It’s that time of year again… In twelve short days, Phish will return to New York’s Madison Square Garden for their annual four-night New Year’s run. Each year, we like to celebrate the season in the days leading up to Phish at MSG with the 12 Days of Phishmas, a daily series that gives you your Phish fix and helps stoke your excitement in the days leading up to the run. In 2016, we took you back to 12 historic Phish performances at The Garden. In 2017, with the Baker’s Dozen barely out of sight in the rearview, we relived the magic and mystery of the band’s historic residency.
For years, we’ve been earmarking some of our favorite Phish interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, and other cool content that we haven’t found the right occasion to share with you…until now. For 2018, we’ve made you a very special Phishmas Advent calendar to help spice up your countdown to showtime. As we approach the start of the run on the 28th, we’ll open up one panel a day and reveal a fun surprise inside—a little something sweet and Phishy once a day until the Garden party begins. No peeking! By the time we’re finished with the calendar, it will finally be time for the gift we’ve all been waiting for: Four nights of Phish on their home court at the World’s Most Famous Arena.
12 Days Til’ Phish: The Big Daddy Show (1994)
On the first day of Phishmas… The Big Daddy Show! This 1994 interview with all four members of the band comes courtesy of an oh-so-very-90s Michigan community access TV show hosted by Sean “Big Daddy” Duross ahead of Phish’s 6/19/94 performance at Kalamazoo’s State Theater. At this point, the band was a few months into their ’94 tour following the release of Hoist, and their mid-tour demeanor was in full effect.
The two-part interview is an endlessly amusing snapshot of the band at their silliest: While Big Daddy is understandably super stoked to be interviewing the men of Phish, the band remains totally aloof throughout the segment, trolling the interviewer with deadpan answers and riffing on each other’s sarcastic commentary. It’s just as hilarious as it is painfully awkward.
Watch the clips below to see Jon Fishman in his “Glide” lot t-shirt, hear Trey Anastasio‘s thoughts on Dixieland jazz as the “music of the gay 90s,” learn Mike Gordon‘s views on “inter-amongst weaving of the patterns,” and get Page McConnell‘s insight into the various roles (rolls?) of the band’s members.
Phish on The Big Daddy Show – Part 1
[Video: Sean Duross]
Phish on The Big Daddy Show – Part 2
[Video: Sean Duross]
We’ll be back tomorrow to open the second panel on our Phishmas 2018 Advent calendar. What other Phishmas surprises are in store? You’ll just have to wait and see…
On the first day of Phishmas… The Big Daddy Show