Phish Makes Quite A Surprising Splash May 9, 1992 - Buffalo News by Mary Kunz THE RIVIERA WURLITZER JOINS IN AS ROCKERS CAPTIVATE AUDIENCE WITH A FORAY INTO BARBERSHOP HARMONY Rock recording artists. Friday night in the Riviera Theatre in North Tonawanda. The four cats from Burlington, Vt., known as Phish seemed out of water at first in the dignified, historic Riviera Theatre. Most of their numbers leaned toward brisk, loud jazz fusion, with only a grudging glimpse of country lilt. Dizzying light effects turned the stage into a Bethlehem blast furnace one minute and a Chestnut Ridge glade the next. Then came a surprise. At the end of the first set, the group assembled at the front of the stage. (John Fishman, the drummer, cryptically, wore a dress.) "Can we have quiet?" they demanded. The listeners, dancing in their hippie duds, took a few minutes to comply. When they did, Phish turned into a barbershop quartet. "You left me alone, but you're still my own . . . in my beautiful memories," the four rockers warbled in flawless harmony. As they bowed, the theater's famous Wurlitzer kicked in with its own version of the tune. Suddenly, rock and the Riviera were one. It wasn't a transition a newcomer would have predicted. The first number, "Curtain," gave no hint of gentleness. By the time the band lurched into its second song, "Reba," Phish had turned the theater into a sea of undulating dancers. Security guards flushed out desperados who swirled in the corners of the creaking balcony. Phish's odd, often Jethro Tull-style lyrics weren't the band's strongest suit -- much better were the jam interludes. Trey Anastasio, the band's driving wheel, led the others with his tireless guitar. Bass player Mike Gordon stayed beside him every step of the way, and Page McConnell's bluesy keyboard riffs and synthesizer effects complemented the wacky lights. Fishman, sweating off to one side, kept the beat hot. The band's greatest asset lay in its synchronism. Anastasio and Gordon performed together a kind of entry-level soft-shoe. Song endings were flash-bang sudden. And, at the end of the careening "Bouncing Around the Room," the musicians all fell down, as if hit by one hammer. Phish's surprises all appear intentional. Even the group's recurring rendition of the music from "The Simpsons" seemed to have a purpose. "It's an experiment," explained one longtime Phish fan. "They play the 'Simpsons' theme, and they wait to see how many people go 'Daaa.' It's a cue." She smiled and shrugged. "They have three other experiments going too," she added, "but I can't remember what they are." Copyright © 1992 Buffalo News