Originally published in the second edition of The Phish Companion, this is a textual collage of quotations from scores of interviews with the band before, during, and after their two-and-a-half-year hiatus, which started 12 years ago today. These quotations have been edited together in topical areas, which allows for a cohesive telling literally in their words but also allows the reader to pick up on shifts in tone and emphasis over the course of the hiatus.

The Announcement

Phish is currently on hiatus. The band has not decided how long the break will last, nor have they made any future plans collectively or individually. (5) We've got about six gigs left on this tour and ... I want to take this speaking opportunity to thank a couple of people before we go on what's going to be our first extended hiatus in about seventeen years. ... What we're planning on doing, so that you get the message clearly from us right here, is taking some time and writing some music and kind of getting our whole life back together before we return so that we can hopefully get another great seventeen years out of this. ... We have, without exaggerating, the greatest crew even assembled in the history of music, and I mean that. This is a chance for them to take a little breather, too. ... A lot goes in this, it's not just the four of us, it's a whole big family kind of team thing. (1)

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Pete Mason's (@PhanArt) "PhanArt" has grown from a book to a website and had a truly stellar year in 2012, featuring more art than ever before and raising more than 2011 for The Mockingbird Foundation by mid-July. Since first conceived in 2004, the growth of PhanArt has led to the need for some help moving forward, so as to continue PhanArt’s mission: To compile and preserve art created by Phish fans for the Phish community and, in the course of such work, to also benefit The Mockingbird Foundation, which raises funds for music education for children and operates this website, Phish.net. PhanArt was an incredible labor of love from 2004 to 2008 while Pete compiled the book "PhanArt: The Art of the Fans of Phish"; later in 2009, the website that grew from the book has become a whole new labor and while being enjoyable, Pete can’t keep up with the site, as it has become more than a one-person job. Pete's looking for a few fans of Phish and our vibrant art community who love the fan made art as much as I do, to help out with the site. Among others, he's looking for fans with a little spare time, college students with an interest or major in design and those familiar with/fast learners using WordPress.

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It's time for the 116th running of Mystery Jam Monday here at Phish.net. Because the Blog was victorious two weeks ago (have we mentioned that lately? The Blog WON!!), we will be playing for TWO MP3 downloads, courtesy of our friends at LivePhish.com / Nugs.Net. The rules haven't changed: you need to correctly identify the song and the date to win. Post your guess in the comments. One guess per person per day (with the second “day” starting after I post the hint). A hint will be posted on Tuesday (if necessary) and the answer will be posted on Wednesday. Good luck...

Wednesday Answer: Congrats to bl002e for quickly nailing the 7/5/94 "Bathtub Gin." You are now the proud owner of two livephish.com download codes. We'll be back on Monday for a Very Special Columbus Day Mystery Jam...

By then, my first show, the excitement, the scene, the energy and the parking lot full of Deadheads trying Phish for the first time made this a wild night. What was lost then, that it is appreciated only after seeing many shows and filling my "Clarkives" with every Phish show I can get my hands on, is the caliber of my first show. I didn't know it at the time but I was witnessing a top notch Phish show, at the time you could have played me the Bonnaroo 2012 set and it'd have been great. The "Bathtub Gin" is second to only a handful of Gin's, along with a great all around setlist- check out the second set alone! ( Tweezer Reprise > Runaway Jim > It's Ice > Bathtub Gin -> Rotation Jam -> Mallory [debut] > Also Sprach Zarathustra > David Bowie, Sweet Adeline). This Bowie is a punch in the face with a fist full of lightning. The dark tones to the firing bullets of notes upon drum slaps to conquered mountains of bass lines Cactus likes in this time period. I listen to this show a lot and the 2:03 mark still sets hairs up on my arms. True Phish stage dress for the 90's is shown from a Page side view that captures the ability to turn playful tuning jamming into cosmic excitement with and exclamation of finality to finish off a David Bowie that never once asks "is it Bowie or Maze?"

Every Friday, we highlight a video with a brief recap of the show it is from and what makes it interesting, noteworthy or simply fun. With the help of Dan Saewitz from Phishvids.com, we hope to keep the stream of videos coming at you entertaining and interesting. Have a cool video you’d like to suggest? Interested in contributing a review yourself? Submit ideas here.

Welcome to the 115th installment of Mystery Jam Monday here at Phish.net. As usual, we will be playing for an MP3 download, courtesy of our friends at LivePhish.com / Nugs.Net. In case you missed it, the Blog was victorious last week, which would ordinarily mean we play for two downloads this week. However, The Blog has decided to put off the double MJ until next week for reasons that will likely be obvious to many of you. The rules haven't changed: you need to correctly identify the song and the date to win. Post your guess in the comments. One guess per person per day (with the second “day” starting after I post the hint). A hint will be posted on Tuesday (if necessary) and the answer will be posted on Wednesday. Good luck...

Tuesday Answer: No reason to let this one sit out there any longer. Ghostboogie wins it with the 12/6/97 "Izabella." Hopefully he has the good sense to use his prize to grab the new livephish release. See everyone on Monday for MJM 116.

Speaking of gems- this one is a true beauty! On many people's "All Time" list, this Piper from Las Vegas in 2003 was an absolute monster. This video captures the spirit of the show and the song beautifully. Filled with raucous energy from front to back, this Piper delivered an infectious, rhythm filled jam complete with exceptional playing by all band members.

This great video features full panned shots of the crowd, Kuroda's lights, close-ups of Trey being quintessentially Trey (around 10:00 min), glowstick wars, and other all-around zaniness.

Unfortunately this video is clipped into two other parts. Enjoy Parts 2 and Parts 3 also. Each part is not to be missed!

Also, if you haven't visited PhishVids.com lately, you are in for a nice surprise. Check out the all-new PhishVids 2.0 with blazing fast search and new design. Powered by the Phish.net API of course! Dan, co-writer of this feature on Phish.net, spent a ton of time on this invaluable site for Phish video buffs. Be sure to leave your words of thanks either here on on Twitter (@Phishvids).

Enjoy the glorious Piper and see you next week!

Every Friday, we highlight a video with a brief recap of the show it is from and what makes it interesting, noteworthy or simply fun. With the help of Dan Saewitz from Phishvids.com, we hope to keep the stream of videos coming at you entertaining and interesting. Have a cool video you’d like to suggest? Interested in contributing a review yourself? Submit ideas here.

Welcome to the 114th installment of Mystery Jam Monday here at Phish.net. As usual, we will be playing for an MP3 download, courtesy of our friends at LivePhish.com / Nugs.Net. The rules haven't changed: you need to correctly identify the song and the date to win. Post your guess in the comments. One guess per person per day (with the second “day” starting after I post the hint). A hint will be posted on Tuesday (if necessary) and the answer will be posted on Wednesday. Good luck...

Tuesday Hint: Holy shit, the users need a hint! ::does victory lap:: That hasn't happened for a while. Ok, your hint is: It's not from Europe.

Wednesday Answer: That's right... it's 12:01 a.m. EDT, so it's Wednesday. The Blog is not above being a stickler for the rules, having not won an MJ in like a year. In any event, this week's mystery jam -- which, of course, perplexed every single one of you -- was the 2/22/93 "Tweezer." Looks like we'll be playing for two livephish.com downloads next time. Better luck next time, n00bs....

Welcome back to Mystery Jam Monday here at Phish.net. After a one week hiatus, the Blog returns with the 113th Mystery Jam. As usual, we will be playing for an MP3 download, courtesy of our friends at LivePhish.com / Nugs.Net. The rules haven't changed: you need to correctly identify the song and the date to win. Post your guess in the comments. One guess per person per day (with the second “day” starting after I post the hint). A hint will be posted on Tuesday (if necessary) and the answer will be posted on Wednesday. Good luck...

Wednesday Answer: WE LOVE DICKS! WE LOVE DICKS! WE LOVE DICKS! Oh, yes, and congratulations to @conradjohansen for being the first to get the 9/1/12 "Prince Caspian," one of many highlights of the recent Dicks run. If for some reason you haven't yet heard these shows, they are well worth purchasing over at livephish.com (and a portion of the proceeds will benefit the Mockingbird Foundation). We will all be listening to them for years to come. The Blog will be back on Monday with another Mystery Jam...

The Phish Companion. Please consider making a donation in any amount to The Mockingbird Foundation in Greg's honor, as such donations will be matched up to a total of $250.

John Ferguson eloquently wrote these words about Greg:

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I just looked at the calendar and, indeed, it is not 1997 any more. I suspected as much, given the way my back feels when I get out of bed, but it’s good to double check sometimes. It doesn’t seem like it should be 15 years since Phish destroyed America. I want to call it a few years ago, five at the most, but the gray on my head and in my beard, like Mike, says no. So it must not be that Phish just played DCU last week; it must be true that the last show of the summer took place just hours ago. I was feeling old going into the Dick’s run, and I felt that the promise shown by Long Beach and BG3 had faded as the second leg went on, and I was wondering where the band was at and where it was going. I did not, however, forget one of the original commandments: Never put anything past Phish. These guys will make you throw out your preconceptions and will melt your face at the drop of a hat. This weekend was a jaunt in the WABAC Machine, three shows that will be talked about for years while they find a place among the greats. Debating how exactly to rate Dick’s 2012 can wait long enough, though, for us to appreciate that Phish closed out the summer in classic style, with a series of fist-pumping peaks in the first set and deep, inspired type-II jams in the second.

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by Martin Acaster (@Doctor_Smarty)

Like most people, I spent the bulk of the day on Saturday wondering how in any way the experience of the previous night could be surpassed. During the face-fucking of the Friday night show I was blissfully unaware that I was getting pranked. Certainly the setlist sequencing seemed odd, jams of unusual duration were emerging from the stage and splattering each of my sensory orifices with heaping dollops of creamy goo, but I did not know that Phish was sending me a coded message. If I was any kind of historian, I may actually have reviewed what happened last year at Dick’s before venturing out here. I’m not, so I didn’t, and the subliminal message was completely obscured by the music that it evoked. Obviously first night of Dick’s means there will be a gimmick show. But what would night two hold this year? Very likely just an average great Phish show. There had to be a let down.

Unlike the rest of you I was faced with the added burden of knowing that I would have to sit down and compile a recap of the show. Whatever Phish came up with, it was my turn to share the deep thoughts it evoked in me. Considering the masterful job done by Mr. Bertolet in distilling the essence of the first Dicking I knew I would at least have to attempt to bring my “A” game. I wasn’t sure I was up to the challenge. In fact, I was feeling a great deal of performance anxiety. As I sat and pondered these things gazing westward toward the Front Range, I felt I shared a moment with the band. Anything short of the previous night’s orgiastic bacchanalia, as expressed in my own words would just be disappointing for us all.

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