Attendance Bias

Send us Fan MailWelcome to the sixth mini-episode of Attendance Bias. Mini-episodes feature a breakdown of a single song or jam from a show that I’ve attended. I’ll pick a song or jam for any given reason—it was the highlight of the show, it meant something special to me, it's widely renown--who knows? Mini-episodes are posted on a bi-weekly basis in between full episodes of Attendance Bias, when a guest and I will go over a full Phish show.Today's episode focuses on "Character Zero," played on 7/20/16 at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco, California. This show was the last of three nights at the venue. These shows were played during the 2nd half of the 2016 summer tour, when the band took a west coast swing from the Gorge, then south to San Francisco before heading down the coast to the Forum in Los Angeles. The first set of this show was filled with rarities, which thrilled me, and the 2nd set was a bit more conservative (but still fun!).And there's nothing more conservative and traditional than a "Character Zero" encore. However, this "Zero" was unique. Rather than the simple structure of a quiet opening before guitar fireworks (although there was that), the audience immediately took over vocal duties for the verses. I'd been in loud venues before. I'd heard loud singalongs before. But never so up close to the point where the band stepped back from the mics and let the crowd completely take over. It was more than a singalong; it was synergy. It was a direct link between the crowd and the band in real time. I'd felt and witnessed a lot of things at Phish, but never something like this before or after.AUD recording for this episode: "Character Zero"Support the show

Send us Fan MailWelcome to Part 2 of my conversation with Dartmouth College professor David Lutz about Camp Oswego, day two, on 7/18/99. If you haven't listened to Part 1, please go back and listen to it as its own separate episode and as a prelude to this episode. Part 1 focused on Dave's history as a Phish fan, his background, and how he ended up at Camp Oswego as a teenager without a car. We got so deep into our nerdy Phish chatter that it took us over an hour just to get to set 1 of the show!We pick up here where we left off. Part 2 requires no introduction and we kick off with the set two opener, which happened to be a 24 minute Runaway Jim! In most shows, that Jim would be the highlight of the show. But Oswego was no ordinary show. Throughout this episode, we go over the mega-fast Piper, the Catapult/Icculus/Smoke of the Water insanity, and the legendary closing of Fluffhead and Harry Hood.If Part 1 was a deep dive into Phish geekery, theories, and history, then Part 2 is fully about the MUSIC. Both episodes add up to a comprehensive look back at what may be Phish's most under-appreciated festival.Audio for this episode: http://phish.in/1999-07-18Support the show

Send us Fan MailSteve Lutz is a professor of Environmental Studies at Dartmouth University. He is also the most detail-oriented Phish fan I know. By coincidence, we both started seeing Phish at the same show (12/29/97), and met a few years later on a Phish-centric message board. Since then, we've geeked out about EVERYTHING related to the band. Dave's knowledge of Phish-minutiae far exceeds my own, so when he chose to talk about day 2 of the 1999 Oswego Festival, I knew it would go deep. I was right. By the time we were an hour into the conversation, we had barely scratched the surface of set 1. We just couldn't stop thinking of extra details to dive into! This day of the festival is so dense with incredible jams, guest sit-ins, and more, I had to split the episode in two.In Part 1, Dave and I talk about what led him to the festival at such a young age, why Oswego felt hastily assembled compared to previous Phish festivals, and the heat that persisted throughout the weekend. Audio used for this episode: http://phish.in/1999-07-18Some of the media mentioned throughout this episode:Phish: A Trip to Oswego (Video Documentary)MTV article that suggests Oswego may be a single-night showSupport the show

Send us Fan MailWelcome to the fifth mini-episode of Attendance Bias! Mini-episodes feature a breakdown of a single song or jam from a show that I’ve attended. I’ll pick a song or jam for any given reason—it was the highlight of the show, it meant something special to me, it's widely renown--who knows? Mini-episodes are posted on a bi-weekly basis in between full episodes of Attendance Bias, when a guest and I will go over a full Phish show.Today's episode focuses on "2001," played on 8/11/04 at Great Woods Amphitheater in Mansfield, Massachusetts. This show was the second of two nights at the venue. These shows were played at the tail end of Phish's 2004 summer tour before the Coventry Festival which, at the time, we thought would be their last shows ever. The first night of the run, 8/10, doesn't hold any memories for me except for the good jam in "Possum," and the band slowing down the end of "Weekapaug Groove" for Trey to tell the story of how that song was written.Even with that "Possum" encore, I was completely deflated. Here I was, following Phish all over the place--with two more shows before a festival--they weren't playing anything worth hearing, and the scene was getting ickier by the show. I remember thinking, "If this is how they're going to play, then it's good that they're ending it all."The next night changed all of that. The entire show on 8/11 was focused, tight, and compelling. The "2001," especially, demonstrated creativity, dance music, and innovation just before the whole enterprise came crashing down. For years, I called 8/11 "The Last Great Phish Show." On one hand, I'm glad I was there for it, and on the other hand, I'm glad I was wrong.AUD recording for this episode: "2001," from Great Woods Amphitheater, Mansfield, MASupport the show

Send us Fan MailThere is something about Phish's summer 1999 tour that deeply resonates with fans. On one hand, lots of fans see it an an underrated and underrepresented tour. On the other hand, everybody loves to talk about it! That's certainly the case with today's guest, Thom Epps of San Diego, CA.Thom threw me for a loop when he suggested this show, because he wasn't there! He calls it "What should have been" his first show. Non-attendance bias? Nevertheless, we go over it with a fine-tooth comb and marvel over how the band eases into their new material ("Farmhouse" and "Back on the Train"), the band's masterful control of dynamics, and a time in our lives when our parents not letting us use the car was the biggest problem in getting to a show.NOTE: In this episode, We talk a bit about how this show, MPP 1999, was Phish's first show headlining MPP.  I'M AN IDIOT and they very obviously and famously KILLED Merriweather for one night in 1998. My mistake!Phish.in provides a very good AUD recording of this show, and I highly recommend listening to it if you want to hear the speedjams and impeccable playing that led to the legendary Oswego festival, just a week ahead.Audio used for this episode: 7/9/99 at Merriweather Post PavilionSupport the show

Send us Fan MailWelcome to the fourth mini-episode of Attendance Bias! Mini-episodes feature a breakdown of a single song or jam from a show that I’ve attended. I’ll pick a song or jam for any given reason—it was the highlight of the show, it meant something special to me, it's widely renown--who knows? Mini-episodes are posted on a bi-weekly basis in between full episodes of Attendance Bias, when a guest and I will go over a full Phish show.Today's episode focuses on "Twist," played on 11/1/13 at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. This show was the second of three nights of the band's 2013 Halloween run. The vibe going into the venue was strange. The previous night's Wingsuit set really knocked us off our rocker, as this was the first time that Phish did not play a full album by another band for Halloween. Rather, they played an entire set--80 minutes long--of new material. Even though the third set of 10/31 was excellent, things didn't quite feel the same afterwards."Twist" from the next night changed all that for me. It felt as though Phish, and the audience, had a lot of steam to blow off after the tension of the Halloween set, and "Twist" blew that steam right off. It has everything: exploration, triumphant bliss-rock, "Under Pressure" quotes, and abstract dissonance. It's since become one of my favorite jams.AUD recording for this episode: TwistSupport the show

Send us Fan MailHappy New Year and send in the clones! Today's guest on Attendance Bias is author Elizabeth Beck! Elizabeth wrote the recently published novel, "Summer Tour." "Summer Tour" is a young-adult coming-of-age novel that features a young man named Sam who is forced to move in with his aunt for the summer. Over the course of this fateful summer, Sam meets a group of friends who introduce him to the world of creative life, writing, and of course, Phish! Elizabeth chose 12/31/19 because not only is this a great show on its own merits, but while drafting her novel, she was stuck on the ending! At MSG, she had a chance encounter that inspired the ending of the novel. It's quite a story! Over the course of our conversation, Elizabeth and I discuss her background as a teacher and poet, her involvement with the Holler Poets of Lexington, KY, and how sometimes you have to stake your claim on the floor at MSG. This conversation got deep at times and I was IN FOR IT! THANK YOU to Elizabeth for joining Attendance Bias and sharing her story.Please don't forget to share, rate, and review Attendance Bias wherever you get your podcasts. Enjoy!You can find "Summer Tour" on Amazon.comAudio provided for this episode: 12/31/19 at Madison Square GardenSupport the show

Send us Fan MailWelcome to the third mini-episode of Attendance Bias! Mini-episodes feature a breakdown of a single song or jam from a show that I’ve attended. I’ll pick a song or jam for any given reason—it was the highlight of the show, it meant something special to me, it's widely renown--who knows? Mini-episodes are posted on a bi-weekly basis in between full episodes of Attendance Bias, when a guest and I will go over a full Phish show. Today's episode focuses on "Tweezer" played on 7/31/09 at the Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison, Colorado. This show was the second of four nights of the band's triumphant return to one of the best outdoor venues in the country after last playing there in 1996. I had already seen five shows in the summer of 2009 before Red Rocks, and I was entirely thrilled that Phish was back. Everything was there--old music, new music, the best community in music, a new and better sound system--except for one thing: the jams. Throughout the early summer of 2009, there were hints of great jams (like the Camden "Sand"), but nothing at any of the shows I attended. This "Tweezer" changed all that."Tweezer" is only 12 minutes long--not a monster. But in that short span, Phish creates two interchanging melodies, structures them in order, and creates what could otherwise be a perfectly written instrumental. The best part is that this is an improvised jam-they did it all in real-time. And this version convinced me that Phish, and truly everything we love about them, was BACK!AUD recording for this episode: TweezerSupport the show

Send us Fan MailIt didn't take long for us to get around to the Fall '97 tour! And what a show! Chris Casey, teacher and creator of the Montroller art series, joins me to talk about 11/28/97 at the Worcester Centrum in Worcester, MA. Chris chose this show because it was his first---and what a first! Not only is this an excellent show that is representative of the all-time Fall '97 tour, but Phish.in provides a crisp, clean soundboard recording! Opening with a 1-2 punch of "The Curtain" and "YEM," the show only gets crazier from there! A landmark "Timber Ho!" and a vintage 1997 "Ghost" are only two of the many highlights that brought Chris into the Phish fold forever!In this episode, Chris and I talk about how pre-show in a parking garage is sometimes necessary, whether or not "The Moma Dance" was an improvement over "Black Eyed Katy," and if "My Soul" really was overplayed in 1997.Montroller art is available through Chris' Instagram feed. If you're looking for some birdies to brighten up your house, give it a look!Audio used for this episode: 11/28/97 at the Worcester Centrum (SBD)Support the show

Send us Fan MailWelcome to the second mini-episode of Attendance Bias! These mini-episodes will feature a breakdown of a single song or jam from a show that I’ve attended. I’ll pick a song or jam for any given reason—it was the highlight of the show, it meant something special to me, it's widely renown, who knows? These mini-episodes will be posted on a bi-weekly basis in between full episodes of Attendance Bias, when a guest and I go over a full Phish show. Today's episode focuses on Phish's rendition of The Who's "We're Not Gonna Take It," played on 10/8/99 at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, NY. This show, and the one the night prior, acted as a sort of "passing the torch" for me. The Who had always been my utmost obsession. The Who was the greatest, and every other band was second-best. When I discovered Phish in the mid-90s, they were the upstart; the neophytes; the undiscovered country. I was deeply into them but they were still relatively new to me.Then, when Phish played the Nassau Coliseum, my home venue, in 1999, my friends and I rode the rail for both nights. At the end of night two, 10/8, they did the unthinkable: they brought on Tom Marshall for a wholly unexpected, one-time, cover of "We're Not Gonna Take It;" a relatively lesser-known Who song. I absolutely freaked out and the rest of history.I break it down piece by piece in today's episode. Enjoy!AUD recording for this episode: "We're Not Gonna Take It"Support the show