Festival 8 in 3D

Are you like me and missed one of the most epic music events of the year this past weekend in Indio, CA? Well luckily, for those of us who were not at Phish's Festival 8 this past weekend, it seems as though a 3-D concert film will be made from the event similar to the U2 3-D movie that was recently released. As reported by the Desert Sun:

"Phish is getting a wide theatrical release next year of the 3D movie they shot at Festival 8. Their advertising and publicity budget will be tiny compared to other nationally distributed films because they have such a direct relationship with their fans online."

No details about a release date have been specified, but considering the rave reviews that the U2 film got, this is definitely something for Phish fans to look forward to.

Phish Festival 8: Setlists and Photos

This past weekend was Phish's Festival 8 at the empire Polo Grounds in Indio, CA. For all of you east coasters like myself who couldn't make the trip, here are some setlists and photos to help give you a sense of this unbelievable weekend. The special Halloween "costume set" on Saturday was the Rolling Stones classic "Exile on Main St." and was assisted by the incredible Sharon Jones on backup vocals, as well as a horn section consisting of David Guy, Tony Jarvis, and David Smith, and backup singer Saundra Williams. Sunday also featured Phish's first ever all acoustic day set. Phishbills (a play on Playbill) were circulated throughout the Festival Grounds which not only unveiled the costume album, but just about ensured the 2009 New Years Eve run in Miami at the American Airlines Arena. Check out the setlists and photos below.

Friday, October 30th, 2009
Set I: Party Time, Chalkdust Torture, Moma Dance, NICU, Stealing Time From The Faulty Plan, Stash, I Didn't Know, Poor Heart, Cavern, Beauty of a Broken Heart, Ocelot, Time Turns Elastic
Set II: Punch You In The Eye, Down With Disease > Prince Caspian > Wolfman's Brother > Piper > Joy, David Bowie*, Harry Hood, Golgi Apparatus
Encore: Character Zero
Saturday, October 31st, 2009
Set I (Afternoon): Sample In A Jar, The Divided Sky, Lawn Boy, Kill Devil Falls, Bathtub Gin, The Squirming Coil, Runaway Jim > Possum, Run Like An Antelope
Set II (Night) - The Rolling Stones - Exile on Main St.: Rocks Off, Rip This Joint, Shake Your Hips, Casino Boogie, Tumbling Dice, Sweet Virginia, Torn and Frayed, Sweet Black Angel, Loving Cup, Happy, Turd On The Run, Ventilator Blues > I Just Want To See His Face, Let It Loose, All Down The Line, Stop Breaking Down, Shine A Light Soul Survivor
Set III (Night): Backwards Down the Number Line > Fluffhead, Ghost, When the Circus Comes, You Enjoy Myself Encore: Suzy Greenberg
*Exile on Main St. & Suzy Greenberg featured Sharon Jones, David Guy, Tony Jarvis, David Smith & Saundra Williams

Sunday, November 1st, 2009
Set I (Afternoon Acoustic): Water In The Sky, Back On The Train, Brian And Robert, Invisible, Strange Design, Mountains in the Mist, The Curtain With, Army Of One, Sleep Again, My Sweet One, Let Me Lie, Bouncing Around The Room, Train Song, Wilson, McGrupp And The Watchful Hosemasters
Encore: Driver, Talk, Secret Smile
Set II (Night): AC/DC Bag, Rift, Gotta Jibboo, Heavy Things, Reba, The Wedge, Guelah Papyrus, Undermind, Sparkle, Split Open & Melt
Set III (Night): Tweezer > Maze, Free, Sugar Shack, Limb By Limb, Theme From The Bottom, Mike's Song > 2001 > Light > Slave to the Traffic Light
Encore: Grind, Esther, Tweezer Reprise















Photos courtesy of jambase.com

Big Festival 8 Hint?

As Phish nerds like myself anxiously await the arrival of Halloween, we will take any hint we can get regarding Phish's "costume set" at Halloween weekend's Festival 8. Earlier this month, Phish put 99 album covers on their website as possibilities for this Halloween cover set. Every day, albums have been killed off, but we are still a long way away from finding out that final gem. Today, livemusicblog.com posted what appears to be a layout of a festival campground featuring many Kid A themed areas and roads. Radiohead's Kid A is on the list of potential albums, so if this is a real map from a credible source, which is questionable by its appearance, then it looks like we may see a Radiohead set. Check out the map for yourself.

Phish: Halloween Hints?

Just posted today on Phish's website is a gallery of album covers which could possibly act to narrow down which album will be covered on Halloween. For those who are unfamiliar with Phish's Halloween tradition, every Halloween Phish performs a "costume" set where they cover an entire album by an artist or band whom they are inspired by. While many have speculated as to which album they will play during their costume set at Halloween weekend's Festival 8, there have been no hints given by the band until now. Among the numerous albums displayed on their website are some that could've been predicted such as Thriller (in memory of Michael Jackson), Exile on Main St. (Phish frequently covers "Loving Cup" from this Stones classic), and Fear of Music (they also commonly pull out a funky cover of "Cities" from this Talking Heads album), but the plethora of covers also shows some that come as a complete surprise like MGMT's Oracular Spectacular, Beastie Boys' Hello Nasty, and the White Stripes' Get Behind Me Satan. Seeing as how the website says Phish will play the "last record left alive," I'm sure they will sporadically take albums away leaving one in the end for all Phishheads to enjoy. Take a peek at the gallery for yourself at phish.com. Phish will perform this costume set at Festival 8 which will take place 10/30-11/1 at the Empire Polo Grounds in Indio, CA.

Phish Reveals Festival 8 Schedule: First Ever All Acoustic Set

Since their announcement of Festival 8 in August, Phish have given few details and hints towards the upcoming Halloween weekend Festival in Indio, CA. Fans of Phish know that Halloween is a special time where Phish dedicates an entire set as a "Costume Set," where they cover an entire album of another artist or band whom they are inspired by. While the band has not revealed yet what album they are costuming, they did announce today that they will be playing their first ever all acoustic set. Throughout the 3-day festival, they will be be playing 8 sets and this special acoustic set will lie at the crack of noon on the last day (Sunday 11/1). For all those folks who plan to party hard at the festival on Halloween night, you may have a tough wakeup the next morning, but it will all be worth it to hear this special set. Phish have also included that "coffee and donuts will be served."

phish.com