EUGENE 2 RECAP: LET'S CHOP SOME WOOD
[Thank you to Phish.net and PNW local @Doctor_Smarty (twitter: @paisley_brains) for this recap. -Ed.]
Though I have been away from the place where I usually rest my head for a few days, I can say, with all honesty, that I never left home. Such is the joy of having Phish settle in for a few days of their unique brand of quackery in the home of the ducks. I have spent a lot of time in Eugene, the place is familiar. This familiarity leads to relaxation. The mid-week doubleheader further expands the timeline of the experience to allow for a long day and longer night of making real connections with friends old and new. The PNW regional branch of the PSH class of 1983 reunion was in full effect at the Best Western New Oregon, a stone’s throw across the street from the Matt Knight Arena. Minds were blown, faces were melted. Not many people came, tickets went unused, but those who did make the journey were not disappointed.
EUGENE 1 RECAP: AFTERMATH
The last few weeks have been rough both personally and for the Phish community at large. I caught Covid after a Billy Strings concert and on September 28, I had to go to the hospital as I was having symptoms of hypoxia. Fortunately it was "just" the Covid creating pneumonia and the ER sent me home a few hours later, but in the moment it was terrifying. I didn't know if I would ever leave the hospital again.
The one cool thing that did happen from that horrible day is that Trey was tipped off that I was there and he sent me a message from his solo set that night, telling the story about how me timing songs and how I might not have been the fan that musicians dream about when they form a band, but ultimately moved it to a direction of genuine affection, a sign that Trey really does care about the community.
So after the drama of catching Corona, fearing for one's life, and then recovering, three weeks from the day of my hospital visit, I somehow found myself inside Matthew Knight Arena - on the floor close to the stage no less - about to see Phish. And what do they start with? "Down With Disease." And not just any "Down With Disease" but the 6th longest ever played. While I doubt it was intentional, that opener - complete with a few interesting themes, a "There is a Mountain" tease, and some very cool effects from Mike - felt like a perfect way to mark the end of one of the scariest chapters of my life.
SET 1: Mr. Completely, Energy -> Timber (Jerry the Mule), Casual Enlightenment > Divided Sky, Farmhouse, Split Open and Melt > End of Session > Split Open and Melt
SET 2: AC/DC Bag > Ruby Waves > Lonely Trip > Golden Age > Backwards Down the Number Line
ENCORE: Wilson > Say It To Me S.A.N.T.O.S.
Trey teased Divided Sky in the first Split Open and Melt. End of Session was performed for the first time since July 25, 2017 (126 shows). This was the rescheduled date from the show that had been postponed due to the coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak in 2020.
SET 1: Down with Disease[1] -> Runaway Jim, Ocelot > Rift, Horn > Ya Mar, Stash, Walls of the Cave
SET 2: Twist > Blaze On -> Plasma > Leaves > I Never Left Home[2] > Sparkle > Also Sprach Zarathustra > Sigma Oasis
ENCORE: Drift While You're Sleeping
This show featured the Phish debut of I Never Left Home. Down with Disease was unfinished and contained a There is a Mountain tease. After Stash, Trey spoke about the two fans who had fallen at the previous show, expressed love and sorrow, and encouraged everyone to be safe. Trey teased Hey, Ho, Nobody Home during Plasma. This was the rescheduled date from the show that had been postponed due to the coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak in 2020.
SAN FRANCISCO NIGHT 2 RECAP: WE ESCAPED THE DREADFUL NIGHT
I’ll cut to the Chase: a Phish fan tragically died at last night’s show after jumping from section 221 (or thereabouts) and landing in section 115 (or thereabouts) during “Destiny Unbound.” By all accounts it was a horrifying incident for those who witnessed any part of the fall or its aftermath. You can read about it in the news, in the Phish.net Forum, or on Phantasy Tour, Reddit, and anywhere else Phish fans talk online. I was on the floor when it happened and I had no idea - I didn’t find out until I checked my text messages this morning. In no way did last night’s tragedy shade my experience of the music in the moment, and while I’m deeply saddened by the news and find myself reflecting on the evening from a different headspace today than I had while walking back to my car after the show, I’m going to do my best to write from the (ignorant and blissful) perspective I had during the show. In hindsight it’s easy to draw connections between the show and our fellow fan’s tragic death (e.g., “How could they play ‘Set Your Soul Free’ > ‘Wingsuit’ after someone jumped to their death?”), but I’m working under the assumption that these connections are nothing more than unfortunate coincidences. If you were directly affected by last night’s tragedy, please find someone to talk to, and don’t be ashamed to reach out for professional help. Finally, if you’re ever feeling like you might harm yourself, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - there’s someone available to talk to you any time: (800) 273-8255. Please take care of yourselves and each other.
SAN FRANCISCO 1 RECAP: CALIFORNIA LOVE AT THE GOLDEN CHASE
[Phish.net thanks guest recapper Landon Schoenefeld (@nomidwestlove, IG: @_colonel_mustard) for writing this recap. -Ed.]
Let me just start out by saying that I love “dirty” east coast Phish (looking at you Providence and Long Island). I’m also enamored by sweaty southern Phish and I definitely have a proclivity for the sprawling Alpine Valley Phish, but who can really ignore the majesty of West Coast Phish? And is it just me, or does California Phish, specifically, just seem to hit differently? In 1995, 2pac and Dr. Dre did confirm that California does indeed know how to party. And after only the 2nd show of this tour, Phish is already showing plenty of California love.
SET 1: Bug, My Soul > Back on the Train, Maze, Steam, Destiny Unbound, Beauty of a Broken Heart, Reba, I Never Needed You Like This Before
SET 2: Evolve, Set Your Soul Free, Wingsuit > Chalk Dust Torture
ENCORE: Lawn Boy, Wolfman's Brother
Steam contained a Dave's Energy Guide tease. Chalk Dust Torture included a Wingsuit tease. This was the rescheduled date from the show that had been postponed due to the coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak in 2020.
SACRAMENTO RECAP: IT'S JUST THE GREATEST THING EVER, SERVED UP NIGHTLY
[Phish.net thanks first-time volunteer recapper Sterling Diesel (@sterlingpiper83) for writing this recap. -Ed.)
So this all started back at Shoreline, I met a platypi guy. We talked about how much we loved the band, I mentioned how I would love to write a review of a show, and bam, here I am :-). Thank you all for having me, it is very much appreciated.
After 2,252 miles I am ready to be out of my Volvo. I love it, but I got snowed in for about 15 hours at a rest area just outside Cheyenne on the way here and I am so ready to be out of it for a while. It is almost that time, the map is telling me the venue is just 3 minutes away, finally, it has been a long drive --- I see You Golden 1 Center, I will be there directly, just let me find a place to park first. I do just that and stroll up to the gate at 2:38pm local time and find myself to be just the 5th person in line. I meet a very nice gentleman named Michael, we talk about pyrokinesis, many smiles are created. I see Rosie coming from across the way; I met her a few weeks back on the rail in Pittsburgh at TAB, I am very glad to see her shining today. We talk about Trey's 4 song smile from that night. It's almost that time, here comes Rick with the wristbands now. Ahh, yeah! Looks like I'm gonna be the 8th person in tonight :-)
SET 1: Possum, Halley's Comet > 46 Days -> Slave to the Traffic Light, Simple > Shade > Winterqueen > Meat > Run Like an Antelope
SET 2: Bathtub Gin > Everything's Right > Frankie Says > The Wedge, The Moma Dance
ENCORE: Carini
Frankie Says was performed for the first time since August 8, 2015 (196 shows), contained Manteca teases from Trey, and ended with Bathtub Gin teases. Moma Dance contained a Monkey Man jam with quotes from Fish. This was the rescheduled date from the show that had been postponed due to the coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak in 2020.
SET 1: The Final Hurrah, Harry Hood, Corinna, The Squirming Coil > 555, Army of One, Beauty of My Dreams, Mercury > Character Zero
SET 2: Scents and Subtle Sounds -> Plasma > Free > Billy Breathes > Piper > Ghost > And So To Bed[1] > Sigma Oasis > Tube[2] -> Brother[3], When the Circus Comes, Golgi Apparatus
ENCORE: Sand
This show featured the debut of And so to Bed which had been previously been released on The White Tape 35 years earlier. Trey quoted Psycho Killer in Sigma Oasis. Tube was unfinished and contained a Tears of the Clown tease from Trey. Brother was restarted after the first verse and was performed for the first time since December 30, 2017 (107 shows). Mike teased "Charge!" after Brother.
PHISH IN THE TIME OF COVID-19
Dan Mielcarz (ColForbin here at Phish.net) has a doctorate in Microbiology and Immunology from the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth. He is currently the Director of DartLab, the immune monitoring and flow cytometry shared resource at the Norris Cotton Cancer Center in Lebanon, NH. We asked him to write a short piece on staying safe at indoor shows.
With fall tour and indoor shows upon us, some of you may be wondering what the best practices from a COVID-19 safety standpoint might be. As an immunologist, I was happy to see Phish change from a free-for-all at the beginning of summer tour to requiring vaccination or a negative test. This makes for a much safer environment for the band and fans alike. Vaccination is the number one way to stay healthy in the pandemic. If you aren’t vaccinated you are taking a huge unnecessary risk, so please, get the shots. And if you are eligible, get a booster. The sooner you get your shots the better, as peak protection takes at least 1 week past the second (or booster) dose.
Also, please do not come to a show if you are feeling sick. At the very least, take a rapid antigen test (I like the BinaxNow brand) if you have any symptoms and only attend if you are negative. I know how excruciatingly hard it is to miss a Phish show you have been looking forward to for years, but skipping a show when you feel sick is one of the most selfless acts a person can make in 2021, and will be repaid down the road, I assure you.
Beyond vaccination and staying home if you feel sick, what is the number one thing you can do to stay safe at a Phish concert this fall? Wearing a mask. In the words of the band themselves: “We strongly recommend that you wear a mask at Phish shows when social distancing isn’t possible.” When is social distancing not possible at an indoor Phish show? Everywhere. So you need to wear a mask everywhere. Universal masking will protect you, other fans, and the band. I know Trey continued his tour when some members of his band got infected, but there is no way that will happen with Phish.
TAKE THE BAIT - EPISODE 17: SUMMER 2021, BEST TOUR SINCE...?
[Take the Bait is spirited deliberation centered around the hyperbole of Phish’s music and fandom, passionately exuded via the written words of phish.net contributors @FunkyCFunkyDo and @n00b100. Opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of phish.net, The Mockingbird Foundation, or any fan… but we're pretty sure we’re right. Probably.]
The Bait: Summer 2021 is the best tour since Winter 2003.
Funky: Once in a great while, we are privileged to experience an event so extraordinary, it becomes part of our shared heritage. 1969: Man walks on the moon. 1971: Man walks on the moon…. again. Then for a long time, nothing happened. Until today. n00b and I are proud to finally present: The 17th volume spectacular of Take the Bait! ::crickets chirping:: I said, The 17th volume spectacular of… ahhh forget it...
Before we get started, let’s make one thing abundantly clear: we - verrry apathetically - do not care if you call it 3.0 or 4.0. “But Funky, Trey’s 4.0 guita-” QUIET YOU! “But n00b, they took almost a year and a half of-” YOU SHHMMM! And if any of you nerds nitpick this, well, I’m not sure how to finish that threat, but be warned: I will caustically and needlessly shame you in the comments section - like a mature internet stranger should. And n00b knows how to fire a crossbow! Very good.
MYSTERY JAM MONDAY PART 480
Welcome to the 480th edition of Phish.Net's Mystery Jam Monday, the second puzzle of October - shout-out to @justino for one of the clips! 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 both mystery clips, which are connected by a theme. 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. Stay safe!
HELP RAISE FUNDS FOR THE LEUKEMIA & LYMPHOMA SOCIETY
John Greene - keyboardist of Bay Area Phish Tribute Chum, provider of "John's Special Tape" (containing the Gamehendge CD-ROM footage), and one of the first users to join the PhishNet - is fighting cancer ... again. His sons Floyd and Orion are raising funds in his honor for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Please consider donating towards their $50K goal to aid scientific research for treatment of these hard-to-treat cancers - you can read more about their story and donate here:
Floyd & Orion's Daddy will KIA Again!! (LLS.org)
Today, October 6th, is actually JG's birthday - when asked if there was anything special he wanted from his friends, he said all he wants is the Eagles to beat the Panthers this weekend and for his friends to donate to Floyd and Orion's fundraiser! You can follow John's treatment and recovery on his blog here: jgwkia.com.
MYSTERY JAM MONDAY PART 479
Reminder: For the first MJM of each month, only folks who have never won an MJM are allowed to answer on the blog before the hint. If you have never won an MJM, please answer as a comment below. If you have previously won an MJM, but you'd like to submit a guess before the hint, you may do so by PMing me; once the hint has been posted, everyone should answer on the blog. If that's confusing to you, check out the handy decision tree that I threw together for you. If you're not sure if you've won before, check in the MJM Results spreadsheet linked below.
Welcome to the 479th edition of Phish.Net's Mystery Jam Monday, the first of October - shout out to @justino for the clip! The winner will receive an two MP3 download codes courtesy of our friends at LivePhish.com / Nugs.Net. To win, be the first person to identify the song and date of the mystery jam. 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. Stay safe!
Phish Returns To Madison Square Garden, Four Nights, Dec. 29 - Jan. 1
Phish will be performing four shows at Madison Square Garden, December 29, 2021, through January 1, 2022, to bring in 2022. The Phish Tickets By Mail request period is underway and ends on Monday, Oct. 4 at noon e.t.
The public onsale begins Friday Oct. 8 at noon e.t. on Ticketmaster, and a limited number of travel packages (hotel and tickets) will go on sale Oct. 7 at noon e.t., here.
Mockingbird Adds More Tour Grants
The Mockingbird Foundation is announcing its 20th round of Tour Grants, in celebration of Phish's 34 shows this summer and fall. Unsolicited $1,000 checks will be sent to a music program near each venue at which performs, part of a long-standing effort to help bring music from the Phish community to the local communities Phish touches. The $25,000 total continues a celebration of Mockingbird's 25th year, and is being announced in six batches.
The third group of recipients, in celebration of the last third of the summer tour (and including Dick's, arguably the third leg?), are:
- Chelan High School of Chelan, WA (near Gorge Amphitheatre, August 27th, 28th, 29th)
- Carson High School (via Carson City Band Association) of Carson City, NV (near Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena, planned but canceled for August 31st and September 1st)
- Carson Middle School Bands of Carson City, NV (near Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena, planned but canceled for August 31st and September 1st)
- Leigh High School (via Leigh Parents of the Performing Arts) of San Jose, CA (near Shoreline Amphitheatre, August 31st and September 1st)
- Adams City High School Band of Commerce City, CO (near Dick's Sporting Goods Arena, September 3rd, 4th, 5th)
Mockingbird Announces More Tour Grants
The Mockingbird Foundation is announcing its 20th round of Tour Grants, in celebration of Phish's 34 shows this summer and fall. Unsolicited $1,000 checks will be sent to a music program near each venue at which performs, part of a long-standing effort to help bring music from the Phish community to the local communities Phish touches. The $25,000 total continues a celebration of Mockingbird's 25th year, and is being announced in six batches.
The second group of recipients, in celebration of the second half of the first summer tour leg, are:
- Noblesville East Middle School (via Noblesville Schools) of Noblesville, IN (near Ruoff Music Center, August 6th, 7th, and 8th)
- Hershey Elementary School (via Hershey Music Boosters) of Hershey, PA (near HersheyPark Stadium, August 10th and 11th)
- Ventnor Middle School (via Ventnor Board of Education) of Ventnor, NJ (near Atlantic City Beach, August 13th, 14th, 15th)
Mockingbird Announces Roggae Rose
We are beyond thrilled to announce The Roggae Rose, produced and sold by one of California’s top winemakers and fellow phan Pax Mahle! This delicious rose is a blend of 60% Gamay and 40% Pinot Noir, which are the two traditional red grape varietals in France’s Burgundy and also thrive in California. The wine was made using whole clusters, which adds an extra dimension of complexity. It is 12.5% alcohol, which is perfect when you need something a bit on the lighter side.
Pax Mahle has generously committed to donate 100% of the profits to The Mockingbird Foundation to help support children’s music education. The wine is $24 per bottle and can be ordered here.
Pax started Pax Wines in 2000 working with cooler climate vineyards in Sonoma County and Mendocino. At Pax Wines, winemaking is approached holistically. This is done by taking care to use only grapes that are grown without the use of chemicals and by hand-making their wines with as little intervention as possible.
The full lineup of wines currently available can be found here. If you order 12+ bottles, you receive 50% off shipping. Please note, it is a good idea to air ship the wines as it is still warm outside these days. Further details can be found on the order page.
We hope you enjoy this wine as much as we do. It should pair beautifully while listening to a wonderful Summer or Fall concert!
Phish.net
The Mockingbird Foundation