as lame as the thread title is, its true. my relationship with phish began in 2004 my freshman year of highschool,i know not the best year to get into em but none the less its when i first heard this great music.
I remember vivdly going into a best buy near my house to find some new music, and as i was searching through the cd section a certain cd caught my eye. It was “live phish #17” for some odd reason i thought im buying this crazy-ass looking cd with a drawing of a pig and a clown, i figured if i didnt like the cd i would just give it to my brother or something. I had previously heard of the band phish, but not any of there songs. So as i got into my car, and i put the first disc on i was honestly kind of confused, it really took me a few listens to really get into it but once i got into it I GOT INTO IT!
Phish was like no other band i had ever heard, i was truly blown away by how this band could play it seemed like every good sound ever that could possibly come out of a gutair,piano,bass,&drum times a million. And the way they all just melted together to form this amazing improvization master-piece. I must have listened to that cd 20 times over in the next week or so memorizing each song. Then i just had to get more i was defintely hooked! I whent on the internet and researched phish for hours on end, and learned as much as i could about these guys how they have such a huge following, how many of there songs have hidden meanings much of which pertain to treys senior thesis ;D But another thing i did was find that they are very happy to have people tape there shows and i found a lot of recordings, which led to my growing collection of phish shows. But another thing i found out is that they were breaking up :-/ Wow this amazing band i had just discoverd was calling it quits in august and it was june! So i did the first thing i could think of looked up online for tour dates and found out that they were playing a few shows in my area(chicago). It was Alpine/Deer creek, so i decided on Alpine, but i was unable to get a ticket for ethier of the 2 nights, i thought wow this band must really mean alot. So that was enough to make me head on up to Alpine and try finding a ticket in the lot .
Me and my brother decided to go since i recently got him into phish and we both knew we will never get to see phish ever,we only could go on saturday cause my bro had somthing sunday i forget what maybe a dotctor app. or sumthing and we were pretty confident we would find a ticket because keep in mind we were both in high school at the time and had no money so we wernt planning any trips outside the midwest. So we get to Alpine and this was like no show i had ever been (having only been to 3 actual concerts) and we wenrt even in the venue. The lot was truly somthin eles and i got my first dose of the jam band culture and i loved it, even though i hate the name jamband. Anyway me and my bro parked the car and started out search for tickets, we quickly realized we wernt the only ones looking for extras and we met a really cool couple doing the same thing we were doing and they were definetly veterans, i credit them for alot they really told us the low down on everything phishy, they were actually on the whole 2004 tour only not having ticktes for the 2 alpine shows. So as we were searching around and around and around the sun began goin down and we realized that finding a ticket wasnt that easy. They band eventually hit the stage and we were still standing outside, we could definetly hear them but it just wasnt the same as beening in the show. We were still hanging out with the couple they had no luck with tickets either. They defintly took care of us they must have been the nicest people i have ever met, giving us food, party favors whatever. Unfortantly we did not get into the show but wow, it was bascally a show outside the venue, but no where near getting in.So we left Alpine very down and dissaponted and with a sour tate in our mouths but what were we gonna do that was our only chance, to see phish.
For the next 4 years i listened to phish like they were my favorite band, thinking i would never ever get to see them and i do still concider them my favorite but its just hard to say that if iv never seen them. Since then i also have been to ALOT of shows and festivals. I credit Phish for the music i have been listening to for the last 4 years because to me Phish is the father of the jam genre, and it seems like a majority of what i do revolves around going to shows. a few bands that i think phish got me into:moe., string cheese, umphreys, sts9, just to name some. I guess what im saying is that now Phish is back i feel like im finally meeting my musical father and that really sounds crazy but i am redicously excited to see these guys in june. My first show will finally come in bonnaroo, and then i will be at alpine for both days and i coulnt be happier, im gonna see phish 4 times in june!
Thank you for reading i appreciate it, i know im not good at stories. Im new to the board and thought it would only be right if i shared my story on phish. -pat
^ Welcome, thanks for sharing… Hope you have fun when you finally get to see them haha. I will say that The Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane were the “fathers” of this sort of music among others. But other than that 
good read man. i had very similar story myself–didn’t hear any phish until my sophomore year in high school (2005…oops)
My fiance had her life changed this last weekend, she now “see’s the path ahead of her” much more clearly and simply
good story=) welkum! I’ll be at the deer creek and alpine shows…I, like you, did not get into see phish my first trip to alpine on 08/01/98, but man, I had a great time trying and just soaking in the vibes.
Finally saw them on 07/19/03 and havent missed a deer creek or alpine show since. You are gonna be one happy feller when those notes come to envelope you=)
good tale.
i first saw phish in '96 knowing very little about them (had heard bouncin on the radio). i was extrememly confused/plesantly suprised by what i saw. good times.
Welcome aboard buddy! Hope your first show is as amazing as mine. One word of advice, get to the Bonnaroo show extra early, cuz if you wait to long you will be really really really far away from the band, kinda like your first Alpine experience. That being said, good read and glad to have yet another new member here in OKP land!
Phish changed my hair. It went from nice and short to long and scraggly.
Enjoy your first shows. ;D
Love to hear stories about “first-timers”! It’s always nice to see how music, or one band in particular, can have such an impact on one’s life.
I too remember my first show in '96 (Alpine no less!!). Didn’t know too much about them, except for a couple of tunes. First show, didn’t get either of the songs I knew, but it certainly changed my life.
Can’t wait to read your post after the June shows. Have a blast, soak it in, and enjoy the ride!
It’s great that the love for this band can transcend generations like this. I know people from all walks of life and all age groups that share in the groove. The music truly is timeless.
I too got into phish around 2004, my freshman year of college. I was always into music and went to a lot of shows but, man, phish really did something to me too. I missed the '04 tour in ATL and was to meek to go ticketless to the lot. In retrospect, I’m kinda glad I did miss it. From the tapes I hear and the stories I’ve heard the boys were not on their game. I’m sure I would have enjoyed myself (or perhaps YOU would have enjoyed myself), but, after these tapes, this weekend, OH SHIT! It is on! I’m a Bonnaroo veteran who swore it off, but now I’m going back. It’s amazing what Phish will make me do. Ill be at Knoxville too making a week of it. I hope to see all of your positive faces this summer! Heres to a phresh phamily of old and new!
Just wait til you’re there and those lights go down for the first time.
My first was in 97, and like Paul&Gene I was confused & surprised. I also probably knew less about Phish at that point than you do now. If had as much experience listening to them as you do, my first show would have totally blown my mind.
But, once you see 2-3 shows, you’ll get used to them blowing your mind. Welcome - I’m very excited for you.
Good tale Pat, welcome as well!!!
You will have a ton of fun at Alpine!!! Such a great venue, and the sight of my last Phish show, 06-24-04…I can’t wait till June to see them again…
Just wait till you walk inside and see the lawn…
Great to see fans who fell in love with the band from 04’ and beyond…
weekapat,
please repost after the alpine show. i’d love to hear your thoughts. great post…
thanks everyone for taking the time to read, this is a hell of a board i really like it so far really good vibes goin on. i will absolutly be back with some reviews/stories after these shows. Never been to a roo’ but my brother is going with and hes been to 3 so im sure he will show me the ropes and such, and i know it is a very over populated fest, i will defintly get to the show early as possible and enjoy my very first phish show. 
welcome new pa members, thanks for sharing pat
Will, when did they change my life for ever? LOL!
When I send you stuff 
I am so bad at this game. Never trade with me people. Consider me YEM.
Great post… takes me back. First time I heard of Phish was '95 and I was sitting around a campfire at 4 in the morning and someone there told us the Gamehenge story verbally (word for word as far as I can tell). When school started after that summer, a friend hooked me up with my first tape (back in the day when tapes were still the rage): GAMEHENGE!!! Memorized every song/word/note seemingly. First shows were Deer Creek '96 (now Live Phish #12). Life surely took a turn after that. Now I’ve seen shows everywhere from the Gorge in Washington to The Great Went in Maine and many stops in between.
Definitely repost after you are no longer a Phish show virgin. Can’t wait to read the reply!!! =)
This is good, the Phamily is growing stronger by the day.
No, you got it wrong… My life was changed on 3/22/93! Never YEM