MOHEGAN2 RECAP: PERHAPS WE'LL FINALLY MEET AT LAST
[We would like to thank Alaina Stamatis Farmhose on dot net and Fad Albert on Twitter for recapping last night's show! -Ed.]
Ah, Casino Phish. Phish Royale. In the afternoon before the show, Mohegan security is on high alert. What have they agreed to? What are these animals doing to their institution of higher gambling? But after the show they've resigned; their nervous systems bombarded with the sights, the smells! They've been forced to endure their prized roulette tables engulfed in dreads, tie-dye, patchouli, and tattered open-toe footwear. But that will all come later; for now, it's pre-show jitters.
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MOHEGAN1 RECAP: THE RECAP THAT YOU'RE WRITING IS A LOAD OF SHIT
[We would like to thank user Estimated_Eyes (Luke) for authoring this recap. -Ed.]
After being treated to such an incredible weekend of heady jams at Great Woods, I had an anxious excitement for what Mohegan had in store. As we all know, like the Grateful Dead, Phish regularly plays heaters in CT. The most recent, Hartford ’22, having my favorite segment of music of summer that year - AWOH >ASIHOS>BLAZE ON particularly. And it’s a huge Phish regret of mine that I missed the Mohegan ’19 run, making a hypocrite of me, someone who always says “Never miss a New England Phish show.” The “Beneath a Sea of Stars Part 1” from night one of Mansfield, although great, couldn’t hold a candle to the version from night 1 of Mohegan ’19 and, honestly, it has got to be the best version of that song to date. I was crushed to miss those shows, and I couldn’t wait to have second pass at Mohegan. Another thing adding to my excitement - seeing Phish in a venue that only holds about 10k people. What a treat for my 50th show. I’m sure to a jaded, grizzled vet, the 50th is still “noob” territory, but it feels like an earnest landmark and was the cherry on top of all the excitement and anticipation for the night ahead.
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Soundcheck: Leaves (this soundcheck is incomplete)
SET 1: AC/DC Bag > The Curtain With > Steam, Maze, Farmhouse, Mull, Reba, Most Events Aren't Planned
SET 2: Blaze On > Mike's Song > The Curtain With > Weekapaug Groove, Leaves, Fuego > Lonely Trip > More, Fluffhead
ENCORE: A Life Beyond The Dream, First Tube
Trey teased Tequilla during Mull. The Curtain With was performed in two parts: The Curtain after AC/DC Bag and the "With" after Mike's Song. The latter portion began as I Am Hydrogen.
Soundcheck: My Soul, Guyute, Walls of the Cave, Fluffhead (this soundcheck is unconfirmed and possibly incomplete)
SET 1: Martian Monster, Rift > Golden Age, Gumbo, Funky Bitch, Guyute, Undermind, Evolve, Waste > Walls of the Cave
SET 2: Plasma > Kill Devil Falls > Carini > Ruby Waves > Piper > Mercy, Everything's Right
ENCORE: Julius, About to Run
MANSFIELD3 RECAP: BLOW YOUR FACE OUT
[We would like to thank Patrick, user @robertpollardisaplorb, for this recap. -Ed.]
Having seen my first Phish show on the Xfinity Center lawn in 2010, this weekend of shows allowed for plenty of reflection on just how far things have come since those days. I had spent the last two nights in the pavilion solo, but opted to spend Sunday on the lawn to dance with friends new and old during the night’s festivities. As the band entered stage left and got settled in, my friend quickly sensed the incoming "Free" opener.
Following a fun and standard “Free,” Phish were quick to uncork the jams with the dependable “A Wave of Hope,” the jam itself veered into a fun celebratory major jam in many ways reminiscent of the Camden 99 "Chalkdust," and eventually settled into a dark synth space before coming to a peaky close.
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Mockingbird Charity Auction Launched
The Mockingbird Foundation has launched its second online charity auction, featuring dozens of limited-quantity items that will be of interest to almost any Phish fan, family member, and/or friend:
- Two new, still-boxed copies of The Phish Companion, Third Edition
- Seven (7) special packages (with 1-4 lots each) of Mockingbird and Phish.net logo merchandise, each with 11 limited-edition items, organized by size, from Ladies' small to Men's XXL
- Thirty-five (35!) travel packages: 4 adventure trips (2 international, 2 US), 2 awards shows (Emmy's and AMAs), 8 "once in a lifetime" vacations, 4 "getaway" vacations, plus 16 more trips (8 international and 8 US)
- Twelve (12) ticket/memorabilia collages honoring Taylor Swift, the Grateful Dead, & Woodstock, plus the Chiefs, Packers, Cowboys, Eagles, Giants, Steelers, and more
- Whiskey rocks, insulated water bottles (in 5 colors!), and kitchen items
- Electronics offerings including rangefinders, flashlights, solar chargers, power banks, and a drone
- Golf balls, tees, divot tools, towels, and a shoe bag
- Tea, wine, and gourmet food
The auction is now open and remains open for two weeks. Proceeds benefit music education for children through the all-volunteer nonprofit Mockingbird Foundation, created and managed entirely by volunteer Phish fans since 1997. With no salaries, staff, or office, we've funded 693 grants totaling more than $2.5M, including our 29th round of competitive grants announced just last week and a string of Tour Grants coming all summer long. We appreciate your support in funding as many as we can.
MANSFIELD2 RECAP: BETWEEN THE PINES, THERE'S A LIGHT THAT SHINES
[We would like to thank Oliver Pierson (phish.net user VermontCowFunk) for this recap. -Ed.]
Phish summer tour is arguably the second most wonderful time of the year. Everything feels right when you set off to a summer show, ticket in hand, a musical adventure in store, friends by your side. I hadn’t seen the band since 12/29/23, and I was excited to hear where their very busy seven months had led them. It’s been a productive time for the band, with an epic Gamehendge NYE show, a stellar Mexico run, a short but incredible visit to the Sphere, and then all the chatter around the new album Evolve.
Phish has even felt, by their typical media coverage standards, a bit overexposed lately. This month, we’ve seen Trey and the band in Rolling Stone, WTF with Marc Maron, NPR's Tiny Desk Concert, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Vulture, etc. So, they are not “Travis Kelce – Taylor Swift – Fall 2023” overexposed, but somehow it is slightly jarring to have them in the public eye so much. I had to wonder how all that attention jives with one of Trey’s comments in the Rolling Stone article, i.e. that the lack of mainstream success is the band’s incredibly liberating “superpower.” Could all the recent media coverage be the kryptonite that diminishes their superpower? Fortunately, an installment of Massachusetts Phish was only hours away to help me answer that question.
Soundcheck: Plasma, My Soul
SET 1: Free, A Wave of Hope, Bathtub Gin > Wilson, The Connection, Thread, Joy, Runaway Jim > Life Saving Gun
SET 2: The Squirming Coil > Tweezer > Scents and Subtle Sounds > Twist > Crosseyed and Painless > Slave to the Traffic Light
ENCORE: Possum > Tweezer Reprise
This show featured two bustouts: The Connection (last played December 7, 2019, or 151 shows) and Thread (last played September 1, 2021, or 123 shows). Trey teased Scarlet Begonias and Sand in Bathtub Gin. During the soundcheck, Trey teased Divided Sky in Plasma.
MANSFIELD1 RECAP: WE'RE ALL HERE TOGETHER
[We would like to thank Harrison Hartley (user HotDogKnight on phish.net and Instagram) for this recap. You can also find him as quadbasspickup.bsky.social on BlueSky and [email protected] on Mastodon. -Ed.]
There is an aura to a tour opener, especially the summer tour opener. Riviera Maya and The Sphere offer appetizers for us this year, but I feel summer tour is the entrée of Phish performances.
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Soundcheck: My Soul
SET 1: Theme From the Bottom > Back on the Train, Sand > Bouncing Around the Room, Backwards Down the Number Line, Human Nature[1] > It's Ice > Wolfman's Brother, Drift While You're Sleeping
SET 2: You Enjoy Myself > Oblivion > No Men In No Man's Land > Monsters, Also Sprach Zarathustra > Chalk Dust Torture
ENCORE: When the Circus Comes, David Bowie > Say It To Me S.A.N.T.O.S.
This show featured the Phish debut of Human Nature. Trey teased San-Ho-Zay in Back on the Train. Before Circus, Trey introduced Fish as the Orange Whip and mentioned how bands always come out for the encore and joked about how they should just leave one night and not come back out.
Soundcheck: Thread, Mountains in the Mist, Funky Bitch (this soundcheck is possibly incomplete)
SET 1: Buried Alive > Character Zero, Hey Stranger, Down with Disease, Roggae > NICU, Stash, 46 Days
SET 2: Suzy Greenberg > Run Like an Antelope > Ghost > Light > Pillow Jets > Beneath a Sea of Stars Part 1 > Split Open and Melt
ENCORE: Harry Hood
Trey teased Macarena in Down with Disease. Trey and Page teased Maria in Light. Split Open and Melt contained Shipwreck quotes.
PHISH AT NPR'S TINY DESK
[We would like to thank Michael Lowe of the Monumental Brass Quintet, Timbermike on dot net and @MikeLoweTPT on twitter, for this piece. Phish's Tiny Desk Concert was performed on Tuesday, July 9, 2024, but did not air until Wednesday, July 17. -Ed.]
Well it all started with a phone call from my sister-in-law Daniela on Sunday night asking if we’d like to join her at the tiny desk on Tuesday. I was immediately in a state of shock and excitement, a familiar feeling I’ve experienced many times over the years I’ve been going to see my fav band.
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SET 1: Sigma Oasis, Evolve, You Enjoy Myself
ENCORE: Sample in a Jar, Chalk Dust Torture
This performance was part of NPR's Tiny Desk Concerts series and was previously recorded. The All Things Considered theme was teased during and after Sigma Oasis and Evolve. The band marched out of the room with maracas and other percussion instruments during the You Enjoy Myself vocal jam.
SURRENDER TO THE FLOW #83, SUMMER TOUR '24
Surrender to the Flow #83 is now PRINTED and is on its way to DISTRIBUTORS who will hand it out on lot to get it to you for free! HOWEVER, if you want to DOWNLOAD THE DIGITAL VERSION INSTEAD, it is available to you at www.gum.co/sttf83.
This issue is full of good stuff for you! It includes information about this year's Summer Tour including where to eat, things to do, and lots of information about each venue. You can also read reviews of Phish at Sphere in this one, too!
GOOD KARMA 2024 - EPISODE IV: A NEW WAVE OF HOPE
It’s just over a week until Summer Tour starts, and that can only mean one thing… it’s time for Mockingbird’s 4th Annual Good Karma Pledge Drive! Thanks to your collective generosity, we’ve raised over $40,000 the past three years for music education just by hoping for Phish to do cool things.
If you haven’t participated before, the rules are pretty simple. Just go here, pick the thing (or things!) you want to happen and pledge an amount for each occurrence. Enter as many times as you like! The most popular choice in past years has been to donate an amount for each 20-minute jam, but you can select one of the other options or even choose your own adventure.
I DIDN'T KNOW - A 30 YEAR PHISH FAN ORIGIN STORY
[Phish.net thanks Andrew Rose, @andrewrose, for this piece. All content on Phish.net is volunteer-driven, so if you have something interesting that you would like posted on the homepage, feel free to message @FunkyCFunkyDo or @Icculus with your idea. -Ed.]
I was driving down St Urbain yesterday, on the way to Old Montreal to run an errand. I thought waiting until 10pm or so would help me avoid traffic, but neglected to note that it was a Friday night in July, and the Montreal International Jazz Fest was still filling the air with free programming, and the crowds and cars—on the few streets that were still open for traffic—were plentiful. I didn’t mind much. The air was warm, a little humid but not oppressive. Spring and summer have been beautiful here in Montreal this year. A real contrast to the apocalyptic smog-filled skies that literally cast a cloud over the region last summer, starting with forest fires in Northern Quebec and then making their way down the American seaboard. I know those fires will be back at some point, but I’ve been doing my best to appreciate the relative blessings that this season has had to offer.
Brewery Benefit W/ Bubala, Sun 9/1
Music is a Language & The Mockingbird Foundation present a benefit concert @ Four Noses Brewery, Sunday 9/1/24, 12-4p, to support music education and local music. This pre-Phish party, early afternoon of the fourth Dick’s show, will feature Bubala (12-1 and 3-4) and an after-school youth band from Musical Life Denver (130-230).
HOW TO TURN MAGIC INTO SOMETHING REAL
[This post is courtesy of Paul Peck, President and Co-Founder of Fandiem. -Ed.]
I started seeing Phish a long time ago. Back when I was a high school kid. My early shows were formative experiences and showed me how inspiring live music can be when a group of friends and like-minded half-strangers come together to share something powerful. It's the kind of thing that can't be explained but for lack of better words, feels like a shared journey that brought us to some place unexpected and beautiful. If you’re reading this, you likely know what I mean. To say those early adventures propelled me into a career in the live music industry would be the understatement of the century.
Mockingbird Tops $2.5m, W/ 29th Round Of Grants
A nonprofit founded and run by Phish fans on an entirely volunteer basis has announced nineteen (19) new grants totaling $140,900. The Mockingbird Foundation has now disbursed 693 grants totaling more than $2.5M to support music education, of which more than $2M has been through the foundation's two-tiered competitive grants process. Mockingbird’s 29th round of competitive grants includes support for schools, community centers, and non-profit organizations in 13 states: AZ, CA, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, MD, NJ, NY, PA, TN, & TX. Complete details are now available at mbird.org/2024/06/round29grants/
Golf Is On Again For Denver!
The Mockingbird Foundation is once again offering three options to golf with fellow Phish fans this Labor Day weekend and help fundraise for music education:
- The Ninth Annual Runaway Open charity golf tournament for Phish fans will once again have up to 120 fans, in a shotgun start, preceded by coffee and a group photo. We'll have on-course contests, but this is all about swingin’ sticks with fans for charity. So, don’t sweat it if you’re rusty, new to the game, or prioritizing fun over competition - so are we! Register here, today! Registration covers all cart, greens, and tournament fees, including the shotgun structure (pricey to arrange on a Labor Day Saturday!); coffee, lunch, and a drink ticket; a gift bag of limited-edition event items as well as items contributed by sponsors; and a nominal charitable margin to support music education grants. Some sponsorship options are listed on the registration page, but we welcome your suggestions.
- We're also gearing up for the return of the disc golf tournament which Matt James spun up last year, to satisfy known demand and help raise more funds for music education. The first outing was a huge blast, with more players (and more funds raised!) than we expected, so we look forward to a repeat and hope to see you there. The 2nd Annual Wingsuit Open will also be Saturday August 31st in Denver, and registration is now open.
- Those unable to be on site can still join in the fun and charity fundraising by taking part in the virtual component - our Fifth Annual Virtual Open - using the same 18Birdies app we've used since the Fifth Annual Runaway Open went fully online in 2020. This will be an 18-hole, stroke-play event, on any course you want to play, any day from August 22 to September 4. Those who participate and make a donation of at least $70 to the Mockingbird Foundation before that window closes, will be sent the same limited-edition event merch being handed out on site, all with the Runaway Open logo. To play, join the tournament at 18birdies.onelink.me/IdkR/jccqsyjf, or by using tournament code 82868 on the app, or the QR Code here. Those participating on-site may also be interested in joining the virtual tournament. The app has lots of embedded services, offers a free trial period to test it’s distance and training features, and includes a gallery and chat space for those participating.
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