Phish

Since forming in Burlington, Vermont in 1983, the rock band Phish has grown into one of the more iconic and revered touring acts. Formed at The University of Vermont by guitarist Trey Anastasio, bassist Mike Gordon and drummer Jon Fishman, keyboardist page McConnell would later join in 1985, Phish established a regional following for itself with powerful live shows that managed to capture the band's instrumental prowess and improvisational skills. As the band began touring more and more, Phish would continue to build a solid name for itself--inspiring a dedicated following to tour with the band as to not miss a single moment of the group's eccentric and oftentimes erratic stage dabblings. Touring solidly through the 1990s and releasing critically respected albums like 1996's Billy Breathes and 1998's The Story of the Ghost, Phish went on hiatus from 2000 to 2002 so the group's members could focus on solo projects and recalibrate what Phish meant to each of them. After returning to the stage, however, something was different, and lead singer and guitarist Anastasio couldn't go on with Phish anymore so the band decided to call it quits in 2004. After a period of time apart, though, the group reconciled in 2008 and has been hitting the touring circuit hard ever since--showcasing its impressive chops and characteristic improvisational jams.