Phish in Richmond

Phish is an American rock band formed in Burlington, Vermont, in 1983 by Trey Anastasio, Jon Fishman, Mike Gordon and Jeff Holdsworth; keyboardist Page McConnell joined soon afterward, and Holdsworth later departed. The group plays improvisation-centered rock shaped by funk, jazz and progressive rock. Its best-known recordings include “You Enjoy Myself,” “Tweezer” and “Bouncing Around the Room,” as well as the albums Junta, Billy Breathes and Farmhouse. In 1996, Phish staged The Clifford Ball at Plattsburgh Air Force Base, beginning a series of large, self-produced festivals. Big Cypress in Florida closed 1999 with an overnight set that continued into New Year’s Day, while the 2017 Baker’s Dozen residency at Madison Square Garden comprised 13 concerts without a repeated song. The quartet typically performs two sets, using composed sections as starting points for extended group improvisation. Set lists change from night to night, and songs can be linked into uninterrupted sequences. The Great Went brought the band’s festival format to the former Loring Air Force Base in Limestone, Maine, in 1997. In 2015, Phish staged Magnaball at Watkins Glen International.