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Phish, a US band, was formed in 1983 ( 1983 in music) at the University of Vermont by guitarist/ vocalist Trey Anastasio, rhythm guitarist Jeff Holdsworth , and drummer Jonathan Fishman, later joined by bassist Mike Gordon. Jeff soon left the band (he found religionReligion sometimes used interchangeably with faith, is commonly defined as belief concerning the supernatural, sacred, or divine, and the practices and institutions associated with such belief. Borobudur, a Buddhist stupa built between 750 and 850 Adriaen) and Page McConnellPage Samuel McConnell (born May 17, 1963 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is the pianist/organist/keyboardist for Phish. His senior year of high school was at Lawrence Academy, Groton, Massachusetts. Went to Southern Methodist University from fall of 1982 t joined on keyboards, finalizing the lineup.
Phish began playing at local clubs in Burlington, and their live shows gained a reputation for extended improvisational jams. Their musical ethos is a playful mix of skilled improvisation, psychedelic rock, folkFolk music in the original sense of the term, is music by and of the people. Folk music arose, and best survives, in societies not yet affected by mass communication and the commercialization of culture. It normally was shared and performed by the entire, bluegrassBluegrass music is a form of American roots music with its own roots in the English, Irish traditional music and Scottish traditional music of immigrants from the British Isles (particularly the Scotch-Irish immigrants of Appalachia), as well as the music, funkFunk is a distinct style of music originated by African-Americans, e. James Brown and his band members (especially Maceo and Melvin Parker), and groups like The Meters. Funk best can be recognized by its syncopated rhythms; thick bass line (often based on, a capella/ barbershop quartet, and intricate compositions. Some of their original compositions (such as "Theme from the Bottom" and "Farmhouse") tend towards a psychedelic-rock and bluegrass fusion, with more rock and funk elements than the Grateful Dead and other earlier so-called jam bands. Their more epic compositions (such as "The Divided Sky" and "You Enjoy Myself") are often said to resemble classical music in a rock setting.
They recorded their debut album, "Junta" in 1988 ( 1988 in music), and began touring nationally soon after, playing 150 concerts in 1990 ( 1990 in music) alone. They were signed to Elektra Records and released:
Note: All album information is taken from The Phish Companion book released by The Mockingbird Foundation in 2000.
Phish is also releasing a steady stream of recorded live concerts from their archives, which contain thousands of concerts. Six albums are released twice each year. The Live Phish Series began in late 2001. They have also released a DVD of a performance in Las Vegas from September 30, 2000, a documentary about life on the road entitled "Bittersweet Motel" and a documentary about their 2003 festival in Limestone, ME called, simply, "IT".
Recently, the band released a DVD of their penultimate festival "It" (Dry Goods -- IT). The first of this 2-DVD set was aired as a PBS special.