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2000+ people gathered at the Theater at Madison Square Garden last night for what would be the seventh and final Jammy Awards show. But they all gathered to see one thing...jam band rockers Phish reunite. Despite rumors and the fact that all four members where on hand to accept the evening's Lifetime Achievement Award, they didn't. And in true Phish phasion, the band took their phans phor another joy ride.
(photo courtesy of Dino Perrucci)
While the crowd didn't get their 25-minute Tweezer jam, it did mark the first time the four dudes - bassist Mike Gordon, drummer Jon Fishman, guitarist Trey Anastasio and keyboardist Page McConnell - were on stage together since their last performance in Coventry, Vermont, in 2004.
(photo courtesy of Dino Perrucci)
Phish were honored by a 40 minutes jam of their noodle-ly tracks by members of the Disco Biscuits, String Cheese Incident and Umphrey’s McGee, who billed themselves as the Headcount All-Stars.
However the highlight of the night was Trey Anastasio's speech during the Lifetime acceptance speech.
"I feel like as a musician we're servants," Anastasio told the audience, "and musicians from the beginning of time have been there to express the mood and the musical feelings in the air for whatever's going on in that particular culture. It's the greatest joy as a musician to be able to translate that, be part of something and watch the scenery around you. That's what it felt like to be in Phish all those years."
(photo courtesy of Dino Perrucci)
The following is a complete list of winners at the 7th Jammy Awards:
Live Album of the Year: Umphrey's McGee, Live at the Murat
New Groove of the Year: Cornmeal
DVD of the Year: Disco Biscuits, Progressions
Download of the Year: Phish, "Headphones Jam" Mimi Fishman Award:Rock
the Earth
Song of the Year: Keller Williams, "Cadillac"
Tour of the Year: the Disco Biscuits/Umphrey's McGee, D.U.M.B
Grahmmy Jammy: Lee Crumpton, Homegrown Music Network
Archival Release of the Year: The Grateful Dead, Three From The Vault
Studio Album of the Year: moe., The Conch
Live Performance of the Year: Gov't Mule and Guests, Bonnaroo
Lifetime Achievement Award: Phish
I wasn't aware that there even was a jammies, but it seems indicative with what the problem is with being in a genre specific band, and how it seems to limit your exposure outside of the set circle of fans who only like that type of music. I had a great time being a Phish fan, but it became a closed circle after awhile, that I felt I was suffocating in a sea of self congratulatory back patting.
The bigger question is why do people have to validate themselves through these awards. It just seems like attempts to draw attention to and validate something others might not be aware of. Though, I can't imagine anyone outside of the Jam Band community caring anything about the Jammies.
I know Phish isn't responsible for these awards, but it seems silly to even relegate yourself to a genre, and even sillier to create an superlatives system within that genre.
I must be getting older and more intolerant. Screw the award, I'd take a twenty five minute tweezer anyday.
headphone jam was sweet. cool pics, hadn't seen them. thanks.
i caught the show as well charley
trey's guitar solo on the fab faux's version of while my guitar gently weeps was powerful
i was wondering why if trey sees being a musician as being a servant, he didn't just drag his band on stage to serve up what the crowd wanted, but i guess someone else in that band must not feel the same
hit the after party with galactic at bb king's - this 8 year old japanese phenom took the stage with them and played crazy train note for note, it was mindblowing
this is the only footage i could find of him and it gives you an idea, but his version the other night was even better
the entire crowd was chanting his name, "yuto! yuto! yuto!"
funny freaking stuff
This boy is incredible. He has the ear of a veteran musician. Makes me feel old!
you should have seen the way he looked back at the galactic drummer at the onset to focus him on the beat and his feel, it was absolutely eerie and something a total confident veteran band leader would do
freaky!
Neil! All my pals went and told me about this kid. Thanks for the video hook-up. He's a much better guitar player than...errr...um...vocalist, but got to hand it to him. Afterall he is 8 and at 8 I was only hammering away at the really east version of "Ode To Joy" on the piano.
As for Phish not reuniting. I think it is fast approaching, but its gonna be on a random Wednesday in the middle of the buckf#ck middle of nowhere Vermont billed under some weird name like " The Suzy Greenberg Llama Project" or "Carini's Jar Sample" or something obvious but twisted thing like that. and only like 200 people will live to tell about it. that's my guess.
yeah, the weird vocals just add to the surreal experience though
too bad on phish, the jammy's and their lifetime award night would have been an appropriate venue for such a thing
though not being a big phishhead it would have been wasted on me