[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 5]
[Senate]
[Page 6624]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                   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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