PHISHNET WAS BORN JUNE 22, 1991
PHISH archivist Kevin Shapiro recently---and graciously---tweeted HAPPY 34th BIRTHDAY to PhishNet, because for a very long time we believed PhishNet began thirty-four years ago in March 1990, as indicated in the old dot net "timeline," this News item, and this Jambands article from 2008 when Phish received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Jammys.
But a few years ago, PhishNet's founder Matt Laurence found his first email to the new PhishNet email list and sent it to us:
According to the Nov-Dec 1991 Phish Update (predecessor of the Doniac Schvice), the "Phish.net" "Internet electronic mail" (emphasis in original) list had "about 100 people" on it by fall 1991. College students in particular were encouraged to join the Phish.net e-mail list, as one could read about setlists on the list, get answers to questions about songs, lyrics and chords, read "reports of wild events," and receive "announcements of tape trees":
Here's a photo of Matt Laurence---sporting the '93 Phish.Net tshirt---with his friend James (left) and Mike Gordon (right) taken in 1993 when Matt interviewed Mike for his first interview to appear in Bass Player magazine:
 Matt (center) and Mike (right).jpg)
In any event, after Matt informed us about PhishNet's correct birthdate in 2021, we updated the timeline on this website to change the date of PhishNet's genesis from March 1990 to June 1991, but uh apparently didn't tell anyone.
PhishNet regrets the error.
"In other news you also may not have heard or been informed about in a timely manner by the volunteers behind this Internet World-Wide-Website, The FOTM Tease was removed many years ago from the setlist of 12/31/95 in honor of and in deference to Scott Marks and his work on the PhishNet setlists file, and "Quadrophonic Toppling" was added back to the Cypress setlist out of "Sand," and its song history revised and appended to explain why, in honor of but not in deference to everyone who complained about its removal. You're welcome." -charlie
Comments
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Phish.net
The Mockingbird Foundation
Thanks for starting it all, Matt! So awesome now to see what it's turned into.
I cannot offer much in return but a humble jam rec. I'm sure you've heard it. Been listening to and jamming with the undermind from dick's 2012 a lot recently. it's reminded me to be mindful of the trivial and profound beauty and power surrounding us in each moment. Listen to it if you haven't yet today (all who read). Partake in a little bit of the joy and gratitude I'm feeling on this fine monday afternoon when you get a chance!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3Yu0i4-EqM&pp=ygUPZGlja3MgdW5kZXJtaW5k
But really here to comment on your Dick's 2012 Undermind. This one is on a LiveBait. I had no thoughts or opinion on this tune until in a stroke of perfect timing it came up on my headphone shuffle during my daily commute walk into work. For some reason I didn't skip it! I remember the point where it got interesting.....then the woodblock patterns...hmmm, still about 6 or 7 minutes left. Better finish this one....I had to intentionally detour a bit to not get to work before it ended.
Full on sunrise kicks in over Lake Michigan...Trey starts those little repeating melody lines and everything starts rising. At some point I'm literally cheering, then I have to sit down somewhere around the time the guitar trills start, and stretch into whale calls.
And right where the arc takes it, it washes out and deflates as if it were all planned, and it was time to head into work.
@bushwood_a_dump said:
I'm glad there is a site that is, to some extent, carrying on the torch for good ol' r.m.p.
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