next obvious question(s)... ?

[Pablo Sanchez]

I think the obvious conclusion is that Cheesecake should end their hiatus.

does anyone have the cheesecake picture?

[Velvet]

Aw c'mon, everybody follow The Tummies. Please?!?! We'll play songs and stuff.

Seriously, I think most bands will benefit a little, but my guess is the largest proportional growth will go to UM, meaning that they might just double or triple their audience, which would start to put them near moe. status. They got the right elements to draw the electorate, and they weren't really in place to take full advantage of the hiatus.

[TimmyB]

I just don't see anything on the horizon that will be able to step up and fill the shoes of Phish within their genre of music.

As many have already mentioned many bands will gain from the departure from these boys from Vermont. Widespread Panic were already selling out gigs in major venues in the south, though I don't see them playing to virtual sellouts at the Molson Amphitheatre or the north east. moe. leveled out long ago and I don't see them doing large arena and/or amphitheatre tours either. the String Cheese Incident I could see improving their audience the most, especially with them branching out and performing at this years version of Lollapalooza. Even still the incident won't soon be on Saturday Night Live or on the front of Entertainment Weekly and/or RollingStone.

Let's face it Phish never reached the status of what the Grateful Dead were doing on tour selling out stadiums across the United States. So we should realize that these bands and the many others that I didn't mention may not even reach the status of Phish selling out arenas and/or amphitheatres.

There will still be music to see within this genre and so what if the lots and the venues are a little smaller? When the music is being performed and you love it does it really matter?

[dave-O]

Everyone is saying that it's time to find a new band, someone needs to step up, blah blah blah. Well, I for one am not looking for a new band. Phish was my band and they can't be replaced. But I like the looks of this one best...

::

I'm bringing back Bessie's Blues Breakers. However, to do this, I need your help. Considering the original members are either dead, sober, or in Alaska, the line-up needs refreshing.

My line-up would be:

Velvet; songwriter/guru

nero; actual band

Bouche brothers'; (you all know'em)

Dave-O; permanent guest guitar player

Bradm; taper

Hux;Bobby covers and political opinion

[Ms Zimmy]

I'm with daveO

that sounds great

[Velvet]

Down down with chicken, up with cherry pie

Keep your bitter backsides off my back, 'sides why am I

The only one with brains enough to stand around and cry,

"Down down with chicken, and up with cherry pie."

There's your spiritual advice. If I find time I'll write ya a song.

[\/\/illy]

Let's face it Phish never reached the status of what the Grateful Dead were doing on tour selling out stadiums across the United States. So we should realize that these bands and the many others that I didn't mention may not even reach the status of Phish selling out arenas and/or amphitheatres.

Wow, that's exactly what I was saying to someone last night and I decided not to post it because I feared bringing the wrath of mourning Phishheads upon me.

[Guest Low Roller]

Get on the Radiohead train you bunch of flakey hippies! ::

[Phunky Cauldron]

well I'm pretty damn certain it'll be the Drive-By Truckers!!!

You know mang, I was just in Soundscapes today browsing and I saw this double Drive-by-Truckers disc called "Southern Rock Opera". Then I remembered what you'd said about these guys. That in combination with that fuggin' $20 burning a huge hole in my pocket, I decided to pick it up. First listen through about to begin! ::

[tigger]

I think we'll have a changing of the guard ,it is a rare chemistry that enables musicians to play and tour continuously for the number of years that Phish,WSP,and GD did.

I think someone we haven't heard much about like Moonshine Still may take off.If memory serves me correctly when Gerry passed away,after that is when Phish really exploded from mainly a regional band(North East US) to a national entity with attendance growth into mainly arena sized venue.Who ever or what ever happens,it seems people always want to sing along,so the pure instrumental thing will not rise to the heights of the aformentioned bands.Plus the band that does will have to be able to change up the sound,instead of the same old thing,like WSP ,Phish & GD could all do very well.

[Schwa.]

EKOOSTIK HOOKAH

They rock like no other band i've ever seen (besides phish of course) and they are growing and reaching outside of their niche lately. Things will be interesting.

Ingredients for the 'next' one in my opinion would be originality first and foremost. Give people a reason to become infatuated. ie- mystery languages of the late 80's to mid 90's for phish. A gimic. PHish had Gamehenge, the Dead had LSD and the whole psychadelic movement. Tapers, shit there's enough of them around doing wicked work now not to worry. IMPROV! MUST HAVE IMPROV JAMMING. i think this is the key right here. Both Dead and PH were masters of the improvised jam perhaps the best ever. And last but certainly not least they will need a genius. Jerry and Trey eat/ate, sleep and breathe music. Both had about 3-4 side projects going all the time and were incapable of stopping making music. It consumed them. And not only the same old music, but music that was far different from the style that they played in their 'main' bands. When something like this materializes, we might see something big happen. MIGHT.