12/30/2018 RECAP: PHISH SPLITS OPEN AND MELTS FACES ON DECEMBER 30
[phish.net welcomes and thanks guest writer, Jeremy Willinger, for the recap of 12/30/18 - ed]
At the intersection of two Phish-y tropes, the band delivered a show for the (golden) ages. The knowledge of never missing a Sunday show, with the many standout shows played on 12/30 in past years (2016, just to name one), was a recipe that made the stars align.
12/29/18 RECAP
[phish.net welcomes and thanks guest writer, Robert Ker, for the recap of 12/29/18 - ed]
By all accounts, this shouldn’t be happening. Bands that have retained the same lineup for 33 years, various hiatuses included, simply shouldn’t be continuing to push their boundaries. This is the age when most bands that keep their lineup generally intact coast into their golden years atop a current of breakups, reunions, tepid albums, nostalgia-focused tours, and diminishing returns of creative energy. If you compare them to other long-running bands, Phish is now at the point when U2 released the little-loved No Line on the Horizon and when the Rolling Stones were five years past “steel wheelchair” jokes; they’ve now lasted longer as a quartet than the entire careers of R.E.M. and Sonic Youth. You can make the case that Radiohead, which also solidified its lineup in 1985 and remains vibrant, is Phish’s only peer. Don’t laugh.
12/28/18 RECAP: 2018'S FINAL HURRAH
[phish.net welcomes and thanks guest writer, Andrew Sinclair/@aisincl, for the recap of 12/28/18 - ed]
As the rain subsided and the nearby Queens power generator explosion (CK5 dress rehearsal?) was subdued, we all made our way to 33rd and 7th to kickstart the final run of 2018. Compared to the last few freezing years around MSG during the holidays, it was a welcome warmth and buzz that permeated the neighborhood. Tonight’s show felt like a montage for the entire year, combining stellar, patient tunes with hyper-speed jamming, delivered through thoughtful song selections and dedication to vocals. The Phish from Vermont are playing with vigor and continue to flex their muscles. Night 1. Thanks to Jon R and his family for the primo seating spot at center court, in between the two levels. Lots of room to get down on Rage-side, now we just need some audio.
12/30/1993 & THE SIGNIFICANCE OF 'THE NIGHT BEFORE THE NIGHT'
By most accounts 12/30/1993 should never have happened.
With a torrential blizzard encompassing the Northeastern United States, most fans traveling from New Haven, CT to Portland, ME were either caught in virtual whiteouts or forced to wait until the very last minute to travel.
For those who were in Portland in the hours preceding the show, most had to brave sub-zero temperatures outside while waiting for the venue to shuffle everyone in. As had become a staple of Phish fandom over the past 10 years however, Phish fans would prove more than willing, & more than capable of overcoming seemingly any/all odds, any distance & any weather in the unyielding hunt towards the next Phish show. Be it Dec 1995’s NE Run; Fall 1997’s Denver –> Central Illinois –> Hampton Quest; the long march across Alligator Alley to Big Cypress; the rain-soaked hell-slog to Coventry; or the cross-country hauls throughout 3.0, Phish fans were always ready to hit the road – no matter the conditions – in search of the musical highs Phish provided.
More often than not, Phish would repay their efforts in full.
TAKE THE BAIT - EPISODE 3: 3.0'S PREEMINENT TURNING POINT
[Take the Bait is spirited deliberation centered around the hyperbole of Phish’s music and fandom, passionately exuded via the written words of phish.net contributors @FunkyCFunkyDo and @n00b100. Opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of phish.net, The Mockingbird Foundation, or any fan… but we're pretty sure we’re right. Probably.]
The Bait: What was the most impactful singular event of modern era/3.0 Phish (2009-present)?
Funky: The Baker's Dozen. Tahoe Tweezer. Magnaball. Hampton Fluffhead. Chilling Thrilling Sounds of the Haunted House. Kasvot Vaxt. Soul Planet ... obviously. There have been many monumental moments in Phish’s modern era that have had historic musical and emotional consequence. Moments which, as they unfolded, palpably steered Phish and their fans into new, uncharted waters. After all, the ocean is lovKNOCK IT OFF FUNKY! Ahem. These moments led to, or built upon, new jamming trends, in-show soundscapes, and, perhaps, most importantly, improvisational bravery and courage with which Phish had not dared to experiment. The aforementioned volcanic peaks and explosions indeed were monumental achievements in Phish’s modern era that re-shaped the music henceforth. But, I can look back at one moment not yet listed, a moment which might seem lost among today’s heights of Phish, but a moment that I feel changed the course of the band in a way that no other note, jam, or show ever had: Superball’s Ball Square Jam, aka, The Storage Jam.
THE THREE DECEMBERS - 1999 (PART II)
XVIII. Something More Than Phish?
While Phish's 1997-1998 foray into linear musical communication produced exceptional results in terms of whole-band unified jamming, and led to a musical peak in 1997, there were a few casualties of the controversial era.
The band's dedication to precision playing, particularly with their composed pieces, took a back seat to their nightly dives into the unknown. The tension & release jams which had been their bread & butter for twelve years nearly faded from existence, as the band opted for mellower, less peaky jams with which they could communicate on an even plane. Being as the music they were making had to be completely egoless to work, Phish's guitar-extraordinaire stepped behind the shadows, and many of the jams, which in the past had lived and died with him, became far less reliant on his output. Sure, no one could have replaced him, but it was necessary - by Trey's own admission - that he reduce his role in leading Phish, thus giving Mike and Page a chance to step up and lead the band.
This diminished time in the spotlight took its toll on the natural band leader, Trey, and in the Spring of 1999, he embarked on his first solo tour, in effort to not only get his kicks as a front-man again, but also to test out potential future Phish songs in a live setting.
His decision in early-1999 to pursue a solo-tour in his free time was a monumental shift for the band. No longer would all the band members' time be dedicated to pushing Phish forward. For the first time, it appeared, the band might need a vacation from itself.
Phish suddenly became a part of Trey's life, not his whole life. This new world for both Phish and their fans has become the norm some twenty years later, as fans have come to expect that Phish will play only when they're recording or in the immediacy of a tour, and the rest of the time will either be dedicated to family or side projects. In 1999, however, it was just another in a growing line of reasons, that proved to many fans, that the band was on rocky ground, and was, in a lot of ways, adrift for perhaps the first time since Trey's suspension from UVM in 1984.
BEYOND THE POND PODCAST: HOLIDAY RUN SPECIAL II
Beyond the Pond is a bi-weekly podcast in which Brian Brinkman (@sufferingjuke) and David Goldstein (@daveg924) use the music of Phish as a gateway to introduce the listener to many other bands, the vast majority of which are not jambands. An episode generally begins with a deep dive into a designated portion of Phish improvisation, and then can spin off to any variety of musical themes and other acts, the overarching purpose being introducing the listener to as many new and different bands as possible.
THE THREE DECEMBERS - 1999 (PART I)
XI. Reduction
Minimalist Music got its start in the underground art-rock scenes of New York and San Francisco in the early-to-mid-1960's. Pioneered by such composers as Philip Glass, John Adams, Steve Reich, and Terry Riley, the music was created in effort to communicate the banality of the modern world, specifically, in an urbanized Post-War-West. Characterized by an almost stationary and repetitive melody, Minimalist music shifts between great lengths and ephemeral ideas. It is usually accompanied by a slow modulation, is generally marked by moments of elongated silence, and, is notable for its lack of overall direction.
CALL FOR PROPOSALS: PHISH AND PHILOSOPHY
In an unprecedented collaboration between an academic journal and the live music community, Phish.net, the Philosophy School of Phish, and the Public Philosophy Journal (PPJ) are soliciting abstracts for essays about the improvisational rock band Phish, its music, and fans. Selected papers that successfully complete the PPJ’s Formative Peer Review process will be published in a special issue of the Public Philosophy Journal, co-edited by Dr. Stephanie Jenkins (Oregon State University, assistant professor of Philosophy) and Charlie Dirksen (Mockingbird Foundation, Vice President and Associate Counsel).
Contributors may submit abstracts on any topic of philosophical significance related to the Phish phenomenon. Proposed essays should explore philosophical questions, problems, concepts, themes, or historical figures through connections to the music and fan culture of Phish. Topics may include, but are not limited to:
MYSTERY JAM MONDAY PART 356
Welcome to the 356th edition of Phish.Net's Mystery Jam Monday, the third and final of December. The winner will receive an MP3 download code courtesy of our friends at LivePhish.com / Nugs.Net. To win, be the first person to identify the songs and dates of the three mystery clips. Each person gets one guess to start – if no one answers correctly in the first 24 hours, a hint will be posted. After the hint, everyone gets one more guess before Wednesday at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET. Good luck!
Note: Given the holiday weekend next week as well as the New Year's Eve holiday (and Phish shows!) two weeks from now, this will be the final Mystery Jam Monday of 2018. In its stead, I am working to try and churn out some work for my From The Tapers' Section series between bouts of penning my doctoral thesis - obviously time is tight, but I hope to get some tasty tapes into your hands before the year ends. So I recommend that all of you continue to check in during the next two weeks, but in the meantime take a break from the competition and enjoy the time spent with friends, families, and a chance to ring in another new year at MSG! Best of luck on this MJM, and see you in 2019 with some fresh puzzles and clips.
Hint: this photo
Answer: Congrats to @shelfofpregnanthens, the sixth MJMer in the past nine MJMs to take down their third win! If the past two months of this year are any indication, the MJM Hall of Fame will continue to grow in 2019. @shelfofpregnanthens figured out the hint almost immediately, realizing that a picture of a baby seal was a nod to blues legend Frank "Son" Seals, who sat in with Phish on multiple occassions, including the dates of this week's jams: 7/10/97 "Bathtub Gin," 7/17/99 "Timber (Jerry)," and 10/3/99 "David Bowie." Come back on January 7th, 2019 for MJM357: Magnum Edition, and have a blast at MSG for NYE. And remember: don't do anything we wouldn't do!
DECEMBER 1995 REVISITED ON HF POD
December 1995 is hallowed ground for Phish fans. We try to do it justice with this two-part episode to round out the HF Pod episodes for the year. We have two special guests who help us rank, evaluate and ultimately recommit to the amazingness that was this month.
TAKE THE BAIT - EPISODE 2: 11/22/97, JUST HOW GOOD?
[Take the Bait is spirited deliberation and/or discourse centered around the hyperbole of Phish’s music and fandom, passionately exuded via the written words of phish.net contributors @FunkyCFunkyDo and @n00b100. Opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of phish.net, The Mockingbird Foundation, or any fan… but we're pretty sure we’re right. Probably.]
The Bait: 11/22/97 is one of the truly great shows of Phish’s live oeuvre, and has a reasonable argument to be considered the finest show the band has ever played.
Set 1: Mike's Song -> I am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove, Harry Hood > Train Song, Billy Breathes, Frankenstein > Izabella
Set 2: Halley's Comet > Tweezer -> Black Eyed Katy > Piper > Run Like an Antelope
Encore: Bouncing Around the Room > Tweezer Reprise
n00b: One of the things I’ve tried to work out of my Phish vocabulary is the term “best”, because virtually every discussion regarding Phish other than “it’s good Trey’s not on drugs anymore”, to me, involves subjectivity and the biases and preferences of the person(s) having that discussion. So I tend to go with “favorite” instead, because it properly denotes that I’m talking about something from my own personal viewpoint, with my own personal biases and preferences attached. And now, with this preamble, let me say this: 11/22/97 is my favorite Phish show of all time. I’m sure you’ll agree that it’s your favorite, too, so I guess we’re going pretty short this episode!
THE THREE DECEMBERS - 1997 (PART II)
VIII. The Jams of December 1997
Ask any fan what their two favorite jams from December 1997 are, and their answers should be December 6th's "Tweezer -> Izabella -> Twist -> Piper" sequence, and the "AC/DC Bag" from Madison Square Garden on the night of the 30th. In reality, if you only heard two jams from 1997, these are the two that would best give you an understanding of what the 1997 sound was and why it's so revered 20+ years later.
THE THREE DECEMBERS - 1997 (PART I)
In the 1.0 era of Phish there is no year more hotly debated, more controversial, more divisive, and more celbrated than 1997. To some, it represents a sublime and ethereal peak moment where the band shed their skin and reinvented themselves as a minimalist, groove-oriented machine that embraced jamming with open arms, and turned their shows into infectious dance parties, where prewritten songs no longer mattered. Others view it with an air of indifference, a sort of boring sidetrack from the pure origins of the band; a moment when, for the first time, the band showed signs of laziness, and, instead of pushing themselves further, relied on simple grooves, and extended jams to get themselves through a tour. Still some see it as the moment when Phish lost track of who they were, allowed drugs, the scene, and the bigness of what they'd become, take precedence over their music, and began the slow downward spiral to the bottoming out of 2004.
Whatever way you look at 1997, one thing is certain: the music Phish created throughout the year represented a distinct shift in styles from everything that had come before, and would alter the course of their craft, and the band, in a multitude of ways over the next twenty years.
MYSTERY JAM MONDAY PART 355
Welcome to the 355th edition of Phish.Net's Mystery Jam Monday, the second of December. The winner will receive an MP3 download code courtesy of our friends at LivePhish.com / Nugs.Net. To win, be the first person to identify the songs and dates of the two mystery clips. Each person gets one guess to start – if no one answers correctly in the first 24 hours, a hint will be posted. After the hint, everyone gets one more guess before Wednesday at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET. Good luck!
Hint: Two performances of one song, separated by four days, played in a tour with more than one leg.
Answer: And then he had three (codes)! @Patwich scoops up his third MJM win in short order after the hint by picking out the 8/22/12 Tweezer and its slightly-younger-but-still-wonderful brother, the 8/26/12 Tweezer. Will next week continue this December Tweezer Extravaganza, or will we at the blog cook up something out of left field? Return next week to find out!
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