And now, ladies and gentlemen, we come to Phish.
Twenty years ago today I saw my first Phish show at The George Mason Patriot Center in Fairfax, VA. Let me rewind for a minute and give some backstory. By April 17, 1994, I had already seen approximately two and a half dozen Grateful Dead shows. Along with a variety of other bands and artists, I was becoming a seasoned concert goer. I had a couple of friends in college whom we shall call Crane and Jamie, who had started seeing Phish a few years earlier. They loved them. I had moved back to Maryland by the spring of ’94. I called Crane on a landline and said, Phish is playing near me and do you think I should see them? Before I could finish my sentence she was like YES, GO, GO, GO! Now Crane will tell you, that in the 26 years that we have known each other, I never heed her advice or suggestions. Sadly, this is true most of the time. But on that particular Sunday, I listened. I trust Crane’s musical opinions. So by myself, I made the not too long trek around the beltway to the Patriot Center where I scored a ticket and headed to the upper back of the arena. Here I was able to smoke some weed without being bothered. The unassuming foursome took the stage and began with what would become one of my least favored played Phish songs, Loving Cup. I can’t, I can’t. A Rolling Stones song, I am not a fan. The irony here is that of all the first Phish songs to see, I got Loving Cup. Well, I’ll take it. For the next two plus hours, Phish tore it up. What I remember most from this first show of mine was the amount of sound that these four guys produced. It was like, Wow. Also, they were tight as hell. The drummer, Jon Fishman, was not behind the other players; instead he was on stage left next to bassist Mike Gordon. Fishman also wore a Mumu dress with round circles and took a vacuum solo. You read that sentence correctly; the drummer played a vacuum cleaner. Hmmm, that is a little odd. Rounding out this quartet was Trey Anastasio on guitar and Page McConnell on keyboards. The other thing that just blew me away was how just when you thought they were peaking in the jam of a song; they would turn it up another notch. And thus, I was hooked. Six months later I would see them again at the same venue. Fast forward twenty years. This summer I will cross the fifty show mark; a drop in the bucket for many Phish heads. This is their 31st year as a band. They have had their ups and downs like any group, but thankfully to their legions and legions of fans they are still making some amazing music together. There are few bands whose live performances can be in the same conversation as this band. I know I am bias, but the musicianship of these individuals is stellar. The magic they form together is off the charts. Yes, they aren’t the best singers. Yes, their lyrics will not win them any Pulitzer prizes. Yes, they have cheesy ballads that make me yawn. And yes, I am still mad about this past year’s Halloween show. But time and time again I keep coming back. They are a consistently fulfilling live music experience that you cannot get anywhere else. With that being said, and believe you me I could write more, I regress.
A friend’s roommate had a cassette tape of “Lawn Boy” lying about one day. She let me borrow it. Honestly, I don’t think I ever returned it. Oops. This was my introduction to Phish. This was the band’s sophomore release. In picking the AOTD, I could have easily have chosen the debut, “Junta.” I think I like “Lawn Boy” a shade or two better.
The opening number, The Squirming Coil, starts a bit slowly but eventually melds into a mid-tempo boomerang flight; building, building then ending back where it started. I have always loved Trey’s rhythm guitar playing in this one. Because of that, I enjoy the studio version more than live. My Sweet One is a tongue and cheek bluegrass romp, short and yes sweet. Another short and sweet ditty is The Oh Kee Pah Ceremony. The title track is a tall glass, of ice cold lemonade, with a twist of jazz, on a hot, lazy afternoon. Bouncing Around the Room, the last tune, has become a welcomed breather at shows between long jams. Speaking of jams, two songs on “Lawn Boy,” Bathtub Gin and Split Open and Melt have been huge live improvisational vehicles for the band. Like the rest of the album, these studio versions should be visited from time to time. Awww, but then there is my all-time favorite Phish song, ever. EVER. It is called Reba. Reba is really more like a suite in three parts. The first part is a simple ride really. With silly lyrics and exaggerated backing vocals on the record, this is the verses and chorus. Part two is a bridge of sorts; an instrumental, where the quartet plays in complex time signatures and interesting meters. This section is precise and to the point. With the use of a couple of exclamation marks to signal the end of the middle composition, the anticipation is finally over, the Reba Jam begins. There are not actually words that I can use to describe the effect this musical interlude has had on me. It is a spiritual experience. Whilst this version is nice and all, Reba is meant live. Complete with whistling, my first show featured an awesome second set Reba. I enjoy this last part of this song so much that I once made a mix cd for a friend that only contained Reba Jams(except I threw the studio version on as a good measure, ha!). And just so you know, I’m a fast Reba Jam kind of gal.
Set the gearshift for the high gear of your soul. When you get a group of Phish heads together and you discuss what is Phish’ best song, you will get a myriad of answers. I have already told you that my favorite is Reba. But what is their best song? Some would say Tweezer or Harry Hood or hands down, You Enjoy Myself. Phish has a plethora of great tunes. But if you had to give me just one song to represent this band and everything that they are and are capable of, then my money is on Run Like an Antelope. Track seven on “Lawn Boy,” the studio Antelope is fine, but like so many other Phish songs, you want to see it in person. For me when Phish plays this song, I feel like they are the greatest band, in that moment, on the planet. I am not trying to be arrogant. I clearly don’t think this at many moments during shows. But when they cook a good Run Like an Antelope, no one touches them. Here is one from the year of my first show. It isn’t perfect, but packs quite a punch. Antelope 10/31/94
Oh and that’s another thing that is beautiful about this group…they aren’t perfect. The Phish fans put way too many unfair expectations on them as a whole, and they are held to such a high standard, because, let’s face it they have spoiled us with their live shows. But deep down we all know they are just four guys much like you and I.
Because of their art, they have made my existence on this planet more enjoyable. Thank you for my twenty years, Phish. Here’s hoping for twenty more.
365, Album of the Day 2014 