Matching Phish with Republicans, A Task Not for the Weary, or Dull

Thankfully, the 20^th and final Republican debate has come and passed.

Now and for the reminder of the election, we won't have to haphazardly catch – at the same time and on the same stage – any of Rick Santorum’s wrath of God diatribes, Newt Gingrich’s myriad countenances, Ron Paul’s stammering responses, and, lest I forget, though it’s so very easy to, Mitt Romney’s drab closing remarks, while channel surfing again.

In recognizing this blissful truth, and in honor of the 10-state vote fest that is Super Tuesday, I decided to see if I could match, through comparing habits and personalities, the four candidates with the four members of Phish.

Phish Bassist Bound for Europe

Mike Gordon is taking his solo act abroad this summer, with a five-show European tour.

The tour, announced today via mike-gordon.com, begins on March 13 in Amsterdam at the Melkweg, where the Phish bassist will remain for two more nights before closing the mini-run Mar. 18 in London at The Borderline.

The lone London date also appeared on phish.com.

This will mark the first time Gordon has toured Europe sans his band mates. Phish traveled there in 1996, 1997 and 1998. The quartet has also toured in Japan. 

While there is no way of knowing if Phish could have plans for a European tour of its own sometime in 2012 or beyond, the band may tour in the United States during the summer.

So far, rumors of a June festival at Bader Field in Atlantic City have spread voraciously on Phantasy Tour, a Phish message board, with many fans all but confirming the event. 

Roller Coaster Rides of Energy

The ebb and flow of energy at Phish shows is palpable. As the tide turns, you feel the shift, both physically and emotionally. 

Sometimes, it's apparent in the euphoria that, beginning at the pit of your stomach, rises to the back of your throat, and, other times, it's in the goose pimples sprouting on your arms.

The venue itself seems to react, as well. (This is more apparent indoors than outdoors.) At moments of tranquility, it has an air of calm. At moments of dynamism, it pulsates.

We pinpoint these different energies immediately, often with a wave of cheerful applause, expressing gratitude to the band for succeeding in altering our mindsets -- until, of course, the next new aura takes hold. 

Now, before I present two examples, let me first offer a quick caveat: I am a 3.0 baby, my first show being in 2009 at Boston's Fenway Park. Thus, I am positive that there are better, more notable changes in mood that have occurred than the ones I will present.

I only wish I could have witnessed them. 

June 17, 2010/Comcast Center, Hartford, Ct./"Walk Away"

This version of The James Gang's only top 40 hit was just the third of its kind in 3.0. Already invigorated by an exceptional "Esther," the crowd used Trey's energetic solo as rocket fuel. It floated in space for much of "The Divided Sky," eventually coming to a peaceful landing during "When the Circus Comes to Town."

December 31, 2011/ Madison Square Garden/ "46 Days"

(Song begins at 5:45)

New Year's Eve's second set was getting better and better when, as "Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley" came to a leisurely close, Trey began the opening section of "46 Days." As the song tore on, it brought both band and crowd together as one big kinetic family. Simply listen to the wild applause that followed, and you'll discern the impact of this forceful version. 

All in a Phish New Year's Night

Phish.net

Manhattan hummed. In the unseasonably mild night, scores of revelers preparing to ring in the new year trotted by Madison Square Garden, pleasantly oblivious to what was about to ensue within its storied walls.

Unbeknownst to them, inside, a tradition that began 17 years ago, and so suffused with passion that one could dub it a ritual, was about to be renewed: Phish, the eclectic quartet with legions of zealous followers, would perform at the Garden on New Year's Eve.

Indeed, having etched itself into the building’s vast history, the band deserves to have its best years immortalized on banners, hung alongside those of the Rangers and Knicks.   

As the moment approached when both house lights and house music switch off, fans poured in to their respected sections, concession lines grew and water bottle caps collected, perhaps in the thousands. 

Phish's devoted arrived in waves, donning everything from shimmering dresses to flashing battery-powered headpieces to ruffled blazers to suits with bow ties. 

High above them, affixed to the Garden's circus tent-style roof, were clusters of balloons; some multicolored, shaped traditionally; others white, shaped like sausages. At the stroke of midnight, they would drop down, save for a few stragglers.

Prior to the show, the sometimes-deranged,always-discursive Phish message board on phantasytour.com had been buzzing with decidedly mixed reviews of the previous three shows.

Here, now, is a concise one-sentence summary of the gripes: Because it had probably spent little to no time practicing for the run, Phish was performing shoddily and, much worse, displaying an apparent unwillingness to take musical risks. 

Phish scribe Dave Calarco -- otherwise known as Mr. Miner -- who recently penned a sizable Phish tome titled Mr. Miner's Phish Thoughts: An Anthology by a Fan for the Fans, had a vexing question on his mind going into show four.

"Now with only three sets left, one has to wonder what has happened?" he wrote on his popular blog,phishthoughts.com. "Will New Year's Eve follow the steady decline of the week, or will Phish come to the rescue with a show that will give zest to the bland taste left in the mouths of so many fans over the past two nights?"

Well, after three sets, over three hours of music, and a riveting acrobatic spectacle, the most apt response to Calarco's inquiry would be that Phish, at least musically, failed to turn heads, instead putting in a workmanlike effort with few auditory surprises.

Yet even in spite of this, it crafted an exceptional memory -- a night its fans will hold forever and which will doubtless launch thousands of “remember when” stories.

This, in the end, being all its faithful could ever want.

A one-two punch of "AC/DC Bag" and "Wolfman's Brother" only managed to ignite a fleeting fervor. As the first slate drew on, the energy clearly waned. However, after a dreary "Farmhouse," which caused twirling fans to become resting ones, Phish tugged at the crowd’s heartstrings with a beautifully placed "Pebbles and Marbles."

Then came "Ocelot," which, to be frank, has become a bit like an old, smelly, ragged feline one expects to see creeping through a dank alley. The song, from Phish's most recent album "Joy," always brings a dull, structuralized improvisation.

When Phish finishes the tune's composed section, it tends to claw at the same tired notes. Most versions, aside from a few shockers of course, follow this script. 

Ending with a soaring peak is never a bad decision, so a searing "Fluffhead," featuring a crowd-pleasing "Auld Lane Syne" tease woven in, proved the perfect close to the dismal opening frame.

"Party Time" led off the second set, and similar to a leadoff hitter in baseball that the manager trusts to reach base, it served its purpose by priming the crowd for a power hitter waiting in the wings. 

Unfortunately, such a hitter did not show up until later in the set.

Phish sent "Light" to the plate next and chose to bring this version into the very heart of some psychedelic groundswell. The jam shifted pace from fiery to reserved. Chris Kuroda’s lights mimicked the mood. 

Then, somewhere amid the deep groove, anchored largely by bassist Mike Gordon, Trey Anastasio -- in many respects Phish’s unofficial skipper -- teased the opening riff of TV on the Radio’s “Golden Age.”

It was a message to his band mates: time to come back to earth. But they did not immediately oblige, resulting in an awkward transition.

Gordon, keyboardist Page McConnell and drummer Jon Fishman slowly slipped into the song’s structure, though with mixed results. Phish played this “Golden Age” fast -- supersonic time signature fast. It was as if it had to complete the song in order to keep from falling into a pool of sharks.

Two time fillers followed in “Theme from the Bottom” and “Heavy Things” before the set hit its stride. “Ghost” began an end sequence that by its final song, a raucous “Suzy Greenberg,” had spurred thousands of grinning countenances.

In the middle was an epic “46 Days.” A suddenly vivacious Anastasio let loose a fury of sound, building and building and building his solo. He was emotive, bobbing his head up and down -- his shaggy red hair flopping in his face.

It took eight songs for the party to begin. And there was one more set to come.

Midnight approached. “Cavern,” usually a closer, opened set three. After it ended, a pot of boiling water screeched and steamed. Intrepid fans knew immediately what was coming.

Or so they thought.

“Steam” started up as they anticipated. But what they were not prepared for was the floating objects -- a keytar, speaker cabinet, bass and vacuum – heading toward Heaven through the thick smoke released sporadically during the song’s chorus.

Nor were they ready when a dancer took flight, accompanied by part of the security gate. And when members of the crowd wearing glowing backpacks made to resemble jetpacks levitated, too, insanity enveloped the Garden.

With the airborne excitement, it was easy to forget that the clock was still ticking to 2012. A bodiless voice echoed through the arena counting down … 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 … the balloons fell, and Anastasio initiated “Auld Lane Syne.”

The second song of 2012 was “Down with Disease.” It reprised the floating dancers and even had Anastasio and Gordon joining in on the gag. Using wireless instruments, they stood on rising platforms. Amazingly, the height didn’t seem to faze them -- neither missed a note.

The rest of the set, like the year before it, seemed to fly by. A “First Tube” provided fans one more opportunity to boogie (an overjoyed young woman announced that she was going to dance so hard that she would need to remove her pants).

After the encore, “Slave to the Traffic Light,” reached its musical mountaintop, Anastasio thanked everyone, wishing them a Happy New Year.

Fans departed the Garden, but not before letting out one final wind rush of cheers to greet the cool air. The city was wide-awake. Another Phish concert had come and gone.

Let us Now Go unto MSG and See this thing which Phish has Made Known to Us

The venerable quest has begun, as a formerly weary traveler, newly refreshed thanks to a draught of caramel caffeine, departs one city on his way to another.

The journey, though, unlike adventures experienced, say, during the crusades, will be drab, colorless, without blood or beast or plunder.

But the prize, similar to the chalice -- the Holy Grail -- will, while not imbuing the pilgrim with eternal life, bring him undying splendor: New Year’s Eve with Phish at the newly renovated Madison Square Garden.

A jam-seeking hero etches himself into Phish lore.

Bring Sunscreen, Maybe

The summer rumor mill has already begun spinning, albeit calmly. 

Phish is reportedly considering performing in June at the High Tide Music Festival in Ocean City,Md., according to The Dispatch. The festival, which the resort town approved in October, will take place Jun. 2 and Jun. 3.

Usually know for hosting its own festivities, Phish recently began headlining mainstream music and art festivals -- perhaps as an effort to appeal to a more varied fan base. Since its 2009 revival, the band has played at Bonnaroo, Austin City Limits and Outside Lands. 

Bringing in an act such as Phish, which boasts a mammoth following, is a sure way to boost local commerce. In the past, businesses have lauded the band for attracting fans willing to spend.

Phish had said that it planned to take some time off from touring after its New Year's Eve run at Madison Square Garden. But this latest bit of news points to a possible summer tour.

Moments in a Jar

As in life, there exist certain rites of passage within the Phish community.

Your First Show

Here, you experience what made the band a success -- what your Phish friends have persistently told you from the onset: "You have to see this band live, man."

No matter during summer, winter or fall tour, no matter at Madison Square Garden, Hampton Coliseum or Red Rocks Amphitheater, regardless of song selection, dancing space or drug availability, regardless of crowd energy, police temperament or hippie presence, this show will act as a point of comparison for every other, whether you see five more or 100 more.

Your First Festival

It's your twenty-first birthday, your learner's permit, your first kiss. It's camping with 30,000 to 70,000 of your best friends. It's two to three days of Phish, of Trey's machine-gun solos, Mike's bombs, Page's funky missiles and Jon's strategic back beat.

After your first Phish festival, all other music festivals -- Bonnaroo, Coachella, Wormtown -- will feel terribly stale.

Your First New Year's Eve

Historically, December 31 has brought consistently epic Phish performances. In 1999, in the midst of the Y2K scare, Phish played from midnight to sunrise in front of 85,000 people -- the largest gathering that New Year's night. 

Your First Halloween Show

No other band, past or present, does Halloween quite like Phish. Donning a musical costume, the quartet becomes, for one memorable set, another band. 

In 2009, Phish covered "Exile on Main Street" by the Rolling Stones.

Time Flies When You're Dancing

If you have some free time tonight, head over to Hidden Track and check out Dave Onigman's list of the ten noteworthy changes in Phish -- the community and the scene -- since the 2000 release of Bittersweet Motel.

Much has changed.

$22 a ticket? Unbelievable. Now, $22 will buy you only a domestic beer and a soggy hot dog at the venue. 

And, today, the band is completely sober -- a fact Seth Schiesel eloquently noted in his review of Super Ball IX for The New York Times. 

Thankfully, for its members and its fans, Phish has reduced the torrent of drug abuse that derailed it in 2004 to a gentle, invisible mist. 

The Grateful Dead comparisons no longer phase the band as much, though it's amazing that such remarks ever did. 

Attendance has dropped markedly. Just 40,000 traveled to Super Ball IX compared to the 70,000 at Great Went. This comes as no surprise, of course, given the economy and the rise in ticket prices.

Who knows what could change in the next 13 years. 

Maybe the Occupy Wall Street movement will succeed, abolishing student loans and overpriced tickets. Maybe the band will tour the Middle East or return to Asia. Maybe the jam scene will somehow find its way into mainstream media.

Then again, nothing could change. And that wouldn't be such a bad thing. 

Phish Raise Over a Million for Flood Victims

Phish said Friday that its September 14 benefit show in Essex Junction, Vt. netted $1.2 million for flood relief.

Two charitable organizations, The Vermont Community Foundation and The WaterWheel Foundation will share the proceeds, which will be put toward cleaning up the damage caused by Tropical Storm Irene.

The concert was a homecoming of sorts for the band. Phish had not played a show in their home state since 2004.

“We are all tremendously appreciative of the band members and everyone else involved,” said VCF President and CEO Stuart Comstock-Gay. “This is an incredible contribution they are making to rebuilding Vermont.”

Phish also released a list of the other major donors that contributed to the effort.

Foundation Thanks Phish and Its Fans

The Vermont Community Foundation issued a statement Thursday thanking the Phish community for attending the band’s benefit show in Essex Junction.

According to the press release, The WaterWheel Foundation, which oversees the band's charitable donations, plans to announce in the coming days how much money the concert raised, as well as how the money will be spent.


The VCF and The WhaterWheel Foundation will share all proceeds from the show. So far, Phish has raised $9,285 towards flood relief. 

The show lured 12,000 fans to the Champlain Valley Exposition Wednesday and included an address from Gov. Peter Shumlin.

Lazy Writers Beware: Phish Fans Attack

When scribes from the outside world – bloggers, journalists, etc. – write terribly inaccurate pieces about our beloved band, we react swiftly and in droves, like a swarm of angry bees or a pack of hungry lions.

It’s not that we can’t handle the abuse; we regularly critique the most minute aspects of Phish. But there’s a fine-line between constructive criticism and blindly thrown barbs. So those who cross it must be ready for the return fire.

Usually that comes in the form of a machine-gun barrage of comments. And, generally, they aren't insensitive or rude. In fact, the majority are eloquent, well-thought-out responses, explicating why the article is (a) misinformed, (b) poorly written or (c) under researched.

More often than not, our ire falls on those who focus their pieces around that age-old stereotype: all Phish fans are hippies, either of the stinky or strung-out variety. It’s boorishly overused and epitomizes the definition of lazy journalism.

By playing up this obvious fallacy and using it as a crux, the writer demonstrates a stark lack of research and an unprofessional level of ambivalence.

Indeed, there is an abundance of drugged-out free spirits at a Phish show.

That’s not the point: there are also business professionals, teachers, mechanics, students, heck, even plumbers, all there to step outside of their regular routines and see their favorite band play their favorite tunes.

To them, to us, a Phish concert is a blissful escape – an event we wait months and, in some cases, years to attend, collectively shelling out millions (wait, hippies don’t have money, right?) in hard-earned pay.

To others, though, Phish will always be a target for tired clichés and desultory denigration.

Most recently, a blogger from sevendaysvt.com, Lauren Ober, posted an article titled “Here For Phish? How About You Lend a Phreaking Hand?” in which she demands that, while waiting for Phish’s Sep. 14 benefit show, fans lend a hand cleaning up Vermont,  recently ravaged by flooding from Tropical Storm Irene.

The problem isn’t with Ober’s request, which is perfectly acceptable; the fault lies, instead, in her delivery.

Aside from annoyingly spelling words wrong (“phlood,” “phrom”), Ober’s post painfully rehashes the hippie stereotype. And she employs it to insult the eager fans who were waiting outside of the FlynnCenter box office Saturday for tickets.

First, she surmises (it’s unclear how) that they all smoked weed before securing their spots in line.

Then, as her coda, she tosses in the predictable patchouli reference and claims Phish fans should thank Vermont for inventing marijuana.

In the end, Ober fails in both her feeble attempt at satire and her noble appeal for assistance.

She places little emphasis (one sentence) on the fact that the reason fans are there in the first place is to attend a show that’s raising money – $75 for each ticket – for flood relief. Phish and its fans are clearly contributing.

Of course there is always more to do – more houses to rebuild, more bridges to fix, more towns to clean up. But asking for help in a condescending tone while, at the same time, berating and mocking those whom you’re asking doesn’t work.

It never has and never will.

Ober recognized this later after her blog was bombed with 100 comments, most pointing out her blunder, and she promptly posted an apology. “In retrospect,” she writes, “I realize that it was ill-timed and ill-conceived.”

You got that right.

Perhaps she should have omitted everything save for her second to last paragraph, where she aptly offers up outlets for fans wanting to help. Or maybe she could have changed her tone, scrapping the lame gimmicks for a little pathos.

In any case, Ober learned what many before her already knew: If you attack our band, we will fight back.