Quincy Tour Grant Announced
The all-volunteer, fan-run Mockinbird Foundation is once again celebrating Phish tour by making unsolicited "miracle" tour grants supporting a music program near each of the venues the band will play. To celebrate Phish's upcoming three shows at The Gorge in George, WA (which start tonight), we've sent a $1,500 check to the Quincy Jr. High School Music Department in nearby Quincy. Watch for news posts here at Phish.net, or the evolving press release at mbird.org, for news on other "miracle" tour grants this summer. And please consider making a contribution, to help us give back to the communities we've touched. (Or, maybe you golf?)
TAHOE2 RECAP: 24 HOURS LATER, EVERYTHING IS RIGHT
Photo © 2018 Phish (Rene Huemer)
Despite a little rust during night 1, Phish came out on night 2 at Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena completely locked in and ready to play. The playing was much tighter, and although the jams and experimentation didn’t always reach the lengths we wanted or expected, this second night at Tahoe bodes extremely well for the rest of the tour.
WHY MUSIC EDUCATION NEEDS YOUR HELP MORE THAN EVER
Last month, the Trump Administration proposed Federal government “reforms” that included the consolidation of the Department of Education and the Department of Labor. Whether such a proposal will prevail in this sulfurous crater we call a democracy these days is anybody’s guess. But, symbolically, this proposal is a chilling indication that the administration holds a cynically narrow view of the mission of public education: to process children into productive adult workers.
We strenuously object.
The idea that the scope of public education in the United States should be shrunk—that students should learn on the taxpayers’ dime only what prepares them for life as agreeable worker drones—is not new. For example, since countless other fresh hells have spawned in the last several years, you can be excused for forgetting about that time when the Texas GOP enshrined their opposition to teaching students how to think critically. But it is the nation’s long-wavering commitment to music education that I’d like to talk about today—because it is almost certain to get worse before it gets better, and because you can help.
Soundcheck: Set Your Soul Free (this soundcheck is incomplete)
SET 1: AC/DC Bag, Martian Monster, Ass Handed, Everything's Right > 555, The Wedge, Lawn Boy, Back on the Train, Ocelot, My Sweet One, Theme From the Bottom > Bathtub Gin
SET 2: Down with Disease[1] > What's the Use? > Blaze On > I Always Wanted It This Way > Joy, Limb By Limb > Also Sprach Zarathustra > You Enjoy Myself
ENCORE: Suzy Greenberg
TAHOE1 RECAP: SEARCHING FOR THE GROOVE
There’s something about West Coast Phish shows. It’s a more relaxed vibe, the people are more laid back, and there’s a more celebratory air. If you’re waiting for Phish to come on stage at Madison Square Garden, you might feel a little anxious and a little overwhelmed. Not so for Tahoe. Under a beautiful blue sky and surrounded by pine trees and adoring fans, Phish kicked off 2018 Summer Tour with a solid show—at times inconsistent, at times magnificent.
Mockingbird Summer Tour Grants Begin Again
The all-volunteer, fan-run Mockingbird Foundation is once again celebrating Phish tour by making unsolicited "miracle" tour grants supporting a music program near each of the venues the band will play. To celebrate Phish's ongoing two shows at Lake Tahoe in Stateline, NV (which started last night), we've sent a $1,500 check to the George Whittell High School Band in Zephyr Cove. Watch for news posts here at Phish.net, or the evolving press release at mbird.org, for news on other "miracle" tour grants this summer. And please consider making a contribution, to help us give back to the communities we've touched. (Or, maybe you golf?)
Soundcheck: Twenty Years Later, Jennifer Dances
SET 1: Free > Possum, The Moma Dance, Ghost > Funky Bitch, Stash, Character Zero
SET 2: No Men In No Man's Land > Carini -> Slave to the Traffic Light, Bouncing Around the Room, Soul Planet > Steam, Harry Hood
BEYOND THE POND PODCAST: THE 7/22/03 DEER CREEK GUMBO
Beyond the Pond is a bi-weekly podcast in which Brian Brinkman (@sufferingjuke) and David Goldstein (@daveg924) use the music of Phish as a gateway to introduce the listener to many other bands, the vast majority of which are not jambands. An episode generally begins with a deep dive into a designated portion of Phish improvisation, and then can spin off to any variety of musical themes and other acts, the overarching purpose being introducing the listener to as many new and different bands as possible.
MYSTERY JAM MONDAY PART 334
Welcome to the 334th edition of Phish.Net's Mystery Jam Monday, the third of July. 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, a hint will be posted. After the hint, everyone gets one more guess before Wednesday at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET. Good luck!
Register Now For The Third Runaway Open!
Registration is now open for the third annual charity golf tournament for Phish fans - the Mockingbird Foundation's Runaway Open. This year's event will be held Saturday, September 1st (the 2nd day of Phish's run at Dick's Sporting Goods in Denver, CO) at Applewood Golf Course, with a full-course shotgun start at 10 a.m.
Last year's event (9/2/17 at Buffalo Run) had more than double the players of the inaugural event (10/30/16 at Arroyo Golf Club in Vegas), and we're anticipating a doubling again, particularly with the communal vibe of a shotgun start. So, please, spread word widely and quickly, through all channels. We want to fill it up and meet players' needs (rentals, veggie, etc.) ASAP; but once it's full, we can't expand.
As before, we'll play a Modified Shamble : Everyone tees, then plays individually from the best first ball to the hole (rather than the best ball on each stroke, as in a typical Shamble, aka Texas Scramble or Captain's Choice). Then, each foursome records the best 2 scores per hole. That balances competitive play with a fun-focused day. But don't fret about format, skill, or handicap - this is all about fun, charity, Sand, Wedge... you get it.
To register, make a donation of $125 per player to the Mockingbird Foundation via Paypal or Dwolla. That covers tournament fees, cart fees, greens fees, practice balls, some pro shop credit, some refreshments TBA, a nominal charitable margin to support music education grants, and a small gift bag of thanks with limited edition event items available only to registered players. (The first year was a hat. The second year, 2 golf towels and 3 balls. What'll be next...
A PHISHIN GOOD TOUR: 2018 SUMMER SURVIVAL GUIDE
[The following is offered by dot net user Kylie, @Kyphi, for your consideration as the Summer Tour begins. She is an east coast gal and UVM alum, who moved out West for both work and play. She enjoys live music, travel, and exceptional food in the presence of good company. You can find her on lot this summer with a Heady Topper in hand. Be advised that the following reflects her views, and not necessarily those of Phish.net, or anyone who has ever volunteered for Phish.net over the course of Phish history. Thank you! -charlie]
It’s the most wonderful time of the year: PHISH summer tour. By now, your PTBMs have safely found their way to your mailbox and it’s likely you’ve been rapid-fire chatting logistics with friends for weeks as the days draw closer.
We’re all here eagerly visualizing what’s to come. Full summer tour — dead ahead.
THE TIME GOES PAST
[this post is contributed by Phish.net user Paul Jakus, @paulj, who continues to contribute to the site in different ways. Thank you Paul! – ed.]
It seems unbelievable, but in 2018 Phish will embark on their tenth year of touring since returning from their breakup. Following last year’s Baker’s Dozen run, many speculated that we may have reached the peak of Phish “3.0.”
Setting aside one rain-shortened concert (7/19/2013), there have been 358 shows since March 6, 2009. The average show rating on Phish.net was 3.944 (out of 5), but the lowest-rated event was Grand Prairie’s 2.377 (10/25/16). If Phish reached “bottom” as recently as 2016, have they really been getting better since their return? We can use show ratings on Phish.net to test this hypothesis, but let’s start by getting a few caveats out of the way.
Ratings on Phish .net are unlikely to be representative of the population of Phish fans as a whole. First, I suspect that .netters are among the most enthusiastic members of an already rabid fanbase. This may bias show ratings up or down--frankly, the hyper-critical nature of .netters means the direction of bias is not clear, but some sort of bias could be present. Second, not every .netter rates every show and I’m guessing that most of us are more likely to rate shows we’ve attended or watched on live video. This is, of course, the attendance bias effect discussed so often on .net. If attendance motivates a person to rate a show, then ratings on Phish.net will be biased upward. Third, a hot show on a current tour will sometimes zoom to the top of the all-time list, only to drop lower as more people provide a ratings weeks, months, or even years later. This “recency bias” results in higher ratings for recent shows relative to those from long ago. Fourth, the number of users on .net has been growing in recent years; if new .netters differ from long-time .netters (having, say, less familiarity with Phish performances from years past), then ratings from 2017 may not be comparable to those of 2009. Finally, the data reveal a “herd effect” for outstanding shows: more people will rate a great show than will rate poorly received show. We’ll be using the average rating for shows, though, so it’s not clear that the herd effect will bias a show rating. These caveats mean that our statistical analysis applies only to those of us on .net, and does not necessarily represent the broader population of Phish fans. That said, let’s take a look at the data.
PHISH STUDIES CONFERENCE AT THE GORGE
The first academic conference highlighting research in the interdisciplinary field of Phish Studies will take place on July 21, 2018, at 1pm in the Gorge Amphitheater Campground. The event is hosted by Oregon State University’s School of History, Philosophy, and Religion.
An exciting lineup of scholars from across the country will present their research to OSU students attending the Philosophy School of Phish field trip to Phish’s three-night run at the Gorge Amphitheater. The conference will also be open to the public.
The exact location of the event will be announced on Friday, July 20th via Twitter (@phishedu) and Facebook (@philosophyschoolofphish). Please RSVP on the Facebook event page.
For more information, or to request accommodation for disability, contact conference organizer, Dr. Stephanie Jenkins (jenkstep@oregonstate.edu).
Rock Bottom Chicago's "Sample" Beer Is Back
Even though Phish won't be playing in Chicago again until late October, the generous fans and musicians at Rock Bottom Chicago are once again brewing a beer to raise funds for The Mockingbird Foundation and the cause of music education.
They are having a roof top tapping party of their "Sample" ale this Sunday, July 15th, from 2-6pm. "Sample" is "a hoppy red ale brewed with copious amounts of Simcoe, Citra and Columbus hops for a pungent, heady hop aroma." It will be sold for $7, and will be served in a jar that you can buy for $3 (while supplies last). The jars have been very popular at previous fundraisers for the Foundation. For every "Sample" consumed over the week, from July 15th until the glassware sells out, Rock Bottom will donate fifty cents to Mockingbird, but they'll also donate $1 to Mockingbird for every jar sold. So, in other words, if you buy a "Sample AND a Jar," $1.50 of your $10 will go to Mockingbird, and support the funding of music education programs.
Jimmy "the Muscle" Beyer is opening the tapping party on Sunday at 2pm, and then for the rest of the day (on the roof) "Those Guys" will perform some Phish, Dead and other improv rock until 6pm ct. Rock Bottom Chicago has also decorated the brewery with Mockingbird, phish.net and Phish stickers to make the brewery look like a giant "Phish" bowl. Below is a pic of Raybird, the head Brewer, with Jimmy "the Muscle" Beyer, Brandon Stern and Kyle Calkins all brewing sample. Please support this Fundraiser if you can; the Foundation is grateful for Rock Bottom Chicago's continued support of its volunteer efforts!
BEYOND THE POND PODCAST: THE 9/29/99 MEMPHIS 2001
Beyond the Pond is a bi-weekly podcast in which Brian Brinkman (@sufferingjuke) and David Goldstein (@daveg924) use the music of Phish as a gateway to introduce the listener to many other bands, the vast majority of which are not jambands. An episode generally begins with a deep dive into a designated portion of Phish improvisation, and then can spin off to any variety of musical themes and other acts, the overarching purpose being introducing the listener to as many new and different bands as possible.
FROM THE TAPERS' SECTION: PART 2B (7/23/17)
Welcome back to “From The Tapers’ Section,” Part 2B. @wforwumbo here with another matrix of a 2017 show: Red Velvet night, 7/23/17.
Of all Baker’s Dozen shows to remaster, I curate 7/23/17 here for a number of reasons - the biggest of which is that it’s the Baker’s Dozen show I feel is the most under-discussed given the material contained within the show. It is the first show of the year that appreciates how special 2017 would eventually become; walking out of the venue that evening, this show destroyed my expectations for what Phish is capable of performing. To my ear, it is a precursor to what would come the next two nights of the run (though hindsight is always 20/20). Red Velvet night is also the first show that presents the 2017 jamming style in a fully-realized form, both in the “How Many People Are You” and “Wolfman’s Brother” > “Twist” > “Waves”; but more on that shortly.
IT'S ICE
“It’s Ice,” originally a poem written by Tom Marshall, offers a blow-by-blow description of the battle between a guy skating on a frozen pond, and his reflected image in the ice beneath. The lyrics are filled with vivid imagery and multiple plays on the confusion between reality and reflection, and represent some of Tom’s finest work. Trey was so impressed with Tom’s words that he didn’t want to risk writing music that didn’t do them justice. We likely all agree that Trey did a fine job in writing one of Phish’s more complicated songs. “It’s Ice” has a strong compositional structure separated into a number of distinctive but cohesive parts, that perfectly evoke the actions of the duplicitous protagonist. ...
Baker's Dozen Released In 2 Sizes: 3 CDs And 36
As Jambase, Billboard, and Rolling Stone have just reported, Phish will release 13 song selections from last summer's Baker's Dozen at MSG as a limited-edition 3-CD or 6-LP set, and the full run as a 36-CD set (single printing) in a special packaging with individual show boxes as well as lots of extras (miniprints, commemorative tickets, and more). Preorders have begun.
New Mockingbird Foundation T-Shirts In Store!
Our new Mockingbird Logo T shirts are now in stock in the Phish.net store in navy blue and charcoal in (almost) all sizes. Front has Mockingbird Foundation logo, back identifies you as one of many "PHISH FANS HELPING KIDS MAKE MUSIC SINCE 1996". More photos of front and back of shirt in both colors and other info just posted in this Phish.net forum post here.
Fall Tour 2018 Announced
PHISH will be playing fourteen shows this Fall, including three in Hampton and four in Vegas. And two in Nashville and three in Chicago. And the tour begins on October 16 in Albany, where they'll be two shows at the "Times Union Center."
Although the general ticket onsale isn't until June 1, tickets are available through the Phish Tickets lottery (request period ends May 29 at 9am et).
Dec 29, 2017 MSG
Dec 29, 2017 MSG
Phish.net
The Mockingbird Foundation