Pork Tornado is the side project formed by erstwhile Phish drummer Jon Fishman – and with the world’s most popular jam band on hiatus, the blues/funk quintet is fired up and ready to hit the road for a quick tour.

They won’t stray far from their Vermont home base; the six shows are all in the Northeast, kicking off April 5 in Northampton, Mass.

Though there’s an obvious Phish connection, fans shouldn’t expect a Phish clone. Rather than free-form rock, Pork Tornado boasts a funkier sound and a limited playlist – on its first tour in 1999, the band boasted one original tune and lots of obscure covers.

In addition to Fishman, the band comprises guitarist Dan Archer, keyboardist Phil Abair, bassist Aaron Hersey and drummer Joe Moore.

What the Pork Tornado tour says about Phish’s extended break from touring or recording is anyone’s guess – along with Fishman, frontman Trey Anastasio recently succumbed to the lure of the road for a winter tour of his own.