Phish in fine form for loyal following December 3, 2003 - Worcester Telegram & Gazette By Scott McLennan FleetCenter concert showcases all that fans have come to love - Phish marked its 20th anniversary last night at the FleetCenter doing pretty much what it did at a ROTC dance held back in 1983 in Vermont that served as the band's debut, playing unwieldy, uncompromising and offbeat tunes. The difference now is that hordes of fans have flocked to the band's sound since that fateful show staged Dec. 2, 1983. Phish's story remains a remarkable one. Here is a band that after 20 years couldn't put together a legitimate ''greatest hits'' record nor claim any substantial support from radio or television. Yet through a strong work ethic, natural musical curiosity and word-of-mouth proselytizing has developed a following rivaled from few other bands to have emerged from the same era. The secret to Phish's success is its emphatic embrace of the musical moment. The songs themselves aren't always that strong, but the chemistry among the members is, making it possible to be both spontaneous and good for sustained periods. The band over the years has employed flashy stage tricks, but never at the expense of the music. That edict held last night, with all the celebratory spirit poured into two lengthy sets unfurled by the band. By deep into the band's second set, the core of Phish -- guitarist Trey Anastasio, keyboard player Page McConnell, bass player Mike Gordon and drummer Jon Fishman -- was responsible for all the heavy lifting. Previous nights along Phish's four-city 20th anniversary jaunt have seen appearances by special guests. Last night, by press time, the only deviation from a normal night with Phish was the screening of a 30-minute film during intermission. The flick was a montage of footage, of seeming home-movie and bootleg quality, chronicling the band's rise from University of Vermont dorm parties to master of ceremonies at huge festivals. The theme emerging from the film was that little has changed. Four rangy, scraggly guys are still hammering out the melodies, rhythms and improvisations being beamed into their heads. As with any band that rolls the dice from night to night and song to song, Phish produced a first set that was incredibly hot in spots and somewhat perfunctory in others. Opening with the reggae-tinged ''Harry Hood,'' a fitting tribute to Boston's old Hood milk plant, the band sounded loose but confident. Anastasio stumbled a bit through the lyrics to ''Cavern,'' but the band's deeply forgiving crowd cheered the flubs as strongly as it did the guitarist's target-hitting work. And there was plenty of that strong stuff woven into the first set. Anastasio and McConnell in particular seemed to shine last night when moved by the right spirits. The quirky ''Piper'' featured some funked-up electric piano from McConnell, and Anastasio's guitar work burned up reading of ''Down with Disease'' and ''Birds of a Feather.'' The second set was full of cover tunes and free-wheeling spirit. Opening with Lou Reed's ''Rock and Roll,'' tagged with about 15 minutes of psychedelic jamming old Lou probably never envisioned for his ode to rock-n-roll salvation, the band went on to tap Edgar Winters' ''Frankenstein,'' Stevie Wonder's ''Boogie on Reggae Woman,'' and Talking Heads' ''Cities.'' None of it felt like pure homage. Rather, each cover was a dose of inspiration from which to fly. And the band was flying high with no signs of touching down close to press time. While there was much speculation among the sold-out crowd as to what Phish would do to blow minds in honor of the 20th anniversary, the band ended up relying upon what it always has to handle such a task. Article Copyright © 2003 Worcester Telegram & Gazette