“Last Friday night, I got together with Mike [Gordon, bassist], Page [McConnell, keyboardist] and Fish [Jon Fishman, drummer] to talk openly about the strong feelings I’ve been having that Phish has run its course and that we should end it now while it’s still on a high note,” Anastasio said.

“Once we started talking, it quickly became apparent that the other guys’ feelings, while not all the same as mine, were similar in many ways – most importantly, that we all love and respect Phish and the Phish audience far too much to stand by and allow it to drag on beyond the point of vibrancy and health.

“We don’t want to become caricatures of ourselves,” he continued, “or worse yet, a nostalgia act. By the end of the meeting, we realized that after almost 21 years together we were faced with the opportunity to graciously step away in unison, as a group, united in our friendship and our feelings of gratitude.”

Anastasio stressed that “this is not like the hiatus,” in reference to the period from 2000-2002 during which the band members took a break to concentrate on other projects.

Phish’s last shows will take place at the Coventry Festival August 14-15 in the group’s home state of Vermont. The final tour begins June 17 in Brooklyn, N.Y., at KeySpan Park, with a concert that will be broadcast live via satellite to movie theatres in 47 U.S. cities.

The band’s new (and presumably last) studio album, Undermind, is set for release June 15.

“It’s been an amazing and incredible journey,” Anastasio concluded. “We thank you all for the love and support that you’ve shown us.”