Jon Fishman tours with Pork Tornado and Jazz Mandolin Project in January and February; in the meantime, Trey and Tom get together to write songs, which the band learns during practice time at the end of March. In the following week the band hits the road for the short, spontaneous "Island Tour" (Long Island and Rhode Island), then returns north to go into the studio to record what will become The Story of the Ghost in late April. They stay there until early June - then at the end of the month, they head to Europe for a combination of solo shows and festival appearances in Denmark, the Czech Republic, and Spain. As soon as they get back to the US the summer tour begins in Portland, Oregon, and continues through the remainder of July into mid-August, winding up in Limestone, Maine with Lemonwheel. After a short break during September, the band participates in several special events in October, including the Farm Aid benefit in Chicago with Willie Nelson and Neil Young, and the Bridge School benefit with Neilas well. While in the Bay Area for that event, they also play an intimate solo show at the Fillmore Auditorium. Prior to commencing the fall tour at the end of the month, the band appears on Sessions at West 54th (on PBS) as well as on the Late Show with David Letterman. After beginning at the Greek Theatre in LA, the tour proceeds to Las Vegas for Halloween at the Thomas and Mack Center and then continues in November back through the midwest to the east coast, culminating in a Thanksgiving run at the Worcester Centrum. Again, the band finishes the year with multiple nights - four this time - at Madison Square Garden.