Features

Phish at the Marquee (Relix Revisited)

With Phish back in New York City a for three show New Year’s Eve run, we look back to another NYC show, the first Phish live review to appear in the pages of Relix (April 1991, Vol. 18, No. 2).

Phish
The Marquee
New York, New York
February 16, 1991

Phish took the stage for what proved to be quite a night for both the audience and the band. Originally out of Vermont, phish consists of four musicians each a master of his own instrument, but working together to form a whole. The music ranges from blues to country & western to straight rock ‘n’ roll, with a touch of the psychedelic.

Many of the group’s songs have long, improvisational jams, which can last anywhere from two minutes to a half an hour. Similar to the long epics by Yes in the 1970s the songs are often stories. For example, “Fluffhead” is a story of a man with a horrible disease, scrounging for a few bucks or some change. Wherever he goes, he is turned down. The lyrics are an amusing mix of sarcasm and sympathy, but they make up only a small portion of the song, as the band journeys into “Fluff’s Travels,” which becomes so intense at one point you can feel the band about to explode. Eventually, they come back to a “Fluffhead” reprise and end with a quiet, finger-picking coda that also served as the introduction.

Although many of the songs are such extended ones, making them unsuitable for commercial airplay, some tunes are only a few minutes long and could be heard by anyone in any setting. “Bouncing Around the Room” is one of these, a slow song with three-part harmonies that is more suitable for the average person, who might lost interest during one of the longer epics. The title refers to what the band and the audience are doing, which is bouncing.

This seems to be the traditional dance for Phishheads. Both the band and their fans jump up and down with the rhythm of the song. For another song, two miniature trampolines were brought out on the stage for the guitarist and the bassist. Although they were jumping, the music hardly suffered, as the band continued to jam while in mid-air.

Along with their originals, Phish chose to cover “Love You” by Syd Barrett, the original guitarist and songwriter for Pink Floyd. Their rendition featured the drummer on vocals, and believe it or not, vacuum cleaner (this is something you will just have to see for yourself), while the guitarist took over the drums. The only other cover that night was Jimi Hendrix’s “Fire,” which was one of the three encores and was a bit more serious.

Phish is on Absolute A Go Go Records, and although their latest record won’t give you the full flavor of the band, it will provide you with a brief insight into their unique sound.