The following review is from The Earlham Word, student newspaper, from May 4, 1990, under the headline Phish brings sound of improv jazz to Earlham:

"Phuckin' awesome!" was one Earlham student's response to the April 24 concert by the alternative band Phish.

When asked to classify the band's music, one student pro- claimed, "Alternative Dead." Another: "A cross between Carlos Santana and Pat Metheny."

"Improvisational jazzy bluesy jamming rock with a Frank Zappa overtwist," was the definitive answer from Anders Wright, S.A.B. member and the student responsible for bringing the band to Earlham.

The four-member band, based in Vermont, played at the college as part of their Mid-West tour.

Twenty-four hours on the road from Colorado preceded their performance, which was followed by concerts at Notre Dame and Oberlin on the following two days.

"I heard about the band last year," says Wright, "but it took me a year to find a copy of their tape (Junta). Someone gave me a number to call, and got me in touch with their manager." The preparations for the Earlham concert took four months.

The band, originally booked for two-and-a-half hours of music, played from 9:30 p.m. until 1 a.m., with segments featuring a capella singing, narrative, choreographed trampolining, and vacuum cleaner playing.

Seventy-five to a hundred "hard-core" students stayed until the unique concert's end.

"Everybody I saw was having a really good time, even though a lot of people hadn't heard them before," says Wright. "The important thing is that this shows we can do it again. There's no reason why we can't have good entertainment here, all the time."