I can’t believe it’s already been a week since Superball IX.
The Phish festival, held over Fourth of July weekend in Watkins Glen, NY., was the ninth festy hosted by the jam band, but the first that I’ve ever attended.
Initially, I was skeptical– could one band really keep me entertained for an entire weekend? No late-night music, multiple stages and headlining acts?
Uhh… YUP.
Wow! We can’t believe 2009 has come to an end. This year saw a lot in music, and so did the staff at Buntology. Between Phish, festies, and a smattering of new and classic rock concerts, it’s going to be hard to top all of the awesome performances 2009 had to offer.
But, before we look at the music, let’s take a second to remember the great musicians that passed away this year: Ron Asheton (The Stooges), Jay Bennet (Wilco), Bob Bogle (The Ventures), Ean Evans (Lynyrd Skynyrd), Adam Goldstein (“DJ AM”), Kelly Groucutt (Electric Light Orchestra), and Michael Jackson (Jackson 5). Rest in peace!
But with death comes rebirth, and this year the stork brought us many new “super-groups” like Them Crooked Vultures, The Deadweather, Further and Tinted Windows. This past year we have seen the rise of young artists like Passion Pit, Asher Roth, Matt & Kim and Gogol Bordello. We have also seen some older bands dust off their Fenders and start playing again, like The Flaming Lips, Weezer and Blink 182.
Blink 182 reunited this year, not only to record, but also to tour and play shows through the US last summer. Though Blink has not released any new music yet, they have are currently working on a new album. Another band that reunited after a break for a few years was Phish. They released a new album “Joy” and have went on an extensive summer and fall tour. Of course one of the highlights of Buntology staffer Ivan’s summer was the performance by Sir Paul McCartney, who played a show at Fenway Park in Boston, Mass.
How about some other musical highlights of the year? In no particular order…
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After a two-day Phish run in Albany, N.Y., complete with singing, dancing and partying till the wee hours of the morning, it’s solidified– Neil and I are party animals
The weekend started with a full belly, as the first show was only a day after Thanksgiving and I had stuffed myself to the point of wrenching pain less than 24 hours earlier.
[You can thank Rod Bunt and his delicious stuffing for us being well-fed. – Neil]
Me, Neil and some of our friends stayed at the Clarion in Albany (Neil’s hometown), and when we arrived at the hotel around 3 p.m. the hippie invasion had already begun.
What a smelly summer. Everywhere I went seemed to have a Phishy scent.
Starting at Camp Kee Wanee in Greenfield, Mass. and ending at Saratoga Performing Arts Center in New York, this has been a glorious span.
Strange Creek was a weekend of friends, music and the start of summer. The boys from Phish pissed in my ears (literally) at Bonnaroo.
My homies from the Dead put on a face-melting exposition at Rothbury. Even RatDog had me rocking out at an otherwise dreary Vibes.
But to be honest, nothing compared the last week of Phish shows. I was lucky enough to catch a bunch of them with some of my closest buds. For crying out loud, I finally got my first live “Fluffhead” at Darien Lake, N.Y.
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.