Casual Enlightenment

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Originally Performed By	Phish
Appears On
Music/Lyrics	Gordon
Vocals	Mike
Historian	Vince Anthony 12ozMouse
Last Update	2026-02-25

History

Two byproducts of the pandemic lockdowns were ample time for introspective meditation and musical creativity. “Casual Enlightenment” was born out of COVID-era writing sessions, giving Mike a creative outlet to explore his inner musings while on a touring hiatus. Taking lyrical inspiration from the legendary Leonard Cohen, and musical inspiration from The Wild Tchoupitoulas’ “Meet De Boys on the Battlefront,” this song from Gordon’s Flying Games album provides an inner monologue on the fleeting encounters with those who elicit carefree feelings from days gone by.

Making its Phish debut in Summer 2021 (8/8/21), this song interestingly transitions between a 3/4 and 4/4 beat with light reggae undertones, giving the listener an opportunity to resonate with the meditative and dream-like musings of the author. According to a July 2023 interview in BassMagazine, the initial concept for this song originated from parts of an unnamed Phish jam at Alpine Valley, likely in 2019. 

In this brief fling with another woman, Mike refers to feelings of the lost inner-self reappearing, while hoping to connect with the elusive feeling of transcendence. Much like dreaming, this encounter isn’t meant to be lasting or permanent, but to be embraced in the moment before it fades away into the ethereal.

Video by shinepigeon.

Concertgoers have described this tune as funky, mellow and danceable. The trio of Phish performances to date have stayed in the box, all at around six minutes, whereas Mike Gordon Band performances stretch out a little longer, giving the song room to breathe. For an alternative take on this tune, which has appeared and disappeared from setlists almost as quickly as the encounter described in the lyrics, check out the Mike Gordon Band debut on 6/20/23, featuring Michael "Mad Dog" Mavridoglou on trumpet, Spencer Merk on trombone, and Eric Wurzelbacher on tenor saxophone.

Last significant update: 2/24/26

 

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