For those of you who cannot figure this out on your own by the question mark in the title of the post, this is an article about potential Phish shows. It is rumor.

PHISH TO THROW SUMMER ENDING FESTIVAL IN GEORGETOWN, TX?

While Phish is reeking havoc on their fans’ financial, professional, and social responsibilities with their newly announced second leg of summer tour dates for a total of currently 25 scheduled performances - largely because they are hitting Red Rocks where Phish has not played since they were banned following their four-day stand in 1996 - little attention has been paid to the cryptic flash animation and accompanying photo on the Phish ticketing website.

As the animation looks from space and pans in on the globe, then North America, and then… Texas??? it makes little sense as to what this has to do with the band’s tour.  However, doing a little research and utilizing Google’s Earth and Maps features reveals much more: the location is a small, family owned farm in Georgetown, Texas outside of Austin.  View the Google map here for a comparison to the image above.  There’s no doubt this is the same property.  Also of note is the “09” in summer tour, plastered on the image.  09/09?

Calls to Georgetown’s Public Information Office did not verify that Phish will be throwing a festival, but do indicate that a touring band with a substantial following has indicated interest in using the location for a festival in late September.  While it certainly is far from confirmed that Phish is playing a season-ending festival, there’s no doubt that the band has always had a playful, humorous nature with their fans when it comes to revealing tour information.

Providing clues and hints while not directly providing us with answers seems very much in line with the announcement of a “summer tour” followed by… well the announcement of another “summer tour.”  Not to mention the all-but-confirmed Bonnaroo appearance which was also not in line with their initial tour announcement.  An end of summer festival would mark the first Phish festival since the band’s (then) career-ending natural disaster known as Coventry.

Also, speculation remains rampant that Phish’s summer tour will in fact start at Boston’s Fenway Park, home of the Red Sox.  This speculation was further fueled by today’s Boston Globe giving mention to this possibility.  Neither Phish nor Live Nation will confirm or deny these rumors, and the Red Sox organization has not commented to dispel such rumors.  What makes this more likely than simple fan chatter is that Red Light Management (Phish’s manager) also manages Dave Matthews Band, who will be playing at Fenway on May 29th and 30th.  With a stage in place, a May 31st tour opening appearance not only seems possible, but extremely likely.

As a reminder, the lottery request period ends this Sunday, March 22, at 11:59 AM EDT.  Tickets to the second leg of shows go on sale through Ticketmaster on Thursday March 26, at 2 PM EDT for Red Rocks (7/31-8/2).  The Gorge Amphitheatre shows (8/7-8/8) go on sale Friday, March 27 at 3 PM EDT through Ticketmaster, while the 8/5 Shoreline Amphitheatre show goes on sale Sunday, March 29 at 3 PM EDT through Live Nation.  Chicago’s Toyota Park show on August 8 goes on sale through Ticketmaster at 1 PM EDT on Saturday, April 4th.  Darien Lake (8/13) tickets will go on sale through Live Nation on Friday, March 27th at 11 AM EDT; Hartford Meadows (8/14) show on Saturday, March 28 at Noon EDT; Merriweather Post Pavilion (8/15) on Friday, March 27 at 11 AM EDT; SPAC (8/16) on March 27th at 1 PM EDT.