WEBVTT 00:00:22.859 --> 00:00:26.559 Welcome back to Shecky's Jam Band, the podcast 00:00:26.559 --> 00:00:29.559 where we dive deep into the legends of rising 00:00:29.559 --> 00:00:32.820 stars of the jam scene. Today we're talking about 00:00:32.820 --> 00:00:35.939 the band that sits on the throne of the jam band 00:00:35.939 --> 00:00:39.820 kingdom. The group that took what Grateful Dead 00:00:39.820 --> 00:00:43.200 pioneered and brought it into a new generation. 00:00:43.799 --> 00:00:47.719 That's right, we're talking about Phish. Phish 00:00:47.719 --> 00:00:52.280 formed in Burlington, Vermont back in 1983. when 00:00:52.280 --> 00:00:57.340 Trey Anastasio, Mike Gordon, John Fishman, and 00:00:57.340 --> 00:01:00.399 Jeff Holdsworth started jamming together at the 00:01:00.399 --> 00:01:04.400 University of Vermont. Soon after, Page McConnell 00:01:04.400 --> 00:01:08.299 joined on keyboards, and the core four that we 00:01:08.299 --> 00:01:12.799 know today, Mike, Trey, Page, and Fish, were 00:01:12.799 --> 00:01:16.159 solidified. The name Fish actually comes from 00:01:16.159 --> 00:01:21.200 the drummer, John Fishman's nickname, Fish. and 00:01:21.200 --> 00:01:25.319 they stylized it with a pH to make it stand out. 00:01:25.540 --> 00:01:29.239 Pretty simple, but iconic. And over time, they've 00:01:29.239 --> 00:01:32.120 become the defining jam band of the modern era, 00:01:32.840 --> 00:01:36.140 selling out arenas, headlining festivals, and 00:01:36.140 --> 00:01:39.239 even hosting their own massive festivals like 00:01:39.239 --> 00:01:43.640 Big Cypress in 1999, which went all night into 00:01:43.640 --> 00:01:48.060 the new millennium. Here are some cool fish facts 00:01:48.060 --> 00:01:51.680 you may or may not know. They never play the 00:01:51.680 --> 00:01:55.280 same set list twice. Pretty unique. Every show 00:01:55.280 --> 00:01:59.319 is different, and fans trade tapes like gold. 00:02:00.140 --> 00:02:04.420 Their fan base is so dedicated, there's a traveling 00:02:04.420 --> 00:02:07.980 economy around them. Think Shakedown Street -style 00:02:07.980 --> 00:02:13.039 marketplaces. They've covered full albums live, 00:02:13.419 --> 00:02:16.699 from the Beatles' White Album to Talking Heads, 00:02:17.139 --> 00:02:20.969 Remain in Light. They have their own Ben & Jerry's 00:02:20.969 --> 00:02:25.469 ice cream flavor, Fish Food. Enough said. And 00:02:25.469 --> 00:02:28.090 let's not forget the Halloween musical costumes, 00:02:28.789 --> 00:02:31.550 where they surprise fans by playing a full album 00:02:31.550 --> 00:02:37.430 by another artist from start to finish. Now, 00:02:37.610 --> 00:02:41.189 if you're new to Fish, where do you begin? Here 00:02:41.189 --> 00:02:45.610 are a few must -listen's. The song, You Enjoy 00:02:45.610 --> 00:02:48.900 Myself, arguably their signature piece, It's 00:02:48.900 --> 00:02:52.280 complex, improvisational, and usually features 00:02:52.280 --> 00:02:56.620 vocal jams. Another one, Bathtub Gin, playful, 00:02:56.919 --> 00:02:59.979 funky, and it often stretches into long, joyous 00:02:59.979 --> 00:03:03.259 jams. Another one you should check out is Down 00:03:03.259 --> 00:03:06.539 with Disease, one of their most accessible and 00:03:06.539 --> 00:03:10.120 radio -friendly tracks, but also a launch pad 00:03:10.120 --> 00:03:14.039 for Monster Jams. Another one is Harry Hood, 00:03:14.560 --> 00:03:17.180 a fan favorite with soaring emotional peaks. 00:03:17.500 --> 00:03:20.979 and last but not least is Tweezer, maybe the 00:03:20.979 --> 00:03:24.300 ultimate jam vehicle, different every single 00:03:24.300 --> 00:03:28.180 time they play it. Alright, let's get to the 00:03:28.180 --> 00:03:32.159 real meat. The jams that define fish. You gotta 00:03:32.159 --> 00:03:37.699 check out the Tahoe Tweezer in 2013, a 30 -minute 00:03:37.699 --> 00:03:40.599 journey that fans call one of the greatest jams 00:03:40.599 --> 00:03:45.099 of modern era. It moves from funky grooves to 00:03:45.099 --> 00:03:50.139 blissful peaks to deep psychedelic soundscapes. 00:03:50.439 --> 00:03:53.620 Pure fish magic. Another jam you should check 00:03:53.620 --> 00:03:58.259 out is the Island Tour roses are free in 1998. 00:03:59.599 --> 00:04:04.879 Fish took a wean cover and turned it into a transcendent 00:04:04.879 --> 00:04:08.800 jam, proving they can elevate any song into a 00:04:08.800 --> 00:04:11.599 masterpiece. Another jam you should check out 00:04:11.599 --> 00:04:15.379 is called the Big Cypress Midnight. transitioning 00:04:15.379 --> 00:04:22.220 to sunrise set in 1999 and 2000. When the clock 00:04:22.220 --> 00:04:26.680 struck midnight on Y2K, Fish played for seven 00:04:26.680 --> 00:04:30.399 and a half hours straight. No breaks, just pure 00:04:30.399 --> 00:04:33.819 improvisation until the Florida sun came up. 00:04:34.120 --> 00:04:39.759 That's jam band history. Another great jam you 00:04:39.759 --> 00:04:44.850 should check out is Dick's Simple in 2012. At 00:04:44.850 --> 00:04:48.389 Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Colorado, Fish 00:04:48.389 --> 00:04:53.470 dropped a 25 -minute simple that flows through 00:04:53.470 --> 00:04:59.110 multiple distinct movements, airy, funky, blissful, 00:04:59.410 --> 00:05:02.870 and exploratory. And the last jam you should 00:05:02.870 --> 00:05:06.370 check out is called The Baker's Dozen Run in 00:05:06.370 --> 00:05:11.009 2017. 13 nights at Madison Square Garden with 00:05:11.009 --> 00:05:15.750 no repeated songs. That's over 250 different 00:05:15.750 --> 00:05:20.129 tunes which is totally unprecedented. What makes 00:05:20.129 --> 00:05:23.509 Phish unforgettable isn't just the music, it's 00:05:23.509 --> 00:05:26.790 the community, the vibe, the idea that every 00:05:26.790 --> 00:05:30.110 night is a unique journey. No two shows are ever 00:05:30.110 --> 00:05:32.730 the same and that keeps the fans coming back 00:05:32.730 --> 00:05:36.889 for decades. So whether you're a newbie checking 00:05:36.889 --> 00:05:41.540 out YEM, for the first time or a seasoned vet 00:05:41.540 --> 00:05:45.740 who is still chasing that perfect tweezer. Fish 00:05:45.740 --> 00:05:49.199 is a band that redefines what it means to jam. 00:05:50.079 --> 00:05:52.720 That's it for this episode of Shecky's Jam Bands. 00:05:52.879 --> 00:05:55.560 Next time we'll dig into another band carrying 00:05:55.560 --> 00:05:59.199 the torch. But until then, keep the jams rolling.