Phish Schtick July 31, 1992 - Chicago Sun-Times by Jae-Ha Kim Santana's Eclectic Opener Gratefully Dispels Phallacies Go ahead and be redundant. Compare Phish to the Grateful Dead. It's something the musicians have heard regularly since they formed the group in 1983. Phish, which will open for Santana tomorrow at Poplar Creek, plays a hybrid of rock 'n' roll that incorporates jazz, metal and a little bit of world beat rhythms. Here are some more Phish phacts and phallacies about trampolines, vacuum cleaners and "Sesame Street." Quick - somebody call the Enquirer. PHACT: No one in the Santana entourage has mistaken the Phish men for roadies, but keyboardist Page McConnell says if Carlos Santana asked him to go fetch a cup of coffee, he'd do it. (He says he'd even get java for the drummer.) "We've gotten to be pretty close with his band, so things are really cool all the way around," McConnell says, calling from a pay phone in Nashua, N.H. "We've learned a lot from them about how to put on a big show. Everything's really organized. Contrary to the belief that big bands travel around with an enormous amount of people, they don't. Santana has seven guys in his band and maybe another seven or 10 behind the scenes. We have four in the band and five guys doing crew, and we're nobodys." PHALLACY: There is no truth to the rumor that vocalist-guitarist Trey Anastasio and bassist-vocalist Mike Gordon are leaving the group to join the U.S. men's gymnastics team. They got mouths flapping when they carted mini trampolines around with them on tour - and not for backstage escapades, either. They bounce on the tramps while playing live. Sure beats biting off bats' heads. PHACT: The band name isn't as esoteric (or stupid, depending on your point of view) as you'd think. It's a homonym of drummer John "Fish" Fishman's nickname. Drummers in most rock groups tend not to get this type of attention, but then again Fish isn't just another drummer - he also plays the trombone, sings and (get this) plays the vacuum cleaner on stage. Phish phans have been known to throw an unintentional spittle ball or elongate the name to "Phhhhhhhhhish." PHALLACY: They aren't pals with Jerry Garcia or any of the Grateful Dead members. "It's funny 'cause everyone compares us to the Dead, and I've never heard from any of them much less met them," McConnell continues. "I think if (Garcia) ever called me up, he'd probably say he heard some similarities between our music, but I think he'd hear more differences. I don't think he's ever gonna call me up, though, so I don't worry about what I'd say to him too much." PHACT: Anastasio wrote songs with his mother for "Sesame Street."