When I started phishfork I started it mainly because I was receiving complaints from the few followers I have over at hip2besquare.net. I started hip2besquare in 2005 and it was during my post-Phish musical phase. The reality is my post-Phish musical phase started some where around 2000 / 2001 when the band went on their first hiatus. Like many fans and even some of the band members, Big Cypress was a bit of a pinnacle and since it seemed like Phish had hit their peak, I started to explore outside of the jam scene. It started with Wilco, Flaming Lips and Yo La Tengo and quickly spread to Malkmus (and Pavement) then to bands like Hot Chip and LCD Soundsystem. The next thing you knew I was surrounded by Brooklyn hipsters at just about every show I attended.
It's no secret, Phish is perhaps the most successful cover band on the road today. Whether it be playing full albums back to back like they do at their Halloween shows (White Album, Remain in the Light, Loaded, etc.) or adopting a cover as one of their own (Also Sprach Zarathustra, Rock n Roll, Crosseyed n Painless), laying covers is part of their DNA. They take pride in being able to show respect to the bands that have inspired and continue do so throughout their career.
