The Pride Of Patchouli

Break out the VW micro bus - Phish is back!

The Vermont-bred jam band, which called it quits in 2004, announced it's reuniting for three dates next March, with a tour to follow.

Phish, which got their start at the University of Vermont in 1983, earned a Grateful Dead-style following in the 1980s and 1990s with its "amorphous blend of rock, jazz and other styles". The band was consistently among the nation's top touring acts, even though they never had widespread commercial success. Rumors of a reunion have swirled since all four members appeared together to accept a lifetime achievement award at the Jammy Awards in New York.

Personally, I think their first four albums are brilliant. Phish had a rock sensibility and wider berth than The Dead, and made some technically stunning and beautiful music. In the later half of their career, I found their albums to be flat and simple - perhaps was a sign of maturity or even fatigue, but Junta, Lawn Boy, A Picture Of Nectar, and Rift survive as great works of music. And fortunately, I had the chance to see them many times, which was great. They really could jam the hell out of a song. Sometimes it failed, but mostly they tore shit up taking their tunes far beyond the albums.

Bouncing Around The Room

Maze

Rift

Chalk Dust Torture