Trey Anastasio Discusses Phish at The Sphere (2025)


Photo Credit: Bill Kelly

Tonight, April 18, Phish’s will commence its much-anticipated run at The Sphere in Las Vegas. Prior to the group’s Sin City stint, guitarist Trey Anastasio spoke to the Associated Press and shared key details on the impending four-night run at one of the world’s techiest and most innovative live music venues, providing a tinge more clarity to the intentionally mystifying experience that awaits.

Unlike Phish’s Sphere forefathers, U2, who amassed a whopping $2.3 billion during their 40-show Sphere residency, the Vermont foursome, Anastasio, Page McConnell, Mike Gordon, and John Fishman, ruled in favor of something a little more strategic, promising no-repeat plays, new and exciting visuals each night with Easter eggs parsed throughout, hinting at a larger theme that connects the totality of all four concerts.

“I love getting up in the morning and creatively thinking of another cool thing to blow people’s minds,” Anastasio told AP. The artist followed up, referencing the unique quality of the venue’s sound system as a compliment to their forthcoming live shows. Saying, “One of the things that we’ve tried to do is sculpt our show so that we can be the band that we always are and play to our strengths while simultaneously using the technology to kind of expand the elements of the show—like the adventure and the breaking free of boundaries.”

When asked about the planning process and what had gone into the making of the Sphere performances, Anastasio said it had been a daily operation. He also referenced the band’s decision to use a thematic narrative, which will course through all four nights. Deciding on a motif, the musician continued, “Then it was what songs we’re going to play, what the (visual) content was going to be, how literal we wanted to make it. The answer to that is not very literal. Our fans are really smart and really involved, and we wanted to take a night or so for people to figure out what we were doing, plant a lot of Easter eggs and things like that. But it’s a never-ending daily improvement.”

Whereas U2 and Dead & Company have stretched and expanded their initial slate of dates to accommodate fan demand and interest, Anastasio confesses it wasn’t the play for Phish, who went with a more strategized approach, “There was a moment where we were discussing adding shows, because the tickets blew out pretty hard. And we decided as a team that they would be good, but not necessarily astounding — which is the level that we wanted to operate at — unless we just repeated the exact same show over again. The other thing is that Phish is such a wacky community that it kind of set up this scenario where a lot of people would probably want to come back. It’s just the way our fans are. It’s kind of like a big, giant rolling family or community or something like that.”

Praising his bandmates and referencing the band’s last Gamehendge epic, Anastasio said, “A good band is a family. It’s a team. It’s communication and listening and it’s hard to describe what a joy it is when you spend almost a year working on — like what we did last year (with a New Year’s Eve performance of the band’s epic set of “Gamehendge” songs, complete with stage actors and puppets). It’s like you feel like you’re alive. And the Sphere has been like that, too.”

As a final question, AP continued to poke at the potential for another Gamehendge, which Anastasio said he would like to improve, adding, “But then it was kind of like, if there is, it’s going to be better, or it’s going to be built upon. Sort of the way this one was built upon. The previous one, even though it was 30 years ago. I hope it’s not 30 years. I’d like to do it. In the Phish world, it’s like the second it’s over … the next morning you wake up like I start working on the Sphere. Go meet (co-creative director Abigail Rosen Holmes) downtown at a coffee shop with a laptop and start riffing. I mean, I’m here in Vegas, and yesterday morning I was on a call (about this summer’s Mondegreen festival) with the coolest, smartest people who are working on that. Oh my God.”

For those unable to attend Phish’s four-night Sphere experience, streaming options are available via SiriusXM’s Phish Radio. Scroll down for the complete schedule.

And livestream the performances via LivePhish.com.

Phish Radio In Vegas: Sphere Weekend

THURSDAY 4.18.24: PHISH RADIO FROM LAS VEGAS

12pm: 11.3.18 Las Vegas, NV

5pm ET: Trey Anastasio Interview@ SXM Wynn Las Vegas (premiere)

7pm ET: Headbands with Ari @ Wynn SXM Vegas

8pm ET: Page McConnell Interview @ Wynn SXM Las Vegas (premiere)

9pm ET: 10.30.21 Las Vegas, NV

FRIDAY 4.19.24: PHISH RADIO FROM LAS VEGAS

10am ET: Trey Anastasio Interview @ SXM Wynn Las Vegas

12pm ET: Last Night’s Sphere Show (N1 4.18.24 Las Vegas, NV)

4pm ET: Phish Radio Friday Listener Event @ Brooklyn Bowl

7pm ET: Sphere Standouts – top 3 moments from N1

8pm ET: The Bunny Goes To Vegas

9pm ET: 4.18.24 Las Vegas, NV

SATURDAY 4.20.24: PHISH RADIO FROM LAS VEGAS

9am ET: Sphere shaped Errant Path w/ Jonathan Fishman (replay)

12pm ET: Last Night’s Sphere Show (4.19.24 Las Vegas)

3pm ET: Headbands from Las Vegas (Sphere Weekend)

4pm ET: Phish Radio Saturday Listener Event @ Brooklyn Bowl

7pm ET: Sphere Standouts – top 3 moments from N2

8pm ET: Page McConnell Interview @ Wynn SXM Las Vegas

9pm ET: 4.19.24 Las Vegas, NV

SUNDAY 4.21.24: PHISH RADIO FROM LAS VEGAS

11am ET: Trey Anastasio Interview@ SXM Wynn Las Vegas

12pm ET: Last Night’s Sphere Show (N3 4.20.24 Las Vegas, NV)

3pm ET: The Bunny Goes To Vegas

4pm ET: SXM Vegas Highlights (Trey Wynn interview, listener events, etc)

7pm ET: Sphere Standouts – top 3 moments from N3

10pm ET: PHISH FINALE LIVE @ THE LAS VEGAS SPHERE

Trey Anastasio Discusses Phish at The Sphere (2025)

FAQs

What is the theme of Phish at the Sphere? ›

The Phish Sphere theme is land, sea, air and space. Last night was land. Today is sea. Tomorrow air.

What is the nickname for Phish fans? ›

Phish are well known to their loyal fans, called Phishheads, but the group's music and fan culture are otherwise polarizing to general audiences.

Is Trey Anastasio band the same as Phish? ›

Ernest Joseph "Trey" Anastasio III (born September 30, 1964) is an American guitarist, composer, and singer-songwriter best known as the lead guitarist of the rock band Phish, which he co-founded in 1983.

Does Trey Anastasio have a wife? ›

How many nights did Phish play at the Sphere? ›

But what they did for four April nights that made up Phish Live at Sphere in Las Vegas is not exactly like anything else they (or anyone else) have done. The sprawling, ambitious event was visually operatic in scope, taking full advantage of the technical and creative possibilities of the Sphere.

Who did the visuals for Phish at the Sphere? ›

For the four-night mini-residency of jam band Phish, the design and production team of Abigail Rosen Holmes, Moment Factory, Chris Kuroda, Atomic Design, and Tait made sure the experience for each show was unique.

What is the most played Phish song? ›

You Enjoy Myself

The most played Phish song ever – Phish.net counts 563 shows – "You Enjoy Myself" is a favorite for both phans and Phish themselves. Again, the lyrics are simple and ridiculous – "Boy! Man! God!

Is Justin Bieber a Phish fan? ›

Popster briefly takes a break from the club life to check out his favorite jam rockers. No doubt about it: Justin Bieber's a Phishhead.

Why is Phish spelled with a ph? ›

Name Origins

Some of the earliest hackers were known as phreaks. Phreaking refers to the exploration, experimenting and study of telecommunication systems. Phreaks and hackers have always been closely linked. The “ph” spelling was used to link phishing scams with these underground communities.

Who in Phish is sober? ›

Phish frontman Trey Anastasio, now 17 years sober, is set to open the doors to a residential recovery program, Divided Sky, in his native Vermont with the caseworker who helped him after he was arrested for heroin possession and driving under the influence in 2006. “We want to be available to everybody that needs help.

What do Phish fans call themselves? ›

Phish fans (or phans) are so proud of their community, and there's joy in belonging to it.

Why is Phish called Phish? ›

The name Phish comes from the drummer's last name, Jon FISHman. Trey said that he called the band Phish bc if he could watch anyone during a show, it'd be Fishman. *Trey's first instrument was drums, so not surprising he has such respect for Fishman.

How much is Phish worth? ›

Phish Net Worth: Phish is an American rock band who has a net worth of $200 million. Phish formed at the University of Vermont in 1983 and their current lineup was solidified in 1986. The band is known for their musical improvisation and jams which makes them a popular live band.

What guitar does Phish play? ›

Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer

Anastasio has been using two tube screamers "since the early days" according to the Phish guitarist in this video at (3:05). One is set on full scream for sustain and one on light distortion, sometimes both at once. He uses them when he's not using his digital effects.

How old are Phish? ›

Phish is an American rock band. They formed in Vermont in 1983, broke up in 2004, and reformed in 2009.

What is the theme of the Sphere by Michael Crichton? ›

Crichton explores the theme that humankind is its own worst enemy, carrying the seeds of its destruction. The divisions within society (professional, racial, sexual) that block humankind's... More summaries and resources for teaching or studying Sphere.

What is the meaning of Music of the Spheres Coldplay? ›

Concept and style. Music of the Spheres is set in a fictional solar system called The Spheres, which consists of nine planets, three natural satellites, one star, and one nebula. Each track on the album represents a celestial body in The Spheres.

What is the theme of the fisherman? ›

The story of "The Fisherman and His Wife" has several themes, including the dangers of greed, the pitfalls of ambition, and the power of contentment. The theme of this story is about the danger of greed and the importance of contentment.

What is the theme of Leviathan Scott Westerfeld? ›

In the book, LEVIATHAN, by Scott Westerfeld, the main theme is "Be careful who you trust." This book describes how a young boy of royal blood has to escape from his own country;their supposed allies had killed off his parents.

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