Complete Fulfillment in Indio: Phish Hosts Festival 8

When Phish announced that its first multi-day festival in five years would be held in Indio, California, I, much like the majority of its fan base thought, "Oh no, why so far away?" While Phish can easily sell out a show out west, many wondered how big a crowd they could draw to a three-day event. It's no secret that Phish is considered an East Coast band.

But in hindsight, it was foolish of anyone to doubt one of the most devoted fan bases in the world. An estimated 40,000 people travelled from all parts of North America to attend Festival 8, held at the Empire Polo Club (site of the famous Coachella Music and Arts Festival) on October 30^th, 31^st, and November 1^st. Even though the same event would have drawn a minimum of 65,000 to 70,000 people had it been staged in the east, it is fair to say that Phish won its gamble. And once on site, the hype was palpable. The venue was mesmerizing, the weather perfect, and it became clear that Phish had prepared a Hallowe'en party that we would not soon forget.

As the name suggests, this was Phish's eighth festival. It was preceded by The Clifford Ball in 1996 in Plattsburgh, NY (70,000 people in attendance); The Great Went in 1997 in Limestone, ME (75,000 people); Lemonwheel in 1998 again in Limestone, ME (60,000 people); in 1999, Camp Oswego in Volney, NY (65,000 people) and Big Cypress in southern Florida on New Year's Eve (85,000 people); in 2003 in Limestone ME (60,000 people); and Coventry VT in 2004, where it was estimated that only 65,000 of the expected 110,000 people were able to enter the site due to severe weather.

Five years later at Indio, a paradise waited. Probability of rain stood firm at 0%. In this instalment, the band would play eight sets in three days with no supporting acts, including a Hallowe'en musical costume set (where Phish would cover a classic album in its entirety) and their first ever full-length acoustic set. Previous Hallowe'en sets included The Beatles' White Album in 1994, The Who's Quadrophenia in 1995, The Talking Heads' Remain in Light in 1996 and The Velvet Underground's Loaded in 1998, followed a few days later by a surprise performance of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon.

"How does a single band provide complete fulfillment for three days running?" To put it simply, Phish has mastered their craft. They have successfully bridged the beauty of music, art and technology. And Festival 8 was the latest highlight of a 25-year career that has been focussed on enhancing, re-envisioning and pushing the boundaries of the musical experience. Here is how they do it:

The Grounds. After a week's worth of rain flooded the Coventry site in 2004, it made perfect sense that Phish would opt for the Polo Grounds in Indio. After all, when it comes to music festivals, not having to worry about the weather is half the battle. And indeed, the blue skies, the thick grassy fields, the beautiful palm trees and the surrounding mountains combined for a perfect setting.

The Beer Gardens. Every music festival has beer. But the beer gardens at "8" were holding their own festival. From microbrews to beers from around the world -- 50 different kinds were available, including a special pilsner brewed exclusively for the occasion named FOAM (a classic Phish song). And if beer isn't your thing, then the Bloody Mary Bar, a lounge area with comfy couches, was sure to serve your favourite drink.

The Farmer's Market. Long gone are the days where hot dogs and fries are all you can eat at a festival. Local farmers were on site to provide an extensive market full of fresh, organic and certified local produce, bread, eggs, cheese and nuts. It made for delicious mornings. With aggressive on-site composting and waste reduction strategies, a bottle-less water program and targeted environmental donations, Phish continues to lead by example in minimizing the impact of their events on surrounding areas.

The Overlook.

The Coil. At the back of the concert field stood a large swirled structure known as the Coil (upper right). Inside, many themed rooms offered interactive art, theatre and FIRE! By day, interpreters and magicians provided entertainment while by night, fire artists would bring the heat (pun intended).

The Lights. Chris Kuroda (nicknamed CK5 as many fans consider him the 5^th member of the band) has been Phish's lighting designer since 1989. He specializes in improvising his light show in alignment with the music. I've seen hundreds of acts perform in my lifetime, and I can safely say that Phish has the best lightshow in the business. And on this weekend, CK5 outdid himself. His duties went far beyond the stage and included lighting of the entrances, the Overlook and the 140 palm trees surrounding the concert field.

As if additional visual stimulation was required, eight wooden light towers equipped with flame throwers were stretched across the middle of the field. The flames provided a timely spectacle during the band's most experimental segments, most notably the vocal jam at the end of "You Enjoy Myself." Phish also unveiled their version of the Burble (seen below), a blimp-like apparatus built from string, balloons and LEDs. It soared above our heads as the band started to build the "Harry Hood" jam. And Phish, as they always do, captured the moment musically. The sounds got soft and gave way to the sights and lights for a truly peaceful yet psychedelic moment.

The second set opened with the energetic crowd pleaser "Punch You in the Eye," followed by what would be the weekend's first experimental segment: "Down with Disease"/"Prince Caspian"/"Wolfman's Brother"/"Piper"/"Joy." As if to prove that they were in top form, the night ended with three powerful compositions ("David Bowie," "Harry Hood," and "Golgi Apparatus"). After a "Character Zero" encore, fans headed back to the campgrounds in a manner that was reminiscent of a post-game celebration following a win by the home team.

By 10:00 a.m. on Saturday it became obvious; it's Hallowe'en! On a day where I met Hulk Hogan, Beaker, the entire cast of Scooby Doo and countless other freaks, simply roaming the grounds provided plenty of entertainment. As I entered the concert field, I was handed the PHISHBILL for the day, which made it official; the Hallowe'en musical costume was going to be The Rolling Stones' 1972 double LP Exile on Main Street. Just what I was hoping for . . . good old-fashioned rock 'n' roll!

But before that would happen, there was an afternoon set to take care of. Under a sweltering sun, Phish came out and delivered a tight and powerful performance, highlighted by Page's grand piano on "Bathtub Gin" and Trey's guitar shredding on "Run Like An Antelope."

Later that day, the time had come. As the band walked on stage for the Hallowe'en set they were, as rumoured, accompanied by a three-piece horn section and two back-up vocalists, including Sharon Jones and David Guy of Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings. The nine musicians covered the album's 18 songs with brilliance in a 95-minute set that had the costumed crowd dancing throughout.

Phish would return for a late-evening set that featured a flawless rendition of their complex composition "Fluffhead," an adventurous "Ghost" and a spooky "You Enjoy Myself." For the encore, the special guests returned for a jammed out version of "Suzy Greenberg," which brought night two to a close.

Sunday started nice and early. Free coffee and donuts (8-shaped!) were served in anticipation of Phish's first ever full-length acoustic set, which would start at high noon. To be honest, I wasn't sure what to expect here. But while the heat made it difficult to stay close to the stage, the set provided solid playing and will be considered by many as the surprise set of the weekend. As expected, many ballads were played. When Trey suggested that everyone sit down, it was quite a sight to see tens of thousands of people sitting on the ground at a Phish show. But everyone instantly sprung up at the first notes of "The Curtain With," a surprising song selection that included a complete acoustic jam. Other crowd favourites included a rocking "Wilson," a blissful "McGrupp and the Watchful Hosemasters," and one of my favourite ditties, "Train Song."

The evening was capped with what I believe to be the band's two strongest sets of the weekend. It all kicked off with my favourite show opener "AC/DC Bag," which sent the crowd into frenzy and hundreds of glow sticks in the air. After solid renditions of classics such as "Rift," "Reba," and "Split Open and Melt," the festival culminated with a colossal final set. The "Tweezer"/ "Maze" segment featured wicked interplay between Page and Trey (my personal highlight), Mike provided his signature bass bombs on "Free," and the final sequence of "Mike's Song"/"2001"/ "Light"/"Slave to the Traffic Light" demonstrated how the four musicians can still lock in as a unit and guide each other through spacey jams. And by the time they closed with "Tweezer Reprise," Phish had played its 96^th song of the weekend. Complete fulfillment had been achieved.

As everyone started packing up in the early hours on Monday, the music had stopped, but the sense of community lived on. As I hurried to catch my 5 a.m. shuttle to the airport, someone passed by in a golf cart and offered me a ride. Needless to say, my three bags and two arms were quite thankful. As friends and neighbours alike wished each other safe and happy travels, Festival 8 officially drew to a close.

Now, with a complete summer tour, a festival and an upcoming fall tour and New Year's Eve marathon planned in Miami, the band's third era is in full swing. And if Festival 8 proved anything, it's that no one can do it quite like Phish.

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