Phish.
That is correct, I like them. Very much.
I could go on and on for days about this band. I know, many of you are saying, "Oh my god. Shut up," (and correspondingly close web browser). In my opinion, the five most important artists/groups of the past 100 years include the following in no particular order: Miles Davis, The Beatles, The Band, Steely Dan, and.... Phish. That's right I said it. Don't worry, I'll get around to Steely Dan at a later time.
Phish's fiercely original take on songwriting and composition is unparalleled in popular music culture of the last... well, all of history as I see it. They are followed by a rabid cult of a fan base that will travel the country over, neglecting the standard lifestyle of work and in most cases their responsibilities, but they are dedicated in the extreme nonetheless. The sheer volume of people that embrace this "Phishy" way of life is impressive enough.
Phish originated in the Burlington, Vermont area in the early-mid 80's as a quirky progressive rock college band. Since then they have become one of the most successful live acts to ever perform in the music business. It is true that they followed in the steps of The Grateful Dead; embracing the bohemian/vagabond aesthetic and inheriting many fans as The Dead came to an abrupt halt in the mid 90's.
Phish became known and heralded for their live performances through the 1990's. Their recording career, however, did not garner as much success or critical acclaim (not that there aren't harsh critics of their live shows either). But no matter. Thousands upon thousands, increasing to tens of thousands, showed up every night to witness the Phish brand of epic. And this happened without the aid of commercial radio hits or any significant presence on MTV (remember when MTV actually was a legitimate barometer for what was popular in music?). Through much of the last decade of the 20th century, Phish could be seen playing sold out shows 4-6 nights a week when on tour. Undeniably, these dudes care about one thing and one thing only: playing sublime live shows.
Personally, I started getting into Phish in '99 or so and I have only attended four of their concerts, all post 2009. So you could say I am really, really, really late to this party. But this party shows no signs of stopping, and many would say that Phish is better than ever. Check out this video from their past New Year's Eve celebration at Madison Square Garden, New York City:
Skeptics of Phish should keep in mind that the band played FOUR SOLD OUT nights in a row leading up to the New Year's Eve show, which they have done several times over the years.
Among the many, many aspects of this fine band that I love is the fact that they will cover ANY song. Quite literally. Some telling examples are Jay-Z's Big Pimpin', Chumbawumba's Tubthumping, and Neil Diamond's Cracklin' Rosie. Then there are the numerous bluegrass songs that have become staples in Phish sets like Old Home Place, Nellie Kane, and Beauty of My Dreams and also traditional gospel tunes like Daniel Saw The Stone and Paul and Silas. These covers are placed into sets as both tributes to the artists who composed them and for the enjoyment of the "phans" and the band members. Take a gander at this massive, extensive list of covers Phish has performed throughout the years: Phish covers.
This post is beginning to get a bit lengthy, so I will have a second installment on Phish, possibly to some readers' chagrin. Well, too bad. But before I go, I would like to mention a Late To The Party bonus in relation to Phish. Specifically, the opening song from the first set of Phish's New Year's Eve 2012 show. The song is "Garden Party" by Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Rick Nelson. I had never heard this song until I had the pleasure of listening to this particular Phish show. The song is written in the intensely self-aware and cryptic style that some may find pretentious but, in this case, I find delicious. It tells the story of Nelson's experience getting booed at Madison Square Garden for playing "new stuff" instead of his "old hits". Apropos in several ways for Phish's own experiences.
Nelson is truly a significant character in rock & roll history; having recorded 53 songs that have placed on the Billboard Hot 100 chart between 1957 and 1973. Those include "Hello Mary Lou" and "Poor Little Fool" which has the particular honor of being the very first number one single on the first Billboard Hot 100 chart.
So once again, I am very late to the party but nonetheless enjoying some of the best music ever written/recorded. Hope you enjoy as well.
Until next time,
Ty
