Gone Phishing March 2, 2001 - Asheville Citizen-Times by Amy Jones PHISH FRONTMAN TREY ANASTASIO PLAYS SOLD OUT DATE AT WOLFE AUDITORIUM Few people covet leftovers. They mostly serve to fill emptiness or to remind us of the original dish. When post Grateful Dead-heads and new groovers alike started flocking to see experimental jam band Phish, the Vermont foursome may have been feeding a need created by their electric forerunners. But after more than a decade of creating their own cryptic psychedelic jazz rock, the band has become the entree of choice by a new generation. Though Phish remains on a hiatus, singer and lead guitarist Trey Anastasio cooks up his solo sound for a sold out crowd, Friday, March 2 at Thomas Wolfe Auditorium. "It'll be a great show," said Peter Mayers, Store manager at Sounds Familiar on Hendersonville Road. "Even if it wasn't, people would show up anyway." With a box office reporting no tickets left, Mayers' prediction will undoubtedly come true and likely produce a crowd hoping to buy an unused ticket. Quelling any suggestions that the band's time off diminished Phish-heads commitment, the show sold out in less than an hour. "(Phish) has always pulled really big and very positive crowds," said Mayers. "I'm sure (Anastasio) will be doing something different than the band, but people want more of that. Everybody wants to be happy." "There are different aspects of Phish that attracted different people," said "Uncle Dave," radio host of jam band heavy "Dead Air" on WNCW 88.7 FM, Spindale. "It's like when Garcia came on stage and started playing. People know (Anastasio's) sound and it's part of what made the band so good." The Garcia comparison is little surprise considering that both guitarists took time out from their immensely popular bands to start their own groups. Like The Jerry Garcia Band, Anastasio is showcasing elements that have become the foundation for his mother band with a more individual approach. "It's a little bit funkier and most likely a different set list," said Dave about Anastasio's solo outing. "It's new and fresh and exciting." While most diehards would hook their lines on Anastasio's proven talent, there is also something to be said for being in the right place at the right time. "It's trendy," said Mayers. "They have a popularity that has established them. Once you've done that, it's easier for people to enter it." It's been estimated that nearly 400,000 fans tried to crowd into Cypress Grove Florida for Phish's New Year's jam in 2000. While only 100,000-plus were admitted, the numbers were indicative of the band's importance on pop culture. "I think as much as we've seen the youth movement supporting this band increase, an older audience has dropped off," said Dave. With Anastasio playing intimate venues with less of an extended jam focus, he may be trying to change that.