By Alex Shapiro
Are Phish headlining Bonnaroo? There's been no official announcement yet, but rumors have been swirling for weeks. And with details about the band's reunion tour showing up on Billboard.com today, the possibility of Phish taking over Manchester, Tennessee, for the rumored two-night stand is looking more and more likely. As I take a gander at their relatively short list of dates, there seems to be a very curious week-long break in between gigs in North Carolina and Missouri — hey, Tennessee is even located between those two states — smack dab in the middle of the tour. Now you might say, "Well, these guys are a little older now and they might need a break. They haven't done this in five years!" To that I say, "Shenanigans!"
I'd be willing to bet my limited-edition Phish bobble-head dolls that this "break" will indeed actually be the band's headlining spot at Bonnaroo. First off, Red Light Management, who helped establish the festival, is also Phish's new management company. Think about it: They have one of the biggest touring acts in the country as clients (Phish) and they are co-founders of one of the biggest festivals in the country (Bonnaroo). Do the math!
Additionally, in a recent interview with Burlington Free Press, bassist Mike Gordon opened up about the band's future. "Now it's like, maybe we don't have to have our own festival to make great music. We don't have to do that, and maybe we can be even more a part of the music industry than we were before rather than separate from it."
So while it hasn't been officially announced (and won't be until February 3, when the initial lineup is released), it's looking very much like Phish's next festival will be named "Bonnaroo."