Phish Serves Up Reunion

Jam band announces anticipated reunion dates for next spring

By Josh Grossberg Oct 01, 2008 4:27 PMTags
Trey Anastasio, Mike Gordon, PhishScott Gries/Getty Images

Get ready for another helping of Phish.

The legendary jam band, who called it quits in August 2004 with a blowout two-day festival in Vermont, has confirmed plans to reunite for three shows next March in Hampton, Va.

Per a time-lapse video announcement posted on the band's website, Phish will take the stage of Hampton Coliseum—the surreal, spaceshiplike venue that's hosted some of the band's most memorable gigs—on March 6, 7 and 8.

The site also says Phish will unveil additional 2009 tour dates early next year.

While pop success often eluded them during their 21 years together, the quartet of singer-guitarist Trey Anastasio, keyboardist Page McConnell, bassist Mike Gordon and drummer Jon Fishman was one of the top touring acts of the 1990s and early 2000s, known for high-energy, innovative and downright marathon live performances.

Since 1989 Phish has played more than 1,106 concerts, grossing a whopping $175 million in revenue and selling nearly 6 million tickets, according to Billboard. In doing so, Vermont's Phinest amassed a carnival-like neo-hippie following akin to the Grateful Dead.

Phish announced it was taking a year-and-a-half-long hiatus in 2000 and returned on Dec. 31, 2002, with a New Year's Eve show at Madison Square Garden, followed by three more dates at Hampton Coliseum.

But the road took its toll and Phish called it quits in 2004.

Since then the foursome has been exploring solo careers, with Anastasio being the most visible member. But his music was overshadowed of late by his legal problems stemming from substance abuse issues.

Rumors began to spawn that Phish would regroup last May, when the rockers surfaced in New York to receive a lifetime achievement award at the Jammys.

Three of the four were also spotted playing together on stage at the Rothbury festival in Michigan on the Fourth of July, and the full band reportedly played three songs at the wedding of their former road manager earlier this month.

Tickets for the March Hampton dates will go on sale to the general public Oct. 18. But Phishheads get first dibs, with a limited number of tickets available via the band's site now through Oct. 8.