oh kee pah

A true test of endurance, they would have only a week off the whole tour, the week after the Halloween show. The tour went across the whole country, starting in California, and ending three month later in Lake Placid, NY. It had a chess tournament where the band and audience alternated making moves. The final score, 1-1. As the tour continued, the shows got stronger and reached a peak as they finally returned to their old stomping grounds in the Northeast and MidAtlantic states. I was fortunate enough to have caught four shows on this tour.

Phish have used their influence and extensive touring schedule to bring awareness to environmental issues. Their WaterWheel Foundation oversees all of the band's charitable activity by choosing organizations to support through donations and the sale of signed merchandise. With a focus on urban gardening, clean water and land conservation, WaterWheel has donated more than $550,000 to over 325 groups. In association with Reverb, Phish have also started an outreach organization called the Green Crew to clean up their tours, including their 2010 summer trip, and to inform fans about "traveling light" using the band's recommended resources for organic food, ride-share programs (with quantified emissions savings) and eco-friendly lodging. The group even incentivizes action with contests like the chance to win a live taping of the show by signing up to carpool.