Phish Over the Weekend October 21, 1996 - The Buffalo News By Toni Ruberto The catch of the evening Saturday in the Marine Midland Arena was Phish, and judging by the enthusiastic audience response, it was a main course well-received. The Vermont quartet mesmerized a sold-out crowd with three hours of free-wheeling improv dashed liberally with swinging grooves, good vibes and some foot-stomping country twang whenever the mood struck. It's a free-form style that has taken Phish from beginnings as a college band at the University of Vermont and turned the group into a national phenomenon that now sells out arena shows like Buffalo with barely more than word-of-mouth advertising. Using a minimalist set without a backdrop (allowing seating around the entire arena), Phish opened on a serene note with "My Friend, My Friend." It was a song that immediately let the uninformed know what to expect for the rest of the evening. What started out as a quiet number with just a touch of a groove to dance with took on a life of its own as instrumental passages turned the music wild and psychedelic. That, as it turned out, was only a sneak peek at the musical metamorphosis to come. Front man and guitarist Trey Anastasio, keyboardist Page McConnell, bassist Mike Gordon and drummer Jon Fishman refuse to play music by the numbers. A Phish song may have a nice hook or catchy chorus, but a lot will happen from the opening chord to an ending that may take 20 minutes or more to reach. The crowd-pleasing "AC/DC Bag" seemed like a very plain, laid-back song until it evolved and blew up into an all-out rock frenzy. "Slave to the Traffic Light" was another mellow song that slid into a moody guitar solo before being transformed into a soaring instrumental interlude for the entire band. Members of the prolific group moved from song to song with barely a word to the audience, instead letting the music culled from a vast repertoire do all the talking. And this crowd would not miss a beat. Whether listening to the quiet grooves of the new single "Free" or enjoying the fun little number "Esther" off the 1988 album "Junta," the young audience greeted the songs with equal enthusiasm. Phish fans, known affectionately as Phishheads, are some of the most ardent in music today. In a Grateful Dead mode, many of them travel around the country to watch the band. There was John, for instance, recently transplanted from Florida to Philadelphia, who talked of first seeing Phish perform in the dining room of his high school in 1989. As these stories are told in different cities, even an arena show can take on a warm, homey feel. You can't help but get reeled into Phish world, even if just for a night. article © 1996 The Buffalo News