YES! AGAIN! A Phish piece that potentially talks about why Phish is still great after all of these years (and secretly giving a back handed pimp slap to the Vets who think they know better than anyone). But let’s take it in a different direction… because I’ve seen the articles proclaiming Phish is still great from loyal Vets, and I’ve seen people of 3.0 try to pull off Jaded Vet looks on Twitter (the look doesn’t go well with your eyes…), but very rarely has there been an honest piece on what Phish is like through a person’s eyes, who only discovered them in 2009 (GASP! *clutches pearls*)
Here is a little back story…
I knew who Phish was, and I knew who Trey was before 2009. If you’ve ever paid any attention to my articles, I have been a long time DMB fan, so I knew Trey from D&F, and his random appearances guesting with the band, but I never took the time to sit down and explore Phish. I was very indifferent being when a buddy of mine said, “Do you want to see Phish at The Fox?” Naturally, I said, “Sure,” because it’s fun going to shows back to back nights (I had a DMB show the next night). Being an extreme n00b, I was pretty excited when a show that I was blown away from to begin with, closed with While My Guitar Gently Weeps (I like The Beatles, get it?).
Fast forward to now, I have had very few opportunities (school/work/familial obligations) to see The Phish, and after this summer is over, I’ll be bringing my astounding total to a whopping TWO! Two shows. It doesn’t make me any less of a fan, in fact I think it makes me appreciate seeing them even more, because of my limited ability to see them so little.
However, this isn’t really about my one (soon to be two) shows, or how they have (and will) make me feel great (If you’d like to discuss how to make me feel great, be a girl and we’ll go get drinks somewhere). This is more about what is Phish like through the eyes of someone who has only witnessed 3.0 Phish…
First, let’s address the obvious. Jamming. As much as people on PT will tug each other’s junk to this topic, Phish will rarely jam now. We all know this. However, through my eyes, it’s not a bad thing at all. If they are able to squeeze in more songs into a set it’s a beautiful thing. Additionally, when they do feel the need to go plinko, or simply stretch their legs, it’s a pretty great treat! You could almost think of it as a bust out of sorts, if you have the open mind to think that way.
Second, I feel that this gets overstated at times by many fans: The Tour Schedule. Many fans feel that Phish owes them something. I checked the replays, they, in fact, do not. That’s what the past 20+ years (and hopefully, many more) were. Complaining about the fact that there is no fall tour does no one any good, and it makes you look like a fool. For me (3.0, remember?), I’ll take whatever shows I can get, and be thankful that this band is still around, considering everything that has occurred throughout their careers. If the band cuts back on a tour, or doesn’t do a fall tour, etc it’s because they want to continue to preserve the band, and produce music for the Phans as long as they can, and personally, that makes me happy.
“Wrap this shit up, Drew!” said the reader. OKAY! Jesus. The point I’m trying to get across is that there are many fans (or perhaps it’s just an obnoxious vocal minority who like to tweet while they watch a setlist from home in their mom’s basement) that take for granted all that Phish has given us. Any time I get the chance to step foot into a Phish show, I am over the moon, because I think about how lucky I am to be able to see a band that has seen success, seen rock bottom, and success again, and is still stepping on stage to perform for us: The Phans.
