Attendance Bias

Send us Fan MailHi everybody and welcome to this week’s episode of Attendance Bias. I am your host, Brian Weinstein. I am so excited to share today’s episode with you, because it’s one of my favorite kind’s: the kind where I just ask one question or bring up one topic, and the guest gets to be the story-teller. And boy, does today’s guest have a lot of great stories to tell.That guest is Matt Busch, who has held several jobs with bands that you and I are familiar with but his current post is as Bob Weir’s personal manager. He’s been part of the Grateful Dead family for about 20 years. But before he became associated with the Grateful Dead Family in an official capacity, Matt was an employee at Prime Cuts, the Long Island shop that has been covered and mentioned several times on this podcast. It was through there that I got in touch with him, and it should be no surprise that he was and is a big Phish fan before he became professionally well-known within the jamband world.You may notice that today’s episode is a bit longer than usual. I normally try to edit our episodes down to about an hour but the more I listened to today’s recording, the less I wanted to cut. If you’re like me, you love hearing anecdotes about your favorite band, and today’s episode is a series of anecdotes about two of our favorites–Phish and all of the Grateful Dead and Bob Weir acts since the early 2000s.To help narrow it down, Matt and I decided to go through his Attendance Bias shows like a slideshow–he thought of the more memorable or influential shows he’s seen or been a part of and it became story-time with Matt Bush. In order, we decided on Phish’s show at the Mid-Hudson Civic Center in Poughkeepsie, NY on February 12, 1993, the Grateful Dead 50th Anniversary Fare Thee Well celebration in 2015, Phish’s show on July 25, 2015 at the Forum in Los Angeles where Matt took Bill Walton to his first Phish show, and then ended up in Nashville’s Ascend Amphitheater on October 18, 2016 when Bob Weir sat in for most of the 2nd set and the encore.But I’m taking too long. Let’s hear Matt tell the stories about how to write Dead and Company setlists, Bill Walton vs. the Railriders, and how to pick the encores to epic shows in today’s episode of Attendance Bias.Audio used in today's episode:2/12/93Fare Thee Well7/25/1510/18/16Support the show

Send us Fan MailHi everybody and welcome to this week’s episode of Attendance Bias. I am your host, Brian Weinstein. You know, if you’re anything like me, you absolutely need a cup of coffee to start your day. And if you’re anything like me, you also like to support small businesses. And if you’re anything like me, you like to especially support small businesses run by Phish fans. And that leads us to today’s guest and show, Josh Millman–a fan who is the owner and founder of Passion House Coffee out of Chicago.As you’ll hear me say, I was turned onto Passion House Coffee by and unsolicited mention of it by friend of the pod RJB on the Helping Friendly Podcast. I’m always in the market for new coffee, and when I heard RJ mention Passion House, I immediately checked out the website and ordered two pounds of Passion House coffee for myself and two pounds as a Christmas gift for friends of mine. After it arrived and I had my first cup, I knew that I wanted to speak with Josh about Passion House, about coffee in general, and of course about Phish!For today’s episode Josh picked Phish’s show at Deer Creek Amphitheater on August 13, 1996. This show was the 2nd of two nights at Deer Creek during the lead up to The Clifford Ball. Summer 1996 being an underrepresented tour on Attendance Bias, I was super excited to listen and dig into this show and this era.  So let’s join Josh to talk about why 1996 stands up against any other year in 1.0, asking a small town sheriff for directions when you miss your exit, and how a big Mike’s Song can last forever, as we discuss Phish’s performance at Deer Creek on August 13, 1996Audio used in today's episodePassion House Coffee  Coupon Code: VOLTRONSupport 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. This week’s guest is Adam Rosenberg. At first Adam had some difficulty narrowing down the show or jam he wanted to discuss. It seemed like every choice he suggested had already been chosen by a previous guest. Then, it seems like he took a moonshot and suggested one of Phish’s best jams ever: “Chalkdust Torture” from Camden, played on July 10, 1999. While many guests on this podcasts have told their stories about shows or jams from the summer of 1999, this absolute monster was still up for grabs, and man, am I glad that Adam took this opportunity.  Although separated by a few years, Adam and I had very similar introductions to Phish and hit it off immediately. The conversation felt instantly familiar, even though we had just been in touch for a few weeks. So let’s join Adam to talk about phony college interviews, Steve Vai and Reddit, and what it’s like when your parents know more about goo balls than you do, as we discuss Phish’s performance of “Chalkdust Torture” from July 10, 1999 at the E Center in Camden, New Jersey.Audio used in this episodeSupport the show

Send us Fan MailHi everybody and welcome to this week’s episode of Attendance Bias. I am your host, Brian Weinstein. This week’s guest is Clay Bird, who is the host of the “We Are Everywhere” Phish podcast. As you’ll hear Clay explain, “We Are Everywhere” features Clay and a rotating lineup of guests talking about their Phish experiences, stories, and lives. “We Are Everywhere” and “Attendance Bias” share some of the same DNA, but they are very different shows. Soon after Clay posted his first “We Are Everywhere” episode, I gave it a listen and enjoyed it very much. I immediately reached out to him to see if he would be down to have us guest on each other’s shows. He was down, and within weeks, I was a guest on episode four and we had an engaging, enlightening, and plain old fun long-form conversation about Phish. It was fun being the guest for once! When it was time for Clay to come on Attendance Bias, he chose “Chalkdust Torture” from June 3, 2011 at the DTE Energy Music Center in Clarkstown, MI… a venue name that continually gives me fits when I try to say it. I don’t know why! During a year when very few shows and jams seem to stand out in the long run, Clay pulled a diamond in the rough and opened my eyes to this excellent version of Phish’s long-running jam vehicle. So let’s join Clay to talk about Detroit geography, what this “Down with Disease” has in common with “Waves,” and where to find missing ticket stubs as we discuss Phish’s performance of “Down with Disease” from June 3, 2011 at the DTE Energy Music Center in Clarkston, Michigan.Audio used in this episode"We are Everywhere" podcastSupport the show

Send us Fan MailSupport the show

Send us Fan MailSupport the show

Send us Fan MailSupport the show

Send us Fan MailSupport the show

Send us Fan MailHi all! With this especially stressful and busy holiday season, I need to take a short break from recording new episodes of Attendance Bias. A lot of work goes into Attendance Bias and, aside from each week’s guest, it’s a one-man show to put each episode together. I find immense joy in talking with guests, getting feedback from listeners, and of course listening to Phish. During the holiday season, there have been a lot of scheduling glitches and it’s been difficult to produce the best episodes possible.So I’ve decided to take January to rest, regroup, and hopefully get some episodes recorded and in the can so that I can keep up the weekly schedule that so many of you have reached out to tell me that you enjoy. In the meantime, so many new listeners have discovered Attendance Bias over the past year or so. To keep up with a weekly schedule, I thought it might be fun to re-release previously recorded episodes as “Classic” Attendance Bias. I did that last week with the Tom Marshall episode, and I’d like to shine a spotlight on some episodes that I think some people may have skipped over and would enjoy during Phish’s off-season before Mexico…if it even happens.My aim is to come back better than ever with new episodes beginning in February. I hope that you all stick around for a few weeks, spread the word, and continue to enjoy classic episodes of Attendance Bias.And just so we don’t break on an awkward note, I’m going to leave you with a full recording of one of the best jams I’ve ever seen: “Reba” from December 30, 1998. This was the third show of my first multi-show run, and this “Reba” closed the first set. I could not believe how long the set ran. The whole first set was an hour and thirty minutes, and “Reba” was placed after what I assumed would be a set-closing “Loving Cup.” Enjoy this jam as Phish was and still is, the band that keeps on giving.Support the show