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Q: Didn't there used to be a van?

Phish travelled in a van until the end of the Spring 1992 tour (and have been in busses since, including while in Europe). That tour it was an Econoline van, but a year earlier -- on Valentine's Day, 2/14/91 -- they gave away their old van, the one that carried them through circa five years of touring the country. The van keys were tossed to the audience and caught by "Toast" (Eric) who picked up the pink slip backstage and sold the van a week later to a used-car dealer for about $1000. (As Trey said during pre-show banter at 4/20/91, "don't tell our parents!") Rumor/legend has it that a significant "relic of some sort" had been embedded in the van by someone related to the band; hmmmm... maybe it'll end up in the Smithsonian or something. Only Icculus knows for sure. (Thanks to Patsy Sutherland (8/10/95), and Troy Colyer (4/7/98), and Brian Feller.)

Update: <eric@flashcom.net> emailed 1/31/00 to say, " I'm Eric (Toast) that caught the keys to the original Phish van. I've caught some slack for selling the van so I want to clear the rumors for once and all. First, the van was sold to finance a Phish van show in Ithaca. However, I did get sued by the purchaser who didn't realize what poor shape the van was in. So, the show never happened and I didn't spend all the money on weed (although maybe I should of). Second, I still own the van and it sits in a backyard in Ithaca, NY. I'm now looking into finding and reconditioning it to the original state. Who knows, maybe you'll see it at an upcoming show. Anyway, I just wanted to let people know I didn't sell it to make a buck, the van didn't run and I still own it but I don't know exactly where it is (yet)."

Another update: The van pictured at right was sold for $299 in an Ebay auction (ended 1/2/03) by a seller who said it "had been used to transport the band "Phish" in and around Vermont". It is unclear whether or not this is the same van as the one discussed above. (Thanks to Christian Donahue.)



We used to be in the van eight months out of the year. We back off a little every year. We have families, and our career is changing.
-- Trey Anastasio, Billboard Magazine, 10/3/98

There's something about an institution that loves walls. -- Lindsay Waters in Enemies of Promise 


 
This page last updated February 03, 2007.
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