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10/28/02 - Phish to Release Round Room on December 10
Adding to their dramatic return from hiatus, Phish will release Round Room, their latest studio album, on December 10. (Pre-ordering has already begun via Phish Dry Goods.) According to the Phish press release, "what started as rehearsals for the upcoming and hotly anticipated Phish New Year's Run quickly progressed into a full-blown recording session, the results of which are distilled onto a new studio release, Round Room. Recorded in four days in October by producer Bryce Goggin, the album ripples with raw, vital energy and features a healthy dose of the band's trademark improvisational style. In total, the album's twelve tracks clock in at over seventy minutes." The album was recorded at Trey Anastasio's studio, "The Barn," in Vermont.

This news comes as something of a surprise, as Phish had previously announced that they would release a new studio album in 2003. The Round Room tracklist is as follows: 1. Pebbles and Marbles 2. Anything but Me 3. Round Room 4. Mexican Cousin 5. Friday 6. Seven Below 7. Mock Song 8. 46 Days 9. All of These Dreams 10. Walls of the Cave 11. Thunderhead 12. Waves.

Phish announced on August 14 that they would end their hiatus of more than two years (not counting a wedding gig here and there) with three sets of music on New Year's Eve 2002 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The inverted New Year's Run will continue at the Hampton Coliseum in Hampton, Virginia on January 2, 3, & 4, 2003. A large number of additional 2003 tour dates, beginning in February, are expected to be announced very soon.

In response to many recent fan concerns about ticketing, Phish has released a special statement, available in the News section of the official web site.

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10/28/02 - Pork Tornado to Make Record Store Appearance on Halloween
Pork Tornado, the side project of Phish drummer Jon Fishman, will deliver a rare in-store performance on the stage of Music Millenium, an independent record store in Portland, Oregon. The band will play beginning at 4:00pm on Thursday, October 31. The store is located at 801 NW 23rd Street (503-248-0163).

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10/2/02 - Phish and Trey Win Jammys, and Mike and Trey Get Jammy
Phish won this year's Jammy in the "Archival Album" category, for LIVE PHISH 11, which features their November 17, 1997 performance in Denver.

Trey Anastasio took home two Jammys, one for "Tour of the Year" (for his Summer 2002 tour), and another for "Album of the Year" (for his eponymous disc). Trey was present for the concert-ceremony at the Roseland Ballroom in New York City, singing his acceptance speech as a mockery of his on-stage babblings at this summer's Bonnaroo festival. Trey also sat in during several of the evenings many jams. Mike Gordon performed in his new duo arrangement with guitarist Leo Kottke. For full details, see the Special Appearances section of the Setlists page.

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9/24/02 - Trey Band on Bonnaroo Live Release
The two-disc release covering this summer's Bonnaroo Music Festival went on sale today. It features Trey Anastasio and his band performing "Last Tube." The CD can be ordered directly from Phish Dry Goods.

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9/12/02 - Mike Gordon and Leo Kottke Release "Clone", Plan Tour in November
Mike Gordon and Leo Kottke have announced twelve November dates in support of their new joint album "Clone." In addition, they will perform a special intimate show on October 1 in New York, as well as at the Jammys Awards on October 2, also in New York. For complete details, please visit the Tour Page.

"Clone" will be released on October 8. The disc, produced by the duo along with Paul duGre, will be sold on Private Music, an imprint of the RCA Victor Group. The tracks include a mix of instrumental performances, as well as vocals by both Mike and Leo. Mike plays bass, piano, electric guitar, and percussion, while Leo plays both guitar and percussion. To order, see Phish Dry Goods. For further reading, check out PhishArchive.com's exclusive interview with Mike, in which he discusses the Kottke project and other recent activities.

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8/27/02 - Pork Tornado Album and Tour
Pork Tornado, the side project of Phish drummer Jon Fishman, will release their self-titled debut CD on Rykodisc on October 1 (although it is available for pre-order now from Phish Dry Goods). The disc was produced by Fishman and Dan Archer, at whose studios Phish's 1990 album "Lawn Boy" was recorded. Pork Tornado will also begin a 29-date club tour on October 9. The Seth Yacovone Band will be opening up the first eight dates (10/9 through 10/17) and the last three dates (11/12 through 11/14) of the tour. Pork Tornado are Fishman on drums, Archer on guitar, Aaron Hersey on bass, Phil Abair on keyboards and Joe Moore on sax. See the Tour page for full details.

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8/27/02 - Mike to Gig with Gov't Mule; "Rising Low" Released
Phish bassist Mike Gordon will perform with Gov't Mule on September 19 at the Ulster Performing Arts Center in Kingston, New York. Since long-time Gov't Mule bassist Allen Woody passed away two years ago, the band has worked with a rotating roster of bassists. This fall, Gov't Mule will tour with George Porter, Jr. and Greg Azab, and Dave Schools will also appear at several upcoming shows. Former Metallica bassist Jason Newstead is expected as a special guest as well.

The Ulster show will take place at the Woodstock Film Festival, which will also feature two screenings of Mike Gordon's film "Rising Low." The 88-minute piece documents the making of "The Deep End", a two-volume Gov't Mule album featuring 25 of the world's greatest rock bassists (among them Mike Gordon, Flea, John Entwistle, Chris Wood, Stefan Lessard, Bootsy Collins, Les Claypool, Phil Lesh, Jack Casady, Dave Schools, and Me'Shell NdegéOcello). "Rising Low" will be screened at 9:30pm on September 20 at the Bearsville Theatre, and at 7:00pm on September 21 at Allaire Studios. Debuted at the SXSW Festival this year, the film is Mike Gordon's second full-length release. It is now available for pre-order on DVD from Phish Dry Goods, and will be released for general sale on October 8.

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8/22/02 - Nine Fall Dates for Trey Band
Trey Anastasio and his band will play nine shows at a mix of theatres and small arenas throughout the East Coast during two weeks in October and November. The tour kicks off with a special hometown concert on October 22, with a portion of proceeds benefiting Burlington City Arts.

Trey will tour with the same nine players seen in Summer 2002: bassist Tony Markellis, drummer Russ Lawton, keyboardist Ray Paczkowsi, trumpeter Jennifer Hartswick, alto saxophonist Dave Grippo, saxophonist and flutist Peter Apfelbaum, trombonist Andy Moroz, tenor saxophonist Russell Remington and percussionist Cyro Baptista. Given the busy schedules of many of these musicians, the fall shows will likely be the last time this particular group of musicians tours together. For full details, including ticket information, see our Tour Page. Setlists and photos from Trey's last tour can be found on his web site.

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8/22/02 - "Trey Anastasio" to Be Released in DVD-Audio
Trey Anastasio's self-titled album, from April 30 of this year, will be released in DVD-Audio with Advanced Resolution 5.1 Surround Sound. Mixer Toby Wright has created his own Surround Sound process, known as "Mixlab," and applied it to Trey's album, remixing it track by track. With a sampling rate and bit depth that at least doubles the resolution for the current CD standard, DVD-Audio discs deliver sound quality that is significantly closer to the master recording than is possible with CDs. DVD-Audio's most outstanding feature - surround sound - opens up the sound field, giving Toby and Trey a wider palette to use in presenting the music. A DVD-Audio or DVD Audio/Video player is necessary to fully experience the Advanced Resolution sound, although DVD-Video only players can also play the disc. The album will be available at stores that sell DVD-Audio October 1, and is currently available for pre-order from Phish Dry Goods.

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8/21/02 - Fish Picks Zappa
Rykodisc has announced a new series of special one-disc Frank Zappa compilations, each individually prepared by active rockers who are themselves Zappa fanatics. The first two releases have been compiled by Jon Fishman of Phish and Larry LaLonde of Primus. The releases are essentially "mix tapes" that reflect Jon and Larry's individual tastes, and include personal reminiscences in the form of liner notes written by each compiler. They are intended for Phish and Primus fans who know about Zappa but may be daunted by the size of his catalog. The discs will be released on October 15, but are available for pre-order now from the Rykodisc web site.

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8/19/02 - Thousands of Fans Petition for Broadcast of Phish's New Year's Eve Show
Thousands of Phish fans have already signed a petition requesting that Phish make available a live broadcast (webcast, cable, pay-per-view, etc.) of their hiatus-ending New Year's Eve show. The number of tickets available (only 20,000) relative to the demand, and the work and family obligations of many fans, make it inevitable that thousands upon thousands will miss out on this special event. These fans believe that a webcast would be a great solution - a way for Phish fans everywhere to participate. If you agree, sign the petition.

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8/14/02 - New "Live Phish" Releases to Feature Halloween Musical Costumes
Phish will continue its "Live Phish" series with Volumes 13-16, consisting of their 4 musical-costume Halloween performances. At each show, the band donned a "musical costume," covering a classic album as the middle set of a three-set show. The shows, from 1994, 1995, 1996, and 1998, feature Phish covering The Beatles' White Album, The Who's Quadrophenia, Talking Heads' Remain in Light, and The Velvet Underground's Loaded, respectively.

Each release is a 4-disc set. (The 1998 release includes a bonus disc featuring material from the previous evening.) Phish Dry Goods is now taking preorders for Volumes 13-16, and plans to begin shipping mid-October. Pre-orders should arrive before they go on sale in stores on October 29. Other new "Live Phish" merchandise is also available.

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8/14/02 - Phish's First Live Concert DVD: Vegas 2000
Phish will release their first-ever live concert DVD, entitled "Phish: Live in Vegas", on November 12. Recorded on September 30, 2000 at Las Vegas' Thomas & Mack Center, the DVD includes the entire show in both stereo and 5.1 Dolby Surround Sound. The DVD also includes bonus performance footage from another show and an extensive photo gallery. Phish Dry Goods is now taking pre-orders.

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8/14/02 - Jim Pollock Show in Burlington
Long-time Phish artist Jim Pollock will open an new exhibition entitled "Phirst" at the Sanctuary Artsite in Burlington, Vermont. The show includes many old Phish prints (including never-before-seen material), the originals of the new Live Phish series, and a hemp collection. The artist will attend the opening on September 6, from 6:00pm to 9:00pm. The exhibit runs through October 7

The Sanctuary Artsite is a gallery operated by the employees of Jager DiPaola Kemp Design (JDK), who have designed numerous Phish ephemera over the years, including albums (Farmhouse, Hampton Comes Alive and the Live Phish series), t-shirts and posters (Phishmore, Assface, NYE 2000), among others. The gallery, located at 47 Maple Street, is open on Thursdays and Fridays from 4:00pm to 8:00pm, and on Saturdays from 12:00pm to 4:00pm.

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8/13/02 - Fishman to Appear on New Album by Tin Hat Trio
Phish drummer Jon Fishman will appear on "The Rodeo Eroded," the new studio album of San Francisco's experimental Tin Hat Trio. Fishman plays on two tracks, "Happy Hour" and "Under the Gun". The album, which will be released on September 10 on Rope-a-Dope Records, also features appearances by Willie Nelson and Billy Martin (of MMW). To learn more, read the article at RollingStone.com.

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4/7/02 - Phish on The Simpsons
Phish (finally) appeared on the Fox series The Simpsons today. In the episode (titled "Weekend at Bernsie's"), Homer enjoys the benefits of medical marijuana until its legality is threatened by a referendum. Phish then appears at a rally for de-criminalization, playing "Run Like an Antelope" and part of the "Simpsons" theme.

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4/4/02 - Trey on James Harvey Disc
Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio is one of many guest musicians on James Harvey's new, limited-edition album "Grateful." Harvey is well-known to Phish fans for sitting in on trombone at the band's live shows, and also for playing in Trey's "Surrender to the Air" project. Other familar names among the special guests on "Grateful" include Stacy Starkweather, Dave Grippo, and Peter Apfelbaum. For complete information, including clips from the album, see jamesharvey.org.