Jam Central Station 09.12.09: Phish Profiles Part 1 - Page McConnell
Posted by Jeff Modzelewski on 09.12.2009
Jam Central Station starts it's multi-part exploration into the music of Phish with a closer look at the man on the keyboards, the "chairman of the board," Page McConnell!
Football season starts this week, which, for me, means fantasy football! The Purple Headed Warriors are set to dominate two leagues this year: one is a family league and the other is a group of folks that I met through Rothbury this year. Bragging rights are the primary reward for the winner in both, although the winner in my family league gets a trophy for the year and the winner in the Rothbury league will be treated to whatever mind-altering substances they prefer at Rothbury 2010.
Of course, football season also means another year following the Browns. I'm not very optimistic about our chances this year, although I don't think we'll do as bad as some of the talking heads on ESPN seem to think. 8-8 is a real possibility, and I'm looking for the team to develop a new RB. We've got some good options, that's for sure. Anyways, I know you're not here to listen to my sports commentary, so I'll keep it short and get on with the main attraction!
When I started this column, I knew that tackling Phish would be one of the most difficult projects that I would have to undertake. First off, there's no way that I could do Phish just in one column. This is Jam Central Station, and, while I may be able to squeeze The Allman Brothers into one column, Phish needs more. As a jam band, Phish is surpassed only by The Grateful Dead in terms of fanbase and influence. They're history is remarkable, and the legacy that they have already left guarantees them a spot as one of the greatest American bands of all time.
So, as you can imagine, I had a hard time figuring out what to do with Phish. I'm the first to admit that, while I'm a fan of Phish and I have a ton of respect for the band, my knowledge of Phish is miniscule compared to many diehard Phish heads. So I looked at this as an opportunity not only to bring the band to some folks that may not be familiar with their music, but also as a way to educate myself on how Phish got to where they are and what some of the most important moments in the band's history have been.
I decided on a two-part approach to Phish. The first part will be profiles of each individual band member, starting with Page McConnell this week, and moving on to Mike Gordon, Jon Fishman, and Trey Anastasio. After that, I'll be doing at least a 2 part piece on the band as a whole. It may end up being a 3 part piece, and I need to figure out where I would split it up. But we've got at least 6 weeks of Phish coverage for you here at Jam Central Station before I move back to my normal format.
One more thing before I get started this week. As I stated, I am by no means a Phish expert. I'm going to miss things. I'm going to leave important things out. I'm likely going to make mistakes. Please, if you are a Phish fan, let me know. Leave comments. I'm going to try to be comprehensive and interesting, without getting long-winded. Any help is appreciated. So let's get started with this week's subject, Phish keyboardist Page McConnell.
Page McConnell grew up to be a musician. He began playing piano at the age of four, and, by the time he was in seventh grade, he was playing in local bands in New Jersey. He was very proficient at playing music "by ear," without ever being a strong music reader. He quit taking music lessons in ninth grade, although he continued to read about and study musical theory, specifically jazz and blues theory.
Page spent much of his high school career playing in local bands. He practiced by playing along with albums that he owned, both mimicking the music on the albums and improvising his own parts. After spending two years at studying music at Southern Methodist University in Texas, Page transferred to Goddard College in Vermont. At Goddard, Page dedicated himself to developing his own technique as a musician, recording on his own at the school and playing with other musicians. Page quickly found his place in the local music scene, playing with Love Goat, Pueblo Fever, and Tom's Sub Shop.
It was at this time that Page would meet up with the already-formed Phish. He was introduced to the band at a show called Springfest in May of 1985, and, by September, he was a member of the band, the last member to join. By 1986, the band's final lineup of Trey, Page, Mike, and Fish was in place.
In 1987, Page began taking lessons again, this time with a jazz pianist named Lar Duggan. While learning under Duggan, Page stated that he felt that Duggan wouldn't tell him which direction to go in a solo or improvisation, but that Duggan helped him figure out how to explore the directions that he wanted to go. His work with Duggan, along with playing compositions written by Trey and other work that he did studying classical piano, gave Page more confidence both as a soloist and an accompanist.
As Page continued studying jazz at Goddard, he found himself most heavily influenced by Bill Evans, Duke Ellington, and Art Tatum. By studying these artists, Page continued to grow in his ability to communicate with other band members musically. This would be a huge asset as he continued as a member of Phish. He also used these artists to develop his own understanding of how classical and jazz music came together, and how he would be able to use his knowledge of both as a pianist.
As Phish grew as a band, Page became not just the keyboardist but also an influential vocalist for the band. While not a primary songwriter (he's only credited as writing a handful of songs on his own), Page provides many lead and backing vocals for the band. He takes the lead on well-known Phish songs such as "Strange Design," "Silent in the Morning," "It's Ice," and "Lawn Boy" while he shares lead vocals on "Sample in a Jar," "Sleep," "Fly Famous Mockingbird," "Rift," "Bouncing Around the Room" and many others. He also takes lead vocals on many cover songs, such as "Walk Away" by the James Gang and "Sweet Jane" by the Velvet Underground, along with many of the Pink Floyd songs that the band has covered throughout the years.
Musically, Page seems to effortlessly transition between soloing and providing melody. When the band is at the top of it's game improvisationally, Page is often a primary director of where the band goes in their jamming, even if he's not the primary soloist. His distinct sound allows Trey to continue to be the "band leader" while Page provides strong support behind him.
Outside of Phish, Page has probably been the least active in other projects. He released two albums and one DVD as a part of Vida Blue, an electronic trio that also included Oteil Burbridge from The Allman Brothers Band and Russell Batiste from The Meters. He also released a solo album in 2006, simply entitled "Page McConnell." The other members of Phish all played on the album, although not on the same tracks.
I'm highlighting a few Page performances, starting with a show from just about a month ago. Here's Oh! Sweet Nuthin' from August this year. Only the second time Phish has played this Velvet Underground song.
And a James Gang cover from 1990.
And Page plays to the crowd during "Lawn Boy"
Page plays "Stuck In The Middle" at a show in 2007
And a couple of Vida Blue songs. Couldn't find any videos, so we just have the music.
Over the next couple of weeks I'll be showing some highlights from moe.down X from this past weekend. Here's moe with "The Pit"
Widespread Panic announce fall tour
You'll be getting a lot of tour info this weekend, and we'll start with Widespread Panic. Panic will be on tour all through November, starting actually on October 30 and 31 in Austin and going through November 28 in South Carolina. Here are the dates for the whole run.
October 30-31 Austin, TX—Austin Music Hall
November 1 New Orleans, LA—Voodoo Experience
November 3 El Paso, TX—Abraham Chavez Theatre
November 4 Phoenix, AZ—Dodge Theatre
November 6-8 Los Angeles, CA—Orpheum Theatre
November 10 Reno, NV—Grand Sierra Theatre
November 12-14 Oakland, CA—Fox Theatre
November 17-18 Kansas City, MO—Midland Theatre
November 18 Kansas City, MO—Midland Theatre
November 20-22 Milwaukee, WI—Riverside
Theatre November 24 Royal Oak, MI—Royal Oak Theatre
November 25 Indianapolis, IN—Murat Theatre
November 27-28 Charleston, SC—N. Charleston Coliseum
Lineup announced for Power for the Peaceful
Power for the Peaceful, the annual free show that Michael Franti and Spearhead put on in San Francisco, will be held this weekend in Golden Gate Park. The lineup has been announced, and, along with Franti, the show will include Alanis Morissette, Sly and Robbie, DJ Adnan, Ren they Vinyl Archeologist, and many others. This is the 11th annual festival, and it promises to be a big event now that Franti is getting some mainstream radio play.
Phish Memorabilia to benefit Delta Gamma Center
The Mimi Fishman Foundation will be auctioning off a slew of Phish memorabilia to benefit the Delta Gamma Center for Children with Visual Impairments. The auction includes tickets to Phish Festival 8, paintings from the 2009 Red Rocks show, and a number of autographed posters. Head here if you want to bid.
Bill Kreutzmann added to Las Tortugas
If you're still looking for Halloween plans, head out to Yosemite, CA for Las Tortugas (The Dance of the Dead). Bill Kreutzmann has been added as the "Honored Guest" for the weekend. Bands already on the bill include Umphrey's McGee, Tea Leaf Green, Hot Buttered Rum, and New Monsoon. Tickets for the weekend are a reasonable $160, and are still available.
Matisyahu confirms tour dates
Matisyahu is heading back out on the road in support of his latest album, Light. The two-month trek will open on October 17 in Calgary and head east, ending with an December 8 show in Rochester NY and a December 9 appearance on The Late Show With David Letterman. No word yet about his annual Hanukah shows in New York City, but an announcement on that probably isn't too far off. Here are the confirmed dates.
October 17 Calgary, CAN—Flames Central
October 18 Vancouver, CAN — Commodore Ballroom
October 19 Eugene, OR — McDonald Theatre
October 20 Santa Cruz, CA — The Catalyst
October 21 Anaheim, CA — House of Blues
October 22 San Francisco, CA — The Fillmore
October 24 San Diego, CA — Kick Gas Festival
October 25 Tempe, AZ — Marquee Theatre
October 27 Denver, CO — The Fillmore
October 29 Des Moines, IA — Peoples
October 31 Milwaukee, WI — Pabst Theater
November 2 St. Louis, MO — The Pageant
November 3 Chicago, IL — House of Blues
November 4 Champaign, IL — Foellinger Auditorium (University of Illinois)
November 5 Omaha, NE — Slowdown
November 8 New Orleans, LA — House of Blues
November 10 Raleigh, NC — The Lincoln Theatre
November 11 Charlotte, NC — Fillmore
November 12 Greenville, SC — The Handlebar
November 14 Charleston, SC — Music Farm
November 15 Asheville, NC — The Orange Peel
November 16 Lexington, KY — Buster's
November 17 Norfolk, VA — The Norva November 18 Richmond, VA — The National
November 19 Myrtle Beach, SC — House of Blues
November 21 Baltimore, MD — Sonar
November 22 Worcester, MA — The Palladium
November 23 Burlington, VT — Higher Ground
November 24 Albany, NY — Northern Lights
November 25 Washington, DC — Sixth & I Historic Synagogue
November 28 Atlantic City, NJ — The Borgata November
29 Montreal, CAN — Le Medley
November 30 Toronto, CAN — The Phoenix
December 1 Hartford, CT — Webster Theatre
December 2 Cleveland, OH — House of Blues
December 3 Cincinnati, OH — Bogart's
December 6 West Palm Beach, FL — WPBZ Radio Show
December 7 Detroit, MI — St. Andrews
December 8 Rochester, NY — The Armory
State Radio announces tour
State Radio is also hitting the road this fall, including both headlining shows and a run with 311. They'll start off their headlining shows on September 29 in Boston through November 7 in Montreal, and they'll join up with 311 starting November 22 through December 6. Ever the political band, they'll also be playing a show to protest the G20 in Pittsburgh on September 24.
Neil Young to release 1992 acoustic show
Neil Young will release Dreamin' Man: Neil Young Archive Performance Series #12, which features a show from 1992. The show is an acoustic performance from Seattle, and is slated to be released "on or about November 2", which is 17 years after the release of Harvest Moon.
Grace Potter and the Nocturnals team up with Brett Drennan
Grace Potter and the Nocturnals will head out on the road with Brett Drennan for a month-long run starting in November. The bands will co-headline the shows, and alternate closing duties. The tour opens on November 13 and runs through December 12, and sadly does not hit Columbus. They are in Cleveland on the day before Thanksgiving, and I may have to see about catching that one. This is easily one of the fall tours that I'm most excited about.
November 13 Nashville, TN - Cannery Ballroom
November 14 Atlanta, GA - The Tabernacle
November 16 Baltimore, MD - Rams Head Live!
November 17 Washington, DC - 930 Club
November 19 Boston, MA - House of Blues
November 20 New York, NY - Terminal 5
November 21 Philadelphia, PA - Trocadero
November 23 Toronto, ON - The Guvernment
November 24 Detroit, MI - St. Andrews Hall
November 25 Cleveland, OH - House of Blues
November 27 Minneapolis, MN - Pantages Theatre
November 28 Chicago, IL - House of Blues
November 30 Milwaukee, WI - Turner Hall
December 1 Des Moines, IA - People's Court
December 3 Denver, CO - Ogden Theatre
December 5 Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom
December 6 Seattle, WA - Moore Theatre
December 7 Vancouver, BC - Commodore Ballroom
December 10 San Diego, CA - House of Blues
December 11 Tempe, AZ - Marquee Theatre
December 12 Los Angeles, CA - The Wiltern
Railroad Earth announce New Years Eve Run
More shows are coming in for News Years this year. Railroad Earth will be doing a four-date set out west. They'll be playing San Francisco's Fillmore West on December 27 and 28 before heading to Portland to play the Crystal Ballroom on December 30 and the Aladdin Theatre on the 31st.
I'm heading to a couple of shows in the next few weeks. I'll be checking out the decidedly not-jammy Alice in Chains this Wednesday at the House of Blues in Cleveland. Alice in Chains is one of my all-time favorite bands, and I've seen them twice with their new singer. He's awesome, the band is amazing, and I'm extremely excited about their new album.
I'll also be checking out Michael Franti and Spearhead on September 30 at the Newport in Columbus. With Franti getting some mainstream radio play, I'm interested in seeing what type of crowd he brings out. My mom and my sister both like "Say Hey (I Love You)," so I'm wondering how the more mainstream crowd will react to what Franti brings. I think it'll be a very good time.
Finally, I'm planning on hitting up the NORML Harvest Festival in Seville, Ohio this year. The festival runs October 2-4, although I'll probably just make it on the 3rd. My friend's band, The Groove Prophets, are on the bill, and I'm excited about checking them out again.
Anyways, thanks for checking in this week. I'll be back next week for Part 2 of my exploration of Phish. Check it out, and, until then, Jam On!
