Mockingbird Announces Finch Fund Grants
The all-volunteer Mockingbird Foundation will be announcing scores of grants this year, including Summer Tour Grants, upcoming emergency grants, and, in less than a month, our 28th round of competitive funding. But we're starting with something special.
We pulled all of the Round 28 requests for $2K or less, ushered them through an expedited due diligence review, and are now announcing 25 grants totalling $35,980, in advance of Round 28. We're still playing with the name, but the gist is this: Identify dozens of small requests, that could make a big difference, and fund them quickly!
With this announcement, Mockingbird has now made more than 600 grants nationwide. We'll hit 650 before the summer's over, and 700 is in our sights, thanks to the generous support of Phish fans like you!
HOLLYWOOD3 RECAP: THE COMPLETE UNDERGROUND GHOST-CITIES OF THE FOREST
Ready Player Playoff Mode Phish For the Win
“[Flying saucer emoji]” - @funkyCfunkydo
“Non-stop thrills” - @n00b100
Before I get going with the task at hand, explain the title(s) of tonight’s recap, and get to the music, I would first like to express a little gratitude, and—if I may—a little camaraderie amidst the fever of playoff season. When I first decided to come out to LA for these shows at the Bowl, it was an impulsive jest while I was deep in relistening to the February 2003 quartet I caught in preparation for the long retrospective we published on the blog just before Mexico. For a minute or two since I’ve wondered if I was a little hasty and indulgent, but as I mentioned yesterday, this was my first trip to see Phish on the West Coast since I started seeing the band in Montreal in '94, and while any doubts about my decision were pretty much lifted early on Friday, tonight’s performance absolutely obliterated them.
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HOLLYWOOD2 RECAP: SATURDAY NIGHT STARS IN HOLLYWOOD
I could get used to this! And by "this" I suppose I could be referring to a lot of things: the majesty of the Hollywood Bowl; the flawless weather; the smooth security and ease of movement in the venue; the consistently kind people and old and new friends it’s been easy to bump into, despite having flown solo for my first West Coast Phish shows in almost 30 years of seeing the band. No complaints on the set and setting so far from me; it’s been a great weekend. So what about the music, did it measure up to the mood? Would we be giving out any new stars on the Phish Walk of Fame tonight? Roll cameras, action:
The stage was certainly set for a Saturday night special. After casting off any suspicions of no repeats from the opening notes on night one, with everything back on the table the band had a full arsenal of hits to dig into tonight, and they certainly put it to use. In fact with “Leaves” the only exception, the first set was comprised of songs all debuted in 1998 or earlier (many of them in the 80s). Four songs in, it almost seemed for a moment like Phish was going to walk out a full cast of their own star personalities from the catalog—not from Gamehendge, mind you—but the likes of the “Ghost,” “David Bowie,” “Esther” and “Harry Hood.” As it turns out, the only other eponymous character to show up would be Sneakin’ Sally (with a notable performance), but there were plenty of other roles to be played.
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HOLLYWOOD1 RECAP: IT ALWAYS WILL BE LOVE
[Thank you to user @twelvethousandmotherfker, Willie Orbison, for recapping last night's show. -Ed.]
As we follow the lines going south on this little west coast spring swing, we Phish fans find ourselves at one of the most beautiful and historic live music venues in the country, the venerable old Hollywood Bowl, where heads of all shapes and sizes have been gathering for over a hundred years to take in their favorite performers on a shady hillside under the California sky. It’s a privilege (and not just because of the ticket prices) to spend an evening here, and on what was the warmest, sunniest day of the year after a cold and rainy Los Angeles winter (feel free to cry us a river), everything felt extremely right making the long walk up the hill toward the show.
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Spring Tour, And Tour Grants, Come To Socal!
In honor of Phish's upcoming shows at the Hollywood Bowl, April 21st, 22nd, and 23rd, the Mockingbird Foundation is sending checks for $1,000 to support music education through three nearby programs, all in Los Angeles, CA:
- Larchmont Charter Hollygrove, will get outfitted with a new PA system and microphones,
- Mar Vista Elementary will be able to purchase 45 children's sized Fender guitars, and
- Palms Middle School will acquire some new musical instruments for their students.
These unsolicited "Tour Grants" are part of an effort that now totals $230,000, over 10% of all Mockingbird grants to date. We're doing them for all 8 shows this spring, and all 23 this summer, updating a running list on the Foundation's website as we go, and welcome Phish fans and others to make a tax-deductible contribution supporting this effort.
GREEK3 RECAP: CATHARSIS
[We would like to thank CoffinLifeBuoy, author of this piece in The Atlantic, for volunteering to recap Greek3 in a dignified and human manner. -Ed.]
If Phish.net has resorted to having ChatGPT write a review for 4/19/23, I guess I can offer a few thoughts from the human-side of things.
Allow me to begin by saying this three-night run at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley, California, were my first shows since Big Cypress. Depending on your age (and maybe tax bracket?), that’s either a #humblebrag (RIP Harris Wittels) or a shameful confession. But take that as a blanket caveat on everything that follows — and, yes, that’s a #tarpers pun, although I admit that’s a term I learned just yesterday.
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CHATGPT INSUFFERABLY RECAPS GREEK3
[The title of this recap is both a reference to this lovely tweet about the scene inside The Greek Theatre seven (7) minutes after doors, thanks to line-cutting by "fans," and the fact that this recap was authored by "ChatGPT." Note also that both the title of this recap and the contents of this intalicized and bracketed intro have been revised since first being published on April 20 at 4:20 pm e.t., if only to gaslight some of the Commenters. You're welcome. -Ed.]
IT seems that the band played a great mix of classic Phish songs and newer material. The first set kicked off with "I Never Needed You Like This Before," a relatively new tune that has quickly become a fan favorite. This was followed by "AC/DC Bag," which always gets the crowd energized, and "Rift," a classic Phish song that showcases the band's tight musicianship.
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GREEK2 RECAP: WHERE THE PEOPLE COME TO PRAY
Phish’s sixth show at the William Randolph Hearst Greek Theatre in Berkeley, CA since the famed August ‘93 tour closer began much in the same way the second through fifth shows did: incredibly long lines dotted by nitrous vendors, fans cutting in line at the gate and once inside, tarping large swaths of seats for folks nowhere to be found, and a general logistical failure in transporting the fans from outside the venue to the inside of the venue. Both nights this year have had such bad flux issues with the switch to digital tickets that can’t be loaded or verified on the overloaded cellular networks, that some staffers have resorted to just waving folks through once the posted showtime (6 pm PT) arrives. This of course has in turn led to the venue being overfull each of the first two nights. Doors opening at 4:30 pm instead of 5 pm yesterday seemed to help a little bit, but it still wasn’t great.
But, as usual, once everyone was in and settled and the pre-show tunes started (which included a nod to the aforementioned 8/28/93 show with a JJ Cale tune), all the annoyance from the run-up dissipated and everyone turned their attention to more important matters. Phish took the stage at 6:34 pm local time to raucous applause from the extra grateful crowd after Monday night’s elite second set, and we were treated with a rarity brought back in recent years, “Olivia’s Pool” (aka Slow “Shafty”). Unlike Monday night’s first set, the sound was dialed in from the jump - or so we thought - and the band sounded crisp and well-oiled. “Seven Below” batted second after taking last season off, and while the jam neither went too deep nor too long, Trey found a honeysweet high pitched tone and led the band through some beautiful melodic patterned play. Mike pushed for minor mode territory with his new bass, and unlike some spots Monday night, Trey heard him and followed, ultimately providing some time dilation action with one of his toys. My mind drifted back to Summer 2003 at the Gorge, where I witnessed possibly the G.O.A.T. “Seven Below” two months after graduating from the school in which I stood, a reminder that Phish has been really good for a long time and that I’ve been lucky to follow along for nearly 25 years.
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GREEK1 RECAP: CASE OF THE MONDAYS?
[We would like to thank Landon Schoenefeld, user nomidwestlove (Instagram _colonel_mustard) for recapping last night's show. -Ed.]
Hey nerds. As I sit here writing these words, beams of sunlight are poking through the oak trees outside and shooting through the living room window. A fire is blazing in the corner. I have a freshly made cup of joe in hand, curled up on the couch in only my underwear as a beautiful orange tabby cat sleeps peacefully by my side. Why?
Because I’m at home! And I couldn’t be more thrilled to report that after my 137th Phish show last night at the William Randolph Hearst Greek Theatre something happened for only the second time ever—I slept in my own bed!
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Spring Tour Brings More West Coast Grants!
In honor of Phish's upcoming shows at the Greek Theatre, April 17th, 18th, and 19th, the Mockingbird Foundation is sending checks for $1000 to support music education through three nearby programs:
- the ARISE High School, in Oakland, CA, will be stocking up their instrument loan library with some new guitars;
- the Berkeley Unified School District VAPA, in Berkeley, CA, will be able to provide scholarships for music camp; and
- the Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School, in Oakland, CA will be purchasing new chairs for the music students.
These unsolicited "Tour Grants" are part of an effort that now totals $230,000, over 10% of all Mockingbird grants to date. We're doing them for all 8 shows this spring, and all 23 this summer, updating a running list on the Foundation's website as we go, and welcome Phish fans and others to make a tax-deductible contribution supporting this effort.
SEATTLE2 RECAP: THE CIRCUS CAME TO TOWN
28 years. That's how long I've lived in Seattle. During that time we've had 4 shows within 150 miles of my house: two in '95, one in '96, and one in 2014. Part of it is that Seattle is tucked in a corner, far away from everywhere else. Part is that The Gorge is just outside of that 150 mile radius and if you have the ability to play there, you're going to be tempted. But also, a huge chunk is that the old Key Arena was just not a fun place for musicians. The acoustics were awful. The loading area was pitiful. Sure, people did perform there because Seattle is a major market, but no one really liked to.
And then the Sonics left town and the attempt to lure the Kings here got the NBA to belatedly realize that teams moving was a bad thing. Forestalling the departure or getting a team transplanted here would have had an arena built, but who knows what it would have been like. Instead we got an expansion hockey team, and they decided to rip down everything about the Key---other than the roof and some windows---and build a completely different building underneath it. Moreover, this was going to be a place as focused on the music as for sports.
They succeeded. The first time I saw a Kraken game last year, I was stunned at how crisp the piped in music sounded. We've gone from a dive of a venue to one of the best sounding hockey arenas I've ever been in. It's a bit of a maze at times, but the weird layout leads to an incredible ease of wandering around. The food - while expensive - is high quality; even the nachos I ordered used queso instead of the weird orange stadium cheese. Like so much of this city, we've moved from a bit of a weird dump to something expensive but amazing. A liability has become an attraction and for only the second time ever, Seattle was getting a two show run!
SEATTLE1 RECAP: THE MIRACLE OF HUMAN FLIGHT
[Thank you Gene for recapping last night's show! -Ed.]
It’s been eight and a half years since Phish last played in Seattle — nowhere near the 23.5 year gap that its neighbor to the south and my adopted hometown of Portland can claim — but a long time nonetheless. And a lot has happened since October 2014.
Renewal, evolution, and hope make the Climate Pledge Arena a fitting cradle for the birth of Phish’s spring tour. The last time they played this room, it was a sad monument to a departed basketball team ("The Line" fit in all too well in that setlist). When Seattle got its most recent sports upgrade, they chose to build on what was already there rather than start from scratch — to renovate, renew, and look to the future with one foot in the past, under a landmark roof first built for the 1962 World’s Fair.
The result is nothing short of stunning. The “new” Climate Pledge Arena shares the basic shape of its predecessor, but the similarities end there. Amenities galore, massive sound-treatment improvements, 100% renewable energy, and zero single-use plastic. This is the venue of the future. And that respect for the past, as we build and evolve for the future? That’s a great metaphor for the tour opener Phish threw down in Seattle last night.
"Blaze On" opened, built gradually, and evolved seamlessly into "Plasma." The shuffling march of "Plasma’s" drum line set a rhythmic theme for the night that would persist throughout, as Fishman kept a setlist full of relatively complex drum patterns and patient, slow-build jams woven together masterfully. The map is not the terrain. The setlist is not the show.
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Spring Tour Brings West Coast Tour Grants!
In honor of Phish's upcoming shows at Climate Pledge Arena, April 14th and 15th, the all-volunteer, fan-run Mockingbird Foundation is sending checks for $1,000 to support music education at new nearby music programs:
- Music4Life (in Seattle, WA) provides donated nad repaired musical instruments at no charge to public school distrcts for use by students in need; and
- Highline Public Schools (in Burien, WA) will be purchasing three Trevor James fluters for their elementary band program.
We'll be doing the same for all 8 shows this spring, and all 23 this summer, updating a running list on the Foundation's website as we go, and welcome Phish fans and others to make a tax-deductible contribution supporting this effort.
SURRENDER TO THE FLOW, SPRING 2023, ISSUE NO. 77
[Thank you Christy Articola, Editor and Publisher of STTF! -Ed.]
Surrender to the Flow is thrilled to offer their 77th issue for this Spring Tour! STTF #77: Spring Tour 2023 is full of good stuff for you! This issue - available FREE or by donation - includes information about PHISH's west coast Spring Tour 2023 - where to eat, things to do, and things you need to know about each area and venue. You can read reviews of NYE Run 2022-2023 and Mexico 2023 in this one, too.
George Ogg Tribute, April 16
Joseph Decuis - a lovely farm-to-fork experience in Roanoke, Indiana - will host a benefit concert on Sunday, April 16, 2023. The event will be a tribute to celebrate the life and music of George Ogg, and the organizers' initial goal is to raise $10,000 for the Mockingbird Foundation, per George’s children’s wishes.
George Ogg was a teacher and professional musician in California with his wife and children from 1980 to 1988. He had hundreds of students over his long entertainment and teaching career. For several years, George performed as a local musician/guitarist in the Fort Wayne area. During this time, he played out extensively with many different musicians and was dearly loved by all who worked with him. He was also a musical volunteer at area churches, and was on staff at Emmanuel Lutheran Church for the 5 p.m. church services. See videos on his YouTube channel and clips on his Facebook page.
The benefit, which begins at 3:00 p.m., will feature live music by some of Fort Wayne’s finest musicians, anecdotes from the friends that loved George, and hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar provided by Joseph Decuis, a fine-dining restaurant with casual lunches at the Emporium, next door. Much of the food is raised on their farm 6 miles away, and guests are encouraged to consider two associated B&Bs, one on the farm and one near the restaurants.
All proceeds will go to benefit The Mockingbird Foundation. Tickets are free, but seating is limited, so please make sure to register via Eventbrite. A goodwill collection will be taken.
Trey And Page Release New Album, January
On March 10, Trey and Page released a new album, January, through JEMP Records, Phish's label. Recall that in December 2020 Page and Trey released December, leading fans to speculate about when February will be released, and in what month---June, perhaps?
Produced by Bryce Goggin---who produced Phish's Farmhouse and Round Room and engineered Undermind---January has been very well-received by fans of all stripes, and you can listen to it here on LivePhish, or here on Apple Music, or here on Spotify.
For example, LivePhish site user YourMom says:
Phish Announces 2023 Summer Tour
PHISH has announced a summer tour with shows in Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania (Star Lake and the Mann), and of course New York (Syracuse and MSG). The tour concludes with four nights at Dick's over the Labor Day Weekend. The fan presale is underway through Phish Tickets’ online ticketing system (http://tickets.phish.com/) and the request period ends on Monday, February 27, 2023, at noon e.t. Public on sale is 10am e.t. on Friday, March 3. For more information visit Phish.com.
Phish Announces Eight (8) Show West Coast Spring Tour In April
PHISH has announced an eight-show spring tour on the West Coast in April, namely, April 14-15 at Seattle's Climate Pledge Arena, April 17-18-19 at UCBerkeley's Greek Theatre, and April 21-22-23 at The Hollywood Bowl. A ticket request period is underway at tickets.phish.com and will end on Monday, January 16th at 12pm e.t., 9am p.t. The public onsale begins Friday, January 20th at 1pm e.t., 10am p.t. For more info visit phish.com/tours.
Phish Msg Nye Run December 28-31 Announced
Phish will perform four shows at Madison Square Garden, Wednesday, December 28th through Saturday, December 31st. The Phish Ticket request period is underway at tickets.phish.com, and it ends on Monday, October 3rd at 12pm e.t. General on sale is Friday, October 7th at 12pm e.t. A limited number of travel packages (hotel and tickets) will go on sale Thursday, October 6th at 12pm e.t. here.
THE FINAL HURRAH
Phish debuted “The Final Hurrah” on Halloween, as the sixth song on a made-up album by an invented Scandinavian rock band, with glowing squares dangling over the audience while Page sang "I am in a square, dangling in mid-air." That could be the setup for something awesome, terrible, or just weird - and "The Final Hurrah" has some of each....
Phish.net
The Mockingbird Foundation