Andy Gadiel's Phish Blog

Thursday, June 26, 2008

A LETTER FROM PAGE

Given the volume of speculation and rumors that have bubbled up recently, I have been asked to make a statement…Here goes.

For me, the last four years have been great. I’ve spent quality time with my family and have watched my daughter grow. I took great pleasure and pride in writing and recording an album. I’m living a healthy lifestyle. I travel as little as possible and I sleep in my own bed. It took a couple of years after the break up to begin talking to my old band mates, but once the conversations began to flow it wasn’t long before the friendships were rekindled. And I can honestly say that I’m closer with all of them now then I’ve ever been in our 20-year relationship.

Recently the conversations have turned toward the possibility of spending some time together. Currently many of us have plans and projects already in the works, most notably Mike, who made a great album and is about to hit the road in support of it. Given that I might not even see some of the guys for the next six months, I would say that the announcement of a reunion is premature. However, later this year we hope to spend some time together and take a look at what possible futures we might enjoy. In fact the only real decision that has been made is that when we do get together, it will only be the four of us, hopefully with no distractions. I am really looking forward to that.

I want to say just a few more things. The prospect of Phish reuniting is something I consider very seriously, and I think about it a lot. And lastly, as always, there is plenty of misinformation floating around. Try not to focus too much on secondhand sources and random gossip. If there is anything real to announce, it will come from the four of us as a group.

Until then,
Page

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Walnut Creek DVD > Left Nuts!

Siiiiiiiiick show! Check out the bonus CD too! hahaha!

From Phish.com:

PHISH: WALNUT CREEK; ALL NEW 2-DVD SET

We're thrilled to announce Phish Walnut Creek, a brand new 2-DVD set, in stores August 5th, and available for pre-order now at Phish Dry Goods.

On July 22, 1997, Phish performed the second show of their U.S. summer tour at Walnut Creek Amphitheatre in Raleigh, NC through a torrent of rain, thunder and lightning. Rather than cancel the gig, the band played on with the music mirroring the peaks of the storm's intensity. Highlights include "Down With Disease" that slowly segues into "Mike's Song" - the first and only time these two classic tunes were ever paired together in such a way - as well as "Taste," complete with near Biblical thunder and lightning display.

Overall the show is remembered as a significant example of Phish's hallmark approach to group improvisation with the performances here characterized by an exceptionally democratic and refined balance of four musical voices. This 2-DVD set features more than 2 1/2 hours of 5-camera footage with 5.1 Dolby Surround or optional stereo sound.

Anyone who pre-orders the DVD from Dry Goods will receive Phish: Left Nuts, a bonus CD featuring more than 75 minutes of previously unreleased music from Phish's past performances at Walnut Creek, produced specifically for this release.

In addition, you can pre-order (available for download on August 5th) MP3 and Flac versions of Walnut Creek's audio at LivePhish.com and get an exclusive bonus track of You Enjoy Myself with special guest Boyd Tinsley from 6/16/95 Walnut Creek Amphitheatre, Raleigh, NC.

PHISH WALNUT CREEK DVD TRACKLISTING

DISC ONE
Runaway Jim
My Soul
Water In The Sky
Stash
Bouncing Around The Room
Vultures
Bye Bye Foot
Taste

DISC TWO
Down With Disease
Mike's Song
Simple
I Am Hydrogen
Weekapaug Groove
Hello My Baby
When The Circus Comes
Harry Hood

Exclusive Dry Goods Bonus CD Phish: Left Nuts TRACKLISTING

1. Runaway Jim - Walnut Creek 6/16/95
2. Free - Walnut Creek 6/16/95
3. Reba - Walnut Creek 6/29/94
4. Dog Faced Boy - Walnut Creek 6/16/95
5. Catapult - Walnut Creek 6/16/95
6. Split Open and Melt - Walnut Creek 6/16/95
7. Carolina - Walnut Creek 6/16/95

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Trey Graduates

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Oh Trey

Such a tease...

From Rollinstone.com
    Trey Anastasio Hints at Phish Reunion

    Nearly four years after their break-up, the four members of Phish may have some unfinished business together. In an interview with Rolling Stone last week, Trey Anastasio didn’t exactly say the band has talked about a reunion, but he did drop some heavy hints. “When Phish broke up, I made some comment about how I’m not gonna go around playing ‘You Enjoy Myself’ for the rest of my life,” Anastasio said with a laugh. “And it’s so funny because Fish and Mike and Page have been talking to each other a lot lately and now — it’s not that I can’t believe that I said that, but its symbolic of how much I lost my mind or how much I lost my bearings or something. Because at this point in time I would give my left nut to play that song five times in a row every day until I die. I certainly thought about that while I was in jail.”

    Anastasio spoke to RS on May 21st, the same day he received some good news: He was sentenced to probation on charges of possessing painkillers without a prescription, which had been reduced to a misdemeanor after he completed a drug treatment program. Earlier in May, Anastasio and the other members of Phish stood onstage together in New York to accept a lifetime achievement award at the Jammies.


If they do decide to come back, all I ask is that they seclude themselves in the studio to practice for 6 months. No friends, no fans, no hangers on. Just the 4 of them syncing up on the improv and classic legendary songs so they can come back and really rock. While it would be great to hear YEM again and again and again, it's such a complex song that if they don't "nail it", it's really gonna suck...

Please, for the love of god - PRACTICE!

p.s. and while you're at it, do it for love, not for money

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Phish at the Jammys



You may have heard by now, Phish won was awarded the first ever Lifetime Achievement Award at the Jammys this year. The four band members, pictured above, were all in attendance at the event to accept the award (with Trey and Page actually playing music)

It was fitting and touching to hear from the 4 of them, with each of them contributing their own special personalities to their acceptance speeches. Page was thankful, Mike was funny and heartfelt, Fishman was silly and Trey gushed, big time. It wasn't quite a Coverntry redux, but it certainly tugged at the heart strings to see him so thankful for the love and support and history-based context the band experienced over the years.

It can't go without saying that it was a little strange for all four band members to be standing so close to instruments without actually picking them up together and ripping one out. They might not have seen each other in a while, they may not have practiced in a while and they may not have wanted to shatter the ice that surrounded them since their final performance...

But c'mon! :)

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

9 Years Ago Today


Phil Lesh and Friends 4-15-1999 featuring Trey Anastasio and Page of Phish from gigpedia on Vimeo.

Phil and Friends - 4/15/99 - The Warfield, San Francisco, CA

Phil Lesh (bass)
Steve Kimock (guitar)
John Molo (drums)
Trey Anastasio (guitar)
Page McConnell (keyboards)

Friday, March 21, 2008

Live Phish: 7/6/98 Lucerna Theatre, Prague

From Phish.com:

NEW AT LIVEPHISH.COM - 7/6/98 Lucerna Theatre, Prague, Czech Republic
Professionally Mastered MP3, FLAC and CD formats

Next Tuesday (3/25/08) JEMP Records will be releasing another of Phish's classic shows, 7/6/98 from the Lucerna Theatre in Prague, Czech Republic. In keeping with recent livephish.com releases this show has been mastered by Fred Kevorkian from Paul Languedoc's 2-track soundboard reference DATs. To save space, along with renting most of their gear while flying from city to city on the 1998 European tour, the shows were not recorded to multi-track.

This release will be available in both of our normal digital download formats, MP3 and FLAC, as well as on CD (packaged in an innovative and earth friendly, fully recycled folding softcase-pak) . This release will not yet be available in stores but you can pick it up from both Phish Dry Goods (www.drygoods.phish.com) and the LivePhish Download Store ( www.livephish.com). Dry Goods and LivePhish.com will have bundle packages available, so you can save on both hard goods and downloads.

July 6, 1998 is the second of two shows Phish played at the Lucerna Theatre, an old theater turned into a music club located a few flights below street level in the Nove Mesto section of Prague. This show entwines music from the album "The Story of The Ghost" with Phish classics in a non-stop, hard-rocking performance elevated by its unique location and intimate setting. The intimacy of this show can not be overestimated - the average size of the venues Phish was playing at in the United States at the time were easily 20-30 times larger.

TRACKLIST for 7/6/98:

CD I
1. Buried Alive >
2. AC/DC Bag >
3. Ghost >
4. Cities
5. Limb By Limb
6. Train Song
7. Roggae
8. Maze
9. Golgi Apparatus

CD II

1. Julius >
2. Meat
3. Piper >
4. Makisupa Policeman
5. David Bowie
6. Loving Cup
Encore:
7. Possum

Listen to the Ghost

Thursday, February 28, 2008

Gordo!


Photo by C Taylor Crothers

Mike Gordon has been confirmed as a performer for the Rothbury Music Festival in Rothbury, MI on July 3rd and the 18th Annual High Sierra Music Festival in Quincy, CA on July 5th.

He'll be bringing a new band with him, and will also have a new album coming out late summer. They're apparently deep in recording right now with special guests; some new friends, some old...

More to come as it develops

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

PhishOff!

My co-worker and I just engaged in a "Phish-Off!" to close out our Tuesday afternoon at JamBase HQ.

He started with a sick Slave to the Traffic Light from Portland 93, following by a dish of my favorite Harry Hood from 12/17/95 (tour closer, 5th gear from Trey!), back to him for Free from Brooklyn '04, my turn: Cavern > Wilson > Cavern from 7/13/94 Big Birch, he rocked an unknown Reba and finally I closed things out with a "best in the game" 5/14/94 Fluffhead.

Good times all around...

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Ann Marie & Joe play Stash

You've likely seen it, but this is the girl who played with the Foo Fighters at the Grammys...



Siiiick

Phishtolgia - 15 Year Ago

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Mike & Fish play Rothbury

Both Mike Gordon and Jon Fishman (Fishman will be playing with Yonder Mountain String Band) are among a long list of confirmed performers at The Rothbury Festival, a new environmentally conscious music festival is about to hit the ever-growing U.S. market July 4th weekend: AEG Live (the folks behind Coachella) and Madison House Presents are introducing the Rothbury Festival, to be held in Rothbury, Michigan on July 3rd through 6th at the idyllic Double JJ Ranch near Lake Michigan. The festival’s goal is to draw attention to climate change and clean energy alternatives.

The first batch of tickets go on sale February 27th at the festival's official site. Dave Matthews Band, John Mayer, Widespread Panic, Phil Lesh & Friends, Modest Mouse, Sound Tribe Sector Nine and Snoop Dogg are among the many confirmed acts - the fest promises more than seventy bands on eight stages

http://www.rothburyfestival.com

Monday, February 18, 2008

FISHMAN JOINS YONDER MOUNTAIN

Fish will join Yonder Mountain String Band for two shows at the end of this month in Columbus, OH (Feb. 20) and Asheville, NC (Feb. 21). Tickets are on sale now and more info can be found here. Fishman joined YMSB this past fall at Red Rocks and in Chicago.

Tuesday, February 05, 2008

Road Recovery Goes Phish’n with Trey Anastasio!

"Addiction is so tricky and insidious and community is the cure." - Trey Anastasio

RoadRecovery.com

Friday, February 01, 2008

Comment Spam

I've disabled comments on this blog due to an overwhelming amount of Comment Spam. I get emailed every time someone comments, and all the comments are automated bots including 100s of links to their annoying wares.

If you're looking for a place to talk and chat, you can check out the JamBase Phish Forum and go to town. Also see who's playing in your town while you're there.

While we're on the subject, did you know that the term "Phishing" was co-opted by the media to describe people sending out emails with false links tricking people into clicking through to their site which would steal their credit card information?

Crazy.

Thursday, January 24, 2008

Oh Trey!

From The Associated Press:
Anastasio Jailed for Missing Session

    FORT EDWARD, N.Y. (AP) — Trey Anastasio spent two days in an upstate New York jail last week for missing a counseling session required after he pleaded guilty to a drug charge in April.

    The 43-year-old former Phish lead singer was ordered to participate in the Washington County court's treatment program when he pleaded guilty to possessing painkillers without a prescription during a traffic stop in December 2006.

    The program requires weekly court appearances for 12 months to 15 months, community service and drug testing.

    Assistant District Attorney Tony Jordan told the Glens Falls Post-Star that Anastasio, who lives in Richmond, Vt., missed one counseling session and the violation didn't involve a drug test.

    Sheriff Roger Leclaire said the musician's two days in jail were uneventful and he spent them in the general population.


Come on now, how many fans wouldn't dedicate one day a week for two years to be his personal driver and get him to the meetings. We could even have a work-wheel and rotate the job, with each person getting a turn.

Good luck Trey, here's hoping you pull it together and we can see you rocking out on stage soon enough...

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

FULLY REMASTERED DURHAM AND DAYTON CDS AVAILABLE NOW

FULLY REMASTERED DURHAM AND DAYTON CDS AVAILABLE NOW

Two of LivePhish.com's most popular archival releases, 12/7/1997 at Ervin J. Nutter Center in Dayton, OH and 5/8/1993 at UNH Fieldhouse in Durham, NH have been fully remastered and are available now on CD (packaged in an innovative and earth friendly, fully recycled folding softcase-pak) and for download. These CDs are not yet available in stores.

You can pick up the CDs from both Phish Dry Goods and LivePhish.com. As of yesterday, the tracks for download at LivePhish.com were replaced with the remastered audio. Dry Goods and LivePhish.com have bundle packages available, so you can save on both hard goods and downloads.

As a bonus, filler tracks have been added to the 5/8/1993 CD and include Shaggy Dog from 5/8/93 soundcheck, Tweezer and Tela from 5/6/93 Palace Theatre - Albany, NY and You Enjoy Myself from 5/5/93 Palace Theatre - Albany, NY. You Enjoy Myself features special guests Col. Bruce Hampton and the Aquarium Rescue Unit as well as the Dude of Life.

For a full tracklisting, or to purchase the CDs, please visit Phish Dry Goods or and LivePhish.com.

Nugscast for 12/20/07

A nice way to start a cold Wednesday morning: http://nugs.net/nugscast/071220.aspx

Download Nugscast for 12/20/07

TITLE
PROGRAM TIME
AC/DC Bag
0:00
Phish: 8/10/04 Mansfield, MA
Time Loves A Hero
17:01
Phish: 12/31/02 New York, NY
Ghost
23:56
Phish: 7/12/03 George, WA
Rock and Roll>
Weekapaug Groove>
Tweezer Reprise
42:18
Phish: 12/2/03 Boston, MA
Scents and Subtle Sounds
67:01
Phish: 8/12/04 Camden, NJ
Seven Below
88:20
Phish: 8/9/04 Hampton, VA
Twist
104:04
Phish: 6/20/04 Saratoga Springs, NY
Bug
125:10

Saturday, January 19, 2008

Phish Videos: Moments in a Box

Thursday, January 10, 2008

PAGE PLAYS NEW ORLEANS BENEFIT IN COLORADO

Page will perform as part of the "Big Easy Blowout: a Mardi Gras Benefit Celebration" on January 25 at the Boulder Theatre and January 26 at Cervantes in Denver. All proceeds from the events will benefit the New Orleans Musicians Clinic and Tipitina's Foundation. In addition to Page, the musical lineup will feature Russell Batiste (Funky Meters, PBS), Papa Mali (Rhythm Council), Big Chief Monk Boudreaux (Golden Eagles Mardi Gras Indians) and Reed Mathis (Tea Leaf Green, JFJO). The two shows will include Mardi Gras decor and activities including silent auctions, raffles, drink specials, food drive, New Orleans themed artwork and more. Euforquestra will support on both shows. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the Boulder Theater and Cervantes online.