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General => General Music Discussion => Topic started by: razorsedge on July 01, 2010, 02:42:27 PM
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I've been a long time fan of phish but have just recently had the opportunity to see them live. let me tell you, my enthusiasm for the band has just sky rocketed. These guys are really fantastic musicians. The biggest thing that has sucked me in, aside from just how good the music is, is their determination to never play the same show twice. It encourages a huge amount of research about each song, its history and how longs it been played.
anyway, i've been diving into the collection of recommended shows from each year since '86, it's incredibly cool to listen to everything through the years. Also, something that has only struck me since listening to their older material is how proggy many of their jams get. many songs have pretty intense sections that really should only be described as prog.
also, phis.net is incredible. beyond just having every set list and detailed song history, they've compiled all of that information into a really accesible format. what i mean is, say i saw a concert and they played Reba; maybe i want to know how many shows its been since they played it, done. maybe i want to know what songs most commonly are played before and after that song, done. maybe i want to know how many shows they've played this song at, done. it's absolutely crazy how much information is so well organized and easily accessible.
The two shows i saw totally bumped DT out of the top spot for live performances i've seen. (actually, LTE at BB kings occupies the top spot mainly due to how small the venu was) there is such an incredible vibe before and during the show. one of the cool things i've discovered is the glow stick war that occurs every night. a lot of the audience is very familiar with all the songs so when the band is coming out of an intense jam or a fast pace and break into a climax or resolution or trey just bends a note and sustains for half a minute everyone throws a handful of glow sticks in the air. it. is. awesome. like a few hundred little fireworks going off. then everyone collects whatever lands near them and does it again at the next appropriate section.
any other fans? cool experiences? plans to see them this summer?
tl;dr: i'm really excited about phish and think they're really cool.
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I have been listening to Phish since March 2009, right after news of their reunion hit the Internet. Since then I've listened to 100 or so shows and have been enamored not only by the band and their playing, but the jam-band ethos. Listening to Phish makes me think about the fact that most bands perfect ONE setlist and perform it flawlessly each night. How awesome is it that bands call sets on the fly and consistently reinvent themselves with every single concert? "Jam music" is the perfect combination of a multitude of genres together with the "jazz," improvisational mindset... I even have thoughts of calling it the "ultimate progressive music."
(OK, off my soapbox. I fancy myself an amateur scholar sometimes...)
I don't know if I'd call their jams proggy, but lots of their older compositions certainly are. "You Enjoy Myself," "David Bowie," "Divided Sky," "Guyute," etc. Their jams have the potential to reach places VERY far-removed from the song they started with.
I love to listen to individual shows while analyzing the peaks and valleys each set reaches. Even if they happen to have a crappy set, it will have definite highlight points with songs that led up to a peak (increasing momentum) and a few songs to cool it down.
Phish.net is an incredible source for information, as is the now out-of-date Phish Companion (2nd ed published in 2004 shortly before the "break-up"). Keep reading... you will NEVER run out of things to learn!!
Oh, and I'm going to see them for two nights in Indianapolis (August 12/13).
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I heard "Fluffhead" the other day in a friend's car, and I thought that was a really cool tune.
rumborak
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My old roommate used to listen to Phish. The only time I really ever sat down and listened to them was when I took some shrooms with him. I think I'll give them a listen sober sometime soon.
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My old roommate used to listen to Phish. The only time I really ever sat down and listened to them was when I took some shrooms with him. I think I'll give them a listen sober sometime soon.
There is plenty for a prog fan to appreciate while sober. I am always sober when listening.
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I've always had an appreciation for Phish, but have never delved too deeply into their actual discography. But I do own their newest, Joy, which I love to pieces. Is it reminiscent of their older studio efforts? I understand that their true strength is their live performance.
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Their true strength is in their live performance. Pick up the DVD "Phish It". Ignore the main disc (which is a documentary about the "Phish Festival" known as "It") and go directly to the second disc, which is "Bonus Footage". It's all concert footage, and A+ quality throughout. I watch two or three tracks in a row, and I have to stop for a while because my mind is so blown. I've never seen any other band do what they can do live.
The Greatful Dead were long known for not just jamming for ten, 20, 30 or more minutes, but doing so with an amazing combination of spontaneity, tightness, and looseness all at once. Nearly impossible to describe. Phish take that and go a notch further IMO. They're not just tight, theyre fucking tight. The four of them have been together so long that their connection on stage is almost telepathic.
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Aren't they considered to be the modern day Grateful Dead? I dunno, I remember reading that somewhere.
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I've always had an appreciation for Phish, but have never delved too deeply into their actual discography. But I do own their newest, Joy, which I love to pieces. Is it reminiscent of their older studio efforts? I understand that their true strength is their live performance.
Joy is solid... I dig most of those new songs. The oldest albums are either more progressive and technical or more playful, showing their sense of humor. Get a hold of Junta for some solid prog or A Picture of Nectar for some fun.
Slightly later albums are more mature, and mix composition with ballads and straight rock songs... like Joy. Personal favorite: Farmhouse.
But again, you should really care less about the studio albums. It's all about the live shows. I think a pretty good starting point is the commercially-released recording of New Year's Eve 1995, or the compilation A Live One.
Hef and anybody else who is interested, grab a live record and give it a listen. See what you think and then we can talk more specifics!
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I've heard some of A Live One. A roommate from college had it.
I need to get that.
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My Phish experience started with A Live One, which turned out to be an excellent starting point. I picked up Junta not long after, and I was totally hooked. There is still some improv on the early studio albums, which were basically attempts to capture in the studio what they were used to doing live. Eventually I got all the studio and "regular" live albums. I didn't feel the need to get all 30 or whatever live albums from the LivePhish series, but I do have some of them, and they're great.
In other words, I still haven't found a bad Phish album.
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Yes, let's talk about Phish!
Here's the setlist from their 4th of July show:
Set 1: The Star Spangled Banner, Punch You In the Eye, Colonel Forbin's Ascent > Fly Famous Mockingbird, Camel Walk, Ocelot, Heavy Things, My Friend, My Friend > Lawn Boy, David Bowie, Gotta Jibboo
Set 2: Down with Disease > Piper > Ghost > Waste, Julius > Mike's Song > Tela, Harpua > Killing in the Name[1] > Harpua > Weekapaug Groove
Encore: First Tube
That's right a first time RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE cover for them!
Here's a great resource to download some great shows: livephish.com
If you're looking for some straight forward prog rock era Phish, check out any show before 1994
If you're looking for crazy all out experimentation, check out any show 1994-1995
If you're looking for crazy jamming that brings a heavy funky and trance element, check out 1997-1998
Now in 2010, I think Phish is doing absolutely fabulous. They are not jamming as much as they used to. But that's OK because they are playing tighter than their first comeback. I'd rather have a short jam that is right on point than a noodling 20+ minute jam that goes nowhere. This is a great year to see Phish. And they are absolutely nailing their complex compositions (i.e. Fluffhead)
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And yep, start with A Live One
Next if you feel like dipping into some crazy funk jamming go download 11/17/97 from livephish.com
There's lots of good stuff from their recent tour to check out to.
If you want any show recommendations let me know!
I'll be hitting up the Alpine shows in second leg of summer tour.
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I've heard some of A Live One. A roommate from college had it.
I need to get that.
A Live One is a great jumping off point. i find the studio albums to be largely unnecessary; to a large extent they're not written as cohesive albums nor are the songs written for recording or the studio environment, so you don't lose much, if anything, from simply discovering songs from live shows. i would recommend looking at at least one pre-90s concert, 2 or 3 shows between '90 and '95 and 2 or 3 between '95 and 2000. that would cover a lot; just look at set lists before you download a show and try to get a large cross section of songs.
if you really enjoy what you hear look at the halloween and new years shows they did in the 90's which were always special. i think either new years '94 or '95 was named a top ten concert of the decade by Rolling Stone, if you put any faith in that. the new years show on 12 31 99 was also on the epic side. 9 hours of music including a 6 hour 3rd set from midnight to sun up.
collecting shows is really quite addictive, i find. it started with just checking out shows "of note" and has just snowballed because i want to discover that one version of stash that will blow my mind all over again.
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In response to the last 2 posts... 11/17/97 is indeed one for the ages.
And 12/31/95 is the New Year's show that was named one of the best ever.
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Phish newbies shouldn't get the wrong idea, though. I think the studio albums are very good. It's not like they're totally unnecessary. Phish really comes to life on stage, but the studio albums do have some cool stuff.
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oh, also; they covered "killing in the name of" on july 4th. for a metal fan who loves jam bands this is like the grail.
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oh, also; they covered "killing in the name of" on july 4th. for a metal fan who loves jam bands this is like the grail.
... and my personal fave cover from summer tour so far, Led Zeppelin's "The Rover."
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Ohh, I'd like to hear both of those.
I'm not a huge Phish fan but I do like them a lot; they're a lot of fun and great musicians... and sometimes completely ridiculous, which I also like. My friend/coworker made me a live CD last summer and I played the shit out of it. Tony used to be really into them and then got back into them recently so I have been hearing them a lot.
One thing about seeing them live, though: he just went for the first time in MA on this tour, and although he loved their performance, he really didn't want anything to do with the scene. It was just one big drug binge, apparently, and a lot of the people were really obnoxious.
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Ohh, I'd like to hear both of those.
I'm not a huge Phish fan but I do like them a lot; they're a lot of fun and great musicians... and sometimes completely ridiculous, which I also like. My friend/coworker made me a live CD last summer and I played the shit out of it. Tony used to be really into them and then got back into them recently so I have been hearing them a lot.
One thing about seeing them live, though: he just went for the first time in MA on this tour, and although he loved their performance, he really didn't want anything to do with the scene. It was just one big drug binge, apparently, and a lot of the people were really obnoxious.
"lot life" as they call it can be a huge turn off to a lot of people. i found it pretty welcoming, truthfully, but i was with a friend who had made all but one show before i saw them with her, so i had an in. i think the thing that is most telling though, is the prices of everything on shakedown street. 2 for $5 on dogfish head beer? $4 falafel? most of these people are making just enough to pay for tickets and transportation. not a scene i could ever really enter, but it was certainly a nice visit.
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I didn't really experience the lot at my first show. Walked through for a while and had a few folks ask me for hard pharmaceuticals. This summer I'll be attending with a few veteran friends and I'm looking forward to a bit more comfortable experience, even though I won't be indulging in any substances. I'm just there for the music!
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Yeah, so was he, but all of these drugged-up people were trying to dance with him and putting 3-D glasses on him and shit :lol.. he also got dosed with a cookie by our friend's uncle.
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Bump.
Going to see them at Deer Creek (near Indianapolis) on Thursday and Friday! Anybody near the area care to grab a ticket and meet up?
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Have fun at Deer Creek. Those will be some aweseome shows, but I hope they don't top the two Alpine Valley shows that I'm going to Saturday and Sunday! ;)
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Have fun at Deer Creek. Those will be some aweseome shows, but I hope they don't top the two Alpine Valley shows that I'm going to Saturday and Sunday! ;)
or the two tour closers im seeing next week!
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Have fun at Deer Creek. Those will be some aweseome shows, but I hope they don't top the two Alpine Valley shows that I'm going to Saturday and Sunday! ;)
Yeah man, you've got some great tunes coming up in the rotation that they probably won't play in Noblesville. Have fun!!
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Might end up at Jones Beach... got an interesting phone call from Tony last night- "Do you wanna hang out with Jay, Ramsey, and an old hippy in a wheelchair at a Phish concert next week?" :lol
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I think we should talk about Tjicken instead
:neverusethis:
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ahahahaha ahahaha ahaha what?
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1111 post cong!! and well, you're to young to understand
:neverusethis: Your brain's freaking older than me -.- I mean wiser
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Jones Beach is looking hot tonight. Let's hear the Deer Creek reviews! I saw both Alpine shows and they were the best shows I had seen from Phish since 2000 probably. The Down With Disease > What's The Use on 8/14 was pure bliss. My mind = blown
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Might end up at Jones Beach... got an interesting phone call from Tony last night- "Do you wanna hang out with Jay, Ramsey, and an old hippy in a wheelchair at a Phish concert next week?" :lol
Old hippies = WIN
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One of my coworkers is really into phish. I don't think i ever really listened to them
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Listen to Junta and A Live One. Your life will never be the same.
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Listen to Junta and A Live One. Your life will never be the same.
Alright I'm going to listen to both tomorrow at work
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Might end up at Jones Beach... got an interesting phone call from Tony last night- "Do you wanna hang out with Jay, Ramsey, and an old hippy in a wheelchair at a Phish concert next week?" :lol
Old hippies = WIN
Amen... we went, couldn't get tickets but even though I would've liked to see the show I kind of enjoyed just hearing it from outside better (no screaming people... well, no massive crowds of them). It sounded awesome from where my car was parked. Tony was in heaven and I had a lot of fun (besides the insane amount of traffic getting there, etc.). That parking lot scene is amazing/hilarious.
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Listen to Junta and A Live One. Your life will never be the same.
Alright I'm going to listen to both tomorrow at work
Let us know what you think.
Deer Creek reviews, primarily for YtsePhish:
8/12/10 - Set I highlights: Roggae and Wolfman's Brother
Set II: ALL OF IT, especially Drowned>Gotta Jibboo>Bathtub Gin and Split Open & Melt.
8/13/10 - Set I highlights: all the old tunes to begin the show, plus Ocelot and Possum
Set II: Halleys>Light>46 Days> MAZE. This was easily the most energetic, electrifying Phish performance I've ever witnessed. And catching a Fluffhead later didn't hurt... :^)
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I gave junta a listen today. I absolutely loved The Divided Sky. At first I didnt really think I would like it much after the first song, but I kept listening and something clicked and I was all like :o :tup
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Junta is amazing for its variety alone, but then you add the incredible studio jams, musicianship, and near-prog compositions, and it's nothing short of a masterpiece.
But then they went and ruined it by adding the Bonus Track "Union Federal". At first I thought it was me; I wasn't familiar with their loose jam style of improv. But even now, after years and years of Phish and many live albums, it still doesn't work for me. I was talking about it with my buddy who turned me on to Phish in the first place, and even he said it was a lousy choice to put on there. Presumably it was picked because was on a tape they had from that period, and it was really long and there was lots of room on the second CD (Junta was originally a cassette tape they sold at their shows). But long does not equal great.
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I gave junta a listen today. I absolutely loved The Divided Sky. At first I didnt really think I would like it much after the first song, but I kept listening and something clicked and I was all like :o :tup
My first ever experience with Phish was Junta. I put on the first disk and had mixed feelings about "Fee." I had heard great things about "You Enjoy Myself" but on the first listen it just didn't click. So I gave up.
About 4 years later I started listening to shows and got interested to hear more. Got a hold of Junta again and LOVED it, except for "Union Federal." By the way, that selection is an excerpt from one of their all-day-long jam sessions (referred to as Oh Kee Pah Ceremonies) that the band used to gain experience improvising.
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My first Phish show was 1989 and my last was 1995.
There is nothing, nothing about their music that can be considered "progressive rock". It's noodling which is, at it's core, risky. Sometimes it hits and other times it misses. When they were on the same page they sounded pretty darn good, but when they were bad...it was really bad. Once they released that album with the horse on it or whatever, and got a video on MTV their music took a huge hit, and their fan base took a huge jump upwards...so, obviously, did their ticket prices. One tour you could walk up to the window the night of the show and buy general admission/floor seats for $20. In the blink of an eye it was nothing but gigantic 3 day festivals costing hundreds of dollars per ticket.
They are a jam band, a somewhat talented jam band - but their fans are annoyingly arrogant. Things like "Trey is the greatest guitar player in the world", "These guys are THE most talented musicians EVER" are statements a Phish-head will use. Oh, also if you don't like them you must be "closed minded". They seem to think that because the songs have extended jams, some people don't "get it"...when in actuality their music is very, very approachable to anyone that's ever played an instrument.
They learned at the foot of the Grateful Dead who, while not as musically proficient, were a better band 10 times over.
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Wow, nothing like a tightly closed mind to add nothing to a discussion.
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i like phish. but not fish, i hate seafood. But i happen to love sea"music".....p h fish. not f ;)
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Wow, nothing like a tightly closed mind to add nothing to a discussion.
How's all that Hopey Changy stuff workin out for ya?
I guess I should have said "They suck", or quoted another person and wrote the word "This" under it.
I thought I wrote out some reasons, from ticket prices, to album quality to muscianship.
Musta been TLDR for ya.
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There is nothing, nothing about their music that can be considered "progressive rock".
I wouldn't say that. I'm not even that familiar with all that much of their output, but there are certainly elements of prog rock in the music that I've heard. They're certainly not a prog band, but there are definitely elements there.
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Exactly. Saying that there is nothing, nothing progressive about them (emphasis yours) is pretty closed-minded. It's so true that it's a cliche that no two people agree on exactly what's prog and what's not, so making such a statement and dismissing what they do as "noodling" is just naive. Then you went on to rant about their shows and their fans, which adds absolutely nothing to your position. You never say which albums of theirs you've heard, if any. I said that their earlier stuff bordered on prog. You didn't refute it; you merely contradicted it, emphatically. Does repetition and bold letters somehow make it a stronger argument?
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Absolutely. Now go get me an orange soda. Orange soda.
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There is nothing, nothing about their music that can be considered "progressive rock". It's noodling which is, at it's core, risky. Sometimes it hits and other times it misses. When they were on the same page they sounded pretty darn good, but when they were bad...it was really bad. Once they released that album with the horse on it or whatever, and got a video on MTV their music took a huge hit, and their fan base took a huge jump upwards...so, obviously, did their ticket prices. One tour you could walk up to the window the night of the show and buy general admission/floor seats for $20. In the blink of an eye it was nothing but gigantic 3 day festivals costing hundreds of dollars per ticket.
They are a jam band, a somewhat talented jam band - but their fans are annoyingly arrogant. Things like "Trey is the greatest guitar player in the world", "These guys are THE most talented musicians EVER" are statements a Phish-head will use. Oh, also if you don't like them you must be "closed minded". They seem to think that because the songs have extended jams, some people don't "get it"...when in actuality their music is very, very approachable to anyone that's ever played an instrument.
They learned at the foot of the Grateful Dead who, while not as musically proficient, were a better band 10 times over.
Respectfully, I disagree on almost every single point you've made.
-Quite a bit of their earlier work leans toward the progressive side. Trey's compositional style is very Frank Zappa-esque jazy prog. While not progressive in terms of the genre, their playing is at once bold and virtuosic while at the same time loose and improvisational. The multitude of musical styles they cover (and their mastery of each one) is quite "progressive" in my mind. I think jam bands are all unsung heroes of (what I'll call, for lack of any better words) "progressive musicianship."
-Truthfully, you sound a bit like one of those arrogant fans. If you've given up on the band post-Hoist, you must have viewed them as "selling out." Make sure you're not being closed-minded (your words) to the band's music written in the past 15 years. Most of it is solid, and perfectly reminiscent of the classic older tunes.
-Phish's music is really not universally approachable IMHO. In order to really appreciate a show, you need to know the songs in the setlist very well. If you've heard 10 or 15 versions of one song, you know what is commonplace and what is extraordinary. Without a prior knowledge of the tune, its form and its usual improvisational structure, you have no way of knowing what is unique and fascinating about that particular performance of the song. Otherwise, a new fan will listen to the Providence "Bowie" (12/29/94) or one of the "Tweezer-fests" from '93 and say "Hmmmm, that's nice..." without recognizing them as some of Phish's finest performances.
-Oh, and Phish>The Dead.
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-Oh, and Phish>The Dead.
You were all good till you hit this point :P
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Yeah, you can't touch the Grateful Dead. I can't stand hippies and I still love the Dead.
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I grew up with The Dead and am a hippie, but I still like Phish better. They took what The Dead were doing and went further with it, and are generally better musicians as well.
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To be fair, I like the Dead quite a lot too... in fact, MUCH more so than the last time I discussed them on this forum.
It's funny, really. The Dead's musical style is so loose that their jams can go many more different directions (and much more quickly) than Phish's improv. But Phish's virtuosic musicianship and tight grooves one-up the masters, IMO.
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Any prog rock fan who avoids Phish is really doing themselves a disservice, especially with some of the older stuff like Junta.
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Absolutely.
That's why it really bugs me when people dismiss Phish as "just a jam band". A good jam band -- and Phish is a phenomenal jam band -- brings more musicianship to the table, not less, than most other bands. They have excellent technical skills but can also improvise like mutherfockers, have a huge range of influences from which to draw but rarely (IMO) get carried away with them, and in the case of Phish, they've been doing it together, the four of them, for so long that they have a geniune psychic bond like few other bands have.
Prog is certainly one of the elements that Phish has in their music, and to me, Phish is every bit as entertaining and musically impressive as any prog band. Those of you who know what a proghead I am know that that's not faint praise.
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Absolutely.
That's why it really bugs me when people dismiss Phish as "just a jam band". A good jam band -- and Phish is a phenomenal jam band -- brings more musicianship to the table, not less, than most other bands. They have excellent technical skills but can also improvise like mutherfockers, have a huge range of influences from which to draw but rarely (IMO) get carried away with them, and in the case of Phish, they've been doing it together, the four of them, for so long that they have a geniune psychic bond like few other bands have.
Prog is certainly one of the elements that Phish has in their music, and to me, Phish is every bit as entertaining and musically impressive as any prog band. Those of you who know what a proghead I am know that that's not faint praise.
This. Well said Orbert!
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Listening to Phish: Live Bait Vol. 03 now (first time listening to Phish) and WOW. I've been so excited to check this band out and they definitely delivered. I love The Allman Brothers Band and knew I'd love Phish, and I do!
Also, holy, shit: https://www.newjerseynewsroom.com/movies/phish-concert-provides-a-heavy-assortment-of-drugs
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Hey, Phish resurrection!
Cool, because I thought Bradford and I had killed the thread.
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I do really want to get into Phish at some point but everything everyone's listed here for liking Phish are the reasons I love DMB, and it's a lot of 'effort' getting into a jam band, even though DMB aren't quite on the same level as Phish in that respect, I'm still checking out fan tapes of shows and stuff so I dunno if I'm ready to do all that again quite yet.
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it's a lot of 'effort' getting into a jam band
Why? There shouldn't be any effort at all. You either like them or you don't, same as every other band.
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it's a lot of 'effort' getting into a jam band
Why? There shouldn't be any effort at all. You either like them or you don't, same as every other band.
I do like all the Phish that I've heard, but I disagree with you, I'd say getting into a jam band definitely requires more activity on the part of the listener than other music. There'd be the normal getting into all the studio stuff, then all of the official live releases, then the infinite bootlegs that people would be recommending, and with DMB that process is still ongoing and I'm loving it, but I can't quite face immersing myself in a band to quite that extent again yet.
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it's a lot of 'effort' getting into a jam band
Why? There shouldn't be any effort at all. You either like them or you don't, same as every other band.
I do like all the Phish that I've heard, but I disagree with you, I'd say getting into a jam band definitely requires more activity on the part of the listener than other music. There'd be the normal getting into all the studio stuff, then all of the official live releases, then the infinite bootlegs that people would be recommending, and with DMB that process is still ongoing and I'm loving it, but I can't quite face immersing myself in a band to quite that extent again yet.
I'm confused. Are you equating "getting into them" with "listening to every single thing they've ever done"?
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it's a lot of 'effort' getting into a jam band
Why? There shouldn't be any effort at all. You either like them or you don't, same as every other band.
I do like all the Phish that I've heard, but I disagree with you, I'd say getting into a jam band definitely requires more activity on the part of the listener than other music. There'd be the normal getting into all the studio stuff, then all of the official live releases, then the infinite bootlegs that people would be recommending, and with DMB that process is still ongoing and I'm loving it, but I can't quite face immersing myself in a band to quite that extent again yet.
I'm confused. Are you equating "getting into them" with "listening to every single thing they've ever done"?
With any band, I'm equating 'getting into them' with listening to their best-loved work, and with jam bands that list is so massive, before you even move into the other stuff, that I'd say it was more effort. Some Phish fans say to start with x and y bootlegs, some say one studio album, some say live compilations, and it's not as simple as I find it to be with other bands knowing where to start.
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it's a lot of 'effort' getting into a jam band
Why? There shouldn't be any effort at all. You either like them or you don't, same as every other band.
I do like all the Phish that I've heard, but I disagree with you, I'd say getting into a jam band definitely requires more activity on the part of the listener than other music. There'd be the normal getting into all the studio stuff, then all of the official live releases, then the infinite bootlegs that people would be recommending, and with DMB that process is still ongoing and I'm loving it, but I can't quite face immersing myself in a band to quite that extent again yet.
I'm confused. Are you equating "getting into them" with "listening to every single thing they've ever done"?
You don't need to listen to "every single thing they've done" to get into Phish. But, as I've hinted at earlier in this thread, it does take quite some time to wrap oneself around the music you hear in a show. Absolutely no two performances of the same song are anything near alike. So it takes effort to not only become familiar with each song (like you do with discovering any band), but also to distinguish what sort of things usually happen in a given piece of improvisation and what is extraordinary.
For example, let's go back to Junta since I know you're familiar with it. Take the classic track "David Bowie." We know from the studio recording that the track begins with a structured composition (the part with the lyrics and the odd time-signatures), then progresses to an instrumental (3:52) that culminates in what appears to be a structured ending around 10:42. A first-time listener to this track might not realize that the music in-between the two timestamps is completely improvisational. None of the moods/feelings/timbres created in that performance occur in any other performance, save for the fact that the intensity usually builds until the band reaches the composed ending together. This particular performance is standard.
Now let's take another version found on Live Phish 20, recorded in 1994. This particular performance is one of Phish's more revered pieces of improvisation... many refer to it as a career highlight. Someone who has not heard the studio version of "Bowie" might think that what is heard in this 35-minute performance is nothing unusual. They'd have no way of knowing that most versions don't reach four distinct musical plateaus and include Trey muttering phrases like "Come on Lassie... good dog..." at the end. Having heard and studied multiple versions of this number, I would describe this performance as extraordinary.
And versions of Bowie run the gamut between standard, lousy, and psychotically brilliant. It takes quite a lot of listening to understand that and to tell the difference (even though a lot of it is indeed a matter of taste and preference). It's all about understanding the POSSIBILITIES that the band brings to the stage every time they play.
But hey, that's just me.
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Listening to Phish: Live Bait Vol. 03 now (first time listening to Phish) and WOW. I've been so excited to check this band out and they definitely delivered.
Props to you, Birch. The music on Live Bait 3, especially the monster-long "Runaway Jim," is a lot to digest for a beginner.
I do really want to get into Phish at some point but everything everyone's listed here for liking Phish are the reasons I love DMB, and it's a lot of 'effort' getting into a jam band, even though DMB aren't quite on the same level as Phish in that respect, I'm still checking out fan tapes of shows and stuff so I dunno if I'm ready to do all that again quite yet.
Feel free to PM me if you want some suggestions for tapes to listen to. I'd love to help others discover this band.
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"Runaway Jim" was AWESOME. I love that kind of improvisation. Before, I've been turning to The Allman Brothers Band's "Mountain Jam" to fulfill my extended-jam craving, but now there's a new king. ;D
Anyone seen them live?
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Anyone seen them live?
3x and counting.
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Listening to Phish: Live Bait Vol. 03 now (first time listening to Phish) and WOW. I've been so excited to check this band out and they definitely delivered.
Props to you, Birch. The music on Live Bait 3, especially the monster-long "Runaway Jim," is a lot to digest for a beginner.
I do really want to get into Phish at some point but everything everyone's listed here for liking Phish are the reasons I love DMB, and it's a lot of 'effort' getting into a jam band, even though DMB aren't quite on the same level as Phish in that respect, I'm still checking out fan tapes of shows and stuff so I dunno if I'm ready to do all that again quite yet.
Feel free to PM me if you want some suggestions for tapes to listen to. I'd love to help others discover this band.
Yeah that would be useful, but is there just one good album/live album you'd recommend as a not-too-daunting starter? I dunno if you're familiar with DMB, but something like the Phish equivalent to the Central Park album, with all the 'hits' and some good jams to get me going?
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Listening to Phish: Live Bait Vol. 03 now (first time listening to Phish) and WOW. I've been so excited to check this band out and they definitely delivered.
Props to you, Birch. The music on Live Bait 3, especially the monster-long "Runaway Jim," is a lot to digest for a beginner.
I do really want to get into Phish at some point but everything everyone's listed here for liking Phish are the reasons I love DMB, and it's a lot of 'effort' getting into a jam band, even though DMB aren't quite on the same level as Phish in that respect, I'm still checking out fan tapes of shows and stuff so I dunno if I'm ready to do all that again quite yet.
Feel free to PM me if you want some suggestions for tapes to listen to. I'd love to help others discover this band.
Yeah that would be useful, but is there just one good album/live album you'd recommend as a not-too-daunting starter? I dunno if you're familiar with DMB, but something like the Phish equivalent to the Central Park album, with all the 'hits' and some good jams to get me going?
I would begin, then, with the 12/31/95 show. It's commercially available as "Live at Madison Square Garden." You'll get a handful of crowd-pleasing short(er) songs and a generous sampling of much-revered jamming.
(sidenote... I LOVE the DMB Central Park album!!!!)
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Cool, I'll give that a try after my roulette's over, I do really look forward to it, I love what Phish I've heard. And yeah Central Park is amazing, it got me into DMB properly and I still love it now, which is amazing.
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Anyone seen them live?
3x and counting.
It must be crazy. I hear (and have evidence) that you can get any drug you desire at a Phish show.
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I'm sure that possible. While I don't partake, I'd guess I'm in the minority at a Phish show.
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Anyone seen them live?
3x and counting.
It must be crazy. I hear (and have evidence) that you can get any drug you desire at a Phish show.
What does that matter?
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Anyone seen them live?
3x and counting.
It must be crazy. I hear (and have evidence) that you can get any drug you desire at a Phish show.
What does that matter?
Because it must be crazy if you have thousands of people drunk/high/tripping at one place. I've heard stories of people falling off balconies and arrest numbers over two hundred at Phish shows.
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It's not as ridiculous a scene as you might imagine. Everybody is just there to enjoy the music and the communal atmosphere. All present are respectful of each other, no one will be upset if you say no to an offer for a hit.
Haven't heard anything about folks falling from high places. And I'm aware of a few high-profile arrests when lot security is tight. Usually though illicit substances are used quietly and discreetly, don't-ask-don't tell.
Basically what I'm saying is not to let thoughts of a crazy, bizarre concert crowd scare you away. You'll enjoy yourself... I know you enjoy myself. :neverusethis:
[/quote]
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anyone who's looking to check out this band via their live stuff should look no further than their official live releases. They're excellent quality, and most are fine representations of their various live eras.
My favorites are
Live Phish Vol. 11
New Years Eve '95 Madison Square Garden
Island Tour Vol 1, 2, 3 & 4
Live Phish Vol. 14
Live Phish Vol. 10
Colorado '88 (great glimpse into their really old live sound, when they were more playful, but full-blown prog)
Live Phish Vol. 13
Live Phish Vol. 2
of course, ive listened to so much live Phish, that no one show defines them. I also am a fan who got into them via their studio albums. I heard Junta, Lawn Boy, A Picture of Nectar, Rift, and Story of the Ghost before i heard any live stuff. Luckily those are their best 5 albums IMO, so it worked out. And you could imagine how blown away i was once i got into their live shows. Wow.
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It's not as ridiculous a scene as you might imagine. Everybody is just there to enjoy the music and the communal atmosphere. All present are respectful of each other, no one will be upset if you say no to an offer for a hit.
Haven't heard anything about folks falling from high places. And I'm aware of a few high-profile arrests when lot security is tight. Usually though illicit substances are used quietly and discreetly, don't-ask-don't tell.
Basically what I'm saying is not to let thoughts of a crazy, bizarre concert crowd scare you away. You'll enjoy yourself... I know you enjoy myself. :neverusethis:
[/quote]
Yeah that's the kind of atmosphere that I was leaning towards believing that it was real.
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The documentary Phish It has a lot of crowd shots, and most people are enjoying at least one or two mind-altering substances, and everyone's just chilling and have a great time listening to the jams.
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Anyone see the 2009 summer tour announcement with the sky writers?? It's so badass. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stL-Z5-Pwb0
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"Runaway Jim" was AWESOME. I love that kind of improvisation. Before, I've been turning to The Allman Brothers Band's "Mountain Jam" to fulfill my extended-jam craving, but now there's a new king. ;D
Anyone seen them live?
i have managed to get to 7 shows. maybe it's because my first shows were outdoor theaters, but i would say the best phish experience includes a full day on shakedown street. the new years run was really cool (i showed up in nyc with one ticket and got into all 3 shows!) and the atmosphere at the show is really nice, but i still prefer the vibe at summer shows.
one thing not mentioned yet in this thread is the light show that phish has. it's nuts. also, the glow stick wars are pretty much the coolest thing i've seen at a concert, it's sort of impressive how everyone knows when in each song to start going crazy with the glow sticks.
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"Runaway Jim" was AWESOME. I love that kind of improvisation. Before, I've been turning to The Allman Brothers Band's "Mountain Jam" to fulfill my extended-jam craving, but now there's a new king. ;D
Anyone seen them live?
i have managed to get to 7 shows. maybe it's because my first shows were outdoor theaters, but i would say the best phish experience includes a full day on shakedown street. the new years run was really cool (i showed up in nyc with one ticket and got into all 3 shows!) and the atmosphere at the show is really nice, but i still prefer the vibe at summer shows.
one thing not mentioned yet in this thread is the light show that phish has. it's nuts. also, the glow stick wars are pretty much the coolest thing i've seen at a concert, it's sort of impressive how everyone knows when in each song to start going crazy with the glow sticks.
That sounds amazing. And how did you get into all three shows with one ticket?!?!?!
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Everybody is just there to enjoy the music and the communal atmosphere.
Gonna have to disagree with this statement on the so-called "communal atmosphere" at Phish shows. I have been to six of them (two at Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia MD; one at the Verizon Center, Washington, DC; both shows of the Halloween Run in Las Vegas 1998 and a show in California, the venue is escaping me right now) and I have found the wanna-be hippies at Phish shows to be some of the biggest asshats I have ever met at any concert. It is clear that I am not one of those people with enough time and money to just drop out of everyday life and follow the band on tour, and as such, I am not part of that "clique" and have met a lot of very unfriendly people in Phish crowds who want nothing to do with the communal atmosphere you suggest.
As for the music, I really enjoy it. I love the fact that on any given night, anything could be played. The first time I saw them, the encore was a cover of The Beastie Boys' "Sabotage" which was awesome. I got a chuckle out of their performance of "Killing In The Name Of" from the July 4, 2010 show.
Favorite show of what I have has to the NYE '95 show. If I were starting someone on Phish, that is the show I would give them.
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"Runaway Jim" was AWESOME. I love that kind of improvisation. Before, I've been turning to The Allman Brothers Band's "Mountain Jam" to fulfill my extended-jam craving, but now there's a new king. ;D
Anyone seen them live?
i have managed to get to 7 shows. maybe it's because my first shows were outdoor theaters, but i would say the best phish experience includes a full day on shakedown street. the new years run was really cool (i showed up in nyc with one ticket and got into all 3 shows!) and the atmosphere at the show is really nice, but i still prefer the vibe at summer shows.
one thing not mentioned yet in this thread is the light show that phish has. it's nuts. also, the glow stick wars are pretty much the coolest thing i've seen at a concert, it's sort of impressive how everyone knows when in each song to start going crazy with the glow sticks.
That sounds amazing. And how did you get into all three shows with one ticket?!?!?!
yeah it was great!
sorry, that wording is misleading; i waited in line all day on the 31st and 1st to get cancellation tickets. i heard some people were paying scalpers almost $200 a ticket before the show, but we waited on line for a few hours and we got tickets at face price.
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"Runaway Jim" was AWESOME. I love that kind of improvisation. Before, I've been turning to The Allman Brothers Band's "Mountain Jam" to fulfill my extended-jam craving, but now there's a new king. ;D
Anyone seen them live?
i have managed to get to 7 shows. maybe it's because my first shows were outdoor theaters, but i would say the best phish experience includes a full day on shakedown street. the new years run was really cool (i showed up in nyc with one ticket and got into all 3 shows!) and the atmosphere at the show is really nice, but i still prefer the vibe at summer shows.
one thing not mentioned yet in this thread is the light show that phish has. it's nuts. also, the glow stick wars are pretty much the coolest thing i've seen at a concert, it's sort of impressive how everyone knows when in each song to start going crazy with the glow sticks.
That sounds amazing. And how did you get into all three shows with one ticket?!?!?!
yeah it was great!
sorry, that wording is misleading; i waited in line all day on the 31st and 1st to get cancellation tickets. i heard some people were paying scalpers almost $200 a ticket before the show, but we waited on line for a few hours and we got tickets at face price.
Oh, I didn't know such things happened... what do you just wait on line at the box office and hope they have hundreds of extra tickets? And my second question: How exactly do these tickets get sold to other people other than who bought them? Like what prompts the ticket to become a cancellation ticket?
And also, the way they announced the 2009 tour is so awesome with the skywriters and everything. There are videos on YouTube.com of it, and it's awesome how you can hear the faint applauses after the the words get written.
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"Runaway Jim" was AWESOME. I love that kind of improvisation. Before, I've been turning to The Allman Brothers Band's "Mountain Jam" to fulfill my extended-jam craving, but now there's a new king. ;D
Anyone seen them live?
i have managed to get to 7 shows. maybe it's because my first shows were outdoor theaters, but i would say the best phish experience includes a full day on shakedown street. the new years run was really cool (i showed up in nyc with one ticket and got into all 3 shows!) and the atmosphere at the show is really nice, but i still prefer the vibe at summer shows.
one thing not mentioned yet in this thread is the light show that phish has. it's nuts. also, the glow stick wars are pretty much the coolest thing i've seen at a concert, it's sort of impressive how everyone knows when in each song to start going crazy with the glow sticks.
That sounds amazing. And how did you get into all three shows with one ticket?!?!?!
yeah it was great!
sorry, that wording is misleading; i waited in line all day on the 31st and 1st to get cancellation tickets. i heard some people were paying scalpers almost $200 a ticket before the show, but we waited on line for a few hours and we got tickets at face price.
Oh, I didn't know such things happened... what do you just wait on line at the box office and hope they have hundreds of extra tickets? And my second question: How exactly do these tickets get sold to other people other than who bought them? Like what prompts the ticket to become a cancellation ticket?
And also, the way they announced the 2009 tour is so awesome with the skywriters and everything. There are videos on YouTube.com of it, and it's awesome how you can hear the faint applauses after the the words get written.
yeah, we got to the box office around 2 in the afternoon, and there were about ten people on line already, waiting in case tickets became available. basically, i think there a lot of tickets that are reserved by the band or promoters or whoever, and if they don't get picked up by showtime, they release them at the box office. I think there are also people who cancel tickets they purchased...at a venue the size of msg, there are bound to be some people who end up not being able to attend, so those get released. i think each night saw about 50 tickets or fewer get released, so a ton of people who didn't get online until 3 or 4 were out of luck.
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This would be awesome if it happened (there's a strong possibility): https://www.bandsthatjam.com/tour-information/update-phish-watkins-glen-2011/
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SSSSSSSUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRRR TOUR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! https://phish.com/#/tours/summer-2011-tour
I'm definitely gonna hit up at least a couple Bethel shows.
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Might try to get my cousin to take me to the one in Camden.
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Will be at the Detroit show, most likely.
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SSSSSSSUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRRR TOUR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! https://phish.com/#/tours/summer-2011-tour
I'm definitely gonna hit up at least a couple Bethel shows.
Well, I was going to hit up one of the Merriweather Post Pavilion concerts, but looking at the price, I am going to pass. Phish used to be a reasonably priced ticket in the past. Not thrilled with a $60 face value pavilion ticket (likely more than $70 after all is said and done with ticket fees) and I think a $45 face value lawn ticket is highway robbery. I'll just be happy with my LivePhish purchases and call it a day...
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SSSSSSSUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRRR TOUR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! https://phish.com/#/tours/summer-2011-tour
I'm definitely gonna hit up at least a couple Bethel shows.
Well, I was going to hit up one of the Merriweather Post Pavilion concerts, but looking at the price, I am going to pass. Phish used to be a reasonably priced ticket in the past. Not thrilled with a $60 face value pavilion ticket (likely more than $70 after all is said and done with ticket fees) and I think a $45 face value lawn ticket is highway robbery. I'll just be happy with my LivePhish purchases and call it a day...
Have you seen Phish before?
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Nowadays, $60 for pavillion is pretty reasonable. The "big name" bands are out there charging hundreds for tickets. I'd be tempted to pick up Phish tickets for $60 for Merriweather if I still lived there. I love that place.
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Whilst I'm very eager to get into Phish, if there's one jam band I'm gonna travel to America to see host a four day festival this summer, it's 'the other big one.'
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What, The Grateful Dead? I'm sorry to break this to you, but Jerry died a while back. The guys carrying on are still very good, but between Dead with no Jerry, and Phish with all original parts, I'll take Phish. Of course, I'd take Phish over original Dead, too.
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:lol I dunno if you were being ironic or not, but I didn't make it very clear - I meant DMB, as they're doing the exact same thing as Phish this summer in terms of the festival. Although I suppose the Dead are bigger. But still, DMB take precedent over Phish for me.
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DMB = Dave Matthews Band?
I'm not hip or cool, so I don't know these things.
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Yeah Dave Matthews Band is hosting a bunch of four (or three?) day festivals themselves in America. However if I see Phish once or twice (which I will) on this tour, I'll probably skip the four-day Watkins Glen festival because between money, getting there, and parental permission, it'll be tough. Phish said they still have summer announcements, HOWEVER, they have no touring plans for the rest of the year after the summer.
I'd die if they headline Gathering Of The Vibes Music Festival, as my friends and I are strongly considering going. Once the lineup's announced I'll make a decision.
As for ticket prices, I think they're very reasonable. I've never seen Phish, but assuming they end at 11:00 PM, that means they play for three hours (assuming intermission is thirty minutes). On top of that, they have one of the best light shows I've ever seen (on YouTube, of course), and their musicianship and overall performance is nearly unmatched. Not to mention the whole 'party' atmosphere at the show. I'm not directly referencing drugs, since it's a party either way. Everyone dances, there are balloons (on New Year's Eve, at least), glow sticks, confetti, etc... Again this all from my video-watching and reading concert reviews, but yeah.
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Yeah Dave Matthews Band is hosting a bunch of four (or three?) day festivals themselves in America. However if I see Phish once or twice (which I will) on this tour, I'll probably skip the four-day Watkins Glen festival because between money, getting there, and parental permission, it'll be tough. Phish said they still have summer announcements, HOWEVER, they have no touring plans for the rest of the year after the summer.
No festival has been officially announced yet. But rumors are strong.
As for ticket prices, I think they're very reasonable. I've never seen Phish, but assuming they end at 11:00 PM, that means they play for three hours (assuming intermission is thirty minutes). On top of that, they have one of the best light shows I've ever seen (on YouTube, of course), and their musicianship and overall performance is nearly unmatched. Not to mention the whole 'party' atmosphere at the show. I'm not directly referencing drugs, since it's a party either way. Everyone dances, there are balloons (on New Year's Eve, at least), glow sticks, confetti, etc... Again this all from my video-watching and reading concert reviews, but yeah.
I think tickets are overpriced (as are all tickets nowadays). But for Phish I'd say it's worth it. The standard Phish show starts between 30-45 minutes late. Each set is approx 80 minutes (give or take), 20-30 minute setbreak and a 5-10 minute encore. Add the fun atmosphere and light show. Add that each show is COMPLETELY unique and you never know what you're gonna get. $45-60 then becomes reasonable.
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Yeah right now my plan is to get reserved seats for the first night of the tour and then lawn tickets for the next night.
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As for ticket prices, I think they're very reasonable. I've never seen Phish, but assuming they end at 11:00 PM, that means they play for three hours (assuming intermission is thirty minutes).
If you have never seen them, I would say it is worth the money. However, it has been my experience that shows that are not special (i.e. Halloween, NYE, self-organized festivals) tend to come in around the 2hr to 2.5hr mark. I picked up a few of the LivePhish shows from the summer 2010 that were released so I can get you a more accurate number. But other than the Halloween '98 show, I have never seen them on stage for more than 2.5 hours in a given night. Still nothing to sneeze at, but $70 or more depending on how fees shake out is not something I am prepared to spend. Your milage may vary...
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SSSSSSSUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRRR TOUR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! https://phish.com/#/tours/summer-2011-tour
I'm definitely gonna hit up at least a couple Bethel shows.
Well, I was going to hit up one of the Merriweather Post Pavilion concerts, but looking at the price, I am going to pass. Phish used to be a reasonably priced ticket in the past. Not thrilled with a $60 face value pavilion ticket (likely more than $70 after all is said and done with ticket fees) and I think a $45 face value lawn ticket is highway robbery. I'll just be happy with my LivePhish purchases and call it a day...
Have you seen Phish before?
Yes, 6 times between 1998 and 2000 (if you scroll up, you will get my very different perception of the "party" vibe of being in a Phish audience) - twice at Merriweather Post Pavilion, once at the Verizon Center in Washington DC, once in California right before they went on their hiatus in the early 2000 and both shows of the 1998 Halloween run in Las Vegas.
-
SSSSSSSUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRRR TOUR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! https://phish.com/#/tours/summer-2011-tour
I'm definitely gonna hit up at least a couple Bethel shows.
Well, I was going to hit up one of the Merriweather Post Pavilion concerts, but looking at the price, I am going to pass. Phish used to be a reasonably priced ticket in the past. Not thrilled with a $60 face value pavilion ticket (likely more than $70 after all is said and done with ticket fees) and I think a $45 face value lawn ticket is highway robbery. I'll just be happy with my LivePhish purchases and call it a day...
Have you seen Phish before?
Yes, 6 times between 1998 and 2000 (if you scroll up, you will get my very different perception of the "party" vibe of being in a Phish audience) - twice at Merriweather Post Pavilion, once at the Verizon Center in Washington DC, once in California right before they went on their hiatus in the early 2000 and both shows of the 1998 Halloween run in Las Vegas.
Oh alright, 'cause I was gonna say, at least from my perspective of never seeing them, it seems that it would be well worth the money, but since you've already seen them you can make an informed opinion.
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SSSSSSSUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRRR TOUR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! https://phish.com/#/tours/summer-2011-tour
I'm definitely gonna hit up at least a couple Bethel shows.
Well, I was going to hit up one of the Merriweather Post Pavilion concerts, but looking at the price, I am going to pass. Phish used to be a reasonably priced ticket in the past. Not thrilled with a $60 face value pavilion ticket (likely more than $70 after all is said and done with ticket fees) and I think a $45 face value lawn ticket is highway robbery. I'll just be happy with my LivePhish purchases and call it a day...
Have you seen Phish before?
Yes, 6 times between 1998 and 2000 (if you scroll up, you will get my very different perception of the "party" vibe of being in a Phish audience) - twice at Merriweather Post Pavilion, once at the Verizon Center in Washington DC, once in California right before they went on their hiatus in the early 2000 and both shows of the 1998 Halloween run in Las Vegas.
Oh alright, 'cause I was gonna say, at least from my perspective of never seeing them, it seems that it would be well worth the money, but since you've already seen them you can make an informed opinion.
I would not hesitate to recommend you (or anyone) see them if we are strictly talking the quality and enjoyment of the performance itself. The live show is incredible. The visual atmosphere is its own brand of unique in a good way. Unfortunately I have had some less than positive interactions with their fans at shows so I weigh that in the overall equations of whether I want to spend the money to see them again. My threshold for putting up with bullshit decreases the more I pay for tickets. And with the travelling road circus that will pack out the Merriweather Post grounds with thousands of people without tickets makes the whole process very agrivating on a lot of levels (parking being the main one). I would be more willing to spend the money for an arena show than a pavilion show.
-
SSSSSSSUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRRR TOUR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! https://phish.com/#/tours/summer-2011-tour
I'm definitely gonna hit up at least a couple Bethel shows.
Well, I was going to hit up one of the Merriweather Post Pavilion concerts, but looking at the price, I am going to pass. Phish used to be a reasonably priced ticket in the past. Not thrilled with a $60 face value pavilion ticket (likely more than $70 after all is said and done with ticket fees) and I think a $45 face value lawn ticket is highway robbery. I'll just be happy with my LivePhish purchases and call it a day...
Have you seen Phish before?
Yes, 6 times between 1998 and 2000 (if you scroll up, you will get my very different perception of the "party" vibe of being in a Phish audience) - twice at Merriweather Post Pavilion, once at the Verizon Center in Washington DC, once in California right before they went on their hiatus in the early 2000 and both shows of the 1998 Halloween run in Las Vegas.
Oh alright, 'cause I was gonna say, at least from my perspective of never seeing them, it seems that it would be well worth the money, but since you've already seen them you can make an informed opinion.
I would not hesitate to recommend you (or anyone) see them if we are strictly talking the quality and enjoyment of the performance itself. The live show is incredible. The visual atmosphere is its own brand of unique in a good way. Unfortunately I have had some less than positive interactions with their fans at shows so I weigh that in the overall equations of whether I want to spend the money to see them again. My threshold for putting up with bullshit decreases the more I pay for tickets. And with the travelling road circus that will pack out the Merriweather Post grounds with thousands of people without tickets makes the whole process very agrivating on a lot of levels (parking being the main one). I would be more willing to spend the money for an arena show than a pavilion show.
I can actually perfectly understand what you're talking about, and I've heard from other people that people without tickets at Phish shows get pretty hairy. Tons of arrests are made according to articles I've read as a result of people that couldn't get in. Plus the millions of dollars in drugs that are confiscated. Brownies before getting out of the car FTW.
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SSSSSSSUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRRR TOUR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! https://phish.com/#/tours/summer-2011-tour
I'm definitely gonna hit up at least a couple Bethel shows.
Well, I was going to hit up one of the Merriweather Post Pavilion concerts, but looking at the price, I am going to pass. Phish used to be a reasonably priced ticket in the past. Not thrilled with a $60 face value pavilion ticket (likely more than $70 after all is said and done with ticket fees) and I think a $45 face value lawn ticket is highway robbery. I'll just be happy with my LivePhish purchases and call it a day...
Have you seen Phish before?
Yes, 6 times between 1998 and 2000 (if you scroll up, you will get my very different perception of the "party" vibe of being in a Phish audience) - twice at Merriweather Post Pavilion, once at the Verizon Center in Washington DC, once in California right before they went on their hiatus in the early 2000 and both shows of the 1998 Halloween run in Las Vegas.
Oh alright, 'cause I was gonna say, at least from my perspective of never seeing them, it seems that it would be well worth the money, but since you've already seen them you can make an informed opinion.
I would not hesitate to recommend you (or anyone) see them if we are strictly talking the quality and enjoyment of the performance itself. The live show is incredible. The visual atmosphere is its own brand of unique in a good way. Unfortunately I have had some less than positive interactions with their fans at shows so I weigh that in the overall equations of whether I want to spend the money to see them again. My threshold for putting up with bullshit decreases the more I pay for tickets. And with the travelling road circus that will pack out the Merriweather Post grounds with thousands of people without tickets makes the whole process very agrivating on a lot of levels (parking being the main one). I would be more willing to spend the money for an arena show than a pavilion show.
I can actually perfectly understand what you're talking about, and I've heard from other people that people without tickets at Phish shows get pretty hairy. Tons of arrests are made according to articles I've read as a result of people that couldn't get in. Plus the millions of dollars in drugs that are confiscated. Brownies before getting out of the car FTW.
The drug scene is simply not that rampant, Birch. In my experience it is obvious that illicit substances are being used, but under a "don't-ask-don't-tell" assumption. It's not like Haight/Ashbury in '67...
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Also, Merriweather Post Pavillion is in a very conservative, tightly-controlled community. I know because I lived there for a year, and got the hell out. Even at a Phish concert, I really doubt that there's going to be much open drug use. There will be cops everywhere.
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Well that's good then. And about the cops, here's a quote from an article I was reading the other day:
Investigative agencies working at the shows included Hampton, Poquoson and Newport News police departments; NCIS; DEA; Virginia State Police; ABC; the Army's Criminal Investigations Division (CID); Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE); the Air Force's Office of Special Investigations; and the Hampton Sheriff’s Office.
Also, have you guys seen them do any like special covers or anything? I know every show's different but sometimes they do one-off covers or something like that.
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Well that's good then. And about the cops, here's a quote from an article I was reading the other day:
Investigative agencies working at the shows included Hampton, Poquoson and Newport News police departments; NCIS; DEA; Virginia State Police; ABC; the Army's Criminal Investigations Division (CID); Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE); the Air Force's Office of Special Investigations; and the Hampton Sheriff’s Office.
Also, have you guys seen them do any like special covers or anything? I know every show's different but sometimes they do one-off covers or something like that.
Yeah, there was a lot of police presence at the reunion shows in Hampton, VA in '09. Not everywhere.
I haven't personally caught any one-off covers. But there were quite a few I heard on tape last summer, including "Instant Karma" and "The Rover"
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I'd loove to see one. They're playing Bethel on Memorial Day Weekend so hopefully that'll warrant something cool. I know they played "Killing In The Name" on the fourth of July one year. :metalol:
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Also, have you guys seen them do any like special covers or anything? I know every show's different but sometimes they do one-off covers or something like that.
8/8/1998 - Debuts of Sweet Jane (Velvet Underground) and Sabotage (Beastie Boys - fantastic encore to end the show).
10/30/1998 - Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress (The Animals, I believe), Freebird (acapella, including solo, not necessarily unique, but a rare performance of it)
10/31/1998 - entire performance of Velvet Underground's Loaded (musical costume for Halloween)
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Also, have you guys seen them do any like special covers or anything? I know every show's different but sometimes they do one-off covers or something like that.
8/8/1998 - Debuts of Sweet Jane (Velvet Underground) and Sabotage (Beastie Boys - fantastic encore to end the show).
10/30/1998 - Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress (The Animals, I believe), Freebird (acapella, including solo, not necessarily unique, but a rare performance of it)
10/31/1998 - entire performance of Velvet Underground's Loaded (musical costume for Halloween)
Oh my god I'd kill to see that. I watch videos of it on YouTube all the time.
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Also, have you guys seen them do any like special covers or anything? I know every show's different but sometimes they do one-off covers or something like that.
8/8/1998 - Debuts of Sweet Jane (Velvet Underground) and Sabotage (Beastie Boys - fantastic encore to end the show).
10/30/1998 - Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress (The Animals, I believe), Freebird (acapella, including solo, not necessarily unique, but a rare performance of it)
10/31/1998 - entire performance of Velvet Underground's Loaded (musical costume for Halloween)
Oh my god I'd kill to see that. I watch videos of it on YouTube all the time.
Of the Phish shows I have attended, the 10/30/98 remains my favorite. That show was a lot of fun. In contrast, the Halloween show one night later ranks as my least favorite. I didn't care for the musical costume (it was supposed to be an album from the 90s to follow the trend of the other Halloween shows and when they could not come to an agreement, they went with the VU album and since I am not a VU fan, it was a big ho-hum for me) followed by an extended ambient jam in the three-song third set that went nowhere and bored me to tears. I couldn't wait to get out of the Thomas & Mack Center on Halloween...
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....followed by an extended ambient jam in the three-song third set that went nowhere and bored me to tears. I couldn't wait to get out of the Thomas & Mack Center on Halloween...
Yeah, that's certainly an interesting set to say the least. I think I like it because it was so exploratory, but I'm not sure after just one listen. For me, no "Wolfman's Brother" comes close to topping 11/30/97...
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....followed by an extended ambient jam in the three-song third set that went nowhere and bored me to tears. I couldn't wait to get out of the Thomas & Mack Center on Halloween...
Yeah, that's certainly an interesting set to say the least. I think I like it because it was so exploratory, but I'm not sure after just one listen. For me, no "Wolfman's Brother" comes close to topping 11/30/97...
My collection of live Phish is limited so I can't agree or disagree with that assessment, but I do like the version that is on Slip, Stich and Pass.
As for that Halloween third set, it never grew on me. I have the official LivePhish release and listen only to disc one and disc four from that collection. On occassion, I throw in the third set for kicks, but I just don't get any enjoyment listening to it. After I failed to connect with the musical costume while at the show, I was hoping for something to bring me back into the concert and for me, it was the absolute worst thing they could have followed up the cover album with.
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Just bought my tickets for Bethel Woods Center for the Arts in Bethel, NY on 5/28, soooo excited. If I had more money I'd've bought tickets to the opening night of the tour too (the one I'm going to is the second night). I bought the last six lawn tickets, selling out the show.
I listened to The White Tape last night, and here are some random thoughts about it:
-"The Divided Sky" into "Slave To The Traffic Light" is absolutely amazing. I was taking a walk today and listening to it, and couldn't help but smile the whole time. Seeing them perform this duo live and segued would make me astronomically happy.
-In my opinion, "Ingest" is about doing N20 (obviously the next song is about N20 too), and the laughing and popping noises go hand in hand at nitrous circles (the popping being the balloons). I also find it humorous that they so obviously named a song after such a widely used drug by their fan base (as opposed to phan base... we all know about the nitrous mafia).
-"Dog Gone Dog" is one of my favorites off the album.
-Trey Anastasio is awesome.
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Got a ticket today. Should be a cool experience.
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Cole:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvuXbMxv54c
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUslD-Mh0Xw&feature=related
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkgwhc3cSh0
How much more excited are you now?
Listening to Junta now.
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GLOWSTICKS!! :2metal:
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I'm bringing some. ;D
And also some... "pastries..." if ya know what I mean. :hat :hat :hat
How 'bout those lights though?
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Cool shit man. I think it will be a fun experience as a whole. Musically, I might not be into it as much as other dudes, but I am not really going for the music, tbh.
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It definitely is an experience like you said, more than most all other concerts. It's more like a festival atmosphere based on videos I've seen.
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Yeah, I definitely get that vibe.
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Are you going alone?
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I'm going to my cousin and a shit ton of his friends. Thing is, he is like 32 so it might be a bit weird...hope not though.
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Haha well if they're going to see Phish than they have to be pretty cool.
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I got my tickets in the mail today. Had to place two separate orders because the limit was four per order.
I'm kicking myself for not entering the Phish Tickets By Mail lottery, so I might order two lottery tickets for the same show, and also lawn (which is what my current tickets are for), and find two more people to come to the show, this way I can have a lottery ticket. The only thing is, the lottery tickets don't get to the winner until approximately two weeks before the show, so that would mean there's a two-week period for the seller to mail me the tickets as soon as he gets them. The one I'm looking are in New Jersey, and I'm in New York. Do you guys think I'll be safe as far as getting them before the show?
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It doesn't seem like you guys are keeping up with news updates so I'll just post that they're releasing a live show from Japan to benefit Japan, and also, they announced Super Ball IX today. It's a three-day Phish-only festival from July 1st to July 3rd at Watkins Glen International in Watkins Glen, NY. Tickets are $200 each and include on-site camping and a free download of every set Phish plays there. I'm gonna try to go.
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I hadn't heard about any of that, so thanks for the update! :tup
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SUPER BALL 9 is going to be awesome. The Japan Relief show (7/31/99) is a sweet one too. You can download it 4/15 at livephish.com It has a very epic 2001 (15 minutes) --> David Bowie (25 minutes)
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I hadn't heard about any of that, so thanks for the update! :tup
:tup
SUPER BALL 9 is going to be awesome. The Japan Relief show (7/31/99) is a sweet one too. You can download it 4/15 at livephish.com It has a very epic 2001 (15 minutes) --> David Bowie (25 minutes)
I'll hopefully get it soon. I've also been eying the hundred-dollar Joy box set... very tempting.
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definitely going to be at super ball. my first festival!
also, has anyone given a listen to the "phish destroys america" collection? when i first acquired it i was sort of skeptical that one tour leg could really contain so many gems. but really, it's a fucking amazing collection. that antelope is the best i've heard. hood is as good as it gets. top notch bowie. comet, theme, fluffhead...all nasty. the big jams get nice and spacey without losing direction and everything kept under 18 minutes is just tight as hell, strong and focused. i dunno, give it a listen if you can, really amazing stuff.
also a new love is live phish 9. it's a summer show from '89 and kicks all sorts of ass.
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Live In Utica box set just announced. Prolly gonna pre-order it soon, along with getting the Joy hundred-dollar box.
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Live In Utica box set just announced. Prolly gonna pre-order it soon, along with getting the Joy hundred-dollar box.
I'M SO EXCITED!!!! That show from Utica is hands-down the best concert they've played since their reunion in 2009... it's a MUST-buy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Awesome, I'm even more excited for it then.
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3 nights at the UIC Pavillion in Chicago just announced. I smile'd.
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Still need to find an adult to go to Super Ball IX with me... :sadpanda:
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I just picked up the 10/30/2010 CD set and what a fun show it is. I love the Zepp teasers woven in and out of "Tweezer." Wish I was at this show. And a bargain at $14.99 from my local indie CD shop....
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I just picked up the 10/30/2010 CD set and what a fun show it is. I love the Zepp teasers woven in and out of "Tweezer."
... and then of course the "Ha Ha Ha" right afterwards. They obviously teased Zeppelin to dispel the rumors about the following night's musical costume. Those bastards...
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Bump. Summer tour starts tonight.
And for anyone looking for a good excuse to get into this band... go out and pick up a copy of the new DVD, "Live in Utica."
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I'm sitting here listening to a live stream of 5/28. This has to be the best first set they've played since they've been back. Absolutely sick! First jammed out Halley's in a LONG time. Birch Boy you lucky bastard
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I'm sitting here listening to a live stream of 5/28. This has to be the best first set they've played since they've been back. Absolutely sick! First jammed out Halley's in a LONG time. Birch Boy you lucky bastard
Sweet Lord, no kidding. That was an amazing show.
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At the advice of a friend of mine, I've recently been getting into Phish and I'm really enjoying their music. So far, at my friend's recommendation, I've heard:
Junta
A Picture of Nectar
Rift
Billy Breathes (wasn't as much of a fan)
A Live One (live in 1994)
New Year's Eve 1995 - Live at MSG (the best them)
Anyway, that same friend is going be heading down to New York from Ottawa for Super Ball IX and I'm debating joining him. $200 tickets + food + merch + travel is a lot of money for one weekend (I'm extraordinarily poor), but I feel like it would be such an incredible experience.
Birch Boy and razorsedge, you guys said you were in, eh? If I went, wanna do some kind of meetup?
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Do it Global Laziness!! You'll be glad you did. $200 for great music and camping for 3 days.
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P.S. tonight's show looks like it came straight from the late 90s (arguably best era of Phish), esp that Set II
The Disease is nearly 25 minutes!!!!
Set 2: Down with Disease -> Fluffhead > David Bowie, Waste > Also Sprach Zarathustra > Cavern
www.livephish.com
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Wooo! I have never seen Phish before (although we listened to them from the Jones Beach parking lot last summer) but was fortunate enough to get tix in the lottery, so Tony has agreed to fly out here and see them with me Labor Day weekend :D
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Live In Utica box set just announced. Prolly gonna pre-order it soon, along with getting the Joy hundred-dollar box.
I'M SO EXCITED!!!! That show from Utica is hands-down the best concert they've played since their reunion in 2009... it's a MUST-buy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I picked up the box set this weekend. I have listened to most of the first set and I don't know if I agree with you regarding it being the best. I thought the Wilson teases in David Bowie were fun, but this would not rank the highest of the four 2010 shows I currently have. The 10/30/2010 is a better show, IMHO. I still need to listen to set 2, but overall, I can't say I was impressed with this show compared to other 2010 shows I have...
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I'm off to see my first Phish show EVER in Camden tonight. Can't wait! :biggrin:
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Be sure to breathe in deeply the beauty of Camden while you're there.
Or maybe that's just the air pollution.
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I'll be there tonight too. :D
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Have fun, you guys. While I am currently 2 shows behind in my listening, I can tell you that this band is ON A ROLL. All the shows on this tour so far are solid and have great improvisational passages. Best of luck tonight!
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tonight was phenomenal :hefdaddy :hefdaddy :hefdaddy
but I'm going to bed now :azn:
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did you lucky folk make it Superball? I've been listening to the live stream. OMG. That Wolfman's was so sick. And Peaches En Regalia and Life On Mars?!!!!!!! It's only the first set too :-)
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Tony was there. I haven't spoken to him much (drugs) but he was having a good time and VERY excited about Peaches :D
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SO MUCH MUSIC
Including intermissions, this accounted for over fourteen hours of music spread across the three days.
Set List (July 1st):
1. Possum
2. Peaches en Regalia (Frank Zappa)/
3. The Moma Dance
4. Torn and Frayed (The Rolling Stones)/
5. NICU/
6. Bathtub Gin
7. Life on Mars? (David Bowie)
8. My Friend, My Friend
9. Wolfman's Brother
10. Roses Are Free (Ween)/
11. Funky Bitch (Son Seals)
12. Quinn the Eskimo (Bob Dylan)
Intermission
13. Super Ball IX Jam #1/
14. Crosseyed and Painless (Talking Heads)/
15. Chalk Dust Torture
16. Sand (Trey Anastasio)/
17. The Wedge
18. Mike's Song/
19. Simple/
20. Bug (Amfibian)
21. The Horse/
22. Silent in the Morning/
23. Weekapaug Groove/
24. Joy/
25. Character Zero
Encore:
26. Show of Life (Trey Anastasio)
Set List (July 2nd):
Afternoon Show:
1. Tube
2. Kill Devil Falls/
3. Ocelot
4. Lawn Boy
5. The Divided Sky
6. Boogie On Reggae Woman (Stevie Wonder)/
7. Camel Walk
8. Cities (Talking Heads)/
9. Poor Heart/
10. 46 Days/
11. Suskind Hotel (Trey, Mike, & The Duo)
12. When the Circus Comes (Los Lobos)
13. Timber (Jerry) (Josh White and Sam Gary)/
14. Back on the Train (Trey Anastasio)/
15. Suzy Greenberg
16. Monkey Man (The Rolling Stones)
Main Show:
1. Runaway Jim/
2. McGrupp and the Watchful Hosemasters
3. Axilla/
4. Birds of a Feather
5. Stash
6. Sample in a Jar
7. Heavy Things/
8. Horn/
9. It's Ice/
10. The Mango Song/
11. Rift/
12. Scents and Subtle Sounds/
13. Run Like an Antelope
Intermission
14. Golden Age (TV on the Radio)/
15. Super Ball IX Jam #2/
16. Prince Caspian/
17. Piper/
18. Tweezer/
19. Julius/
20. Backwards Down the Number Line/
21. Twist/
22. Also Sprach Zarathustra (Richard Strauss)/
23. Harry Hood/
24. Cavern/
25. Golgi Apparatus/
26. A Day in the Life (The Beatles)
Encore:
27. Loving Cup (The Rolling Stones)
28. Tweezer (Reprise)
Secret Show:
1. Storage Jam
2. Sleeping Monkey
Set List (July 3rd):
1. Soul Shakedown Party (Bob Marley & The Wailers)
2. AC/DC Bag/
3. The Curtain/
4. Colonel Forbin's Ascent/
5. Fly Famous Mockingbird
6. Destiny Unbound/
7. Big Black Furry Creature from Mars/
8. Wilson/
9. Mound
10. A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing
11. Time Loves a Hero (Little Feat)
12. Reba/
13. David Bowie
Intermission
14. Big Balls (AC/DC)/
15. Down with Disease/
16. No Quarter (Led Zeppelin)/
17. Party Time
18. Ghost/
19. Gotta Jibboo/
20. Light (Trey Anastasio)
21. Waves/
22. What's the Use?
23. Meatstick (with Japanese lyrics)/
24. Stealing Time from the Faulty Plan
25. The Star Spangled Banner (Barbershop Version)
Encore:
26. First Tube (Trey Anastasio)
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:metal
Tony is relaying his experience to me right now.
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:metal
Tony is relaying his experience to me right now.
What'd he think?
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He loved it, had a great time. He has seen them before but never to such an extent. He said he felt like they played for way longer than 14 hours, though.
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Did you go Global Laziness?
I did not, but I listened to the entire thing live on THE BUNNY stream via livephish.com. I loved it. Highlights for me were Peaches, Wolfman's Brother, Life On Mars, jammed out Quinn the Eskimo, Weirdness > Crosseyed, Simple (ambient jam) > Bug, 46 Days > Suskind, Scents & SS (with the original intro), Golden Age, Tweezer, Storage Jam, and well almost all of 7/3 so I guess pretty much the entire weekend was good stuff. I wish I could have been there!
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was anyone else at the new years run? i only made the first two shows, but thought they were pretty good. lots of energy at the those two, the 30th and 31st were both a little more reserved in terms of song selection.
these shows, more than the others i've been to, really felt unplanned. i mean, they never have a set list when they go on stage, but these shows seemed to have a lot more trey/mike conferences about what to play next. there were also only few sets that seemed to have any real flow. there were a lot of clunky transitions that just felt like a train wreck or didn't make sense. oh well. still lots of great songs got played.
it's still astonishing how long these guys can play without repeating a song. it's nuts. and they're not even jamming that much anymore, so it's not like there are any 5 song sets.
so, what'd everyone think of the new year's run?
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I'm a fairweather fan of the Dead and know jack squat about Phish!
I have heard some studio tunes of theirs on the YouTube and quite enjoyed it. I also understand that their NYE1995 show is a very highly regarded release; would this be an ideal starting point there?
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I also understand that their NYE1995 show is a very highly regarded release; would this be an ideal starting point there?
Yes, very much so. You get many of their classics, and some of the best jams they've ever made. Plus the energy level is unbelievable.
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I'm a fairweather fan of the Dead and know jack squat about Phish!
I have heard some studio tunes of theirs on the YouTube and quite enjoyed it. I also understand that their NYE1995 show is a very highly regarded release; would this be an ideal starting point there?
yeah, NYE 95 is a great show. other good introductions would be made listening to slip, stitch and pass; halloween 98; a summer show from '91; and hampton/salem 97. you can use the holy spreadsheet (https://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=p8WKkpP-TKpO1VnQgcff6EQ&gid=7) to download shows and phish.net (https://www.phish.net)to figure out which dates to download.
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Most of the Live Phish series live albums would be good starting points. Live Phish vol. 2, 6, 10, 14, or 20 are the best, IMO. But they're all great shows.
If you like funky Dead, and maybe want an equivalent, the Island Tour series (I think vol. 21-24) or Live Phish vol. 11 are good for that, or the new boxset that just came out.
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Phish is delivering the goods this summer phanners. Anyone go? I only went to the two ALpine shows and it was awesome!!! NO QUARTER!!!
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Haven't been able to make to any shows, but I know the Atlantic City shows were good, as well as 6/23/2012 in Pennsylvania. On the other side of it, the Bonaroo set was very 'meh' as was their 4th of July show. But mostly they've been kicking ass.
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For months, I've put Phish off, but recently, I got Lawn Boy because it was $5 and looked awesome. One of the better purchases I've made this year; definitely is motivating me to check out the stuff thrown around in this thread.
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For months, I've put Phish off, but recently, I got Lawn Boy because it was $5 and looked awesome. One of the better purchases I've made this year; definitely is motivating me to check out the stuff thrown around in this thread.
If you're a newbie to Phish, it is wise to get another studio album or two, before diving into their live material (just so you know where the song ends, and the jam begins; for example). I recommend Junta for more proggy, longer songs; or Rift for a more concept album feel, with proggy songs. A Picture of Nectar is also good as pretty much every song on there has been played live.
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If I may ask, which of those 3 is most similar to Lawn Boy, in terms of being eclectic and silly?
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If I may ask, which of those 3 is most similar to Lawn Boy, in terms of being eclectic and silly?
Junta.
I'd say the other 2 are as well, as they're all Phish's early albums; but Junta precedes Lawn Boy, and contains many of the band's greatest songs.
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Junta is amazing. Get it. Then get something else, but it doesn't matter as long as you've heard Junta, because that's as close to the band's roots as you're gonna get, and in some ways, it's still their best.
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I've been stalling on getting into this band forever, so today, I'm putting my foot down and getting something.
Problem is, none of their stuff is in stores here, and I can't buy shit online at the moment. Although I realise anything officially available is also unofficially available, I'd rather find something that's essential, yet hasn't been released, because that's just how I roll.
After a browse of best/essential show lists, I'm thinking Great Went '97.
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Browse any archive of audience recordings for August '93, December '95, November/December '97, or summer '12 (haven't listened extensively to the recent shows, but if universally glowing reviews are enough...). Can't go wrong with those strong periods.
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So after a few years of slow digestion, I can say this band is really good, though my appreciation's a bit mixed up. I don't love the singing, and their in-jokes and humour really don't faze me. Their songs, when considered purely as songs, are mostly pretty average, so many of the songs that don't feature jams are completely forgettable. But that still leaves hours and hours of music where the songs serve as adequate launchpads/scaffolding for incredible playing.
Thus far, I've checked out 8/17/97, 8/16/97, 12/31/95, 12/31/93 and 8/31/12.
And I just downloaded 6/11/94 and 6/18/94.
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I really wish Phish would tour TX these days. I've got a wife and kid and can't get away to Dicks (Colorado) for 3 days like I used to.
I miss the guys.
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Laame. Dicks this year was a blast!
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Laame. Dicks this year was a blast!
Yeah I haven't been since 2011 (I think?)...
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I had no idea so many Phans were into Dream Theater!
I'm not much of a fan myself, but I was close friends with a group of heads in college, and ended up going to a few shows. What a great live act. I can't stand their studio stuff though.
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Yeah, I don't really listen to their studio stuff much (other than Lawn Boy- I just love that one!) but the live show/atmosphere is such a fucking blast.
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Ok guys and gals- pay attention to current Phish summer 2016 tour. Best so far, imho, since they came back in 2009. Anyone catch the shows at Wrigley? Wow wow. That disease > Fuego > 20 Years Later > Also Sprach Zarathrusta was MONEY. Not to mention an a Capella rendition of Space Oddity! And Night #2 Set 2 flowed like buttah. Best Fluffhead in a long time. And the I Am The Walrus encore!!! Wook hoooooo!!!!!
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I'm going to night 2 of Mann, Night 1 of SPAC, and Hartford. This tour is great so far.
By the way Magnaball (Phish's 10th festival in 2015) rules, and is one of the best things they've ever done. 8/21, 8/22, 8/23 2015. I'm not just saying that because I was there.
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Nice darkshade! Totally agree with Magnaball. Never listen to jaded vets that say Phish is no longer good since the 90s. I been seeing phish since 95 and they are just as exciting now, if not more- if just by the fact their repetoire has expanded! That Tweezer > Prince Caspian from Magnaball which I really consider Tweezer > Caspian > Tweezer (Fishman clearly returns to the Tweezer beat) .... WAS JAW DROPPING amazing!
Mann is going to be awesome. Have a good time!!!
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I like the Magnaball Bathtub Gin a lot. Yes, that Tweezer>Caspian is epic stuff. The Drive-In Jam from night 2 blows me away every time. That's some deep music.
Thanks. I always make it to at least one Mann show since they went back there in 2014.
95? That's awesome. IMO there's great stuff from every year they've played.
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Yes, that Gin is definitely the best of the 3.0 era (2009+) Drive in jam blows my mind too - wasn't there but was listening live on the Bunny radio.
FYI - interesting info coming in on their new album. Apparently that awesome percussionist that does a lot of Broadway (Hamilton) plays on almost every tune and described one track as 15 minutes w/ classical percussion!
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In case you haven't been following, the band has been on a roll with releasing archive shows during the pandemic. They've released some epic shows recently, 11/28/94, 6/14/95, 7/8/94, and 8/1/98 just to name a few.
They just released 7/23/97 today, multi track recording. Sounds absolutely amazing. One of the best versions of Ghost. I love 97 Phish.
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Since I first listened to a Phish album in April last year and until now they have pretty much become my favorite band. Wonderful in every way.
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Live Bait vol. 17 dropping at midnight tonight.
Live Baits are free to download on livephish.com when they're first released.
Tour starts in two days.
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For the 3 or so phans on DTF:
It's not every day Dream Theater announce a new album AND Phish tour starts tonight in a couple of hours after a year and a half 'hiatus'.
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Sorry for the necro bump but I've recently gotten into Phish. I had a roommate in college who was obsessed with them, we'd get stoned and watch live shows but I never dug deeper.
A few months ago I was partaking solo and I remembered watching them live so I put some stuff on youtube. I'm really enjoying it, it's so chill compared to most of what I listen to that I just like having a show playing on my second monitor while gaming.
I know they have a huge bootleg culture, are there any must listen to shows?
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I went through a phase back in the late '90s, saw them I think twice. They are great live, but I wear thin on the music pretty quickly. It's obviously technically proficient, but sometimes the humor is lost on me, and I'm never really a fan of "quirky" so there's that. But if you know what you're getting, you get it at a very high quality.
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I also went through a heavy Phish phase probably in the late 90's into the 00's. Went crazy with buying live shows. I have the entire Live Phish run which is 20 live albums and I even have the zip up binder that was released for it. Plus I have several other live releases. I have a lot of live releases.
Then I discovered Umphrey's McGee. After that, Phish sort of disappeared for me. I still like Phish, but UM is just head and shoulders above.
Never seen Phish live. Have seen UM several times.
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Sorry for the necro bump but I've recently gotten into Phish. I had a roommate in college who was obsessed with them, we'd get stoned and watch live shows but I never dug deeper.
A few months ago I was partaking solo and I remembered watching them live so I put some stuff on youtube. I'm really enjoying it, it's so chill compared to most of what I listen to that I just like having a show playing on my second monitor while gaming.
I know they have a huge bootleg culture, are there any must listen to shows?
There's a bunch of great shows, and it's great that they have captured so much of it and released a lot of it. Some of my personal favorites would be:
Live Phish Volume 4 - Fukuoka, Japan (June 14, 2000) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_Phish_Volume_4
Live Phish Volume 11 - Denver, USA (November 17, 1997) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_Phish_Volume_11
Amsterdam (3 nights in 1997) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amsterdam_(Phish_album)
Ventura (2 nights, one in 1997, one in 1998) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ventura_(Phish_album)
Brooklyn (2004) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phish:_Live_in_Brooklyn
There's also a great 4 show run from 1998 referred to as the Island tour, here's the first night but you can just find the next few through this article for the other nights https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_Phish_04.02.98
If you really get into the band though and become a big fan, for me the most interesting thing they did and the most impressive on a large scale is the box set The Baker's Dozen from 2017. They played 13 nights in Madison Square Garden and they did not repeat a single song at all over these 13 nights. It's a crazy achievement because all these 2 ½ - 3 hour concerts are packed with quality, variety, great covers and they all have themes - different flavor donuts for each night. It's one of the coolest things any band has done live that I know of. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Baker%27s_Dozen_(concert_series)
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I also went through a heavy Phish phase probably in the late 90's into the 00's. Went crazy with buying live shows. I have the entire Live Phish run which is 20 live albums and I even have the zip up binder that was released for it. Plus I have several other live releases. I have a lot of live releases.
Then I discovered Umphrey's McGee. After that, Phish sort of disappeared for me. I still like Phish, but UM is just head and shoulders above.
Never seen Phish live. Have seen UM several times.
I was kinda the same with Phish, collecting live stuff (including all the LivePhish but not the binder), and also found Umphrey's McGee at some point. Somehow I never really dug into them, though I remember meaning to a few times. I guess I was just past that "phase" or something. They did seem like taking Phish to the next level, a little harder here, a little funkier there. I may still check them out. Thanks for reminding me about them.