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Phish is an American rock band which formed in 1983 at the University of Vermont. The band consists of four members. Trey Anastasio performs guitar and lead vocals, Mike Gordon performs bass and vocals, Jon Fishman performs drums and vocals and Page McConnell performs keyboards and vocals. They are known for blending a variety of styles such as rock, funk, jazz, country, blues, barbershop, bluegrass, folk and classical. The band broke up in 2004 and reunited in 2009. All of the members of Phish are active environmentalists and are particularly concerned with pollution and global warming.
Phish employs an eco-friendly team known as the Green Crew to help make Phish tours environmentally friendly, because rock tours are notorious for creating waste and having a negative impact on the environment. Phish’s green touring initiative includes fueling their buses with biodiesel, sourcing food from local farms, providing compostable and biodegradable catering products, participating in recycling programs, composting waste with local farmers, using only eco-friendly supplies and cleaners while on tour and purchasing carbon offsets to compensate for greenhouse gases resulting from air travel, tour buses, or venue energy consumption. As a result, many of their fans also participate in carpooling and make an effort to reduce the environmental impact of their fandom.
Phish founded The WaterWheel Foundation in 1997 to raise money for charitable causes such as social services, food banks and environmental conservation. While on tour, every show features a WaterWheel table where merchandise can be purchased to provide proceeds for charitable organizations. Merchandise such as t-shirts, posters, mugs, CDs, DVDs, box sets, children’s clothing, outerwear, patches and stickers can also be purchased from their website. Much of their merchandise is made from organic cotton or recycled materials. As a result, the band donated over $550,000 to more than 325 charitable organizations. In 1995, Phish teamed up with Ben and Jerry’s to create the ice cream flavor Phish Food, which donates proceeds to environmental care for Lake Chaplain, a lake bordering their home state of Vermont.
In 1996, Phish fans organized The Mockingbird Foundation to raise money for charitable organizations. The foundation is run entirely by volunteers and funded by donations by fans. The Mockingbird Foundation has donated over $750,000 to support music education for children. The Mockingbird Foundation also organized the fan site phish.net. Phish has also participated in benefits such as Farm Aid in Chicago and Bridge School Benefits in San Francisco. Starting in 1992, Phish worked with Greenpeace to host a Greenpeace table at shows while on tour, providing a source of support for activists. In spite of their extensive environmental efforts, the band does not preach or emphasize any environmental or political message during their shows or on their web site, except for a short blurb on The WaterWheel Foundation. They know that people look to the band Phish for entertainment and not just a call to activism. In spite of this, many fans and other bands are inspired by their efforts and learn to make changes in their lifestyles to benefit the environment.
