Phish is an American rock band that specializes in the genres of rock, progressive rock, funk, psychedelic rock and jam band. It traces back it’s origin to Burlington, Vermont, U.S.A in 1983, where it was first formed. The band members are Trey Anastasio, who is the guitarist, Mike Gordon, who is the bassist, Jon Fishman, who is the drummer, and Page McConnell, who is the keyboardist.
Anastasio is the lead vocalist, but the other members were also known for performing amazing vocals. They worked with labels like Elektra, Rhino, JEMP, and Maplemusic. They were active from 1983 to 2000, 2002 to 2004 and 2009 to the present day. They did associated acts with Giant Country Horns, Tom Marshall, and The Dude of Life.
Inception
The band was first formed by Trey Anastasio, Jeff Holdsworth, Mike Gordon, and Jon Fishman while studying at the University of Vermont in 1983. Their first performance was on 2nd December 1983 at the University’s cafeteria, Harris Millis Cafeteria. They played many classic rock covers in their first performance.
The group welcomed Tom Marshall, Anastasio’s childhood friend, when Anastasio faced a suspension because of a prank he pulled, and he returned to his hometown in New Jersey. The band then named themselves Phish, which was based on the nickname “Fish” they gave to Fishman, and they designed their logo in such a way that their group’s name is featured inside a fish. Marc Daubert and Page McConnell, keyboardist, played with the group in 1984 and 1985.
They made their debut at a convert of UVM’s Redstone Campus on 3rd May 1985. However, Daubert only performed as a guest artist, but McConnell decided to join the group permanently in September 1985. Holdsworth left the group in March 1986 when he converted his religion. The band now only consisted of Trey, Page, Mike, and Fish, which remains in place to this present day. They released their first studio recording, which was a cassette called The White Tape around 1987.
Their second studio experiment was The Man Who Stepped into Yesterday, which was a rock album in 1988. The band was able to gain a large amount of popularity for their unique style of playing, and they started performing concerts outside of the northeastern United States, the first one being a tour in Colorado in July 1988.
They released Junta, their first full-length studio album in 1989. They went on to make many albums such as Lawn Boy, A Picture of Nectar, Rift, Hoist, Billy Breathes, The Story of The Ghost, The Siket Disc, Farmhouse, Round Room and Undermind. But the band, unfortunately, disbanded in 2004 due to some personal reasons.
Evolution
Even after the disbandment, the members were still in contact with each other, and they went on to pursue their solo careers. However, in 2005 the band decided to release the CD and DVD, which were archived under their recording label, JEMP Records. Their first album released under that label was Phish: New Year’s Eve 1995 -Live at Madison Square in December 2005.
They officially reunited on 1st October 2008 after many reunion rumors that were speculated by their fans. They release their first album after reunion Joy on 8th September 2009. The band performed in Essex Junction, Vermont, which was a benefit concert for the victims that were affected by the Vermont flood, which happened because of Hurricane Irene.
The concert was able to raise $1.2 million, which went straight to the relief fund for the victims. They released many albums after their reunion like Party time in 2009, Fuego in 2014, Big Boat in 2016, and most recently Sigma Oasis in 2024.
Awards & Achievements
Their album, New Year’s Eve 1995 -Live at Madison Square, which was released under their label JEMP records after their disbandment was named the 42nd greatest Live album. The band got the Jammys Lifetime Achievement Award on 7th May 2008.
Net Worth of Phish in 2024
As of January 2024, The net worth of Phish is $220 million. They started in 1983, and since then, the band has been releasing many albums, which was very well received by the public. They have a large fan base, which is eager to buy their album, and because of them, they were able to sell a million copies of their albums, and because of this, they were able to bag a fortune of $220 million.
Phish is an American band which is active since 1983 and has released many albums since then. Their unique style of playing is appreciated by a large number of people, and because of this, they have a large fan base. They also work for society. For instance, the band performed in Essex Junction, Vermont, which was a benefit concert for the victims that were affected by the Vermont flood, which happened because of Hurricane Irene. The concert was able to raise $1.2 million, which went straight to the relief fund for the victims. The band has recently released an album in 2024, which has also sold millions of copies.