Phish to Take Over Coachella Site for Halloween Festival. Like, Whoa.

Whoa. This could be huge!

Billboard is reporting that Phish has announced a three-day festival called "Festival 8" at the Empire Polo Fields in Indio.

Writes Billboard's Michael Ayers:

After several weeks of speculation and a shape-shifting "Save the Date" map decorating its homepage, Phish has announced a three day festival this upcoming Halloween weekend at the Empire Polo Fields in Indio, California. The festival will take place October 30 - November 1 on the same site where the Coachella and Stagecoach festivals are held annually. Billing it as "Festival 8," the band is reviving two of their most storied traditions in grand fashion: blending the notion of its infamous weekend-long camp-outs with its once regular Halloween gigs.

Phish's website offers details.

Tickets are $199 (plus a $1 donation to Phish's charity, WaterWheel), and go on sale this Monday, July 27.

Phish will perform eight sets, and will be reviving their great tradition of covering an entire album from start to finish. (Truth be told, their performance of Talking Heads' Remain in Light changed our mind about the band.)

In the past, Phish has covered the Beatles' White Album, the Velvet Underground's overlooked but actually pretty great Loaded album, Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon and others.

Got a vote on what album you want the band to cover?

Obvious choice, given their predilection of covering big, classic albums, would be the Stones' Exile on Main Street (phish heads -- have they covered that yet?). But in the tradition of the Heads pick, we're hoping to be surprised by, say, an epic take on the Clash's Sandinista!. Or they could go a whole different direction and cover Joni Mitchell's Blue. How about Wilco and Billy Bragg's Mermaid Avenue? Anyone? Anyone?