Attendance Bias

Send us Fan MailHi everybody and welcome to this week’s episode of Attendance Bias. I am your host, Brian Weinstein. Today’s guest is Derek Hartley of Portland, Maine. Derek chose to speak about July 26, 2017, better known as Powdered Night of the Baker’s Dozen at Madison Square Garden. Two nights of Phish’s landmark residency have already been covered on Attendance Bias, so I initially wasn’t sure what else could be said, but immediately after emailing with Derek, I was brought back to the absolute splendor that was Powdered night. Since it was played, I’ve considered it to be the best night of the Baker’s Dozen, musically speaking, and this was a great opportunity to hear someone else’s view of it, to dig a bit deeper into what made it such a successful night. Derek is originally from northern Maine, and since he got into Phish right at the end of 2.0, he didn’t have much opportunity to see the band live. But he and his wife took a fortuitous trip to New York City in the summer of 2017 to make up for lost time, and hit what was arguably the best three consecutive nights of the dozen. So let’s join Derek to talk about calling songs during the dozen, Raspberry Beret, and the best beers in Maine as we discuss Phish’s performance from July, 26 2017 at Madison Square Garden.Support the show

Send us Fan MailHi everybody and welcome to this week’s episode of Attendance Bias. I am your host, Brian Weinstein. Today’s guest is Chris from the Phish Just Jams website and app. We all love Phish songs, but sometimes you just want to get straight to the jams, and that’s what Chris, and his brother Brian, created: a database that allows fans to do just that.  In addition to Just Jams, Chris is here to talk about the second set of an out-of-nowhere, or in the middle of nowhere, show: November 16, 1996 at the Civic Auditorium in Omaha, Nebraska. 1996 has taken a little bit of a beating on this podcast and in general when it comes to Phish. We’ll get into it deeper, but myself and many guests have referred to 1996 as an “off year” or an “in between year” when it comes to Phish’s development. I’ve certainly realized the folly in that description, and according to Chris, it this type of show that caused that type of generalization in the first place. While the 2nd set is everything anyone could ever want in a Phish show, the first set is nothing remarkable. So in a time when it wasn’t so easy to just pick and choose which part of a show you wanted to hear, anyone listening to this first set may incorrectly assume that there’s nothing special about the show in general. That’s one reason that we are reviewing just the second set of this 1996 show in Omaha.  So let’s join Chris to talk about Trey’s percussion setup, standing up during Kung, and turkey legs as we discuss the second set of Phish’s performance from November 16, 1996 at the Omaha Civic Auditorium.Support the show

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Send us Fan MailHi everybody and welcome to this week’s episode of Attendance Bias. I am your host, Brian Weinstein. We have a very special guest for today’s episode. For the most part, Attendance Bias is focused on fans of the band, and each fan tells his or her story. But once in a long while, a person directly associated with the band will come on the podcast to talk about their history with Phish and to break down a special show or jam. Tom Marshall has been on the pod, Sue Drew who was the band’s A&R rep at Elektra Records told her story, and today’s guest ranks right up there in his ability to tell about his Phish experience from the inside out. And today’s guest is member of the Giant Country Horns and current trumpet player for Roomful of Blues, Carl “Gears” Gerhard. Carl chose to tell about his gig with Phish at Arrowhead Ranch, NY, on July 21, 1991.If you got into Phish at a time when tape collecting was still part of the experience, there is no doubt that this gig came across your radar at some point. The second of two shows, this fan favorite was the midway point of the July 1991 horn tour, and you could tell that the band–the full band–was feeling it, full throttle. Aside from the music, though, a main goal of this podcast is to help the listener feel as though he or she is right there with the guest, feeling and experiencing the show that’s being discussed. What makes today’s episode special is that Carl is able to get us backstage and onstage with Phish as he tells us about the conversations and decisions that led to the horn tour, and what it felt like to collaborate with Phish and the other members of the Giant Country Horns. More important than anything, though, is that Carl was extremely generous with his time and his words, welcoming us into the world that was Phish tour in the early 90s.So let’s join Carl to talk about Tony Bennett, life in the Navy, and 48 hour marathon rehearsals, as we discuss Phish's show from 7/21/91 at Arrowhead Ranch.Support the show

Send us Fan MailHi everybody and welcome to this week’s episode of Attendance Bias. I am your host, Brian Weinstein. Today’s guests are Jack and Fraser of PhanSets.com, who are here to tell about their NFT startup, Phansets, as well as their chosen attendance bias show: August 15, 2012 at Long Beach Arena, in Long Beach, CA. If you got into Phish at a certain time in their history, you probably obtained a tape, or if you’re like me, hundreds of tapes. Everything about obtaining a tape was special: finding someone who had a tape you were looking for; reaching out to that person whether it was by a letter, a forum, or an email, agreeing to a trade or a B+P, and then when the tape arrived in the mail, the most unique thing about it, aside from the music, was the J-Card; the little piece of paper or thin cardboard that listed the set of music found on that tape. Everyone had their own special ritual and preferences when it came to the J-Cards. If you pretty much fetishized the tapes as much as I did, then you may have had special symbols to denote a segue, or a song debut, or a special guest, and so on.Tapes have long vanished from the typical Phish scene, but Frazer and Jack of Phansets have dug deep into that nostalgic part of being a fan and want to update it to the present by using the concept of NFTs. In a minute, you’ll hear both guests explain how PhanSets brings back the love of special sets and JCards. But before then, we don’t want to forget the show!Jack and Fraser were lucky enough to attend the August 15, 2012 show in Long Beach with some special guests; probably the biggest pop stars in the world at that time. So while you listen to today’s episode, imagine that you’re at the show. Now imagine that your brother in law is Justin Bieber’s musical director and guitarist. Now imagine that you and your brother in law convinced Justin Bieber to come see Phish with you. I don’t want to spoil the best parts, but you see where this is going.So let’s join Frazer and Jack to talk about Phish Sets, Southern California venues, and the limits of an all-access pass as we discuss Phish’s performance from August 15, 2012 at the Long Beach Arena.Support the show

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Send us Fan MailHi everybody and welcome to this week’s episode of Attendance Bias. I am your host, Brian Weinstein. Today’s guest is Drew Plettner of Charlotte, North Carolina. For today’s episode, Drew chose what is likely the most recent show for any guest, if you leave out any of the recap episodes: August 6, 2021 at Deer Creek.The summer 2021 tour was an odd time for Phish and Phish fans. It was really an odd time for the world at large. This was the postponed 2020 tour, and fans didn’t know what to expect in terms of large gatherings, in terms of further postponements or cancelations, or in terms of their own comfort level. Luckily, Phish tends to deliver their best when we venture into the unexpected. Drew is a fairly new fan as he first got into the band in 2018 and these two shows at Deer Creek in 2021 was when he felt the most prepared and ready to go as a fan. He picked a good weekend to show his stuff, because this Friday night show, august 6, delivers the goods. Great jams, fan favorite songs, and tons of crowd energy made it feel like 2020 never happened. I was unfamiliar with this run before Drew chose it and I am grateful to him for opening my eyes and ears to this special show. So let’s join Drew to talk about country music, 2.0 vs 3.0 vs. 4.0, and the coin toss that is lot food as we discuss Phish’s show from August 6, 2021 at Deer Creek Amphitheater.Support the show

Send us Fan MailHi everybody and welcome to this week’s episode of Attendance Bias. I am your host, Brian Weinstein. Today’s guest is Andy Michels of JEMP Radio. For today’s episode, Andy chose to discuss one of the best jams during a summer full of the best jams: “Simple” from July 15, 2017 at Northerly Island in Chicago, Illinois.JEMP Radio is an internet radio station that occupies a special space within the jamband scene. It’s been around longer than most Phish-centric music sources, it’s totally free, and it’s run and organized by fans instead of algorithms. This truly isn’t a paid advertisement, but I’ve been listening to JEMP radio for over a decade and so it was truly a thrill to have Andy on the podcast for today’s episode to hear the background of the radio station, his insight into Phish’s recent history, and a look into the summer of 2017 outside of the Baker’s Dozen.So let’s join Andy to talk about The Residents, fuzzy synthesizers, and the marimba lumina, as we discuss “Simple” from July 15, 2017 at Northerly Island.Support the show

Send us Fan MailHi everybody and welcome to this week’s episode of Attendance Bias. I am your host, Brian Weinstein. Today’s guest is Scott King of Ontario, Canada. For today’s episode, Scott chose to discuss a show for which we BOTH have attendance bias: February 22, 2003 at the U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio. The February, 2003 tour was a special time to be a Phish fan. During the band’s 18-month hiatus, dozens of jambands gained prominence and began to specialize in specific genres popularized by Phish to jamband fans and ironically, Phish’s absence made them more popular. When they returned for this winter tour, anticipation was at an all-time high, and Phish delivered, offering all-time career highlight jams and shows in a brief, 12-show tour.Scott was going through a transformative time in his life and, being Canadian, did not usually get the opportunity to see Phish that often. Byt sometimes the starts line up and he was able to see a few shows on this memorable tour, and this 2nd night of a 2-show run in Cincy during a rainy weekend would be a healing time when he was going through a tough time. So let’s join Scott to talk about bbq Frito twists, Walls of the Cave, filling up your gas tank as we discuss Phish’s show from February 22, 2003 at The U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati.Support the show

Send us Fan MailHi everybody and welcome to this week’s episode of Attendance Bias. I am your host, Brian Weinstein. Today’s we have a returning guest: Shawn Fausett of Colorado. Shawn previously appeared on Attendance Bias to tell his story from Phish’s show from December 6, 1996 at the Aladdin Theater in Las Vegas. He is originally from the southwest, so While discussing that legendary Las Vegas show, it casually came up that he also attended the show we are discussing today: November 2, 1998 at the E Center in Salt Lake City Utah. I almost stopped that recording immediately and wanted to pivot to talk about that show, the colloquial “Dark Side of the Moon” show. But in an instant, I thought better of it and Shawn agreed, on the spot, to come back for a 2nd episode to talk about that Dark Side show. What you’re about to hear is the result of that promise. While November 2, 1998 is the focus of today’s conversation, and we do our best to keep it there, there are many references to the 1996 Vegas show, the 1998 Halloween show, and even a jump or two to the Baker’s Dozen. So if you’re a casual Phish fan, you may need to do a little bit of homework to gain an understanding of the context of today’s legendary show. But before that, let’s talk about Halloween cover albums, the reputation of the Dead Goat Saloon, the loudest crowd reactions ever as Shawn Fausett tells about November 2, 1998 at The E Center in Salt Lake City.Support the show