All This Patchouli Is Harshing My Mellow
Have you seen that ominous greasy cloud gathering towards the south? It actually has stink lines! Thousands of modern-day hippies (read: people who buy Kashi everything and read a book about Eastern philosophy once) have converged on the Wachovia Center, where their mobile mecca has descended upon Philly for two relentless days of full of wandering guitar solos and white people with dreadlocks. Yes, we’re talking about Phish. The good side for some is that there should be a flea market full of powerful hippy drugs descending on our town, just in time for Thanksgiving. The bad news is, well, it’s Phish. And Phish fans. Maybe they’ll be pummeled back by a wave of South Philly Fist Pumps before they make up to the rest of us. But if you see them, take it easy on yer brahs: It’s hard to be a trust fund hippie nowadays, as this economy is really harshing a lot of mellows. Which is probably why Phish is on tour in the first place — to unharsh their own financial mellows. While it is easy (and fun) to throw cheap shots from afar, we’re getting our hands dirty; in the name of mixing it up and funny pictures, we’re sending an intern down there to infiltrate the scene and see what he can see. He’ll have a camera with him so hopefully he’ll come back with a miracle.
November 24th, 2009 at 1:06 pm
Saw them over the Summer in Camden, on a lark.
I mean… wow. It’s another world of weird. Everybody is insanely wasted, nobody knows how to dance, and they all fucking LOVE the endlessly wanking solos. It’s a bizarre form of worship.
I had a pretty good time, actually, although I’d never want to go again. They are a pretty inventive band, and one can see why they are successful (but THIS successful, c’mon.. weird), and they play well. I guess it’s the kind of thing where people just want to belong to something. A cult, or whatnot.
When I was at the show, watching the crowd more than the band, it occurred to me that Phish is really Indie Rock, proper. The bands that are called ‘Indie’ now are usually on labels like Matador or Jagjaguwar or the like, who very carefully work tastemaking websites like Pitchfork and place them on bills with other very ‘cred-oriented’ bands and try to get them in front of reviewers who can make their career. Just because Sub Pop isn’t owned by Viacom doesn’t mean there is a pretty sophisticated form of media manipulation taking place.
Phish basically exploded because they write really goofy, long songs that go well with lazer light shows and happened to start playing these songs in front of the right people who were on the right drugs at the right time. I mean, they sell out arenas! How did this happen! They don’t advertise or buy radio airplay and never got a good review in their life. And they don’t even write great songs, as far as I can tell (a legion of fans would disagree, probably). Greatest musical WTF of our generation.
‘Owl City’ isn’t indie. There are all sorts of A&R dudes and sync dudes working their tails off strategically trying to match those songs with the right TV ads so as to maximize exposure and profit. Phish is Indie.
Weird.
November 24th, 2009 at 1:24 pm
“I mean, they sell out arenas! How did this happen! They don’t advertise or buy radio airplay and never got a good review in their life. And they don’t even write great songs, as far as I can tell (a legion of fans would disagree, probably). Greatest musical WTF of our generation.
”
Or…..Maybe people actually like their songs and have a good time seeing them. God forbid!
November 24th, 2009 at 1:30 pm
First thought you were talking about all points south of Washington on PYunk
November 24th, 2009 at 1:48 pm
Is Pierre Robert a Phish fan? ‘Cause, if so, wow! What a week for him: two nights of Phish then a day of “Alice’s Restaurant.”
November 24th, 2009 at 2:33 pm
Phish is a mediocre band that has managed to succeed solely due to the fact that long wanky solos sound okay under the influence of the right combination of substances. They wrote maybe 10 worthwhile songs over the course of a dozen albums. I don’t write them off totally, but the cultlike devotion always was, and remains, a mystery to me.
November 24th, 2009 at 2:40 pm
Come to think of it, I do remember seeing Pierre Robert in Camden at the Phish show!
I’m not really putting them down, philthydan, hell, they recently played Exile on Main Street in its entirety at a show in California.. and year, they have some enjoyable songs.
The crazy part is the scope of their success… people really really like them.
November 24th, 2009 at 2:59 pm
People also really like Shania Twain, Britney Spears, and the Eagles.
Exile on Main Street isn’t even their f*ucking album, why is this a good thing?
I hate cover bands, too.
November 24th, 2009 at 3:40 pm
Mmmm, a plate full of tired and lame Phish jokes drizzled with weak sauce.
November 24th, 2009 at 3:49 pm
Hey Philebrity. You must know by now that wooks (see http://encyclopediadramatica.com/wook for a complete definition) are not the only Phish fans out there. If that was the case, Phish would not be able to sell out 20,000+ seat venues. Can we move past the stereotypes? Today, I’m sitting in a Philadelphia office, working in the public relations and marketing industry. Tonight, I will see the band, alongside some fans who don’t quite fit your mold – developers, doctors, artists, social workers, contractors, scientists, therapists, and more. We’re of the iPhone generation. We use Twitter (check out the Phish Twibe! http://www.twibes.com/phish). We have jobs. We’re enthusiastic about Phish. The reality is this, Phish 3.0 is back and better than ever. The band is making good music (whether you like it or not), and garnering critical acclaim from music reviewers, magazines and fans. I saw the band three times this summer, and I’ll see them five times on the Fall Tour. Make sure your spy gets a few photos of the people NOT sucking down N2O after the show, please. Chances are, of the 20,000 strong fans that will exit the venue tonight, only a select few will migrate to the lot after-party. See you at the show!
PS: I don’t have dreadlocks.
November 24th, 2009 at 4:15 pm
“The reality is this, Phish 3.0 is back and better than ever. ”
The better than ever part is debateable, but they are certainly back. Very much looking forward to tonight.
Trivia question: Try anastasio saw his first arena rock concert at the philly spectrum. Who was the band?
November 24th, 2009 at 4:26 pm
emaleigh, I too am at a desk working my job, going to the show tonight, and would like pictures of fans like us in this little montage that is planned. The only problem is that those pics don’t make for good “journalism” since normal is boring.
November 24th, 2009 at 4:27 pm
@philthydan Okay, I digress about the “better than ever” claim, I am too young to know that for certain, but I am enjoying the band more than I did in the 90s and through 2004.
Triva answer: The first rock concert Trey Anastasio saw at the Spectrum was Pink Floyd!
November 24th, 2009 at 4:35 pm
@philtydan: Jethro Tull
November 24th, 2009 at 5:45 pm
@duckworth, ride1076
FYI: Phish famously (to their followers, at least) plays another band’s album in its entirety every Halloween. I believe their fans vote from a list of albums the band provides.
November 24th, 2009 at 6:57 pm
Who’s got my Deemsters?
November 24th, 2009 at 7:01 pm
that “bouncing around the room” live jam you used to hear on the radio in the 90s was always prety sweet… come to think of it, it’s the only jam of theirs I know… they should just ressurect that Paul Simon-esque vibe.
November 25th, 2009 at 10:35 am
“@philtydan: Jethro Tull”
Ding ding ding!!!
For what it’s worth. Last night was amazing. Got my wook on for a few hours, and now it’s back to reality.
November 27th, 2009 at 12:42 pm
I was actually with your intern at the lot on the first night. Both nights were great and Phish sounded fantastic. Say what you will, but the music is solid and they are very talented musicians.
Hey, we all have different tastes in music. The same people who shitbag Phish are probably the same ones who go see whiny hipster rock bands.
November 29th, 2009 at 12:02 pm
Just to give Phish some indie rock cred:
- Trey (the guitarist) has stated that his favorite band is Pavement.
- Their Halloween tradition of donning a “musical costume” and covering an entire album as one of their three sets include:
The Beatles – The White Album
The Who – Quadrophenia
Talking Heads – Remain in Light
Velvet Underground – Loaded
Rolling Stones – Exile on Main Street
- On this tour, they added TV On The Radio’s Golden Age to their repertoire. Other artists they have covered are Syd Barrett, Led Zeppelin, Prince, Jay-Z and Stevie Wonder. And although they get goofy, they never play anything with a hint of irony, except maybe the time they played Getting Jiggy With It.
Phish is not a cover band, but they have incorporated a number of covers into their 400+ song repertoire (over 700 if you include songs only played once). They have played over 1,200 shows and never repeat a setlist, so the covers keep things interesting for both the band and the audience.