Snow doesn't chill passion of Phish or fans December 31, 1993 - The Hartford Courant By John Moran A giant tropical fish tank was about the last thing you'd expect to find smack in the middle of a New Haven snowstorm. But there it was, onstage inside the Veterans Memorial Coliseum, where the rock band Phish was playing to a sell-out audience Wednesday despite the mounting snowfall. Phish -- and their "Phish tank" -- rewarded the hardy fans with a rip-roaring performance that only enhanced the band's reputation for frantic, intense concerts. The quartet -- Trey Anastasio on guitar, Page McConnell on keyboards, Mike Gordon on bass and Jon Fishman on drums -- has built a remarkable following without any hit songs, music videos or widespread promotion. Instead, their approach was pioneered by such bands as the Grateful Dead: lots of improvisation, lots of concerts, lots of incredibly loyal fans trailing them around. It's easier to catalog the differences between Phish and the Dead than to list the similarities. Phish's audience is younger. And the band's music is closer to jazz-fusion than the Dead's blues-and-bluegrass origins. Phish also tends more toward the bizarre, if you can believe it. Consider this scene from Wednesday's show: The stage, set up to look like a giant aquarium, is covered with black-lit coral and seaweed. Luminous fish models sway overhead, suspended from the lighting fixtures. A giant oyster sits at the back of the stage. Circles of light projected across the stage represent bubbles. Fishman, the drummer, steps to center stage. A hairy guy, he's wearing a sleeveless dress decorated with what appear to be 45-rpm records. After discussing his latest haircut, he sucks on a vaccuum cleaner hose to the tune of "If I Only Had a Brain." Then the whole band breaks into a barbershop quartet version of "Sweet Adeline." But don't let the antics fool you; Phish is a group of seriously talented musicians. Leading the way is guitarist Anastasio, whose relentless, blistering fretwork is the band's biggest asset. McConnell's artistry on keyboards is a perfect complement: fast, sure, versatile. Add in the swinging rhythm section and you've got one tight musical unit. The members of Phish have talent to burn. They jam so effortlessly that the band launches into new improvisations at the least excuse. The result is a complex sonic blend that starts quickly, stops faster, slows down, then takes off again. It may not come across well in recordings, but it is impressive in concert. The mixture seems to be connecting with the audience. Only a year ago, Phish was playing places like the Palace Theater in New Haven. Today, they're selling out the New Haven coliseum -- a venue that the Dead, 1993's top-grossing rock act, frequented not too long ago. What's next, five nights at Madison Square Garden?