PAGE McCONNELL: ON HIS OWN TWO FEET

Page's new "sound", if it could even be called that, is a prime example how a few good musicians can make a special band, and a good musician can make shitty music. Page's new music is most simply put, shitty. I hope the best for him, but this is definietly not it.

i love page! i have not heard the new album,but vida blue rocked it.i met him once and even though we were spun he was so nice to us.he told me a hole story about how he met tenacios d.im glad someone in phish is doing something. treys deal is getting boring,and i need some fun.

I have never heard Phish refered to as "The Boys". This nickname has always and will continued to be a reference to the Grateful Dead.

I love Page. "Boys" refers to a group of males. I love the Dead. But c'mon, should they have referred to them as "the girls"?

Nice to see Page doing his thang, and nice to see Brian doing his thang, holla!

lots of page articles, what the hell? phish is done. i've listened to this solo music and its awful. i've always liked page and respect him for trying to go solo, but this stuff is just bad. also, no more pictures or talk of coventry! phish is done and its been a while, the only reason these articles keep coming up is because of phish. some of the best shows i've ever been to were late-90s phish shows, but musically coventry was probably the worst show i've ever seen. it definitely wasn't page's fault though. sorry to be this way page, i hope to like your next album more.

geez kaiserbun your quite a douchebag

Throughout the night
when there's no direct light
and a thin veil of clouds
keeps the stars out of sight

I can smell the colors
outside on my lawn
the moist green organic
that my feet tread upon

and the black oleander
surrounded by blues
I'm soon overwhelmed
by olfactory hues

Kaiserbun is kind of right though, Coventry was one of the worst phish shows ever, Phish IS done, and Page's solo album is crap...but you know I've never listened to it...I just feel that any musician who played with the same band for 20 years has no right to go out on his own...ya know, to find his OWN voice...just keep singing Marshall's songs piano-boy.
Love,
(Tounge FIRMLY planted in cheek)
Trey Anastasio

P.S.- Rehab sucks!

Obviously anything "the boys" do for the next five to ten years will continue to generate a ton of buzz, but if their music really is "shit" then people will inevitably stop going. I can really relate to his comment about being trapped as a 24 year old, I think there are plenty of us in this scene that could stand to think about that. I saw my first phish show when I was 15....I'm still psycho about the band, but I've grown to appreciate good lyrics, sentimentality and soul, so far, for me, Page is on the right track.

i like your style jhacketh1. iknow i did.

and all throughout I gaze and glimpse you
loving never did convince you
I see you when you're all alone
it's like a person I've not known

the moment ends though I feel winds
blowing differently than ever before
and they're pushing me further from shore

a frothy cap the steady slap
of lines against the rail
a biting rain take in the main

up the rigging take in sail mind the skipper we'll not fail
he'll bring out wine all will be fine just hear the order watch the sail
the moment ends

nice job, brian! be a hero!

Phish has always been referred to as "the boys". Get educated duuuude.

It's like every article I read, marcsmall is on there saying something stupid or negative or both.

The Beatles were called "the boys" way before the Dead were. Next you are going to tell us Lovelight was written by Garcia/Hunter.

There was music before the Dead, alot of it pretty good too. And there is music after Phish. Its all around us, just take what you like, there is plenty for everyone.

right on danpfunk

Lunch time comes youve found your voice
It brings me to my knees

Page, first off THANK YOU. You have given us so much, and you continue to give. THANK YOU. It seems you really put a lot in to this album, and that is what matters. Everything else is just opinion, and for the most part isn't worth the time it takes to read it.

The pic of Page seated at the top of this page, it looks like he's constipated and trying to push out a monster #2. Maybe he stole some of Gay Trey's pills and has issues. Opiates do have the tendency to restrict the poo you know!

Saw Page and his band do his free show in Philly a couple weeks ago. It was fun. If the tour wasn't $25 a show I would go see them again. This band jams too!

Wow Kaiser gets -8 for tellin' it like it is?? I love Page too but give the Phish stuff a permanent rest please

Always haters flockin. I really dig Page's new album. The lyrics are thoughtful and poetic. The music is funky and none of the musicians step on toes. The more I listen to it the more I like it.

Phish was and always will be my favorite band. The experiences I have had at shows or simply listening to them can not be replaced.

Attach yourself to negativity and it will define you, attach yourself to positivity and it will refine you.

If you don't like there being articles about "the boys", don't read them. Plain and simple. But for those of us who love and miss them, as long as they are creating music, let there be articles. At least this one isn't about a junkie who will finally be getting the help he needed a long time ago. This one is about a musician who is pouring his heart and soul in to his music. While it may not be the best, it's from the heart and all I can hope is that Page sticks with it and keeps tickling the ivory. GIVE US SOME NORTHWEST LOVE!!!!!!!!!

If you don't like there being articles about "the boys", don't read them. Plain and simple. But for those of us who love and miss them, as long as they are creating music, let there be articles. At least this one isn't about a junkie who will finally be getting the help he needed a long time ago. This one is about a musician who is pouring his heart and soul in to his music. While it may not be the best, it's from the heart and all I can hope is that Page sticks with it and keeps tickling the ivory. GIVE US SOME NORTHWEST LOVE!!!!!!!!!

Good luck Page! It would be nice if there was at least ONE free mp3 or something. C'mon give me something for free..just once!

Article wasn't too hot. Written in a narrative style, often difficult to pull off with seriousness, I thought it was a bit cheesy. I think Page, aside from Fishman, has the smallest ego of the band and it shows. I can't wait for the show in Asheville.

awesome article! im glad that Page is still interested in working hard on music. Vida Blue proved to me that he had alot of great music to make outside of phish and im happy he is pressing onward....keep at it Page..we are all ears!

I read in a Trey interview either during the hiatus or after the breakup that one of his gripes was that he writes most of the new material for Phish and he was a bit tired of doing it all. perhaps Pages interest in developing his writing skills would add to the possability of more Phish somewhere down the road...who knows?

I'm wondering about Page's picutre for the album cover. Dosen't it seem like someone just told him something that he wasn't toally suprised to hear and then chuckled. Something that was maybe mildly suprising, but no where near totally shocking. Like this maybe:

"Page, dude, bad news man! Ernie got pinched last night in cowtonwn with dope and a bunch of pills; he's surely going to the (re) hab!"

Page factiously says, "no shit man, couldn't have seen that comin," leans back, smiles, and chuckles heartily.

Page's reaction in then caught and becomes his new album cover

Kaiserbun, (is that a Ween reference)

Classic shit never goes out of style. Should people stop reading Kurt Vonnegut's stuff now that he's dead? Phish will live on forever...there music will never fade. I've noticed a lot of people stop listening to Phish after Coventry...like they were a fad...It must be tough to be a music fan when you're close minded & immature.

P.S. Garcia's been gone a while now, it must be time to stop listening to the Grateful Dead too....yeah right!

"warm and welcoming as the smell of fresh coffee", "a caterpillar that's taken his time to emerge from his cocoon but is happy to finally spread his wings." seriously? try taking it to the deep end next time, my friend [laughs]

judge for yerself go to xpn.org page is on world cafe at 2:00 eastern time just go to listen live then choose xpn

but i got some more to say about people fronting on marc small and people who are missing a few verry important peices of the Phish puzzle.....(this is the stuff i expect alot of people to give a thumbs down)

I thought the post hiatus Phish was less than inspired and i think they were wise to hang it up before they became "charitutures of themselves". they were on thier way to GD status in the realms of musicainship...yikes! i was flinching during parts of tunes like YEM, myself...i bet i wasnt the only one (youall should see the footage from the post-hiatus flinch-cam...it really does show who in the audience is listening and who is just really, really high).

In my opinion, degridation to the bands ability to play thier own songs and play the kind of music that made them famous in the first place, BEGAN TO BUD when the band began taking the 'throne' from 'the boys'. there was a popular t shirt id see at the time im speeking of - 'steal your fans' - it was a phish logo inside of a steal your face image. i thought at the time to make shirts that said 'steal your venues' OR 'steal your scene' but never did. I loved both scenes (GD and Phish tour)and always will but for verry different reasons BUT THERE WAS A BIG DIFFERENCE between each's tour enviorment at the time.

so, who might be brave enough to ask "what happened to phish, anyway?" alot of things if you ask me but i noted a change in the scene when they were building in the direction of bigger venues...it was the 'Greatfulldeadification' of the Phish scene that began to take the wind out of the bands creative sails, if you ask me. even Mike couldnt hear himself on the suddenly HUGE stages as a mountains worth of bass would just "woosh" and dissapate into the huge arenas (fucking caves)phish was beginning to play - regular GD venues in most cases. Alot of the connection Phish had with an audience had to do with going from playing old movie houses to suddenly playing GD venues. deadheads didnt all like Phish's music at the time and Phish heads sometimes felt the same about the GD...if you can belive it there were differences between the two scenes. a popular idea on phish tour at the time was that the 'dready vw bus kind veggie dead lot image' was nothing but trouble. alot of people at the time felt that if Phish's scene turned into the 'Deads scene we would have the same troubles that the dead scene had. too many hard drugs, thugs and cops...it happened....all the way to the top. ask Trey's counselers...

anyway...

when Phish were all about 15 years old...a popular way to express that you were going to a Gratefull Dead show was to say.."im going to see THE BOYS". people probably started saying it about phish because they wanted to see them do as well as a band as the GD and wanted to be supportive.....or they were trying to 'Gratefulldeadify'the Phish scene....or they were trying to sound like a way cool tour head who knows the jargon....either way...this was a time when you could say "im going on tour" or "im going to see the boys" and people would, if they were hip to the scene, think "oh, this individual is going to see the 'fat man'". i think marcsmalls point is that calling Phish the boys is like calling Trey 'the fat man'.

but...as long as we dont know any better collectively we can say what we want,right? this scene is obviously going so many great new places these days that we dont really need to have a clue where we come from, right? we have DSO to keep things real...right?

whatever.

I also feel that what Page is doing right now has more to do with the creative spirit that fueled phish's fire in the in the first palce. going around fucking up old favorites every night like Phish did during thier last bubch of years was a bad idea. it only reinforces the super-bunk idea that Phish is, or was ever, trying to be the Gratefull Dead.

damn evilfunk all that bs over " the boys " get a grip
con jec ture

happy 420, or Friday, Phish is great, never saw any thugs at phish shows, just scraggley, skinny,hippies lookin for miracle tickets.

Evilfunk--Exactly......Now back to my OG Kush and S.A.G.E.

Wow. These boards would be much better if everyone took the time to write well thought-out messages like EVILFUNK. Critical thinking is contagious, and we need more of it in this world. I will be the first to admit that I love Phish as a whole more than I do Page as a solo act, but Phish's time is over. We have to look at the positives of the disbandment. If Phish was still around touring today, many of the newer up-and-comers (Keller, STS9, TDB, UM, TLG, Particle) would not nearly have the following they have now, and who knows, maybe they never would have gotten the attention they deserve. Also, SCI probably didn't mind increasing their fan base/tour heads. I guess it just depends who you ask. I'd much rather have many bands to follow and listen to rather than one super-group. This wouldn't have been a huge problem except for the fact that the tour scene was getting ridiculous. I think the band realized that a growing percentage of the band's following wasn't really their for music at all. So I say thanks to Phish for stepping down and allowing these other bands who are ready to take their 'musical risks', just like Phish did so well for all of us through the years :)

how about some positive thoughts instead of busting each others balls? it's about the music.all i have to say, is right on Page keep doing that voodoo that you do oh so well.

well, marcsmall - the kush was a bit pricey this week at the dispensary here in SF but it was SICK! I had some O.D. sage X deisel that was awesome too! (STRICTLY MEDICINAL - DOH!!)

HAPPY 4/20 EVERYONE!

IF YOU HAVE THE NEW PAGE RECORD (I DONT) PLEASE, PUT YOUR SPEAKERS IN THE WINDOW AND CRANK IT UP SO LOUD THE FAT MAN CAN HEAR IT!

Damn EVILFUNK, what gives? I remember about two months ago or so, every time I saw your name on the boards I KNEW it was going to antagonize someone. But lately, you have been one of the voices of reason on this site. Did you start celebrating for today a little early :-)

I'm definitely looking forward to more from Page. For me personally, he was the soul of Phish. LOVED listening to Page. Loved It!!! In fact, I'm listening to Page get down on the Tweeprise from Shoreline '98 right now. Ahhhhhhhhh.

Happy 4/20 to everyone!!

HAPPY 4/20!

Hempy New Year all ya'll!!! The music at Coventry had its moments but, it did suck!!! This is because the music had always been a reflection of the relationship of the band with themselves, each other, us, and all combos of the above at the same nonlinear point in time. With a final show and much Family lost, we weren't as Irish as we could've been!!! By that I mean we lamented the loss of something that hadn't been great for quite awhile rather than celebrating the LIFE shared by all involved (the band, their affiliates, us 'kids', those custies, all o' us) and that weight things down by 5 lbs, 6lbs, 7lbs!!!! Music mirroring a moment... what a concept!!! So if you can say it sucked you must admit to your role as well. I think Vida Blue shows/ed POTential yet they were very green. Page well be our generation's Hornsby!!! If we can form a new bond and support him thick and thin maybe he can do the same for us....Building a double helix of Love and Light... Might sound idealistic but I'm getting a hold of the me I lost in the drama of tour...after all 'was it for this my life I sought?'

great read bavosa. i'm glad the jambase editors' delete key took it easy on your first-person jaunts, that I, personally enjoyed. it's tough to make sense of 1-hour interviews and tie a bow on the whole point of it all. Great read about perhaps, the most humble keyboardist on the scene. cheers to Bavosa, jambase's smooth editing and Pageside Rageside y'all

I can understand why many of you are not immediately loving Page's album, but I'm sitting here listening to the show he played recently at Gramercy Theater and it's killer. The musicianship is top notch, there are plenty of jams to go around and it's all original. I'd say give these guys a couple of weeks to rehearse/get warmed up for this tour, and they'll be blistering some eardrums (sorry, I can't ever say 'melting faces' again...it had to be done).

Well written and a interesting article. Quite engaging even if you aren't familiar with the person. Page has a lot potential and I look forward to see what happens.

i heard coventry was not good. trey was probably too messed up. phish used to tear it up, hope rehab. helps.

oh yeah, i'm glad page is back from hiding. i used to love sitting "page side".

I wen to the see Covetnry cybercast at a local movie theatre and we got an upclose view of everything. Trey was itching and sniffing like crazy. I have a feeling that will be the reason it won't be released on DVD. I couldn't bring myself to drive that far knowing it would be THE last Phish show, I drove to Hampton knowing it would be MY last Phish show, but I couldn't bring myself to drive to THE last Phish show. Now ever show that I drive to I just wish I was going to see Phish. I MISS PHISH!!!!!

Anywhere where we can listen to this

Good work Page, just don't get Phish back together, or you'll ruin the good times before.

Why soo many hater's who doesn't want to see phish get back together, you guys are just out of your mine. People who say they won't be the same might be a little right, but common people if in a few years they decide to get back together, I'm sure every single one of you would get your tickets in a heart beat. Phish was and still is the best BAND in the JamScene.

scarphace - anywhere i can see this coventry show? i want to hear what all the negetive hype is all about, see for myself. I hear you all fellas, I MISS PHISH!!

I have always thought that Page made tha band of Phish for me so I have to say I love the new album. Cant wait to see him in Detroit

... i love phish, just like anyone else, but i dont know what to think of pages new stuff. I mean, i dont really lik it but its good to see him up and out and happy. He has this new sense of freedom, writing music, playing with new musicians, and not have the burden of phish following him, which must be good.

Him and fishman are by far the coolest of the group. I met page a couple times in burlington, once at mike gordons art exhibit downtown last year... he was with his daughter and it was wonderful to see them enjoying eachother. Of course i talked to him for a couple of minutes and he was really one of the nicest, most down to earth people ive met. A couple days later, i saw him again in burlington. He was carrying all of these boxes and i offered to hold the door for him once i saw who it was. He remembered my name and talked to me a little more when he came down. We ended talking about how i live in the town over from where he grew up in new jersey. Also, that he went to school literally 2 minutes from my house. He finally had to go but it was awesome meeting him because i could tell he was just happy to be able to live a normal life with his kid.

Im glad hes happy with what hes doing because thats all that really matters. opinions are opinions, people have the right to not like it, but at least appreciate it. Im sure he doesnt care at all what any of us think because in the end its not about us, its about what HE wants to do.


ps.. that writer is a little cheesy but whatever ha

You also have to realize that Page was previously playing with Trey, one of the top 20-30 Psychedelic guitar players on the planet.

All you long winded preachy assholes need to shut the fuck up! Phish is what is was what it was and is going to be what it is going to be. If I wanted a preacher I'd go to church. Don't tell other people how to think or feel about music! Fucking Facists!

Just met page thursday, me and my buddies walked over to a local radio station he was playing at (PYX 106 Albany) we're 15, never seen phish but are diehard fans. just seeing him playing in the studio and talking to him made me realize what a great guy he is, and that there is more to life than just the music

fantastic article, brian! what a great read :)

So apparently we aren't allowed to have opinions anymore, theheatson? Who is calling who a fascist? Thanks for a good laugh though. Ha!

fuck off for covering my messabe

i listened to the new album...wow... gotta say..it kinda blows. Most of the music is chessy and a little gay sounding. there is that one kinda funky song. i love page in Phish. After hearing Page/Gordo/Fish 's music outside of Phish it is becomming appearant that TREY was mainly responsible for the PHISH sound.

I think that theheatson is yelling at his parents when he calls us fascists, projection doesn't help. Must be tough only seeing Phish when the mailman brings your Netflix. Last I knew, preaching, even if about the preaching of others, was still preaching!!! 2.0 4 60 ought to be his license plate, better yet he should've drank the Kool-Aid w/ Heaven's Gate. Sucka MC Amateurs

fluffdon ... they were all responsible for the phish sound, its just that watever other musical projects they do arent going to sound like phish because theyre not making phish music. id say mike gordon is the one who is doing teh best since the break up, i ve seen many times and he alays keep that funky shit coming!!

this comment thread is so totally hetty.

marcsmalls you are a douche bag-
you do constantly post negative bullshit and then referring to what herb you are smoking just makes you look like the douche that you are. By the way, trey, one of the top
20-30 psychedelic rock guitarist? are you fucking joking? try top 5 and maybe it it believable.

stop all this division damnit!!

they are allll the boys. grateful dead, phish and panic.

of course I am used to panic being called that the most ,but hey.. I love all the bands, so they can all be THE BOYS. hell call them what you want. :P

looking forward to the atlanta show!

if we are going to call anyone the boys other than the GD id say that 'Panic fits...lets give them the throne too...they are sick with Herring and deserve the hype!

Nicely stated milesgone

Afterall, everything is subjective.

PM album, has FOUR good tracks.. the rest is SAPPY!!!!!!!!!

I have not heard the album, with the exception of "Beauty of a Broken Heart" which is being rammed through on Sirius 17. If that tune is any indication, this album is going to give head to rhino everywhere.

P.S.:Fluffdon's profile pic is neck and neck with Dwight Schrute's as the coolest ever.

I finally got around to listening to the new Page this weekend. I didn't think I'd like it as much as I do. I was... less than impressed by Vida Blue. This new CD is incredible, though! It's deep. It really gets inside your head and kind of digs itself a little niche. Obviously, it's hard to describe. But, whether you like Vida Blue or not, you should give it a listen.

i liked vida blue way more than the new album... not to put page down or anything, and i havent heard the whole thing either, but thats just fromw hat i heard. its just not my style, but still great songwriting none the less. but vida tore man, funky, fast, upbeat shit.

I actually find Page's new album really hard to listen to. I here fractions of Phish and it actually becomes somewhat devestating for me. Out of all the band members doing solo projects(except Fishman) this one hits closer to the Phish tone more than Mike and Trey. Mike went Jazzy with Leo Kottke and Trey went too poppy. Its nice to see Page hold his ground, even if this album is hard for me to listen to.

I just heard "Back in the Basement". They should have left the masters there.

Can't wait for the show in Asheville!

OHHH for gods sake. vida blue was wayyyyyyyyyyyyy cooler than this release.. puuuuuleaseeeeeeeee..