THE PHISH.NET MEME GAME
A "meme" is defined as "a cultural unit (an idea or value or pattern of behavior) that is passed from one person to another by non-genetic means (as by imitation)". On the internet, a meme is often a recurring theme, typically originating from a specific joke in a specific genre (such as a video game, see "All your base are belong to us") or pop culture (see Kanye West's "Imma let you finish").
The Phish.net site is constantly adding new features. This week, we're excited to unveil a new game in our "Just for Fun" section: The Meme Game.
The Meme Game features 50 images based on the Joseph Ducreux meme. Ducreaux was a French painter who painted the amusing self-portrait located below in 1793. Recently, it has become the backdrop for modern phrases or lyrics translated, sarcastically, into more formal English.
Above is an example game. The lyrics "It is my supposition that I have not yet accurately relayed the tale of the apparation" is, of course, a parody of the Phish song "Ghost," whose lyrics are "I feel I've never told you the story of the ghost."
Can you guess the other 49 songs? You can play The Meme Game now, answers will be posted within the next few days.
THE PHISH.NET MEME GAME
A “meme” is defined as “a cultural unit (an idea or value or pattern of behavior) that is passed from one person to another by non-genetic means (as by imitation)”. On the internet, a meme is often a recurring theme, typically originating from a specific joke in a specific genre (such as a video game, see “All your base are belong to us”) or pop culture (see Kanye West’s “Imma let you finish”).
The Phish.net site is constantly adding new features. This week, we’re excited to unveil a new game in our “Just for Fun” section: The Meme Game.
The Meme Game features 50 images based on the Joseph Ducreux meme. Ducreaux was a French painter who painted the amusing self-portrait located below in 1793. Recently, it has become the backdrop for modern phrases or lyrics translated, sarcastically, into more formal English.
Above is an example game. The lyrics “It is my supposition that I have not yet accurately relayed the tale of the apparation” is, of course, a parody of the Phish song “Ghost,” whose lyrics are “I feel I’ve never told you the story of the ghost.”
Can you guess the other 49 songs? You can play The Meme Game now, answers will be posted within the next few days.
NYE COMMEMORATIVE MUGS REISSUE
Pilsner style mugs to commemorate Phish’s New Years Run at Madison Square Garden Dec 30-Jan 1. Back by popular demand.
Report from Tyler: “Out of the second batch of 100 there are only 5 left. John and I are hitting the pottery wheel once again to supply fans with what they want. We have another round of 50 coming out in the next couple weeks. This round will ship mid-February.”
This will be the second run of 100 mugs. Each mug is hand crafted and totally unique. Mugs average 20 oz in volume and roughly 6 1/2 tall. These mugs are dishwasher safe and can bear hot or cold liquids. Mugs come in various glazes, each one stunning and intricate.
These mugs were crafted in Bend, Oregon at Cinder Cone Clay Center. Long time potter, John Kinder, and his faithful assistant, Tyler Davio, put blood, sweat, and tears into these works of art. John has been a successful potter in Bend for many years and his work is known across the state of Oregon. John does custom orders. You can view his art and space at CinderConeClayCenter.com. John also has other amazing pieces for sale including coffee mugs, serving platters, rice bowls, and vases onhttp://www.etsy.com/shop/johnkinderpottery.
The art for these mugs came from a very talented Maria Dichiappari. Maria’s design catches the eye and captures the spirit of a rocking holiday tour. Her poster art is some of the nicest stuff I have seen on tour in a long time. She has a real keen eye for design and I’m sure we’ll be seeing her artwork for years to come. She also has a stellar print for the MSG show. You can view and purchase all her beautiful art work at http://mariaddesigns.com/home.cfm
The second run of mugs are currently in production mode. We expect them to be available to be shipped out by the end of January. We apologize about the delay but there is a lot of art being created at the clay center at the current time.”
More information here on the cashortrade.org website. A portion of the proceeds from these mugs will benefit the Mockingbird Foundation/Phish.net.
TOUR ALERT STATUS T-SHIRT (ETC.)
We're already at Veggie Status, folks. How soon will Patchie come?
This image has been used on Phish.net, in the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) file, for many years. Now, by popular demand, get it on a shirt, sticker, or mug, and 5% of the purchase price supports music education for children, going directly to the Mockingbird Foundation (www.mbird.org)
PHISH.NET SITE REGISTRATIONS TOP 10,100!
We passed a milestone here on the Phish.net site since the NYE run, where we were hovering just under the 10K mark in registrations.
On Wednesday (1/5/10), we passed the 10,000 mark when @jraff456/Joe Rafferty registered (welcome, Joe) and as of this morning, we’re now at 10,101 members (welcome, @kodiakfloyd/Danny)!
NEW "TEASE CHART" TOOL ON .NET
A Tease Chart has been created and added to Phish.net. This chart expands upon the tease chart in The Phish Companion (2nd ed., 2004) and is located in the drop down tab for “Music”.
What’s new:
• Dozens of changes that have been made to Phish.net in the last year and several new teases (including Get A Job, Bewitched, Bothered, Bewildered, Theme to Barney Miller, For the Love of Money, and But Anyways).
• In addition to listing dates of the teases, they’re now noted with the songs they appeared in. “———” indicates that it was teased outside of a song (for example at the beginning of a set).
• Appearances of when a Phish song was teased or quoted in another Phish song.
• All teases post Vegas ‘04 (where The Phish Companion, 2d ed. left off)
This chart will be constantly updated, both from future changes made to the site from past setlists as well as more of a real time manner — it will be updated with teases from future Phish shows as they happen. As always, if you have any corrections, feel free to submit them!
FORBIN IN LIBERTY MUTUAL AD
Looks like someone at Liberty Mutual is a Phish fan!
Update: This was just sent to me by Twitter user rowj : Keep Your Eye Out...
MERCH MARKET: HOTDOGS CLOSE AT $72, DOWN $15.87; TOKENS CLOSE AT $80, UP $6.67
Souvenir NYE tokens surged on the eBay exchange today, closing at $80, up $6.67 from yesterday’s average price of $73.33.
Hotdogs, however, began a downward trend, closing lower at $72.00, declining $15.87 from yesterday’s average price of $87.87. Sales however, stayed strong with four auctions closing both days.
INTRODUCING "COLLECTIONS", A NEW PHISH.NET FEATURE
We’ve just activated a much discussed new feature on Phish.net. With the recent introduction of official streaming of Phish concerts, the request to track shows you’ve “couch toured” began to bubble up, prompting us to finish a feature discussed but never fully implemented.
Awhile back, we added the ability for you to track shows you’ve heard alongside the concerts you’ve attended. Almost immediately thereafter, we expanded it to allow you to track shows in your tape/MP3/FLAC collection. But then people wanted to track other shows. That’s when I started thinking that maybe there are other reasons for people to want discrete lists of shows. Maybe people want to track:
INTRODUCING "COLLECTIONS", A NEW PHISH.NET FEATURE
We've just activated a much discussed new feature on Phish.net. With the recent introduction of official streaming of Phish concerts, the request to track shows you've "couch toured" began to bubble up, prompting us to finish a feature discussed but never fully implemented.
Awhile back, we added the ability for you to track shows you've heard alongside the concerts you've attended. Almost immediately thereafter, we expanded it to allow you to track shows in your tape/MP3/FLAC collection. But then people wanted to track other shows. That's when I started thinking that maybe there are other reasons for people to want discrete lists of shows. Maybe people want to track:
- Shows you've got in MP3 vs shows you've got in FLAC?
- Shows you've been with a specific friend?
- Your top 10?
- Shows you want to listen to again?
- Your favorite setlists?
The fact is, we can't always predict how people will use features on our site. We don't know exactly what people will want to track. So today we're officially unveiling "Collections." With Collections, you can do exactly what you'd expect: you can define your own collection of shows. Then, once done, you can share the collection with other people or even run stats on it. And you can keep as many collections as you'd like.
I've already removed the ability to track shows you've heard and shows you own. If you used those features, I've already imported your lists into your first collections. Just check your collections and you'll have one or two already waiting for you.
We plan to expose "collections" via the Phish.net API in early 2011 and allow application developers to get creative with it.
So, without further ado: Collections.*
Here's a demo of a collection: http://phish.net/collection/1294152220
* Please note you must be logged in to your phish.net account to use Collections.
LEFSETZ: PHISH ROCKS!
Bob Lefsetz, from his music industry newsletter/blog, The Lefsetz Letter (12/31/10)“
They say rock & roll is dead. But that’s only if you’re listening to the radio, the critics, the prognosticators crunching data. But music isn’t data. Music is alive, it breathes, it’s something that gets inside and possesses you.
I won’t forget the first time I heard “Rock & Roll”. On “Loaded”.
But have you ever heard the take on “Rock N Roll Animal”? WHEW!
And we may be missing Dick Wagner and Steven Hunter’s interplay, that seventies magic, but last time I checked it was 2010, 2011! And these young ‘uns in Phish are taking that nugget and making it their own. Paying tribute and bringing it forward all at the same time. It’s about the ENERGY!
Come on, you know what it’s like to go to the show. You don’t sit there passively, you’re energized, you’re alive, every other show and moment in your life is just a synapse away. This is the essence of the experience, not nitwits dancing to click tracks.
Stop swinging for the fences. Contrary to what the old wavers tell you, technology is your friend. It allows you to get ever closer to your fans, to know who each and every one is. It allows them to interconnect and bond with each other and create a family even when you’re asleep…because music never sleeps, it’s playable always, now everywhere!
The old model has been destroyed. But don’t cry, we’re rebuilding right this very second! And we don’t know how or where it’s gonna go. There’s no formula. It’s 1968 all over again. There’s no kingpin, no programmer at MTV, no one telling you what you can or cannot do, unless you’re tied up with the old fogies.
So don’t watch Phish live at Madison Square Garden tonight.
But know that many are paying $19.99 for the privilege. And lovin’ it.
And unlike Justin Timberlake, Phish didn’t have to sell its soul to Mickey D’s, whore itself out to a corporation to be lovin’ it. They just followed the yellow brick road of music all the way to Madison Square Garden, three nights in a row, with no hit singles, no ubiquitous television coverage, none of the things the rulemakers tell you you need in order to make it.
There are no rules. Except for the ones you make yourself.
Live for the music. Each and every day. It will absolve you of your sins, it will save you, it will elate you, if you just respect it, if you don’t sully it, if you don’t bring it down to the gutter but exalt it.
And where there’s music there’s money. Always. Maybe not in the old ways, but in brand new ways, which are being invented right this very second.
”
MAKING OF THE MEATSTICK DANCE
Phish - "Meatstick" 12/31/10 New Year's Eve from Phish on Vimeo.
The "Making of the NYE Meatstick dance" documentary video from Phish.com
As a New Year's Day gift, Phish has released a nine minute Vimeo "documentary" about the preparation and performance of Friday's New Year's Eve extravaganza at Madison Square Garden, featuring the singers and dancers preparing for the show, the giant hot dog's "flight" and the countdown to the new year.
Excellent stuff! Thanks Phish; we were sitting below the hot dog in Section 87 and I was wondering how many dancers were on stage, and how this very complicated stunt was pulled off.
MSG COMMEMORATIVE TOKENS
Nice! Commemorative MSG "tokens" on sale outside the venue with posters at 5 pm, with remaining tokens sold at the merch booths inside, according to Phish's Facebook page here.
(Hat tip: Roses (Mike), Phish.net forum)
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