Phish Revives Tradition With Festival 8

Phish fans have had plenty to be excited about this year. Since the beloved jam quartet reunited in March, they released the track "Time Turns Elastic" in May and announced the July 28 release of a studio album recorded with Steve Lillywhite. They've been on the road all summer, with a headlining gig at Bonnaroo and marathon shows at the scenic Red Rocks and Gorge amphitheaters. Now, Phish-heads can add one more item to their list of reasons why 2009 is the best year ever: Phish has announced Festival 8, to take place this October at Indio, Calif.'s Empire Polo Club.

Aptly named, this will be Phish's eighth festival, a tradition that started with 1996's Clifford Ball. In typical Phish-fest fashion, guests are invited to camp on the Club grounds for the three day event, to take place Oct. 30-Nov. 1. In honor of Halloween, another Phish tradition will resurface: for one of the eight scheduled sets, the band will don a "musical costume," covering an entire album. In the past, Phish has covered The Beatles' White Album, The Velvet Underground's Loaded and Talking Heads' Remain In The Light. Tickets to the long-anticipated event will go on sale Monday, July 27.

In spite of Phish's crammed schedule, its members have continued to pursue the solo projects that kept them occupied during the band's hiatus. Bassist Mike Gordon and his band have a slew of fall tour dates, while guitarist Trey Anastasio is gearing up for the September premiere of a new composition with the New York Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall.

Related links:
News: Phishing Season's Canceled
Phish.com
Phish on MySpace

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