it took them a long time to get back on the train [by christina]
For those of you who have been living under a rock for the past couple months… Phish is back.
At “Phish’s Phinal Phestival” in Coventry, V.T., on August 15, 2004, some people thought it was the end of the four-piece, legendary jam band. Others knew the truth- they’d be back.
October 1, 2008, was the first official announcement of three Phish shows in March. They were going to be played at the Hampton Coliseum in Virginia. This had loyal Phish fans, to put it plainly, phreaking out.
The battle for tickets to these three nights entailed some fierce competition. Tickets could only be obtained through a lottery system; for fans that got them it was great, but those who didn’t were very, very, very angry. I, unfortunately, was one out of the angry masses.
Lucky for him, Friend of Buntology Matt Lusteg scored two tickets to the Virginia show. He had not one bad thing to say about the experience, describing the light show as “the best I’ve ever seen,” (and he’s seen lots.)
“When they started playing the first note of Fluffhead,” said Lusteg, “I’ve never seen that many people so excited at the same time.”
From his descriptions we could only imagine the sense of unity among the fans, and how happy everyone was to be experiencing such a legendary band back for the first time in five years.
For those of you who missed out on the March dates, fear not. SUMMER TOUR ‘09 BABY, WOOO!!! I mean, what? From June 6 to August 16, Phish is playing shows throughout the country, with plenty of east coast dates (works for us):
PHISH 2009 SUMMER TOUR
05/31 – Fenway Park – Boston, MA – PUBLIC ON SALE 4/17
06/2 – Nikon at Jones Beach – Wantagh, NY – PUBLIC ON SALE 4/17
06/04 – Nikon at Jones Beach Theater – Wantagh, NY – SOLD OUT
06/05 – Nikon at Jones Beach Theater – Wantagh, NY – SOLD OUT
06/06 – Comcast Center – Mansfield, MA – SOLD OUT
06/07 – Susquehanna Bank Center – Camden, NJ – SOLD OUT
06/09 – Asheville Civic Center – Asheville, NC – SOLD OUT
06/10 – Thompson-Boling Arena – Knoxville, TN – SOLD OUT
06/12 – Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, Manchester, TN
06/14 – Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, Manchester, TN
06/16 – Fox Theatre – St. Louis, MO – SOLD OUT
06/18 – Post Gazette Pavilion – Burgettstown, PA – SOLD OUT
06/19 – Verizon Wireless Music Center – Noblesville, IN – SOLD OUT
06/20 – Alpine Valley – East Troy, WI – SOLD OUT
06/21 – Alpine Valley – East Troy, WI – SOLD OUT
07/30 – Red Rocks Amphitheatre – Morrison, CO – PUBLIC ONSALE 3/26
07/31 – Red Rocks Amphitheatre – Morrison, CO – PUBLIC ONSALE 3/26
08/01 – Red Rocks Amphitheatre – Morrison, CO – PUBLIC ONSALE 3/26
08/02 – Red Rocks Amphitheatre – Morrison, CO – PUBLIC ONSALE 3/26
08/05 – Shoreline Amphitheatre – Mountain View, CA – PUBLIC ONSALE 3/29
08/07 – The Gorge – George, WA – PUBLIC ONSALE 3/27
08/08 – The Gorge – George, WA – PUBLIC ONSALE 3/27
08/11 – Toyota Park – Chicago, IL – PUBLIC ONSALE 4/04
08/13 – Darien Lake Performing Arts Center – Darien Center, NY – PUBLIC ONSALE 3/27
08/14 – Meadows Music Theater – Hartford, CT – PUBLIC ONSALE 3/28
08/15 – Merriweather Post Pavilion – Columbia, MD – PUBLIC ONSALE 3/27
08/16 – Saratoga Performing Arts Center – Saratoga Springs, NY – PUBLIC ONSALE
With over half the tour already sold out you better get your tickets fast! So far I have my tickets for Darien Center, N.Y. on lockdown, with hopefully Hartford and Saratoga Springs to come. I’m excited beyond words, and will obviously be covering the event for Buntology.
The questions left on my mind are: Sooo, fall tour? Are they going to stick around for a while? Is this whole thing just a tease and we’re going to get our hearts broken again? I guess we’ll see. All I know is this reunion was the answer to the prayers of thousands of loyal fans, and this summer is going to be epic. See you out there!
Comments
yes! im soooooo excited.
haha i love it great job x tina!
Phish at fenway may 31
I LOVE YOU TREY. I guess the real question is … when will Trey be commenting on Bunty?
i have an extra hartford lawn and im looking to trade for second night jones beach. who’s gonna see me with that ticket stub in MY hand?
also, buntology, you can probably get gordo to check this site out. he’s a weirdo nut job who looks everywhere for new stuff. i bet if he wasnt so weird, phish wouldnt be as good.
“Is this whole thing just a tease and we’re going to get our hearts broken again?”
In response to this, I would like to go out on a limb here and say that THE PHISH is back for a while.
I thought you all might appreciate my pointless possitivity rant on the Livephish.com forum in response to people fighting about stupid shit on the review section;
http://www.livephish.com/readReviews.aspx?show=452
Its dumb but I was feeling especially passionate after receiving my own tickets in the mail and was compelled to respond.
The Wallabee Champ (4/6/2009 1:17:14 PM)<————Thats me
I’ going to try and look at the positive side of this review posting system fighting and say this;
Although I personally think its useless to bicker/counter-post, it does offer some mundane insight into what most anyone on this sight should already know. Phish fans are extremely passionate… its not hard to see. A Band like Phish; Nay the One True Band simply would not have been possible based on musical virtuosity alone. When is the last time anyone drove/rode/walked for days JUST to get the CHANCE to stand in line for hours to get into a weekend show for Doyle Dykes (a ridiculous guitar player btw)? When is the last time anyone smashed a bottle of heady IPA on the wall in blind, murderous rage because they were frozen out of the ticket lottery for Buddy Guy (living legend)?
I digress, but the point is fairly straight-foward; the people who find bliss in phish’s music (sound ambrosia) are fiercely loyal. This should not be interpretted as a point of segregation; it is only the natural defense mechanism of the class of musical personality drawn to phish’s music. We are all struggling to defend art for the sake of art and creative expression while being waterboarded and immersed in popular culture. And theres more… the best part is that almost no one knows it because its all about the music!
This great and fitting irony binds us both to the band, and also to each other. From the beginning, Phish and those who sought their brand of music have made extreme sacrifices, endured hardships and stereotypes. Walking 50 miles to a festival in the mud, or acquiescing to liveticketmasternation rape-trauma are not as far removed as some think given the common goal. Some have grown since since the glory days and even chose a more assimilation-oriented lifestyle, some stayed the same, some have come up listening to phish tapes passed down on headphones, nit-picking nuances, and forming their own brand of memories tied to the music that spoke to them clearest. WHATTHEFUCKEVER!
Generally I don’t like to curse much, but I just wrote that with the biggest smile on my face so it I don’t feel like it counts. Its all good…
I don’t get upset when people debate phish’s music (even when one is clearly illiterate, or autistic in which case they are probably offended) because it offers proof of the tie that binds all of us together, and makes this a people’s band that is truly cumulatively unique.
I like Phish+You like Phish+Phish likes us+Phish likes Phish= We all like Phish and I probably on some level would possibly like you AND Sonic orgasms all around.
I’m certainly no economist, but I know a good deal when I hear one
A season for all things, and I feel as though summer can bring new beginnings for all of us.
Its important that we do our best to show the band that this following they’ve gathered remains worth fighting, at very least in the sense that we are all there totally united in purpose, and nothing was more important than the persuit of the feeling. I’ve yet to think of a name for this feeling, but everyone knows it, its when the best music comes from the musicians, and the energy from the crowd is Electric with no room for bad vibes, or complaning.
I sincerely hope this summer brings together the best of youthful exhuberance and inhibition with the wisdom and perception that comes with age, into a soaring collaboration borning a new brand of energy that is at once both familiar and compelling.
Don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about…
Happy Summer!!