MarcO

Question:

Does Phish's music (album, live recordings and DVD performances) date well to you 'heads'?

Not for me. In fact, the intervening years has given me the perspective to start to think that when all is said and done, Phish will be seen as a nothing more than a curiosity in rock history. It is revealing that despite our view of them as being HUGE, they really weren't: they were HUGE on the East Coast and rode a wave of popular curisoity throught the rest of America. But by the end of their career, they played to substantially less than capacity crowds all over the West Coast and even the East Coast numbers were in freefall (until Coventry was announced as the final gig). Sure, the festivals were impressive, but in the end a yearly gathering of 70,000 diehards does not a HUGE band make. Not when hardly anyone outside of North America could have given two shits about them whatsoever. Their records were released to a national yawn from the public in general. Were they a huge important band, or an American curiosity? Their cultural legacies may well outlive the music.

And on a personal level, I'm separating the "time of life" associations from my take on their music: they could be exceptional, no doubt. But I have almost zero desire to listen to their music, which often strikes as just silly these days (and not in a good way anymore). On the other hand, I'll listen to the Dead until they day I die? Why? Songs, songs, songs.

In my life Phish was a perfect time and a place- and when they went on hiatus so did that part of my life. I needed a break and so did they, and it was a match made in heaven. Not saying I wouldn't go see a bunch of shows again if they came back, but I wouldn't do a run and it wouldn't change my life the way say Summer 98 did.

awesomeness. I feel the same way.

I wouldn't say that "scene" is gone forever - like Christians and pedophiles, dirty wookies will always find a place and an event to get together at and throw glowsticks around and spin hula hoops and talk in mock Southern accents.

But will there be another band that will lead the way into arenas and festivals and stadiums? Who knows? I will say this, this time with no sarcasm or particular ill-will involved: there is no band on the radar that I can see or sense that is poised to take those reigns. I know, I know - "well, what about _________? I saw them late night at the 'roo and they blew the place up!". Sorry, the cultural and technological variables are not aligned to let that happen at this time. See, the Dead and Phish were *contrarians* at exactly the same time their audiences grew. No-one wanted prog-jazz-jam-rock in the 1980's-1990's but Phish single-mindedly furrowed a path. In the 1970's and 1980's, it wasn't really cool to be into the Dead (until 87 that is) but still, arenas and stadiums got filled.

What we're really seeing now is not Dead scene, Phish scene but a more overall spanning scene we could call the 'Roo scene. Instead of a central focal point for all that energy to flow into, out of and around, it now gets more evenly spread around so many bands that - while different - kind of rely on each other to create sums bigger than their individual parts. Therefore, none of them are contrarian, they are in sympatico, and ergo, things like the 'Roo exist and flourish.

Everything is so different, the whole concert industry has changed, everything from politics, to the price of gas, to the integration of the Web 2.0, all of that plays a part in these things and based on where we are now, today, it's hard to see a band on the horizon that is going to take it over the top.

Having said all of that, if you're a jamhead, enjoy this time while you can. There's no shortage of music to go see, at smaller places and with fair accessibility.

One of my favourite Phish songs ever and i didn't think of it until now...

TIMBER HO!

cover.

golden.

and somewhere right now Ray Manzarek is talking to a potted plant about Jim Morrison......

Seriously?

The only Phish albums that I can sit and listen to nowadays are RR and Undermind. And Farmhouse, but you didn't slag that one.........

Dog Log

Hell, the only ones I can listen to anymore is Round Room and The Siket Disc. I think Round Room contains some of their finest songs and was a sign of a band heading in the direction. It's my favorite Phish album.

I think Undermind was disappointing.

My Soul is a cover.

Halley's Comet is a cover.

Bittersweet Motel

are we counting all the official Live Phish releases?

GD 10-21-83 Worcester, MA

The Music Never Stopped, Loser, CC Rider-> Cumberland Blues, Cassidy, Ramble On Rose, My Brother Esau, Big Railroad Blues-> Promised Land

Scarlet Begonias-> Fire On The Mountain, Uncle John's Band-> Playin' In The Band-> Drums-> Truckin'-> Wharf Rat-> I Need A Miracle-> Touch Of Gray

E: Johnny B. Goode

and now, a most excellent album no-one ever talks about:

it's a fucking masterpiece, regardless of when it came out.

yes, yes, yes.

This talk of sodomy is making me hungry!

well that was probably the best *sounding* show I ever attended.

happy birthday Mike!

great to see ya last night Mark - all the best!

yes Andre, the boyz all love it when your wife gets hammered.

c'mon three more to go!

I used to troll the Hamilton music shops for bootleg records, on vinyl. Damn they were expensive, especially when you're just 16!

There was a place in Hamilton that was at least 50% bootleg records; it was awesome, but it kept getting busted.

"The Collector's Guide To Led Zeppelin" was a bible to me when my hormones were shifting.

you'd think that with proper ID and a receipt showing your name with charges HAVING GONE THROUGH with no problem would be enough.

I loathe TicketMaster with all of my heart and soul.

I saw moe perform at Lafayette for free a few years ago. It was absolutely PACKED, so go early if you don't want to be pushed to the back where the food and crafts tnets are.

if they ban lawnchairs, attendance will plummet.

if attendance plummets, no more big name acts like the White Stripes.

no it won't.

I agree. Just ban the damn chairs. NO LAWN CHAIRS.

there, problem solved.