Phish: Bittersweet Motel

In the 1990s, a number of young "jam bands" (modeled after the musical and social model of the Grateful Dead) began developing a nationwide following, such as Blues Traveler and the Spin Doctors, but none have achieved greater success than Phish. With little radio play or mainstream media coverage, ...more

In the rockumentary Phish: Bittersweet Motel, Todd Phillips astutely avoids the usual traps an image-conscious band might lay for a documentarist, such as tricking or guilting him into a whitewash job. Because rabid fans hold them as exalted gods who are flawless in spirit, Phish actually has something to lose if seen as petty and bullying, which is how lead singer Trey Anastasio comes across on several occasions. The fact that Phillips got the scenes of Anastasio crapping on underlings and ...more