Rolling Stone: Phish to headline Bonnaroo

[AD]

Also, Phil or Bobby or more have been at every Bonnaroo so far...

[Booche]

And personally I don't go to a festival to hear GD covers. Not sure where you were going with that point.

I think the implication was the early formation of this festival had a number of artists who have covered songs by the Grateful Dead (even the Dead's covers of covers) and thus ever was.

What is 'Bob's article' that you are referring to MoMack?

Hilarious even if unintended.

The farther they move from bands apt to play Dead covers the better, as far as I'm concerned. But that's my opinion.

Dingfuckingding. Open your mind people. Dont categorize yourself.

Why am I quoting so much from AD?

I am with MarcO. WTF is the problem with Phish playing a killer festival? Not only do you get to see Phish headline 2 nights but you can see a ton of other great bands!

I dont understand people.

[AD]

What is 'Bob's article' that you are referring to MoMack?

Hilarious even if unintended.

I still don't get it

[c-towns]

I'm gonna go with the old balls on this one.

[MarcO]

What is 'Bob's article' that you are referring to MoMack?

Hilarious even if unintended.

I still don't get it

I think MoMack is referring Bob Lefsetz's e-mail newsletter - presented in its entirety by brother "hamilton" above.

Lefsetz thinks Phish shouldn't play Bonnaroo because their reputation has been built on doing things independently. As much as I love Bob, I'd remind him that Phish enjoyed a major label record deal for most of their career and - apart from Bonnaroo - will probably spend most of the rest of Summer '09 playing corporate sheds, as they have for a decade at least. Further, I'd remind him that Bonnaroo is the child of Phish festivals (Limestone, Oswego, Cypress, etc) both in philosophy and in actual execution (personnel). Therefore, there is no contradiction in Phish playing Bonnaroo. It's a no brainer, as much of a homecoming as anything really radical. If fucking Widespread Panic can headline two nights there, Phish should just headline all three nights and seal the deal.

Love Lefsetz, not with him on this one. Phish v.3 BETTER be different from all sorts of perspectives, otherwise I'll be really disappointed.

[Booche]

Phish v.3 BETTER be different from all sorts of perspectives, otherwise I'll be really disappointed.

I dont know what you mean by "different" but I sure hope they mean it when they play it, whatever that is. None of me expects them to play that complicated high energy nonsense they are most infamous for but if they can make themselves sound relevant than I am cool.

If the Police could sound as good as they did when I saw them in Montreal (and those fuckers are old as shit), certainly Phish can if they want too. Hopefully this was all about Trey getting clean. We'll soon find out. God bless the internets.

[MarcO]

by "different" I mean at least two things:

to let go of a lot of the old catalogue in favour of new(er) stuff, for better or for worse. I couldn't get excited about the prospect of "nostalgia Phish" in 2009 anymore than I could after Miami for New Years 2003.

secondly, to do things like...... I dunno, play Bonnaroo?!?

create new paradigms. a new normal.

[Booche]

I get that MarcO, I really do. But old tunes dont automatically mean nostalgia. Well presented interpretations work. And work well.

It's all about who you are at that moment. Phish is great at that stuff, for better or for worse.

And I have always agreed with your take on the Round Room material. There were some serious possibilities with that stuff but Phish fans complained because they werent hearing songs they had been familiar with so we heard far too many complaints which degraded our perspective. Fuck.

I cant believe I have to work tomorrow. Stupid holiday drinking.

[SaggyBalls]

"I also hope The Phish play Bluesfest and that they do an after-show that I find out about, which I will post about knowing on here but I wont post any of the needed details just so I can watch all you hippies bitch and moan how you arent invited. "

I'll probably get back from my crazy vacation somewhere and have an even better understanding of why I had such a great time when I thought about all the people I used to hang our with from time to time - but knowing they always make the most for themselves anyway.

Phish is something that I always felt apart from but so very close to. Phish don't have to be anything but themselves.

Ambient jams, deep grooves, anthemic release.

I've heard some of the most amazing musical moments but been the most let down by Phish in the same show. Had I been there I wouldn't be able to fast forward or rewind.

Everything's gonna be just fine.

Maybe they'll tour with other bands. That'd be a better new approach than playing Bonnaroo.

An acoustic phish tour, headlining grass roots festivals

Phish Plus Guests tour

Free concerts

Concerts for significant causes.

More ways to recreate the Vibrations of Life

sonic therapies, treatment etc...

They could affect a significant part of the populace with their sound and lights if they brought everyone together again.

I know I'd check it out.

[afro poppa]

maybe im drunk but fuck isnt it a good thing if everyone's favourite (or used to be fave, or top three fave or whatever) plans to play more shows???

[MoMack]

And personally I don't go to a festival to hear GD covers. Not sure where you were going with that point.

I think the implication was the early formation of this festival had a number of artists who have covered songs by the Grateful Dead (even the Dead's covers of covers) and thus ever was.

The farther they move from bands apt to play Dead covers the better' date=' as far as I'm concerned. But that's my opinion. [/quote']

Dingfuckingding. Open your mind people. Dont categorize yourself.

Why is this catagorizing myself, or why is it a negative? There isn't a band out there that didn't start from somewhere. My preference is generally ones that started with the Dead. Learned their craft that way. I don't think thats closed minded.

You have to start from some sort of reference point. I'm not going to just go onto iTunes and pick random acts and go to festivals built around them.

The first couple years of Bonnaroo it was based around this reference point. Superfly and AC Entertainment's Jazzfest programs have always been based around this reference point. Metallica and Kanye West aren't based around this reference point. I'm not saying Coachella is a bad festival. I'm saying that Bonnaroo is for the kind vegan brother bears - or at least it was - and when they booked the acts to go along with that it was a better festival. Strangers stopping strangers just to shake their hand. The person camped beside you is your new best friend for the weekend. That sort of stuff. If Bonnaroo gets back to that, and phish is there great.

I don't see that as me being close minded.

[Booche]

Of course you dont see it as being close minded because your mind is closed. What you are saying is all too clear.

[AD]

Hey MoMack, I wasn't saying that you were being negative at all, Booche brought that on.

You talked about Metallica and Kanye West, fair enough if you don't like those acts, there's never going to be a festival where 100% of people like 100% of anything. But what about Panic, Robert Plant, Phil and Friends, BB King, Willie Nelson, Claypool, Levon Helm, OAR, Bluegrass Allstars, Umphrey's, Yonder Mountain, Robert Randolph, Disco Biscuits, Little Feat, Bela Fleck, Dark Star Orchestra, etc?? I think those acts all fall into the scene you want Bonnaroo to represent, and they were all there in 2008.

Sorry to beleaguer the point.

[MoMack]

I got caught up in this. It was Clear Channel that bought Bonnaroo although they still retain Superfly and AC Entertainment to run it and produce it.

Clear Channel may have been bought out by Live Nation? Or however, the TM, LN, CC work, I always take them as one and the same really.

Coran Capshaw, DMB manager and now Phish manager has also owned a chunk of Bonnaroo since day one and put up a lot of the dough for the initial festival.

If you do a search for Bonnaroo and Clear Channel there are lots of articles.

Some of them make my point - yes, being exposed to other acts is great, but there still has to be some common denominator. The commonality with Kanye West and Metallica being Clear Channel / Live Nation.

Basically Superfly / AC are in "don't bite the hand that feeds me" and thats why they get the mainstream acts connected to their bosses.

Phish gets pushed into doing the festival - which i think is good - because they are now managed by Capshaw AND Bonnaroo did not sell out last year, came in 10,000 under and while it was likely still a profit, it was $1million under expectations - and now the economy has collapsed and they have to get back to the roots.

[AD]

Well, I can't find any news articles that say anything definitive about Clear Channel buying Bonnaroo, so I'll concede that it's a possibility but that's it. Lots of rumours and stuff out there though, that's for sure. I have some contacts in the PR firm that handles Bonnaroo so I'm going to email them and ask straight up. Certainly interesting though and worth digging into. It's not going to change my opinion of the festival though - for me it's a great place to see lots of good music for a good price and to have a good time. Period.

Are you saying that Panic, Robert Plant, Phil and Friends, BB King, Willie Nelson, Claypool, Levon Helm, OAR, Bluegrass Allstars, Umphrey's, Yonder Mountain, Robert Randolph, Disco Biscuits, Little Feat, Bela Fleck, Dark Star Orchestra shouldn't share a venue with Metallica and Kanye? What's so bad about a buffet?

[MoMack]

Well, I can't find any news articles that say anything definitive about Clear Channel buying Bonnaroo, so I'll concede that it's a possibility but that's it. Lots of rumours and stuff out there though, that's for sure. I have some contacts in the PR firm that handles Bonnaroo so I'm going to email them and ask straight up. Certainly interesting though and worth digging into. It's not going to change my opinion of the festival though - for me it's a great place to see lots of good music for a good price and to have a good time. Period.

Are you saying that Panic, Robert Plant, Phil and Friends, BB King, Willie Nelson, Claypool, Levon Helm, OAR, Bluegrass Allstars, Umphrey's, Yonder Mountain, Robert Randolph, Disco Biscuits, Little Feat, Bela Fleck, Dark Star Orchestra shouldn't share a venue with Metallica and Kanye? What's so bad about a buffet?

Whats so bad about it is the crowd that potentially comes with it. It changes the atmosphere and attitude of the whole thing, IMO.

[Basher]

Phish is coming back. Isn't that all that matters?

[Esau.]

Apparently not. Although that doesn't come as much surprise.

I sorta hope they don't just do festivals, a Toronto show would get me out.

[Schwa.]

If they changed Boneroo to May instead of sweltering muthafuckin' June i'd consider it. as it stands no band will ever get me there.

[c-towns]

spoken from the schweatyschwa.s armpit.

[Schwa.]

yup. ain't no amount of T-Shirts gonna get me there.

[Davey Boy 2.0]

Strangers stopping strangers just to shake their hand. The person camped beside you is your new best friend for the weekend. That sort of stuff.

I think those days are long gone, aside maybe from smaller old-deadhead-only minor (i.e. cover band) festies

[Schwa.]

Grateful Fest in Ohio was all about that. Nicest crowd i've camped with in ages.

[Basher]

Speak for yourself.

[AD]

Strangers stopping strangers just to shake their hand. The person camped beside you is your new best friend for the weekend. That sort of stuff.

I think those days are long gone, aside maybe from smaller old-deadhead-only minor (i.e. cover band) festies

the only problems i can think of (and i'm not really thinking right now, it's friday afternoon ferfucksake) relating to neighbours i've had at bonnaroo is the all-night 40 thousand gigawatt reggae truck. i think some of the reggae was cover songs though.