May 8, 2008
Phish Resurfaces for Lifetime Achievement Award
Fans of Phish, the Clinton-era jam band road hogs, had high hopes for a reunion last night when the band appeared at the Theater at Madison Square Garden to accept a Lifetime Achievement award at the 7th annual Jammy Awards. But instead the four members gave polite acceptance speeches and walked off without so much as an a cappella “Freebird.”
The event was guitarist Trey Anastasio’s first public appearance in New York since entering a drug rehabilitation program in Saratoga; in February 2007 the musician was indicted on felony drug charges after being pulled over for DUI in Whitehall, New York. In his speech last night, Anastasio told the audience, “I feel such gratitude. I was honored to watch everybody dance.”
Anyone who’s ever witnessed the “dancing” at Phish shows can only imagine what drugs Trey must have been on to feel honored. But reports from last night indicate that Anastasio was clean and sober as he joined Beatles tribute band Fab Faux for renditions of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" and "Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey."
Between acts, which included Galactic, Keller Williams, and a Chevy Chase cameo, the roof rattled from the other gig at the Garden last night: Jay-Z, who sat in with Phish at a Keyspan Park gig in 2004. Rumors of another Phish/Jay-Z 99 Problems > Big Pimpin' cover also turned out to be pipe dreams.
Phish at Jammys courtesy AP/Jason DeCrow.
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chevy chase was in Steely Dan before becoming an actor
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It was not Trey's first public appearance since ENTERING drug rehab, but it was his first appearance since GRADUATING from drug rehab. He played 2 shows in Saratoga last July - one with Dave Matthews and one with Phil Lesh while getting treatment. Both are highly regarded sit-ins.
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Just because their songs last a lifetime, does it really merit a lifetime achievement award? Really?
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They had songs?
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yeah and they fans
more than any other band in the U.S. you can name
and they dont play the same setlist every night unlike bands I'm sure you listen too
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soulless noddly backdrop music to a long expired "scene" populated by Trustafarians.
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Umm..."noodly', not "noddly".
I hope "The Dude of Life" gets award!
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Yes, but you always expect to hear tweezer at least once, so that was one recurring theme.
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"Anyone who’s ever witnessed the 'dancing' at Phish shows can only imagine what drugs Trey must have been on to feel honored."
Do you feel better about yourself now?
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I was there and Trey's speech was heartfelt. They did give voice to a cultural movement at the time. Why else would 100,000 kids show up at an Indian reservation in Florida for a NYE show. They weren't all there for the drugs. Phish as a band and cultural phenom is too easy a target for the haters. For a lot of kids Phish played music that kids/people felt a very deep connection to and they'd never experienced that kind of thing before. Anyone who was there for the music and felt that will always have that experience and that feeling. Were there lots of trustafarian hangers on? Sure. Where there people there just for the drugs? Are there idiots everywhere? Yep.
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bigandtall FTW.
At their best, they were responsible for some of my all time best concert experiences, and I've seen (and loved) everything from Fugazi to Frank Morgan to Kraftwerk. That the ridiculous idiot fans got so out of control doesn't take away from their skills and ingenuity.
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I followed them wherever they went, including drug rehab. And I always came away with terrible body odor, rotted teeth, a subaru with 367,000 miles, and an insatiable appetite for anything thrown into a dumpster that's still warm and wet.
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"bigandtall FTW"
Second that. Great post.