Phish confirms three-day Halloween fest
After nearly a month of hinting and rumors, Phish has revealed plans for Festival 8, the jam band's first festival appearance in five years.
Slated for Oct. 30-Nov. 1 at Indio, CA's The Empire Polo Club, Festival 8 will combine two of the band's traditions--a weekend festival and a Halloween concert--into one three-day event. The venue is the home of the annual Coachella and Stagecoach festivals.
Tickets, priced at $199 plus service charges for the three-day event, go on sale Monday (7/27) at 10 a.m. PDT via MusicToday. Daily parking is free, but additional fees of $15 per car and $125 per RV will be charged for those wishing to camp onsite.
Festival 8, the Vermont band's eighth festival, will mark Phish's first since 2004's Coventry. The group's debut festival, The Clifford Ball, was held in Aug. 1996 at a decommissioned Air Force base in Plattsburgh, NY. A seven-disc DVD set of the first festival hit shelves earlier this year.
Phish plans to play eight sets during Festival 8. The band's Halloween tradition of donning costumes and covering a full album by another band--which began in 1994 when the group covered The Beatles' "White Album" and last happened in 1998--will resume; one of the eight sets will be a cover album.
Phish--comprised of singer/guitarist Trey Anastasio, drummer Jon Fishman, bassist Mike Gordon and keyboardist Page McConnell-- will continue its in-progress summer run with a two-night stand July 30-31 at Morrison, CO's Red Rocks Amphitheatre.
The legendary jam band recently recorded a new studio effort with producer Steve Lilywhite (U2, Rolling Stones), according to a press release. Details on the album and its release date will be announced in the coming weeks.
July 2009
30, 31 - Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheatre
August 2009
1, 2 - Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheatre
5 - Mountain View, CA - Shoreline Amphitheatre
7, 8 - George, WA - The Gorge
11 - Chicago, IL - Toyota Park
13 - Darien Lake, NY - Darien Lake Performing Arts Center
14 - Hartford, CT - Meadows Music Theater
15 - Columbia, MD - Merriweather Post Pavilion
16 - Saratoga Springs, NY - Saratoga Performing Arts Center
October 2009
30-31 - Indio, CA - The Empire Polo Club
November 2009
1 - Indio, CA - The Empire Polo Club
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Phish to follow Halloween fest with fall tour dates [October 2009]
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