My name is Bryan. I have noticed a trend at most of the Phish shows that I’ve seen in 3.0. I’ve had several bouts of inspiration and I have decided to compile an essay of things that go through my head at Phish shows.
In short, what I am about to write can be boiled down to two words: PAY ATTENTION. That’s it. I will share with you various methods I use and the beneficial effect that it has on the music Phish plays. I suggest this not because you drove six hours to the show, spent $60 on the ticket, or used precious vacation time. I suggest it because doing so will allow you to experience tremendous joy. Joy that you never knew was possible. With the help of those around you, it can be easily repeated. So, please read the following. Share your insight, give your impressions, and help make Phish shows a more incredible experience.
I will guarantee you that one of two things will be true when you finish reading this.
One, you will find this to be a huge document, listing a random list of thoughts and skills that you were fully aware of. You will agree with 98% of this and you may shed a tear or two as these feelings are so strong that you can’t help it.
Two, you will be armed with the tools to help Phish play the best possible jams. The things I am about to mention had an almost unanimous show of support.
I hope that you all will find some useful knowledge here. I also beg you to bump this thread. I’ve sat on PT since returning from Telluride and I just can’t continue to do that. I will need a massive amount of help if this is to reach the number of people that it will take to make a difference. I am also happy to supply this to you in Word form so you can e-mail and forward it to whomever you feel is necessary.
While Phish is onstage playing music, the crowd plays a more important role in the direction of the show than the band itself.
My goal is to help the crowd create the peak energy that can happen at most future Phish shows. These things that I’m about to spell out have never been talked about so openly. They have always been “our little secret”. It works best when everyone is in on it.
One point I want to make right away is that each person is different. You may take certain things from this, while other points will clearly not be for you.
thawdgharp mentioned in the first thread…“while you can lead a Phish concert-goer to water, you can’t make him or her drink”.
This is a brilliant piece of advice that will obviously come into play. Please fans, let us lead you to the water.
I have noticed a lot of Phish fans that seem to be missing the best parts. It is not just young fans that are missing the best parts. I have seen every type of Phish concert attendee missing the point. This is my attempt to share the things I’ve learned.
I’ve been inspired to write this after noticing many knowledgeable Phish fans at most of the 3.0 shows that I’ve attended. They knew the songs and the previous setlists, but they seem to be missing the best part. They LOVE this band like I do. They traveled across the country and spent wads of cash to be in the right place at the right time. I’ve seen many people on PT mention that only 10% of the crowd “get’s it”. I agree with this figure and it didn’t used to be that low. Since the number of people who are on-board this ship is shrinking, I have decided to take informative action.
I was directly inspired to write this after the amazing energy that existed at the Greek>Telluride shows. It was like old times again, where it didn’t matter what song the band played. Everyone was happy and the jams bared the souls of the musicians more deeply than I’ve seen in 3.0. The enormity of the jams is partially influenced by the crowd.
The big thing that a lot of fans seem to be missing is that Phish is up there on stage for the jamming. They are up there for the Reba jam, the Slave jam, the Antelope jam, the Bathtub jam, the BDTNL jam, etc. The internet has helped to influence a popular concept, that song selection is what a lot of us go to shows for. This is not the case. Maybe it is the case for a lot of you. That is fantastic, as I think that was very important when I first started seeing the band. It’s only natural. I know that seeing a song you’ve never seen makes you feel good. That is an artificial high. I want to help you figure out how to tap into the NATURAL high that is available at most shows no matter what song the band plays. I have a list of songs that I’ve been working on for a while and I always have hope that I will hear one of them. What I really want most is another sick Ghost.
I am writing this so that YOU can get to the next level of Phish enjoyment. I want YOU to feel what I feel at Phish shows.
Please read this with an open mind. Please realize that I am a completely sane person who takes drugs very rarely.
THE HOSE
“… where the music is like water rushing through you and as a musician your function is really like that of a hose. And, and well his thing is that the audience is like a sea of flowers, you know, and you’re watering the audience. But the concept of music going through you, that you’re not actually creating it, that what you’re doing is – the best thing that you can do is get out of the way. So, when you are in a room full of people, there’s this kind of group vibe that seems to get rolling sometimes." Trey Anastasio on The Hose
When Trey talks about getting out of the way as musicians, the same is required of us as audience members. It’s what gets everyone to the next level.
This state of mind that achievable at Phish shows is the most incredible feeling. It is a trance-like state of mind. It feels like you are on ecstasy. It is almost the exact same feeling. It lasts until long after the show is over. Live improvisational music, coupled with an attentive, open-minded crowd has the same effect on your brain as taking drugs.
You are a part of this if you can get your mind in the right place. It takes practice. I want to give you a list of tips and things that I personally use to become part of the HOSE. You may find that some of them work better than others. You may also find that some of them don’t work for you. I would like to know the things that work for you, so that they can be added to the next version of this user’s manual.
When you are hooked to the HOSE, you can directly feel the emotions of many people in the room.
This brilliant piece of writing was shared by PTer seanwise…
"The Truth is you CAN achieve an expanded level of consciousness during jams where the mind is freed from the ego’s grip and both are loose enough to just exist in the present where heights of group ecstasy can be reached, and you feel like your floating through life without a care in the world, untouchable by all the worlds dramas, and for me personally I feel hopeful about humanity again, while dancing to the music.
The band has talked extensively in the past about this particular HOSE experience, and it happens because the notes they play on their instruments, amplified to vibrate through the bodies of everyone in the audience, are a direct reflection of their soul, unimpeded by ego, at that particular moment where they realize anything is possible, and they’ve let go, together as a group, and the audience has let go with them, and everyone is ready for anything, with no expectation. Page calls it HOOKING UP.
The beauty is that all of our souls have a common connection to the universe, and when someone is expressing their soul honestly, it invokes a response within you that can’t be well described with words, its just something you know."
This HOSE is directly responsible for the jamming that takes place. An improvisational musician relies on emotion for the best results. Since there is an unexplainable force that somehow connects the band with the audience mentally, your attitude as a crowd member is important for maximum results. I always wondered why the Albany Seven Below>Ghost was so different from the rest of the shows from that run. I didn’t see any shows from that run but I would wager that the crowd at Albany2 was made up of mostly attentive, happy crowd members.
THE JAM
The jam is a journey that the band and the audience take together. There are many different kinds of jams in Phish’s music. The jam, or improvisation, is the section of the song that is not composed.
Most Phish jams have some kind of peak. The peak is what initiates the feelings of ecstasy inside of us. The journey is what makes the peak so enjoyable. I’ve noticed a lot of fans that will all cheer when the band reaches a peak but they hadn’t been paying attention during the journey. The journey is the most important part.
Some songs like Tweezer don’t necessarily have peaks. Sometimes a jam is just an amazing journey that doesn’t reach a clifftop, but instead is just a beautiful ride through the mountain range. The trick is that you are fully aware that it doesn’t have a planned ending. When the entire crowd is completely dialed in, the jam will go to amazing places. The band obviously also has a lot to do with this direction, but the crowd is an important contributor, as we are many. The attentiveness, focus, mentality, and mood of the crowd all directly contribute to the intensity of the jam. There are a lot of Phish fans who are missing that point; especially the part about attentiveness. When the whole crowd has listened to every note of the Slave jam, the peak is enormous. If you’re not listening to the journey, you are missing out on some intense feelings of euphoria, bliss, and total body happiness.
When you pay attention to the whole jam during the Tweezer jam, you get feelings of ecstasy during every turn. This is why we all want type 2 jamming. Something happens inside our brains when the band shifts gears. When there are enough people focused on the music, the HOSE will naturally shift the music to a different texture. The band has little to do with these moments. It happens naturally inside them, when the HOSE calls for a change. This only happens organically when the majority of the crowd is locked in. I know that sounds crazy, but it is absolute fact. They can’t go out there and plan type 2 action. Crowd participation is a major part of the formula for greatness.
“His (Carlos Santana) point was that we, the musicians, are just the vehicle. If we want the music to truly express what’s in our souls, we have to clear our minds, listen to each other, and get our own egos out of the way." Trey Anastasio
TIPS
This is a collection of things that I’ve used to achieve peak experiences at Phish shows.
The most important tip is to pay attention to the music. Avoid as many distractions as you can. Distractions suck you out of the zone that you want to be in and you can’t just jump back into it.
Listen to all four instruments simultaneously while bringing them along one at a time. I always start with Mike. The bass is the center of the music and along with the drums, forms the foundation of the music. When you’ve got Mike locked into your mind, the drums almost always naturally come into focus. Next, add the piano to the mix. This may take some practice. Focusing on Mike, Fish, and Page gets you on the right track. Nothing can stop you now. It’s hard not to hear Trey, so you should have no problem naturally bringing Trey into the mix. I always listen to Trey last as having his guitar subconsciously in your mind will put you over the edge. Try and see how long you can hear all four instruments at the same time. It’s not easy, but gets easier with practice.
As with other forms of entertainment, you must give undivided attention. You have to listen to every note. When you step out of a movie or skip a chapter in a book, you lose context and the ability to fully appreciate. The same is true of improvisational music. Do your best to pay attention while the band is playing. Consider that you are in the venue for approximately 5 hours and that the band is only playing for half of that time. There is plenty of time for bathroom breaks, beer runs, and conversations with your neighbor, but they are best undertaken before the show, during setbreak, or after the show.
Breathing exercises can help you relax and tune out everything except the music.
I have found that closing my eyes allows me to focus more on the music. When you eliminate one sense, (sight), it makes your other senses more aware. Chris Kuroda is an amazing lighting director and most likely the best at what he does. For a newer fan, closing your eyes might be the most valuable tip. When you are practiced at letting your mind go, you can add lights into your mix easily and still retain perfect focus.
Getting close to the band is very helpful. The closer you get to the band, the louder the music will be. The louder the music is, the easier a connection can be made. Also, the closer you are, your surrounding fans have a higher chance of being tuned in like you are. Being surrounded by other people that are tuned into the music is crucial. A group of people in the back, drinking beers and chatting it up during the Bowie jam is not going to feel any of these addicting feelings like a group of tuned-in fans up front. If you watch the show from the back of the lawn, you stand almost no chance of reaching transcendence, as there are a lot of people not paying attention back there. As you become more experienced, you will find it easier to lose yourself in the music anywhere. But when you are first learning, getting close is helpful. Learning to hop over rails and watch 5 security guys at the same time is a fine skill to acquire.
For the most intense feelings to be reached, the music has to be the only sound. If those around you are talking, change locations. There is always a good spot available. If you believe this is true, you will find it. Moats (area between pavilion and lawn at outdoor shows) are good because they often have attentive people. You can usually find a spot in an aisle somewhere if you are forced to move due to inconsiderate neighbors. Instead of getting annoyed, just find a new spot.
If you are learning these things for the first time, try being alone for a set. Being alone helps to limit the number of distractions, as nobody knows you. Imagine how heroic you will feel when you learn these things, and can then teach them to your friends. That is my goal. When you don’t know the people around you, you feel more free to act in any manner of your choosing. This helps lose inhibitions and truly become a part of the music. When the band is playing, you don’t need to be with your friends, as it is now between you and the music.
Dancing has become a part of my life, which I never thought would be the case. It took a number of shows before I felt comfortable enough to let loose a little bit. Now, dancing for me is involuntary. “Dance like nobody is watching" is a brilliant piece of advice. When you are dancing to the music, it connects your whole body to every note. This is the major gateway into transcendence. This is vitally important.
I know dancing may be something you’re scared to start doing. I really think for me, it was the gateway into understanding these crazy things. Start with just bobbing your head. (If you remove your sleeves, you will become Mr. Gordon) Bobbing your head will turn into flailing your arms a little bit. Before you know it, you will not care what you look like. Try conducting the band. That’s what I’ve ended up doing. My dancing has gone through different phases, and is a constantly evolving process. I bet I look like the biggest fool, but I do not care at all. This is important. My body becomes a extension of the music.
I’ve recently learned that I can feel the energy the most when I reach my arms as high as they will go. I seriously spend a good amount of the jams looking like I’m trying to block Michael Jordan.
One tip I have is to turn your phone off. When you are 10 minutes into a Tweezer jam, and your phone vibrates, it can pull you out of the zone that you need to be in. For people that are first grasping these concepts, turning your phone is a good idea. When you are used to getting your mind into the zone, I suppose most tasks can be easily undertaken without losing focus.
Taking video and pictures is completely unnecessary. There is something in our brains, when we are first learning to feel this energy, that makes us want to capture the moment on film. One thing you will soon learn is that is impossible. You will need to rely on memory alone to recapture these moments. Also, there are plenty of professional photographers at every show, so that you have the best shots available easily. Take pictures of your friends before the show and during setbreak. I usually take a picture of the band if it’s a venue that I’ve never visited, but then I leave my camera in my pocket. If you’re not in the zone for the whole journey, you will not experience the same results. There are plenty of people taking videos so you really don’t need to worry about it. There will most always be someone with a better camera, who is closer, and whose footage will end up on YouTube. Stay in the zone, fan.
The most important tip of all is to be happy. From 2000-2004, I had major expectations from this band. Since being forced to live a Phish-free existence for almost 5 years, I have discovered a sense of gratefulness. This sense has allowed me to reach even higher states of ecstasy. I think a lot of the fans these days could benefit from this advice. We are all truly lucky to be able to see this band right now and I would really like everyone to try being happy no matter what song the band plays.
CROWD PARTICIPATION
und420 stated
“the crowd attention or lack thereof is a major factor in the lower frequency of sustained improvisation by the band.”
I completely believe that this is the case. The band has showed signs of brilliance, but they are sporadic. Why? It’s because the crowd’s attentiveness is sensed by the band. Even though they can’t hear you talking to your friend during the Tweezer jam, they can FEEL if the majority of the audience is on board or elsewhere. Having played live music for 25 years, they are very in tune with these things. Because so many of the 3.0 audience haven’t figured out how they can help, the jams have been limited and often cut short.
When everyone in attendance is happy to hear every song, amazing energy occurs naturally. You can’t deny the feeling when you were hoping for an Antelope closer and they play TTE. Everyone knows this feeling. Since the vocal majority says that this is the song that nobody wants to hear, there is a distinct feeling in the air. The opposite feeling is what we’re going for. Since this band was taken away from me in 2004, I have discovered how lucky I am to see a Phish show. I hope this is the case for everyone. When you are at a Phish show strictly for the jams, it does not matter what the launchpad is. When you get upset that the band messed up a change, or played in the wrong key for a bit, you detract from the energy in the room.
Yelling wooooo is very important. People look at me funny when I woohoo during improvisational sections like I’m hearing them start a new song or something. I’m woohooing because the jam has just created intense feelings out of nothing. You have to learn to time your wooohooos, and you can directly influence the music. When the jam in Cities at the Greek got to a certain point, the crowd voiced their approval. This has an effect on both the crowd and the band, both physically and mentally. When the jam is in full-swing, at crucial points, the crowd will woohoo in unison. When your whole section does it, it is heard on the other side of the venue. When the opposite side of the venue hears an entire section woohooing in the middle of a sick jam, they get a goosebump type feeling that can last a very long time. The residual effect is the long lasting group ecstasy. You have to be tuned into the music with the rest of the group to have the full effects. Imagine the goosebump feeling that the band gets when the crowd is approving of their improvisation.
Their improvisation, as we discussed earlier, is the band bearing their souls for everyone in attendance. Improvisational music is a direct link to the emotions of the musicians, and when they hear a giant crowd approve of what their souls have spoken, natural amazing jams happen organically. This is why we need everyone on board.
END RAMBLING
Phish disbanded in 2004 with numerous reasons being speculated upon. The public reason was that they didn’t want to become a nostalgia act. This was four years since the culmination of their careers with “the long gig”. Imagine how word spread about this band after Big Cypress. There were many new fans that all were clueless about the things I’ve brought to light here. Hiatus came later that year, so the new fans continued to grow, with no shows to attend. 2003 & half of 2004 is a short period of time to figure out all the things I’ve spelled out. Some are quick learners, while some are not.
With no shows for 4.5 years, the word continued to spread about Phish. Plenty of people were twelve years old when Big Cypress happened, but now they are salivating. They are the happiest people ever as the Phish is back and they get to see this amazing band. Since the shows are mostly comprised with newer fans, they will not be able to learn by example as easily. That is why I will be bumping this thread.
The band is at peak condition in my opinion. They all look very happy, healthy, and willing. They have proved night after night that their musicianship is at an all-time level, or close to it. I don’t know them, but I know that they are up there on stage to feel the group ecstasy. They’ve proven sporadically that they can dish out insane jams. I believe that they want to play insane jams every night. It will take everyone on board this ship to happen every show again. I fully believe that the audience is the largest contributor to the enormity of the improvisation, and I swear to you that when the improvisation is enormous, and you are on board, you wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. I believe that we, the fans, are the biggest factor in determining whether this band becomes a “nostalgia act”.
Thanks for reading and for supporting the greatest band in the history of time.
Yours,
Bryan
