[We would like to thank Ian Zigel (@ripenesswasall) aka @memehendge on Instagram for recapping last night's show. -Ed.]

Hockey Arena shows in the fall are a quintessential part of the Phish experience, particularly in the northeast where the band cut its teeth 4 decades ago and where the core of the fanbase resides. It’s no secret that Phish delivers the goods musically on fall tour; summer tours tend to be experimental and playful as the band searches for a new sound, slowly building up potential energy, which is actualized in the fall with shows that can be a bit more intense, ballsy, and spooky.

Everything about these autumnal happenings - huddling together on a chilly but sprawling shakedown street, sipping on hot chocolate or apple cider, visible traces of our spirit family’s presence in every imaginable corner of an unsuspecting little town, catching up with your tour friends from around the country, and gasp-inducing sets of music – make up the ineffable but unmistakable vibe of fall tour.

On October 27th 2024, we find ourselves returning to the storied “MVP Arena” in Albany, NY for the third and final night of a charity benefit run for The Divided Sky Foundation. Of course, this run also became a celebration of the life and legacy of Phil Lesh when the heavy news of his passing broke on Friday morning.

Night one’s poignant “Box of Rain” opener and bass-forward, dead-esque vibe was a cathartic and perfect eulogy. Saturday was very much a raging “Saturday special” for a full house that got delightfully evil and deranged throughout the second set.

For a new fan, a fall hockey arena run is a rite of passage, a phish-mitzvah if you will, and I felt that Friday and Saturday night’s shows would both be excellent first shows to introduce a newcomer to this expensive hobby. Dare I say I felt a bit nostalgic this weekend, reminiscing on my first run of fall shows in Providence, RI and Uniondale, NY 5 years ago, a weekend that changed my life for better or worse. My “Dick in a Blender” moment was the glorious, multi-pronged “Harry Hood” unleashed at the Dunkin Donuts Center on 11/30/19. Alas I am still waiting for the band to send me an autographed vitamix, but I’m sure it’s on their to do list *cough cough.*

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[We would like to thank Matthew Golia (@mgolia6) for recapping last night's show. Please support The Divided Sky Foundation. -Ed.]

(This recap is dedicated to my Dad and his best friend Mark)

Phish has graced Albany with its presence 18 times, starting in 1989 with a sketchily confirmed appearance at Pauly’s Hotel (setlist lost to the ether). After 3 jaunts at the Palace Theater between ‘92 and ‘93, the band finally arrived, Arena-style, in 1995 at The Knick.

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[This post is courtesy of Christy Articola, thank you Christy! -Ed.]

Here is Surrender to the Flow's Albany 2024 issue! We think you're really going to love this issue!

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Feeling grateful for Trey's sobriety and decades of generosity, including the Beacon Jams during a tremendously difficult time for the world four years ago?

Please consider celebrating Trey's life by donating in his honor in any amount that you can to the Divided Sky Foundation, the WaterWheel Foundation, or The Mockingbird Foundation, three charities that Trey cares greatly about and that he and Phish routinely support.

We love you, Trey!

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Thanks to Jnan Blau (@thephunkydrb) for this exciting update!]

Greetings, phans and phellow phreaks! Your attention, please... Phish Studies 101 is now officially ready to go. A lecture series by and for Phish nerds across the Phishiverse. A webinar series that will absolutely scratch your itch to love and appreciate Phish even more, experience and understand the band, the experience, and the culture ever more deeply.

Phish Studies 101, the three-part webinar series that will probably change your life, is upcoming in October, is super exciting and thought-provoking, and is ready for you to register. For more information on Phish Studies 101, see this recent blog post from the recent past, as seen right here on our beloved Phish Dot Net. There, you will find a full write-up of what this wonderful Phish Studies 101 affair is all about, the backstory, what you stand to learn, how your life will change, etcetera.

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[“From the Forum” is a running blog feature that highlights quality posts from the Phish.net forum to share more broadly. This edition was originally posted by @Flubhead on July 13, 2024. If you would like to listen along to the versions of songs mentioned in this blog post, open the accompanying playlist on phish.in. -Ed.]

The long and rollicking history of the Mike's Groove suite is full of ups, downs, peaks, valleys, and a whole lot of repetition. The first “Mike's Song” that we know of happened on 5/3/1985 at UVM. An auspicious thing, to be born around the same time as the band itself - 5/3/1985 is only the sixth show that we have a recording of. [While the official debut of “Mike’s Song” is listed as 3/16/85, and there is also a version listed in setlists before THAT from 2/1/85, which may be a misidentified tape of 2/3/86, 5/3/85 is indeed the first “Mike’s” that we have on tape.” -Ed.]

The first “I Am Hydrogen” that we have a recording of would appear on 10/15/86 at Hunt's in Burlington. The first performance that we know of was on 4/6/1985, but there's no extant recording of this show as of July 2024. Did its debut predate the actual debut of "Mike's Song"? Another mystery from the early days... It wasn't attached to "Mike's Song" at first. That would happen on 8/29/1987 at The Ranch in Burlington. The first “Hydrogens” seemed to be searching for an appropriate placement in their sets, but it most often preceded the nascent “Who Do? We Do?,” which itself was searching for its appropriate placement.

“Weekapaug Groove, the last piece of the M>I>W puzzle, debuted (we think!) on 7/23/88 at Pete’s Phabulous Phish Phest. “Weekapaug” was preceded by “Hydrogen” in its debut performance; no other song would precede it until 1992, when on 5/14/92 in Port Chester, they played the trifle “Wait” before “Weekapaug.” Clearly weird things were afoot in spring 1992, but dropping “Hydrogen” in favor of some other song preceding “Weekapaug” in the Mike’s Groove suite wouldn’t really begin in earnest until 1993.

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[We would like to thank @LizardwithaZ and @OrangeSox for contributing this to the blog. - Ed.]

It’s usually difficult to see the exact trajectory of a tour happening in real time. Some may make statements early-on about it being the “best tour since ______” or any other number of superlatives, often rooted in the bias of recency, especially when mixed with the potent fuel of attendance. On the other hand, one might claim it’s been subpar, with not enough bustouts, predictable setlists, or “the band is playing “Evolve” too much!”

Summer 2024 definitely falls into the previous category, with general acclaim and consistent superlatives. Building on an already exciting year–the band’s improbable 40th–following a Gamehendge spectacle for New Year’s, the most exciting Mexico run yet, the band’s first visit to Sphere in April, a new album before summer tour, and more media exposure than in years, it all challenges the view that in “even years” Phish is somehow less awesome than in odd numbered years.

Since the dust has settled, can we get a better sense of the tour as a whole? The hills and valleys become more clearly identifiable. We see the tight rotation of songs around solid setlist construction, a wide variety of jams that shone through but others that depended on what seemed like I-IV tropes, the individual band members’ influences and contributions, and a million little things in between.

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Thanks to Jnan Blau (@thephunkydrb) for this exciting news!]

This, dear reader, is obviously a blog post on our beloved Dot Net. But it is also more than that. This here is also a heads-up, as well as a bit of an enjoinder. Maybe this is also a touch of a plea. It is certainly hoping to function as a woo-ing (not during-a-jam wooing, no no!) — you know, as in to woo (v.) someone. Most assuredly, this is an enthusiastic and genuine invitation to you, my fellow phans.

Indeed, I come bearing what is exciting news about something that maybe should be on your radar and that, it is hoped, will be of interest to many of you.

This writing comes to you on behalf of Phish Studies. Some of you have perhaps heard of us, and of the events we have been putting on the last several years. The first one was on the campgrounds of The Gorge in 2018; the last one happened this past spring. In a nutshell, gatherings of folks who are scholars/academics who turn their keen eyes and ears — and even keener minds and hearts — to unpacking and analyzing and theorizing and deeply appreciating this phenomenon we know as Phish and phandom. Maybe you caught wind of our most recent event, the second official, interdisciplinary Phish Studies Conference, held in May of this year at Oregon State University?

Before I get to the concrete news and invite, allow me to set the stage just a bit more...

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[We would like to thank Rob (@mikh2wg) for recapping last night's show. -Ed.]

So far, this has been a pretty good vacation. My friend and I got into Denver on Friday. We hadn’t planned it, but our flights landed within 30mins of each other. We pulled into the first taco place we spotted, and it was wonderful. The hotel had our room ready when we got there. We saw a pretty damn good Phish show Friday night. A great start to the trip. My friend recently adopted a four year old and I have had a lot of stress at work so far this year, so we were both ready to relax. We started off Saturday with a hike at Lair O’ the Bear.

It was an easy walk, with the biggest incline coming from the parking lot. There were beautiful views and a babbling creek. Lots of time to look out at nature and muse about all the people who have lived and worked in these hills before us. On the way home, we spotted a sign for something called Dinosaur Ridge so we checked that out too. They had a bunch of dino tracks and some cool rock formations. The brontosaurus bulges were our favorites. Then it was back to the hotel to enjoy a few hours of rest and relaxation before lot dinner and showtime. At this point, I may have blissed out too much on nature and hot tubs to bring an entirely objective eye to Dicks’ Night 3, but I will do my best. I take my responsibility to dot net very seriously.

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[We would like to thank Steve Plock (@howiep) aka @steve81573937, drummer for The Curls , and manager of the world famous iO Theater in Chicago, and Justin Mercer @piperpiperworm for recapping last night's show. -Ed.]

In a year of Phish already marked by so many monumental events and runs, it’s natural for anyone coming to Colorado this weekend to wonder how the band is going to treat these final four shows of summer tour.

2024 came off the heels of the band’s first full Gamehendge performance in 24 years, then came the Mexico run that showed the band stretching out to new lengths in their jams, a hint of things to come later in the year. In April, Phish took the Sphere for a four night run that makes the Dead and Co subsequent performances look like Cocomelon for hippies, and the last two months have seen some of the longest and most exploratory jamming from the band in their entire history, culminating in their first festival in 9 years.

There isn’t much to say about Mondegreen that hasn’t been said in other reviews here, so I’ll only add that as we drove home from Delaware back to Chicago for 13 hours, I couldn’t help but wonder how Dick’s was going to feel as the coda on a year filled with so many milestones and highly memorable moments.

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[We would like to thank Josh Cohron (@cohron1) aka @JoshCohron for recapping last night's show. -Ed.]

When a band has been around for as long as Phish has and has created the devoted following they have, expectations are naturally going to arise. The fanbase has little idea how much our expectations are felt by the band. When there is a collective disappointment or unrest among Phish fans, does Phish know?

This question was on my mind as I traveled out for the show. With the abrupt, confusing ending to Mondegreen eleven days prior, would the band want to come out firing in their first show since? Did they even need to, given what happened seemed out of their control?

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[“From the Forum” is a new blog feature series that highlights quality posts from the Phish.net forum to share more broadly. This inaugural edition was originally posted by @Profjibboo on August 18, 2024. -Ed.]

38 - The number of shows Phish has played at Dick's Sporting Goods Park. In 2022, Dick's passed The Front to become Phish's 2nd most played venue of all time. It trails only Madison Square Garden, which has had 83 shows. Dick's accounts for 2% of all Phish shows. Commerce City is also securely #3 on the most played cities list, behind New York City and Burlington. At the end of 2024, it will have a 10 show advantage over #4, Noblesville, IN.

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[Thank you Christy Articola for Surrender to the Flow and this post. -Ed.]

The Dicks Colorado 2024 issue of Surrender to the Flow is available here. This issue is FREE to download, but if you would like to pay something for it (donate), we will gladly accept!

This issue is full of good stuff for you! It includes information about Dick's Sporting Goods Park, things to do in Colorado in your free time, and our regular features like recipes, My First Show, My Favorite Jam Ever, 20 Years Later, Phish Changed My Life, Everybody Loves Statistics, Celebrations, fan fiction, a puzzle, and other things we think you'll enjoy.

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[We would like to thank Paul Jakus (@paulj) of the Dept. of Applied Economics at Utah State University for this summary of research presented at the 2024 Phish Studies Conference. -Ed.]

This is the fourth and final blogpost regarding the current rating system. Previous posts can be found here, here and here.

Post #2 showed how two metrics—average deviation and entropy—have been used by product marketers to identify anomalous raters; Post #3 showed how anomalous users may increase bias in the show rating. Many Phish.Net users have intuitively known that anomalous raters increase rating bias, and have suggested using a rating system similar to that used by rateyourmusic.com (RYM). RYM is an album rating aggregation website where registered users have provided nearly 137 million ratings of 6.2 million albums recorded by nearly 1.8 million artists (as of August 2024).

Similar to Phish.Net, RYM uses a five-point star rating scale but, unlike .Net, an album’s rating is not a simple average of all user ratings. Instead, RYM calculates a weighted average, where the most credible raters are given greater weight than less credible raters. Weights differ across raters on the basis of the number of albums they have rated and/or reviewed, the length of time since their last review, whether or not the reviewer provides only extreme ratings (lowest and/or highest scores), and how often they log onto the site, among other measures. These measures identify credible reviewers and separate them from what the site describes as possible “trolls”. Weights are not made public, and the exact details of the weighting system are left deliberately opaque so as to avoid strategic rating behavior.

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[We would like to thank Paul Jakus (@paulj) of the Dept. of Applied Economics at Utah State University for this summary of research presented at the 2024 Phish Studies Conference. -Ed.]

The first two blogposts in this series can be found here and here. This post will address the statistical biases believed to be present in the data, and how anomalous raters may contribute to bias.

Statistically, a show rating represents our best point estimate of an unobservable theoretical construct: the “true” show rating. To the degree that an estimated show rating deviates from its true value, the error is composed of sampling variance and bias. In the figure below, think of the bullseye as the true show rating, and the red dots as our estimates (best guesses) of the true value.

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[We would like to thank Paul Jakus (@paulj) of the Dept. of Applied Economics at Utah State University for this summary of research presented at the 2024 Phish Studies Conference. -Ed.]

Numerous Phish.Net Forum threads have hypothesized about the effect of people with extreme ratings behavior on show ratings, so this post will focus on the behavior of (anonymous) individual raters. The most well-known of extreme raters are “bombers”, or those who rate all shows as a ‘1’. “Fluffers”—those who rate every show a ‘5’—have received less attention than bombers.

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[We would like to thank Paul Jakus (@paulj) of the Dept. of Applied Economics at Utah State University for this summary of research presented at the 2024 Phish Studies Conference. -Ed.]

As many of you know, the coding/architecture of Phish.Net is currently undergoing a major overall. While the ability to rate shows has been restored, we continue to study the ratings database with the goal of improving the accuracy (and credibility) of show ratings. This is the first in a series of four blogposts about that effort.

This post will focus the raw ratings data.

All analysis is based on an anonymized database downloaded on October 26, 2023.

This date allows us to sidestep problems associated with possible ratings shenanigans in the aftermath of the NYE Gamehendge performance. Ratings for 592 dates that were soundchecks, TV appearances, side projects, false dates (on which no show was performed), and shows for which there is no surviving audiotape were deleted. The final data consist of 343,241 ratings from 16,452 users for 1,736 shows. The shows ranged from Phish’s first, December 2, 1983, through October 15, 2023.

Show ratings are tightly concentrated at high values.

A smoothed distribution for show ratings (the simple average of individual ratings) appears below. Ratings have a heavy concentration of shows packed in between 4.0 and 4.8, and a long tail of relatively fewer shows spread across the relatively low ratings (<4.0).

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[We would like to thank Brad Strode (@c_wallob) for recapping last night's show. -Ed.]

My first Phish show was in December 2003. Subsequently, my first Phish festival was Coventry. I have a lot of great memories of Coventry, harrowing though it was. Being 21 at the time, I didn’t mind the long wait in traffic, the 14 mile walk we took to get to the grounds, or even the mud; those were shared experiences with my friends and fellow fans. I remember the kindness of those around us, sharing with our neighbors to pool limited supplies we could carry in, and even that “Melt” jam was pretty fire. Another core memory of that festival was the trek off the concert field after the last song, “The Curtain (With).” I have never seen tens of thousands of people that silent, save maybe a sob from a disheartened fan (truly believing it was over), or maybe the occasional disgruntled shout of, “What the fuck was that?!?!?” Over the past 160+ shows I’ve had the privilege to see, I have frequently thought of the despair that everyone felt leaving that concert field, and I reflect on how fortunate we are to have this band back in our lives.

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[We would like to thank Alaina Stamatis (Farmhose on dot net and Fad Albert on Twitter) for recapping last night's show. -Ed.]

Terry Gross: You’re listening to Fresh Air. My guest today is the seminal improvisational rock band Phish, who formed 41 years ago and continue to innovate and excite across every living generation. They are in some ways torch bearers for what the Grateful Dead ignited, but in many ways they are a “Fuego” unto themselves. Last night they performed their Saturday night set at their 11th festival called Mondegreen, which has an estimated attendance of upwards of 40,000 strong. Gentlemen, welcome to the show.

Phish: Thank you for having us.

Terry Gross: So, tell me about Mondegreen.

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[We would like to thank Cotter Smart (@Cotter_Smart) for recapping last night's show. -Ed.]

There seem to be special times in life we are given a third opportunity. Be it college, with our significant other, or an extra Phish set. I say this not knocking the first two sets of music we all heard in the woodlands last night, they were good. The band sounded very intentional, they came out and played with a purpose. Nothing was bad, but outside of a few amazing moments during a “Pillow Jets” into “Your Pet Cat” jam there was nothing got to the heights reached previously in the tour. The secret set felt like culmination of it all.

I tend to get the difficult tasks of writing reviews for out of the ordinary shows. I wrote the Gamehendge review, and prior to that put pen to paper when Trey got stuck. Those were not easy to do; this represents an entirely different challenge. Trying to accurately describe the intricacies of a 50-minute behemoth as someone who’s not musically well endowed. I’ll do my best.

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[We would like to thank Your Name (@ObviousFool) aka @silasioak for recapping last night's show. -Ed.]

There is a palpable excitement on the first day of a Phish run, when the waiting is finally over and the day of the show is finally here. This is especially true of a Phish festival, a truly singular experience, and one that many in this fanbase have yet to experience. It’s been almost a decade since Magnaball, the last Phish festival to actually occur, and some of us have PTSD from the last time we were supposed to be doing this.

As I arrive in Baltimore at the crack of dawn, I’ve barely slept, kept awake by an intoxicating cocktail of anxiety, anticipation, and excitement. The day before, when my wristband arrived in the mail, some of the anxiety was replaced with goosebumps, but after our misadventures in 2018, I’m not counting any chickens before they’ve hatched, grown, and been turned into spicy chicken sandwiches.

I grab my rental car and after quick stops for snacks and coffee, I make my way towards Dover. I arrive at my hotel shortly after 9AM, naively optimistic that my room might be ready for me six hours before check-in. After a couple hours of napping in the A/C in my backseat, I return to the lobby to find Reed (@DaleCooper) and his brother Nathan (@DriftlessMN) - it turns out they’re actually staying at the hotel across the street, but by the luck of their error, I’ve found my first friends.

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[We would like to thank @drbeechwood and his friend, photographer Tony Stack, for this photoessay -Ed.]

If you were there, you remember…the highs, the lows, the rain, and the sun. Some of you walked for miles, others like us somehow found back roads and drove really close to the venue with no problem, while listening to the radio and hearing Mike tell people to turn around. No way! The music…speaks for itself? These were some of the lowest rated shows ever, but in the end, we got together for a celebration of the end that ended up NOT being the end.

A lot happened between the sad final notes of "The Curtain With" at Coventry on 8/15/04 and the jubilant first notes of "Fluffhead" on 3/6/09 at Hampton…and here we are, 20 Years Later, about to celebrate another East Coast festival in Delaware.

My friend, Tony Stack, from Boulder, Colorado (“Rocksteady Studios”) was a freelance photographer for Jambase and got a photo pass for the weekend. This resulted in the shots from the on-stage scaffolding and a few pictures from the pit, but he also took some photos of the crowd before and during the shows, reminding us that it wasn’t all a muddy depressing weekend. Enjoy!

All photos used with permission © 2004 Tony Stack

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[This post is courtesy of Brian Weinstein, Host of the Attendance Bias podcast. -Ed.]

Regardless of whether time heals all wounds, it certainly adds perspective. Twenty years after an event–a movie, a championship win, an album, or a monumental concert– it’s customary to look back and think about What It All Meant, both at the time, and with the benefit of hindsight. Two decades seem to be the right amount of time to revisit even the worst experiences with a fresh set of eyes. With the approach of Mondegreen, Phish’s 11th large-scale festival since 1996, now seemed like a good time to reflect on Phish’s “final shows” that took place exactly 20 years ago: Coventry. What would it be like to look back mindfully, focusing on the positives? (After all, there’s nothing that could be 100% negative, right?)

A few weeks ago, I put out a call for listeners of the Attendance Bias podcast to share a short message detailing ONE positive memory from Coventry. There were no guidelines other than that: it could have been something as concrete as the “Split Open and Melt” jam, or something more abstract, like the sense of community that a person felt after witnessing hundreds or thousands of fans abandoning their cars and hiking into the festival.

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[We would like to thank Landon Schoenefeld (@nomidwestlove) aka @_colonel_mustard (Instagram) for recapping last night's show. -Ed.]

From the moment the announcement was made, I knew I was all in for Mondegreen, Phish’s first festival in nearly nine years (Curveball notwithstanding), but of course I wanted more. Summer tour has traditionally been tough for me as I usually have my hands full with work stuff, but I also knew as a rabid fan of this band for the last twenty-five years, that four shows would leave me unsatiated. So, when a friend casually floated the possibility of adding Bethel to our roster, I reluctantly agreed.

I have visited sheds north and south and east to west with a collect-them-all sort of zeal. I have always heard good things about Bethel but had never made the trip to these hallowed grounds near Yasgur’s Farm in upstate New York. Of course, as a card carrying hippy, I had to make the pilgrimage to ground zero of the most famous festival in American history. Yes, this is where Woodstock happened in August of 1969, but risking my mind becoming mired in a claustrophobic clutch of clichés, I will try my best to spare this recap from being drenched in a rainbow collage of psychedelic prose.

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[This post is courtesy of Christy Articola of STTF, thank you Christy! -Ed.]

The digital edition of the Surrender to the Flow Mondegreen issue, No. 84, is now available here!

We think you're really going to love this issue!

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[We would like to thank Elizabeth L. Woods (@tweezeher) aka @organic.music.society for recapping last night's show. -Ed.]

It’s been a quiet life for me here in Catskills since my family moved here in 1968. My father, a rare dog breeder, decided that the city was no place to raise a family (or a dozen or so chow-chow’s at any given time). I was only 15 when I took the trip to Yasugur’s Farm. I had smoked a little pot with some friends back in Brooklyn, but who knew it would take me leaving the metropolis my father feared would change me to blow the hinges clean off my doors of perception, leaving me born again in a field with 400,000 muddy psychonauts.

The world has changed a lot since then, and whatever good-fight we thought we had won after three days of peace, love, and music has been forfeited in exchange for a world less tethered to reality than I was at 15 years old on 200µg of what I was told was called “liquid sunshine in a bottle,” which I had later learned to be LSD-25, trying to sell wet dogs to the strangers in the rain.

This Phish show was nothing like that though…Other than some mud & psychonauts.

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We are closing in on the largest phish.net architectural redesign since the site's relaunch in 2009. A testament to the popularity of the band, the site's traffic continues to grow, but unfortunately, faster than our team can complete the next phase to accommodate it.

During shows, we'll be redirecting the site to a stripped down version of the setlist and the gap chart at live.phish.net. You may occasionally see an issue outside of this time–please note we are aware, and our volunteers are working as fast as they can. Thank you for your patience!

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[We would like to thank Rob Mitchum (@robmitchum) aka @robmitchum on Bluesky for recapping last night's show. -Ed.]

I’m gonna clue you in on a dirty music writer secret: when we’re assigned to review a concert, we hardly ever go in with a blank slate. Given the quick turnaround time that a live review demands, it’s useful to go into the show with a framing device already in mind, then adjust accordingly. One might even pre-write a few paragraphs before the show, making an educated guess about how the night would unfold. Come back home, fill in the details, and voila – you can make deadline and go back to hanging out with your friends.

I’ve certainly written enough about Phish to know better, but I still use this strategy when I draw the prestigious phish.net assignment. I’d been thinking a lot about my expectations for these shows and why I chose them from the surprising abundance of Midwestern options this year, so I wrote down a handful of paragraphs between nights one and two, naively thinking I could predict the general parameters of how the evening would unfold.

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[We would like to thank Megan Glionna (@meganglionna) aka @the_megan_dance for recapping last night's show. -Ed.]

“I went to my first Phish show last night! It was so killer! It was amazing, indescribable. I’ve never seen a band so into their audience. Phish cannot even be judged until you see them in concert. They’re alive, electric, young, energetic. It was so tripped out to see downtown Grand Rapids full of hippies, like a Dead show! I felt uplifted, amazed and full of energy! They played so many killer tunes, I mean they jammed SO hard!”

Those are a few lines from my journal entry the day after I saw Phish for the first time when I was 17 years old. Take out the word “young” and it could accurately, if not eloquently, describe my feelings after last night’s show.

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[We would like to thank Daniel B.Simon (@sleeping_llama) for this piece. -Ed.]

Please give Phish a warm welcome back to Grand Rapids, Michigan, where Jovi hosted Trey on his most recent visit, June 20, 2022. Trey brought his acoustic guitar, and sat in with her on the Grand Rapids "Bug." Kindness is magic, y'all! Without it, the rest doesn't even begin to matter.

On the heels of Trey's epic guest appearance with Jovi, he's bringing Mike, Jon, and Page along for The's fifth and sixth shows in Grand Rapids on August 6th and 7th. After 8/11/93 at Eastbrook Theatre, and 11/14/94 at DeVos Hall, it's their third trip to Van Andel. (In case there've been times when you wondered…ever heard of Amway? Jay Van Andel was a co-founder.) First came 11/11/96, and then came the two-year anniversary show of the aforementioned show, on 11/11/98. All-time most common opener "Chalk Dust Torture" (97x) kicked off the former, and PYITE the latter. Double treatment for "Contact," "Gumbo" and "Theme from the Bottom." Will any of those go 3-for-3? We've got two nights to find out. There's a lot of chatter in the build up to Mondegreen.** What is Phish holding back? What's in high gear? There's some serious spending, and also, paradoxically, some serious saving. Talk ain't cheap and neither is tour, but so as long as they destroy, it doesn't matter. (Still, I dare anyone to knock a Grand Rapids "Windora Bug.")

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[We would like to thank David Grossman (@first_tube_screamer) for recapping Sunday's show. -Ed.]

When ring leader @c_wallob's clarion call for the elect to assemble at Deer Creek (ermmm, Ruoff Music Center) went out shortly after the tour announcement, I waffled for a few months. There were closer venues, unvisited venues, and venues I would have preferred for various reasons. Only having caught one night at the Creek in ‘22 and nothing prior, c_wallob insisted I needed the full experience. Disaster struck a month prior to the shows when I was involved in a motor vehicle accident. Although frequent hospital trips and impaired mobility fettered me to either a couch or a gurney, I made the seemingly rash decision to take my flight out to corn-fed country. Let me tell you folks, St. Ernest rewards his faithful.

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[We would like to thank Matt (@coolyguy) for recapping last night's show. -Ed.]

I have to agree with @c_wallob's introductory remarks on Deer Creek from his review of Friday's show–Deer Creek is special. Besides the history, the convenient location, and everything else aforementioned, I would add that the plentiful nearby camping is a major manifester of the venue's signature vibe. The concertgoers here–or at least a large part of them–have been soaking up the Midwestern sun, rain, and all the elements, which contributes to a greater sense of community, and shared experience.

Which is to say, by Saturday it was hot outside. Humid, too, after the rain the night prior. My crew (The Lizards), all in from Chicago, sat on the lawn, awaiting the show's start, sweating, hoping the sun would go down, too (it usually does). Besides a frankly superhuman and very cool group of college-aged youngsters behind us, the crowd too seemed to be feeling the heat. People moved slowly, gripping their beverages caked with humidity.

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[We would like to thank Brad Strode (@c_wallob) for recapping last night's show. -Ed.]

What makes Deer Creek–an otherwise non-descript Live Nation mega-shed in the middle of strip malls that used to be cornfields–a can’t miss venue on a Summer Phish Tour? Maybe it’s the midwest location, enabling phans to come from East and West to gather for our favorite band. Maybe it’s the history of absurdly great Phish shows, not to mention the (significantly darker) history the venue holds in Grateful Dead lore.

Or maybe it’s because of the overall “vibe,” with its vibrant lot scene, plentiful tickets, and friendly staff. No matter the reason, when Summer Tour was announced for 2024, mrs_wallob and I encouraged our touring crew from all over the USA to join us on our pilgrimage, and the crew happily complied, in spite of the fact that we will all see each other in Delaware ten days after the final note rings out in the humid summer sky on Sunday.

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[Thanks to Mike (@yhgtbfkm) for the recap. -Ed.]

Writing recaps is hard. On top of trying to translate music into words (you try describing “Lawn Boy” in more than two sentences), it’s especially hard when the show you’re writing the recap for takes place the day after a show that contained, for lack of a better phrase, a jam for the ages. I had the privilege of attending NYE this past year, and as my friend and I were walking back to the hotel after the show, I rhetorically asked him “How do you top THAT?” and the answer is…you don’t. Phish learned that lesson years ago, Trey has said they make it a point to not talk about shows afterwards. Fans, however, have missed that part of the book. I started hearing about “Tweezer” while it was still happening. After two epic jams over the course of four shows, everyone was buzzing with anticipation about what tonight would hold. Would we get an epic "YEM" to compliment the tour so far? Maybe Gin as a throwback to the best "Gin" of all time (sorry not sorry)? Maybe they’ll play “Gloria” again! (Dear god I hope not.)

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[We would like to thank user @mikh2wg aka Rob for recapping last night's show. -Ed.]

I’ll start off by answering the question you all must be asking yourselves, “Did our reviewer go to the St. Louis Zoo before the show?” Yes. Yes I did. @lomein and I got into town at 9am and we needed something to do and somewhere to be. So after a killer vegan lunch at Seedz, we walked over to see some animals. Highlights included grizzly bear antics, getting splashed by puffins, and watching a hippo mom and calf take a nap underwater. As far as omens presaging songs that could be played tonight, we saw a big group of Vultures and lots of parents and kids who needed to Get Back on the (zoo) Train. I called No Men for the opener and Lomein called Glide. We checked into our hotel in the afternoon, had some dinner, and hopped on the Metro to the show.

So neither of us predicted the opener, but I'm not gonna complain about "Cars Trucks Buses." The sound was a little muddy across the board at first. Not a lot of clarity in the bottom end. Nonetheless, Trey gave us a patient solo with some good space for Mike to attack and Page tore it right up.

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[We would like to thank Ryan Mannix (@thewatchfulhosemaker), a musician and performer from Chicago who plays with Lunar Ticks and Beat The Meatles and runs Indie Park Music Festival in Irving Park. -Ed.]

You’ve heard it a million times, seen it on shirts, and probably uttered it earnestly and ironically, but Sunday night at Alpine Valley Music Theater was one not to be missed. The setup shows of Friday - killer songlist and inspired playing from start to finish, as well as Saturday with a once in a lifetime, historic jam in “Simple” - set the energy and expectations high for Sunday.

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[We would like to thank Doug Kaplan (@MrDougDoug) for recapping last night's show. -Ed.]

Here we are at Alpine Valley yet again! For those who haven’t been here before, Alpine Valley is a very precious (and extremely deep) ditch in Southern Wisconsin where the four wizards – who I will refer to as Phish for the rest of this article – have been enchanting and enlightening tens of thousands of people since 1996. Tonight just so happens to be Phish’s 25^th ever show at this venue, vaulting this space into an exclusive list of hallowed Phish locations where you can still see the band this year, like Madison Square Garden, Dick’s, and Deer Creek, and primal venues where you’ve probably never seen Phish (but I want to talk with you if you did) like Nectar’s and The Front. While we all know that a number is just a number, Phish people more than any other fanbase relish in numbers and statistics, often ascribing meaning to nice round digits. With such a rich history performing at the venue, including a bevy of official live releases, numerous two and three day stands, notable bustout shows, and the legendary Alpine “Ruby Waves,” Phish has proved time and time again that they can’t get enough of this magical Wisconsin ditch. But if you poke around the forums, you’ll see that fans seem to have more of a love/hate relationship with the venue.

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[We would like to thank Matt Schrag aka kipmat on dot net for recapping last night's show. -Ed.]

Since the dawn of the touring scene, the second week of tour has been an interesting and mildly confusing time. In the pre-internet era, it was a time for vital information regarding the shows to be passed along: what was played, how they played, what to expect at that night’s show. As information-sharing moved online, one could form one’s own opinion by reading a posted setlist and show reviews, without having heard a note of the performance.

Thankfully, both the tapers and the Phish organization quickly made possible the sharing of show recordings with practically no delay. Now we can all be on tour, hearing the shows as they happen, from the comfort of our homes and private lives, and we can voice our opinions on those shows on community forums (like the one hosted on this very site). And, individually and collectively, we critically evaluate the first week of shows, trying to get a handle on how our favorite band is performing, and adjusting our expectations accordingly.

Still, the VR tech wizards haven’t figured out how to replicate the immersive experience of attending a show in person. Every Phish show is a unique and special experience, but some venues carry a greater historical weight than others. Friday night’s show was the band’s 24th show at Alpine Valley, and for myself and other #JadedVets, it feels like a family gathering, in celebration of lives lived and shared with each other. It’s such a pleasant surprise to recognize someone in a crowd that you haven’t seen in a few years, and reconnect with them through the experience of a Phish show.

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[We would like to thank Alaina Stamatis Farmhose on dot net and Fad Albert on Twitter for recapping last night's show! -Ed.]

Ah, Casino Phish. Phish Royale. In the afternoon before the show, Mohegan security is on high alert. What have they agreed to? What are these animals doing to their institution of higher gambling? But after the show they've resigned; their nervous systems bombarded with the sights, the smells! They've been forced to endure their prized roulette tables engulfed in dreads, tie-dye, patchouli, and tattered open-toe footwear. But that will all come later; for now, it's pre-show jitters.

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[We would like to thank user Estimated_Eyes (Luke) for authoring this recap. -Ed.]

After being treated to such an incredible weekend of heady jams at Great Woods, I had an anxious excitement for what Mohegan had in store. As we all know, like the Grateful Dead, Phish regularly plays heaters in CT. The most recent, Hartford ’22, having my favorite segment of music of summer that year - AWOH >ASIHOS>BLAZE ON particularly. And it’s a huge Phish regret of mine that I missed the Mohegan ’19 run, making a hypocrite of me, someone who always says “Never miss a New England Phish show.” The “Beneath a Sea of Stars Part 1” from night one of Mansfield, although great, couldn’t hold a candle to the version from night 1 of Mohegan ’19 and, honestly, it has got to be the best version of that song to date. I was crushed to miss those shows, and I couldn’t wait to have second pass at Mohegan. Another thing adding to my excitement - seeing Phish in a venue that only holds about 10k people. What a treat for my 50th show. I’m sure to a jaded, grizzled vet, the 50th is still “noob” territory, but it feels like an earnest landmark and was the cherry on top of all the excitement and anticipation for the night ahead.

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[We would like to thank Patrick, user @robertpollardisaplorb, for this recap. -Ed.]

Having seen my first Phish show on the Xfinity Center lawn in 2010, this weekend of shows allowed for plenty of reflection on just how far things have come since those days. I had spent the last two nights in the pavilion solo, but opted to spend Sunday on the lawn to dance with friends new and old during the night’s festivities. As the band entered stage left and got settled in, my friend quickly sensed the incoming "Free" opener.

Following a fun and standard “Free,” Phish were quick to uncork the jams with the dependable “A Wave of Hope,” the jam itself veered into a fun celebratory major jam in many ways reminiscent of the Camden 99 "Chalkdust," and eventually settled into a dark synth space before coming to a peaky close.

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[We would like to thank Oliver Pierson (phish.net user VermontCowFunk) for this recap. -Ed.]

Phish summer tour is arguably the second most wonderful time of the year. Everything feels right when you set off to a summer show, ticket in hand, a musical adventure in store, friends by your side. I hadn’t seen the band since 12/29/23, and I was excited to hear where their very busy seven months had led them. It’s been a productive time for the band, with an epic Gamehendge NYE show, a stellar Mexico run, a short but incredible visit to the Sphere, and then all the chatter around the new album Evolve.

Phish has even felt, by their typical media coverage standards, a bit overexposed lately. This month, we’ve seen Trey and the band in Rolling Stone, WTF with Marc Maron, NPR's Tiny Desk Concert, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Vulture, etc. So, they are not “Travis Kelce – Taylor Swift – Fall 2023” overexposed, but somehow it is slightly jarring to have them in the public eye so much. I had to wonder how all that attention jives with one of Trey’s comments in the Rolling Stone article, i.e. that the lack of mainstream success is the band’s incredibly liberating “superpower.” Could all the recent media coverage be the kryptonite that diminishes their superpower? Fortunately, an installment of Massachusetts Phish was only hours away to help me answer that question.

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[We would like to thank Harrison Hartley (user HotDogKnight on phish.net and Instagram) for this recap. You can also find him as quadbasspickup.bsky.social on BlueSky and [email protected] on Mastodon. -Ed.]

There is an aura to a tour opener, especially the summer tour opener. Riviera Maya and The Sphere offer appetizers for us this year, but I feel summer tour is the entrée of Phish performances.

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[We would like to thank Michael Lowe of the Monumental Brass Quintet, Timbermike on dot net and @MikeLoweTPT on twitter, for this piece. Phish's Tiny Desk Concert was performed on Tuesday, July 9, 2024, but did not air until Wednesday, July 17. -Ed.]

Well it all started with a phone call from my sister-in-law Daniela on Sunday night asking if we’d like to join her at the tiny desk on Tuesday. I was immediately in a state of shock and excitement, a familiar feeling I’ve experienced many times over the years I’ve been going to see my fav band.

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Surrender to the Flow #83 is now PRINTED and is on its way to DISTRIBUTORS who will hand it out on lot to get it to you for free! HOWEVER, if you want to DOWNLOAD THE DIGITAL VERSION INSTEAD, it is available to you at www.gum.co/sttf83.

This issue is full of good stuff for you! It includes information about this year's Summer Tour including where to eat, things to do, and lots of information about each venue. You can also read reviews of Phish at Sphere in this one, too!

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[Phish.net thanks Andrew Rose, @andrewrose, for this piece. All content on Phish.net is volunteer-driven, so if you have something interesting that you would like posted on the homepage, feel free to message @FunkyCFunkyDo or @Icculus with your idea. -Ed.]

I was driving down St Urbain yesterday, on the way to Old Montreal to run an errand. I thought waiting until 10pm or so would help me avoid traffic, but neglected to note that it was a Friday night in July, and the Montreal International Jazz Fest was still filling the air with free programming, and the crowds and cars—on the few streets that were still open for traffic—were plentiful. I didn’t mind much. The air was warm, a little humid but not oppressive. Spring and summer have been beautiful here in Montreal this year. A real contrast to the apocalyptic smog-filled skies that literally cast a cloud over the region last summer, starting with forest fires in Northern Quebec and then making their way down the American seaboard. I know those fires will be back at some point, but I’ve been doing my best to appreciate the relative blessings that this season has had to offer.

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[This post is courtesy of Paul Peck, President and Co-Founder of Fandiem. -Ed.]

I started seeing Phish a long time ago. Back when I was a high school kid. My early shows were formative experiences and showed me how inspiring live music can be when a group of friends and like-minded half-strangers come together to share something powerful. It's the kind of thing that can't be explained but for lack of better words, feels like a shared journey that brought us to some place unexpected and beautiful. If you’re reading this, you likely know what I mean. To say those early adventures propelled me into a career in the live music industry would be the understatement of the century.

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By Matt Hoffman (tonapdivine)

Reprise, the Phish tribute who to date has played just four shows, is most easily understood as doing with the music and spirit of Phish, what Dark Star Orchestra has been doing for decades with those of The Grateful Dead: they perform shows drawing on past Phish setlists and do so largely as Phish did, warts and all, though to hear them tell it, the “mistakes” are where the magic often happens. For the fans of standardized tests (we can smell our own), think of it this way: Dark Star Orchestra:Grateful Dead::Reprise:Phish. For the math nerds (h/t jfcnj!), ((DSO/GD) * Phish) + ∈

On June 13, 2024, I asked Tom Marshall to describe the band, who to that point had played only two public shows just four months prior at Nectar’s. (They’ve since doubled their show count, playing their third and fourth shows, respectively, at Milkboy Philly, where I spoke with Tom, and Colony Woodstock). He gave a one-word response: un-fucking-believable. Some might say it’s his job to say this, and they wouldn’t be wrong: he manages the band with RJ Bee, his co-founder in Osiris Media, the musical storytelling platform that since 2018 has published over 50 podcasts, many of them Phish-related. Others might suggest the influence of cognitive bias, as Marshall has known and collaborated with the band members for years and has played a variety of critical roles in the band’s formation and rapid evolution.

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PhishNet is 33 years old today, having been initially created as an email list by Matt Laurence on June 22, 1991.

Please see here to Read More!

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The Philosophy School of Phish has been offering “chalk dust without the torture” at Oregon State University since 2014. Registration is open for this summer’s online course.

This summer’s class features an extensively redesigned course, offering new weekly podcasts, interviews with course authors, and a reorganized syllabus with updated readings and assignments.

Enroll now, as space is limited. Class begins June 24^th! (Note: You do not have to be a current OSU student to take the course.)

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[This post is courtesy of Ryan Smith, dot net user @ryansmith534, a data scientist formerly at Spotify.Thank you, Ryan! -Ed.]

Every Phish fan undoubtedly has their own answer to this question – but is there a universal truth across all fans? Using setlist data and user ratings from Phish.net, we can attempt to answer this question empirically.

To do this, we can borrow methodology from basketball and hockey analytics, specifically the concept of RAPM (regularized adjusted plus-minus). This metric attempts to quantify an answer to the question: how much does the presence of a given player on the court contribute to a team’s point differential? In our case, the question becomes: how much does the presence of a given song in a setlist contribute to a show’s rating on Phish.net?

We first need to gather the necessary data, a process made significantly easier because of the convenience of the Phish.net API. After doing a bunch of cleaning and manipulation, we get a dataset that looks like this:

We have one row for every show, a column with the show’s rating, and a column for every song in Phish’s repertoire – with a 0 or 1 value representing whether the song was played at a given show.

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[The following is courtesy of Jake Cohen, user @smoothatonalsnd. Thank you, Jake! -Ed.]

“The reverse culture shock is real…”

“Having a tough time with re-entry.”

As Phish fans, most of us are used to feeling some version of this after a run of shows or a festival. Phish transports us into another world, one bound by community and a shared, intense experience, and it can be hard to readjust to “normal” life afterwards. Yet these are two texts that I got this past Monday, not after seeing Phish, but after attending an academic conference.

That sentiment is more or less unheard of after a typically staid affair, but this is exactly how I feel this week after the conclusion of Phish Studies 2.0. Co-hosted by The Mockingbird Foundation and Oregon State University in Corvallis, the conference left me spiritually charged up in the way only a Phish show can, and professionally stoked for the future of Phish Studies as a field.

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[The following is courtesy of The Phish Studies Conference Program Committee. -Ed.]

Your time is near, the mission’s clear! The second ever academic Phish Studies conference, co-sponsored by The Mockingbird Foundation, will take place next week at Oregon State University in Corvallis, OR, conveniently located between Portland and Eugene. In 2019, the first Phish Studies conference took place at the same university and it was a rousing success. Although academic conferences in general have taken a break since COVID, many are now back and we figured it was time to open up the helping friendly book again!

The coolest thing about the Phish Studies Conference is that it’s not just for academics. Our slate of over 50 presenters this year is full of professors and professional scholars, but also a ton of people working outside of academia who are passionate about Phish and trying to figure out ways to seriously analyze and better understand what it is that we all intuitively know and love about this band. We’ve got presentations about the legal ethics of tarping, gendered norms within the jamband scene, Phish’s place within the history of tech communities, and even the intersection of Taylor Swift and Phish culture, presented by scholars from all walks of life and careers.

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[This recap is courtesy of Mark C. Lynch, dot net user @Mondo_Butts, and he (and we) would also like to thank his friends users @FunkSuckle, @andrewfreeborncreative, @Sarahlyn710, @phishbiscuits11, and @juju.campbell90 for their support and input. -Ed.]

I woke up Sunday morning tired. Saturday night took a toll on me. Night 3 at the Sphere was a late one that spilled into an even later night hugging the tables. I woke up in a little bit of a fog. Grabbed some coffee and prepped for a work meeting I had scheduled. Coincidently, I spent a couple hours reviewing VFX for a TV show I work on. Later that night I found myself recapping VFX on a much larger scale. Soon thereafter, I realized it would be nearly impossible to accurately describe them in words.

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[We would like to thank Rob Mitchum for recapping last night's show. Rob is a science and music writer in Oak Park, IL. He tweets about Phish @phishcrit, other stuff @robmitchum, and he has undertaken the Sisyphean task of writing about every Phish show on its 25-year anniversary, which will take him until at least 2047…and counting.Thank you Rob! -Ed.]

For all the billions of dollars invested in audiovisual technology at the Las Vegas Sphere, the thing I was most curious about for these shows was decidedly less flashy: would the members of Phish stand in their usual spots? For 99.9% of Phish shows, they have set themselves up in the same way – four-across on a rectangular stage at one end of the venue. But the few times they deviated from this layout have almost always produced memorable experiences and unusual music, from the alternative stages of late-night festival sets and the inward-facing square of the Chilling Thrilling Sounds of the Haunted House costume to the flatbed truck in the round and the hourglass stage of MSG NYE stunts.

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[This recap is courtesy of Silas Cole, user @ObviousFool (Instagram @nice_shades), thank you Silas! -Ed.]

There are many things that set Phish shows at Sphere apart from other Phish shows, first and foremost, the visuals. I will do my best to describe the visual accompaniments, but words cannot possibly do justice to the spectacular displays, so I’ll also provide pictures. I also found myself less immersed in the music, for better or worse, and this recap accurately reflects that.

When we first entered the room, we were greeted by an enormous 3.67-acre LED array with a resolution of 16000x16000---the highest resolution LED screen on the planet. Once we sat down, we noticed the glaring lack of a light rig or stacks of speakers, but hidden behind the screen and throughout the venue there are over 168,000 separate speaker drivers, amps, and processing channels, an auditory nirvana.

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[This recap primarily of the scene is courtesy of dot net user @saw_ita_Jen, Jenny Chadbourne. As with all recaps, the views expressed are those of the recapper and may not reflect the views of any of the volunteers who run this site. -Ed.]

With night one on the books, I sit here in my room trying best articulate this experience, which is not easy. It's akin to trying to describe the sky and the colors of the sunset, or what it feels like to be in a redwood forest at sunset. The full emergence of the experience is truly grand, beyond anything you can comprehend. In this case a picture (of Nectar) is really worth a thousand words (so there a bunch in this recap).

The Sphere is a force of color and light on the strip, it’s hard to miss in the day or nighttime. It’s constantly radiating light, and color. A true work of psychedelic genius. For reference, the Hampton Coliseum is 84,827 cubic feet (26,263 square foot arena floor and a 70-foot ceiling), but Sphere is 875,000 cubic feet, as it's 366 feet tall and 516 feet wide. As the cherry on top, we get graphics for Dead and Co---it’s really special to have that steal your face imagery in the mix.

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[This post is courtesy of Dr. Stephanie Jenkins. -Ed.]

The agenda for the 2024 Phish Studies Conference (May 17-19), hosted by Oregon State University and The Mockingbird Foundation, is now available! The complete schedule of panels, performances, exhibits, and vendors is available at phishstudies.net.

Registration is open to the public -- fans and scholars alike.

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[This post is courtesy of Christy Articola. -Ed.]

This issue is full of good stuff for you! It includes information about this year's Vegas run including where to eat, things to do, and lots of information about this new and exciting venue.

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PHISH archivist Kevin Shapiro recently---and graciously---tweeted HAPPY 34th BIRTHDAY to PhishNet, because for a very long time we believed PhishNet began thirty-four years ago in March 1990, as indicated in the old dot net "timeline," this News item, and this Jambands article from 2008 when Phish received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Jammys.

But a few years ago, PhishNet's founder Matt Laurence found his first email to the new PhishNet email list and sent it to us:

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[Text courtesy of Alex of the Divided Sky Foundation. -Ed.]

For the third year, the Divided Sky Foundation has partnered with the Antelope Running Club to host a charity 5K run in Ludlow, Vermont. This event will occur on May 18th and will help raise awareness about addiction recovery and treatment, and support the recently opened Divided Sky Recovery Center, as well as the Turning Point Centers of Rutland and Springfield, Vermont. We're also excited this year to partner with The Phoenix to organize a post-run Mountain Music Festival, featuring Anders Osbourne, Dogs in a Pile and Saints & Liars.

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In case you've missed it, the Attendance Bias podcast with host Brian Weinstein, for the previous two weeks and episodes, has been reminiscing about and revisiting Phish history during the 2000 pre-hiatus and 2001-2002 hiatus period, and the 2.0 and break-up period, with members of Phish.net and The Mockingbird Foundation, Scott Marks and Charlie Dirksen.

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[We would like to thank user @Scissortail (Matt) for this recap. -Ed.]

“If you’re gonna take a risk, sometimes you’re gonna play shit. … But I don’t think our fans do happily lap it up. I think what happens is they get on the internet and talk about how it was a bad show.” – Trey Anastasio, circa 1996

Trey said the above in the documentary “Bittersweet Motel,” in response to a review that said he could urinate in our ears and call it music, and we would be there happily with tape recorders to capture the moment. I bring it up here because I take some exception to the general premise of Trey’s response.

I think the majority of Phish fans can be quite forgiving of a risk gone bad. What we don’t easily forgive is when Phish isn’t taking any risks at all.

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[We would like to thank user @Laudanum (Jon Allison) for this recap. -Ed.]

The normal mix of anxiousness and anticipation surrounding a Phish show gets dialed up a notch or two when you know you’re going to be recapping it. Moreso when it’s your first time. Will I get a dud and be forced to trash my favorite band? A middling show with nothing much to say about it either way? Or a good to great show, easy to write about, but carrying some small measure of responsibility to capture it for the ages?

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[We would like to thank John Montague (.net @mazegue) for providing this recap. -Ed.]

How did I get here? I like my Phish a little grimy. I like it indoors, because I like the energy bouncing off the walls. If I could, I’d get teleported to The Colonial Theater in the early '90s, or perhaps pick up some broke and dirty hitchhikers en route to Dane County Coliseum. I want the full Phish experience. I want the parking lot. I want Shakedown Street. I want my dose of American culture at its very best. That said, I am here in Mexico for whatever Gamehendge has in store. Two of my best friends are turning 50 this week, and this is how they want to celebrate. I can’t think of a better reason to be here.

I just saw a good dark and stormy, grimy Phish show in Mexico, in the least grimy of venues. It was a deep show, layered with complexity, light dancing with dark on Black and White night.

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[We would like to thank Kelly Wilson (.net @kellynicu) for providing this recap. -Ed.]

Night one of Phish at Riveria Maya began with a mild yet refreshing mist of rain before the band took the stage at 9:15 to a sea of eager fans. They kicked off with an upbeat “Back On The Train” to get the party started while Kuroda’s purple and blue lights made even the palm trees dance and glow. After an extended jam, Trey, as always, graciously welcomed us before breaking into “Moma Dance,” which included three random samples of the words “three orange whips.”

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[We would like to thank user Jasn1001 (Jason Carlson) for his work and this post! -Ed.]

One of the best things about Phish.net and Phish.in is the free API access to the relational database. It allows any member to request a key and query the database of songs, shows, setlists, and more.

As a long time Phish fan and having recently gained some data manipulation skills, I started a personal project to make a visualization dashboard. Plots that I always wanted to see. To help summarize all of the data the volunteers at The Mockingbird Foundation, Phish.net, and Phish.in have collected over the years.

I had already been working on the dashboard before seeing the recent post about show ratings being disabled because of a surge in activity skewing ratings of historical shows. This motivated me to finally finish the dashboard and share it. The idea of increasing access to the data and helping individuals find a reason to rate shows on Phish.net is what the project is about. Whether it is a highly rated show, average, or low. If a listener had been there the night of, streamed it from home, or listened to it on phish.in a few years later. I think the dashboard can help to navigate the data around the year, tour, or show and help to justify a rating of what your ears just heard. A law of large numbers type of idea that the larger the sample size of ratings becomes the closer we get to the true rating of the show. Here is the link https://www.philletofphish.com/. It is best viewed on an iPad or larger.

Here is a quick rundown on the site.

First, select the show date from the searchable dropdown box, which by default is set at the most recent show.

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[We would like to thank Brian Weinstein, user @AttendanceBias, for the Attendance Bias podcast and for this post. -Ed.]

Hold on a minute. Before you read any further, let’s time-travel 15 years into the past. Need a little help? Here’s a quick summary of where we were, as a nation, in the late-winter of 2009:

President Barack Obama has just been inaugurated for his first term as president. Seinfeld is airing a quasi-reunion episode via the genius of HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm. The Yankees won the World Series a few months earlier, and the Pittsburgh Steelers just won the Super Bowl. Taylor Swift is a successful but niche country artist, while The Black-Eyed Peas and Lady Gaga are at the top of the pop charts. And in the world of film, Heath Ledger just won a posthumous Oscar for his iconic performance as The Joker in The Dark Knight.

Are you there yet?

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[We would like to thank Matt Nestor (@rhythmatt) for this post —Ed.]

What transpired during the third hour of this millennium on the Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation in Florida remains a source of wonder and enchantment in this community more than two decades after it washed over the everglades.

This is an exploration of “Quadrophonic Toppling,” the hard-to-define digital delay loop jam that spills out of a determined, trance-like “Sand” around 3 a.m. at Big Cypress. It’s a moment of sonic tranquility amid a raging flood of Y2K revel. And, it completes a 36-minute segment that serves as a keystone in the architectural marvel that is Phish’s all-night millennium set.

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It’s another new year and once again the Phish.net forum “Jam of the Year” committee is proud to present a curated selection of improvisation from the 2023 touring year as selected by Phish.net users. Look for weekly discussion and voting threads in the forum as we make our way through head to head matchups between the best jams last year had to offer.

VOTE FOR THE 2023 JAM OF THE YEAR

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[We'd like to thank Steven Gripp for this post, and for his work on this Phish mapping project. You can learn more about the project by watching Steven describe it on the Helping Friendly Podcast. We also wanted to give a shout out to The Phishsonian's show mapping project —Ed.]

For the past three years, I’ve embarked on a project that I feel really encapsulates the epic journey of Phish. Knowing that, while we have all gazed at the wonder of Phish’s illustrious 40-year career, reminiscing on how they’ve become what they have become goes back to all the places they have been. I’ve mapped out on Google Earth every Phish show, from their first performance in the back of the Harris-Mills Cafeteria all the way to their ambitious Gamehendge performance at Madison Square Garden. From their beginnings in downtown Burlington, to their cross-country tours, to their European and Japanese excursions, all have been placed for the user experience to see where Phish has traversed. I’ve been a phan since 1996, and I’ve always wanted to give back to the community. I feel that finishing this project right at their 40 year anniversary has a serendipity and timing to take the listening experience to the next level.

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[We would like to thank Cotter Smart (@cotter_smart) for providing last night's NYE recap. -Ed.]

"Call me Ishmael." The famous first words of Moby Dick, a story focused on achieving the unachievable. Tonight was Phish’s unachievable, the White Whale. I could not have been more blessed to be in attendance and witness what unfolded. I was born in 2001, 7 years after the last Gamehendge. Never in my wildest dreams did I think tonight would happen. Trying to encapsulate the absolute madness Phish just unleashed on MSG is impossible, so forgive me in advance. I want to give a shoutout to my cousin who saw his first 4! shows consecutively. I was lucky enough to have my dad and little brother there as well. To the guy behind me who gave me tickets for the 31st, thank you (feel better). I got to dance with my family at the best Phish show I have ever seen. I have written two reviews before. One in 2018, when Trey got stuck. I figured I would be ok, no biggie they’ll have some dancers, maybe people flying and confetti would go off at midnight. Hahahaha boy was I wrong.

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Artist Brandy Davis (aka @smilercontrol) donated her time to create the beautiful designs for the front (shown above) and back of the new shirt to celebrate the band's first 40 years and recognize Phish.net for the wide range of resources and community it has provided for decades. She has been a long time visitor to Phish.net since before she began using her talent to create special works that first focused on favorite songs before evolving to celebrate other aspects of the Phish experience as well. From the beginning, her posters were adored within this community as well as everywhere on lots across the country. Explore more of her exciting work at her website InkAndBrandy.com and follow her on your socials!

We are excited to offer Ts in a variety of colors as well as a long-sleeve T, crewneck sweatshirt, and hoodie as well! Visit this online store to purchase or keep reading for more details and pictures!

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[We would like to thank Megan Glionna (.net @meganglionna; Twitter @the_megan_dance) for providing this recap. -Ed.]

I was lucky enough to write the review for last year’s show on this hallowed night of Phish, and I wrote about the power of expectations and how releasing those can lead to greater enjoyment and appreciation of a show. Those sentiments are usually expressed after you see a banger show though, right? It’s so easy to be gracious and say, “I didn’t care what they played, I just wanted to be with my friends and have a good time” after you have had a great time and seen an epic show. And I did have a great time last night. If you saw me on the floor, I was absorbed, dancing like I was possessed and enjoying this band. But I still get to look at the music critically if I want to. My two years on the Helping Friendly Podcast have changed how I think about Phish. The event of going to see the band is now somewhat separate from the music in terms of re-listenability and analysis. So, this review is going to include both my emotional opinions of being there and my critical analysis of the music when listening back. Buckle up.

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[We would like to thank user SpltOpenAndMalt (Max Alter) for the recap! -Ed.]

C’mon, who built a bridge in the World’s Most Famous Arena?

After sitting far and wide across the varying sections in Madison Square Garden, the home of the New York Knicks, Rangers, and 3.0 Phish, I finally put a crippling fear of heights and a larger-than-normal susceptibility to get spun in New York aside to experience the band from heights anew: the Chase Bridge. After constant adhering to the communal messaging to avoid 200’s level seating above Row 15 (give or take) due to obstructed viewpoints resulting from the Chase Bridge, I’d expected my view on this brisk Manhattan Friday evening to be forgettable. And boy was I mistaken. Upon arrival, I’d noticed my seats in Section 324 came equipped with four electrical outlets (for maximum phone charging ability), a screen accessible during breaks in the show (enabling me to watch my beloved Ohio State Buckeyes), a bathroom right outside the section (for ease in bathroom break timing), and about three times as much dancing space as I’ve ever had on the floor at the Garden. For those who have yet to enjoy the wonders of the Chase Bridge, I implore you to take in a show from up above it all.

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[We'd like to thank volunteer recapper Mark C. Lynch (@Mondo_Butts) for writing this recap. -Ed.]

Thanks to my friends @Sarahlyn710, @phishbiscuits11, @juju.campbell90, @FunkSuckle, @fgomezart - Appreciate the support with the recap.

Tradition is king when heading to a four night run at MSG. As I'm sure the majority of fans would agree, it's the tradition we’ve established all these many years that guides us ever so gently toward the focal point of the weekend. 12/28 was the band's 80th show at the Garden and it felt special. With the 40th anniversary looming, the 80th show was a special kind of appetizer for the hardcore excitement to come.

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The first official taper's section at a Phish show was at Bender Arena on 12/28/93. Although the Bender and Cumberland County Civic Center shows on the run were GA, New Haven and Worcester (NYE) were not, and so tapers had to request tickets through Phish Tickets By Mail for tickets to the section's reserved seats at those shows, as announced in the fall '93 Doniac Schvice.

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[From Secondhand Talent host Avromi "Steiner" Steinberg:]

Secondhand Talent began as a question: Why are so few NON-band members in the music industry recognizable by name, such as Phish's very own Chris Kuroda? Having occupied all the roles there are to fill in the entertainment scene, Secondhand Talent answered that question by establishing a podcast platform that interviews everyone besides the band. We all know that it takes a proverbial village to produce the concerts and festivals we love so much to attend and enjoy ourselves at. Secondhand Talent was created to provide a space for the stories of the rest of the villagers---some of the hardest working members of the live music community---taking an opportunity to shine the spotlight on the people who shine the spotlights!

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[The below is courtesy of Christy and STTF. -Ed.]

Here is Surrender to the Flow's NYE Run 2023-2024 issue! We are so thankful for your support and readership, and we think you're really going to love this one.

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Oregon State University, the host of 2024 Phish Studies Conference in Corvallis, May 17-19, 2024, announced that Benjy Eisen will be the keynote speaker for the Conference. OSU also announced that Phish Studies Conference committee members will be available for office hours at PhanArt on Dec. 30 from 1-6pm at Hill Country BBQ in NYC, during Phish’s MSG run.

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To recognize and celebrate the first 40 years, Phish.net presents “40 for 40” featuring curated selections by the Phish.net/Mockingbird community to highlight important aspects of the band’s history. Each Friday since the day before the 40th anniversary, we have shared 10 jams to enjoy that represent the depth of Phish’s incredible live improvisational performances across the decades. Today we have 12, featuring a double encore if you will, courteousy of @Icculus.

This is the last installment of the "40 Jams for the 40th" series. We appreciate everyone that sticks around for the encore or showed up at all! Check out the first here, the second here, and the third here. Stay tuned for an epic Expanded Playlist celebrating these 40 Jams available soon, not to mention more in the 40 for 40 series.

Check out the first ten here, the second ten here, and the third here.

Please consider making a $40 donation to celebrate this incredible milestone, support the great resources and community that Phish.net provides, and enable Mbird’s powerful grant-making work for music ed programs across the US, now totaling $2.4 MILLION.

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To recognize and celebrate the first 40 years, Phish.net presents “40 for 40” featuring curated selections by the Phish.net/Mockingbird community to highlight important aspects of the band’s history. Each Friday before the NYE weekend, we present 10 jams to enjoy that represent the depth of Phish’s incredible live improvisational performances across the decades.

As part of the celebration of this incredible milestone, please contribute to Mbird during the “40 for 40” campaign to recognize the great resources and community that Phish.net provides and to support Mbird’s powerful grant-making work for music ed programs across the US currently totaling $2.4 MILLION. To donate, visit https://phi.sh/~3GoIv78. Phish.net is also actively updating and improving our coding and content and could use your help, so if you are interested in joining the site team, visit https://phi.sh/~47VgFM9

This is the third installment of the series. Check out the first here and the second here.

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Proposals for presentations, art, and performances for the second-ever Phish Studies Conference are due this Friday, December 15th. The conference will be held in Corvallis, Oregon, at Oregon State University, May 17-19th, 2024.

More information, including the call for proposals and submission details, can be found at phishstudies.net. For a video archive of presentations made during the 2019 event, visit the inaugural conference’s website. For example, the Phish.Net Community Panel's presentation at the first Conference may be viewed here.

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To recognize and celebrate the first 40 years, Phish.net presents “40 for 40” featuring curated selections by the Phish.net/Mockingbird community to highlight important aspects of the band’s history. Each Friday before the NYE weekend, we present 10 jams to enjoy that represent the depth of Phish’s incredible live improvisational performances across the decades

As part of the celebration of this incredible milestone, please contribute to Mbird during the “40 for 40” campaign to recognize the great resources and community that Phish.net provides and to support Mbird’s powerful grant-making work for music ed programs across the US currently totaling $2.4 MILLION. To donate, visit https://phi.sh/~3GoIv78

Phish.net is also actively updating and improving our coding and content and could use your help. If you are interested in creating or updating content, visit https://phi.sh/~47VgFM9

This is the second installment of the series. Check out the first here.

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To recognize, celebrate, and commemorate our favorite band’s first 40 years, Phish.net will be presenting a series called “40 for 40” featuring curated selections by the Phish.net/Mockingbird Foundation community that highlight important aspects of the band’s history. First, get ready for 40 epic JAMS! Each Friday for the next four weeks, look out for 10 jams to enjoy that speak to the depth of Phish’s incredible live improvisational performances across the decades.

7/10/99 “Chalk Dust Torture” by BozakAxel (Chip Parker) - Mockingbird Foundation Director and President

As President of the Mockingbird Foundation Board of Directors, I am honored to have this opportunity to thank all the amazing contributors who have made and continue to make Phish.net the incredible community it is! Everyone volunteering with the foundation understands that Phish.net is an integral part of our mission to “broaden access and educational opportunities for young people in music and the musical arts,” because we know the critical role the .net community plays in generating support for our grantmaking, which currently stands at nearly $2.4 MILLION of charitable giving.

With your continued support of the Mockingbird Foundation, Phish.net will continue to evolve, improving its services and enhancing its content. It’s incredible to think that even after 40 years, the future is still somehow so bright for our community! I encourage you to consider supporting the fundraising campaign we are coordinating alongside this “40 for 40” celebration by making a gift of $40 (or $122.83, or any amount you want!) to help us continue our support of music education programs across the United States. It is important to note that contributions to the Mockingbird also enable and support Phish.net, as maintaining the website is among the Foundation’s few overhead costs–which are minuscule compared to our capacity for giving. We all deeply appreciate your support!

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Thank you Grant Calof, user @That_Guy, for authoring the "Evolve" song history, and thank you Tom Marshall for helping to ensure its accuracy!

We are very grateful to Cassidy McManus, phish.net user @donttouchthatknob, for authoring an all-new song history for the Stephen Sondheim number "Send In The Clowns" performed as the introduction for the NYE gag on 12/31/19 at MSG.

If you'd like to author a song history of a song on the site that lacks a history, please don't hesitate to ask, as this site relies on volunteers to author its content.

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[We would like to thank user DrAyers (Michael Ayers) for recapping last night's show. -Ed.]

Greetings from inside the United Center! This is my second night seeing the boys in Chicago, as Jimmy Carr has announced a show in Chicago months before Phish did, and thus I was already on the hook. I was seated in the 200s for both nights (Saturday night behind the stage, Sunday night Mike side), making friends with the gentleman to my left (a fellow vinyl collector) and the WSP fanatic (Narrator: Poor soul) to my right.

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[We would like to thank user Farmhose, Alaina Stamatis (@Fad_Albert on Twitter), for recapping last night's show. -Ed.]

Because of *ahem* legal troubles as documented in my last .Net review I’m not permitted to leave where I live, and I don't live at the United Center, so this Phish show recap was generated in my living room instead of the NBA’s largest arena. The band came out to roars and applause but I didn’t feel compelled to stand up and instead chose to remain on my ass in my pajamas. No Hawaiian shirt, no face gems, no dudes offering me a finger dip into their mysterious baggies; just pure, unadulterated couch. And I still had a better seat than 8,000 of the nosebleeds.

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[We would like to thank user Brettsinthebathtub (Brett F.) for volunteering to recap and recapping last night's show. -Ed.]

Once again, we are at Phish. This time at the United Center; a building that proudly displays the achievements of some of the greatest athletes of all time in its rafters. But you can watch The Last Dance on your own time. Tonight, the focus is another GOAT.

If there’s any uncertainty about the tone of the night, it’s made clear up front: Shit is about to get real spooky in here. The theme from Friday the 13^th” plays as the band takes the stage. I’m caught off guard, as I don’t think I’ve ever heard anything other than the crowd when the band is picking up their instruments.

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[We would like to thank user Aaron Presuhn, for volunteering to recap, and actually recapping, last night's show. -Ed.]

Phish at the Nutter Center. Fall tour. October. I love this venue and they obviously do too. It’s kind of hard to believe that these shows were only the 4th and 5th played here. Hopefully there’s more to come in the future.

Everyone knows THIS show. 12-7-97 was my soundtrack to a fun LSD-fueled sunrise hike among the woods and rocks of southwestern PA, and it holds a special place among my favorite shows.

The Nutter show in 2017, along with the Pete (Pittsburgh) show the next night were the best birthday present one could get. And now, six years later, the band returns to the Nutter for a two-night stand before the tour-ending run in Chi-town. Weather couldn’t have been more perfect for these shows, too…60s, sunny, great for spending a few hours relaxing on lot.

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[So both the person who signed up to recap last night's show and also the backup recapper were unable to submit a recap in a timely manner today. So we respecfully request that you recap the show yourself in the Comments. My two cents:

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[A Phish fan since 1996, Brian Weinstein has been running the Attendance Bias podcast since the spring of 2020. We hope you enjoy this interview of him, and subscribe to the podcast, wherever you get your podcasts. -Ed.]

How did you first get into Phish, what was your first show?

I first heard Phish in the summer of 1996. I was at a summer camp in Charlton, Massachusetts, and we were driving to Mt. Washington in New Hampshire for an overnight hiking trip. At some point on the four-hour drive, the head counselor put A Picture of Nectar on the van’s CD player. It was like time froze. This was new music that I hadn’t heard before, at a breakneck tempo, and I was hooked. I loved “Llama” and “Cavern,” but it was “Glide” that sold me. Once I heard that cowbell intro and the thunderous chords interrupting it, something inside me sparked and I had to listen to the rest of the album again ASAP.

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[We would like to thank user MGOLIA6 for recapping last night's show. -Ed.]

Let’s cut the bullshit, as of late, as tours come and go, an unrealistic expectation has been placed on the band. Fault can clearly be placed, at least partially, on the band, for setting such high standards to begin with. Add to that a limited set of fall tour dates, the band’s 40^th anniversary, a 2000^th showversary, and the proverbial let down is all but inevitable. The remainder of the blame lies with us, the listeners. Why are we so needy? Then I got to asking myself, why the fuck did I volunteer to review this show? A Sunday show, an early flight home, the list of cons goes on and on. But the answer is simple, I love this band, warts and all, regardless of expectations, seemingly because of expectations and the simple fact that in the face of all the bullshit in the world, experiencing a Phish show live is quite possibly the one place that I can find solace from the deafening external noise that abounds these days.

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[We would like to thank user JMART, Josh Martin, for recapping last night's show. Pax tecum. -Ed.]

Greetings, everyone, and welcome ....

Every once in a while down at the jmart household, we like to throw on our tuxedo t-shirts, compare SAT scores, and break out our most favorite Latin phrases. Never fear: If high school seems like a distant memory to you, or you just happen to be a dorkus malorkus, your old pal has you covered.

Before we get down to business in earnest, a brief caveat emptor: Your reviewer was not in attendance last night. If you were, and you're wondering why the review wasn't written by someone who was, then you understand that the answer, as it almost always does, lies within.

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[We would like to thank user Suzy Barros (@SuzyDrano) for recapping last night's show. -Ed.]

In a lot of ways, I feel like the perfect person to be recapping this show, being a (sometimes) jaded vet who enjoys most of the songs true jaded vets deride. Perfect example of this being show opener “Julius,” which I recall getting into a bit of a heated debate on Twitter a couple of years ago in defense of it serving as the encore of a show instead of the Tweeprise that everyone had expected/hoped for. Who wouldn’t rather hear an 8ish minute bluesy boogie than 4 minutes of the same-same? Everyone else in the world apparently. But I digress….

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[Courtesy of Christy Articola, one of the Phish community's most generous and gracious fans over the course of twenty-five years, and the Editor and Publisher of STTF. Do not miss user @farmose (formerly @fad_albert)'s "Horoscopes" in this STTF! -Ed.]

Here is Surrender to the Flow's Fall Tour 2023 issue! (www.gum.co/sttf80)!

It's our 25th Anniversary issue and it's hard to believe---but amazing for us to contemplate---that we have been putting this magazine out to Phish fans for two and a half decades! We are so thankful for your support and readership, and we think you're really going to love this one.

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[We'd like to thank Rachael Wesley for recapping last night’s show. Her debut (and very Phish-filled) memoir, SECOND SET CHANCES, is forthcoming (April 2025) through Vine Leaves Press. Follow her on IG rachael_wesley_writes or check out her website: rachaelwesley.com for writing and book updates. —Ed.]

Growing up, Sundays were never my favorite day of the week. I was raised in a secular Catholic household, which meant if my parents woke, sans alarm, in time to attend Mass, we would go. My brother and I almost always arose before Mom and Dad. We would tiptoe around the house like mice, turning on Rugrats at the lowest volume possible, whispering together, holding our breath every time we heard a noise, anticipating our parents rising. Any second, we would be summoned to dress for church.

This happened about 50% of the time. Whether we made it to Sacred Heart of Jesus or not, our afternoons always ended with family time and sauce (never gravy) at my Grandparents’. Sometimes, it felt like forever before the spaghetti was served.

Though I never learned to enjoy church, I discovered that if I just surrendered to the routine of that day, Mass would go by a lot quicker, and the pasta at Gram’s would arrive sooner rather than later.

It’s been decades since being forced to attend a Mass I had zero interest in, but as Matt, yesterday’s reviewer, so beautifully said, Phish IS Church, and I’ve been a willing member of this congregation for over twenty years. A Sunday show day includes many of the same elements of the Sundays of yore: church, family, and food, and, for good measure, throw in the lessons of my youth to remember to surrender to what the day throws at you.

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[We'd like to thank Matt (@scissortail) for recapping last night's show. -Ed]

“Phish is church.”

I’ve been seeing Phish for a long time, and I’ve heard many people say some version of this over the years. I’ve said it plenty of times myself. It’s slightly difficult to articulate exactly what we mean by this phrase. We just feel it. We know it. The strange and mysterious alchemy of the music, the fellowship, the collective joy, the freedom, the release—it lifts up our hearts and enriches our souls. For many of us, it is nothing short of necessary.

The first time I saw Phish with my friend Byron was at the Woodlands Pavilion near Houston in 1999. I saw Phish with Byron dozens of times after that.

On Saturday morning I attended Byron’s funeral in our hometown of Edmond, Oklahoma. On Saturday evening I attended a Phish concert in Commerce City, Colorado. My wife and I, and many of our longtime Phish friends, decided that our Saturday should unfold this way for two reasons:

Because Byron would insist on it. And because Phish is church.

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[We'd like to thank Michael Ayers for recapping last night's show. -Ed]

I have a love/hate relationship with Dicks. I think it has become the quintessential Phish experience. Even after the loss of camping in 2019, it’s hard to top the Dicks experience. The city is fantastic, the venue is fantastic, hell, even the cops are chill. It’s always a great way to end summer tour.

Dicks, however, does not reciprocate that affection. In 2016, a minor medical issue ruined what was otherwise a perfect show on N1. In 2019, a minor medical emergency was narrowly averted as I was able to get some rest and water before anything serious happened. Which brings us to N1 2022. Were any of you leaving the Thursday show Mike’s side and saw a dude sitting on the ground, surrounded by EMTs because he faceplanted into concrete? If you did, hey, that was me! Two broken teeth, a $1200 ambulance ride, a lost Montreal Expos hat (one of those really nice fitted ones, too) and Dicks 2022 was over before it really got started.

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[We'd like to thank Lindsay Hope for recapping last night's show (@lindsayhopecreative on IG or on the web.)]

If there’s anything circling around the sun for decades following this band has taught me, it’s that you have the best shows when you have no expectations. When you live in the moment. And when you focus on feeling so damn lucky to be a part of something much bigger than yourself. Because even if you think you have it figured out — these guys find a way to surprise you. And when you let go of chasing songs or building dream setlists — the magic happens. For me, 8/31/2023 was that kind of night.

For the 35th rendition of Dicks, Phish took the crowd on an interstellar improvisational adventure. There was no shortage of experimentation — from the explosive start with a 19-minute show opening “Carini” (dedicated to Frenchie, the naked dude who inspired NYE 2022’s gag and a fellow Coloradoan I happen to have personally known… RIP) to a Tweezer that’s honestly hard to put into words. All night, it was easy to get lost in the ambient jamming under the full moon. And just when the flow seemed to go off the rails, the band brought the crowd back down to Earth to remind us why we were all here in the first place — to have a one-of-a-kind experience unlike anything we’ve ever heard before.

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[Courtesy of Christy Articola. -Ed.]

It's time for another issue of Surrender to the Flow! This issue is STTF #79: Colorado 2023, and we are so excited to offer it to you free or by donation as always. This issue is full of good stuff! It includes information about this year's Dick's Run 2023, e.g., where to eat, things to do, and things you need to know about. In this issue there are also reviews of most of Summer Tour 2023, and articles on a variety of interesting topics that we know you'll just love, e.g., articles about FOUR non-profits doing fantastic work, the Phish Studies Conference 2.0, and the status of the We've Got It Simple documentary.

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The 2024 Phish Studies Conference, which will be hosted at Oregon State University on May 17-19, is soliciting proposals for academic presentations, art exhibits, and musical performances. Scholarly presentations may come from any academic discipline and methodological approach and can fall into three categories: individual 20-minute presentations, 90-minute panel, roundtable, or workshop proposals (three presenters minimum), or 10-minute student scholar papers.

The conference also seeks proposals for artwork to be featured in conference venue hallways and meeting rooms. Additionally, the organizers invite proposals from musicians and bands to play during nightly social events. Performers and bands do not necessarily have to play the music of Phish but should have some relevance and connection to the band or their music.

Proposals for all categories are due no later than December 15, 2023. For more information, see the Call for Proposals on the conference webpage.

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[We'd like to thank Jennifer Moore (Twitter: @rowjenny) for recapping last night's show. -Ed.]

Everyone knows what happened last night, so part of me feels like this entire review should just be WOWZA!!!!! Nothing I can write here can encapsulate the musical magic of this very special Saturday evening in Saratoga.

Last night, Phish played their second performance of the weekend at Saratoga Performing Arts Center. Both shows were benefit shows to raise money to help people in Vermont and Upstate New York who were affected by catastrophic flooding in July. Phish and their charity organization, the Waterwheel Foundation, put these special shows together in a matter of weeks, complete with two acoustic preshow performances by Page and Trey.

We were fortunate to score pit tickets for the Saturday SPAC show. The SPAC pit is small (capacity 150), and in the dozens of times I have been to a concert at SPAC, I have only been in the pit a few times before. We entered the early entry lottery and scored numbers 3 and 4!!!!!!!

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[We'd like to thank Jennifer Moore (Twitter: @rowjenny) for recapping Trey Anastasio's and Page McConnell's one set performance prior to Phish's show last night. This intimate acoustic performance was for a select number of fans; giving them access to the SPAC Foundation Lounge before and throughout the Phish show, and special Foundation poster and merch, in addition to other amenities. More information can be found at https://phishfloodrecoverybenefit.100xhospitality.com/. -ed.]

For the second night in a row, Trey and Page performed a special, intimate acoustic concert at Saratoga Performing Arts Center in the late afternoon on a tiny stage inside the SPAC grounds. These special acoustic preshows were one of the many ways Phish, and the Waterwheel Foundation, Phish’s charity organization, raised money to benefit victims of flooding in Vermont and Upstate New York. Vermont experienced catastrophic flooding in July, with many towns completely inundated with flood waters, including our state capital of Montpelier. I live in Burlington and while we were safe from the flooding, many of our friends’ businesses and homes were not. We have been under the delusion that Vermont was mostly safe from massive disruption from climate change. This summer’s flooding was a giant wakeup call, and everyone is incredibly appreciative of the effort that went into pulling off these fundraisers on such a tight timeline.

We attended both nights of the Foundation event. In case you didn’t read yesterday’s review, the Foundation preshow was held at the Charles R. Wood Stage, a little tiny stage at the back of the lawn near concessions. It is small and simple, with a beautiful all wood back wall. It looks like the kind of stage a kids’ summer theater would perform on. The stage had a few hundred chairs set up in front of it, but also a little very low platform directly in front.

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[We'd like to thank Jennifer Moore (Twitter: @rowjenny) for recapping Trey Anastasio's and Page McConnell's one set performance prior to Phish's show last night. This intimate acoustic performance was for a select number of fans; giving them access to the SPAC Foundation Lounge before and throughout the Phish show, and special Foundation poster and merch, in addition to other amenities. More information can be found at https://phishfloodrecoverybenefit.100xhospitality.com/. -ed.]

On the terrible day in July that Vermont started experiencing catastrophic flooding, I made a joke online “Phish play another flood benefit show in Vermont (too soon?)” As it turns out, it wasn’t too soon. Phish started planning two benefit shows at SPAC almost immediately when the flooding started. The last time Phish played a flood benefit for Vermont (SIGH) it was held at the fairgrounds in Essex, Vermont, capacity 11K. This time, Phish chose SPAC for two nights, capacity 25K.

SPAC is an amazing choice for Vermonters for these shows – it is the closest amphitheater to the state, and for many of us, we consider this our home venue. I grew up in upstate NY and cut my Phish teeth here, too. There have been 21 standalone Phish shows at SPAC and I’ve been to all of them. As someone who adopted Vermont as her home state for twenty plus years, it means a lot that this band and the entire organization put together these shows in such a short period of time. Huge thanks to everyone who made these shows and this special event happen.

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[We would like to thank user Mgolia6 (Matthew Golia) for recapping last night's show. -Ed.]

While I am grateful for the opportunity to recap this show, I would have preferred that Phish not have to perform a benefit concert and that upstate New York and Vermont had not been ravished with storms and flooding. That being said, hats off to Phish, the band and organization, Waterwheel (and by proxy The Mockingbird Foundation and all of the .net volunteers) for their tireless efforts to support their community and the communities on every tour stop. Please, where possible, donate to help uplift and empower others.

235 years ago, in the Spring of 1788, a young Gideon Putnam was driven from his home in Bemis Heights New York by torrential flooding. He was rescued from the floods by his neighbor, Zophar Scidmore, and his sailboat, yes, a sailboat, in the middle of upstate New York. When the flood waters finally receded, the 25-year-old Putnam left Bemis Heights, following an old Native American trail to Saratoga Springs...and the rest, as “THEY” say, is (p)history!

Now, if not for that catastrophic flood, Gideon Putnam may have never come left his Bemis Heights home, taken risks to build hotels, tube the mineral springs, and create the hamlet of a town that is Saratoga Springs. And if it weren’t for the recent floods, Phish would not be in town and I would not be here click clacking away at the ole word processor, sipping on LEMONADE to recap the deluge of sonic brilliance that rained down upon SPAC last night.

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[This post is courtesy of user Mgolia6 (Matthew Golia), who will be recapping the Friday SPAC show in a week for this blog. -Ed.]

A Quick Level Set

We all have a different relationship with Phish. Each is personal, subjective, and influenced by a multitude of factors. Some fans are pure music lovers. Some love drugs (there is a veritable Silk Road pop up shop on every tour stop). Some come solo. Others roll deep with a lively crew. Some drag people while others get dragged. The draggers oft times were once draggees. For some it’s their first show. For some it’s their first show sober. For some it’s their hundredth. For some it’s their 46th and this is significant because they believe that at that show they will not only get a “46 days” but a chartable one to top 8/3/2003.

Some are lopes (that’s short for antelopes- term of endearment) that herd near the merch tent with their modified reinforced yoga mat holsters; waiting for the tour posters to go on sale so they can ask the clerk for the 46th numbered copy (same kid from above…lol). I once thought that these holster slingers were hardcore yogis who took mat protection to the next level and had a planned communal yoga sesh at setbreak. Turns out I was wrong.

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When was the last time you listened to 8/13/93? If you've never heard it, check it out (it's on Relisten too). You'll hear why it's one of the most widely traded shows on cassette in Phish history and, frankly, you don't need to read any of the reviews on this website about it to hear Why That Is True, either. Both fans and the band agree: It was a SPECTACULAR show. Trey did cartwheels backstage post-show. Check out the LivePhish sbd if you haven't already.

For some discussion about it, check out this Osiris Undermine podcast with Brian Feller, who was there, and user @Icculus, who wasn't.

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[We would like to thank user Suzy Barros (@SuzyDrano) for recapping last night's show. -Ed.]

Well! What a couple nights that was, I’m glad I wasn’t tasked with recapping Friday night because I would have overfluffed (or fluffed just the right amount depending on who you ask, Best "Fluffhead" ever amirite???). Anyhoo, Friday was perfection for me, as was the only other show I’ve seen this summer (3^rd night Alpharetta) and though I’ve only listened to the highlights of the other shows, it’s enough to know something special has been happening in their playing, even besting the already excellent playing they did during the spring tour.

"Loving Cup"!!! Summer terr debut and the last time it opened a show unless I’m mistaken is all the way back in the cursed year of our lord 2004. I assume the reason being primarily because of its normal usage as a raging encore but there is really no good reason to not set the stage for the evening with a rager as end it with one, now is there??? Plus, when I turned around to give my dear old friend Marnie who joined me for these two shows a huge hug she was having a meltdown, I hadn’t realized it was her favorite song so that made it even better.

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[We would like to thank user Jeremy Willinger (@Jeremy8698) for recapping last night's show. -Ed.]

On the penultimate night of what has been a standout run both in terms of playing and permanence, Phish continued to exhibit why they are the best band on the fucking planet.

Before jumping into this review, let us take a trip back to Tuesday: a perfect show that demonstrated how the band can find a pocket and capitalize in the space to create a defining performance. That momentum from the standout show of the year—yeah I’m saying it—was a wave on which band and phans rode together, past Wednesday and into last night’s ripper at YEMSG.

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[Recap of Wednesday night's MSG show courtesy of Ian Zigel, user @Ripenesswasall, on IG at @memehendge. -Ed.]

“Character Zero” ends, I blink, and “Possum” fires up… or at least it feels like we’re picking up right where we’d left off after the pure Phish magic that was Tuesday’s show. My seat neighbor for these two nights, Trey (yes, really, that was his name), astutely points out that Tuesday/Wednesday crowds at The Garden are made up of the most devoted (albeit insane) Phish fans, and the music played for these shows can generally be summed up as “Phish for Phish fans.” Tuesday night saw the band go deep on a handful of favorites with Zen focus for Jerry Garcia’s birthday, arguably delivering the finest show yet of 2023; tonight is a perfect foil to Tuesday, with no shortage of jamming between songs, deeper cut song selections, antics, and an extremely fun and Phishy overall vibe.

The crowd is noticeably comfortable and in no rush to get to their seats with 5 minutes left to spare before the band takes the stage, but everyone locks in immediately with the unmistakable “Possum” intro. Tonight is my 48th Phish show and my first “Possum” opener. “Guyute” takes the number 2 spot, evocative of the encore on 12/29/22, which served this same pairing in reverse order. However, “Guyute” sounds much tighter and more rehearsed tonight.

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[Recap of Tuesday night's MSG show courtesy of user @SterlingPiper83. -Ed.]

For me, Phish at Madison Square is where it's at. There is no other place You can possibly do so much so easily, while also seeing Phish. But the venue itself, notwithstanding the seemingly never ending construction, is just incredible.

One of the things that makes YEMSG so incredibly special to me is that when the band is locked in and we get to grooving just right the floor begins to pitch and sway beneath your feet. For those of You that haven't been, it is not unlike the sensation one feels when standing on a surfboard or boat in calm waters.

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[We would like to thank Matt, @scissortail, for recapping last night's show. -Ed.]

With three of seven in the books for Phish’s summertime jaunt in Madison Square Garden, we have what I call “good Phish problems.” When the band walks on stage the first night of a seven night run and delivers a masterpiece—when they capture the mysterious and elusive “flow” so completely—it’s impossible not to compare each successive show against the king.

A misplaced ballad. A standard, no-frills run-through of a song that has the potential to go deep. Extremely weird lyrics about guns.

These do not ruin a Phish show. Not even close. They simply prevent the show from reaching the heights of near perfection. And because we witnessed that kind of show on Friday, these little missteps can be unfairly magnified in the harsh light of comparison. But if your only problem at a Phish show is that the raging rock extravaganza is momentarily interrupted by a perfectly fine (if energy-deflating) ditty—life is pretty good. These are good Phish problems.

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[Recap courtesy of @dmg924, David Goldstein -Ed.]

The pre-show vibe amongst the Lawson’s Hopcelot consuming crowd at Madison Square Garden on July 29^th, 2023 could be basically been summed up as such – “Well….how the hell are they going to top THAT?”

The ‘THAT’ in question being the prior night’s show. Based upon the frequently used expletives in my text threads and myriad invocations of the carpenter for whom Easter is celebrated; July 28, 2023 was one of THOSE shows. It was a top to bottom masterpiece in which the improvisation was so effortless and the peaks so memorable that it leaves the more conspiratorial minded fan to wonder exactly why Phish doesn’t play like this all the time? Do they actually have something against the good people of Wilmington, North Carolina? Phish’s ability to turn IT on and off will forever be a mystery worthy of stoned dorm room debate. But that’s why you go to more than one, and there’s no right way to Phish; some fans would prefer to see a 12 to 13 song first set rife with six-minute sing-alongs versus a 22 minute maelstrom of sound only five minutes into the show. I won’t judge. Besides which, if Phish played like 7/28 every night, both they and the audience would simply collapse; Big Red’s mighty fingers worn down to calloused nubs of flesh. So what would they possibly do for an encore on this, only the second night of a seven night Madison Square Garden run?

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[Recap courtesy of user @spac_melt, AJ Stalloni. -Ed.]

Ahh, back at the wonderful Mann Center in my hometown of Philadelphia, PA. Phish (or at least Trey) loves playing here, and the energy is palpable. It rained a few times throughout the afternoon/early evening, but luckily nothing along the lines of Wilmington 2.

There would be no rain delay tonight a la 7/8/14.

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[We thank user @VermontCowFunk for recapping last night's show. -Ed.]

Wow. Phish played an absolute barnburner of a Sunday show last night, gracing Jon Fishman’s hometown and a great lakeside venue with fiery, energetic, and creative playing. 10 shows in to summer tour, the rust has been shaken off, new songs are being woven into the mix and jammed out, and much fun is being had on stage. While only Phish’s ninth show in the Salt City and the first since 2016, the stars aligned last night, and the band treated around 15,000 fans to almost three hours of fun last night.

My friend Chris (@flippingbackward) and I left Burlington Vermont Sunday morning to drive to the show, and after a very weird summer weather-wise so far, it felt great to be on the road under smoke-free blue skies. Rain’s been too present of late, causing serious flooding in Vermont and upstate New York, as well as an early ending to an earlier show, so it was a relief to have a dry forecast in store for Sunday. After the obligatory meal at Dinosaur BBQ, we parked at Destiny Mall, wondering if that name foreshadowed a potential bustout, and biked four miles on a bike path along Onondaga Lake, with no sign of the three-eyed fish that graced a very cool poster for the show, and quickly found our way on to the lot, which hosted a relaxed and friendly pre-show scene over quite the linear series of lots. Shakedown was busting with energy in the late afternoon sun and, asking for a friend, do the nitrous vendors always wear Phish T-Shirts? Time quickly slipped by, and we entered the venue almost painlessly thanks to some very friendly and efficient staff (although I did hear others had a hard time getting in) and quickly found ourselves at the top of the lawn, looking over the lake with a breeze cooling everyone down a bit; spirits were high, and pushed higher by a food vendor blaring some studio Phish at the top of the lawn (never heard that before). We made our way down through the lawn to some great seats in the 100 level, cognizant of the relatively early start times at some recent shows and were in place ready to go by 7:30. Or at least we thought we were ready…

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[We thank user @farmose (formerly @fad_albert) for recapping last night's show. -Ed.]

Saturday, July 22, approx 2:30pm, the Pavilion at Star Lake. Suspect was apprehended and taken into custody with the aid of three plain clothes Hanover PD officers and two K-9 units. The charge? Pennsylvania Penal Code 4419: Attempt to distribute counterfeit merchandise. Apparently Miss Stamatis found it funny to print 100 t-shirts that read, “Let Phish Suck Ass,” following their ill-fated tour stop in Wilmington, NC. But anyone offended by her crude humor can heartily laugh now that she’s spending what should be her 175th show locked in a metal cage with a wooden plank for a bed, tripping her tits off.

So why am I addressing you all on her behalf? Because I traditionally have Saturday nights off duty and Miss Stamatis was kind enough to furnish me with her ticket on the auspices that I’d fulfill her obligation to review the concert. A quick stop to the evidence locker and I’m ready for my first time seeing The Phish.

The sun wasn’t even setting when the Phish came out onstage. From the top of the lawn I had a surveillance-tower-view of the audience. Buncha freaks! Barefoot longhairs in their pajamas wearing rainbow fishing hats.

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[We thank user Chris Vetoulis for recapping last night's show. -Ed.]

On the morning of August 13th, 1997, Josiah and I boarded a Greyhound bus in NY that would take us to Pittsburgh. At seventeen years old (and way before smartphones), we didn’t realize it would take a generous woman picking up laundry to hitch us the 20 minute drive out to Star Lake Amphitheater for our second show and Phish’s first performance at the former Coca-Cola Amphitheater, set in Gamehedge-esque Western PA.

We would go on to Darien the next night with strangers made friends who offered a ride and were among those to see Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters dance on stage for a rather “trippy test” leading up to The Great Went two days later in Limestone.

Returning to Star Lake after more than 25 years would stir adolescent emotions and nostalgia mixed with gratefulness for our continued gift of Phish with my closest traveling companions, Jake, Cheryl and Nate.

Coming off a show cut short mid-set, bizarre to have happened 10 years to the day when "Caspian" closed a short Northerly Island set, also at Mother Nature’s command. Feeling high energy (temps a bit lower) as the band takes stage to make tonight’s opening choice another permanent record.

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[We thank user @meganglionna Megan Glionna (@the_megan_dance on IG) for recapping last night's show. -Ed.]

Some nights are destined to become an adventure. Some nights it’s all about the music, some nights it’s all about the vibes, some nights it’s all about the stories we get to carry with us. Last night was all of those three and it was also definitely an adventure.

I love seeing shows in North Carolina. I finished my college career in this state and most of my family still lives there. For me, it is a nostalgic place and tied into so many of my Phish memories. Days when my wook friends would crash at my parents’ home and terrify my younger siblings with our late night parties and mornings with cigarettes drowning in beer cans littered around the back deck. So it was only fitting that my girlfriends and I stayed at my parents house for this two night run and my dad carted us around town like the happiest Uber driver in the world. There was something comforting about having my parents stock the house with soy milk and cereal for our post show snacking and, of course, not having to pay for a hotel for two nights to see my favorite band far away from where I live in NYC was a huge bonus. And this new-to-Phish venue is so incredible. It is intimate and relaxed. So much space, everyone on coastal Carolina time and charming us northerners with their gorgeous southern drawls. But I am getting ahead of myself.

The adventure began when my dad, Jack, dropped my girlfriends and I off at Hi-Wire Brewing (well, actually he came in and had a beer with us before he left) where we met up with my college friends. We had incredible wood fired pizza from the excellent restaurant next door (my dad just got cannolis, but it should be noted IN THE PERMANENT RECORD that these cannolis had crushed pistachios on the ends). We spent the afternoon catching up and hanging out and headed down to Shakedown around 5:15 pm. We did a quick loop on the grassy lot where they had a nice little set up with lots of space. Wanting to get a better spot than night one (I was on the lawn with an obstructed view thanks to the soundboard tent), I was eager and, to be fair, a little annoying about corralling the group to the venue as soon as possible. We walked in around 5:45 pm. No line, no stress. The staff at Live Oak Bank Pavilion are the most friendly, helpful staff I have ever experienced. We cruised in and found a perfect spot Page side just to the left of the soundboard and hung out until showtime.

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[We thank user @SaintAndrew Denny Kinlaw, of Greenville, SC, not GA, for recapping last night's show. -Ed.]

A cursory list of things that stood out to a first timer at Alpharetta in 2023:

• that the Atlanta suburbs approach landscaping as a religious practice,
• that one can just as easily secure a hearty pre-show cocktail at Top Golf as Shakedown and still be on the lawn in 10 minutes,
• that the most devoted dancers station themselves on the walkway between the pavilion and the lawn within the fire-code-mandated boxes marked by yellow electrical tape,
• that one can quite easily ask the tall guy blocking your view in the pit to move 6-inches to the left and he will volunteer to exchange spots with you even though you’re a dude, too, and that is kind of above and beyond typical pit-behavior as I’ve come to understand it,
• that Phish really and truly do feed on their Atlanta fanbase in a way that clearly expands and sharpens their capacities as musicians, and
• that one can wander alone in near silence under well-lit, Creighton-myrtle lined streets immediately after leaving a concert with 12,000 other people before finding their car in the Top Golf parking lot.

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[Thank you to user @sterlingpiper83 Sterling Diesel for recapping last night's show. -Ed.]

Three days of Phish is heaven for me. Especially when it's a weekend run at Alpharetta. Sure the band always bring the goods, but in Alpharetta they are generally served up scorching hot. Tonight was no exception.

So I've just made my last choice for pick 5, I'm tied 2-2 from last night with my Friend Alana. I start thinking I should have picked "It's Ice" since Mike was doing a video about it just a bit ago. No time to change it though, the band has just come out to play for us.

"Runaway Jim" is a wonderful way to start any show, right? It has fun lyrics, the music is lively and bouncing, and the jam potential is strong. I love the quick trills Trey pulls around 6:25, they build to a fun bouncy peak with a bit of dark sounding counterpoint which I just love. The gnarly almost wah tone coming out of Trey's guitar right now is easily one of my favorite sounds He makes. The band is locked in tight on this groove, an excellent rendition if I do say so.

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STTF #78: Summer Tour 2023 is now available for immediate download! Free or by donation! You can also ORDER A PAPER COPY OR SEVERAL BY MAIL by sending $ via PayPal to [email protected]. $5 for the first copy, $2 for each additional copy in the same envelope; don't forget to put your mailing address in notes! Of course, STTF is always free on lot... but you have to find us! We don't set up on Shakedown... all our vendors are roving... good luck!)

This issue is full of good stuff for you! It includes information about this year's Summer Tour 2023 - where to eat, things to do, and things you need to know about each area and venue. You can read reviews of Spring Tour 2023 in this one, too.

Further, we offer articles on a variety of interesting topics that we know you'll just love and so much more! And, this issue also includes our regular features like recipes, My First Show, My Favorite Jam Ever, 20 Years Later, Phish Changed My Life, Everybody Loves Statistics, Vendor Profile, horoscopes, Read the Book book reviews, Celebrations, fan fiction, a puzzle, and other things we think you'll enjoy.

Please check out this issue and tell your friends, and have a great time on Summer Tour 2023, everyone!

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[Thank you to user LizardwithaZ, for recapping last night's show. -Ed.]

Some people have all the luck.

In my case, attending a Phish show in Alpharetta, which just happens to be my 13th show, might have given me pause. After all, 13 is not exactly known for being a lucky number. The number 13 for me, however, has always been just fine, and in many cases, the opposite of unlucky.

I was hoping that this would prove true for this weekend’s shows as well. After all, this is the spot where I ended my extended Phish drought (from 6/24/2000 until 8/3/2018) and where the band blew my mind all over again two years ago. This venue has gained the reputation of being a “can’t miss” stop, earning that reputation especially with the last 2 runs in 2018 and 2021. Is it “MSG South?” I might not go that far, but only because Alpharetta is its own thing entirely.

So that brings us to last night, and the first 3-night run of Summer 2023. Looking at the weather, 91 degrees seemed like it would be manageable, but as is often the case in the South, the real story is the humidity. As the venue slowly filled in leading up to start time, we found ourselves dripping in sweat, with nary a breeze in sight. If luck were on our side, the band would give us a scorcher of a show to thank us for putting up with the heat.

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[Thank you to user @MM2001, for recapping last night's show. -Ed.]

The Orion Amphitheater is an intimate, coliseum style, slice of heaven in north Alabama. From the food trucks outside the amphitheater to the multiple bars throughout the venue offering unique selections of craft cocktails and craft beer, this venue gets an A+. Seriously, Huntsville, AL deserves a huge thank you for creating this space for music lovers. There is not a bad seat in the house.

You could feel the anxiety as heat lightning radiated around the venue, never getting close enough to cause a delay. A lot of prayers were said as a delightfully refreshing, misty drizzle provided a bit of relief from the heat. Alas, there were no delays for weather as if mother nature was smiling down on everyone present.

The opening song, its debut as such, was “Plasma.” This may have been one of the most well executed versions in all of Phishtory. It was beautiful all the way through the peak which had the crowd begging for more. As they moved on and into “Sigma Oasis,” the style of jam to this point really set the tone for the evening. Unlike the previous night’s dark and gritty style, tonight was bound to be light, airy, and fun. “Sigma Oasis” flowed easily into a lovely ambient jam. It was soothing to hear and watch the patience with which it was built. In the end, Mike took a stance and slowed everything down as they launched “Wolfman’s Brother.” It was a fairly typical, but entertaining as usual, rendition. In keeping with the tone set, they avoided diving into the darker undertones and kept a refreshing pace.

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[Thank you to user @THEWATCHFULHOSEMAKER (McGrupp), Ryan Mannix, for recapping last night's show. -Ed.]

One aspect of Phish Shows that I feel rise above any other live performing artist, is their ability to construct a Narrative over the course of a show. Many great artists are able to approximate this by crafting a tried and true song list of their strongest material and setting them in stone for entire tours, or even careers.

What Phish does, as you well know, is something else entirely. Every night themes emerge and evolve naturally, and morph and disintegrate again; at their best, they can take you on a musical journey just as satisfying as a good book (which you should read by the way).

A small musical tease in the improvisation can completely alter the course of the evening (think the 11/27/98 “Wipe Out” show).

Or, a lyric can nudge the music in a different direction, like on 9/03/21 during the “Chalkdust Torture” Jam, “Runaway, Runaway, Runaway” lyrics from “A Song I Heard The Ocean Sing” (played earlier in the set) appear, prompting a total left turn into “Runaway Jim.”

Of course, I can’t mention Narrative without the Show from 9/6/15 which features not only an actual story told in “Harpua,” but the coded message of “Thank You” in the setlist, which was a wonderful conclusion to the tale of “Spelling Things at Dick’s” (Note for Editor: we could use a stronger title).

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Oregon State University will host the second Phish Studies conference in Corvallis, Oregon on May 17-19, 2024. The conference will feature research presentations and community events about the improvisational rock band Phish, as well as its fans and culture. Diverse disciplinary approaches will be represented, featuring scholars from across the country. The conference will also showcase a number of special events including: community panels, an exhibition fair, a poster session, a Phishsonian pop-up museum exhibit, a pre-conference workshop for members and allies of Phans for Racial Equity and GrooveSafe, and curated art exhibits.

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[We would like to thank David Schlesinger, user @slesss, for this piece. -Ed.]

In the Fall of 1987, synth pop darlings Depeche Mode, still very much a UK “alternative” band at the time, put out their sixth studio record, Music for the Masses. It was not a noticeable departure from the music that they had been putting out previously, but for some reason it just hit different. As a result, they went from a band almost never heard on commercial radio (unless you lived in LA and were blessed with KROQ, the first mainstream modern rock station) or had a cool older sibling/neighbor/camp counselor that turned you on to the good stuff.

The success of the record led to a world tour during which they sold out the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles. (That’s 60,000 souls, for those counting.) And just like that, alternative was no longer alternative by definition and kids across America were now hearing a more eclectic sampling of music on their favorite radio stations, spawning curiosity and a desire to discover bands beyond those had been fed to them. Radio was priming the youth for hair metal, but even MTV started spreading its wings and launched 120 Minutes, 2 hours on Sundays at midnight during which we could get our first visuals of all of these incredible bands that were now kickstarting the youth of America to make better mixtapes.

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[We would like to thank Jonathan Jelen, user @Devious_Jelen, for this piece. -Ed.]

I’ve cried at a handful of Phish shows through the years. Sometimes it’s been the hollowed out feeling created by the heartfelt lyrics of a song like Miss You that makes me think of my Grandpa. Other times, it’s been a beautiful jam peak that swelled up to the point that a little liquid emotion couldn’t help but spill out.

But at my Phish shows last June at Deer Creek – it was different. At those shows, I cried for Mom.

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[Thank you to user @twelvethousandmotherfker, Willie Orbison, for recapping last night's show. -Ed.]

As we follow the lines going south on this little west coast spring swing, we Phish fans find ourselves at one of the most beautiful and historic live music venues in the country, the venerable old Hollywood Bowl, where heads of all shapes and sizes have been gathering for over a hundred years to take in their favorite performers on a shady hillside under the California sky. It’s a privilege (and not just because of the ticket prices) to spend an evening here, and on what was the warmest, sunniest day of the year after a cold and rainy Los Angeles winter (feel free to cry us a river), everything felt extremely right making the long walk up the hill toward the show.

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[We would like to thank CoffinLifeBuoy, author of this piece in The Atlantic, for volunteering to recap Greek3 in a dignified and human manner. -Ed.]

If Phish.net has resorted to having ChatGPT write a review for 4/19/23, I guess I can offer a few thoughts from the human-side of things.

Allow me to begin by saying this three-night run at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley, California, were my first shows since Big Cypress. Depending on your age (and maybe tax bracket?), that’s either a #humblebrag (RIP Harris Wittels) or a shameful confession. But take that as a blanket caveat on everything that follows — and, yes, that’s a #tarpers pun, although I admit that’s a term I learned just yesterday.

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[The title of this recap is both a reference to this lovely tweet about the scene inside The Greek Theatre seven (7) minutes after doors, thanks to line-cutting by "fans," and the fact that this recap was authored by "ChatGPT." Note also that both the title of this recap and the contents of this intalicized and bracketed intro have been revised since first being published on April 20 at 4:20 pm e.t., if only to gaslight some of the Commenters. You're welcome. -Ed.]

IT seems that the band played a great mix of classic Phish songs and newer material. The first set kicked off with "I Never Needed You Like This Before," a relatively new tune that has quickly become a fan favorite. This was followed by "AC/DC Bag," which always gets the crowd energized, and "Rift," a classic Phish song that showcases the band's tight musicianship.

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[We would like to thank Landon Schoenefeld, user nomidwestlove (Instagram _colonel_mustard) for recapping last night's show. -Ed.]

Hey nerds. As I sit here writing these words, beams of sunlight are poking through the oak trees outside and shooting through the living room window. A fire is blazing in the corner. I have a freshly made cup of joe in hand, curled up on the couch in only my underwear as a beautiful orange tabby cat sleeps peacefully by my side. Why?

Because I’m at home! And I couldn’t be more thrilled to report that after my 137^th Phish show last night at the William Randolph Hearst Greek Theatre something happened for only the second time ever—I slept in my own bed!

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[Thank you Gene for recapping last night's show! -Ed.]

It’s been eight and a half years since Phish last played in Seattle — nowhere near the 23.5 year gap that its neighbor to the south and my adopted hometown of Portland can claim — but a long time nonetheless. And a lot has happened since October 2014.

Renewal, evolution, and hope make the Climate Pledge Arena a fitting cradle for the birth of Phish’s spring tour. The last time they played this room, it was a sad monument to a departed basketball team ("The Line" fit in all too well in that setlist). When Seattle got its most recent sports upgrade, they chose to build on what was already there rather than start from scratch — to renovate, renew, and look to the future with one foot in the past, under a landmark roof first built for the 1962 World’s Fair.

The result is nothing short of stunning. The “new” Climate Pledge Arena shares the basic shape of its predecessor, but the similarities end there. Amenities galore, massive sound-treatment improvements, 100% renewable energy, and zero single-use plastic. This is the venue of the future. And that respect for the past, as we build and evolve for the future? That’s a great metaphor for the tour opener Phish threw down in Seattle last night.

"Blaze On" opened, built gradually, and evolved seamlessly into "Plasma." The shuffling march of "Plasma’s" drum line set a rhythmic theme for the night that would persist throughout, as Fishman kept a setlist full of relatively complex drum patterns and patient, slow-build jams woven together masterfully. The map is not the terrain. The setlist is not the show.

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[Thank you Christy Articola, Editor and Publisher of STTF! -Ed.]

Surrender to the Flow is thrilled to offer their 77th issue for this Spring Tour! STTF #77: Spring Tour 2023 is full of good stuff for you! This issue - available FREE or by donation - includes information about PHISH's west coast Spring Tour 2023 - where to eat, things to do, and things you need to know about each area and venue. You can read reviews of NYE Run 2022-2023 and Mexico 2023 in this one, too.

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[The following post is an interview with Kate Aly-Brady, Daniel Budiansky, Adam Lioz, and Rupa Mitra by Stephanie Jenkins about their article, “White Phragility.” The interview is part of an AMA series celebrating the publication of the “Phish and Philosophy” special issue of the Public Philosophy Journal (edited by Stephanie Jenkins and Charlie Dirksen). Kate, Daniel, Adam, and Rupa will also be answering your questions in the Comments throughout the week. Please note that the opinions expressed in blog posts on this site are not necessarily endorsed or shared by any of the volunteers who run Phish.net or The Mockingbird Foundation. This site and this blog rely entirely on the work of volunteers. -Ed.]

Tell us about yourselves? Who are you? When were your first shows? Why do you come back?

RM: My name is Rupa Mitra, and I was born in the US to parents of Bengali ethnic heritage. I grew up in the Northeast of the US but lived a third of my adult life abroad (mainly France and Tanzania). I’m a labor/human resources lawyer. My first show was in 2011. I had to take a hiatus when I gave birth as a solo parent in 2019 but hope to be bringing my little one to shows before long! Nothing can compare to the exuberance of a Phish show.

KAB: My name is Kate Aly-Brady, and I am a cisgender white female who grew up on the East Coast. I moved to the Pacific Northwest after college, and have been a special education teacher ever since. My first shows were in 1998, and I keep coming back because the music, the people, the energy are like home. I’m a part of Phans for Racial Equity (PHRE) because I want everyone to have the chance to feel at home there, too.

ARL: My name’s Adam Lioz and I’m a secular Jewish kid from Long Island who grew up seeing the Dead at Nassau Coliseum, MSG, and Giant’s stadium in the 90s. For my day job I work to promote inclusive, multiracial democracy (fighting to expand voting rights) as a lawyer and advocate. I saw a few shows in 1.0 and 2.0 (including Coventry), but I really got hooked in 2009 when I went to the Gorge and Festival 8. I keep coming back for the music, the community, and that decent chance each night to experience some pure joy and collective ecstatic release. I sometimes think these four guys run the most efficient joy factory I’ve ever seen.

DB: My name is Daniel Budiansky (.net: @climber17). I am a cisgender white male who grew up in the suburbs of Northern Virginia during the 80s. While my first show was 4/20/94, it wasn’t until my second show, when they played University Hall (at UVa, where I was a student) in late fall ‘94 that I “got IT”, during the first set "Maze"…it’s been a long, strange trip ever since. A Phish show will forever be my “home away from home.”

Why did you decide to write this essay? What do you want your readers to take away from it?

ARL: The essay is based on the online reactions to the "Phish Scene So White: Let’s Talk" blog post I wrote in 2017. To be honest I was pretty surprised and a bit taken back by the response – first that it went so viral, with thousands of comments, and then by the vitriol it inspired, both through those comments and through some pretty harsh direct messages to me. Of course, people looked me up and called me a tarper and that was fine, but I really didn’t anticipate how upset people got. But when I started to look at the response through the lens of DiAngelo’s white fragility framework it started to make a lot more sense. A big reason people were so angry and defensive is that we see ourselves as an inclusive, welcoming scene and my essay was a threat to that self-image. Once we started looking at the comments with DiAngelo’s lens it was pretty easy to start seeing a lot of the comments as examples of one or more of the elements of defensiveness and fragility.

Our goal was to encourage people to examine our scene a bit more closely and critically and think about whether we’re quite as inclusive as we think, and whether the kind of defensiveness that is the hallmark of white fragility might be a particular challenge for us moving forward. We also think we hit a neat extension of D’Angelo’s theory by distinguishing between “pillars” of white fragility (which are the false beliefs about race that lead to the fragility) and “manifestations” (which are the various ways that the resulting defensiveness plays out).

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[We would like to thank users Scissortail (Matt) and phorbin007 (Cody) for recapping last night's show. -Ed.]

We’d be remiss to recap the final night of Phish’s 2023 Mexico run without taking a moment to note the obvious: Phish Mexico is pure joy, plain and simple. There is absolutely nothing like it.

I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. I know it’s expensive. I know from countless .net threads exactly the kinds of vacations one could take for the same cost. But when it comes to Phish runs, this place is truly magical. If you like lounging in a pool with a cocktail in hand, making instant friends with every single person you meet, and ending each day with a concert on the beach by the greatest band in the history of the world—you just might like Phish Mexico.

Out of four shows this run, Friday night is a clear, undeniable standout. It’s firmly in the tier of Mexico classics like 2/25/22, 2/26/22, 2/22/20 and 1/15/17. It was the kind of show that makes you remember what Phish can do. And it was the kind of show that could make you scratch your chin and wonder: What gets into them on nights like that? Why can’t they do that all the time?

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[We would like to thank Kelly Wilson, Phishnet user Kellynicu, for recapping last night's show. This site relies entirely on volunteers to recap shows. If you are interested in recapping a summer show that you're planning to see for this blog, please email charlie at phish dot net about which show(s) you'd like to recap (first choice, second choice, etc.). -Ed.]

Here we were again, ready for the first night of Phish in paradise at Riviera Maya Moon Palace. It was an interesting start. With stronger than normal winds here in Cancun, the band opted to postpone yesterday's soundcheck. The winds were quite strong again today, leading phans to wonder if tonight’s show would indeed go on as planned. But in typical Phish fashion, the band made sure the show did in fact go on, and it was nothing short of amazing.

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[The following post is an interview with Denise Goldman (phish.net user denisegold) about her article, “You Were the Song that My Soul Understood.” The interview is part of an AMA series celebrating the publication of the “Phish and Philosophy” special issue of the Public Philosophy Journal, edited by Stephanie Jenkins and Charlie Dirksen. Denise will also be answering your questions in the comments throughout the week. The next post will feature Kate Aly-Brady, Daniel Budiansky, Adam Lioz, and Rupa Mitra of Phans for Racial Equity, so please submit your questions now.]

Tell us about yourself. Who are you? When was your first show? Why do you come back?

Hi everyone! I am an adjunct professor of freshman writing & research at Long Island University. I teach a class in ethnographic research using this research as a model for my students. I am also a college admissions coach who helps high school students with their college applications. My first Phish experience was at the Boston Garden on 10/30/1992, which was actually Phish’s first time playing the Garden. It was a one-set show which was part of a larger multi-band show. My first official Phish show was at Red Rocks on 6/10/1994. I also went to Big Cyprus, which was one of my most memorable experiences. I identify as a Phish fan and value both the band (who has kept things fresh and exciting for 30 years) and the community (my soul-sisters and brothers) who have made me feel like every show is home.

Why did you decide to write this essay? What do you want your readers to take away from it?

My story is unique amongst the other scholars published in this journal because I was inspired to conduct this research after meeting some Phish “aca-fans” during the Baker’s Dozen, who were joining forces to create “Phish Studies.” At this time, online communities were on the rise and the novelty of “Phish Chicks” really fascinated me. I loved listening to the discourse that was created by women finding other women with whom they connected over the shared love of Phish. Although all discourse communities, including this one, alter over time (with new members coming in), the onset of this community was really a beautiful thing. As I have used this research in my own teaching, I would love for others to take away the same message: discourse communities form from a shared goal for which communication is the conduit for achieving the goal. With that, you see a unique language that forms as well as various genres that satisfy the needs of the members. Since we are naturally drawn to these communities based on our interests, it is important to recognize how we adapt this second language into our daily lives. This research allowed me to develop a curriculum that I use in my teaching and for which I was published in The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning. I believe that a real understanding of your audience allows you to learn how to be a better writer and communicator. While there will always be some controversy that arises within discourse communities, the overall nature of them as well as the learning potential that can be gained from them should be prioritized.

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[The following post is an interview with Christina “Chryss” Allaback (phish.net: Tela2019) about her article, “Phish Fan Subculture: The Possibilities of Phans' Performance.” The interview is part of an AMA series celebrating the publication of the “Phish and Philosophy” special issue of the Public Philosophy Journal, edited by Stephanie Jenkins and Charlie Dirksen. Kristine will also be answering your questions in the comments throughout the week. The next post will feature Denise Goldman, so submit your questions now.]

Tell us about yourself. Who are you? When was your first show? Why do you come back?

My name is Christina “Chryss” Allaback, and I’m an Assistant Professor of Theatre at University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg and a theatrical director. My first show was 8-1-98 at Alpine Valley. This year is the 25^th Anniversary of my first show and I hope to be celebrating on the floor at MSG. I come back to Phish because they are top rate musicians and artists. They take ambitious artistic risks that really pay off. Having done improvisational theatre and comedy in the past, I appreciate the fact that they are making beautiful art at the moment, and then that moment is gone. Of course, we can listen to tapes after the show, but the ephemeral nature of the live improvisational performance is a treasure to experience.

Why did you decide to write this essay? What do you want your readers to take away from it?

This essay is actually part of the larger dissertation that I wrote for my doctoral degree. I started writing about Phish fans as an academic project because there was something being performed at shows that was really special, and it was not just what was happening on stage. There was a feeling, an emotion, that I felt at Phish shows that I couldn’t quite put my finger on. And I started reading all this performance theory and it started making sense.

It is my hope that when people read my articles, they get a deeper understanding of why we, as humans, perform in everyday life and on stage. There is a liberation in performance, a freedom, a connection. As a young artist, I wanted to change the world with my art. As I grew up, I realized what a naïve goal that was. But we can change people with our art and that is as good as changing the world. I was told by people in my life, as a non-actor, that I was probably good at lying because I was an actor. But art is not about lying, it is about expressing a truth within a world. I feel Phish does this onstage, and we do this in the audience.

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It’s a new year and Riviera Maya is around the corner, so it's time once again for the Phish.net “Jam of the Year” tournament. As they have done yearly since 2014, Phish.net forum users have come together to seed a 64 jam bracket highlighting the best of improv of 2022.

Every Monday, we will create a thread to post new head-to-head matchups based on regions within the bracket, beginning in the Willy region. Voting for the first round is open to all and currently underway on the forum (look for the ***asterisks***). There you will also find that we have created LivePhish+ and Phish.in playlists for your listening pleasure and convenience. Please join us for voting, discussion, and debate on the forum each week as we narrow the field and ultimately determine the “2022 JOTY”.

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The following post is an interview with Stephanie Jenkins (phishnet: askesis) about her introduction to and perspective on the “Phish and Philosophy” special issue of the Public Philosophy Journal that she co-edited with Charlie Dirksen. The interview is part of an AMA series celebrating its publication. Stephanie will also be answering your questions in the comments throughout the week. The next post will feature Christina Allaback, so submit your questions now.

Tell us about yourself. Who are you? When was your first show? Why do you come back?

I’m Stephanie Jenkins and I’m an associate professor in the School of History, Philosophy, and Religion at Oregon State University. I am one of the co-editors of the special issue of the Public Philosophy Journal devoted to Phish, along with Charlie Dirksen. My first show was 2/24/2003 at Continental Airlines Arena. That show debuted three B.B. King songs at the end of the first set, with him making a guest appearance on guitar. I come back because I was saved by rock and roll. Phish is healing for me; it’s also my temple, where I go to pray. Dancing at a Phish show reconvenes, reconnects, and recharges my mind, body, and spirit.

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The following post is an interview with Kristine Warrenburg Rome about her article, “The Kisceral Connection.” The interview is part of an AMA series celebrating the publication of the “Phish and Philosophy” special issue of the Public Philosophy Journal, edited by Stephanie Jenkins and Charlie Dirksen. Kristine will also be answering your questions in the comments throughout the week. The next post will feature Stephanie Jenkins, so submit your questions now.

Tell us about yourself. Who are you? When was your first show? Why do you come back?

I am Kristine Warrenburg Rome, a mother to two wonderful kids (6 and 9) and an Associate Professor of Communication at Flagler College (14 years) in St. Augustine, Florida, where I teach classes concerned with listening first, media ethics, stereotypes in the media, popular culture criticism and more. While pursuing my Ph.D. in Rhetoric & Communication Ethics (2009) from the University of Denver, I met my husband in the front row of a Phix show, a Mockingbird Foundation benefit post-Trey Band show in Fall of 2005. My brother is a Phishhead, his wife is a Phishhead, my friends from every stage of life from grade school to grad school have been show partners for going on 27 years since my first show (Deer Creek 8/12/1996). At this point, shows are class and family reunions and I am grateful for that.

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[On December 31, 2022, on stage at Madison Square Garden, a certain rodent broke the Phish time machine, causing many participants in New Years' gags and other events from the past 40 years of the band’s history to temporarily make their way to the present. When the Time Machine broke, it also inadvertently sent a number of fans back in time, Quantum Leap style, to experience Phish shows from their younger days. Those fans include Jonah user @LizardwithaZ, whose recap of July 7, 1999, at the Blockbuster Pavilion in Charlotte, NC, appears below. If you are also one of the fans transported back in time and would like to recap your time-traveling show, please send an email to charlie at phish dot net.]

The feeling that prickles through my skin as the clock approaches midnight on December 31, 2022 causes me to sit straight up on the couch, goosebumps rippling across my skin. One moment I am here, awaiting the incoming New Year, the next, I have somehow been thrust back into 17-year-old me, riding in the back seat of a sedan.

That’s right: the Phish Time Machine has sent me back to July 7, 1999 to recap the 2nd show I ever attended.

Charlotte, North Carolina.

Blockbuster Pavillion.

(What’s a Blockbuster, you ask? Sorry, I’ll just be sitting in the corner crying about how old I’ve gotten.)

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[We would like to thank Eric, user @Doktahgonzo, for recapping NYE. -Ed.]

New Year’s Eve has been a time that has become synonymous with renewal, the process of moving forward, and the promise associated with setting a new marker to measure our lives by. It underlies what many of us recognized to be at the heart of the cultural understanding we have developed around New Year’s Eve. It is a time for reflection on both the good moments we have had, as well as the adversities faced, and an attempt to look forward to something better on the near horizon. In the community around Phish I have long felt that we may be more acutely aware of this phenomena. The sense of spectacle, humor, and tradition that the band has infused the date with makes for an optimistic yearning that has felt palpable to me for the entire run of these shows.

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[Great thanks to Megan Glionna (user @MeganGlionna, @themegandance1 on Twitter and @the_megan_dance on IG) for recapping last night's show! -Ed.]

December 30, 1997. 25 years ago. I was nineteen and up to no good. I sauntered into MSG for what would be the best Phish show I have ever seen.

I had seen a few incredible shows that summer, but college and a lack of funds kept me from seeing any Fall ‘97 shows. I had also been listening to a lot of house music and was getting into the rave scene, so my attention was slowly turning away from my favorite band. I was expecting that Phish would put on a great set of shows for their first multi-night New Year’s Eve run in New York City, but my interest in other music made me less concerned with what or how they would play. But, the opening 921-show bust out of “Sneakin’ Sally,” the Pentagram “Harpua,” the curfew breaking, the encore with the final “Black Eyed Katy”… it was the perfect capstone to an epic year of dance party, cowfunk Phish.

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[We would like to thank Ryan Storm for recapping last night's show. -Ed.]

Last night was a much-needed reminder of why we Phish.

After an almost four-month break since Dick’s, the band returned to the Mecca, The Venue, the best place to see them – Madison Square Garden. Their second run at the World’s Most Famous Arena in 2022 (following up the whale of a good time in April) and the first proper New Year’s run since 2019 had excitement high.

With rumours flying wildly about the possibility of a “Baker’s Dozen II” next summer and tickets seemingly falling from the sky, expectations were high yet tampered. This year in Phish has been somewhat akin to 2016 or 2019 – lots of inconsistency with big jams scattered across the shows in a year that needs to follow up a landmark or peak (2015, 2018, 2021).

Regardless of any outside expectation or vibe, I was bursting at the seams with excitement upon walking into MSG last night. Having scored a four-day pass in lower section 208, I was set with a great view of the stage and was surrounded by a good number of people who were also settling into the spot for all four nights. I also took quick note of the stage setup – Page’s rig is NOT on a moving riser this year, which means the NYE gag will not involve a full-stage clear like the previous couple have.

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The new Surrender To The Flow (STTF #76: NYE Run 2022-2023) is out, please download it here at this handy link, and please consider donating to support it!

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The following is an interview of Jason Del Gandio (phish.net user @JasonDG) about his article, “Pulsating with Love and Light.” The interview is part of an AMA series celebrating the publication of the “Phish and Philosophy” special issue of the Public Philosophy Journal, edited by Stephanie Jenkins and Charlie Dirksen. Jason will also be answering your questions in the comments throughout the week. The next post will feature Kristine Warrenburg Rome, so please submit your questions now.

Tell us about yourself. Who are you? When was your first show? Why do you come back?

Hi, everyone! I am a college professor at Temple University in Philadelphia focusing on the theory and practice of social justice. My first show was back in 1993 (7/25, Waterloo Village). Not to sound cliché, but the collective vibe is what keeps me coming back. Besides live music, I also love traveling, stimulating conversation, the bustle of cities and the tranquility of nature, and I am passionate about changing the world for the better.

Why did you decide to write this essay? What do you want your readers to take away from it?

I saw this as an opportunity to connect my ideas about the vibe with the Phish experience, and hopefully share those ideas with a receptive audience. I am hoping that the essay gives people a language for articulating and understanding something we all talk about, but rarely define or explain.

You said the essay reflects your personal Phish experience. What’s your favorite encounter with the vibe?

I grew up in a household where the vibe was a common word. Then in my late teens I started going to concerts, clubs, raves, underground parties, etc. It’s there that the vibe stood out as real, tangible, experiential. One notable Phish vibe is 4/15/94, Beacon Theater. Without exaggeration, it was otherworldly. My 20-year-old mind asked: What is it, how might we explain it, and can it help change the world?

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[The following post is an interview with Isaac Slone (phish.net user @isaacslone) about his article, “How is Phish Therapeutic?.” The interview is part of an AMA series celebrating the publication of the “Phish and Philosophy” special issue of the Public Philosophy Journal, edited by Stephanie Jenkins and Charlie Dirksen. Isaac will also be answering your questions in the comments throughout the week. The next post will feature Jason Del Gandio, so please submit your questions now. -Stephanie]

Tell us about yourself. Who are you? When was your first show? Why do you come back?

Thanks for asking! I am a practicing psychotherapist in New York City - working on my license to practice psychoanalysis. My life intertwines with Phish in so many ways, it’s somewhat unbelievable. My first show was 6/2/09 - the summer before I started high school. It was so exciting that the band was reuniting - I remember it felt like something to live for. I come back because of the music. I think the band is phenomenal, and their live show is unparalleled.

Why did you decide to write this essay? What do you want your readers to take away from it?

I decided to write this essay because of how often I hear Phish fans talk about the joy they experience at shows. People within the Phish community commonly accepted the notion that Phish has a therapeutic value, but there was more for me to articulate about how exactly that works. There is a long tradition of psychology/psychotherapy extending out in conversation with other disciplines, and I wanted to begin building that bridge with Phish. I hope that it opens a deeper discussion or reflection for the reader because my experience is only one of many, and there’s only so much I can say about it in the short space of the essay. There are numerous ways to describe how what Phish does is therapeutic - I hope my piece sheds light on that and pushes the conversation further.

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Dr. Stephanie Jenkins, Ph.D. (Phish.net user @askesis) writes:

We’re excited to announce an upcoming series that The Mockingbird Foundation offers in collaboration with an academic journal.

This summer, the Public Philosophy Journal published a special issue on “Phish and Philosophy”—the first academic journal ever to be dedicated to the band—and Mockingbird’s participation in scholarly research was a first-of-its-kind partnership! Find buckets full of thoughts and read the articles via the PPJ’s online publishing platform at this link, and please click the "Read More" link below for more information.

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[We would like to thank @DaleCooper for recapping last night's show. -Ed.]

As mentioned by Dr Stephanie Jenkins during the Thursday review, Dicks is bordeline ritual for people. The same hotel, the same lot, the same seats. Each year adds a new ring of emotions and stories, like a tree growing upward and outward.

With 2022 being announced as a four show run, these patterns were uprooted somewhat. Travel plans, vacation days, long-made hotel reservations all had minor to major adjustements made. With these changes, the weekend looked different. There was more time by the pool, or having brunch, or hiking in the mountains. This extra day allowed people to look at their traditions in a new and expanded way.

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[We would like to thank Dr. Stephanie Jenkins, Ph.D., for recapping last night's show. -Ed.]

Thursday marked the beginning of this year’s Dick’s run. I think that this exact thing happened to me just last year. For a decade.

Last night was Phish’s thirty-first Labor Day weekend show at the Commerce City venue in what is arguably the band’s longest running, most reliable tradition. Every year, since 2011, we can count on three—now four—concerts at the same place, at the same time, with our favorite band. In 2011, at the “S” show, I made a promise to myself to never miss a Dick’s show and, so far, I’ve kept that commitment.

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The digital version of Surrender to the Flow Issue No. 75 is available now at www.gum.co/sttf75 for free or by donation. This issue includes information about this year's Labor Day Weekend Run at Dick's---where to eat, things to do, and things you need to know about the area. The issue also contains reviews of the first half of Summer Tour 2022; articles about WaterWheel's 25th Anniversary, fans helping others, an interview with Jovi, and things to do during the day in Colorado; and regular STTF features (among other things) like recipes, My First Show, Phish Changed My Life, Everybody Loves Statistics, Read the Book book reviews, Celebrations, fan fiction, and a puzzle.

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[We would like to thank Landon Schoenefeld, user @Nomidwestlove (IG: @_colonel_mustard) for recapping last night's show. -Ed.]

Hey nerds! When tour dates dropped this Spring, a chime of disappointment rang through my chest with the realization that my favorite band wouldn’t be coming within 1,200 miles of my home in California. A collective shrug inevitably felt by most of my west coast brethren. Yeah, yeah, we did get eighteen amazing shows between the summer and fall of ’21 (an embarrassment of riches really), but as a card-carrying member of hardcore phans, it’s in our very nature to be disappointed at least part of the time.

Traveling for Phish is certainly nothing new for me. The older I get and the more I become comfortable in my professional life, travelling becomes part of the fun, checking off bucket list venues as if on some imaginary bingo card. But also, I’m from the Midwest, so as I scrolled through the dates, my eyes were immediately drawn to this middle weekend in August at the behemoth that is Alpine Valley. A venue that’s imprinted on the DNA of any Phish kid living in the middle of the country. Also, I could use this as an opportunity for a phamily reunion of sorts with all my homies from the great North. In addition, I happen to love lakes, brats, cheese curds and swill beer, so win-win. Of course, I bought the ticket and made the pilgrimage to this sprawling Midwestern Phish mecca. I have a bit of a storied history with this venue, many of which would be inappropriate to mention on this fine forum, so unfortunately you’ll have to wait for my tell-all book for all the dirty details. Needless to say, I’ve seen many, many shows at this place throughout the years.

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[We would like to thank Doug Kaplan, user @MrDougDoug (Twitter: @hausumountain, IG: @hausumountain) for recapping last night's show. -Ed.]

What’s up wooks, custies, spinners, and spunions? It’s your boy @MrDougDoug, here to share the heady scoop on Phish’s 22^nd ever show at Alpine Valley, on the day of our Lord Icculus, August 13^th, 2022.

Today we’re going to focus on the notion of between-ness and liminality in the Phish experience. So we aren’t focusing on what was before, or what will be after, but that undecided, undefined space in the middle . Some of the most important rituals in the life cycle – like a wedding or graduation – celebrate the passage from what was known into the unknown and can serve as essential touchpoints, unforgettable times, moments in a box.

Conversely, some of the most mundane elements of life brim with this feeling of liminality: a doctor’s office waiting room or a train station are equally marked by their between-ness, but on a less world-altering "from-where-you-were-to-where-you’re-going"-sort-of-vibe. A liminal space brims with potential energy as one moves from what was before into what could possibly be. To exist in this sort of space in the present could be disorienting, or even a little bit frightening, like standing on the edge of a cliff. But being open to this sort of zone can provide life-altering and life-afirming experiences when you lean into embracing the unknown.

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[We would like to thank Rob Mitchum for recapping last night's show. Rob is a science and music writer in Oak Park, IL. He tweets about Phish @phishcrit, other stuff @robmitchum, and has undertaken the Sisyphean task of writing about every Phish show on its 25-year anniversary, which will take him until at least 2047…and counting. Thank you Rob! -Ed.]

When Twin Peaks came back for a miracle third season in 2017, it succeeded where many other TV show reboots failed. It reunited beloved characters, but didn’t offer up the simple comfort of familiarity. Everyone looked older – an obvious fact, but not one that television usually admits. While some characters were still stuck in their former patterns and roles, others were different in ways both surprising and frustrating. A slew of new characters were introduced, expanding the show’s world in ways that weren’t always clear. There was no easy retracing of steps, and that tension, combined with the emotional weight of a story that had been living in viewer’s heads for 25 years, made for an experience unlike any other.

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[We would like to thank Brendan Daily, user @itsice88 (and IG: bdailysound), for recapping last night's show, which was the ninth show he's seen on this tour. -Ed.]

It’s early Monday morning. I’m sitting in a Bed & Breakfast in nearby Absecon, NJ, collecting my thoughts on the show that ended only a few hours ago, and on the greater tour at large. Feelings of gratitude, splendor, wonder etc. are all running amok through my head.

AC3 was my ninth show of this inspired tour. It’s no secret that the last two years have been an absolute joy for us Phish fans. Seemingly all the rules of set-listing are out the window, the band’s jamming is at an extremely high level, and everything just feels fresh. I’ve walked into every show I've seen this tour not knowing what to expect as the band has delivered twists and turns and major highlights nightly. After a revelatory, improvisation-laden Friday night and Saturday night party, the band was poised to deliver a top-to-bottom “complete” run in Atlantic City.

Did it finish in strong fashion? Were the Sunday Show™ vibes in full effect? Would we see Satan on the beach, trying to catch a ray?

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[Today's recap is courtesy of RJ Bee of Osiris Media and HF Pod. -Ed.]

Philly. Bethel. Hartford. Jones Beach. Raleigh. MPP. Blossom! AC night one! This tour has been incredibly consistent, with few dips and many many peaks. The tour is picking up steam, and AC1 showed that they have no intention of slowing down. Relentless is the one word that comes to mind. The ballads are few and far between, most perfectly placed, the jams continue to evolve and show no signs of stalling out. And on the jams—they've finally optimized the synthesizer toys between Trey, Mike and Page, and Trey has perfected his tone, which is pushing them to innovate. They're pushing each other, and instead of a basic pattern that relies on building bliss peaks, we're getting noise rock, ambient space jazz, a mix of good and evil—new, different sounds. What every Phish fan is looking for.

But it can't possibly last, can it? Fishman, fueled by an experimental jet propulsion technology, must need a tune up at some point. Trey's shoes must need to be replaced. Does Mike have enough neon outfits? Page's sandwich supply must be dwindling. Like helicopter parents, fans are constantly pushing Phish to do more, to keep it up, to continue to deliver. But like my colleague Megan wrote, "It’s their own fault though, they keep delivering so we keep expecting it."

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[Phish.net thanks user Jeremy Willinger (.net @Jeremy8698) for this recap. -Ed.]

A warm breeze blew down the famed Atlantic City boardwalk (did you know? It was first opened in 1870, and is the oldest boardwalk in America and is the longest boardwalk in the world), pushing salty air into the faces of thousands of phans as they waited to enter the sand to hear Phish for the first of three shows on the beach. *As the esteemed reviewer of last year’s AC night 1 show, I will refer you to that entry for more AC trivia.

Now in its second year, Phish’s three-night stand in Atlantic City is the only option for folks unable or unwilling to go to Riviera Maya (Mexico) to dip their toes into the ocean while jamming to our favorite foursome. The hotels have, unfortunately, caught on to the cash cow that the phandom brings to local communities, and prices for rooms now reflect that suckling of the teat. Does that deter us? Of course not - in the same way that accepting gifts from strangers at Phish is welcomed but actively rebuked when back in reality.

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[Phish.net thanks Chris Vetoulis for writing this recap. -Ed.]

Living in this tube, we are safe. We are free. Our escape begins before the first notes are played. From the time our last moment of responsibility ends, our eyes suddenly open and we gaze in a world of fantasy, where our imaginations expand beyond the constraints of our day-to-day. The feelings weren’t forgotten, and an overwhelming sense of gratitude flows in as we realize we have the chance to do this once again.

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[We would like to thank Aaron Presuhn (@presuhn) for volunteering to recap last night's show and agreeing to recap it even though, last minute, he wasn't able to attend the show. -Ed.]

Cuya-WHOA-ga. Yeah, it’s cheesy. I don’t care. I like cheese and that title amuses me. Accept it and move on. I LOVE Blossom. It’s been one of my favorite venues since my first show there in 2010, and the only show I haven’t seen there since is 2015. It’s also the 19th anniversary of my first festival, IT.

But alas, I’m not there tonight. So this review is from the comfort of my couch. Lights off, volume loud, and (relatively. kinda. ehh maybe not) sober. The crowd energy, friend reactions, venue ambiance…none of those impressions are there. And I’m kinda pissed about it. But such is life. The perfect confluence of f**kery conspired to prevent my attendance tonight, and it sucks. Oh well. Here are my thoughts.

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[We would like to thank Brandy Davis user @smilercontrol (@inkandbrandy on IG) for recapping last night's show. -Ed.]

TLDR: A rocking show with a party of a first set and great chops throughout. A perfect start with a 14 minute "A Wave of Hope." Fun but straightforward jams in "AC/DC Bag" and "Back on the Train". "Mull" gets very interesting, "Foam" is beautifully executed, and the "Ghost" really goes some spooky places and finally gives the first set the peak it's been asking for. Second set has all the meat in the third quarter's "Tweezer" > "Wingsuit" > "Tweezer" > "Birds of a Feather" segment which is well worth a good listen. "Joy" cools things down for a beautifully played "Taste" and a powerful "What's the Use?". "The Howling" > "Say It To Me S.A.N.T.O.S." are a nice combo to end the set. Fine but unremarkable 3-song encore.

Clouds fill the sky and turn down the heat in Columbia, MD as expectations for typical Sunday show greatness at Merriweather Post Pavillion fill the parking garages and the largest shakedown I've ever seen at this venue. No one is going to let a little rain dampen this day! It comes and goes lightly all afternoon and throughout the show (lawn girl here) but never gets too much to handle. A welcome change from the sweltering heat of weekend shows prior. I have brought my 16 month old on this weekend ride (don't judge me, she did great!), and this kept me bound to the top of the hill with all the other little ragers for the first set. Sight lines are a little better up there now with the newly raised roof, and the sound is definitely at a lower volume but still nice and clear. Little B enjoyed a few songs and then fell asleep somewhere in the middle of first set, leaving me a little more free for note taking and absorbing the music.

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[We would like thank Michael Ayers, user @yhgtbfkm, for recapping last night's show. -Ed.]

I’ve mentioned before that one of my favorite aspects of Phish shows (aside from the music) is the people watching. Outside of the usual cast of characters you might happen to run into, one thing that’s always interested me is the groups of friends that attend shows together. I can’t recall which year at Dick’s it was, but one year in front of me were a group of 8-10 folks all wearing matching t-shirts with their names and the number of shows they had attended (I assumed) on the back. I remember thinking how cool that was, to have a group of friends like that. I grew up in a small town in the Midwest, so I didn’t know anyone who liked Phish as much as I did. I knew people who knew who they were, but most everyone else was into either nu metal or country. That is, until I met [Redacted] (who asked to not be named as he’s embarrassed to be my friend and, quite frankly, I can’t blame him).

We met back when I was in college. We were both members of a peer-to-peer music sharing service called Soulseek where you could share your music collection with others and download what they had. After downloading the Phish shows that he had that I didn’t and vice versa, we exchanged messages and the rest, as they say, is history.

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[We would like to thank users @Kerstenb and Suzydrano (Suzy Barros, @suzydrano on Twitter) for recapping last night's show. -Ed.]

We arrived together, friends since we were six, 28 years since our first show at Walnut Creek.

The moist heat smacked us in the face like a used spa towel, but once we strolled through the dusty lot to arrive at the venue, we were home. Even the stairs to the lawn provoked memories that we endeavored to locate throughout the years.

This was a show that required some recognition. Suzy’s 225th show, Kersten’s kids’ first show, our fifth Walnut Creek show together, friends and family scattered across the audience---hard to find on the packed lawn)---running into random people and finding out they're from our tiny home town in rural North Carolina. Of course, conversation quickly drifted to the memorable 1997 show, when the deluge turned the lawn into a mudpit, Kersten’s parents were at their first show, and her brother was featured prominently on the jumbotron as he danced, shirtless and wild.

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[We would like to thank user Gootch350, Evan Gottschling (Twitter @PrisonOfLimes), for recapping last night's show. -Ed.]

We live in a world where I have seen/heard easily 100 shows live from home and this was another. I personally have never been to Jones Beach, so this review will not be about the vibes or the lovely breezes, or any interstellar interactions. I’m sure the (insert classic Long Island food item) tasted extra sweet/savory and the beverages were flowing like the nearby Carmen’s River.

We start the night with "Mike’s Song," which is noteworthy mostly because what follows is the longest jam of the night instead of opting for a more traditional "Mike’s Groove" segment. Wolfie finds a chill funk groove with a bit of swing from Fishman as Trey starts to layer some effects into his tone. He pulls back to a cleaner tone and Page finds some energy on the baby grand, extra mustard seemingly emanating from his shirt. When Page switches to the organ, the band turns a corner through a heavier, more evil zone. The jam heads into a "Sigma Oasis" feel and then continues evolving. Page begins to add some sonic textures that hint at a spacey take-off point but instead we find ourselves in "Ya Mar."

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[This recap is courtesy of Tom Volk, phishnet user tvolkl, blanksnpostage on Twitter. -Ed.]

So here we are at long last: off to arguably their best start to a tour in a good long while, Phish arrive at Jones Beach for the first time since 2013. It’s a venue fraught with a so-so reputation amongst fans that also has a sneakily long history with the band, dating back to the summer of 1992 as the fourth stop on the original H.O.R.D.E tour.

To understand where I am coming from with Jones Beach, you have to understand first that this place is essentially a vortex for me and my family. Legend has it my grandfather drove down the newly paved Wantagh parkway in August of 1929 to swim at and explore the newly created state park days before its official opening. In the early 70s, my parents met there while working summer jobs in college. My dad worked at the Zach’s Bay concession stand, a scant 100 yards from the entrance to the theatre, where he served ice cream everyday at lunch to a pleasantly drunken Guy Lombardo.

It’s where I saw my first Phish show in 1994, where beforehand I met Mike Gordon in the parking lot where he politely chatted with a small group of us in the southeast corner of the parking lot and chastised my friend for smoking a cigarette at too young an age. “Young smoker, huh?” peering down from his bike before he sped off. So for me, this venue is inescapable and my attachment to it is irrational. You’d only understand if you grew up on the south shore, amongst the mosquitos, strip malls, salt breezes and suburban congestion and then piled my family history on top of that. So, if you’re looking for complaints about the traffic, that fact the main concourse has all the ambiance of a third rate state fair food court, the looming NY State Troopers, or that the incessant ocean breeze destroys the sound you’ve come to the wrong place. Simply, I am a homer.

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[This recap is courtesy of Alaina Stamatis, phishnet user Farmhose, Fad_albert on twitter and also Fad_Albert on Instagram as well. -Ed.]

“Hartford is a sacred place, magical things happen here,” whispers a hippie girl as she hands me a red solo cup of what appears to be pond water. We’re standing under a violent sun in suffocating heat, surrounded in every direction by rubble and stickered-up vehicles. She continues: “This is a potent frog extract that will aid in the decalcification of your third eye.” I’m so thirsty that I ignore the last statement, plugging my nose and chugging it down as a hot breeze envelopes us with dust. The Hartford police usher us toward the venue and we head in.

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[Phish.net thanks Noah Eckstein, freelance journalist, for this recap. His work has been featured in The Guardian, The Daily News, PBS, Variety, and DoubleBlind Magazine. He also assistant produced and co-wrote the first two seasons of Osiris Media’s podcast Undermine. Twitter: @NoahEckstein. Phish.net: @SOLARGARLICAFICIONADO. -Ed.]

Dairy cattle have given their bodies to supply humanity with labor, leather and beef for 2,000 years. And, let’s not forget about milk. Without which, the classic Ben & Jerry’s Phish Food ice cream would be, well, it wouldn’t be.

On July 23, 2022, the sacrifices of past, present, and future dairy cows and their revered spirits were honored with auditory splendor, a cosmic “thank you” from the band and from the crowd.

The Guernsey cattle that were the reason Max Yasgur had a farm in the first place were memorialized on Saturday night, their collective sacrifice and memory honored by Mr. Jon Fishman, (aka Moby Dick, Dick, Dick) who sampled their fabled utterance, the good ol’ classic “moo” throughout a rocking show that concluded an epic two night run at the Bethel Woods Arts Center.

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[Phish.net thanks volunteer recapper Brad Strode (user @c_wallob) for this recap. -Ed.]

Hello everyone. Long time reader, first time recapper here. I’ve always enjoyed reading these recaps for every show, and I’m thrilled to be able to help out on Summer Tour 2022.

Bethel Woods Music Center for the Arts (corporate sponsorship hopefully not pending) in many ways is not so different from your typical summer shed; the parking lots are expansive and mostly devoid of shade, there is a single entrance point with sometimes long security lines, and the amphitheater itself is a standard pavilion & lawn, with an unremarkable roof covering those lucky enough to have reserved seats close to the band. With all that said, Bethel Woods Music Center is nothing like the typical summer stop on Phish tour. The fields and forests surrounding the venue are steeped in nostalgia.

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[Thank you to Nick Williams (user @TwiceBitten) for recapping last night's show. -Ed.]

Phish, the band, what can you say? An American original: full of the awe, spectacle and big top excitement of P.T. Barnum’s circus; as majestic as the Rocky Mountains and as thick as New England’s forests; as powerful as the magic that existed in this land before the white man came, and sometimes as dark and sinister as the evil that those settlers brought with them (well maybe only on a headful). So what does such a band do after playing a show up in Bangor that seems to be unanimously regarded as IT? They had options: Phish could have tried for a repeat, stretching another jam past 30 minutes; they could have relied on a bunch of bust outs to keep the fans satisfied; they could have phoned it in even.

As the years have gone on, Phish has largely moved out of the shadow of the Grateful Dead and into their rightful place as the elder statesmen and torchbearers for a spark that was ignited almost 60 years ago in a series of rented halls around the Bay Area. While the Dead largely settled into a standardized show format less than halfway through their career, Phish has always been keen on freshening-up the flow of shows from night-to-night, tour-to-tour, era-to-era. Still, much as there are only 12 notes in western music, there are only so many types of Phish shows (not counting more subtle variations within each format).

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[Phish.net thanks volunteer recapper Ben Harder for recapping last night's show. -Ed.]

To my fellow Mainers, a big Hihowahya!!?? To those of you who were visiting from away, stoked you made it up for what was the first Phish show in Maine since the Bangor show on 6/25/19 and 6/26/19. Tonight's show made for the fourth at the venue (the first being 7/3/13), and over the years we've seen the GA Pit evolve from lawn to crushed rock to concrete pad. The place looked a bit like the Big Dig, with a steel retaining wall and framing for private boxed seating to come.

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[David Goldstein, this recap's author, is a phish.net contributor and co-host of the Beyond the Pond podcast on Osiris Media. He usually wears Whalers gear on lot. -Ed.]

It could be nostalgia creeping in, but something about seeing Phish in New England in 2022 just hits a bit differently. This is especially so in Massachusetts, a state so integral to the band’s evolution; The ‘89 Paradise gig! Multiple New Year’s Shows in Boston and Worcester! They did a Gamehendge here once! And now that the nexus of the Phish kingdom has been effectively relocated two and a half hours south, they seem to play Massachusetts far less than they used to (you brahs too fancy for a heady Worcester run now?)

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FYI Surrender to the Flow's Summer 2022 issue has been released and it is available for download at this link here. (https://sttflow.gumroad.com/l/sttf74) While it is free to download after you provide an email address, donations are encouraged as STTF has been a labor of love for many years and we at dot net hope you support it! There will be paper copies circulated on tour, so you may see it in the lot or at a show, but you're far more likely to see it if you download a PDF of it. (There likely will be a paper copy available for perusal at the WaterWheel table at shows, too.)

This issue includes information about the Summer Tour from Great Woods to Alpine, e.g., where to eat, things to do, and things you need to know about the towns and the venues. The issue also includes reviews of the Spring Run 2022, articles including ...

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[Blog post and video/audio of this 10/3/96 Gordon Stone Trio gig with Mike and Jon is courtesy of Chad Simons, dot net user @charlesrsimons (Twitter @ChadSimons1, and Insta chadrsimons). -Ed.]

Phish tour '96 ranked among the top for me. I jumped in at the Red Rocks shows and finished at the Clifford Ball. Need I say more? I could, trust me.

After the Clifford Ball, my crew and I crossed Lake Champlain by ferry in my friend's split-window VW bus. The sunset behind the Catskill Mountains was amazing, and I knew something very special was waiting for us on the other side. Just after driving off the ferry, we spotted a huge vertical sign with the word "WILSON" on it. Of course, Nectar's was next, and the list goes on.

I decided to stay in Burlington, and my friends went back to Indiana. I had no idea what was in store for me as the temperature started to drop that fall. I had never experienced a northern winter like the ones you get in Vermont, but the fun never stopped.

On October 3, 1996, I patched my Sony DAT-D8 into the mics of a guy I met before this show. We set up just in time, and I barely had a moment to count how many people were there before the guys began playing. There must've been only about 30 of us there, as you will hear in the applause and comments made between the songs. Mike is on bass for all of the songs, and he’s on vocals for nearly all of the songs; and Jon joined in on the washboard and bell for the entire second set. This show is truly a gem with such a fun setlist and plenty of humor.

I hope you enjoy it, you can listen to it here on YouTube.

Charles R. (Chad) Simons

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Almost five years after the interview conducted by Dean Budnick, Chris Kuroda was interviewed by Scott Boyarsky and Hal Waterman, who were involved with the fan website CK5 (http://www.ck5.org, now defunct). This conversation delves further into Kuroda’s work philosophy, his personal tastes, and his life outside the band. A few of the questions are repeated from the previous interview, but Kuroda’s opinions had evolved over the preceding five years.

The full interview was initially published on the CK5 website and republished in the Phish Companion 1st Edition. The interview was then edited and streamlined for re-publication in the Phish Companion 2nd Edition. This blog post includes the edited interview from TPC 2nd Ed., followed by the remaining interview “bonus material” from TPC 1st Ed.

Enjoy! - Matt Schrag aka @kipmat

Interview with Chris Kuroda from TPC 2nd edition

Excerpted from an interview conducted by Scott “Seabass” Boyarsky and Hal “Brother” Waterman backstage prior to the 10/7/00 Shoreline show, the last show before the hiatus.

HW: Where are you originally from?

CK: I was born in Princeton, New Jersey. I grew up in Chappaqua, New York, which is in Westchester County. When I was about 21, my family moved out to Allentown, PA.

HW: What’s the most rewarding part about this job?

CK: Well, my whole life when I was growing up my Father was thirty years at the same company, Wall Street, New York Stock Exchange, executive guy, got in a suit, commuted on a train everyday. Throughout my whole life growing up, I said to myself, I will not be a “nine-to-fiver.” So, when I think back about the whole thing, the fact that I actually accomplished that might have to stand out over everything. The second greatest thing is all the support I get from all the fans. I get a lot of support, and you know, as a human being it just makes you feel so good. And believe it or not, an extremely rewarding thing to me is when I nail a “David Bowie.” It brings tears to my eyes sometimes. Doing the job, that’s how I express myself to the world. I get to express myself through light and there is a lot of joy to that!

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One of the many exciting aspects of the week before Phish tour is hearing news about the crew technical rehearsal; where they are, what they’re working on, and especially what Chris Kuroda’s new light rig will look like. As Lighting Director for Phish (a position which also incorporates the role of Lighting Designer), Kuroda has been continually innovative with both available technology and presentation, making the band’s lighting an integral part of the Phish concert experience. Dean Budnick (author of The Phishing Manual and erstwhile Editor-in-Chief of jambands.com, now part of the Relix Media Group) conducted an interview with Kuroda toward the end of the marathon Fall 1995 tour, offering an intriguing glimpse into Life on the Road with Phish. Budnick subsequently posted the interview text to the Usenet newsgroup rec.music.phish, but the interview has not been republished on this site until now. Please enjoy this trip down memory lane, as we look forward to more dazzling lights on Summer Tour!

- Matt Schrag aka @kipmat

[Dean Budnick is the editor-in-chief of Relix and has reported on the live entertainment industry for Billboard, Variety and The Hollywood Reporter. He directed the documentary Wetlands Preserved: The Story of An Activist Rock Club, which opened nationally before airing on the Sundance Channel. He also is the creator and host of the Long May They Run podcast, which reached #1 on the Apple Music Podcast charts, and he has written many books, including Ticket Masters: The Rise of the Concert Industry and How the Public Got Scalped, and a forthcoming book with Peter Shapiro, The Music Never Stops: What Putting On 10,000 Shows Has Taught Me About Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Magic, https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/peter-shapiro/the-music-never-stops/9780306845185/.]

Interview with Chris Kuroda 12/5/95

From: [email protected] (Dean Budnick)

Newsgroups: rec.music.phish

Organization: Harvard University, Cambridge, MA

Okay, here's the text of my interview with Chris. I hope you find it as interesting as I did. This interview took place around 5:00 on December 5th, before the second night of the Mullins Center run.

BTW, after the show Chris told me that he had forgotten to say one thing that was really bugging him. He's asking everyone to stop bringing laser pens to the shows and to discourage your friends from doing so. I noticed one on Trey's guitar on Saturday and people have been shining them up at the chessboard as well. On with the interview....

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[Thanks to our guest recapper Dana Slattery (@tweezeher). -Ed.]

Spring tour feels a little like Summer tour, doesn’t it? Considering some recaps for this short sprint of shows boast it as the first leg of the Summer 2022 run, and I myself had been gently corrected with torches and pitchforks after a post to CashorTrade, it seems debatable. After a 3-night run on the coast of Alabama, and 2 scorchers on a tennis court in South Carolina, the Birkenstock tans on the dusty Deer Creek lot (Ruoff Home Mortgage Center to the layman…) look, feel & likely smell like a Summer tour.

Is it sun stroke or is the nitrous just good? After 2-nights of Phish and 3-days of Phish lot, the lines become blurred. Both were in seemingly endless supply in Indianapolis this weekend. The Sunday show started 90-minutes earlier than the previous 2, bringing a feeling of ‘Let’s get this show on the road’ and "party time." No one is interested in driving back through the mid-west with a trunk full of whatever you brought to the lot. So, yes, deals.

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[Thanks to our guest recapper Michael Ayers (user @yhgtbfkm) . -Ed.]

As I was packing my bags to get ready to drive to Indianapolis, my phone beeped with an email address. The fine folks over here at .net asked me if I would be interested in recapping both Friday and Saturday, as nobody had volunteered for Saturday. They said I could even wait and send both Friday and Saturday in one big review as opposed to doing two. After pondering it for a few minutes I responded back that I’d love to, as writing one long incredibly mediocre review would be far less damaging to my ego than two short, incredibly mediocre reviews. So without further ado..prepare to be disappointed.

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[Posting some photos courtesy of Matt Bittmann, taken from the pit last night (June 3, 2022, Deer Creek), because the recapper of last night's show will be recapping tonight as well and has chosen to recap the two shows together. Recap will be posted tomorrow. If you want to read a recap of last night don't miss Scott Bernstein's " The Skinny" on Jambase. -Ed.]

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[This article was published in the San Francisco Bay Guardian in 1999, so is Copyright © 1994-99 San Francisco Bay Guardian. It is being re-printed here, and now, because it is hilarious and its author Summer Burkes is a great writer. Special thanks to Philip Zerbo (co-editor of the Third Edition of The Phish Companion) for posting the text of this article to Rec.Music.Phish in October 1999. Also want to thank Josh Martin, whose recap of Charleston1 reminded me of this article and how I'd wanted to try to locate it and post it to the blog. -charlie]

Hook, line, and stinker:
Staring in train-wreck horror at the cult of Phish

By Summer Burkes

THEY ARE PHISH, I am chum

I must admit, I'd been unfair. I'd hated Phish with a passion since the
moment they entered my consciousness, even though I couldn't ever recall
actually hearing one of their songs.

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We wanted to wish MICHAEL GORDON a very happy birthday on this, the 11th anniversary of the June 3, 2011, "Down with Disease," that should be (re)listened to at all costs, now, either here on Relisten or on LivePhish.

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[We would like to thank Jen Chadbourne, user @Saw_ita_Jen on both dot net and twitter, for this recap. -Ed.]

It was a very humid day. The forecast called for mostly sunny skies with rain right around doors, so it was a bit of a gamble to figure out the calculus of when to leave for the lot. Luckily, hopping in rides with 1.0 friends made that easy.

We got to the lot around 4:20pm and jumped in line. At about 5:00pm there was incoming lightning, so the venue and band touring crew made the call to go ahead and pull us into the venue to shelter in place in an effort to weather the storm. We all posted up in the hallways to wait it out, and wouldn’t you know it, the lightning blew over without a drop of rain! So the show was not delayed, nor was it shortened to one set, which was the dreaded outcome had the lightning postponed doors.

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[We would like to thank user @Jmart, Josh Martin, for recapping last night's show. -Ed.]

Here’s the thing: You like Phish. And if you’re reading this, chances are you actually love Phish with a chunk of your heart so large as to baffle most of your family and other acquaintances.

From your love of Phish, we can deduce something further: You love to dance. You have a repertoire of moves to fit any occasion. Imitating someone else’s moves in your crew is valuable social currency.

How do your dance choices reflect your show experience? Let’s discuss.

(For sake of reference, all dancing was observed from the floor, halfway back on Mike’s side)

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[Phish.net thanks volunteer recapper Rachael Wesley (rachaelwesley.com; Instagram: @rachaelwesleywrites) for recapping last night's show. - Ed.]

We all Phish for our own reasons and rage in our own ways. For me, I love reuniting with my favorite people while exploring parts of the country I might otherwise never visit. So, when Phish announced their tour opening run in Orange Beach that began the day after my 40^th birthday, it was easy for me to decide how to welcome in the new decade. Nor was it difficult to convince my crew to head to Alabama, a new state for several of us, to celebrate with me. We rented a large condo at the Wharf big enough to accommodate us all and spent the weekend swimming, eating, and Phishing. There was no better way a Phish fan could usher in a big birthday.

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[We would like to thank Ian Zigel Phish.net user @RipenessWasAll (Instagram: @Memehendge) for recapping last night's show. -Ed.]

At this point, it would just be silly to deny that Phish has hit a new stride in this era we call 4.0. Since returning to the stage in Arkansas on 7/28/21, Phish plays with a conviction and awareness that at any moment, the universe can throw us a curveball; they are playing every show like it could be their last one. With nearly 40 years of touring and hundreds of songs to take turns vying for our attention, Phish continues to amaze and inspire us all by only looking forward, eternally blazing on, growing, and improving with one even more ambitious set of music after another. Phish is in a state of pure creative flow, and that was on full display on this hot summer night in swampy southern Alabama.

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[Thank you Dianna Hank user @Dianna_2Ns for recapping last night's tour-opening show. -Ed.]

Last night, Phish returned to The Wharf Amphitheater in Orange Beach, Alabama, to kick off their 2022 Summer Tour. This was the band’s second ever visit to The Wharf Amphitheater (the first being for a one-night stand at the venue, eight years ago on 8/1/2014), and only the 13th time the band has ever played in the state. Lights went down shortly after 8 PM and for the first time in the song’s history, “Twist” took the show-opening slot, getting right into the meat of the tune within three minutes and leading into 10+ more minutes of exploratory playing. While the jam felt to have been cut slightly shorter than it could’ve been, the band returned back to the "Twist" lyrics cleanly and finished the tune. “Halley’s Comet” followed and the band showed that perhaps they were a little overeager with that choice, forgetting almost an entire verse before cutting the diddy even shorter than usual with less than one minute of “jam” before segueing into “Sand.” Hopes again rose for a nice 1st-set jam out of this consistent jam vehicle, and the band delivered: Again, within three minutes, we found ourselves in a nice groovy pocket, and the four then continued to interplay with one another for another seven minutes of interesting and efficient playing, before sticking the landing and returning to the outro together.

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[Phish.net welcomes and thanks guest writer, Dr. Wook, for this recap. -Ed.]

Giving an ‘official’ recap of a Phish show these days can seem like a fool’s errand. What’s the use when by the time you leave the venue and get someplace, a little rectangle device resting in your hand will already deliver you the setlist with notable statistics, song times, and ability to immediately start relistening for the things you thought you heard hours ago. Dedicated fans, through this and other web sites, some in attendance, some viewing from home, often begin posting knowledgeable, insightful, and varied opinions covering all aspects of the performance before anyone even goes to sleep the night of a show. And as Phish heads through its 39^th year, playing the venue they have played the most times across their storied career (68 at MSG), everyone at least agrees there is simply no singular way that people enjoy Phish. Stone cold sober or spun on psychedelics, on the rail or on the concourse, shedding a tear during "Joy" or peeing during Joy, there are such wildly diverse ways people engage with the immense catalogue of music and the ever-evolving live experience, that a common point of view is hard to come by.

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[Phish.net welcomes and thanks guest writer, Jeremy Willinger (user Jeremy8698), for this recap. -Ed.]

I love YEMSG holiday Phish runs, except this year---and stop me if you heard this one before---we shifted things 112 days due to a resurging pandemic and concern for everyone’s general welfare. So, Happy belated New Year to all; now let’s get down to the nitty gritty.

To get a little more granular, the 12/30 show has always been the standout during recent runs, and I will point you to my previous reviews of this night of music from 2019 and 2018 to showcase how unassailable and correct I am. Will tonight also eclipse what the band had in store for the end of 2020? Only time (that turns elastic) will tell.

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[Thanks to Josh Martin, @JMart, for once again writing a recap for the phish.net blog. And thanks to Matt Bittmann for the sweet photos! - ed.]

Greetings, everyone, and glad tidings from New York City, where Phish played the first of four rescheduled concerts, originally slated to be played Decemeber 29th - January 1st.

Before we begin in earnest, a brief requiem for what might have been: It is overstating nothing to say that Phish in the fall of 2021 was on one of the hottest runs of the post-break up era, no matter what you choose to call it. And while comparisons to the best tours of ANY era may have been a tad premature, one can certainly forgive their being made, as such comparisons are made with the breathless exuberance of a fan who has just witnessed something great. And if you saw a Phish show last year, chances were you did. Add to that momentum the bonkers Sci-Fi Soldiers numerology that Phish started laying on the audience during the Halloween run (4680 days from 3/6/09 to 12/31/21, etc.) and one can’t help but be a bit sad for what might have happened if those dates had gone off as planned. That having been said, if the last two-plus years have taught anyone anything about life, it is that there are things that are simply out of our control and it is our charge to deal with that uncertainty as best as we’re able.

There was no 12/29/21 show, but there was a 4/20/22 show, and that show started at the shockingly early hour of 8:07 PM with “Carini.” Given the level of 4/20-related chatter that had been going on for the past few months, it’s doubtful that very many heads had this as the run opener. This subversive “Carini” modulated is its way out of the dark into a pleasant, if familiar, sonic space. Around 7:30 Trey started upping the ante and Mike was quick to follow. Page jumped on clavinet for a few bars of something that was starting to sound very sinister, but was quickly nixed for a return to calmer pastures. There Trey and Mike fell into two beautiful melodic runs that coalesced into a propulsive chop, beautifully segueing into “Possum.”

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We hope you will join us for a fine wine and pasta party fundraiser for The Mockingbird Foundation (whose volunteers manage this website) pre-show on Saturday, April 23, 2022, from 4:30-6:30pm at Legacy Records, which is a ten minute walk from MSG.

The event will be held in the upstairs bar of Legacy Records, Ada's Place. This fundraiser is doubling as an opportunity for some of us to hang out with each other for the first time in [expletive deleted] years given the [expletives deleted] pandemic.

For more details and to register, please click here.

Please support this event if you have time and if you appreciate Phish.net. And if you're not keen on wine there will be non-alcoholic beverages available, of course; this is not a formal wine-tasting, there will simply be a variety of fine wines available to drink if you're into wine. This is a preshow gathering of friends new and old more than anything else. Thank you for your support of this site and The Mockingbird Foundation!

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[Phish.net thanks user @ObviousFool (Silas Cole; www.niceshades.art) for recapping the final night in Mexico. -Ed.]

We arise at the crack of noon and slowly make our way to the pool. We are foggy, rather groggy, but it’s the final day in paradise and time is of the essence. We snag a couple chairs in the shade, order a couple of Miami Vices (half piña colada/half strawberry daiquiri), and make friends with our neighbors. Night four is rapidly approaching, and with plenty of bangers still on the table.

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[We would like to thank user @Phish_tank Andy Zellinger for recapping last night's show. -Ed.]

Everyone entered the venue looking relaxed and sun-kissed as they did the stingray shuffle past psychedelic art installations and street tacos, margaritas in hand. Tonight was the first full show of the run, following a funky dance party Welcome Set last night. The lights went down around 7:49 pm to start night two of this four-night run at the Moon Palace Cancun.

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[We would like to thank user Kelly Wilson @KellyNICU for this recap. -Ed.]

There’s no better feeling than dancing to your favorite band with your favorite people.

As always, the energy in the crowd was palpable. People had been partying in the pools all day waiting for their band to play. On night one of Mexico we ended up staying on our balcony facing the stage because how often do you get a chance to do that? We met some strangers who soon became friends, and invited them up to dance with us because that’s what Phish is all about.

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[This post courtesy of Keith Eaton, @Midcoaster, who first became obsessed with music when, in 1979, he sat in a darkened theater and watched Apocalypse Now. Nothing was ever quite the same after that opening sequence.]

A few weeks ago, it took everything I had in me to change my clothes and head to the elliptical for a run. Low clouds hung like gray gauze, and a drizzle was ruining the fresh snow. Such is the winter norm now on the New England coast. Classes were quiet, masks burying facial expressions. I muddled through the day and then dragged myself to the gym. Victory!

Some days, this is really difficult. After having had COVID following the New Year, getting back into this running routine has been even harder. The annoying bouts of asthma had become chronic, and the 'rona fatigue of which they speak is real. Plus, after these past two COVID school years focused on the day to day while being denied various annual benchmarks, I've had a difficult time mustering enthusiasm. It was a familiar feeling, too. Depression? Nah. Teacher burnout? Maybe. What about grief?

That word, grief, stuck in my craw as I randomly selected music from my iPod. Music wasn't even something I was "looking forward to"; this is just part of the running routine. Right? The iPod roulette landed on 10/20/21 Eugene's "Ruby Waves". It was a great choice. Trey's simple mortality lyrics, uniquely his own, produce a clear vision of his soul's travels after death. Our soul-spark becomes pinball energy and is reabsorbed into the whole, an "ocean of love."

The jam (much discussed) brought me into a serene space where body mechanics and conscious breathing fell away, and I was left to simply flow. That's when it came to me: grief. Since March of 2021, I have lost five people who were closely connected to me in one way or another. Three were friends from my incoming freshman class in college. I met them in the fall of 1985, and there was a large group of us who glommed onto one another, sharing a love of the Grateful Dead, punk, activism, and misfit culture. In many ways, our cheap beer and brick weed Frisbee lounge shenanigans seem like yesterday.

Little did we know that friendships seeded then would last a lifetime.

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[Thank you to Phish.net contributor Dianna (@Dianna_2Ns) for this recap. -Ed.]

Last night, Phish treated fans to an absolute delight of a show as they literally went backwards down the number line to kick off their first night of four at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The band opened the show with some discordant sounds and eventually dropped into “Also Sprach Zarathustra” which was met with massive crowd cheers. This is the first time the band has opened a show with that tune since 9/22/99 at the Pan American Center in Las Cruces, NM. The patience, focus and synergy that would be present throughout the rest of the show was really on display throughout this song, as Trey brought back “LA Woman” teases from last Saturday’s Forum show in addition to throwing in a few “Manteca” teases, as well. This jam starts dirty and stays that way, with Mike heavy in the mix, Fishman driving relentlessly and Page supporting Trey’s wailing with massive synth swells before the drop back into the song. After an impressive sixteen and a half minutes, the band comes to a stop before Trey takes the mic to assure everyone that, “We're not gonna hurt you... We just wanna have some fun…” before an absolutely epic drop into a cover of Prince’s “1999”—only the third time this song has ever been played live and 130 shows since the last time it was played (7/26/17 at Madison Square Garden during the Baker’s Dozen). Similar to 2001, this jam was lengthy and went Type II, with Page taking the reins for a good deal of it backed by fantastic interplay between Mike & Trey. Towards the end of this almost 15 minute spacey jam, Trey just lets loose, sustaining soaring extended notes before the band moves on to “555.”

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[Thank you to Phish.net contributor Landon (@nomidwestlove) for this recap. -Ed.]

On Tuesday, October 26^th, 2021 The Phish from Vermont brought their own unique brand of trans-dimensional, intergalactic space funk to the quaint central coastal community of Santa Barbara. The bowl itself, with its dramatic backdrop of the Santa Ynez mountains to the east and a view of the pacific ocean from our seats to the west, seemed to serve as a beacon, perhaps attracting unexplained aerial phenomenon and other sentient extra-terrestrial beings to use their state-of-the-art propulsion systems to hover in the void between the sea and stars.

This band has had plenty of peaks and valleys in their triple decade plus career, but I think they’ve proved with these past few shows, that the ceiling expands far higher into the stratosphere than one could have ever guessed. Yes, way up out there in the cosmos, Phish is providing the soundtrack for this donut-shaped universe.

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[Thank you to Phish.net contributor Willie (@twelvethousandmotherfker) for this recap. -Ed.]

After three long years, and fifteen months to the day from the originally scheduled date, Phish returned to the phabulous Forum last night to play a rock concert. Thank Icculus.

For me, it was my first indoor show since Nassau in 2019, and damn was it good to be back. I didn’t realize how much I missed standing with my buddies in my favorite spot (right in front of Mike), sharing in the joy and community and, yes, groove that makes Phish so special. We’re all extremely lucky this is still happening -- I don’t want to forget that. Plus, they’ve been playing out of their minds!

So, let’s dig in.

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[Phish.net welcomes back and thanks guest recapper Alaina Stamatis (@farmhose, twitter: @fad_albert) for this recap. -Ed.]

Phish performs in different places around the country to convince their fans to move there. No doubt that the luxury housing development atop the mountain range behind Chula Vista’s North Island Credit Union Amphitheater was able to advertise breathtaking views *and* the opportunity to listen to a live Phish concert while laying on your deck, totally nude, spun out of gourd without any LiveNation employees to hassle you.

The beauty of the late fall outdoor show is that the concert begins in the dark so the light show is in full force. Palm trees lined the back of the lawn, which was not overpacked like most of the lawns were this summer. A pamphlet from the Twelve Tribes somehow ends up on our blanket.

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[Thank you to Phish.net contributor @brad10s (from @HFPod, and @b10brook on Twitter) for this recap. -Ed.]

My wife, Kylie, and I have lived in Phoenix since 2006. That means we moved to Arizona three years after Phish last played it. Their last show in the desert southwest was on July 7, 2003, at the same venue (different name). Needless to say, we have been awaiting their return since we arrived 15 years ago. This was absolutely a ‘hometown show’ for us and the excitement was built for a few reasons. Not only was it Kylie’s first show since 9/5/15 (and second since 12/7/97!), it was our kids’ first show ever and my first show in a proper outdoor shed since 2018. On top of all this we had friends in from Michigan and a local friend came along for his first show. A proper crew was engaged and ready.

Phish delivered. It was a wonderfully crafted show. An almost perfect one-off, Friday set list full of well-known rockers and newer tunes that were taken deep. “Julius” is an opener I’m always up for as it sets a bouncy, dance-y precedence…even when you don’t get through security until half through the tune. It took us about an hour to get through the line. The venue has only two entrances, so no one could have seen that coming.

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