Phish decides to shut it down

[Buford]

P H I S H U P D A T E
** MAY 25, 2004 **
http://www.phish.com
================================================== ==


Last Friday night, I got together with Mike, Page and Fish to talk
openly about the strong feelings I've been having that Phish has run its
course and that we should end it now while it's still on a high note.
Once we started talking, it quickly became apparent that the other guys'
feelings, while not all the same as mine, were similar in many ways --
most importantly, that we all love and respect Phish and the Phish
audience far too much to stand by and allow it to drag on beyond the
point of vibrancy and health. We don't want to become caricatures of
ourselves, or worse yet, a nostalgia act. By the end of the meeting, we
realized that after almost twenty-one years together we were faced with
the opportunity to graciously step away in unison, as a group, united in
our friendship and our feelings of gratitude.

So Coventry will be the final Phish show. We are proud and thrilled
that it will be in our home state of Vermont. We're also excited for the
June and August shows, our last tour together. For the sake of clarity,
I should say that this is not like the hiatus, which was our last
attempt to revitalize ourselves. We're done. It's been an amazing and
incredible journey. We thank you all for the love and support that
you've shown us.


-- Trey Anastasio




hmmm, I was never really INTO them.

But they had a nice run. Chill background music.

[WallyG3]

4:20 will never be the same....

[phanatic]

Theres going to be alot of hippies with nothing left to do. Look for our state parks to be overun by them.

[semiskin]

Not a real big fan, but do have many friends who are disciples of the band. I'm sure they'll be crushed.

[phanatic]

hey semiskin, what part of O-town are you in?

[dchogs]

it's too bad on one hand. on the other, there last album sucked imo. seems like they didn't have the same energy and drive like they used to.

[Johnny Punani2]

Phishhead is on suicide watch

[Pete]

Originally posted by Johnny 'Luscious' Punani
Phishhead is on suicide watch

I thought the same thing when I saw this thread.

As for the excess of hippies Phanatic speaks of, they have the Others to follow. If Gerry was still with us, they would still be Dead.

[Dr. D]

BAH!
I remember when The 'Dead quit touring.......and then Jerry Died.. some folks I knew at the time for them it was a most seminal moment..."who will I follow now?!!"

well guess what?

PHISH stepped into the vacuum and now the next generation of (fill in your own term) humanity will somehow find a way to cope and move on.

[Posse81]

Never a big Phish fan. I was more upset by these two bands breaking up:

http://pitchforkmedia.com/news/04-04/26.shtml

Guided by Voices to Break Up After Next Album

Tobin Sprout shrugs, waits patiently for reunion tour
Brian Howe reports:

Inevitability: it's inevitable. Some institutions become so entrenched in our collective psyche that their disappearance seems an impossible fantasy. The Roman Empire waned, which must have seemed as absurd a proposition to its citizens as the fact that the United States will also one day pass seems to many of us. Venice and California will shear off and subside under the sea. Even the sun will eventually expend the last of its stored energy and blink out like a bulb. So it should come as no great shock when our most beloved long-running bands eventually throw in the towel; nevertheless, when it happens, it remains a jarring reminder of transience.

With the advent of Guided by Voices' recent box set and best-of compilation, Human Amusements at Hourly Rates, we should have seen that last nail poised above the coffin. After nearly 20 years and 15 full-length LPs (counting their upcoming swan song, but not any of the Fading Captain stuff because, frankly, oh my god); after numerous EPs, singles, side projects, box sets and compilations; after two decades of beer-swilling, mic-twirling, back injuries, line-up shifts, prolific four-tracking, and fully cementing their entry in the indie rock canon, Guided by Voices will call it quits at the end of 2004.

The official website of Dayton, Ohio's lo-fi laureates announced the decision late yesterday, with a quote from Pollard regarding the band's forthcoming final album, Half Smiles of the Decomposed, which is set for release via Matador on August 24th. "This feels like a last album for Guided by Voices," Pollard said. "I've always said that when I make a record that I'm totally satisfied with as befitting a final album, then that will be it. And this is it." Guided by Voices reportedly recorded 15 songs with Todd Tobias at Waterloo Studio in Kent, Ohio. While there is, as of now, no official tracklist, there is a purported one floating around the Net. I gleaned this one from gbvdb.com, a Guided by Voices database, but cannot in good faith vouch for its veracity. Nevertheless:

01 Asphyxiated Circle
02 Closets of Henry
03 Everybody Thinks I'm a Raincloud (When I'm Not Looking)
04 Gonna Never Have to Die
05 Huffman Prairie Flying Field
06 Sing for Your Meat Leon
07 Sleepover Jack
08 Sons of Apollo
09 The Girls of Wild Strawberries
10 Tour Guide for the Winston Churchill Memorial
11 The Window of My World

According to Billboard.com, Pollard also announced the break-up at a show on Saturday evening at New York's Bowery Ballroom. "That's it," Pollard reportedly said an hour into the set. "You can't be the Rolling Stones. You've gotta quit while your relatively handsome." He added: "We are the kings of indie rock. When we quit, indie rock will die." As message boards light up with threads weighing Pollard's relative winsomeness; The Death of Indie Rock becomes the most hotly debated topic since Roland Barthes' The Death of the Author.

The Guided by Voices website also maintains that the band will embark on a final tour this year, and that Pollard will continue to write, record and probably tour as a solo artist. "I love the guys in the band," Pollard explains, "but I'm getting too old to be a gang leader. There's a sense of maturity, and even integrity, I think, in continuing as one's own self." One's own self will have to wait a while for details of the full tour, but Matador's website has a few dates listed for GBV in June. Watch me jumpstart:

06-17 Champaign, IL - The High Dive (w/The Waxwings)
06-18 Iowa City, IA - Gabe's Oasis (w/The Waxwings)
06-19 Lawrence, KS - Wakarusa Festival (w/The Donnas)

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Wu-Tang Clan to Call It Quits

Wu-Wear's "Garment Renaissance" comes to a end; RZA now just sporting loincloth, Tec-9 Alan Smithee, of all people, reports:

NME.com reported last night that the legendary Staten Island hip-hop supergroup, Wu-Tang Clan, are planning one final ruckus-bringing before calling it quits after a 12-year run that will have produced five full-lengths, one unbridled classic, and perhaps more solo spinoffs than any group in hip-hop's storied history. Fresh off soundtrack work for Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill trilogy (Hollywood reports there will be a third) and production on fellow Clan member Ghostface Killah's new Pretty Toney Album, The RZA told NME, "I don't think the fans have closure on Wu-Tang and I think they deserve it." Although, if it's anything like Iron Flag, maybe it'd be better to just give it a rest already.

In case this new album is the bad retarded, too, RZA adds that yet another full-length-- hell, maybe even two-- could follow it: "If the group itself feels the vibe and wants to continue, then maybe two more albums, but at least one more album that will give closure to the Wu-Tang legacy." Okay. Well, the group is planning to enter the studio in late summer to lay down tracks for this "final" album. Otherwise, we can all rest assured that Raekwon will go back to cooking up some more marvelous sh*t-- The Lex Diamond Story, friends-- while the others continue copping oversized promotional Wu-Wear from the trunk of RZA's new whip.

The good news is, the Wu have lined up a handful of performances slated to hit the European festival circuit this summer: The group is expected to appear at the London Hammersmith Carling Apollo (show your love!) on July 8th, as well as Scotland's T in the Park Festival on July 10th and Ireland's Oxegen Festival on July 11th. RZA, GZA/Genius, Ghostface Killah, Raekwon, Method Man, Inspectah Deck, Ol' Dirty Bastard, U-God and Masta Killa will all unite on the same stage for these shows for the first time in-- no sh*t-- ten years. Sounds crazy, but remember GZA's prophecy: "When we really get to where we got to go... that's when you know it's on."


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[Kilmer17]

I havent felt this sad since GWAR broke up.

[phishhead]

Very unexpected to say the least. New album coming out June 15th, "Undermind". From what I've heard its real poppy, but I'll still get it.

Whoever said their last album was weak is absolutely right. "Round Room" was a pretty bland effort, but it still had a few good tracks.

This is pretty *******, but it will help out the jamband scene as a whole, it should be boosted. Festivals will be packed this year. :)

[geezings81]

Originally posted by phanatic
Theres going to be alot of hippies with nothing left to do. Look for our state parks to be overun by them.

They all go to Dave Mathews Band concerts now...

Best thing about Phish is the concerts, some really good times :bong::cheers:

[Hitman56]

Jerry is dead, Phish broke up: take a shower, cut your hair, and get a job hippies.

[Drakkhim]

Originally posted by Hitman56
Jerry is dead, Phish broke up: take a shower, cut your hair, and get a job hippies.

Yeah, because liking good music is such an awful thing, right? Turn up that Linkin Park, baby! They speak and appeal to the masses!

[phishhead]

Originally posted by Drakkhim


Yeah, because liking good music is such an awful thing, right? Turn up that Linkin Park, baby! They speak and appeal to the masses!

Oh come on man.. you know you'd rather see Linkin Park over a two night (or even one night) Phish show at Deer Creek this year! :laugh:

Man, why couldn't they just do Starlake this year? F*ck!

[Drakkhim]

Tickets are still available. Time to load up the truck, Phishhead and head east. It's only 300 miles from us.

[Pete]

Originally posted by Dr. D
BAH!
I remember when The 'Dead quit touring.......and then Jerry Died.. some folks I knew at the time for them it was a most seminal moment..."who will I follow now?!!"

well guess what?

PHISH stepped into the vacuum and now the next generation of (fill in your own term) humanity will somehow find a way to cope and move on.

The dead Quit touring??????:doh: The Dead never quit touring till Gerry died. They were between tours when he passed. Funny that the Others sell out the largest venues faster then almost every other act in the US.



Originally posted by Hitman56
Jerry is dead, Phish broke up: take a shower, cut your hair, and get a job hippies.

Speak for your self Mr Massengil. I've had a full time job from the age of 16, shower daily, and have my hair "high & tight" most of the year. When I sported a ponytail half way down my back, it was always neat and clean. If it wasn't for hippies loosening things up socially, half the guys your age wouldn't get laid well into their late 20's, if ever, before they get married.





:cheers:

[Drakkhim]

Pete, you are the man. Preach on!

[betty32]

Rock on Pete! I may have to change my handle to Calliope...or Cosmic Charlie....

[Alvin_Walton40]

End of an era. I remember my first HOARD show in 91' the lineup was headlined by Blues Traveler and Phish. Talk about a great show! I recall the line up was - the Samples, Col. Bruce Hampton, Bela Fleck, Dave Matthews, Big Head Todd, and Widespread Panic. Good music will always be missed.

For those of you that never got into the Jam band scene, all I can say is, whatever floats your boat. For me it was a pretty good entertainment for $20.00. Like most things in life, a completely different experience when you are there in person. Aside from the hairy armpits on the chicks and the patrouli strench, shows in general were a complete blast.

Not too different than tailgating for a Skins game - with your best friends, drinking beer, and an undeniable energy in the air.

Phish will be missed by this Skins fan.

[Pete]

Originally posted by betty32
Rock on Pete! I may have to change my handle to Calliope...or Cosmic Charlie....

Please, no Cosmic Charlie.........................It would bring back some scarey memories of Charlie Finch and the Boy Scouts:laugh: :laugh:

Calliope is cool. Rosemary works well too. I was Saint Steven on the ol CB for years, and my first screen name with AOL was, and still is Creampuffwarrior.

I'm actually a bit sorry I jumped on Hitman like that. Just gets me crazy when folks who only know what they have been fed by the media and such, and didn't actually live through the 60's and early 70's to see first hand what it was like. So many of those hippies are very well off in the present, with families and normal everyday lifes. The music of that generation is still going strong across the airwaves.



Oh come all ye Grateful...........Dead heads to the concert
Come ye oh come ye.........to see the Man

Where your bellbottoms....don't forget your sleepin bag

Oh come let us adore him....we quit our day jobs for him
Oh come let us adore him...........Garcia is lord




:laugh: :laugh:

:cheers:

[codeorama]

Originally posted by Kilmer17
I havent felt this sad since GWAR broke up.

WHAT!?!?!?!
GWAR Broke UP!!!???