Phish Festival 8 | 11.01.09 | Indio, CA

Words by: Brian Bavosa | Images by: Steven Walter Phish Festival 8 :: 11.01.09 :: Indio, CA SEIS Phish Festival 8 :: 11.01 :: Indio, CA The final day of Festival 8 brought out some firsts for the band. Beginning a bit after noon on Sunday, Phish settled into a stripped down arrangement for their first ever, full-length acoustic set. The set opened with a few numbers fans were expecting to hear, like "Water in the Sky" and "Back On The Train," a fluttering "Strange Design," as well as a few more daring tunes for an acoustic setting, such as "The Curtain With." With the blistering sun again beating down upon patrons, Trey told the audience to sit down at the beginning of the set, something he later explained he'd never be able to do because he can't take orders, which led to the frontman jumping out of his seat for "Wilson." The acoustic early afternoon set proved to be the perfect scenario after the musical chaos and relentless ass-kicking of Halloween. It provided the opportunity to sprawl out in the lush, green grass of the concert field and float away to the simple melodies of "Bouncin' Around the Room" and "McGrupp and the Watchful Hosemasters." The acoustic version of "McGrupp" was clearly a highlight that allowed fans to appreciate what a wonderful composition the song is, shinning in this unique setting. The tripe encore of "Driver," "Talk," a song that really flourished with Trey on acoustic, and "Secret Smile" closed things out. The acoustic portion of Sunday truly captured the laidback, SoCal vibe of Festival 8 in a nutshell. SIETE Phish Festival 8 :: 11.01 :: Indio, CA After the Packers/Vikings and World Series games that saw the masses huddle around giant screens, sprawl out on couches and picnic tables, and imbibe heavily at the Bloody Mary bar, Phish hit the stage for their seventh set of the weekend just before 6 p.m., shortly after the sun had set and the temperature dropped. Opening with the upbeat, fan favorite, "AC/DC Bag," Phish was back in familiar territory - electric, where let's face it: this band belongs. "Bag" was cut a bit short, Trey pulling out of the jam and instead segueing into "Rift." A welcome choice, but a bit puzzling since they had played "The Curtain With" earlier, and both songs contain a very similar composed section. "Gotta Jibboo" got the crowd gyrating; before the set seemed to sort of fall apart. The set wasn't bad, but seemed disjointed at times, and the band simply looked tired. This point was further driven home with some major flubs in "Reba" and "Guelah Papyrus." But, it didn't matter. There were no haters around and everyone continued to move along, including the band who did manage to end the set on a high note with a Fishman-led, super tight and funky "Undermind," and a mostly razor sharp set closer of "Split Open and Melt." A set that will get lost in the mix of the weekend, it did have a few choice moments buy lacked cohesiveness overall. OCHO Phish Festival 8 :: 11.01 :: Indio, CA We made it: the eighth and final set of the weekend! Clocking in at around two hours, the set started off good, but eventually turned great. An infectious, danceable "Tweezer" kicked things off and found Gordon dropping bombs of thunder that felt like they might pull rain from the desert sky above. A panic-attack inducing "Maze" swirled with McConnell's organ and Anastasio's piercing licks, before things morphed into "Free." A bombastic version of one of the band's most beloved jams, "Free" turned the sea of people into one glowing mass of smiles, many with eyes closed and arms raised over head. Clearly feeding off the crowd's energy, the band moved into the new Gordon track "Sugar Shack," featuring funky, calypso rhythms and Gordon's quirky vocals. Things were gaining speed and truly hit a stride during a triumphant "Limb by Limb" and a very well played "Theme From the Bottom" that soared high with the song's classic, ethereal jam. Many fans felt the best set of the weekend was the eighth and final offering. Well executed and perfectly balanced, we were treated to soaring highs, funky dance numbers, and dark, chaotic, dissonant weirdness like that found in the massive "Mike's Song." Drifting out of "Mike's," "2001" lit a party keg under an already amped-up crowd that busted their best dance moves during the legendary space-funk. With the band pumping the beats, lighting director Chris Kuroda brought "2001" to new heights with rainbow patterns and backlit palm trees behind the stage. Known by phans as CK5, Kuroda just might be the best light guru in the game. Phish Festival 8 :: 11.01 :: Indio, CA From the darkness emerged "Light," which featured a very weird, atypical, almost Type-II jam, with a "Burble" twin off to the side of the crowd. At times the "Burble" looked like a guitar, then a piano, and finally a hand playing or waving. After exploring "Light," Phish laid a delicate, raw lining over the masses with the majestic "Slave to the Traffic Light." One of be best show closers in the band's repertoire, it summed up the weekend: amazing, beautiful, dangerous at times, but clearly worth the journey. An extended encore of "Grind," a very unexpected "Esther," which was performed flawlessly with McConnell's circus style organ capturing the festy vibe in a snapshot. In a subtle way, "Esther" also signaled that Festival 8 had come full circle. Back at the band's first festival, 1996's Clifford Ball, "Esther" was played early on, but had not made an appearance at any of the following festivals. A bunch of thank yous to Red Light, Goldenvoice and Phish peeps in general, Trey said they hoped to do it again, emitting a universal cheer. The icing on the donut was a raging "Tweezer Reprise" in which the stations at the back of the crowd erupted a few final times with huge bursts of flames. Festival 8 was a triumphant success and a welcome return to the festival atmosphere for Phish. Exile was nailed, some of the best jamming in years, and a relaxed vibe made Coventry seem like a distant memory. A true epiphany for all in attendance, and from what showed onstage, the band as well. Phish Festival 8 :: 11.01.09 :: Indio, CA I (Acoustic): Water In The Sky, Back On The Train, Brian And Robert, Invisible, Strange Design, Mountains in the Mist, The Curtain With, Army Of One, Sleep Again, My Sweet One, Let Me Lie, Bouncing Around The Room, Train Song, Wilson, McGrupp And The Watchful Hosemasters Encore: Driver, Talk, Secret Smile Set II: AC/DC Bag, Rift, Gotta Jibboo, Heavy Things, Reba, The Wedge, Guelah Papyrus, Undermind, Sparkle, Split Open & Melt Set III: Tweezer > Maze, Free, Sugar Shack, Limb By Limb, Theme From The Bottom, Mike's Song > 2001 > Light > Slave to the Traffic Light Encore: Grind, Esther, Tweezer Reprise

Review: Phish @ Festival 8 – Acoustic Set

The third day of Phish’s three-day Festival 8 event started in relaxed fashion this afternoon with the long-awaited first full-length acoustic set that found the band expertly working through unplugged versions of classic Phish tunes and a couple of debuts. There was even a healthy dose of fun Phish banter when guitarist Trey Anastasio asked the crowd to sit down to enjoy the mellow tunes but later apologized saying that he hated telling people what to do and explaining that he couldn’t sit down if he tried.

[All photos by Regan Teti Marscher]

The set started with three songs that were staples of Anastasio’s solo acoustic performances -Water In The Sky, Back On The Train and Brian and Robert. Each sounded as if they were written to be played unplugged and early on it was clear the band had spent a considerable amount of time rehearsing. Invisible, a song off Phish bassist’s Mike Gordon Sixty Six Steps release with acoustic guitar legend Leo Kottke, followed with Mike taking the lead vocals as he does on the album. Next, Page McConnell sang the first of two songs he’d sing during the set, Strange Design. McConnell has struggled hitting some notes this weekend, but not during Strange Design or the Army of One that followed a little later.
Most fans in the crowd remained seated at the beginning of the set until the first notes of The Curtain With rang out. Everyone rose to their feet to take in the biggest surprise of the set and the band reciprocated by nailing the tune that they struggled so mightily with at Coventry. The second Phish debut of the acoustic set was also a song from one of the band member’s side projects – Sleep Again. Sleep Again was debuted by Trey Anastasio’s 70 Voltz Parade ensemble in 2005 and was recorded for the infamous Shine album. Phish’s version sounded very similar to the Voltz version.

After an ode to the past (My Sweet One), an ode to a bike (Let Me Lie) and one of the poppier songs in the band’s repertoire (Bouncing Around the Room), Mike Gordon stepped out to sing the sweet Train Song from 1996’s Billy Breathes album – a song that the band played during most of the mini acoustic sets in 1996. Wilson, another song you wouldn’t expect to hear the group perform unplugged, came next with Anastasio’s apology for asking fans to sit coming right before the “blat boom” bit. The set ended with a spot-on McGrupp and the Watchful Hosemasters, the second gamehenge tune in a row. READ ON for more about Phish’s first-ever acoustic set…

Another surprise was in store for concertgoers shortly after the band left the stage when they returned for the first mid-show encore in Phish history. The folks at Jam_On were so surprised they had cut away from the live feed and didn’t broadcast most of the Driver that kicked off the three-song encore. Reworked versions of Talk (transposed down at least one key) and Secret Smile followed before the quartet left the stage for good. Phish will return at approximately 5:30 local time for the first of two electric sets that will close out Festival 8.

Phish
November 1, 2009
Festival 8
Indio, CA
Water in the Sky, Back On The Train, Brian & Robert, Invisible*, Strange Design, Mountains in the Mist, The Curtain With, Army of One, Sleep Again*, My Sweet One, Let Me Lie, Bouncing Around the Room, Train Song, Wilson, McGrupp
Encore: Driver, Talk, Secret Smile
Notes: Entire set acoustic. * -first time played

Phish Festival 8 | 10.31.09 | Indio, CA

Words by: Brian Bavosa | Images by: Steven Walter Phish Festival 8 :: 10.31.09 :: Indio, CA Phish Festival 8 :: 10.31 :: Indio, CA For the passionate Phish fan, few events are met with the anticipation of a Halloween three set extravaganza. Add to this the fact that it had been 11 years since Phish performed one of their legendary Halloween shows, and the scene was set for a historic rock concert. With temperatures pushing into the low 90s, Saturday afternoon was hot, contrasting nicely with the rather chilly weather from the previous night. As soon as day broke it wasn't hard to find excited Phans decked out in colorful costumes ranging from Hulk Hogan and Rainbow Bright to a "Golden Shower" and Fluffhead to name a few. TRES Walking into the concert grounds, the band finally gave in and let the masses know via their traditional "Phishbill" (modeled after the Playbill you'd get at a Broadway play) that the musical costume for the night would be The Rolling Stones' Exile on Main St. But before the hungry crowd could feed on Exile, there was the day set. Featuring hot weather that definitely translated into the band's performance, the afternoon set was relaxed, loose and difficult to dance to with hardly any shade in sight. Even McConnell and Anastasio looked to be conserving energy as the sun burned across their faces. Opening up with the standard guitar punch of "Sample in a Jar," the band again seemed to be playing it safe. "The Divided Sky" soared without a cloud in the sky, while "Lawnboy" saw Trey give a shout out to the beautiful venue and Page pay homage to the very grass the patrons were standing upon. Afternoon sets have always been a time for McConnell to take center stage and this one was no different, featuring his sprawling digits on the opening chaos of "Bathtub Gin" and the lullaby outro of "The Squirming Coil." Three more old school favorites, "Runaway Jim," "Possum," and "Run Like An Antelope" brought the day set to a close. Not much in the way of "bust-outs" or extraordinary versions, everything up to this point had been well executed, but seemed in many ways to be an introduction for what was to come. With a few hours before the night sets, fans gathered around jumbo TV screens to watch the World Series, touched up their costumes or chilled under palm trees awaiting the madness of Phish Halloween. QUATRO – EXILE ON MAIN ST. One of the greatest rock albums of all time, Exile on Main St. represents the very essence of what it means to be alive, in a band, and pouring your heart into rock & roll. Trey says the classic slab was ingrained in the band members' "DNA" and in the previously mentioned Phishbill, there was a superb essay by Rolling Stone magazine's David Fricke in which he explained the story of Exile, and its logical choice for the boys of Phish. Exile on Main St. :: 10.31 :: Indio, CA Joined onstage for the set by soul singer Sharon Jones (The Dap-Kings), David Gray (trumpet), David Smith (trombone), Tony Jarvis (sax) and Saundra Williams (vocals), Phish donned its musical costume and delivered a two-hour experience that defied expectations. From the opening one-two combo of "Rocks Off" and "Rip This Joint," something at Festival 8 seemed to change instantaneously; in band, in crowd, and in the holy spirits that certainly swirled around us. Building momentum at a breakneck pace, the night turned a corner during the raucous "Tumbling Dice," and the slow, beautiful twang of "Sweet Virginia" that found Fishman on vocals with the crowd singing along in perfect harmony, especially to the line, "Got to scrape that shit right off your shoe." Arguably the strongest song of the set was "Torn and Frayed." Around the mid-point of the album, it was here that Phish finally made Exile its own. Built around the first big Trey jam of the night, it was hard to not see some of Anastasio in this story of a rock & roller struggling with the life he's chosen, "but never more than one great lick away from redemption" as Fricke explained. This is the story of Phish's past decade. Stardom. Pressure. Addiction. Failure. Redemption. Exile was Phish's "one great lick" on Halloween. The ninth track, "Loving Cup" was first covered by the band in '93, at the very first show that McConnell debuted his baby grand, and it has been a staple ever since. Highlighted by the guest horns and a valiant effort by each member, this take rivaled any single version of this tune over the past 16 years. Exile on Main St. :: 10.31 :: Indio, CA Many of the songs on the album had rarely, if ever, been played live by The Stones, making them all the more special on this occasion. The crude "Turd on a Run," and slow cooked "Let it Loose," were two such examples. With no road map except the album versions to go from, Phish was able to play these songs in their traditional sense, while adding swirling piano chords and sprawling fret work by Anastasio, who played out of his head all night. Phish was not only playing this costume, but actually living it with each and every note. By the time "Shine a Light" rolled around, many in the audience had goose-bumps and shouted along to the choir-like epiphany of, "May the good lord shine a light on you/ Make every song you sing your favorite tune." Phish was doing exactly that, with every song off the album executed near perfection and played with a sense of joy and vigor that radiated throughout the audience. Exile on Main St. will rank with the best cover albums Phish has ever played. While the title of the album speaks of being in Exile, Phish continued their return to glory with this set. CINCO How the hell do you follow up THAT? Simple. You deliver one of the best sets of improvisational music you've played in the past decade. "Backwards Down the Number Line" began a five-song set, followed by the thumping thunder of "Fluffhead," in which Gordon took center stage. No flubs to speak of, this mega-number has certainly been a welcome addition to the band's catalogue in version 3.0. Phish Festival 8 :: 10.31 :: Indio, CA The song of the night, though, was the Halloween appropriate "Ghost." From the funky opening this roughly 15-minute cut took on a life of its own. Fueled by Trey's furious guitar work, the theme developed into a scorching jam before returning full-circle to the loose structure of the introductory chords. The one breather tune of the set was a stirring rendition of Los Lobos' "When the Circus Comes to Town," with the line, "the day I burn this whole place down" foreshadowing some of the pyrotechnic displays that would happen shortly thereafter. "You Enjoy Myself" is arguably Phish's biggest, most popular composition. You could call it the quintessential Phish song. The Halloween '09 version ranks up there with some of best they've performed. Led once again by Trey's possessed guitar work, it was classic Anastasio. During the breakdown, the structures that defined the outer limits of the concert ground blew fire out of their tops in unison with the music. The band was locked-in, fired up (literally), and ready to conquer the world. After Exile and this third set, they're a step closer. The encore welcomed back out the horns for "Suzy Greenburg." A song that has been overplayed since the band's return, this version was easily the best one yet and again warrants talk of possibly a "best ever." Jones' vocals gave the ending jam an added boost and Page and Trey were blowing a gasket. Those onstage were having so much fun, they didn't want things to end, and when the song was about to be over, Trey led everyone back into a reprise jam, akin to the Darien Lake '00 "Suzy." Basking in the glow of fire, neon and the glory of a show this good, Phish rose to the occasion and made Halloween 2009 one for the ages. Not only did they conquer a classic in Exile, the boys turned in some of the best versions of their own classics. More photos of this show are available here. Phish perform again today in Indio. Keep an eye on jambase.com/phish for live Tweets, setlists, pics and full reviews. Complete Phish tour dates available here. Phish Festival 8 :: 10.31.09 - Halloween :: Indio, CA Set I (Afternoon): Sample In A Jar, The Divided Sky, Lawn Boy, Kill Devil Falls, Bathtub Gin, The Squirming Coil, Runaway Jim > Possum, Run Like An Antelope Set II (Night) - The Rolling Stones - Exile on Main St.: Rocks Off, Rip This Joint, Shake Your Hips, Casino Boogie, Tumbling Dice, Sweet Virginia, Torn and Frayed, Sweet Black Angel, Loving Cup, Happy, Turd On The Run, Ventilator Blues > I Just Want To See His Face, Let It Loose, All Down The Line, Stop Breaking Down, Shine A Light Soul Survivor Set III (Night): Backwards Down the Number Line > Fluffhead, Ghost, When the Circus Comes, You Enjoy Myself Encore: Suzy Greenberg Exile on Main St. & Suzy Greenberg featured Sharon Jones, David Guy, Tony Jarvis, David Smith & Saundra Williams

Express Lane To Phish Trivia

Those of you are feeling a bit beaten down by the Phish Crossword Experience may well

want wish to turn away from this one as well. However, if you’re feeling feisty, why not

take this on? The first person who brings a correctly completed puzzle to the Relix booth

will win a one year’s subscription and will receive (via mail) an uneaten Phish coin from

Halloween 1994…

1.Last name of the man who preceded Chris Kuroda on lights ____________

2.In what city did “Theme From The Bottom” debut ____________

3.Mike has his Corner, Fish has his… ____________

4.First name of Slip Stitch and Pass cover artist ____________

5.Picture of Nectar

producer____________

6.Herbie Hancock song performed while Fishman was on the mountain ____________

7.Halloween 95 encore

____________

8.Short film set to “You Enjoy Myself” that premiered at Sundance Film Festival __________

9.Last name of bassist whose band creates what Trey has described as “Music that makes me want to drive too fast” ____________

10.Song on which Page debuted the touring baby grand ____________

11.The Famous Mockingbird, NYE 1992 ____________

12.Cover artist,

13.Country where Phish has performed one show____________

14.First European fans, Rudi and____________

15.First song on which Santana joined Phish ____________

18 Steps, The Timer, aka____________

16.Venue where Phish performed lone U.S. Club gig in the first half of 06

17.Dude of Life song that bears a striking resemblance to Chalkdust Torture ____________

____________

18.Chris Kuroda’s first Phish show marked this holiday ____________

19.Surrender To The Air sax player

20.Second

21.Final

22.“Our intent is all for your ____________

____________Joy song debuted live by Phish ____________Joy song debuted live by Phish ____________

23.Flavor rejected from final version of Phish Food

____________

24.Town that hosted Phish office just before it moved to Burlington

25.Mike’s other guitar player____________

____________

26.Subject of Todd Phillips’ first music documentary

27.Second Island on Island Tour ____________

28.Elton John song performed once ____________

29.Instrument that Page introduced in the summer of 1996 ____________

30.CD that presents music of Ernie Stires ____________

31.Comic/actor who also appeared on Letterman during Phish’s debut ____________

32.Name of horse on

33.Last name of Phish backdrop designer____________

____________Hoist cover ____________

34.Month and year of show with first mail order tickets

35.Mike video that chronicles the making of

36.Song that induced hysterics from Click and Clack ____________

37.Nectar’s last name ____________

38.Last name of Riker’s Mailbox trombone player ____________

____________Hoist ____________

39.Anastasio, Gordon and Kreutzmann

____________

40.Gordon, Masefield and Perkins

41.Dave of “Energy Guide” fame ____________

42.Unperformed song from

____________The Story of the Ghost ____________

43.Halley’s Comet author aka Nancy

____________

44.Halloween 96 percussionist

____________

45.Loaded

song that Phish debuted thirteen shows before Halloween 98 ____________

46.Group that Covered “Sand” on

Sharin’ In The Groove compilation ____________

47.Song that opened Halloween 94 show

48.Song that yielded

____________Dark Side cover ____________

49.Athlete invoked during Phish’s

50.Venue where Phish debuted “Stash

51. 2005 release from Mike’s pal Joey____________

52. Steve Wonder song performed twice ____________

Hanging with MTV appearance ____________” ____________

53. Band responsible for “Hold Your Head Up” ____________

54.“Free” single B-Side ____________

55.First Phish Gold Album

56.Original and fan-preferred name of venue where Phish has performed the most shows

outside of Vermont ____________

57.Song named by an audience vote ____________

____________

58.Space that hosted Halloween 1987

59.First song back, 3/6/09 ____________

60.Venue where Trey strapped on roller blades during Weekapaug ____________

61.“Shafty” predecessor ____________

____________

62.The 2001 Power of music Forum in Hartford concluded with performance by Anastasio,

Weir and ____________

63.Venue where Vida Blue debuted ____________

64.Not exactly Hall of Solace

____________

65.Antecedent to The Bunny

____________

66.Sum of the digits that represent the year when “Leprechaun” briefly swapped in for

“Hydrogen”

67.Word of the night, NYE 99 ____________

____________

68. Year of original “Phishbill” ____________

69.Amy Skelton’s fellow “First Fan”

70.Traditional Gamehendge song that did not appear in the Great Woods version

____________

71.Co-writer (with Tom and Trey) of “Cavern,” “Limb By Limb,” and “Friday”

____________

72. Number of times that all four members of Phish have appeared together on the cover of

____________

Relix

73. Year that

74. Title of Pork Tornado’s 2002 release____________

75. Tom Marshall’s bachelor party took place here ____________

BONUS: Last name of

Shapiro played the “Tweezer” from this show on Friday’s “From The Archive” show]since October 2003____________Party Time’s “The Birdwatcher” was recorded____________Express staffer who made audience chess move on 12/2/95 [Kevin

Serendipity Now with Jim Pollock

by Randy Ray

Longtime Phish poster artist Jim Pollock is on site at Festival 8 presenting a gallery of his work for the band. He has also donated original artwork as a grand prize in Head Count’s Reality Check trivia game show, which will be held all weekend, and concludes at the Tournament of Champions before Phish’s final set on Sunday. The Express sat down with the artist for a discussion about his craft, long association with Phish, his gallery exhibitions in various cities and of course, his work presented at Festival 8’s WaterWheel table gallery, where four Pollock original Halloween masks will be displayed, along with a gallery of his work.

Like many artists you did not start out this way. At Goddard College in Vermont, you began on a more structured path.

Yeah, I did a little bit of computer programming, but then I was always doing the Phish merch. Something started to click when I started doing the posters and stuff like that. It’s actually a combination of things. I have a son, and it was very helpful to do a job that I could work at night, and then take care of my son during the day. I parlayed that into full-time activity. My wife became a writer, too. She writes children’s books, and books for teachers. We decided to go it on our own at one point when my son was around 4, and we started our business. Luckily, it’s been a terrific year with [Phish] coming back.

I’ve actually had other jobs come up, not necessarily related to Phish, but it’s been a very busy year for me with Phish

coming back and other things being thrown at me.

At festivals, you are holding these nice, friendly conversations with fans, and the whole time, you’ll be working your craft, and creating art. I’ve always been fascinated by that process because it is almost medieval in the best possible way when a craftsman would work amongst the villagers, and it was quite commonplace.

Yeah, I found that really early on when I did the Great Went. People really respond when people are working, and doing

their thing. It definitely offers a different view of how the art process works. Unfortunately, this weekend, I’m not going

to be printing. I was lucky to get everything done, actually (laughs). I created a couple of posters for the merch. I did this new thing that I dreamed up with a friend of mine. There are two posters—one is a 3-D poster. We were thinking it would be cool to make a mask, and use 3-D glasses to be able to see through the mask, and see this poster. However then I re thought it and I didn’t think that people would wear these masks with 3-D glasses the whole time. I created these masks as a fundraiser for WaterWheel. We wanted to create a cheaper, more inexpensive type of merchandise to raise money for that. It’s a series of four masks that I created. This is the first time I’ve done die cuts, which is cutting the paper down to shapes. I made these fashion glasses, and put double-sided Scotch tape on them to stick on a mask, and they came out really cool. I was pleased with them. I’m hoping people really like this. Beth Montuori [Rowles from Phish, Inc.] helps out with WaterWheel, and we came out with this notion. This should be fun. It obviously goes along with the Halloween theme.

And it is all tied in with HeadCount’s Reality Check trivia game, too, right?

Yeah, I’m going to be donating some art for the winners of their contest. I did something last year for HeadCount, too. It

was when they were trying to get people signed on as voters. They did a great job. Every little bit helped. Fortunately, you know, the winds were going our way, as they say. Yeah, it was really good. I want to work more with them. I like that whole notion of making people a little more politically engaged at a rock concert. I always feel like, outside of people who go to concerts and stuff like that, it’s hard to talk to people. I make business contacts, and different types of connections and stuff like that at these rock shows, but it’s true—it’s a social gathering, and there’s a lot of very interesting people wanting to do some interesting projects there. I love to talk with the people. There are always all kinds of things that go on as a result of all of those conversations.

Let’s look at your evolving creative process in relation to this phenomenon. What has influenced your artistic

choices over the years?

I think it’s all serendipity. I think it’s a little like Phish. For close to 15 years, I had done T-shirt designs and stuff like that, and actually, when my wife was doing teacher education, she was doing methods of teaching art, and one of them was to do a linoleum block. I had always wanted to, but never gotten around to it. A lot of my influences are from the printmaking medium like Rembrandt, Albrecht Durer, and a lot of the German Renaissance artists. I had looked at it as inspiration, but had never done any printmaking. I started around 1994, and just never stopped, mainly linoleum carving.

I’m not sure. I guess I’m assuming I was a printer in a previous life, or something like that. (laughter) I hang around

print shops and love print nerds. I don’t know. I’m into the older process, an older type of print style. Most of the stuff

that I’ve done recently is in a letterpress style. Some stuff that Phish has done for merchandise has been silkscreen, but

generally, I’ve done linoleum, and now I do other types of plates, but all letterpress.

Like I said, it’s kind of serendipity. I started doing it and then realized that there aren’t many poster artists that really even work in letter press. Most people use silkscreen, and I think that really helps me stand out from other poster artists. It’s just very helpful. The actual printmaking medium is part of my style, basically. It’s what people come to expect, which is cool. Totally not planned; it just happened. It’s crazy that way.

Do you have equipment that you’ve had since the beginning?

I have one printing press that I still have, and I occasionally use. It’s a screw-top press, and I printed stuff at the Great

Went on that, the Great Went robot poster. That might have been one of the first ones I printed on there. It’s just basically a bookbinding press—very simplistic, and you have to roll the ink on.

What equipment are you using now?

I’ve graduated. I have that, and I also have a Washington iron handpress. It’s a press that is from the late 1800s, and it allows me to do much better registration. When I get a chance I do that, but a lot of the Phish stuff, I go to a printer friend of mine in Chicago who also did the masks, as well, Bruno Rohner and his letterpress. He is a fourth generation Swiss printing family, a huge printer in Chicago for years, and a lot of people know his family. It’s great to be in really, really experienced hands in that way. He teaches me a lot, and shows me things that I can do. These machines are amazing. He runs these things called Heidelberg. Most of them are from the 50s and 60s, and earlier. I learn every time I go into the print shop there.

You’ve had some exhibitions of your work in various cities over the past few years. Who is selecting the pieces for

display at these events?

Recently, I’m represented by a gallery in Miami, 101/Exhibit. It’s actually a collector who has been collecting my stuff for a long time. I’ve done some pieces for his family. His family, both his parents, has owned galleries in the past, and just opened one last year, and he asked if he could represent me. I had a gallery opening in the summer, and he curated that. Sometimes, I get someone else to pick out the art. I actually picked out the art for this one. I shoved a bunch of art into a box, and shipped it out. I kept a lot of the 1999s and 2000s out of what I’m showing at Festival 8. Part of the reason is because they’re so darned expensive. I hate shipping them around everywhere, and having to worry about them. I did bring 2003 posters and stuff that I’ve done while Phish wasn’t playing, so my more recent style is represented in this show.

You also had an exhibition at the Phish comeback shows at Hampton in March.

Oh, yeah, yeah, we did have a little show there at a hotel. It went really well. That was the first show of the year for me.

I’ve done a lot of shows this year. I’ve been out and about. It’s a nice thing. I had Bonnaroo. That was more or less a representation of the gallery stuff. They actually brought a lot of framed pieces out to Bonnaroo. (laughs) The frames got a little beat up out there. It’s a little more low tech [at Festival 8]. I can’t really afford to ship the frames all the way across the country.

Yeah, it’s a little more scaled back, more impromptu like the Hampton show—putting the prints up, and showing the work. And you won’t be working at Festival 8?

I’ll be around, but I didn’t bring my printing press. I’ll be there, talking, and hanging out. One of these times, I’d love

to come out with a nice, printed-from-scratch, on those premises. That’s what I did at Great Went, and that was a very

good situation. It created a lot of interest in my work. Part of the reason is, I think, it was such a rainy weekend, and I was printing on water-based inks so only a handful of those prints made it out of the concert in one piece. Because of the limited nature of them, they’ve become very valued. Another serendipity thing. You just never know.

What are your upcoming projects for the near future?

I’ve still got stuff on the drawing board. I just finished doing some work for Magic Hat. I’m doing some of their packaging for one of their beer labels coming out. I’m doing some more Phish stuff, and hopefully, get to do some regular old art prints and release them. But yeah, this year has just been breakneck. It really hasn’t stopped since getting ready for Bonnaroo. Right after Bonnaroo, was the art show, then I did the Alpines and the Gorge [Phish 2009 summer tour], and now this—crazy.

A bit of a break over the holiday season?

Yeah. Yeah. I’m hoping for a little bit of decompression. But I guess I have things on my plate for [Phish] for the fall tour, as well. I’m sure we’ll talk this weekend. We’ve all been so busy. It’s good to see everyone, too. It’s nice that they’re

touring around with their families. I haven’t gotten to meet the extended family of the different members. Mostly, I talk

with Page.

Yes, the two of you were roommates at Goddard College at one time.

Yeah. And the rest of the band, except for Mike moved to Goddard, as well. I got to know them there, but I mostly stay in touch with Page. I keep up with his stuff. I’m looking forward to meeting the other band members’ kids. I remember

meeting Trey’s daughters way back when, but now they’re all grown up. They’re around my son’s age. He just started high school. I’m looking forward to this weekend.

Crossword

By Brendan Emmett Quigley (www.brendanemmettquigley.com)

I n the spirit of kicking back on those Sunday mornings with coffee, doughnuts and the crossword puzzle, we offer you the Phish Crossword Experience. This puzzle was created by Quigley. We warn you in advance, it is on the order of a challenging weekend puzzle and it not exclusively comprised of Phish questions.

ACROSS

1

Ben Hunter’s nickname

6

“Reba” lyricist

10

during “Cracklin’ Rosie”

Word formed by Fish’s cymbals

13

Biol. and chem.

16

The ___ Theater (Cleveland, OH

venue)

17

Granada greeting

18

Give the high sign

19

“___ Puffy AmiYumi” (Cartoon

Network show)

20

Most-performed song by Phish

23

Higher Ground proprietor Crothers

24

Auto svc. site

25

“The ___ Home Place”

26

Houston Rockets superstar, familiarly

27

1994/95 New Year’s Eve keepsake

34

“Water in ___”

36

Part 4 of “Fluff’s Travels”

37

“I got an ache in my left ___”

38

“Splinters of ___”

39

State where 59-Down took place:

Abbr.

40

8/9/1998 encore

46

Motorists’ org.

47

Overseas title: Abbr.

48

Smart columnist Marilyn ___ Savant

49

Shred

50

Kin’s partner

51

Military acronym

53

Hanks Steve McConnell impersonated

54

sequel

Song that inspired a once-performed

56

Years Eve 1993

Phish favorite previewed on New

59

Bas-relief medium

60

name

Jamband with a period after their

61

Sentences

62

“Dies ___”

63

“Aboard a craft bereft of ___”

64

Historic opening?

65

Prefix with dermis

68

the Clifford Ball

One of the guest “Brother” tandem at

69

Mike and Fish’s band circa 1984

75

“Look ___, no hands!”

76

“A ___ One”

77

Calendar spans: Abbr.

78

Oscar ___ Renta

79

“Venerable” historian

81

nicknames

One of Jon Fishman’s many

86

Baylor’s home

87

Esther felt a “tiny tugging at her

88

Nosh

89

Greek salad cheese

90

Site of the first Phish camping

weekend

98

Cabinet dept.

99

Song first roadtested by Anastasio,

Lawton and Markellis

100

Tennessee footballers

101

“___bucket full of thoughts”

102

S.A.T. company

103

Bee follower

104

Brave

Monster that rescued Rutherford the

105

First song back on 12/31/02

DOWN

1

Late-night name

2

Actor Tognazzi

3

__-TURN (road sign)

4

Uno + due

5

Grocery chain

6

Jeff Smith’s “Bone” heroine

7

Drum legend Haynes Page McConnell

jammed with at the 2008 Jammys

8

Kind of beetle

9

“Whoopee!”

10

Certain lymphocyte

11

“___ Lang Syne”

12

Mag mogul beginning in the ‘50s

13

“Paul and ___”

14

in the Fall of 1995

Goal of fans at the Greenpeace table

15

Number of times Phish played

H.O.R.D.E.

19

Veronica of “Hill Street Blues”

21

Best-selling album of 2001

22

Staff note

26

Spare

27

Home mortgage stats

28

Robert of “The Sopranos”

29

Writer Ephron

30

East German inits.

31

Col.’s superior

32

Some degs.

33

Paintings

34

Lao-tzu principle

35

“Uh-huh”

38

With it

41

Swears

42

Smut

43

“___ It Again”

44

familiarly

Baseball’s $252 million man,

45

Not bold

46

Helper

50

“Send me a ___ by wire”

51

“Your ___ light / your eyes heavy”

52

Yankee great, familiarly

53

Café alternative

54

Physicist Ohm

55

Worse, as excuses go

56

Relix editor Budnick

57

Dashed

58

Soaks (up)

59

Groomed Ink played

Festival where MC Neoncellgap and

62

Some desktops

63

“Army of ___”

65

It’s almost pointless

66

Brazilian soccer legend

67

Writer Dinesen

69

Lover of Aeneas

70

Many a state name in D.C.

71

Word repeated in “___, ___, rocco”

72

“... ___ mouse?”

73

Naval inits.

74

Cutting tool

76

‘70s Renault offering

80

Paul Languedoc’s alma mater

81

The ___ Ampitheatre, WA

82

__ Speedwagon

83

Brewer’s need

84

Rage

85

“Let ___!” (“Go ahead!”)

87

Real

89

rerelease

Song left off the “Lawn Boy”

90

Fox competitor

91

Morgantown campus

92

Dearie

93

QB Manning

94

Yellowfin tuna

95

Time out?

96

Alphabetical sequence97 Laugh syllable