I never understood Phish, the rock band that I will always associate with vacuum cleaners and trampolines.

But Phish bass player Mike Gordon in 2002 told me an awesome story about a soundcheck the guys had before playing The Chance in Poughkeepsie years ago:

”My favorite moment at The Chance — no one was in the room during a soundcheck. Fishman and I were sleeping in a van right by the stage door and someone came to get us. We got on stage and both of us were still in alpha stages, still in a dream state, and we played really steady bass and drums, unvarying but very hypnotic. Sometimes sound checks were more hypnotic and mesmerizing than the gigs. Trey and Page did a very ambient … they did these very light, very fluttery patterns over steady bass and drums. It was one of the best musical experiences ever.”

johnbarry at the Poughkeepsie (NY) Journal blog "Sonic Storm" (5/25/11)

The iPhone app iDidn'tKnow has been updated to v3.0. With new features and content, the app now has over 1,000 questions, puzzles, and factoids - to test your knowledge of the Phish, and/or pass some time in show traffic. As always, a portion of all sales go to the Mockingbird Foundation., with whom app producer TourBuddySystems is a partner.

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Scott Anderson is leading an effort to sing "Happy Birthday to You" to Mike when the band walks on stage for the first set of the 6/3/11 show, his 46th birthday. Check out the Facebook page and flyer.

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Next Monday, May 30, Si Twining and Bruuuce.com will host Daily Dose Day, giving away 125 hourly downloads (25 each from Phish, Bruce Hornsby, Dave Matthews Band, the Grateful Dead, and Bela Fleck) to raise funds for the ALS Assocation (fighting Lou Gehrig's disease) and NSPCC (fighting cruelty to children).

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Issue #29 of Surrender to the Flow will hit the lots at Bethel with 64 pages of fun. Later issues this year include #30 (eight-page mini-issue) @ Superball IX, #31 (56 pages) for the second leg of summer, and #32 (eight-page mini-issue) for Colorado. Each includes news, reviews, venue info, essays, articles, games, statistics, and more.

The Blog is back with the 51st installment of the Mystery Jam Monday Series. Just like we have for the past 25 weeks, we will be playing for an MP3 download courtesy of our friends at LivePhish.com / Nugs.Net. The rules haven't changed: you need to correctly identify the song and the date to win. Post your guess in the comments. One guess per person per day (with the second “day” starting after I post the hint). The hint will come on Tuesday and the answer will be posted on Wednesday. Good luck...

Tuesday Hint: No need for a hint this week.

Wednesday Answer: Ladies and Gentlemen... a well-deserved congratulations to our first four-time winner, @Choda for ID'ing the 10/29/98 "Reba." Yet another tough loss, but the Blog will, nonetheless, be back next week with another Mystery Jam.

MP3 Downloads Courtesy of LivePhish.com

Those NYC concertgoers going to the May 31 and June 1 Phish shows at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel can skip the drive, traffic and hassle and jump on the Rocks Off "Party Bus."

According to Rocks Off, "We are running an air-conditioned, bathroom-equipped, sound system & flatscreen-rockin party bus from NYC to and from the shows, so you don't need to worry about finding a ride, staying sober, dealing with the scumbags on public transportation (or the crowded-ass shuttle buses back to the NJT station after the show), or even learning where the hell "Holmdel, New Jersey" actually is. Really, all you've gotta do is buy a ticket, show up, stumble into and out of the venue, and we'll take care of the rest - don't that sound like it's worth a little money spent on your peace of mind? (And not having to draw straws to see which one of your friends has to stay sober at a Phish show)."

Tickets are $49 plus shipping (mail for only 25 cents) for each night. More information and links for online ordering is available from the Rocks Off/TicketWeb website here. The bus will run to and from the Hammerstein Ballroom - 34th Street and 8th Avenue. Boarding begins at 4:45pm, and the bus will leave at 5pm PROMPTLY.

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Andrew Duch at the Headstash site has written a thought provoking article about how technology will change the Jam Band scene.

Duch sees a decline in "organic" roots rock music like the jam band genre, in favor of electronica and DJ based music. He also considers the implications of RFID wristbands and smartphone apps to allow cashless festivals and friend finding features. Interactive shows and enhanced couch tours also could be part of the future if bands embrace and facilitate the technology, like audience taping, instead of fighting it.

Food for thought.

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Fifty. Hard to believe, we've been doing this for nearly a year but here we are. And, for those of you keeping score, the Blog has won a grand total of four times. 4 for 49... those are Jorge Posada numbers! Where's my $13m? Sadly, even Posada is doing better than the Blog (if you don't count hints... we should count hints; factor those in and it's the Mystery Jam equivalent of OBP). Now that I've bored the hell out of all the non-baseball fans out there, let's get on with Mystery Jam Monday L. Just like every week, we will be playing for an MP3 download courtesy of our friends at LivePhish.com / Nugs.Net. The rules haven't changed: you need to correctly identify the song and the date to win. Post your guess in the comments. One guess per person per day (with the second “day” starting after I post the hint). The hint will come on Tuesday and the answer will be posted on Wednesday. Good luck...

Tuesday Hint: Five meaty minutes of Mystery Jam goodness and you noobs still need a hint?!?!? Ok, this should help... the show is from Vermont.

Wednesday Answer: 7/23/88 "Curtain With" -> "Dave's Energy Guide" -> "Curtain With." Congrats to possum17 on his (HINT AIDED!) victory. We'll be back on Monday for MJ51...

MP3 Downloads Courtesy of LivePhish.com

Maybe we will unleash the people on the town and let them handle it. We didn't bring the people to the area."

Roy Howard, one of the owners of the "Yasgurs Pharm" campground in Bethel, speaking to a reporter about the Town's plans to potentially prevent the campground from hosting Phish concertgoers at the upcoming Bethel Woods shows on May 27-29.

According to published reports, the campground owners have taken reservations for an estimated 1,300 cars, exceeding the maximum number of permitted campers under the Town's ordinance, as well as potentially violating a previous court order not to promote festivals at their site, the site of the original 1969 Woodstock festival.

The Town of Bethel and the operators of a popular campground on the original site of the 1968 1969 Woodstock festival seem to be squaring off about the definition of a "camping party".

The Town ordinance limits the number of permitted "camping parties" per separate parcel of land to four. The owners of the Woodstock Revival campground have already taken reservations for 1,300 vehicles and 3,000 people for their five parcels. Things may end up in court soon.

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Yesterday, GlowStickWars.com debuted a new "Pick Up Sticks" program. Fans attending Bethel Woods can place an order online for concert-friendly glow sticks (Show Sticks) and pick up their order at the concert. Just buy 2 or more tubes at GlowStickWars.com using promo code BETHELPUS; your order will be discounted by 10% and free shipping, and all orders will be available for pick-up each day on the lot, from the time the gates open until show time. Each day they will tweet, email, and post to Facebook their exact location. The second best part is that, if you miss your pick up, or even miss the shows for any reason, GSW will issue you a 100% refund - no questions asked. The best part is that 10% of every purchase is donated to The Mockingbird Foundation.

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The Blog is back with Mystery Jam 49. Just like every week, we will be playing for an MP3 download courtesy of our friends at LivePhish.com / Nugs.Net. The rules haven't changed: you need to correctly identify the song and the date to win. Post your guess in the comments. One guess per person per day (with the second “day” starting after I post the hint). The hint will come on Tuesday and the answer will be posted on Wednesday. Good luck...

Tuesday Hint: I think @Icculus has taken care of this week's hint. Careful... it's subtle.

Wednesday Answer: Congrats to Choda (another three-time winner!) for correctly naming the 5/6/93 "Tweezer." See you all on Monday -- Mystery Jam 50 awaits...

MP3 Downloads Courtesy of LivePhish.com

At a private meeting with Watkins Glen residents near the festival site, Schuyler County Sheriff William Yessman and WGI racetrack President Michael Printup told neighbors that the festival organizers and local officials were prepared to deal with the crowds and traffic efficiently, according to an article in the (Elmira NY) Star-Gazette.

The Sheriff told the neighbors "not to expect another 1973", referring to the "Summer Jam" that year with the Dead, Allman Brothers and the Band and the estimated 600,000, mostly ticketless, who showed up. As a result, large outdoor concerts were banned in Schuyler County until last year. Sheriff Yessman said that he's "done more planning on this event than any other event I've been involved with in my 26 years on the job". The planning included attending Coachella last year to observe security operations and to monthly meetings that brought together representatives of emergency services, law enforcement, WGI and the Phish promoters.

Printup noted that the 60,000 cap was less than the NASCAR events at the track and that the WGI is experienced in handling large crowds and traffiic. The article also stated that WGI had filed a 400 page Environmental Impact Statement regarding potential impacts and mitigation of the Phish and other festivals WGI plans to host at the racetrack.

It would appear that, easy access wise, Superball IX will be more like Festival Eight at the Coachella site in Indio than the hours backup-ed, traffic-clogged festival gates at Limestone, ME, The Big Cypress Seminole Reservation, and the "Newport State Airport" in Coventry, VT. Sounds like good news to me!

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