Phish’s Father’s Day Celebrations With Family Members

Back in 2009 and continuing each year through 2012, Phish carried out an annual Father’s Day tradition by bringing their children out on stage during the playing of their song “Brother.” The first occurrence came as the band opened their show at Alpine Valley in East Troy, Wisconsin on Sunday, June 21, 2009. With a large metal tub placed at the front of the stage, Phish began “Brother” and one-by-one their children filled the tub. “Brother” would be played on Father’s Day each of the next three years, with an ever-expanding lineup of kids piling in the tub.

Trey Anastasio’s two daughters Eliza and Izabella, Page McConnell’s three daughters Maxine, Delia and Wynn, Mike Gordon’s daughter Tessa and Jon Fishman’s daughters Ella, Rosie and Lily as well as the lone brother, Jon Fishman’s son Jack joined in the tradition. In 2010, lighting director Chris Kuroda’s daughter Alexandra also got in on the action.

The 2011 Father’s Day show on Sunday, June 19 at nTelos Pavilion, Portsmouth, Virginia, was the only one of the four in which “Brother” didn’t open the show. Instead, Phish began with “Harpua” and brought their own fathers – Bob Gordon, Ernie Anastasio, Leonard Fishman and the late Dr. Jack McConnell – on stage to help sing the song’s verses. “Harpua” as well as all four versions of “Brother” are featured below.

As a Father’s Day bonus, here’s Page’s dad Jack, who died in 2018, singing “Bill Bailey, Won’t You Please Come Home?” (as he did a number of times over the years) from Phish’s October 15, 2010 concert at North Charleston Coliseum, North Charleston, South Carolina:

https://vimeo.com/51635592

[Updated from original article published on June 21, 2015.]