Going Phishing

Did you hear? Phish is touring again this summer! If I had a dollar for every time I had a conversation that started like this between December and February I would’ve had enough money to buy my ticket to the show at the Alpine Valley Music Amphitheater in East Troy, Wisconsin, located about 115 miles southeast of Madison where I am living this summer.

This was not your typical summer reunion tour. Unlike the recent Police, Eagles, Van Halen, Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd reunion shows, there was no major hatchet to bury between band members. Unlike these bands it had not been decades since their last tour, Phish has only been on “hiatus” since the 2005 summer tour. Everyone knew that they inevitably would tour together again. So, why all the fuss? What generates this level of excitement among their fans?

For starters, Phish is not just another rock band. They represent the jam band genre and have taken the place of the Grateful Dead as the leaders of the hippie counterculture. When Phish is not touring, there is a void for many jam band fans. When I first was introduced to their music in 1995 I was only fifteen years old. I heard from older friends how amazing their live shows were, not only for the music, but for the entire “scene”. When they announced their 2006 summer tour and I finally had a driver’s license I had my first experience with the jam band scene and I was hooked. Every year from 1996-2000 I eagerly awaited another pilgrimage to Alpine Valley. The anticipation started in winter with the announcement of tour dates. Then, built when tickets went on sale in spring or early summer. All summer long I would talked with friends or looked online at set lists as Phish worked their way westward. Conversations among fans focused on what was going on during the tour. “Did you hear they pulled out ‘Big Black Furry Creature From Mars’ last night? They haven’t played that in years!” Or, “Have you heard the tape from the first night at Deer Creek?! It’s killer” Throughout my high school and college years my summer highlight was always seeing Phish.

When Phish went on temporary hiatus in 2001 my summer was ruined. What was I going to look forward to all summer? What was my excuse going to be to reconnect with old friends and family.? What would all of the people who travel coast to coast selling grilled cheese in the parking lots at the shows in order to make money for a ticket and gas to get to the next show do? Find a real job?! The break that Phish took from touring from 2005-2008 wasn’t as painful to me. I was out of ultra-hippie-liberal Madison and teaching in Wausau. I felt disconnected from the scene. It wasn’t until the 2009 summer tour was announced that I realized how much I missed that yearly pilgrimage to Alpine Valley.

What exactly is it that makes seeing Phish THE event of the summer for me? It’s a combination of things, really. It’s working at a store this summer with ten friends that are all as excited about the upcoming show as I am, the sound system there constantly playing live phish shows from the 1984-2004 tours. It’s the discussions about what songs we are hoping to hear, and not having any clue what’s going to be played - every show is different. It’s looking forward to the “lot scene” of 34,000 hippies sharing a good time, selling grilled cheese, local beers, patchouli pants, incense, and other assorted what not. It’s the hundreds of glow sticks that are simultaneously cast into the dark night sky as the second set opens, running into old “phriends”, post-show fireworks in the parking lot…and of course the music.

This year’s x-factor was the crew that I went to the show with. I was excited to be bringing my girlfriend who learned to tolerate, and eventually enjoy their music after being subjected to it for the last three years. Regrettably we had three friends joining us, only one of which could be considered a real “phan”. Throughout the show I realized that I had underestimated the impact that this factor would have on the night. They didn’t share in the excitement of hearing a song you’ve been dying to hear for years, or hearing a rare song resurrected. They didn’t know the words to the crowd participation songs. As the songs ticked by, I had to come to terms with the fact that this year’s show probably wouldn’t be the highlight of my summer. No worries, though. They’re playing again in August in Chicago, and this time I’ll be with two of the biggest fans I know. And if the venue change takes away from the experience? Well, the fact that the band is releasing a studio album in fall tells me that I’ll get another stab at that euphoric trip to Alpine Valley next summer.