Phish announces it's breaking up May 25, 2004 - All Things Considered - NPR By Melissa Block PHISH: (Singing) Things are falling down on me. Many things I could not see. When I finally came around, something small would get me down. MELISSA BLOCK, host: Fans of this band, the jam band Phish, got some shocking news today. Posted on the group's Web site is a note from leader and guitarist Trey Anastasio. It reads, 'Last Friday night I got together with Mike, Page and Phish to talk openly about the strong feelings I've been having that Phish has run its course and that we should end it now while it's still on a high note. We don't want to become caricatures of ourselves or, worse yet, a nostalgia act.' Phish will still release its new album next month, and they'll still tour this summer. But that's it. After August shows in their home state of Vermont, Phish is done. Music producer and longtime fan Peter Shapiro says Phish will be missed. Mr. PETER SHAPIRO (Music Producer): I think it's a sad day, you know, for a lot of people who are--you know, there are literally millions of people out there--young people around the country who were--you know, who lived a part of the life--it was kind of more than just the music, in a way. It was, you know, kind of a way of life for people--this band. Clearly, you know, their fans are bumming tonight. BLOCK: Phish embodied the improvisational music scene. They focused on live performance and interaction with their audience, fans who would travel around the country from concert to concert to hear them play. Many saw Phish as heirs to the legacy of Jerry Garcia and The Grateful Dead, a legacy, says Peter Shapiro, that will live on with other younger jam bands. Mr. SHAPIRO: I think ironically, in some ways, that, you know, with Phish stopping, it'll be a benefit to some of these other young bands. This also happened when Jerry Garcia passed away. When he passed away, it caused people to go experiment with, you know, kind of bands in funk, in jazz, in Southern rock, in more bluegrass and bands like String Cheese Incident, Widespread Panic, to Galactic, to moe., got, you know, huge kind of support from that. And then Phish obviously was a lead new band, and now with Phish gone I think we'll see, you know, people still seeking out this style of music. BLOCK: Music producer and Phish fan Peter Shapiro, talking about today's word that the jam band is breaking up. Here's a live recording of Phish riffing on a tune you might find familiar. Article Copyright © 2004 NPR