The University of Vermont was the scene of the formation of the rock group who called themselves Phish. It was 1983 when members Trey Anastasio and Jeff Holdsworth would join with Mike Gordon and Jon Fishman to form one of the greatest rock n' roll ensembles that have ever graced the stage.

Phish

Yesterday's just a memory, tomorrow is never what it's supposed to be.

Vermont's Phinest

The University of Vermont was the scene of the formation of the rock group who called themselves Phish. It was 1983 when members Trey Anastasio and Jeff Holdsworth would join with Mike Gordon and Jon Fishman to form one of the greatest rock n' roll ensembles that have ever graced the stage.

The group would go on to have a following like that of the Grateful Dead and their fans would travel from state to state and venue to venue, selling grilled cheese sandwiches and bean burritos to afford that type of traveling gypsy lifestyle. The group would produce countless albums and play together for over twenty five years before finally disbanding in the early 2000's.

Career Start

The group Phish would get their start on the University of Vermont campus in early 1983 where they would play at campus events as well as other local venues. The group started off as merely a cover band of the Grateful Dead but would go on to produce original works of their own that would be as legendary as the band that they covered. The band would go on to release a few demo tapes and then would release their album called Junta in 1989.

After the release of their first album, the record called Lawnboy would follow. The album would contain the group's most popular or well known song called Bouncin' Round the Room, which is a favorite of almost every Phish fan although it has never been played on mainstream air waves. The group would tour extensively throughout the nation and would be followed by their many fans just as people followed the Grateful Dead from town to town.

Their fans would form drum circles and other social formats to pass the time while waiting for the shows. Another aspect to the group's fans was the fact that psycho active substances played a large role in the lives of many Phish fans. It was no secret that at almost any concert there would be copious amounts of hallucinogens as well as marijuana and hashish. One of the reasons that these types of substances were so popular is due to the amazing light show that would follow in synchronization to the music.

Continued Success

While many bands of the time such as DMB and Blues Traveler were compared in sorts to jam bands, Phish would be the only true jam band in the fashion of the Grateful Dead although their music was much different. Another noteworthy aspect of the group was the fact that they never would step into the mainstream, which was a part of their goal.

The group never wanted to become a band of the mainstream spotlight like other somewhat comparable bands of the time but interestingly enough the group had a much larger following than any band of the time. The group would start off small in the early 1990's and gather steam when they began touring major venues with bands such as The Spin Doctors and the Violent Femmes. Finding their way into popular culture, the group would actually do one video for MTV although it received very little airplay although it would be attributed to further their success.

The group would release their album called Hoist in 1994 that would be their most popular album in mainstream culture although the album Lawnboy would have more of their popular fan songs on it.

Did You Know

• Phish would play a full album by other bands at their Halloween concerts.
• The group would play chess with their audience throughout the show.
• There was an ongoing call and response system with the group and their audience.

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