As Phish Reunion Talk Heats Up, Pianist Page McConnell Says They’ll ‘Look At Possible Futures’ Together
By Alex Shapiro
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It might be time to grow those dreads back and unpack your tie-dyed Ts, because a Phish reunion might be on the way.
Reunion rumors began to swirl on Internet message boards a month ago, after Rolling Stone published an article in which Phish frontman Trey Anastasio hinted at his desire to bring the band back together. Anastasio (who recently completed a drug-treatment program stemming from his December 2006 prescription-drug arrest) has been recording with longtime writing partner and friend Tom Marshall, at his recording studio in Saratoga Springs, New York. In an interview with PopMatters.com, Marshall poured more fuel on the rumors. “Trey wants Phish to come back,” he said. And when all of the members showed up at the Jammies in May to accept their lifetime achievement award, talk continued.
The buzz has gotten so loud that one bandmember has finally gone on the record: Phish pianist Page McConnell posted an open letter on the band’s Web site on Thursday. McConnell says of his ex-bandmates, “I can honestly say that I’m closer with all of them now than I’ve ever been in our 20-year relationship.” He goes on to say that since they all have projects currently in the works, “the announcement of a reunion is premature.” But he says they plan on getting together “to take a look at what possible futures we might enjoy.”
For Phish fans, it’s good news (and as close to an announcement as you’re going to get until THE announcement). Page ends his letter with some wise words of advice: “Try not to focus too much on secondhand sources and random gossip. If there is anything real to announce, it will come from the four of us as a group.” So, it’s not yet the return of Phish, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed, because, as they say, where there’s smoke, there’s fire (or something you can burn, anyway).
Do you want to see a Phish reunion? Tell us what you think!
Chromeo Introduce Us To The Wonderful, Time-Sucking ‘Yo Gabba Gabba!’
By Steven Roberts and Rya Backer
If this picture doesn’t have you crying out, “Awesome!” then it’s sure to have you scratching your head and asking what the hell is going on. It had us, among other things, very much intrigued. Just what are Chromeo up to? Why are they rocking out with a yellow robot, a red cyclops and a green monster? (We also wondered, Why aren’t we?)
It’s a promotional shot for the Montreal dance duo’s upcoming appearance on “Yo Gabba Gabba!” But what’s that, you ask? Here are some important details: “YGG!” is a children’s television series on Nick Jr. and Noggin that debuted at the end of 2006. It’s a mix of live action, animated sketches and musical performances — a powerful combination known to yield joy from the preschool set and melted faces from the not-so-young. The show is hosted by human DJ Lance Rock and also features robot Plex, cyclops Muno and little green monster Brobee.
So why would a show on Nick Jr. have a guest appearance by Chromeo? It turns out the show has a history of strange music cameos, including the Shins, Shiny Toy Guns and Biz Markie. (Well, who doesn’t want to hang with the Biz?) “Sesame Street” has featured music guests for years; Stevie Wonder, R.E.M., LL Cool J and ‘NSYNC have all hung out on the fabled stoop. But P-Thugg ain’t no Stevie. Needless to say, whatever magical land “Yo Gabba Gabba!” takes place in is tremendously far from Sesame Street.
“YGG!” has its own over-the-top aesthetic, thanks to co-creator Christian Jacobs. He’s the lead singer of ska band the Aquabats, who dress as superheroes and fight evil through music … obviously. Parental-advisory-stickered albums to children’s show may seem like a strange progression, but the rocker is part of a wave of artists working tirelessly to make hip kids’ entertainment that doesn’t involve Raffi. And check out designer-toy retailer Kidrobot’s line of “YGG!”-inspired, mostly adult-sized clothing.
Now, the biggest question of all: Why wasn’t this show on when we were little? Sure, we would have forever yearned for something to match it as we grew older — something brought to you by the letters L, S and D — but it would’ve been worth it. Despite its intended demographic, we found ourselves watching clips on YouTube all day — mostly of Nathaniel dancing. Just look at the passion in his face! Have you ever felt such joy whilst cutting a rug?
Amy Winehouse — With Vodka Bottle — Makes It To Rehearsal For Nelson Mandela Concert
By Matt Elias
Well, the beautiful weather in London was short-lived, but that didn’t stop Amy Winehouse from soundchecking Friday in Hyde Park. Despite the drizzle, Amy (who was featured in a bizarre Rolling Stone article this week) is at least that much closer to performing at Friday night’s concert honoring Nelson Mandela’s 90th birthday, which also features Annie Lennox, Simple Minds, Queen, Leona Lewis and the Soweto Gospel Choir. More than 40,000 people are expected to attend the show, according to CNN.
We weren’t on site for Winehouse’s soundcheck, so unfortunately we don’t have pictures. But a source confirmed that Winehouse was there, alive, and singing. She hit the stage during a break in the storm and performed “Rehab” — adding to the already obvious irony of the song selection, a bottle of vodka was sitting right next to her. Seriously!
(Britain’s Telegraph does have a shot of the singer apparently buying booze before soundcheck.)
The show’s finale is expected to be feature Queen, Winehouse and Jerry Dammers (of British ska legends the Specials) performing “Free Nelson Mandela,” a Dammers-penned song from 1984 that was quickly adopted as an anti-apartheid anthem at the time.
According to CNN, concert organizers say Mandela plans to use the concert to mark the beginning of his retirement.
“I am supposed to be retired, but my friends and the charitable organizations that bear my name want to use my 90th birthday year to raise funds to continue our work and so, of course, I want to help them,” he said in a statement released earlier this month. “So, we have a bargain — I am going to London and they will host a concert in Hyde Park, which will raise awareness of our continuing work and much-needed funds.”
Be sure to check back for a report on the show!
Rolling Stone’s 4 A.M. Visit To Amy Winehouse’s Apartment Is Every Bit As Twisted As You’d Think
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By Gil Kaufman
We frequently write about Amy Winehouse’s travails, but, truth be told, we don’t get to talk to the British popwreck very much. Which is why we should have just walked up to her London flat and knocked on the door at four in the morning, like Rolling Stone did. If we had, we’d have gotten a glimpse at a place littered with potato-chip bags, crumpled bits of tin foil, beer bottles, lingerie boxes and credit cards strewn about. Oh, and we totally would have been offered one of her signature, Elvis-worthy white-bread and banana with potato-chip sandwiches.
According to a story in the new issue of Rolling Stone, one of their reporters hung around outside Winehouse’s place in North London earlier this month — before the singer was
hospitalized for fainting and found out that she showing early signs of emphysema — and, shockingly, the musician invited the reporter in and provided a rare glimpse into her cloistered, cluttered and predictably chaotic world.
The reporter visited the day after the then-latest Winehouse scandal — the one about the
racist playground-chant video — and instead of the usual rush of publicists and managers doing damage control, she found only a bedraggled Winehouse and her best friend, singer Remi Nicole, who appears to be a calming presence in an otherwise shambolic home life.
We watch as Winehouse tidies up her blistered face, disheveled hair and smudgy, apparently resin-lined fingernails before stepping out to the inevitable crush of paparazzi huffing outside her door for that day’s inevitably unflattering shot of the Grammy winner. (The parade of bad Winehouse pictures has even inspired a comic-strip confrontation with TV’s Judge Judy.)
Like Britney Spears, Winehouse plays cat-and-mouse with her pursuers, feeding the paps tea, asking them to go on errands for her and joking with them, but occasionally throwing a slap their way if they get too close. We’re told Winehouse makes few concessions to healthy living, using a tanning bed daily and subsisting on a frat-boy-worthy diet of pizza and little or no sleep. The writer makes frequent mentions of Winehouse’s “trips upstairs” to her bedroom, which seem like not-so-thinly veiled references to some nefarious activity.
As for the thing that sets her apart from the legion of other bad girls with careers (and health) in jeopardy, Winehouse half-heartedly says her next album will be the “same stuff as my last album but with some ska.” Asked if she’s started work on it, she says, “It’s not so much about recording, it’s about whatever.” She talks nonchalantly about her split with Mark Ronson, accusing the producer of being “uptight” and not getting her new direction.
The glimpse at Winehouse is about as sad as you might expect, but even more so given that she doesn’t appear to care about the thing that brought her to our attention in the first place — her music.
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