I've been to about a dozen Phish shows, the last one back in 95 when I first moved to the Bay Area. That's when I lost interest; it was like a mini-Grateful Dead show, complete with <Cartman> dirty hippies </Cartman> wandering the parking lot selling doses, burritos and orange soda while needing that miracle ticket. Now Trey has announced that after this summer tour, the band is splitting up at the end of the summer tour, at a show in Vermont. I guess it makes me sad in the same way that realizing other doors in my life have closed. I never got to see "David Bowie" played live, so I might have to suck it up and go see them when they play locally. and since they're not coming west of the Rockies, I never will.

Oh well. I'll never forget going to see them at the Living Room in Providence, when I was in college. It cost $3 to get in, there were only a couple hundred folks there, and we ended up drinking with the band after the show. Jon even agreed to give me drum lessons if I was willing to go up to Burlington. Other memorable shows include New Years in Boston and the epic journey to Vermont with Jessica, a fantastic outdoor show, and then a creepy ride home (chauffeured by Bags, wherever he may be...)

Jam bands are really not my thing most of the time, but what I love about Phish is their irreverence and ability to span multiple genres and styles of music. Where else will you see a short man with a beard in a dress, playing a masterful drum kit, and soloing on an Electrolux canister vacuum cleaner? Or the lead guitarist and bass player boingying away on mini-trampolines, willfully out of time with the song they played. Or their Halloween shows, where for a 'costume,' the band would come out and play some other band's album from start to finish, note for note. The sing-along lyrics, often simplistic, were always evocative... everyone knew them and joined in. "The tires are the things on your car that make contact with the road..." "Set the gearshift for the high gear of the soul... You've gotta run like an antelope, out of control." "That time then and once again, I'm boucing round the room..." "WWWWWWIIIIIIILLLLLLL-SSSSSOOOONNNNN!" "...And the lizards, they have died..." and so on...

What I think of first when I think of Phish, however, is Trey's guitar. From the opening lick of "David Bowie" to the squeal of "The Landlady" or the meticulously picked lines of "First Tube," Trey has a unique style that is immediately recognizable. Maybe it's just a Phish thing, cause Öysterhead didn't really jazz me as much.

There are hundreds of their live shows recorded, many released commercially, but their whole career has been documented. That's a good thing, because we all need music to listen to on sunny days, and Phish is one of the best choices around. So long, Henrietta. Good night, Wilson. The helping friendly book is closed.