After years of living with the guilt of giving up the chance to see one of my favorite bands perform live in what was their final tour after twenty year run, fate changed four short months ago. The Vermont-based quartet reunited with news of a three-day comeback show in Hampton, Virginia. The news came oddly enough as I was backpacking Europe, taking that trip I had longed for and now for the news of a Phish comeback?!?! I was on cloud nine.

Since the “Brahphecy” has been fulfilled ( aka the long awaited reunion), Phish heads alike have been celebrating the momentous news since the day the news was announced. Now, in the final days before Phish takes the stage March 6, 7, and 8th, 2009 it’s time to look back on some great, but crazy moments in Phish history as we look forward to the new memories to come.

The Phish lot

This is a world all on its own, all sort’s of weird and wacky stand out in the “lot.” It’s not your average parking lot used to pull into before you head to the show. No, this is much, much, more. This is an entire lifestyle, a following, a culture. Phish heads travel from show to show, often just hanging in the parking lot to create new memories and reunite with friends young and old. The lot includes everything you need: clothes, food, free hugs, music to trade, and body explorations all at the palm of your hands.

Not only do you have your choice of drug as you shop down Shakedown Street, but choice of munchies to follow. The most popular items include the infamous veggie burritos, French bread pizza’s, and grilled cheese, otherwise known as “heady cheese.” In addition to the wide variety of food and drugs, are the frocks and jewelry to follow. Of the most popular items is the wide range of glass and bootleg shirts, phrasing Phish in various forms. Most popular shirts include the “Phan Halen,” shirt (in reference to Van Halen), and “NICU.”

The Meat Stick Dance

Think of it as the “Superman” or “YMCA” dance of jam music. Yes, hippies too have there own version of a jam dance. Apart from the usual flailing legs and swishing of the hands, there is a dance that corresponds with the Phish song, “Meat Stick.” Though the song is only shy of seven minutes long, the dance is popular amongst hippies young and old. Comprising of a Macarena-electric slide infused dance, you can check out Phish performing it live in Las Vegas with fans after there return from Japan back in 2000 including the chorus in Japanese ( about 4 minutes into the video). www.youtube.com

Gamehendge

The Beatles had Yellow Submarine, Pink Floyd had The Wall, Phish has Gamehendge. During Trey Anastasio’s attendance at Goddard College back in 1987, he wrote the fictional story as his senior year thesis. Later incorporating part of the story into there second studio album, Phish has only performed a complete set of Gamehendge songs with narration by Trey on five occasions on 03.12.1988, 10.13.1991, 03.22.1993, 06.26.1994 and 07.08.1994.

Tracking Live Shows

In the world of jam bands, the most important factor aside from the good vibes is the concert itself. Hundreds of phish fans flock to show after show, tracking every song played. With the rapid growth of technology, “phans” that don’t make it out to the show can just plug online to the message board and get the set list as the band performs each song. When attending a Phish show, expect to see pocket size notebooks in the hands of phans alike, with chicken scratch writing, paraphrasing the songs and sets with a “>” symbol used to show the use of one song into another song back into the original song. (Example: Wilson > Weekapaug Groove> Wilson). In addition to writing out the set lists, you will always find “show notes” in which mark various cliff notes of the show. For example, the origin of a song Trey spoke about, or the way the microphones are re-arranged, Phish heads never miss a single moment at a show.

The Fans

Wholeheartedly the Phish “phans” are the backbone behind the devilish foursome. Phans spend months out of the year, travelling from one lot to the next, selling random items just to make money to make it to the next show. Over the past twenty years, they have traded tapes, set lists, stories, and other Phish paraphernalia, keeping the spirit of the band close to the heart. They make up a family, a society, an organization where it doesn’t matter if you know the person you sit next to, because by the end of the show you will be the best of friends.

The world of Phish is far from any concert one may ever get to experience. Whether you are getting random UNO cards handed to you, enjoying a cold beer in the lot, or doing the meat stick dance, the culture is inevitable among the jam band community. Who really knows what will come over the next year as Phish kicks off there comeback tour, but phish heads can look forward to creating new memories.

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