On the heels of Trey Anastasio’s solo tour, after five years, the Phish band is coming back together. Jam Band Web sites like Jambase.com and PhishPhantasyTour.com have been stewing on the idea of a reunion, and now it is true. According to Phish.com, Phish will return to the stage for three concerts at the Hampton Coliseum in Hampton, VA on March 6, 7 and 8, 2009.

Anastasio, the solo artist and founding member of Phish, is a vocalist, guitarist and composer. His recent tour, the Northern Exposure Tour, was a 10-show tour throughout the Northeast with the band Classic TAB. This tour was Trey’s first electric show in 18 months. The band Classic TAB is comprised of the same members of Trey’s first solo project, 8 Foot Fluorescent Tubes.

Fans were more than eager to purchase tickets. Tickets went on sale Saturday Sept. 13 and every show sold out in 12 hours. How does a lead singer of a band that broke up four years ago sell out his solo tour so quickly? Trey’s tour sells out because the band Phish is huge with an enthusiastic fan following and the confirmed rumor that a Phish reunion is true. Dates are set in spring 2009.

According to Rolling Stone Magazine, Trey Anastasio was 73rd in the list of the 100 greatest guitar players of all time. Hailing from Vermont, Phish started playing in 1984; the band played and toured together for 20 years until their breakup in 2004. The band did not earn their fan following by playing songs on the radio or videos on MTV. Instead, their fans taped concerts and exchanged the live recordings, trading the tapes and spreading their music similar to the way the Grateful Dead fans did.

The Phish following grew large with fans all over the country. They were known for always changing set lists and jam sessions.

Phish has 13 studio albums and 27 live albums. As stated on JamBase.com, Phish held six music festival; one being Oswego 99’ which drew 70,000 fans.

Ben and Jerry’s named the ice cream Phish Food in their honor. It has become a favorite flavor, ubiquitous in stores all over. Phish has a community of fans that followed their band around the country for years. After the band’s break-up, fans were devastated.

The Northern Exposure tour started Sept. 27 in Nashville, and kept rolling through the North East hitting NYC Oct. 16 and Connecticut Oct. 17. On Oct. 18 he was at the Palace Theater in Albany, which is only two hours from Morrisville. He then traveled to Burlington VT, Rhode Island, Boston, Philadelphia, and ended in Richmond, VA.

The Horseshoe Curve is his sixth studio album. He has five other solo albums and projects with artists including Les Claypool from Primus. Trey Anastasio has been continually creating since Phish’s breakup.

If a fan was lucky enough to get a ticket for any of the shows on the Northeast tour, they have seen a great concert. The scene, the lights and the family of friends who toured for years throughout the 1990’s were there enjoying themselves as they danced through the half- hour jams.

Websites like Stubhub.com and CheapTickets.com sold tirckets from $80 to $200. If someone didn’t have a ticket, he or she could still hang outside the venue, where other ticketless fans were partying in the parking lots and going to the bars after the show.

Tickets for the Phish reunion went on sale to the public on Oct. 18 at 10 a.m. through Ticketmaster.com. According to Ticket Master’s site, tickets will be $46.50 each, plus fees. There is a two-ticket limit per show. You can bet fans were on their computers at Ticketmaster.com at 10 a.m. ready to order tickets for the opportunity to see the original members of Phish on stage jamming.