Tag: Phish

Play it Leo! Leo Kottke Returns to Center for the Arts in Homer

Play it Leo! Kottke that is. Leo Kottke returned to Homer Center for the Arts on Saturday, October 16. This solo acoustic performance, his last Upstate New York show since April 2018 at The Clayton Opera House comes ahead of the three dates scheduled with Mike Gordon of Phish in the Empire State this December. During 2020 the duo released their first record Noon in over fifteen years. So it was fitting for Leo to open the show with “From Pizza Towers to Defeat” at Homer Center for the Arts, a song written by the duo from their 2002 album Clone.

John McConnell , Leo Kottke, Clayton Opera House April 2018

You wouldn’t have seen a tour bus outside the Homer Center for the Arts on Saturday night. Leo Kottke’s solo tour traveling rig is simple, and very reminiscent of Chuck Berry when he showed up at the venue driving himself with two guitars and a steel slide in tow. Leo deals with venue staff directly and settles up on his own with no tour manager. Mike Gordon of Phish told Rolling Stone “Hes like this American treasure living in his own bubble. He’ll travel the country listening to Lone Ranger series from the 1950’s in its entirety in the car.”

Leo Kottke, Center for the Arts Homer , October 2021

Leo’s stories from traveling this great country were weaved in to his ninety minute set on the intimate Homer stage. Outside the venue was a local haunted attraction in its 39th year that gave the performance a vibe of Phish’s interpretation of Disney’s Chilling, Thrilling, Sounds of the Haunted House.

Although Leo didn’t tell the crowd about his most recent studio release with Phish’s bassist, instead he told them about the first drummer he has ever collaborated with in 60 years:

I’m having a ball doing this with David King of the band Bad Plus. It’s a nice cocktail kit, he doesn’t come in with this Keith Moon suicide drowning thing. We go in the studio and start making shit up, the only thing Dave doesn’t like is when I stop. It’s a great attitude to be around, a little dangerous as I will demonstrate now.
Leo Kottke

He told the crowd of American modernist composer Charles Ives and his struggles to get his work out. Overtime he hired Burlesque dancers to enhance attention on his Concord Sinata 2. After becoming acknowledged for his work someone told Ives over time, “I can tell its good music but it doesn’t sound very good” to which Ives replied “What,s sound got to do with music?”

Leo’s point on it was that its a privilege to be able to play and if you have a chance to play. You don’t get to pick where you play and if you want people to hear what your doing and can’t find a crowd hire a burlesque orchestra to get some clout. “I mean its a privilege all around that it ever even happens in any faint way for you…but if there are people that want to listen your stuck with a privilege beyond luck, it becomes a thing itself”

The audience chuckled as Kottke told them that he has played prisons, hospitals, schools and claimed they are all the same. For Kottke, The Center for the Arts in Homer counts as a 150 year old church gig. Leo admitted to playing a library opening in the past five years to a fellow musician friend due to his complaining that he has been subject to pizza parlor gigs. Defeat the pizza towers, “Play Anywhere,” Kottke told the crowd.

You also won’t find a setlist after Leo’s performance either. The same fashion in which he entered he chose to exit and play through the encore “So we could all leave at the same time.” He finished the show with the classic piece “Corrina,” walking off the stage with both guitars in hand. New York’s legendary Pete Seeger called Kottke “The Best 12 string player in the world.”

In December when Kottke returns to New York State with jamband giant Mike Gordon, expect the same kind of sharpness at the performance. Even though Leo has seen Phish on New Years Eve at Madison Square Garden, Mike Gordon recalled a tale from the road during their last tour when he put on a Grateful Dead jam to listen to in which Leo replied “OK, that’ll be enough of that.”

Leo Kottke and Mike Gordon December 2021 Tour Dates

December 8 – Munhall, PA – Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall
December 9 – Washington, DC – Sixth & I
December 10 – Tarrytown, NY – Tarrytown Music Hall
December 12 – Beverly, MA – The Cabot
December 13 – Lebanon, NH – Lebanon Opera House *
December 15 – Troy, NY – Troy Savings Bank Music Hall
December 16 – Norwalk, CT – Wall Street Theater
December 17 – York, PA – Appell Center for the Performing Arts
December 19 – Plattsburgh, NY – Strand Center for the Arts

October 18, 2021
Phish Opens Fall Tour, Honors ‘Billy Breathes’ in Lake Placid: October 16, 1996
With the Clifford Ball and their first massive festival now in the rearview mirror, Phish began their fall tour just two months later in Lake Placid, NY. Conveniently, the tour opener was scheduled for the day after the release of Billy Breathes, their sixth studio album which was recorded in Bearsville, NY earlier in the year.

This show would seem to serve as a celebration of that, with a whopping nine songs pulled from it for duty this evening. Combined with the usual tour opening gaffs, it doesn’t make for the most free-flowing of shows in the world, but certainly offers more than a good glimpse of Phish at a time when they are skyrocketing in popularity while still trying to find ways to innovate and explore new musical paths. After two acclaimed shows at the Olympic Center last year, Phish would return for their third and final show at Lake Placid to date.

Accordingly, the show begins with the first of many selections from Billy Breathes in “Cars Trucks Buses.” A feisty Page McConnell piano solo highlights this one and gets a serious round of applause from the Lake Placid crowd. This immediately gives way to the familiar ambient noise and iconic bass lick opening of “Down With Disease.” Trey flubs a few of the early lyrics but still manages to nail his signature guitar riff before the band is off and running with a first set jam that stalls early before picking up speed instantly and coming to rousing climax.
Fall Tour “Cars Trucks Buses” shirt courtesy of Warren Baker via PhanArt
After a standard run through of “Wilson,” Jon Fishman cranks up the percussive intro to “Buried Alive” which yields another hearty Anastasio guitar solo. The tempo goes up even another notch with the juiced up “Poor Heart” that follows and is played to perfection. Then it’s back to the Billy Breathes catalog with album’s title track, which was also played in soundcheck before the show. McConnell, Anastasio and bassist Mike Gordon nail the complex vocal harmonies before going into the instrumental section that doesn’t stray too far from the studio version.

Fall tour postcard via PhanArt

“Mound” and “Sample In A Jar,” two traditional first set building blocks, are each played with precision, with the latter garnering another giant round of applause from the Lake Placid faithful. In addition to “Mound,” the rest of the first set is peppered with more cuts from Phish’s acclaimed Rift album like “It’s Ice,” which has a little trouble on the dismount, and the traditional “The Horse” and “Silent In The Morning” pairing. The “I think that this exact thing happened to me just last year” lyric in “Morning” is especially apt here, with two Phish shows occurring at this very same venue just eleven months ago, technically last year. And as it tends to do, “Character Zero” closes out the first set with its customary panache.

Tonight’s second set begins with “Wolfman’s Brother” which produces another mild jam that doesn’t veer too far. This is succeeded by “Taste,” another Billy Breathes tune that goes a little deeper and features some wonderfully dissonant guitar phrasing from Trey. Things then slow down tremendously as Mike Gordon leads the band through his contribution to the new album, “Train Song,” only the fifth one ever performed at this point.

Lake Placis fan poster, image courtesy Warren Baker

Phish then revs the Lake Placid engine back up with the opening licks to “Simple.” This features, by far, the most exploratory improvisation of the night with another jam that has good intentions but never seems to really lift off the ground. An extended ambient-sounding section soon gives way to heavy drum and bass with Anastasio feverishly working his guitar’s funky “wah” tone. Meanwhile, Page is rotating between organ fills and pounding on the piano before Trey jumps on his percussion kit that was on stage these days. As the lone extended jam of the evening, it failed to strike a chord with at least one attendee this evening.

That Simple is by far the most interesting song of the night, foreshadowing that it will be one of the top-tier jam vehicles for the rest of the year. But a large span of its 16 minutes are spent with Trey on his percussion kit, with Page switching between organ and piano to try to keep it afloat, unconvincingly. It’s an example of the mini-kit as momentum-killer, and more broadly, of Trey’s well-meaning but wrong-footed attempt at forcing band democracy.
Rob Mitchum

Phish then goes back to the Billy Breathes playbook in a big way with the three songs that follow, starting with the first ever performances of “Swept Away” and “Steep.” Both go off without a hitch and at the explosive end of “Steep,” the opening chords of “Prince Caspian” immediately begin. McConnell leads the way on this one with some thunderous play on piano early before it winds down. “Run Like An Antelope” then rears its head, much to the delight of the crowd, starting a vintage show-closing sequence. The band takes their time with this one and delivers a mesmerizingly dark jam that gradually gains intensity and a slew of audio effects before peaking.

“The Squirming Coil” has a few rough edges as well but is bailed out by its customary delightful piano solo ending from McConnell. And in a show full of original material, some of it brand new, Phish does throw one cover into the mix with a ferocious take on Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode.” This allows one last chance for Trey to lay down another few blistering runs on the fretboard and he takes full advantage. The encore for this evening should come as no surprise. It’s “Waste,” the ninth and final selection from Billy Breathes for the evening. With the tour opener now under their belt, Phish would then travel to Pennsylvania for two gigs before returning to Upstate New York in Buffalo for a show at Marine Midland Arena three days later.

You can listen to this 25th anniversary show at Relisten or Phishtracks.

Phish Olympic Center – Lake Placid, NY 10/16/96

Set 1: Cars Trucks Buses, Down With Disease, Wilson > Buried Alive > Poor Heart, Billy Breathes, Mound > Sample In A Jar, It’s Ice, The Horse > Silent In The Morning, Character Zero

Set 2: Wolfman’s Brother, Taste, Train Song, Simple > Swept Away > Steep > Prince Caspian, The Squirming Coil, Johnny B. Goode

E: Waste
October 16, 2021
Flashback: Phish play the Gymnasium at Skidmore College on this day in 1990

On October 5, 1990, Phish performed at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, an overlooked show that was part of the group’s formative years as they hit college markets across the Northeast. The Skidmore Gymnasium, today a part of the Williamson Sports Center, served as the venue for this all-ages show, which was part of Skidmore’s Oktoberfest Weekend.

The numbered tickets for the show read “Oktoberfest Weekend 1990 Continues!! The Class of 1991 Presents: Phish In Concert with Conjunction Junction,” and cost $10. For $15, you could also see NRBQ perform the next day, along with Projectile of Love, all part of the same week-long event. The fall Friday afternoon brought college students and their friends to Upstate New York for the show.

Phish was slowly making their way out of Vermont and into New York State, stopping in Saratoga Springs for the first time in March of 1990 to play at Aikos, then located on Caroline Street. For those in the know, and perhaps those who caught Phish at Pauly’s Hotel in May 1989, it was becoming obvious that Phish was a band whose reputation was building fast. By the fall, they had begun to play college gyms around the Northeast. And for the crowd of 300 or so fans, they had plenty of room to move around, but still had to deal with the gym getting warm due to to heaters in gym being on – you can hear calls for air conditioning that can be heard after “Stash.”

The door on the right was the main entrance to the show – photo by Mike Hogan

photo by Mike Hogan

While the show doesn’t spark much discussion or replay, there are a few notable aspects to the show. The opener “I Didn’t Know” jumps out as a random opener, but the song would open sets as early as 1988, sometims with Fishman on trombone instead of vacuum. If you were ever looking for the lyrics to “I Am Hydrogen”, the line “I walk awakening on the misty fields of forever” is included in the intro, while both “Ya Mar” and “Alumni Blues” each have extended guitar intros. One lucky fan who was calling the Phish hotline all summer, asking them to play “The Curtain” at Skidmore was rewarded for their persistence.

courtesy of Skidmore College archives

courtesy of Skidmore College archives

courtesy of Skidmore College archives

courtesy of Skidmore College archives

Mike Hogan attended the show, and shares his recollections of the night:

It was a beautiful fall afternoon and some of my friends traveled from various parts of New England to come see the show with me in Saratoga at Skidmore college. The show opened with an oddly placed “I Didn’t Know,” followed by a lively “Mike’s Song/Weekapaug” with the additional lyrics as I always thought they were, ”I walk awakening in the misty fields of Rather,” although the show notes say otherwise. Other highlights included “Fee” and “The Asse Festival” and “Possum.”

Looking back on the setlist, a very solid show that I’ve always enjoyed listening to. A few years back, Kevin Shapiro (Phish archivist) had asked me about this show. He had Trey’s date book and all that was written in it was Saratoga. It had no sense of the venue or setlist. I was able to provide him a bootleg copy.

One final thought on the ticket stub above. They took everyone’s ticket upon entry. After the show they had simply dropped them on the floor next to the door and I reached down and grabbed one. I wish I had grabbed a handful.
Matt Hogan

Just three years later, Phish would be playing their first show at Red Rocks in Colorado.

Phish – Skidmore Gymnasium, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY – Friday, October 5, 1990

Set 1: I Didn’t Know, Mike’s Song > I Am Hydrogen[1] > Weekapaug Groove, My Sweet One, The Landlady, Tela > The Oh Kee Pa Ceremony > Suzy Greenberg, Stash, The Asse Festival, Bouncing Around the Room > Run Like an Antelope

Set 2: Golgi Apparatus > The Curtain > Ya Mar, Alumni Blues > Letter to Jimmy Page > Alumni Blues, Uncle Pen, Split Open and Melt, Fee > Possum[2]

Encore: Good Times Bad Times

[1] “I walk awakening on the misty fields of forever” lyrics.
[2] Charlie Chan and Popeye signals.

The beginning of Hydrogen included the lyrics “I walk awakening on the misty fields of forever.” Possum contained Charlie Chan and Popeye signals.

An interview with Trey (Tray) and Mike from Phish in the Skidmore News, 10/10/90. Courtesy of Mike Greenhaus.

Listen below or on PhishTracks.com

October 5, 2021
Trey Anastasio Band Bring New Life To Classics At Radio City Music Hall

Trey Anastasio Band officially closed out their fall tour with back-to-back shows at Radio City Music Hall over Saturday, October 2nd and Sunday October 3rd. It was the group’s first performance at the legendary venue since 2018’s ” A Concert for Island Relief,” where TAB teamed up with Dave Matthews Band and more to raise money for hurricane relief efforts in Puerto Rico.

photo by Rene Heumer

This year’s Radio City shows arrived during a similarly turbulent time for both the world and Trey Anastasio Band. Despite the band’ precautions, the lineup was drastically affected by COVID – 19. First came the loss of Jennifer Hartswick to a mild case of the virus, which put the rest of the brass section in quarantine. Then, shortly before a Columbus, Ohio show, Russ Lawton tested positive as well. Thus, on Saturday night, TAB performed as a five piece, with Jon Fishman again stepping in for Lawton.

As Ray Paczkowski put it:

We thought about it like, half the band is TAB, half the band is Phish. And we want it to sound like something that isn’t quite either.

Though powerhouses like Hartswick and Russ Lawton were impossible not to miss, the tapered-down nature of the band allowed TAB the freedom to improvise. The set stayed playful and experimental throughout, and Jon Fishman’s presence behind the drum kit felt familiar while adding a layer of mystery.

Furthermore, a smaller band gave newer members an opportunity to shine. Bassist Dezron Douglas joined the band this fall with enormous shoes to fill after the tragic loss of Tony Markellis. Markellis, who joined Trey’s earliest solo project in 1998, was a force of nature and a steady heartbeat within the band. Though Markellis remains one-of-a-kind, Douglas’ jazz roots and dexterous abilities add a new element to TAB. Reportedly, Russ Lawton specifically requested working with Douglas as the band sought a new bassist for this tour.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KklDY5VjUkI

Douglas, who studied at the Hartford Conservatory of Music with Hartswick, brings the life and freedom of jazz to his masterful electric bass work. A classically trained double-bassist who first heard Phish in high school, he embodies the timeless quality of TAB’s music. No matter how many times TAB has performed a song, it never feels the same. Their music, like their ensemble, grows and changes as the years go on.

With their rendition of “Mr. Completely” thoroughly embodying their ability to rejuvenate old classics. Highlights included Douglas’ perfect syncopation on bass to Cyro Baptista’s insane percussion break, where he built a beat out of bird calls as the rest of the band went silent. The energy in the audience marked a TAB show at its very best; fans of all ages focused on letting a rhythm take them, dancing their hearts out together. For some 20-odd minutes, the harmony rang throughout the audience.

Despite setbacks along the road and the constraints of touring during COVID-19, the TAB live experience was fully intact at Radio City. After their hiatus from the venue, TAB offered a little bit of everything, from a heartwrenching Paczkowski/Anastasio duet of “Shade” to crowd favorite “Twist.” The packed house got a joyous and poignant set that honored those missing and welcomed new (and familiar) faces back again. As Paczkowski said, the goal was to create something a little TAB, a little Phish, but also new and singular. By the time TAB landed on classic closer “First Tube,” the crowd dancing madly in the aisles, it was clear that job was done.

Setlist via Phish.net

Trey Anastasio Band – Radio City Music Hall, New York City – Sunday, October 3, 2021

Set 1: 46 Days, Tube, In Rounds, Gotta Jibboo, Cayman Review > Blaze On

Set 2: Party Time > Ghost > Mr. Completely, Shade > Twist

Encore: When the Words Go Away*, Theme From the Bottom*, More*, First Tube

* = Trey Anastasio solo acoustic

Sunday review by Matt Romano

The final evening of Trey Anastasio Band’s 2021 tour was a Sunday to remember. The revolving cast of musicians included Trey Anastasio and Jon Fishman’s first time together on the infamous stage at Radio City since Spring of 2000. It’s important to understand the level of composition versus improvisation Trey’s music takes on for whomever joins him on stage. Keyboardist Ray Packzkowski, percussionist Cyro Baptista and bassist Dezron Douglas were all the right cats to join in the moment at Rockefeller.

A nod to the NYC subways helped the show open with “Get Back on the Train.” Having Cyro add another layer of percussion to Fishman’s grooves all night was reminiscent of Phish’s Halloween’s shows in Atlantic City 2010 with Giovanni Hidalgo and Atlanta 1996 with Karl Perrazo. Dezron Douglas’ bottom end locked in with them served up the funkiest “Moma Dance” to date that clocked in over 20 minutes. “Undermind” also included heavy drum grooves with Jon and Cyro exploring all of the skins in front of them. “Ocelot,” “Set Your Soul Free” and a chilling set closing “Dark and Down” helped wrap up a complete jam heavy 6-song set.

The second set opened the Art Deco venue with Tony Markellis’ infamous bass line to “Sand” This ensemble really had all three mezzanines grooving immediately. Paczkowski’s rig sounded as if it was coming from Radio City’s organ in the main theatre, the largest instrument ever built by the Wurlitzer company. “Everything’s Right” served up the longest layer of improvisation clocking in at over 35 minutes of sound stretching out to the grand foyer. Ups, downs, ins and outs… it was hair raising. Trey returned to his Upper West Side abode for “Lonely Trip” and never “Never Left Home,” recorded solo during his NYC quarantine. Dezron Douglas’ bass line sounds like jelly jam to Trey’s lyrics on this. “Oh, I’ll never be halted, I always shall roam. Oh, scaling the cliffs and enjoying the view” The band then closed the show with a dark and extended “Carini.”

The encore was full of special dedications and moments to TAB members current and past. Trey let the crowd know that members Russ Lawton, Jennifer Hartswick, Natalie Cressman, Coachema Gastelum and James Casey were all in good health and on the mend despite their absence. A soul Sunday nod to Markellis was sent out to the theater as well. Trey appropriately performed “Strange Design” and “Backwards Down the Number Line” on the acoustic guitar to reference all these friends as part of the tour’s ever changing ride.

He then invited special guest James Casey to the stage in hand with alto soprano sax for backing vocals on the last three songs. “Evolve” “Rise/Come Together” and “Life Beyond a Dream” Casey’s sax blew like Branford under the great proscenium arch that sits above the stage. All three songs’ message is saturated in positivity and optimism towards whatever life can throw at you. Love is the message here. “We’re all looking for a little more love to shine a light and lift us up,” “Don’t give up hope. Keep on dreaming.”

Setlist via Phish.net

Trey Anastasio Band – Radio City Music Hall, New York City – Sunday, October 3, 2021

Set 1: Back on the Train > The Moma Dance, Undermind > Ocelot, Set Your Soul Free, Dark and Down

Set 2: Sand, Everything’s Right, Lonely Trip, I Never Left Home > Carini

Encore: Strange Design ^[1], Backwards Down the Number Line^[1], Evolve ^[2], Rise/Come Together ^[3], A Life Beyond The Dream^[3]
[1] Trey solo acoustic.
[2] With James Casey on saxophone.
[3] With James Casey on additional vocals and saxophone.

October 5, 2021
Phish announce 4 nights at Madison Square Garden for 2021 New Years Eve Run

Vermont jam-lords Phish will celebrate the end of 2021 with four nights at Madison Square Garden, capping off a remarkable year for the group.

To say Phish is no stranger to Madison Square Garden would be a huge understatement. The band has played ‘The World’s Most Famous Arena’ a total of 64 times, with only Elton John and the Piano Man, Billy Joel, eclipsing their mark on the venue. The band played their first show at Madison Square Garden over New Years Eve in 1994, and playing one of their greatest shows ever on December 31, 1995, featuring the Gamehendge Time Factory.

Read The Phish Before The Storm: December 30, 1995 At MSG, a look at the night before their historic 12/31/95 show.

The band continued to perform on New Years Eve for many years to follow, including 4 night runs in 1997 and 1998, a single show to mark their return from hiatus on December 31, 2002, and finally returning to the venue in early December 2009 for three nights. New Years 2010 marked the first of a near consecutive string of runs over the end of the year, with the exception of 2014 when the band performed four nights in Miami. Since 2015, the band has performed at Madison Square Garden every New Years Eve since, sans 2020 due to COVID-19 and the ensuring music industry shutdown.

Revisit Phish New Years Eve’s at Madison Square Garden from 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019

2017 marked the Baker’s Dozen, a run of 13 historic shows that featured no repeats, choice covers and bust-outs galore, a hallmark for the band in their storied career at Madison Square Garden.

Tickets for Phish at Madison Square Garden for New Years Eve 2021 are available via lottery starting now through Monday, October 4th at noon ET). Public on sale begins on October 8 at noon via Phish.com

September 29, 2021
Don Everly, 1937-2021

Don Everly, the remaining half of the iconic Everly Brothers, has passed away at the age of 84. Together with his brother Phil, The Everly Brothers helped revolutionize and form the early sounds of the rock and roll movement that would engulf America. Their distinguished harmonies accompanied with elements of country music would go on to influence an entire generation of fellow musicians, enabling them to be one of the first artists to be inaugurated in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, alongside Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Buddy Holly and Jerry Lee Lewis in 1986. Phil Everly later passed on in 2014 at the age of 74.

Issac Donald “Don” Everly was born on February 1, 1937, about two years before his brother Phillip. They spent most of their childhood in Shenandoah, Iowa, raised by musically-inclined parents who performed country music throughout the South and Midwest before moving to Iowa. Their father Ike hosted a show on local Iowa radio, first singing with with his wife Margaret, and later “Little Donnie” and “Baby Boy Phil” joined them as the Everly Family. The family would later relocate to Knoxville, Tennessee. Here, the brothers would find work on Cas Walker’s Farm and Home Hour, a regional radio and TV variety program. They managed to catch the eye of Chet Atkins, who managed RCA Victor Studios in Nashville and was also a family friend. Atkins was somehow able to get the brothers a recording deal with Columbia Records in 1956. However, the lone single “Keep a-Lovin Me,” which Don wrote and composed ,flopped and the Everlys were quickly dropped by the label.

Again with the help of Atkins, they were later hired by Acuff-Rose music publishers in Nashville, but strictly as songwriters. However, this connection helped finally launch their career as they were soon introduced to a Cadence Records label that was looking for recording artists. At Cadence, they were presented with a song that had been rejected by dozens of other artists previously. But the Everly Brothers would record it in February of 1957, and their lives would never be the same again. “Bye, Bye Love” reached No. 2 on the pop charts, fighting with Elvis for radio airplay, and also reached No. 1 on the country and No. 5 on the R&B charts.

Their follow up to “Love” was somehow even more successful, with “Wake Up Little Susie” topping both the pop and country charts just a few months later. Both songs, and many of their other hits like “All I Have To Do Is Dream” and “Bird Dog,” were all written by the husband-and-wife Nashville writing team of Boudeleaux and Felice Bryant that Cadence Records employed. Their early hits helped them land an opening spot for Buddy Holly and the Crickets for tours in the late ’50s. Their innovative “countrified” rock style and distinct harmonies would begin to plant the seeds of influence for some of the greatest bands of the latter half of the 20th century. The Beatles once referred to themselves as the “British Everly Brothers” in their nascent days and Simon and Garfunkel have readily admitted to them being the driving influence behind their collaboration.

Phil and Don were the most beautiful sounding duo I ever heard. Both voices pristine and soulful. The Everlys were there at the crossroads of country and R&B. They witnessed and were part of the birth of rock and roll.
Paul Simon

After three years at Cadence, the Brothers would sign with Warner Bros. Records in 1960. It was here that they recorded their first successful hit that they wrote and composed themselves, “Cathy’s Clown.” It would go on to sell eight million copies and become the duo’s biggest-selling record. It’s also the first song ever that Warner Bros. released in the UK. If there’s any doubt as to the popularity of this song, it somehow even made its way into a Phish show as the opener for their show at SPAC on 7/2/19.

The Everly Brothers would continue to churn out Top 10 hits in both the US and UK throughout the early ’60s like “Walk Right Back,” “Crying In The Rain” and “The Price Of Love.” In fact, they would average one Top 10 hit on the pop charts every four months from 1957 to 1961. However, royalty disputes would later emerge with Acuff-Rose, to the point where The Everly Brothers would only record songs from other composers/publishers so as not to pay them anything. This also meant they were cut off from working with the Bryants who had written so many of their hits.

Both brothers enlisted in the United States Marine Corps Reserve in 1961. They did resume their career after being discharged from active duty, but their success in the US would begin to dwindle. The Everly Brothers’ last US top 10 hit was 1962’s “That’s Old Fashioned (That’s The Way Love Should Be)”, a song recorded but unreleased by The Chordettes. Album sales began to dwindle as well. The Everlys’ first two albums for Warner Bros. peaked at No. 9 US, but after that, of a dozen more LPs, only one made the top 200: 1965’s Beat & Soul. By the end of the 1960s, the Everly Brothers still maintained some success in Canada, the UK and Australia, but returned to their country rock roots with 1968’s Roots which was critically acclaimed. But this wasn’t enough to keep their contract with Warner Bros. from lapsing after ten years. In 1970, Don Everly released his first unsuccessful solo album. The following year, the brothers would resume touring once more, with Lindsey Buckingham joining them in 1972. But sadly, the brother’s relationship also frayed over the years. Their last performance together took place on July 14, 1973 at Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park, CA with Phil smashing his guitar and walking off stage leaving Don to finish the show by himself while famously remarking, “The Everly Brothers died ten years ago.”

Both brothers would then go on to pursue solo careers, with Don Everly finding some minimal success on the US country charts in the mid- to late-1970s with his band Dead Cowboys, and playing with Albert Lee. He also recorded with Emmylou Harris on her 1979 album Blue Kentucky Girl. But nothing approached the commercial success he had experienced with his brother.

The brothers would later reunite in 1983, with a concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London which was recorded for a live LP and video broadcast on cable television. This helped put them back on the map and included a new album EB ’84, produced by Dave Edmunds with its single “On The Wings Of A Nightingale” written by none other than Paul McCartney. It returned The Everly Brothers to both the US and UK pop charts for the first time in more than a decade.

Their last charting hit would be in 1986 with the title track to Born Yesterday. Afterwards, their career consisted of mainly collaborations with other artists. They would go on to provide backing vocal’s on Paul Simon’s signature solo effort, Graceland. And later, in 2003 and 2004 on Simon and Garfunkel’s “Old Friends” reunion tour, they would share the stage again. As a tribute to the Everly Brothers, Simon & Garfunkel opened their own show and had the Everlys come out in the middle of it. At almost all shows, Simon made a point to express how much of an influence the brothers had on his career.

August 23, 2021
And We’re Free of Time: Phish Complete a Run for the Ages on the beach in Atlantic City
Phish began its three-night siege of Atlantic City last night with a concert on the beach that was a year in the making. Like most of this summer tour, this was the rescheduled date after being postponed last year due to the pandemic. With plenty of fans still masked up and partying safely, Phish more than made up for lost time with a show that surely stood out among the other customary bright lights along the iconic Jersey boardwalk.

photo: Dave DeCrescente

In a fitting nod to the locale, “Cars, Trucks, Buses,” the notable New Jersey Turnpike driving lane designation, was tapped to open the show. This gave way to an “AC/DC Bag” that followed, with Trey Anastasio ad-libbing a “put ’em on the beach” lyric much to the crowd’s delight. The ensuing jam bled nicely into “Blaze On” and Phish was off and running. The first set later featured an appearance from drummer Jon Fishman and his trusty vacuum for “I Didn’t Know” and an explosive “Funky Bitch” contained the first of two distinct “Fire” (Ohio Players) teases from Anastasio this evening. In an all too fitting selection, an exploratory “Sand” later closed out the opening set in grandiose fashion as fans danced and kicked it around on the beach.

poster by Maria DiChiappari

In a move that surprised no one, the second set continues to be a warehouse of monstrous, type-II jamming from Phish and the first night of Atlantic City would prove no different. The intensity on the beach reached a new level once the opening notes of “Tweezer” rang loud and true. True to form, “Tweezer” could have been jammed out for the entire second set and there would have been few complaints. Instead, after an extended visit, the music slowly veered into the opening notes of another classic jam vehicle “Bathtub Gin.”

At one point, it seemed like the set could very well be just a few songs, all jammed extensively. Instead, Phish threw in a couple more songs, starting with the upbeat and uplifting “Everything’s Right.” A rambunctious “Possum” popped up later in the set, only to be steered directly into an intense “2001” that set off the entire beach into a synchronized frenzy. The late second set “Harry Hood” was perfectly placed and performed to perfection. However, fans will have to wait (at least) one more night for the anticipated “Tweezer Reprise” as the lone encore this evening was a cover of The Rolling Stones’ “Loving Cup,” leaving plenty on the table for nights two and three to follow.

photo: Dave DeCrescente

Setlists via Phish.net

Friday, August 13, 2021

Soundcheck: Theme From the Bottom, My Soul, We Are Come To Outlive Our Brains, Lonely Trip

Set 1: Cars Trucks Buses, AC/DC Bag > Blaze On, Wolfman’s Brother, I Didn’t Know, Funky Bitch, Rift, Sand

Set 2: Tweezer > Bathtub Gin > Everything’s Right > Possum > Also Sprach Zarathustra > Rise/Come Together > Harry Hood > More

Encore: Loving Cup

On Saturday, slow Llamas got Drowned as Phish took stage for night two of their three night run in Atlantic City. The Vermont quartet immediately set the tone with a slow “Llama” to get the funk going. Page McConnell immediately got scratching on his clavinet and stayed atop of the clav for more funk on “Tube” with Trey’s Wah pedal still in effect.

Any first set “Reba” that unfolds naturally like it did on Saturday immediately set the crowd off into a frenzy. A nod to beach side reggae ensues with Bob Marley’s “Soul Shakedown Party” The first set ended with Page’s solo over the quiet ocean for “Squirming Coil.”

photo: Dave DeCrescente

“I Never Needed You Like This Before” a new tune that breathes rock and roll while including Phishy tension. Roger Daltery’s words “Let me get back to the ocean, let me get back to the sea” carried across the Atlantic on a raucous cover of The Who’s “Drowned.” Trey and Page reunited on the wah funk pedals and clavinet during a second set “Ghost” that came full circle with Chris Kuroda’s lights and”No Quarter” by Led Zeppelin brought in another chilling cover for the night.

During the encore Phish sublimated the crowd with the “Life Beyond a Dream” before revisiting the “Tweezer” that started Set 2 Friday night, with “Tweezer Reprise” certainly sending everyone back to the dunes with a smile.

Saturday, August 14, 2021

Set 1: Llama[1], Tube, Destiny Unbound > Ya Mar, 46 Days, Reba[2], Soul Shakedown Party, Split Open and Melt, The Squirming Coil

Set 2: I Never Needed You Like This Before, Drowned > Ghost -> Scents and Subtle Sounds[3] > Chalk Dust Torture[4] > No Quarter > Slave to the Traffic Light > Suzy Greenberg

Encore: A Life Beyond The Dream, Tweezer Reprise

[1] Performed in slow, funk style

[2] No whistling

[3] Did not contain the intro

[4] Unfinished

Never miss a Sunday show. It’s been a mantra for Phish fans since the 1990s, and once again the band delivered an excellent closing to what could easily become a regular stop for the band.

Opening up with the rare “The Landlady” caught everyone’s attention shortly before 8pm. The band dipped into the intro section of “Scents and Subtle Sounds,” which clocks in at under two minutes, but the final line “the moment never ends” segued perfectly, and lyrically, into “The Moma Dance.” Fans who caught this subtle connection were elated, but who couldn’t be when a 16 minute “Moma” was in store for the beach. A well placed “Mike’s Groove” filled the middle of the set, while an energetic 20-minute “You Enjoy Myself” closed the set.

Poster by Cory Rowe

A fiery “Carini” lit up the beach to start the final hurrah of the weekend, leading into “Set Your Soul Free,” giving a release of energy for the thousands elated to be dancing to live music once again. The most perfect placement for the weekend goes to “Beneath a Sea of Stars Part 1” which followed. The timing of this serene and at times ambient number from Ghosts of the Forest has found a home in the exhaust of jams, breathing new life for the crowd here together.

A top notch “Piper” followed, a highlight of the weekend for some, with the requisite “Waves” following and sending fans into the ocean, if they hadn’t been already. The set closed with “First Tube,” as energetic as ever, and setting the stage for a double encore of “Fluffhead” and “Backwards Down the Number Line.”

For a weekend on the shore, amid concerns of large gatherings, Phish pulled off a memorable as ever run of shows in Atlantic City, ones that stand free of time as their best in America’s Playground.

Setlist via Phish.net

Set 1: The Landlady, Scents and Subtle Sounds[1] > The Moma Dance[2] > The Final Hurrah > Mike’s Song > I Am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove, The Sloth, Roggae > Back on the Train, You Enjoy Myself

Set 2: Carini > Set Your Soul Free > Beneath a Sea of Stars Part 1 > Piper -> Carini > Waves > Simple > About to Run, First Tube

Encore: Fluffhead > Backwards Down the Number Line

[1] Intro only[2] Unfinished Scents and Subtle Sounds was only the intro. The Moma Dance had a Scents and Subtle Sounds tease and was unfinished. Mike’s Song had a Strawberry Letter 23 tease from Trey. Set Your Soul Free had teases of I’m a Man, Carini, and Linus and Lucy. The soundcheck’s jam contained Soul Planet quotes from Trey.
photos: Dave DeCrescente
August 14, 2021
Phish covers Hot Chocolate in return to Hersheypark
Phish’s 2021 summer tour has finally made its way to the East Coast with a return to the land of chocolate in Hershey, PA. Hersheypark Stadium once again played host, with the band playing their fourth and fifth shows at the venue, and the first ones here since 2010. Although plenty of rain and isolated thunderstorms joined the fray as well, there was no dampening of the spirits inside the stadium.

The inclement weather prevented fans from entering right away on Tuesday as the gates remained closed while rain pelted down on the parking lot, accentuated by streaks of lightening in the distance. Thankfully, this was the last of the storms for the day and the rest of the night stayed dry. Once given the green light, fans entered en masse and were treated to an exhilarating opening 1-2 punch of “First Tube” and “Axilla.” After such a scorching start, “Fuego” made more than sense to follow as the humidity eased and the grooves increased. Instead of rounding back into form, “Fuego” drifted for a while before turning into a “Runaway Jim.” Other Phish originals such as “Sample in a Jar” and “Llama” were peppered throughout the opening set, giving it an old school feel, while newer tunes like “Steam” and “Death Don’t Hurt Very Long” proved old dogs can indeed learn some new tricks.

While there may not have been any “monster” 20-minute jams that this summer tour has been blessed with repeatedly, Tuesday’s second set only contained one real pause as Phish weaved in and out of another set that featured a masterful blend of newer material and longtime favorites. “No Men In No Man’s Land” immediately set a course for “funky” and the band took it from there. “Soul Planet” later emerged from this before an impressive segue into the rare second set “NICU.” The last major jam sequence of the evening was spearheaded by “Golden Age” which had all of Hersheypark Stadium dancing in a collective rhythm. Longtime fan favorite “Lizards” got dropped late in the second set, the first one since Mexico 2020. The one and only cover song selection of the evening, The Velvet Underground’s “Rock and Roll” left everyone feeling alright and more than hopeful for the promise of tomorrow.

Setlist via Phish.net

Phish – Hersheypark Stadium – Hershey, PA Tuesday, August 10, 2021

Set 1: First Tube, Axilla, Fuego ->Runaway Jim, Gumbo > Sample in Jar, Steam, Sugar Shack, Llama, Death Don’t Hurt Very Long > Run Like an Antelope

Set 2: No Men In No Man’s Land > Soul Planet -> NICU > Joy, Scent of a Mule, Golden Age > Prince Caspian > Backwards Down the Number Line > The Lizards > Character Zero

Encore: Rock and Roll

On Wednesday, Phish gave a few nods to Chocolate Town U.S.A., kicking off the night with “You Sexy Thing,” by 70s funk band Hot Chocolate. They would return to the familiar riff a few times during the night, with Trey serenading the crowd and referring to them as ‘You Sexy Things.’

Despite the rain earlier in the evening as fans were arriving and pregaming in the Hersheypark lots, no spirits were dampened from the performance this night. A ‘Halley’s Comet’ clocking in at nearly 16 minutes provided liftoff for a set, thanks to Page McConnell keeping the jam going with his synth work. “Gotta Jibboo,” “Meat” and “Maze” rounded out one of the tightest first sets of the tour.

Set 2 started with a standard “Theme From the Bottom” but the true highlight came in the form of a nearly 20-minute “Birds of a Feather,” with a rainbow of lights punctuating the jam that unfolded. The chocolate references continued late in the set with Ruby (chocolate) Waves and “‘Choc’-Dust Torture,” which was also performed at Chocolate Night of the Baker’s Dozen, along with “You Sexy Thing.” “Show of Life” and “S.A.N.T.O.S.” rounded out the show, with fans setting their sites east towards Atlantic City

Phish – Hersheypark Stadium – Hershey, PA, Wednesday August 11, 2021

Set 1: You Sexy Thing, Wombat, Free > A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing, Halley’s Comet > Lonely Trip[1] > Gotta Jibboo, Meat, Maze

Set 2: Theme From the Bottom > Birds of a Feather, Bug > Light -> Party Time > Ruby Waves > Chalk Dust Torture

Encore: Show of Life > Say It To Me S.A.N.T.O.S.[1] Phish debut

Photos by Filip Zalewski
August 11, 2021
PhanArt Atlantic City Announces Artist Lineup

PhanArt shows are back and in person, with the first installment coming to Caesar’s Atlantic City on Saturday, August 14. The event showcases more than two dozen artists, featuring posters, clothing, ceramics, photography, fine art and much more–all with a Phish inspired flair.

The last in-person PhanArt show was held on December 30, 2019 in NYC. After this long hiatus due to the pandemic, organizers and vendors are eager to enjoy another great event. Much like the last show, the Atlantic City event will present morning yoga sessions, live music by (this time by Sweeping Views), and “phan philm” screenings. This is the first new PhanArt show, with others planned for Lake Tahoe and Denver in September.

This year’s “phan philm” screenings include “We’ve Got it Simple“, a documentary exploring the wonderful world of Phish fans, and “Cirque du Cambodia“, which tells the story of two Cambodian teenagers with dreams of joining the Cirque du Soleil company.

As always, admission is free. The show will run from 12-5 PM at Caesar’s. The art show, yoga and film screenings are all located on the 3rd floor of the Centurion Tower, above the Palladium Ballroom, in Empire A & B. Check out the video below to get hyped up!

July 29, 2021
Pink Talking Fish Announce 2021 Tour, with stops in Cohoes and Brooklyn

Pink Talking Fish have announced a 2021 tour that will make multiple stops throughout New England. The tour begins in August and will run through December.

Pink Talking Fish, a fusion tribute band that plays Pink Floyd, The Talking Heads, and Phish, is comprised of Eric Gould on bass, Richard James on keyboards, Zack Burwick on drums and Cal Kehoe on guitar.

Although the band has been performing since COVID-19 playing a handful of show including outdoor pod style events, two trips to Colorado, a Beach Road Weekend Pre-Party in Martha’s Vineyard and sold out performances in Connecticut and New Hampshire this will be their first real tour.

The tour will kick off in August with 2 night Grand Opening of the new indoor venue at Soundcheck Studios in Pembroke, MA. This venue kept live music going through the pandemic with socially distant outdoor performances and, during that time, they developed a premiere indoor concert experience. Two of New England’s rising acts are supporting Pink Talking Phish for this event: The New Motif and Marble Eyes. Marble Eyes features Pink Talking Fish bassist, Eric Gould.

The band will be making two stops in New York while on tour. The first stop will be on 10/16 at the Brooklyn Bowl in Brooklyn NY and the second stop on 10/22 at Cohoes Music Hall at Cohoes NY.

For more information on Pink Talking Phish and their upcoming tour visit their website.

Full List of Pink Talking Fish 2021 Tour Dates:

8/06: Pembroke MA at Soundcheck Studios – w/s/g The New Motif

8/07: Pembroke MA at Soundcheck Studios – w/s/g Marble Eyes

8/14: Atlantic City NJ at The Tropicana – Phish AfterParty

8/22: Norwalk CT at Wall Street Theater – Outdoor Pod Event

9/25: Mason NH at The Range – Outdoor Event

10/01: Fairfield CT at The Warehouse FTC

10/07: Ferndale MI at Otus Supply

10/08: Ferndale MI at Otus Supply

10/09: Chicago IL at Park West

10/10: Belle Vernon PA at Vinoski Winery

10/16: Brooklyn NY at Brooklyn Bowl

10/17: Norfolk CT at Infinity Hall

10/22: Cohoes NY at Cohoes Music Hall

10/30: Las Vegas NV at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas – Phish AfterParty

10/31: Las Vegas NV at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas – Phish AfterParty featuring Joel Cummins from Umphrey’s McGee on Keyboards

11/11: Roanoke VA at 5 Points Music Sanctuary

11/12: Norfolk VA at The NorVa

11/13: Richmond VA at The National

11/26: Boston MA at Paradise Rock Club

12/10: Austin TX at 3TEN ACL Live

12/11: Austin TX at 3TEN ACL Live

July 28, 2021

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