Phish DVD comes through for phans

What is IT? Well, for one sweltering, wet weekend, IT was the grand culmination of an extremely successful and promising summer tour for the jam-band Phish.

For the weekend of Aug. 2-3 Phish and tens of thousands of "phisheads," as they are so aptly called, made the trek to the northernmost part of Maine, in a little town called Limestone.

Throughout the cold-war era, Limestone was home to a very active Air Force base known as Loring. Its gates were closed in 1994 due to an over abundance of waste materials on the site, but was not dormant for very long.

In the summer of 1997, Phish made use of the site for the first of three massive festivals they would host as the curtain call for their summer tours. The second round was in 1998 and last in the summer of 2003. This would be the final time that Phish, or any of their fans, would walk the sacred ground that was special to everyone that had attended a festival there.

After much anticipation, on Tuesday, Oct.12, a special 2-disc DVD set documenting the "IT festival" was released. The first disc includes a documentary, which aired earlier this summer on the PBS network, and the second is an uncut mix of over 150 minutes of music performed that weekend. This is the second time that Phish has released concert footage, the first time being the entire Las Vegas performance from Sept.30, 2000.

The Vegas DVD is flawed when it comes to its picture quality, but just like everything Phish does, if they don't get it right the first time, they will the second. The IT DVD is shown in spectacularly clear high definition video, which is important given the almost excessively intricate light show they incorporate with their music. Each little detail is pristine, and is perhaps unparalleled visually. But, if you're buying a Phish DVD, it is the music that you are truly after.

After taking an extended hiatus for a little over two years, the band returned on New Year's Eve 2002, and embarked on their first full tour that summer since the hiatus.

The music was recharged, and had an energy and freshness to it that hadn't been heard from the band since their monumental performance on New Year's Eve 1999 when they performed from sunset to sunrise in front of nearly 100,000 fans on the Big Cypress Indian reservation in Florida. Some songs were jammed like never before, such as the hard rocking "Chalk Dust Torture," which generally never made it past the ten minute mark, lasted for nearly twenty-six minutes, and "46 Days" which never made it past six minutes lasted for forty minutes.

They also took new songs, and mixed them with some of their oldest. A song off their first album post-hiatus "Waves", merged seamlessly into one of their oldest, "David Bowie", which for many fans was one of the most memorable moments of the weekend. Greg Ellis, a "phan" that attended the festival recalls:

"Four moments made the entire trip worthwhile. "Ghost," "Waves" into "David Bowie," "You Enjoy Myself" and "Pebbles and Marbles." Those five songs were incredible, anybody who was there I'm sure will agree." Those who purchase the DVD will be able to see three of those songs in their entirety. "Waves" into "David Bowie" and Pebbles and Marbles" are included in the second disc. As for "Ghost," which seems to have been a huge favorite from all the reviews has a segment included in the documentary. But it is not the music that truly made this song stand out.

For several years now, fans of Phish have participated with the music in their own little way. "Glow stick wars" have become a very popular way for the fans to interact with the band. When the band gets into a very deep grove, a jam that seemingly could never end, the fans begin throwing glow sticks all over the place creating an aura that can only truly be appreciated when seen in person.

This particular glow stick war was massive, including all seventy thousand fans in attendance, and at moments the band as well. This moment will be forever preserved thanks to its inclusion in the documentary.

Also included in the documentary are very deep conversations with all four members of the band as they look back on that memorable weekend. They give insight never before heard on how they were affected by such things as the environment of the concert, the music, and the fans.

For anybody who has ever attended one of their festivals or any of their concerts for that matter, should give great consideration to adding this DVD to their collection. It is filled with hours of great music, and thought provoking interviews that truly give fans of this music something to enjoy.

And, if you have ever been curious as to what the whole "Phish thing" is about, this set will you give a peak at a world that may never be seen again.