Phish to Perform First All-Acoustic Set at Festival 8

Phish's massive Festival 8 in Indio, California, October 30th through November 1st won't just find the Vermont foursome resurrecting their Halloween tradition of covering another artist's full album: For the first time in Phistory, the jam quartet will perform an all-acoustic set on the morning of the festival's third day. According to Phish's official Website, "the set will take place at the crack of noon on Sunday morning." Saturday night, or Halloween, promises to be an all-night party, so to help the Phans out of their sleeping bags and shake off their hangovers, Phish will provide coffee and donuts to those who make it up in time for the acoustic set. We'd recommend guzzling down the coffee, as Phish will also play two more sets on Sunday. Phish also revealed the schedule for Festival 8, and as promised, eight sets will be spread over the course of the fest's three days.

As for "The Halloween Set," the middle of three sets on Saturday night that finds Phish assuming a "musical costume" and performing a classic album, Rolling Stone is still betting on Purple Rain, while our readers are hoping for Radiohead's OK Computer. The dark horse pick: Michael Jackson's Thriller. Past albums that Phish has covered on Halloween include the Beatles' White Album, Talking Heads' Remain in Light, the Who's Quadrophenia and the Velvet Underground's Loaded. We'll find out what Phish has in store in just over a month from now. Until then, check out the Festival 8 schedule below:

OFFICIAL FESTIVAL 8 PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

FRIDAY (10/30)

4:00PM Concert field opens
7:30PM Set 1
10:00PM Set 2

SATURDAY (10/31)

12:00PM Concert field opens
3:00PM Set 1
7:30PM The Halloween Set
10:00PM Set 3

SUNDAY (11/01)

10:00AM Concert field opens
12:00PM Acoustic Set
5:30PM Set 2
8:30PM Set 3

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Song Stories

“Weird”

Hanson | 1997

Accomplished tunesmith Desmond Child co-wrote "Weird" with the three brothers that make up Hanson. Credited for dozens of cuts, including songs by Kiss, Cher, Bon Jovi and Aerosmith, Child told Rolling Stone that "Weird" holds a special place in his heart, "because it's about being different--and I grew up poor, I grew up being Latin, I grew up being gay, and now I'm fat!" The song was included on Hanson's 1997 album Middle of Nowhere, which sold more than ten million units.

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