PHISHR: AN INTRODUCTION TO PHISH.NET'S API WRAPPER
[We'd like to thank Phish nerd extraordinaire, Maya Gans (@WindoraBug on .net, @mayacelium on Twitter), for writing this post and sharing the phishr library that she wrote with Sam Levin (@levisc8 on .net, @SamLevin5 on Twitter) with the community - ed.]
When I tell people I meet outside of the scene that I’m a Phish fan it’s always met with a certain look - you know the one. But this always makes me laugh because one of the reasons I love Phish so much is how they provide one of the richest data sets to adoring fans. I love when folks who say they hate math or statistics end up rattling off their most seen songs, largest song gaps they need to close, or provide feedback on graphs I put up on Twitter.
Phish fans love data, and for that reason Sam Levin and I created the R package phishr. You can request an API Key here and our packages have a handful of functions that help do the heavy lifting.
# load the libraries
library(phishr)
library(purrr)
library(dplyr)
library(ggplot2)
MYSTERY JAM MONDAY PART 410
Welcome to the 410th edition of Phish.Net's Mystery Jam Monday, the actual final contest of March. The winner will receive an MP3 download code courtesy of our friends at LivePhish.com / Nugs.Net. To win, be the first person to identify the songs and dates of both mystery clips. Each person gets one guess to start – if no one answers correctly in the first 24 hours, I'll post a hint. After the hint, everyone gets one more guess before Wednesday at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET. Good luck, and stay safe out (in) there!
TURTLE IN THE CLOUDS
In rock music, popular longevity is almost like a magic trick. It involves constructing a Jenga tower of music and moments that cumulatively add up to a rich legacy, while not pulling out too many pieces that might cause it to come crashing down. It involves knowing when to take chances and when to stay safe; when to dramatically evolve and when to simply offer the illusion of newness; when to give fans what they want and when to give fans what they need. Fortunately for Phish and those who love the band, these kinds of tricks have been a strength from go, and on Halloween of 2018, they pulled off one of their best tricks yet: they became a fictional band to evolve into a better Phish....
BREATHE IN, BREATHE OUT
[This post is courtesy of fan Keith Eaton, @Midcoaster, who is still processing Trey's 2 ½ hour music drop that was Ghosts of the Forest one year later. A slow processor, it takes him some time to sort these things out. He first became obsessed with music when, in 1979, he sat in a darkened theater and watched Apocalypse Now. Nothing was ever quite the same after that opening sequence.]
Last spring (2019), I had a rare moment of synergy. It came while reading Michael Pollan's book How to Change Your Mind. I had blazed through the first four and a half sections at a record clip. This is no easy feat, for me, as a busy teacher. That reading streak was interrupted, pleasantly, by a couple of weekends of traveling to shows: Mike Gordon at The Sinclair, and then Trey's Ghosts of the Forest (GOTF) at the Portland State Theater. Surprisingly, the Trey show was profoundly connected to the experiences of patients in the guided psychedelic therapy sessions that Pollan describes, it just took me a while to see it.
Mid-April, a couple of weeks after Ghosts of the Forest debuted in Maine, I returned to Pollan's final two sections of the book. Reading about the use of psilocybin to treat depression and despair, even, in end-of-life therapy, I was struck by a passage where Pollan used Bertrand Russell's words to describe what it would be like to cultivate or prepare for an acceptance of death: "the best way to overcome one's fear of death 'is to make your interests gradually wider and more impersonal, until bit by bit the walls of the ego recede, and your life becomes increasingly merged into the universal life' " (355). Suddenly, I heard a melody.
It only took a second to recognize that I was hearing strains of Trey's GOTF composition "Wider." Following "Ruby Waves" and the instrumental "Shadows Thrown by Fire" (I'd had to look this up), I was suddenly struck by the fact that in his exercise of staring down Chris Cottrell's death, Trey's song cycle was mirroring the experiences Michael Pollan was detailing in his book. Most strikingly similar were the results of tests done with patients who had a terminal cancer diagnosis. The Venn diagram of loss, grief cycles, mystical ego death, and guided psychedelic therapy were suddenly overlaying my dawning understanding of GOTF in full.
MYSTERY JAM MONDAY PART 409
Welcome to the 409th edition of Phish.Net's Mystery Jam Monday, the final penultimate contest of March - thanks to MJM Hall of Famer @justino for crafting this puzzle! The winner will receive an MP3 download code courtesy of our friends at LivePhish.com / Nugs.Net. To win, be the first person to identify the songs and dates of all three mystery clips. Each person gets one guess to start – if no one answers correctly in the first 24 hours, I'll post a hint. After the hint, everyone gets one more guess before Wednesday at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET. Good luck, and stay safe out (in) there!
TIDE TURNS
The tide was high and the child shed tears as the moon disappeared behind the crowns of trees.
As he grew up, exploring the world, he started to lose sight of the moonlight that once guided him. He journeyed out on his own, trying experiences he proclaimed and believed from which he would always abstain. “Just once” turned into “Once a month”; and then “Only weekends” until it naturally transformed to every day. ...
MYSTERY JAM MONDAY PART 408
Howdy everyone, it's @wforwumbo back at the helm this week. I'm happy to welcome you all to the 408th edition of Phish.Net's Mystery Jam Monday, the third contest of March. The winner will receive an MP3 download code courtesy of our friends at LivePhish.com / Nugs.Net. To win, be the first person to identify the songs and dates of the three mystery clips. Each person gets one guess to start – if no one answers correctly in the first 24 hours, I'll post a hint. After the hint, everyone gets one more guess before Wednesday at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET. Good luck!
Hint: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OukwGBpnuXE
Answer: Congrats to @serpent_deflector on win #6, leaving him just one short of the Hall of Fame! This week he joined the Garden Party and tracked down the three non-NYE MSG clips: 7/30/17 "Drowned," 10/22/96 "Scent of a Mule," and 12/3/09 "Down with Disease." Swing by Monday to see how clean MJM409 is.
MYSTERY JAM MONDAY PART 407
Welcome to the 407th edition of Phish.Net's Mystery Jam Monday, the second contest of March. The winner will receive an MP3 download code courtesy of our friends at LivePhish.com / Nugs.Net. To win, be the first person to identify the songs and dates of both mystery clips. Each person gets one guess to start – if no one answers correctly in the first 24 hours, I'll post a hint. After the hint, everyone gets one more guess before Wednesday at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET. Good luck!
Phish Yoga Sat The 14th
There'll be another session of Phish Yoga this coming Saturday, March 14, from 3:15 to 4:15 at the Yoga Collective NYC. It'll be 60 minutes of Vinyasa Yoga, set to Phish music, with like-minded folks and good vibes all around. All proceeds benefit the all-volunteer Mockingbird Foundation, supporting music education for children with almost no overhead. Tickets are available thru Eventbrite.
MYSTERY JAM MONDAY PART 406
Welcome to the 406th edition of Phish.Net's Mystery Jam Monday, the first and easiest of March. The winner will receive an MP3 download code courtesy of our friends at LivePhish.com / Nugs.Net. To win, be the first person to identify the song and date of the mystery clip. Each person gets one guess to start – if no one answers correctly in the first 24 hours, I'll post a hint. After the hint, everyone gets one more guess before Wednesday at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET. Good luck!
PUBLIC PHILOSOPHY JOURNAL SPECIAL ISSUE, "PHISH AND PHILOSOPHY"
Are you a Phish fan interested in Phish and Philosophy? Are you curious about the developing field of Phish Studies and want to help in the creation of new research about your favorite band? If so, consider serving as a fan reviewer for a special issue of the Public Philosophy Journal about “Phish and Philosophy,” co-edited by Dr. Stephanie Jenkins (Oregon State University) and Charlie Dirksen (Mockingbird Foundation, Vice President and Associate Counsel).
Keeping in line with the PPJ’s mission to engage the public and community stakeholders in the research process, essays for this special issue are open for comment from the Phish community via The Current, the journal’s online submission and review system. The eleven essays currently under consideration for inclusion in the first-ever academic journal devoted to Phish are open for public comment until March 16th, 2020.
Biggest. Grant Round. Ever.
The Mockingbird Foundation has announced the largest round of grants in its 24-year history, with twenty grants in twelve states totalling $141,263. More than half the grants in this round were made above the requested amount - including one grant matched by the Kristy Anastasio Manning Memorial Fund, two grants doubled by Phish's own Waterwheel Foundation, and five grant amounts increased by Mockingbird's board of directors having been impressed by strong organizations with clear vision and demonstrated needs. All grants fund music education for children. Total grants for the entirely fan-run, entirely volunteer (no staff, no salaries, no office) nonprofit now exceed $1.6M.
MEXICO4 RECAP: PESCADO EN FUEGO - WEVE BEEN DANCING HERE FOR DAYS
[phish.net kindly thanks you for your patience and understanding during the slight delay in getting these recaps posted. All of our recappers (and staff) are entirely volunteer; simultaneously taking on the tasks of our "normal" lives while also helping to maintain our great website and community. phish.net would like to thank user @peetasan (Instagram: @EpicFamilyFarms) for this recap. -ed]
Phish in Mexico is a singular experience. There is, literally, nothing to compare it to. Sharing the groove with the smallest crowd you’ll find, on the beach, with the Carribean Sea lapping the shoreline beside you (or around you!), in the middle of winter, in Mexico, after spending the day drinking mimosas and tequila, sunning on the beach, eating ceviche or strutting your best floaty at one of the many pool parties; it is nothing short of continually astounding that we get to do this. It’s apparent that the band feels this way as well, because they are consistently relaxed and in a fun, playful mood. The return of Fishman’s pink jacket and shorts (because how can you wear that only once??) on night 4 was an indication that the band was feeling loose and playful, with Fishman playing a rare set out of the dress.
I love this trip.
MEXICO3 RECAP: HEY MAKISEXY POLICE CRAB
[phish.net kindly thanks you for your patience and understanding during the slight delay in getting these recaps posted. All of our recappers (and staff) are entirely volunteer; simultaneously taking on the tasks of our "normal" lives while also helping to maintain our great website and community. phish.net would like to thank user @gr8phul, (Twitter: @gr8fuljonnyd) for this recap. -ed]
Sometimes it is hard to write about a Phish show, especially as good as the one played Saturday night. What do you say when you feel like everything has already been said about the band we love? Who knows, but as they say, on with the show!
Speed Up Security On Summer Tour!
Tired of waiting for security to go through your bag on the way into a show? Toss your stuff in a clear backpack with two compartments, elastic mesh side pockets, zipper closures, adjustable shoulder straps… and the Mockingbird Foundation logo. Ideal for the growing number of events and venues that are only allowing clear bags, and may help speed entry everywhere. Plus, a great conversation starter: Proceeds benefit music education for children, through an all-volunteer organization run entirely by fans of the band.
WAKING UP DEAD
A good night of sleep is one of the finer things in life, something we do daily/nightly, and in most cases, without much planning or thought. Sleep doctors, or somnologists, tell us there are five stages of sleep that follow each other in a cyclical fashion when our heads hit the pillow each night. Those stages are as follows: 1) Wake 2) Relaxed wakefulness 3) Light sleep 4) Deep sleep -- and the big kahuna -- 5) Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep....
Summer Tour 2020 Announced
PHISH will perform a 27-date summer tour, beginning with two dates in Eugene, Oregon (July 14-15), and then three Gorge shows (July 17-18-19), to the great relief of northwestern fans starving for local shows. The tour then proceeds through Lake Tahoe (July 21-22), LA (Inglewood's Forum (July 24)), and San Francisco (two Chase Center shows (July 25-26)), before swinging through the South (with stops in Arkansas, Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee (July 29 - Aug. 5)) and midwest (three Deer Creek dates (Aug. 7-8-9)) and then --surprise-- the east coast (two Hershey (Aug. 11-12) and three AC shows (Aug. 14-15-16)), before concluding with three Dick's shows (Sep. 4-5-6). The Phish Tickets By Mail ticket request presale period has begun for all shows, and closes Monday Feb. 3, 2020, at noon e.t.
Kaczorowski Auction For Mockingbird
We're bumping this news, because you may have missed it over the holidays: Less than five days left in an auction, benefitting the Mockingbird Foundation, of three gorgeous prints graciously donated by Jason Kaczorowski - one of Fishman during the Festival 8 "musical costume", and two of Page at UIC 8/15/11.
Phish Fans Fund In NYC, Again!
The all-volunteer, fan-run Mockingbird Foundation is once again celebrating Phish tour by making unsolicited Tour Grants supporting a music program near each of the venues at which the band will perform. This special series of Tour Grants includes separate, unsolicited $1000 grants to four different programs in and around New York City, where Phish began its annual four-show New Year's Eve run on December 28.
In honor of Phish's upcoming show at Madison Square Garden, December 31st, The Mockingbird Foundation is sending a check for $1000 to support music education through the City School of the Arts Music Program in New York, NY. City School of the Arts partners with under-resourced schools to provide music as a core subject for all children, and utilizes music education as a catalyst to improve academic achievement, motivation for school, and self-confidence.
This is Mockingbird's 47th grant in New York and 425th grant overall. The Foundation has now disbursed $172,500 in Tour Grants, 12% of its more than $1.4M in grants covering all 50 states. Watch for news posts here at Phish.net or press releases on mbird.org for news about other grants. And please consider making a contribution, to help us give back to the communities we've touched.
Phish Fans Fund More NYC Music
The all-volunteer, fan-run Mockingbird Foundation is once again celebrating Phish tour by making unsolicited Tour Grants supporting a music program near each of the venues at which the band will perform. This special series of Tour Grants includes separate, unsolicited $1000 grants to four different programs in and around New York City, where Phish began its annual four-show New Year's Eve run on December 28.
In honor of Phish's upcoming show at Madison Square Garden, December 30th, The Mockingbird Foundation is sending a check for $1000 to support music education through the Harmony Program in New York, NY. This is a nonprofit organization that brings intensive after-school music programs to communities with limited access to instrumental music education.
This is Mockingbird's 46th grant in New York and 424th grant overall. The Foundation has now disbursed $171,500 in Tour Grants, 11% of its more than $1.4M in grants covering all 50 states. Watch for news posts here at Phish.net, or the evolving press release at mbird.org, for news on other "miracle" tour grants this run. And please consider making a contribution, to help us give back to the communities we've touched.
(By the way, we've often invited venues to match Tour Grants, but have yet to be successful at that. So, if you have a contact at MSG corporate, please talk up Mockingbird and/or these grantees, and/or send target contact info to ellis@mbird.org.)
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Mike at MPP1
Mike at MPP1
Phish.net
The Mockingbird Foundation