@JakeB said:

I'm always awestruck that anyone can even figure out one of these, let alone all three, let alone the hints, let alone coming back week after week to do it.

My non-head friends all think I'm the biggest Phish geek, just because I can identify songs by their first bar or two and have been to -- get this -- 14 shows. I always say, you have NO idea how far down that list I am.

I know I'll never make it to your level but I love watching the game!

Hello! First time I’ve seen you in the MJM comments. Thanks for chiming in, and welcome to this wonderful community of fellow Phish geeks.

I’ll start out with this: despite the level of geekery you see in MJM, it is never a competition for or measure of who is the biggest Phish fan.

Look, at the end of the day, you hear something in the music just like the rest of us - that’s the thing about Phish, there is room in the fan base for all of us. Just because some of us identify jams from 30-second snippets doesn’t make us “better” or “more dedicated” than you.

And if you want to get more involved in MJM, all of us start somewhere. Every first-of-the-month, we have n00b week where if you’ve never won you get first crack at trying to solve the puzzle over past winners; that happens to be tomorrow. Keep showing up, play the clips, follow along with the clues and answers if you can’t figure it out, and eventually you’ll build an ear for it. You can also check the spreadsheet in OP, click on “MJM Results” and you can check the entire history of MJMs with answers and build an ear for the catalog (in addition to hearing a MASSIVE treasure trove of jams that runs the gamut from well-known like Riverport/Went Gin, to obscure one-off performances and themes like “jams from shows where they played Jennifer Dances” or Whipping Posts from ‘88. This particular MJM was the hardest-of-the-month which is always a serious challenge, so don’t feel disheartened by not getting it immediately or even with some digging - it’s usually a challenge for myself and the emeriti too. Heck, a few weeks ago @justino recommended an MJM puzzle, and upon hearing the clips couldn’t identify the jams himself! And I’ve gone back and only gotten about a 75% success rate of clips and puzzles that I myself have constructed.

I remember when I was at 14 shows, my friends considered me a Phish geek and attaining emeritus status or figuring out MJM seemed like a pipe dream. It’s something that is a lot of fun, and something VERY doable for all of you out there. I fully encourage you to explore the catalog, but also enjoy every second of hearing it all for the first time. I WISH I could hear my favorite jams all over again for the first time, and while those jams have grown and matured with me and made my life more complete as a soundtrack to my own growth, I still love sharing that fresh feeling of seeing someone hear the 7/23/99 Ghost > Free or the 11/7/98 AC/DC Bag for the first time. Don’t rush it, keep exploring, and spread kindness wherever you go and you can’t go wrong in life my friend.