Spam Allstars Hint At Return Of Vida Blue

On New Year’s Eve 2001 – 2002 Phish keyboardist Page McConnell debuted a new project at Roseland Ballroom in New York City dubbed Vida Blue featuring bassist Oteil Burbridge and drummer Russell Batiste. Page named the trio after famed MLB pitcher Vida Blue and wound up making a deal with a screamo band out of Iowa City with the same name, who then changed their name to “Ten Grand” purportedly based on the amount they were paid to change names. Vida Blue collaborated with South Florida’s Spam Allstars for their final tour, a 2003 studio album and a 2004 live release. Today, the Spam Allstars have shared a post on Facebook that indicates they will return to the studio with the long-mothballed Vida Blue.

“14 years ago we had the honor to record and perform with Page McConnell’s Vida Blue with Russell Batiste & Oteil Burbridge. Today Spam Allstars are looking forward to getting into the studio again with this crew!! Stay tuned…,” reads the post from the band’s FB page. The post then tags the members of the Spam Allstars and includes a video from June 5, 2004 found on the project’s Live At The Fillmore DVD in which the group welcomes their namesake, six-time MLB all-star pitcher Vida Blue and then performs one of their signature songs – “Most Events Aren’t Planned”:

Page has focused on Phish since the band’s 2009 reunion outside of a handful of Meter Men gigs. Oteil Burbridge helped form Dead & Company after the Allman Brothers Band broke up, while Batiste plays with a variety of New Orleans-based projects. The Spam Allstars continue to perform and record out of their South Florida base. We will indeed be staying tuned. In the meantime, JamBase has reached out to Page’s reps for comment.

[Hat Tip – P. Johnson]