Hooked on Phish June 18, 1993 - Syracuse Herald-Journal by Dana Meltzer Alternative band reels in fans with eclectic music The alternative rock band Phish has seen plenty of changes recently: bigger crowds, better sound systems, nice hotel rooms. Drummer Jon Fishman, a Jamesville-DeWitt grad, even has a new dress. "My dress is white and has eyeballs all over it," Fishman says during a phone interview while touring last week. "It's comfortable and keeps me from taking myself too seriously." "Besides," he adds, "it makes me look more angelic when I play the vacuum cleaner." Phish, one of the hottest young bands today, brings its eclectic mix of musical styles to the area this week. The group plays a sold-out show at Colgate University on Friday, and at Clarkson University in Potsdam on Saturday and State University College at Geneseo on Sunday. The Vermont-based Phish plays a wide range of music. There is everything from jazz to barbershop quartet to rock. "We're not an easily digestible pop band," Fishman says. "our intention is to do stuff that is not being done." One attempt at this is Fishman's vacuum solo. "I can play seven positions on the vacuum," Fishman says. By bending his mouth across the pipe of a vacuum cleaner on full power, Fishman produces loud groaning noises or "notes." "The fans call me Vacuum Cleaner Mom," said Mimi Fishman of DeWitt, Jon's mother. "I've played vacuum solos five times with Phish. Jon taught me how. I get out there and the kids just scream. I used to get nervous. I don't anymore." Audience participation, a key element of any Phish show, has a new element on this tour. Colored balls, tossed out by the band, let the crowd control the intensity of the show. The faster the balls move, the faster the band plays. Phish is made up of Trey Anastasio on lead guitar, Page McConnell on piano and Fishman on drums. The quartet met 10 years ago at the University of Vermont. "Our success has not been overnight," Fishman says. "But we're persistent. We work hard." Mimi Fishman clearly remembers Jon's first sign of interest in the drums. "when he was 5, he would take Tinkertoys and make them into drumsticks," she says. "Then he would put the lids back on the containers and bang on them. He's always had it in him." "I've always felt passionate about music," Fishman says. I've only had three music lessons in my life. When I was younger, I taught myself to play by listening to records like Led Zeppelin. Except I never really played what was on the records. I'd learn one coordination and expand on it." The band has a new album on Elektra, "Rift," has plans for a music video, another album and an outdoors tour. "All of us (Phish members) are young and unmarried at this point." Fishman says. "Things will happen in the future to change our priorities. We look at that and say we should play as much as we can now."