While Phish often avoids discussion of socio-political issues to focus on their art and music, drummer Jon Fishman was spotted as a witness in a Vermont House Committee on Fish, Wildlife, and Water Resources meeting earlier this week. The topic of conversation? Elephants.
Fishman addressed a potential ivory ban from the perspective of a traveling musician, saying “I can’t imagine that there’s a piano player out there that, given the choice between extinction of elephants from this earth and their ability to have ivory on their piano keys, would adhere to insisting that they have ivory on their piano keys.”
The drummer was urged to testify by two of his daughters, whose middle school is supporting the ivory sales ban. “I can’t tell [my children] that they should support something or that they should be mindful of their activities in the world if they ask me to participate in something and I’m not willing to participate.”
Of course, the reporter for Seven Days, a local Vermont newspaper, “could not restrain his fanboy tendencies,” and stuck in a few Phish-themed interview questions after reporting on the committee hearing.
Fishman admitted that he and Trey Anastasio were working in the studio, saying, “Yeah, I was doing some stuff with [guitarist Trey Anastasio], doing a little demo-ing,” he said. “We’re always working on something.” Fishman had also just missed Page McConnell on his visit, who arrived two days after Fishman left.
The drummer also talked about Phish’s one real political moment, when they played a Voters for Choice benefit in 1995. While the show saw the debuts of “Free,” “Theme From The Bottom,” “Ha Ha Ha,” and “Spock’s Brain,” Fishman called it an “awful experience,” regretting the performance after listening to Gloria Steinem’s speech afterwards.
“I agree with a lot of what she says. I disagree with a lot of what she says, too. And I didn’t know that until she was speaking right after we played for this thing for which she was the lead speaker… So suddenly we are married to her opinions.” Some fans disagreed with the message, and one particular letter that Fishman received hit him close to home.
“I’m an adopted kid, OK? So someone on earth didn’t have an abortion, and I’m here talking to you today. Alright?” said Fishman. “Now, another person who was adopted wrote a letter in expressing the same sort of thing. So, now, that to me, there’s some sound reasoning that I hadn’t thought about — and suddenly we’re involved in this very divisive social issue.”
Fortunately, the preservation of elephant habitats doesn’t seem to be very divisive. Keep up the good work Mr. Fishman!