So does anyone think Trey should quit with his band and just focus on Phish. It seems he brings alot of the “Trey Band” sound into Phish now. I think if he just focused on playing with Phish they would sound even better. What do you guys think?
I disagree, I think it’s a good outlet for him and other band members to have their own musical projects. Time spent outside of Phish can definitely give them fresh views/ideas once they start working with Phish again.
Examples?
I understand your point. I just thought when Trey originally started his band (around 2000), playing with alot of horns, is when he started tweaking his guitar tone and effects and he brings that sound into phish now. Remember the pre 2000 guitar sound, well ironically it started to change around the time he started working with his band and creating a sound for his band, specifically something that would sound good with horns, etc. Listen to his bands first album and you will hear alot of the sound that he started to use with Phish.
I get what you’re saying.
And this “Trey Band” sound started back in 99 when he wrote “Sand” and “Jibboo” and the likes of those.
Made for a much more heavy-guitar-lead-band sound.
I was when Trey was starting to be turned way up at shows and i believe when he started down the evil trail of abuse.
I tie all these things together as it was an odd time in general…specifically 2000. After Cypress is just seemed like you could feel the weirdness. Summer 2000 and Fall 2000 were different for some reason.
This is like one of my more A.D.D. posts in while.
I think I’m tired and also, it’s Monday and I’m trying to connect thoughts and brain no worky.
Either way, welcome aboard golfer, what’s yer handicap?
yea exactly. Im a 15 handicap, just started up the game again and trying my best to get good.
BLASPHEMY!! 
Trey Band rocks! Just one more reason this band has evolved, not devolved (word?!), imho.
Without Trey bad Phish is finished. One of the reasons they broke up was because Phish was so huge there was almost no time for other things.
That being said I think Trey and Mike are becoming obsessed considering Phish blows their respective bands out of the water completely.
you guys make some valid points. Treys band could be good for him but I would like to see that sound he uses for his band to stay there. Its pretty clear his sound started evolving when he started that band.
That’s why it’s oddly fascinating. Much like 2.0 Phish.
Generally speaking I’m totally in favor of side projects; I want the four members of Phish to feel fulfilled musically and personally. That tends to bring out the best playing in Phish, I think.
But specifically regarding Trey’s tone (which seems to be Golfer’s point), I can’t really offer much as I haven’t tracked the evolution of his guitar setup very closely over the years. I will say that 2010 is some of the best Phish sound I’ve heard, now that Mike is getting the volume he deserves. Now we just need to bring Page up to that level too. 
For the sake of Mike’s sanity, please let them have their own projects. No disrespect to Tony Markellis, but he doesn’t create the most “dynamic” basslines. Gordon must go crazy playing the same thing over, and over again. Let Trey get out all his stuff on his own so Mike doesn’t ever have to endure playing Cayman Review. 
Agreed with Mike having his outlets, but not about him going “crazy” playing bass with Phish. Mike’s spoken a lot on meditation and really playing in the moment. Even in Specimens of Beauty, Mike makes a comment like “Some would say that Phish is defined by all the notes and complicated structures, but I would argue that the essence of Phish comes out in stripping it down to its most essential and basic form.” I’ve also never heard Mike stop a song like Trey does.
I don’t think Trey’s band ruins or makes Phish into something that it’s not. For one to think that, one might be expressing personal dissatisfaction instead of acceptance of teh Phish of teh times 
Yeah I have kind of a morbid fascination with those time periods as well. I don’t listen to them much, but it is just weird how everything just crumbled and you could see all of them just collapsing. I wish there was some way to get more info about that time period, like specific info. Maybe they’ll write a really comprehensive biography one day and we’ll know what was going down.
Phish: The Biography by Parke Puterbaugh touches on some of the dark periods but not in any great detail.
^ completely true…my roommate owns that book and put it in our bathroom near the toilet, so that when we need to relieve ourselves we have reading material…good book, but not in depth… entertaining though.
For the longest time I had the 2nd edition of the Companion as my throne reading. Man…that’s some fascinating stuff. I…I think I’m obsessed with this Phish band.
This man is a genius, folks.
I agree 100% with this.