And they’re back! The band that dominated my life like none before or since, after vanishing from the stage to live as a ghost on thousands of hours of audio recordings, has returned to create new live experiences. They are truly exceptional at what they do and they have altered millions of lives. I went to New Rochelle five years ago to watch their “final” show simulcast at a movie theater, and I just downloaded (free!) their first show back. They closed their last show with “The Curtain” which felt perfect then and they opened with “Fluffhead”, which feels perfect now. They were so loved because they could play a three chord song with inane lyrics and make it an anthem, then morph it into orchestrated improvisation (“Fluff’s Travels”) that becomes a momentous musical journey. They pulled you forward and because it was impossible to know what they would do next, and it made every moment precious. I vividly remember the first time I heard them on my 9th grade schoolbus and, while I couldn’t possibly know how much of my time would be occupied by this band, I knew it was something I wanted to hear more of. And I still do.
Thank you, Phish.