I’ve been using Twitterfall to check out the Phish scene at Hampton and across the globe and this one caught my eye
Twitter: @RickOn finds Patrick Leahy quote
Although I disagree with much of Senator Leahy’s politics, I do respect the guy and appreciate his love of Batman. The TinyURL above redirects to pages S2865& S2866 of the 2009 Senate Congressional Record website, but I’ve provided the PDF file here and the text, below:
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS REUNION OF THE MUSICAL GROUP PHISH
Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I want to give recognition to an event taking place in Hampton, VA, beginning tonight, March 6. This weekend, Vermont’s own musical group, Phish, will celebrate a reunion not far from our Nation’s Capitol, following their retirement in August of 2004. Phish’s fans, and all Vermonters, wish a warm welcome back to Trey Anastasio, Jon Fishman, Mike Gordon, and Page McConnell, and the very best on their renewed musical journey.
In the summer of 2004, the band said farewell to thousands of fans who had persevered through torrential rain and knee-deep mud-some having walked many miles to see the band’s final concerts in a farm field in Coventry, VT. For so many of the band’s followers, it was a bittersweet moment, historic and mournful at once and the end of a singular era in American rock and roll. True to the band’s roots, and despite the rain, it was fitting that the farewell took place in the middle of the glorious Vermont countryside.
Much to the joy of many Vermonters and people across the United States, the band could not resist the desire to perform once again, and this weekend marks their return to the stage in what Phish’s fans hope will be the beginning of a sustainable period of happiness and creativity for the band. What began at the University of Vermont in Burlington, and was nurtured at Goddard College in Plainfield, flourished into an enormous creative musical force that delighted fans from across the world for many years. They spread their music throughout Europe and Japan, from coast to coast in the United States, and rang in the millennium in front of 85,000 people on the Big Cypress Indian Reservation in Florida, playing that concert’s final notes as the sun rose over the horizon at the dawn of a new century.
Theirs has been a remarkable journey of musical exploration, improvisation and risk-taking much akin to the early era of the Grateful Dead. From outdoor summer festivals to Halloween celebrations that found the band donning musical ”costumes” by playing an album of another musical group from beginning to end, Phish carved a niche in the musical world that was left conspicuously empty with their retirement.
As Americans stand at a crossroads and contemplate the way forward during a difficult time, artistic expression will play an important role in reminding us all that despite the difficulties we face, we should not forget those things in life that bring us happiness and that connect us to one another. Whether we find solace in a good film, a great novel, making art through photography, writing, or painting, or experiencing a musical performance, I want to acknowledge the ability of Americans to keep the creative spirit alive even when we face our most daunting challenges. And I find reason for optimism in the fact that the announcement of Phish’s reunion was met with such overwhelming enthusiasm from their fans. So as thousands of people welcome Phish back to the stage at the Hampton Coliseum this weekend, I am proud to say as a Vermonter: Phish, it is good to have you back. I know you have been missed.
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