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Phish Near Halloween Set: “Purple Rain,” MGMT Still Contenders

10/30/09, 4:20 pm EST

Photo: Kravitz/FilmMagic

On Halloween night tomorrow in Indio, California, Phish will once again put on a “musical costume” at Festival 8 and revive their Halloween tradition of performing another artist’s album. We’ve kept on an eye on the Vermont jam band’s art gallery of album covers on the Festival 8 site, where Phish have been systematically killing off potential albums as candidates for the Halloween set.

Get into the Halloween spirit by checking out photos of rockers in costumes.

Favorites like Bruce Springsteen’s Born to Run, Nirvana’s Nevermind and, most recently, Michael Jackson’s Thriller have all been eliminated, leaving just eight classic albums unharmed, one of which will be performed by Phish tomorrow night:

• David Bowie – Hunky Dory
• Genesis – The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway
• Jimi Hendrix – Electric Ladyland
• King Crimson – Larks’ Tongues In Aspic
• MGMT – Oracular Spectacular
• Prince – Purple Rain
• Radiohead – Kid A
• Rolling Stones – Exile on Main Street

From the outset, Rolling Stone predicted that Purple Rain will be picked, while our readers — who had hoped for OK Computer — might instead get Kid A. However, the dark horse all along has been MGMT’s Oracular Spectacular, an album one person in our comment section swore would be the band’s choice on October 31st even before it appeared on the Festival 8 site. According to JamBands.com, Trey Anastasio teased MGMT’s “Kids” during a soundcheck yesterday, October 29th. A sign of things to come? We’ll find out tomorrow night.

As Rolling Stone previously reported, past Halloween sets from Phish have featured the Beatles’ White Album, Talking Heads’ Remain in Light, the Who’s Quadrophenia and Velvet Underground’s Loaded. In addition to the musical costume set, Phish will play two sets tonight, three sets tomorrow and a trio of sets on Sunday to wrap up Festival 8, including an early bird acoustic set complete with donuts and coffee. Rolling Stone will be in Indio this weekend for all the phestivities, so keep it here all weekend.

Related Stories:

Phish Announce Fall Tour, Hint at “Born to Run” For Halloween Set
Phish Tease Fans With Halloween Cover Options: Nirvana, MGMT
Phish Announce Festival 8 In California, Bring Back Halloween Cover Band Tradition


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Comments

mjr | 10/30/2009, 4:50 pm EST

MGMT would be AWESOME!!!

yaz | 10/30/2009, 5:36 pm EST

WHAT HAPPENED TO UPSTAIRS AT ERICS

kgk | 10/30/2009, 6:48 pm EST

MGMT would be awesome, but Trey teased it during soundcheck yesterday and there goes that. What “Kids” ? Not hardly a guitar song so this article is irrelevent. I feel like a FOX news reporter right now. Always diffusing the libs side. And for what….the secret killer, LET IT BLEED! Way to go guys! Awesome game alla 95 chess board! friggin awesome! rock it hard!

Anonymous | 10/30/2009, 7:57 pm EST

It’s going to be Floyd. Either The Wall or Meddle. Meddle would be f**king awesome!

Doc | 10/30/2009, 9:37 pm EST

It will be Electric Ladyland. Bank on it.

Bill Bruford's influence | 10/30/2009, 10:50 pm EST

they also covered starship trooper, a song by YES, who bill bruford played for and then created king crimson. so king crimson is m pick and has been before anything from phish was released about bands theyd be covering

Briandrum | 10/30/2009, 11:46 pm EST

All I can say is right now, as I type this, they’re on stage and are absolutely shredding!!!! Lovin it!!

Chewy | 10/31/2009, 12:51 am EST

when exactly did Phish cover Starship Trooper- i need to hear that

horje | 10/31/2009, 2:21 am EST

MGMT sucks. Who would want to pay to see Phish cover that garbage? I’d rather listen to Free for 4 or 5 hours straight than 5 minutes of MGMT. Goddamnit Phish, just cover WIDE SPREAD PANIC. They are awesome.

john | 10/31/2009, 9:36 am EST

if your own music sucks you should cover somebody else. they are not half as good as they think they are.

nostradamus | 10/31/2009, 10:59 am EST

hunky dory will be it

JackShaftoe | 10/31/2009, 1:33 pm EST

Would love to hear Mike’s take on MGMT!

blake | 10/31/2009, 3:42 pm EST

hey john. so are you a troll for halloween this year?

itwillbe | 10/31/2009, 3:49 pm EST

Rolling Stones – Exile on Main Street

xz | 10/31/2009, 4:15 pm EST

it’s Exile on Main Street. friend at the fest just texted me; they passed out handbills.

drac | 10/31/2009, 4:16 pm EST

and its officially the stones! exile

mgmtfan | 10/31/2009, 6:27 pm EST

is it official- exile? S/b good.

Anonymous | 10/31/2009, 6:53 pm EST

Phish will cover the Rolling Stones’ famed 1972 release Exile On Main Street this evening as party of its Halloween tradition of covering another artist’s album in its entirety. The band broke the news by handing out a series of “Phishbill” programs to fans as they entered the venue area of the band’s Festival 8 site Saturday afternoon. Sharon Jones, the lead singer of the Dap-Kings, will sing backup with the group. In addition, Dave Guy (trumpet), David Smith (trombone), Tony Jarvis (sax guitar) and Saundra Williams (vocals) will support the group during its set.

Phish fans should be familiar with the Stones’ double LP, as the band has covered the album’s ninth track, “Loving Cup,” since the 1990s. The Phishbill comes complete with an essay on Exile on Main Street written by rock scribe David Fricke, fake advertisements for David Bowie with UB40 shows at Miami, Fl’s American Airlines Arena from December 28-31 (where Phish is rumored to play this New Year’s Eve) and Time Turns Elastic Sweatpants, and humorous band bios (and who doesn’t love the sweet vocals on Page “Mc” Connell). In an elaborate Who’s Who in the Crew section, the band also jokes that Tour Manager Richard Glasgow “currently owns stock in Ticketmaster, TicketsNow, eBay, Stubhub, MusicToday and Craigslist” (no wonder Phish tickets sell out so quickly).

Benniedajew | 10/31/2009, 7:30 pm EST

exile on main st

Mack | 10/31/2009, 8:31 pm EST

Stones Baby! I was hoping for MGMT or Purple Rain, but hey, Exile’s a great album.

Anonymous | 10/31/2009, 10:04 pm EST

The ONLY good thing about Phish, is Phish Food ice cream from Ben & Jerrys.

But other than that, you can keep your dirty hippies and your endlessly meandering jam music.

EVIL | 11/1/2009, 12:14 am EST

Is there anyone here over twenty??
Exile on Main street is like a biography of Trey’s career. Goes like this: Had alot of fun, fucked around and got in trouble, leaned on the people who love me a little too hard, found redemption and survived. If they didnt play this record I would think they were effin crazy. That being said…Keith Richards should kill Trey. Listening to the webcast now and I have to say, Trey is a horrible guitar player. Just rubbish !

Number one Phan | 11/1/2009, 12:26 am EST

Make sure your comments are positive only. Keith Richards would love how skillfully Trey covers stones tunes. In fact, Trey is the best guitar player EVER ! That being said, who knew it would be Exile?? Afterall. Purple rain or some crappy nirvana album is waaaay more Phish style….right?

Anonymous | 11/1/2009, 10:52 am EST

I’m Anonymous and I like to sit around eating ice cream and reading about things I don’t like.

brian | 11/1/2009, 9:48 pm EST

if you dont them or the music dont listen. it probally pisses you off when people put down the the music you love. i dont like phish i think they are over rated so i dont listen.to each their own.

RBC | 11/7/2009, 2:33 am EST

This show was epic and phish nailed ‘exile’ to perfection. I recommend everyone to get a copy of 10/31…the others as well.

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