As I make my annual pilgrimage to my 6th Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, I cannot help but see the nostalgia in the place that is so familiar for many reasons. It starts with the car ride, where I feel like I can drive forever because I cannot wait to pass those Bonnaroo toll booths that symbolize a sense of accomplishment and enlightenment that is about to take place. The way I see it, I now have 96 hours of church to fill my soul until next year.

Going back to my high school days growing up in Iowa, I specifically remember the first time I heard Phish.  I was with a group of friends (guys I am still in touch with today) riding around on a hot summer day on our way to what had become almost a daily sand volleyball session.  A buddy popped in the Picture of Nectar CD and told us we were in for a real musical treat.  Some band from the East with a simple but oddly spelled name.

The anticipation is over as thousands of fans have descended upon the city of Hampton, Virginia to take part in the first three shows since Phish disbanded four years ago.  The Hampton Coliseum, a favorite venue among fans, will host this historic reunion as the band begins "phase 2" of their musical conquest.

With the famous Vermont jam quartet making their triumphant return to the road this year, one can only wonder what kind of energy and style they will bring to those live performances.  Phish has always been open to reinventing themselves throughout the years, and they very well may invoke something fresh this time around.

Superfly Productions and A.C. Entertainment are excited to announce the initial lineup for the 2009 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival. The eighth annual four-day camping and music festival will be held on June 11 - 14 on the same beautiful 700-acre farm in Manchester, Tennessee, 60 miles south of Nashville. Every year Bonnaroo seeks to make history by offering unique and exclusive performances by rock's greatest legends as well as its most significant newcomers.

At last....the rumors can be put to rest, as Phish announce their triumphant reunion and return to the road.  The group officially stated on their website yesterday they will be performing a three-night run at one of their favorite venues, the Hampton Coliseum in Hampton, Virginia.  The shows will take place March 6th-8th of 2009, with more dates to be announced later this year.

When Phish broke up the first and second time, there was a large void left in my life. Yours too, otherwise you probably wouldn't be reading this article. As I've eluded to in past reviews, the nomadic nature instilled in me by that foursome from the north lead me on many a fruitless, and sometimes fruitful quest to find new, interesting, dynamic and hypnotic sounds like those that I still long for.

Fans of Phish have been excited to receive a handful of official show releases over the past year, not to mention a bunch of great downloads and even a DVD concert.  Each one has given the listener a look back at the band at certain periods in their history, and reminds them just how incredible this group was back in the day.

Since it has been over four years that Phish has toured, it is easy to forget how exciting and inspiring it can be to watch them play.  Though there has been a recent slew of delightful audio performances released, the emergence of the Walnut Creek DVD (recorded at the famed venue in North Carolina during their 1997 summer tour) finally gives fans another chance to have Phish illuminate their eyes as well.

There is one thing you cannot say about Phish and that would be they never evolved.  From their quirky and overly energetic days in the early 90s to the deep-rhythm grooves and improvisational mastery of the late 90s, the band was always exploring new avenues to show off their craft.  Those differences are apparent in the two new releases from the Live Phish series, which showcase two amazing concerts in their entirety and reflect two important time capsules from their history.