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The Phringe: Left-Field Contenders
Primus
Recommended songs: "Tommy the Cat" "American Life"
World-renowned bizarro bass captain Les Claypool assumed, when he first performed with Trey Anastasio and Stewart Copeland as Oysterhead (New Orleans, May 4, 2000), that Primus fans were none-too-happy that Phish heads had grabbed all the tickets to the special show. Perhaps he failed to realize how many Phish heads were actually diehard fans of his eclectic, funky-metal combo in tie-dyed disguise. Claypool has since gone on to become one of the major players on the jam-band scene, experimenting with numerous groups — Bucket Full of Bernie Brains, Les Claypool's Fearless Flying Frog Brigade, and now a reunited and jam-friendly Primus.
Ween
Recommended songs: "Roses Are Free" "Voodoo Lady"
Mickey Melchiondo, better known as guitarist Dean Ween, will be the first to admit a significant increase in Phishy types at his shows in recent years. The impetus, we can safely assume, was Phish's rocked-out interpretation of Ween's "Roses Are Free," which debuted in late 1997 and has since enjoyed a dozen more appearances in Phish setlists.
Robert Randolph and the Family Band
Recommended songs: "I Don't Know What You Come to Do," "I Need More Love"
It takes some serious presence, not to mention chops, to render the likes of Earth Wind & Fire and Parliament/ Funkadelic practically invisible. But that's essentially what this young group did at the Grammy Awards earlier this year. Lately Randolph's been scoring standing ovations opening for Eric Clapton. And although Trey Anastasio looks something like Clapton, he's got much more in common with Randolph's lightning-quick pedal-steel guitar work. Both Phish and Randolph have an affinity for audience participation, but where Phish fans often instigate such interaction, Randolph explicitly instructs his crowds to clap their hands, stomp their feet and scream. Both bands construct songs around a musical concept, adding lyrics almost as an afterthought, though "I need more love every day of my life" surely carries more coherent weight than, say, the unelaborated lyrics of "You Enjoy Myself," which are simply: "Boy. Man. God. Sh--."
The Roots
Recommended songs: "Return to Innocence Lost"
While there probably won't be many Phish heads heading out on a Roots tour, there is certainly an element of Phish's audience for whom unexpected guest appearances
by Kid Rock (Las Vegas, September 29, 2000) and Jay-Z (Brooklyn, New York, June 18, 2004) and off-kilter cover songs like "Sabotage" and "Gettin' Jiggy Wit It" have been live highlights. (There are also some striking similarities between the jam-band and backpack-rap scenes.) The Roots first significantly overlapped with Phish's audience when the group hosted a residency at New York's premier hippie haven, the now-defunct Wetlands Preserve. Club owner Pete Shapiro later tapped the Roots for his IMAX film "All Access," pairing the live-band hip-hop outfit with B.B. King and Trey Anastasio.
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Photo: Interscope
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