many tears this sad day to water a newly planted tree in this band's honor.

WE SHALL NEVER FORGET

ride on into the sunset, o gentle longhaired mischievious friends

http://www.suttonimpactstudio.com/portfull/CC-Phish%20riding%20hotdog.jpg

― Gear! (Gear!), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 20:58 (twenty-one years ago)

Ah, God Street Wine. We hardly knew ye.

― martin m. (mushrush), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 20:59 (twenty-one years ago)

Rusted Root DUUUUUUDE

Fuckin' hate all these bands.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 21:03 (twenty-one years ago)

Ned said "fuckin'!"!"!"!"!!!!"!!!!!! awesome!

― hstencil (hstencil), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 21:06 (twenty-one years ago)

"I'll use my many tears this sad day to water a newly planted tree in this band's honor. "

Make sure it's a hot dog tree!

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 21:09 (twenty-one years ago)

SO IT SHALL DE DONE

http://www.agooart.com/gallery/paintings/hotdog.jpg

― Gear! (Gear!), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 21:15 (twenty-one years ago)

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 21:24 (twenty-one years ago)

one of the members of phish is named fish?

― s1ocki (slutsky), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 22:01 (twenty-one years ago)

Well, after this, Vermont will now have as many bands as New Hampshire.

― donut bitch (donut), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 22:34 (twenty-one years ago)

x-post, the drummer is named Jonathan Fishman.

― Scott CE (Scott CE), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 22:35 (twenty-one years ago)

from the message from trey:
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

uh...heh heh heh...yeah.

― frankE (frankE), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 22:39 (twenty-one years ago)

I wonder what this guy's response will be.

http://www.vonnegut.com/images/art/Special_K.jpg

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 23:01 (twenty-one years ago)

Phish: Name Your Reasons Why They Are So Bad & Hated

― yay, Tuesday, 25 May 2004 23:23 (twenty-one years ago)

In other phish news, a friend of mine was trying to convince me that the bass player was actually *castrated* by the hell's angel whose very young daughter he took naked pictures of and it was covered up in the news stories about it. Anyone else hear that one?

"Yeah, dude. They cut his dick off and everything! (tokes bong)"

― AaronHz (AaronHz), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 01:31 (twenty-one years ago)

wait, one of them is a child pornographer? amazing.

― Ian Johnson (orion), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 01:34 (twenty-one years ago)

yes, he said they were "art pictures"

― AaronHz (AaronHz), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 01:35 (twenty-one years ago)

And the girl was....9! ewwwwww....

― AaronHz (AaronHz), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 01:37 (twenty-one years ago)

totally creepy.

― Ian Johnson (orion), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 01:37 (twenty-one years ago)

'Phish' Bassist Arrested; Allegedly Found In Secluded Area With 9-Year-Old

POSTED: 9:00 a.m. EDT August 19, 2003
UPDATED: 9:03 a.m. EDT August 19, 2003
NEW YORK -- A Phish is on the hook for endangering the welfare of a minor after he allegedly tried to take pictures of a young girl inside a deserted boathouse, according to a report.

Mike Gordon, 38, was arrested after being found late at night in a secluded area with a 9-year-old girl. The girl's parents raised an alarm when she disappeared from a backstage area at Jones Beach Theater, WNBC-TV reported. But following private conversations between the band's manager and the child's parents, there's a question about whether the band's bassist will avoid facing that charge.

New York State Park Police say Gordon showed a different side after a concert last week by The Dead. Investigators say Gordon -- who calls himself "Cactus" -- was an invited guest backstage at Jones Beach. He was not invited, they say, to take a 9-year-old girl to an isolated location behind the theater.

"The area is actually like a work area for state employees who operate boats out of that area," said Maj. Richard O'Donnell, of the New York State Park Police. "It's a darkened area, not intended for public access."

O'Donnell, who is the region's commanding officer, would not discuss what the bass player told officers when he was found with the child on a dock. But a police report obtained by WNBC-TV reveals "The defendant stated he wanted to take 'art photos' of the victim."

Police confirm that Gordon has never been convicted of any crime. Law enforcement sources said that after the band member was arrested, he told officers, "I may have shown bad judgment, but I am not a pedophile."

The Law enforcement sources identify the girl's father as a leader of the Hell's Angels Motorcycle Club, whom they say had also been invited backstage to watch The Dead concert. Gordon was held for police by theater security "and the victim's father's associates -- which the police report decribes as other Hell's Angels members.

When responding to a request for an interview, Phish's manager e-mailed a joint statement from Gordon and the child's parents that reads: "It is now clear to all involved that this was an unfortunate misunderstanding, and we look forward to putting this matter behind us."

Later, in a conference call, the manager said Gordon's trying to "make amends" with the family. The girl's father added that "muckraking journalists should put the story to rest."

Both declined to discuss whether the musician is paying compensation.

When asked by WNBC-TV if there was any reasonable explanation for Gordon to have been with the girl at 1:00 AM in a secluded boat house, Maj. O'Donnell of the State Park Police said "I have no explanation for it."

The commander says he "absolutely" stands by the police investigation and has referred the bass player's boathouse rendezvous case to the Nassau County district attorney for prosecution.

The DA's office says the evidence is being evaluated. Regardless of whether Gordon has to face a judge next month, law-enforcement sources say unofficial justice was already delivered. The Hell's Angels, who detained Gordon for police, were not, the sources say, gentle with sensitive areas of the rock star's body.

― AaronHz (AaronHz), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 01:40 (twenty-one years ago)

yeah, I guess they went medieval on his ass with a pair of pliers and a blowtorch...

― AaronHz (AaronHz), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 01:47 (twenty-one years ago)

Phish is ending it all in Coventry Vermont which is ten miles from my house. Appropriately enough, a king-size landfill abuts the airport they'll be playing at.

― jim wentworth (wench), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 02:58 (twenty-one years ago)

"'Phish' Bassist Arrested; Allegedly Found In Secluded Area With 9-Year-Old"

Finally, something tangible I can taunt their fans with!

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 03:03 (twenty-one years ago)

BUH-BYE!

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 03:11 (twenty-one years ago)

Jim speaks to my heart. You should establish some sort of pirate radio frequency that will take over the PA for the entire time and play nothing but Cole Porter songs.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 04:27 (twenty-one years ago)

or kelis' "milkshake"

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 04:41 (twenty-one years ago)

their final show is at an airport?

― s1ocki (slutsky), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 06:12 (twenty-one years ago)

Remember Ween's fantasies about spraying diarrhea on their audience? I propose a covert operation to infiltrate the audience of Phish's final show with supersoakers full of liquid shit and do just that to the members of the band and their fans. Of course we would still put Milkshake on the PA, a perfect soundtrack. Who's with me?

― AaronHz (AaronHz), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 09:50 (twenty-one years ago)

anybody who nicknames themselves "Cactus" deserves to be castrated.

― Chris 'The Velvet Bingo' V (Chris V), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 10:46 (twenty-one years ago)

Aaron, I am with you in spirit and wish you every success in your noble mission.

― Buster (mokey), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 11:04 (twenty-one years ago)

When the hell did Ween start co-opting GG Allin's schtick in their fantasies?

― David R. (popshots75`), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 11:21 (twenty-one years ago)

supersoakers???? why not real guns.

― Chris 'The Velvet Bingo' V (Chris V), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 11:24 (twenty-one years ago)

THE BOREDOMS COVERED PHISH

I AM TORN

― Be sure to Loop! Loop, Loop, Loop. (ex machina), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 11:25 (twenty-one years ago)

Anyone seen that Simpsons episode with Phish in? The one where Homer gets prescribed "prescription pot" cuz his murder of crows eat his eyes. Funny episode, loads of good, and bad music in that episode.

― TomB (TomB), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 11:42 (twenty-one years ago)

Was that picture a few posts up Brian Johnson sitting in with Phish?!?!

― Josh in Chicago (Josh in Chicago), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 12:51 (twenty-one years ago)

Kurt Vonnegut loves Phish?!

― Jordan (Jordan), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 12:54 (twenty-one years ago)

My mind has been blown. Think I'll just go home for the day.

― Jordan (Jordan), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 12:54 (twenty-one years ago)

there was a blurb in the paper today with the headline: Phish To Phold In The Phall After New Tour

good phucking riddance!

― Al (sitcom), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 14:30 (twenty-one years ago)

should've been after "Phish To Phold In The Phall Phending Phinal Phrolic." Phuckers.

― hstencil (hstencil), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 14:32 (twenty-one years ago)

sorry, even better: "Phish Pholds In The Phall Phollowing Phinal Phrolic."

― hstencil (hstencil), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 14:35 (twenty-one years ago)

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