Frequently Asked Questions

Reviews

  • Above all, check out the Phish.Net Reviews collection, headed by Dan Schar.
  • Reviews were originally located in the end of the Helping Phriendly Book and now are stored in the Phish.Net Reviews collection
  • Discussions take place on rec.music.phish and in other parts of the Phish.Net, such as IRC)
  • The Mockingbird Foundation is collecting reviews (and other submissions) to be published in a fan-based book about Phish for charity.
  • Scott Jordan <SSJORDAN@utxvms.cc.utexas.edu> invites you to "boldly try to quantify the unquantifiable:
      ... to rate the shows you've *attended* on a score of 1 to 10 (10 being the highest of course), the Phish Scale as I like to call it. A vote of five should correspond to the typical spectacular Phish show. This should be the average score for *Phish* shows only. Forget about all the mediocre bands you've seen in your life...we're grading tough here. A show scoring above 5 should have an exceptional setlist, extra juicy jams, or any other factors that make it special among Phish shows. If you'd describe a show as "typical...nothing special", you should probably consider it a below average show on the Phish scale, as the "average" Phish show usually has something special about it.
      Try to be rigorous and discriminating in your votes; I don't want to see people sending me all 9's and 10's unless they're truly warranted. Theoretically, half of the shows you've seen should score below five so be tough. If you haven't seen or heard much live Phish, I'd encourage you to refrain from voting until you get some perspective on what makes an outstanding show. This isn't intended to be elitist; I just would like all voters to have some basis for comparison when rating *Phish* shows.
      If you'd like to add your cents, send your scores to [Scott] at: SSJORDAN@utxvms.cc.utexas.edu
  • Rachel Belenke <belenke@students.uiuc.edu> picked up Scott's routine for Fall 1997.
  • Jon's Show Rating Survey compiles ratings to list the top-rted 10, 50, 100, 250, and 500 shows.

"They'd throw rotten vegetables at us if we don't do that [vary the shows]. It's the weirdest thing, but it's great for us. If we play the same song two nights in a row, they'd throw vegetables. This [1995] New Year's we did two nights in Worcester, Massachusettes, and two at Madison Square Garden and didn't repeat a single song any of the four nights. And that's what they want! When something happens that has never happened before, the greatest goal of our audience is to have been there to se it.""
-- Trey Anastasio, Guitar Player Magazine, 5/96"



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