Dear Phish... Love Jambase

[shainhouse]

As some of you may know, I'm lucky enough to be part of a wonderful community of people who operate jambase, the good ol' American jamband encyclopedia. Anyways, a few writers (not me) put together this piece, and it's really interesting. enjoy.

http://www.jambase.com/headsup.asp?storyID=5127

[colinw]

That is great. I like this one the best:

"I'm leaving you a message,

I'm leaving you a trace.

I'm leaving thoughts for you

I hope that time will not erase"

--Walls of the Cave

Photo by Rob Foster

It's hard to believe that after twenty-one years, its finally coming to an end. While the music may stop, the memories will live on. The concert process itself was utterly unforgettable: arriving at the show hours beforehand, hanging out with old friends and making new ones. Standing in lines that seemed to have no end in sight... and the show was still hours away. Scrambling for the best possible seat in the house, meeting up with friends inside and then waiting. Some idle chat, glancing at the watch every ten minutes (even though it won't start for another couple hours). Some more waiting. "What time are they gonna go on? What's the opener going to be? Any bust-outs tonight?"

Still more waiting, peppered with spats of boredom and irrational exuberance. All of a sudden, the house music fades and the lights go down. Unadulterated bliss ensues for the next half minute. The energy, tension and excitement is palpable as thousands of people simultaneously jettison the sentence coming out of their mouth and erupt in frenzy. High-fives, hugs, and all eyes on the stage. Not even one note has been played, and I've already forgotten anything that had been bothering me. For the next three hours, anything happening offstage is interesting but irrelevant.

That is one feeling I will never experience after August, and that's what I'll miss the most. The unwavering belief that anything is possible. Experiencing group improvisation at it's finest: music that makes you think, dance and laugh at the same time. Those brief, unspoken and yet profoundly meaningful exchange of glances between you and an old friend during a ridiculous moment of musical brilliance: "Can you *believe* this?!"

There is no other band that could ever again compel me to drive halfway across the country to see a concert, and certainly never one that could make that illogical plan seem so perfectly rational.

Thanks for changing the way I listen to music. Thanks for reminding me to appreciate the little things. Thanks for reminding me that it's okay to laugh and have fun, as long as you don't let it detract from the work in front of you. Thanks for making me think that anything can happen given adequate allocation of effort and patience. Thanks for conveying the beauty of living in the moment. Thanks for always prioritizing the music ahead of everything else. Thanks for showing me that good music is good music, and that genres are irrelevant. Thanks for making my college years some of the most memorable times of my life. And thanks for always making the long ride back home feel like a victory lap.

[secondtube]

And thanks for always making the long ride back home feel like a victory lap.

best line out of all of those...