Something Phish-y in Dead Head connection December 10, 1992 - The Toronto Star (Pg. F4) by Jennie Punter Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio has played Toronto before, but it wasn't with the eclectic jazz-boogie-rock combo that promises to deliver a three-hour show at the Spectrum on Saturday. "I played with a hockey stick," laughs the guitar whiz - and former high school hockey star - from snowy Vermont. While you may not have read much about Phish, it's quite possible you've heard about them through word of mouth - especially if you're a Dead Head. Phish - as well as bands like Widespread Panic, the Spin Doctors and Blues Traveller - inspire a near-fanaticism among some fans, who follow the band for stretches on the road, record their marathon concerts and keep in touch through various grassroots networks. If it sounds like the Grateful Dead, it's no surprise. The aforementioned bands do share lots of the same fans, and there are some musical links, too. Anastasio says this grassroots following was allowed to grow and flourish naturally over the band's nine-year history. "We developed a following in our hometown of Burlington, Vt., which spread to New Hampshire, and that spread to Boston. "We saved money and bought a van. Then later we bought a box truck. We hooked up with Widespread Panic a few years ago. "Nobody knew about them in the north and nobody knew about us in the south, so we played seven gigs down there and they played seven gigs up here. "It's always been a case of careful planning. Make a little money to support the next tour." Phish's ardent fans also keep the band on its toes musically. "I feel we get to know people on the road," Anastasio says. "Since we know people are following us closely we try to keep improving what we're doing. "We answer all the mail. We read the 'Phishnet' thing, a computer network hotline for fans." Anastasio and Phish-mates Mike Gordon (bass), Page McConnell (keyboards) and Jon Fishman (drums, trombone, vacuum cleaner) hooked up during college days in Vermont and honed their considerable skills at long daily practice and jam sessions. "It's getting harder and harder to practise because we're on the road so much," Anastasio says. "For years we were doing five or six hours of playing. We'd do these composed pieces, and then we'd do free-form improvised stuff. "In concert, we swing back and forth between extremes. We'll play something composed, like one of these fugues that I write, but it will still be connected in groove and mindset to the improvised stuff. "So the whole concert feels improvised. You practise so much, it's not notes any more. It's a mindset that links the band." While Phish does draw comparisons to the Dead for their long shows, devoted fans and extensive repertoire (more than 100 songs ready to go at any time), their musical touchstones cover a much broader spectrum. The band's current album, A Picture Of Nectar, released early this year, has flashes of ambient jazz, country twang, calypso grooves and weird, Frank Zappa-like noises. Besides Zappa, some of the songs recall the work of such acts as Steely Dan, Little Feat and, of course, the Grateful Dead. But it all has a distinctively Phish-y feel. The band put out two independent releases, Junta and Lawn Boy, before signing to Elektra, and there's a new effort, Rift, due for release early next year. "I think it's a much more cohesive album," says Anastasio. "Lyrically, it's about one thing. It's a loose concept album, although it's not Tommy. "This guy experiences a rift with his lover. The first couple of songs are an overview of his situation. "Then he drifts off to sleep, and the songs start reflecting his dreams. "We worked with a lyricist, Tom Marshall, who worked with us on A Picture Of Nectar. "The stuff is a lot more personally connected. Some of it is frighteningly personal about him, some is about me." Phish toured the U.S. extensively twice before inking a major-label deal. The band usually headlines, but earlier this year it played the opening slot on the Santana tour. Anastasio - who was invited to join Carlos Santana on stage at almost every show - says the great guitarist totally dug Phish. "We did our set and he said we were playing like the crowd was a field of flowers . . . and the band was the hose and the music was the water."