With a great number of rumors circulating around Phish and their summer plans, it’s only natural to look at all of the data and speculate wildly. Factually speaking, Dave Matthews Band will be performing at SPAC on July 3rd and 4th, where Phish has played the last three years. This leaves the door open for a number of things, including a theorized Grateful Dead Core Four reunion with Trey Anastasio at Soldier Field in Chicago, and a theoretical festival at Watkins Glen.
Let’s start with the Core Four reunion, which would be a welcomed way to celebrate the Dead’s 50th anniversary. Anastasio is certainly a theoretical candidate, as the guitarist is a known fan of the Dead, and even performed with Furthur at LOCKN’ Festival 2013 (not the only time that a Phish-Dead crossover has occurred, just the most recent).
Unofficial Dead biographer Scott Allen, who wrote “Aces Back To Back,” shared a lengthy status that seemed rather confident about these happenings. He writes: “The three-night stand by the Dead at Soldier Field on July 3, 4 and 5, 2015 is a done deal and will be announced by the band before the end of this month. Trey Anastasio is in. He may play at one of the three shows or at all three. I feel they need his drawing power and therefore he will likely play all three nights.” Obviously, still unannounced, but very interesting.
Another rumor floating around is the possibility of a Phish Festival X, which would be held at Watkins Glen International sometime in Late August. The raceway is being repaved on August 10th, thus limiting the possible Festival timing until after that date. Phish held their last festival at the same site in 2011, and both The Leader and Syracuse.com are discussing the possibility of a Festival X in 2015.
Again, nothing is confirmed, but a festival would align with Anastasio’s statement that Phish would be touring less in 2015. With Phish not playing Saratoga over July 4th weekend, it seems likely that the band will play at another spot in upstate New York, and Watkins Glen is a prime candidate. There are a number of financial considerations as well, including that the festival raised $500,000 in revenue for the region, and that the venue gets a 50% tax cut for events drawing over 20,000 people. Phish brought 30,000 to their last festival at Watkins Glen.
All in all, with the band’s renewed creative vigor, summer tour 2015 is something we can all eagerly anticipate.
[Via Jambase.com]