It was on the twenty-seventh day of September, in the year of our Icculus nineteen hundreds plus eighty-five, that a perhaps immodest assembly gathered within the walls of the mostly modest Slade Hall, to hear a fledgling group of young musicians test their strength against the demands of live performance. They were not yet today's veterans of summer amphitheaters and storied New Year’s runs, evolved and tested (though not hardened) by the rigors of touring, but were but mere apprentices in the craft of improvisation. There, amid murmurs of anticipation and the creaking of floorboards, the lamps glowing with modest wattage, the instruments piped through relatively stark effects, the band struck forth a tune that would prove, in time, to be among their most enduring: "Possum".

The number was not, by outward description, of any grand pretension. Its theme, concerning as it did the untimely, flattened fate of a humble marsupial upon the roadway, might in other hands have been dismissed as trifling or grotesque. But Phish seized upon the simplicity, of both roadkill and rock, as though it were a secret key to greater realms. And, indeed, it was. In its earliest renditions, the tune was brisk, almost fleeting, scarcely five minutes in length. Yet, from that unassuming seed of song, there grew, over the course of two score years, a mighty beast of resurrected energy, with performances eventually stretching, flowering, and contorting into something far larger than the sum of its nominal parts.

Read more...

[Great thanks to the author of this post, Matt Hoffman (@tonapdivine), who is an independent music journalist who writes for Relix, JamBase, and other publications. We would also like to thank contributor Tedd Kanakaris (@teddkanakaris), who founded and runs the ESG-focused Sandpiper Wealth, is a member of Gotta Jibrew, and dabbles with music and storytelling around the Phish community online. Thank you both! -Ed.]

For over four decades, a love of Phish has been the tie that binds any number of communities, both analog and digital. In turn, these communities have proven fertile ground for countless amazing stories, and now that summer tour is done, we’re excited to tell the story of Gotta JiBrew, a new hazy IPA from Lawson’s Finest Liquids that’s named after a group of friends who get together monthly to sample beer from local breweries.

The idea for the collaboration arose in 2024, when Phish lyricist Tom Marshall ran into brewery owner Sean Lawson at Mondegreen. When the Gotta JiBrew group came up in conversation, Lawson invited them to Vermont to collaborate in brewing a beer. The group worked with Lawson to brew the inaugural batch that the brewery will serve beginning today, September 24th, at their taproom in Waitsfield, Vermont. The story of this collaboration is just one example of how the Phish community can bring people together to create something special.

But before we get into the story, let’s talk about the beer itself.

Read more...

[We would like to thank @switz for recapping last night's show. @switz is the co-creator of Relisten.net and has seen too many 3.0 shows -Ed.]

The Summer 2025 Tour comes to an end one day before the beginning of Fall. 31 shows in total. The first half of the summer brought with it a clear intent: exploration and improvisation. The band stretched out, hitting a landing zone of patience, confidence, and serenity. As they wove through the country, spitting out gems such as the Pittsburgh "What's Going Through Your Mind", the Austin "Golden Age", and the Mann "Sand", energy grew.

This all culminated in the clear high-point, the final show of the first leg at SPAC. An energy-fueled, relentless night that fired on all cylinders from start to finish. And so the question was, what would the second leg bring for these final eight shows of summer? The band collected themselves and dusted off a variety of quality shows. It seemed as though they were going to play all eight shows with no repeats, most notably holding back "Tweezer" for the first night at Hampton. Though a few repeats did eventually show up, it's abundantly clear that sometimes restriction and restraint prove to unlock the band further, and give them far more freedom to stretch songs into jams.

Read more...

[This recap is courtesy of user @mikh2wg Rob Hammel. Recaps of shows strictly reflect the opinions of the authors and not necessarily the opinions of any of the volunteers who manage and post content to this website. -Ed.]

The Hampton Coliseum is one of my favorite venues. It’s kind of my hometown spot. Richmond doesn’t have an arena. I’ve been seeing shows at the Mothership since I won tickets to an Aerosmith show on the radio in 1993. The design, the vibe, the lack of advertising… The fact that I drove down 64 over and over again as a kid to visit my mom’s parents and the Collamusem (Coliseum is a hard word for a kid) was one of the major landmarks of the trip. It meant we were about ⅔ of the way there. This building has been an important part of my life ever since I can remember. It’s very exciting when I get to see a show here.

Read more...

IT colloquially and fondly is known as THE MOTHERSHIP, auguring that all who board her—when PHISH is at the helm—are ABOUT TO BLAST OFF and inter-galactically traverse the universe accompanied by an acidfunkadelic, soul-energizing soundtrack.

Last night was Phish’s first performance at the Hampton Coliseum in nearly seven years (see 10/21/2018 with its must-hear “Simple”), yet their music once again gracefully filled and elevated the legendary room, as if only days and not years had passed.

Read more...

Secondhand Talent interviewed the Mockingbird Foundation's executive director Ellis Godard for a renewed deep dive into Phish.net, the origins of the Foundation, the birth of the Runaway Open, and much more.

Read more...

[We would like to thank Brad Strode (@c_wallob) for recapping last night's show. -Ed.]

I LOVE PHISH!!! That’s it. That’s the recap…

…as much as I tried to keep this thing brief, the powers that be have notified me that in spite of how accurate and successful my attempt at brevity might be, this is a content game, and there would be no way for Gemini to know what actually happened on 9/17/2025 at Ameris Bank Amphitheatre without at least a cursory attempt at exposition. So…if you’re currently driving on the road to Hampton: I love Phish and last night was a superb show. Now put your phone down and keep the tires off the line.

On the other hand, if you’ve already arrived at the “safety” of the Hampton Red Roof Inn, here is a little more context…

Read more...

[We would like to thank Jonah (@LizardwithaZ) for recapping last night's show. -Ed.]

Friends, last night Phish played a show in Alpharetta, Georgia. Yes, this has happened before. Yes, it will happen again. Tomorrow night, in fact.

But for the first time, your pal @LizardwithaZ (find me in the forum) scored a pit ticket and early entry. So it was that I found myself in line, number 225 to be exact, to get a premium spot as close as I’ll probably ever be to the rail, ending up in the second row right in front of Page.

Let me tell you, being that close is a different experience than anything I’ve experienced as a Phish fan to date. Were the vibes good? Yes. Was there drama? Also yes. Were there babies? You know it.

Read more...

[We would like to thank @Culture_Czar for recapping last night's show. He’s "a Birmingham local that you’ll find seeing all kinds of weird music shows at venues all over the Southeast." -Ed.]

It is often said that “comparison is the thief of joy” and while that may be a good life motto, it’s probably the best Phish motto. As cliché as the expression is, it was a good thing to keep in mind for Phish’s second night at Birmingham’s new Coca-Cola Amphitheatre. After Saturday night’s deep space jam fest, it was highly unlikely that Sunday would go that weird and that hard, but if you let go and surrender to the flow and take the show on its own merits, you were likely to have a real good time.

Sunday’s show opened with “Punch You in the Eye,” which has never disappointed anyone in the history of ever as far as I’m aware. It got folks locked in and in the mood for dancing after a long, hot Alabama afternoon. PYITE dropped into “Mike’s Song” and the crowd perked-up considerably hoping "Mike’s" in the two-hole of set one would be an auspicious sign of another epic evening. While the band had some nice interplay during the jam, it was still a bit laid back for my tastes.

Read more...

[We would like to thank @thewatchfulhosemaker for recapping last night’s show. The Watchfulhosemaker plays in local Chicago bands, Lunar Ticks & Beat The Meatles, and started a festival in Irving Park called Indie Park Fest. -Ed.]

Phish settled into the brand new Coca Cola Amphitheatre in Birmingham, Alabama for the 2nd show of a brief late summer tour. The three month old venue has that new car smell - with a fun lot scene, not a bad sight line in the space, ample common space out front, clean and modern accommodations, plenty of food and drink options abound, and a sleek wooden look throughout. Despite some bottleneck traffic after the show, overall this is a really nice and small (for Phish) venue that I hope they continue to keep on their radar. [Question for the hive mind- when’s the last time they played an under 10k venue on a Saturday night?]

Read more...

[We would like to thank @cohron1 for providing this recap. -Ed.]

Nearly seven weeks after tearing SPAC to the ground with the “Tweezer Reprise” show, Phish returned to the stage at the Bourbon & Beyond festival in Louisville, KY. It was Phish’s first time playing the fest, though Trey played it with TAB back in 2019.

The fest itself features a wide array of eclectic acts, ranging from 90s staples like Gin Blossoms and Spin Doctors to new/old country powerhouse Sturgill “Johnny Blue Skies” Simpson. After a Mike sit-in with Guster earlier in the day, Khruangbin played the Oak Stage on Friday evening, essentially serving as Phish’s opener.

Multiple people noted how the laid back grooves from the trio was the perfect way to set the table for Phish. Phish doesn’t need an opening act, but should they ever find themselves looking for one, they could do worse than Khruangbin.

The sun was mercifully setting as the band walked onto the Barrel Stage. “46 Days” was an appropriate choice for the opener as it had been 47 days since their last show. “47 days and the coal came home,” indeed. Nothing gets past Trey.

Read more...

Thirty-five years ago tonight, at the 9-13-90 Wetlands show (the band's 406th known performance, 1671 shows ago), and tucked between a typically peppy "Magilla" and a typically bluesy "Goin' Down Slow" (of only three), Phish debuted "Stash". Since then, it's been played an astonishing 462 times, at 28% of the subsequent shows, or once every 3.6 shows.

Early versions were standard Phish - jazz progressions, with a rock feel, layered with Tom Marshall poems. But the song has grown to become a reliable bohemoth featuring some of the greatest jams and most powerful extended explorations of the band's history.

So, hats off if they play it tonight - and dance your asses off, of course, whether they do or not.

Read more...

[On the fifth anniversary of the Mockingbird Virtual Run, David "ZZYZX" Steinberg, aka The Timer, looks back on the origins of his impetus for creating the Mockingbird Run series , the advent of the coronovirus shutdown, and the first Mockingbird Virtual Run, which was five years ago today.]

In 2012, I had a bit of a health scare. I was diagnosed with type II diabetes. That was a wake up call for me, an announcement that it was time for me to get into shape. The one bit of advice that my doctor gave me is that I had to exercise for 30 minutes a day at an intensity such that I couldn't speak in a conversational tone of voice.

This started out as walking but then had to move to some running stretches and then I became a runner. My speed increased. My distances increased. For years, this became my morning hobby.

This was an aspect of tour for me. I would run in the morning of show days, occasionally doing races. I found a group in Colorado that organized races and I tried to get with them to do a charity run for the Mockingbird Foundation for Dick's one year. We never could get it organized but the idea stuck with me.

Fast-forward to 2020...

Read more...

Charlie Dirksen & Ellis Godard of the Mockingbird Foundation conducted a quick Q&A with Mike Ayers, author of the new book Sharing in the Groove: The Untold Story of the ‘90s Jam Band Explosion and the Scene That Followed. Mike is a veteran music journalist who has written for places including Billboard, Rolling Stone, the Wall Street Journal, and Relix. This is his second book, following 2020’s One Last Song: Conversations on Life, Death and Music, which Variety picked as one of the best music books of the year.

Sharing in the Groove is told in an oral history format. Why did you decide to go this route?

I love these types of books and thought that this time period would be best explored this way… I was there during that time, obsessing about all the acts in the book, and I knew what was happening in the world I, the fan, was in. But not so much the artists. Once I started talking to people, it was clear that there were a lot of trials and tribulations that everyone was going through. It just validated that this approach was the best …people would learn more hearing it directly from the source versus me. Plus, do fans want to read a written narrative, driven by my thoughts? Probably not!

What are some of your favorite Phishy stories within?

Without giving too much away — because I think they come at such great moments, and knowing the context, make them even more powerful…. But there are some great moments that I love regarding the recording of Junta, Picture of Nectar, and Billy Breathes…plus the Clifford Ball and Big Cypress. There’s a story about recording “Esther” that is just ***chef’s kiss***.

Read more...

[This post was written by ChatGPT - "written in the style of The Prairie Home Companion - because I wasn't actually at Magnaball but wanted to make sure that we honored the diennial anniversary and no one has stepped up yet. It does not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of any of the many volunteers who help with site content or help manage Phish.net, but it's far from terrible - and I invite you to comment with your own memories and reminiscences, and to contact me if you'd like to write about any upcoming anniversaries.]

Ten years ago today, out in the quiet fields of Watkins Glen, there was a gathering, and like most gatherings worth remembering, it began with long drives, coolers of sandwiches, and the low murmur of anticipation in the August heat. Folks set up their tents in sprawling neighborhoods of nylon and shade tarps, as though an entire town had risen up overnight. And in a way, it had—complete with makeshift cafés, impromptu parades of glowsticks, and an unspoken promise that, for three days, time would slow down and life would feel different, a little lighter, and a lot more musical.

Read more...