As we eagerly anticipate another New Year’s Eve run at Madison Square Garden, let’s take a moment to thank this incredibly charismatic band for all the joy that they’ve given all of us over the years. Their enthusiasm and joie de vivre is a beautiful and treasured gift.

Phish embodies what we love about music: excitement, energy, unpredictability and fun.  They eschew the selfish solos, focusing to jam as a group and not as individual artists.  By deftly feeding off of each other, they create an organic sound that is always searching, always probing. There have been some misses along the way, but we appreciate their sense of continued exploration. They are without a doubt the most innovative band on the planet; always trying to re-invent themselves to stay fresh and relevant.  Quite an amazing feat after 32 years.

Just why do we love Phish so unconditionally? Here are a few reasons…

The Live Experience.  The only constant about attending a Phish concert is to expect the unexpected (and never miss a Sunday show).  If you attend an Eagles concert, you know you are going to hear “Hotel California” played exactly like their album.  How predictable is that?

When you attend a Phish show you never know what they will play.  They take spontaneity to an art form since it is apparent they don’t know what’s going to happen next either. A musical tightrope for sure, but it keeps things very fresh and interesting.  Four glorious nights at MSG and no songs will be repeated.  And the songs they do play are sure to have an original twist.

A Phish fan attending one of their concerts is the equivalent to a five-year old visiting Disneyland.  It’s the happiest place on Earth.  Both are places where cynicism doesn’t exist; mean people dare not enter.  We love that perennial sunny spot where the world is fun and good. It’s so satisfying, yet leaves us yearning for more.  Sappy, yes, but don’t we all need that sanctuary?

Great, Great Songs.   Obviously the most important part of any bands legacy is their songs.  The Phish catalog contains a plethora of great songs covering every conceivable musical genre:  Reggae, Blues, Rock, Pop, Ballads, Bluegrass, Country, Progressive, Classical, Rhumbas, A Capella, Hip-Hop, Jazz, etc. We have not seen that type of diversity since The Beatles. 

Phish songs can be silly, humorous, provocative, nonsensical, profound and tender…but they are always done with lots of thoughtful intent.  Who else can weave Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” into “Bathtub Gin”?  Inspired geniuses – that’s who!  Bottom line, Phish is a band for smart people with a keen sense of humor.  Not to say that if you don’t like Phish, then you are not smart, but we are saying you cannot like Phish if you are a dummy.

Virtuostic Musicianship.   All four musicians are superb; tops at their craft. Don’t you love when Page bounces on his bench as he masters all forms of the keyboard or the way Mike plays his five-string bass better than most guitarists play 6? I defy anyone to tell me that Fishman cannot nail the drumming on “Good Times, Bad Times” every bit as well as Bonham did for Zeppelin. 

But the secret sauce is Trey.  He is a brilliant and deeply emotive guitarist; a beacon that lights everything facing his incredible aura. Trey plays with passion and verve with an uncanny ability to move from noodling nothings to soaring heights. And just when you think he hits the pinnacle, Trey takes you to another level, and then another.  Eyes closed, slowly rocking forward and back, he pulls energy from all of us. His ability to connect to our innermost core is an expressive musical roller coaster that makes you dance, makes you beam and sparkle.  All 20,000 of us at MSG will be in lockstep as he takes us on the ultimate Phish ride. 

As the old-timer of L4LM’s contributors, I’ve seen very few over the decades that can reach so deeply and express so eloquently.   What a gem!

The Phish Brotherhood/Sisterhood. There is a deep comradery among us Phish fans.  If you walk through a mall and see someone wearing a Rolling Stones shirt, you barely pay attention. But if that person is wearing a Phish shirt, they garner a knowing smile, perhaps a wave to say..there is a fellow brother or sister. At a Phish concert, we revel in the glory knowing we are in our special place. Everyone is smiling. Social barriers that exist in polite society recede as we all bond to savor the moment; their concerts are an event and literally a reason for being.

You chat easily among your neighbors, on line at the concession stands, or restroom. You are among family. Bottom line, Phish fans are nice people with big loving hearts.

Anticipation.   The whole process of getting tickets, especially to a hot show like Halloween or the upcoming NYE run is stressful. But in a good way, because the quest for tickets is pretty darn exciting.  First it’s the lottery, then the Ticketmaster mad rush, then the perusal of Cash or Trade, and pleading calls to friends for extras.  Because in the end it means…YOU ARE GOING TO A PHISH SHOW!  Somehow, it almost always works out. 

The hardest part is the waiting, the anticipation of seeing the Vermont Four can be excruciating.  We count down the weeks and then the days.  And even when we’re in the arena, we fervently talk amongst ourselves trying to guess on what the opener will be.

Yes, we Phish fans are proudly fanatical and deeply devoted to our addiction. There is no such thing as being a causal fan; you are in all the way or not at all.  It requires a lot of our time, effort and yes money to be part of the community, but the payoff is a gleeful reward of 4 slightly goofy (there’s that Disney reference again), irreverent guys going out of their way to be different and spontaneous.   We love that when you attend a Phish concert you are part of the show.  

The band draws off our energy, but we contribute just as well.  It’s a “WILSON” after its opening notes, or a “HOOD” after Trey sings, “HARRY.”  A nutty “Meatstick” dance or a round of claps on “Stash”.  All of us join in for the chorus of “Possum”. If there were 20,000 mini-trampolines at MSG, then all of us would be bouncing like Trey and Mike on “You Enjoy Myself”.

Most of all, we know the band loves us as much as we love them, they really do.  You cannot fake that level of affection and enthusiasm for over 30 years.  I often say, “I’ve never met a Phish fan I didn’t like.”

Thank you Trey, Mike, Jon and Page.  Thank you for all the happiness you’ve given us.  And on a personal note, thank you for creating the most wonderful bonding experience between me and my 26 year old son (L4LM Editor, Dave Melamed) as we rock out at another run of your thrilling concerts. Nothing else to write except, when are you going to announce more tour dates? 

And if you are reading this, would you please play “Cool it Down”? It’s my favorite cover.

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For those of you who just can’t wait to hear Phish music, check out Jazz Is Phish at the Brooklyn Bowl on December 19th and the Howard Theatre in DC on the 20th! Packed with members of The Giant Country Horns, Sun Ra, Cosmic Crewe, Dave Matthews Band, The Flecktones, Snarky Puppy, Pretty Lights Live Band, John Brown’s Body, Victor Wooten Band, Strange Design and more, this is one show you don’t want to miss. Tickets and more information can be found here.

[Cover photo via Daniel Ojeda]