Concerts by Phish, the cherished Vermont jam band, have earned a reputation among enthusiasts as singular, once-in-a-lifetime affairs filled with captivating visuals and spontaneous sonic journeys.
Across the years, the group has delivered over 2,000 performances and is renowned for their refusal to repeat setlists — delving deeply into their extensive repertoire of more than 300 original tracks alongside numerous covers.
That aspect remains unchanged. However, now, four decades into their odyssey, the band has conceived yet another fresh approach to enjoying their music live: a series of four concerts at Sphere, the $2.3 billion venue in Las Vegas that was inaugurated last autumn with a string of performances by U2. The Phish shows commenced on Thursday and extend through Sunday evening.
“It represents a shift in the live music and visual (presentation) paradigm,” remarked Trey Anastasio, Phish’s frontman and driving creative force, in a recent interview with CNN regarding the Sphere engagements. “It’s an invigorating new canvas.”
Phish is only the second act to grace Sphere's stage, following in the footsteps of U2. The cutting-edge, spherical venue is dominated by an immense LED screen towering approximately 250 feet high, enveloping the audience from above and around. This vast screen, coupled with 167,000 speakers ensuring pristine audio, delivers an immersive concert experience.
While U2 predominantly stuck to the same setlist, complementing songs with pre-produced videos that repeated each night, Phish is embracing their customary spontaneous approach.
Across their four-night residency, the band refuses to duplicate any songs, with each performance featuring distinct and even impromptu visuals, akin to the style Phish fans have grown accustomed to from their longtime lighting designer, Chris “CK5” Kuroda.
“Our visuals can all be executed, adapted, and manipulated in real-time,” revealed Abigail Rosen Holmes, the band’s creative director for the Sphere shows, to CNN. “They will synchronize with the band’s musical performance, rather than being fixed, enabling Phish to play with the same freedom as they would at any other venue.”
Indeed, on Thursday’s opening night, the psychedelic animations and graphics seemed to dance and glide in harmony with the music, generating 3D effects on Sphere’s colossal screen. Each song boasted its own visual spectacle, ranging from intricate abstract tapestries to breathtaking scenic vistas — both terrestrial and celestial.
Phish members acknowledge studying U2’s 40-concert residency at Sphere to prepare for their own stint at the venue. Last summer, the band's audio engineer even replicated a scaled-down version of Sphere’s production setup at a rehearsal space in Pennsylvania to refine the look and sound of the shows.
Last week, Anastasio admitted to the challenge of utilizing Sphere’s expansive space in a manner that felt organic.
“When you witness a large-scale production — whether it's Beyoncé or U2 or any major pop act — the production and the music are synchronized. So it's easier to ensure everything occurs at the right time,” he remarked. “And we don’t operate like that.”
However, following Thursday night’s performance, he expressed satisfaction with the venue, noting a sense of “intimacy” at Sphere despite its vast dimensions.
“I could see the audience so clearly, which profoundly influences the music. When I can directly observe people dancing, I perform much better. I can respond to their energy. That was unexpected,” he conveyed to CNN via email. “It’s a significant blessing. It felt very natural.”
From the start Phish cultivated a profound bond with its audience
Phish’s distinctive sound revolves around progressive rock compositions infused with a diverse array of musical styles, such as jazz, funk, blues, and more.
The band was established in 1983 during the members' college years in Vermont, where Anastasio crossed paths with drummer Jon Fishman and bassist Mike Gordon. Keyboardist Page McConnell joined the ensemble approximately two years later.
“We began as a circle of comrades, gathered in a room with our peers,” reminisced Anastasio. “We would jam until the early hours, then venture out to Howard Johnson’s for eggs and French toast. Literally, both the band and the audience. And in many ways, that essence has endured. It still feels akin to those days.”
During their formative years, the band began performing residencies at Nectars, a Burlington establishment with a modest stage tucked in the corner. They meticulously honed their intricate arrangements, often adhering to Anastasio’s daily timetable dictating when specific sections of each song would be fleshed out.
Over time, Phish cultivated a devoted following primarily through relentless tours crisscrossing the United States.
“We cultivated this fanbase simply by performing,” reflected Gordon in "Bittersweet Motel," filmmaker Todd Phillips’ 2000 documentary chronicling the band. “It wasn’t about records, radio, or videos that propelled our journey. It was all about word-of-mouth.”
Fans flock to their concerts “because of the element of surprise,” Gordon elaborated, “much like us, they're unsure of what's to come” — a sentiment echoed by both band members and fans alike.
“We were never in the mainstream spotlight,” Anastasio affirmed to CNN last week. “We lack chart-topping hits, Grammy appearances, or anything of the sort. It's more of a community, truly. And that essence remains unchanged. I believe that's a significant aspect that sets us apart.”
Anastasio attests to sensing the “vibe” from the audience during each performance, informing his on-the-fly decisions regarding the band's repertoire — a methodology Phish has embraced throughout its existence.
“It takes on a life of its own. Everything is on the table,” Anastasio asserted. “It's a blend of discipline and total abandon. One cannot exist without the other.”
The band’s concerts have included covers of other groups’ classic albums — and donuts
Anastasio relishes leading the intricate logistics necessary to execute their elaborate productions. His priority is ensuring his bandmates remain present on stage.
“When Mike Gordon is completely in the moment, he delivers the most exceptional bass performance imaginable,” he remarked. “The moment you distract him, his playing suffers.”
Anastasio describes his most electrifying live moments as when the band ventures “completely off the grid” into unexplored musical realms.
“And there are numerous occasions ... where I lose track of the downbeat, and I no longer know what key we’re in. My mind is racing, trying to decipher what Mike, Fish, or Page is playing,” he explained. “It’s akin to being in a tiny rowboat amidst a storm in the ocean.”
The band has graced New York’s iconic Madison Square Garden with more performances than any other act except Billy Joel. On New Year’s Eve in 2022, Phish transformed the arena into a colossal underwater spectacle, complete with airborne dolphins. A year later, they staged an almost fully realized Broadway production at MSG based on their cherished “Gamehendge” suite, a fantastical rock opera last performed in its entirety in 1994.
“People often ask us ... why do you only do these things once, when a typical band would tour with such productions for years?” Anastasio pondered. “Our response is that many of the attendees have been following us for so long; we feel obligated to offer them a fresh, novel experience.”
The band has also gained renown for hosting elaborate events. For Halloween, they occasionally assume “musical costumes” and cover classic albums by other artists, a tradition initiated in 1994 with a surprise rendition of the Beatles’ White Album in its entirety.
On New Year’s Eve 1999, they organized The Big Cypress festival in the Florida Everglades, performing from midnight until sunrise before tens of thousands of fans to usher in the new millennium.
In 2017, they famously embarked on a series of themed shows spanning 13 nights at Madison Square Garden — an event dubbed the “Baker’s Dozen” — with a different donut presented to the audience each night.
Amidst an era of meticulously choreographed concerts, this playful, unpredictable approach has endeared them to fans.
“Each performance is entirely unique, and they continuously push themselves to excel,” remarked longtime Phish enthusiast Andy Bernstein, who authored the initial edition of The Pharmer’s Almanac, a compendium chronicling the band’s history and statistics.
“They’ve forged an extraordinary bond with fans by catering to their needs,” noted Ari Fink, senior director of music programming at SiriusXM Radio, where he collaborated with the band to establish a Phish radio channel.
Fink acknowledges that the band’s unconventional music may not resonate with casual listeners.
“I can appreciate the initial reluctance some music enthusiasts might have when giving Phish a chance, but their playfulness and dedication to their craft are the defining qualities they bring to the table,” he asserted to CNN.
The band’s members have been through a lot together
Following their sold-out performances at Sphere, where premium seats are fetching over $2,000 on the resale market, the quartet intends to hit the road again for another summer tour come July. Concurrently, they plan to unveil “Evolve,” their 16th studio album, in the same month.
In August, Phish is slated to host the Mondegreen festival in Delaware, marking their 11th self-produced large-scale festival, a tradition inaugurated by the band in 1996 when they commandeered a decommissioned Air Force Base in upstate New York.
No musical ensemble endures for four decades without encountering some turbulence, and Phish is no exception. Anastasio grappled with substance abuse issues before achieving sobriety in the mid-2000s. The band weathered several hiatuses, and their future appeared uncertain at times.
Nevertheless, the four musicians persisted, asserting that their bond has only strengthened over the years. Anastasio expresses an ever-deepening sense of admiration for his bandmates, a sentiment that has evolved since their teenage years, and they all share profound gratitude for the opportunity to continue crafting magic together on stage.
“The sheer volume of material and shared experiences is truly unfathomable at this juncture. I'm searching for wood to knock on, but it appears that our momentum shows no signs of waning,” he remarked.
“Stepping onto the stage has become increasingly poignant as time marches on. We exchange meaningful glances before every performance,” he continued. “I am constantly amazed by the privilege of playing alongside these individuals, regardless of our location.”
