In Episode 058 we take stock of the recent Phish Mexico Run, focusing on one of our favorite jams of the run, the "Carini," as well as the accompanying "Tweezer -> Ghost -> Say It To Me S.A.N.T.O.S." segment that felt like most purely fun part of the entire weekend. To do all this, we're joined by our good friend, and fellow podcaster, Matt Dwyer ( @mdphunk ) of The Helping Friendly Podcast . We dive deep into the experience of seeing Phish in Mexico, as Matt has been to both the 2016 &...
Mar 05, 2019•1 hr 56 min•Ep. 59
In Episode 057 we sit down with the founders of Beyond Beyond Is Beyond Records , Mike Newman and Dom Miniaci, for a great conversation that ranges from the Baker's Dozen, to running an independent label, to highlighting a few of our favorite bands from the BBiB label. Mike and Dom manage one of the best labels for psych rock with a focus on songwriting and improvisation that is currently our favorite brand of jams. We would encourage all of our listeners to check out the Beyond Beyond Is Beyond...
Feb 26, 2019•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 58
In Episode 056 we are joined once again by rock music writer & Phish Ambassador, Steven Hyden ( @Steven_Hyden ), to discuss our five favorite sets of 2018, plus chat about other historical examples of bands pulling a Kasvot Vaxt . We dive deep into the nuances of the last year for Phish as well as showcase the historical precedent - and lack thereof - for Phish's 2018 Halloween Performance. Our Top 5 Sets of 2018: Brian - HM: Commerce City, CO - 08/31/18 II, 05. Alpharetta, GA - 08/04/18 II,...
Feb 19, 2019•2 hr 15 min•Ep. 57
In Episode 055 we sit down with Rob Mitchum ( @phishcrit ) to discuss one of the transformative jams of the 3.0 era: "The Storage Jam" from Super Ball IX. A jam the brought back the sense of danger to Phish, while opening the doors to further exploration which the band has used as inspiration over the past 8 years. To explore this further, we instilled Rob as a guide into the world of Chicago's Psychedelic Underground Jam Scene. Songs featured in this episode are: Tortoise: "Glass Museum," CAVE:...
Feb 12, 2019•1 hr 42 min•Ep. 56
In Episode 054 we're joined by musician, fellow-podcaster, and Phish/Dead/National fan, Conrad Doucette ( @conrad ) for a wide-ranging conversation. Covering Conrad's experience seeing Phish for the first time in 25 years on December 29, 2018, his contributions to the "Day of The Dead" compilation, playing with The National, and much more. Songs featured in this episode are: The War On Drugs: "Touch Of Grey," Phish: "Sample In A Jar," "Buried Alive," "Tweezer," "Watcher Of The Skies," "Turtle In...
Jan 29, 2019•1 hr 28 min•Ep. 55
In Episode 053 we discuss two standout jams from Phish's 2018 New Year's Eve Run at Madison Square Garden in New York City: "Tweezer" from December 29 and "Seven Below" from December 30. Two of the strongest jams from the four-night stand, and also two jams that very clearly touch on themes from one of the band's biggest influences: The Grateful Dead. Songs featured in this episode are: The Grateful Dead: "China Cat Sunflower -> I Know You Rider" (5/19/74 & 12/29/77) and The Grateful Dead...
Jan 15, 2019•1 hr 49 min•Ep. 54
In Episode 052 we take a step back, drink some mulled wine, light a nightly candle, and soak in the vibes of the season. We focus on 12/28's through the years, highlighting the 2003 run in particular, and discuss the "Frankie Says" & "Suzy Greenberg" from that year's 12/28 show. We also discuss the major themes one can expect from the first night of a holiday run, as well as the standout jams we've seen from them over the yeas. In addition, we discuss our slow-burn albums of 2018, our favori...
Dec 18, 2018•1 hr 47 min•Ep. 53
In Episode 051 we look back on 2018 and discuss our favorite albums of the year. In addition, we discuss our year musically in five sentences, the record everyone told us to listen to but we just couldn't get into, share our listeners top albums of the year, and count down our favorite 20 records of 2018. David's Top Ten Albums of 2018: 10. Kurt Vile: Bottle It In; 9. Parquet Courts: Wide Awake!; 8. Flasher: Constant Image; 7. Colter Wall: Songs Of The Plains; 6. Boygenius: Boygenius EP; 5. Foxi...
Dec 11, 2018•1 hr 53 min•Ep. 52
In Episode 050 (Pt II) we once again take a break from exploring the various bands and artists connected to Phish's music, and instead reflect on the Phish shows we've seen that have had the biggest impact on us. These are the shows that hit us the hardest in the moment, and that we've returned to most regularly since. This week, we count down our Top 5 Favorite Phish Shows Ever. David's Top 5 Favorite Phish Shows: 05. Worcester, MA - 11/27/1998: "Chalk Dust Torture -> Mirror In The Bathroom ...
Nov 27, 2018•1 hr 34 min•Ep. 51
In Episode 050 we take a break from exploring the various bands and artists connected to Phish's music, and instead reflect on the Phish shows we've seen that have had the biggest impact on us. These are the shows that hit us the hardest in the moment, and that we've returned to most regularly since. This week, our 10–6 shows, followed next week, by our Top 5 Favorite Phish shows Ever. David's 10-6 Favorite Phish Shows Ever: 10. Hartford, CT - 08/14/2009: "Ghost -> Psycho Killer -> Catapul...
Nov 20, 2018•1 hr 36 min•Ep. 50
In Episode 049 we visit June 1994 - somehow our first 1994 jam - to discuss the underrated, forward-thinking Run Like An Antelope from June 24, 1994 at The Murat Theatre in Indianapolis, IN. A classic 1994 jam, this is equal parts experimental, indulgent, confident and arrogant. Here, the band displays their prescient playing, foreshadowing the creation of the song First Tube some five years before its debut. In addition, there is a full-on Down With Disease jam that fits the era perfectly. Song...
Nov 13, 2018•58 min•Ep. 49
In Episode 048 we are joined by friend of the pod, Ben Greenfield ( @GuyForgetOPT ) to discuss Phish's 2018 Halloween Album - Kasvot Vaxt: "i rokk " - and then we break down the rest of the band's phenomenal Las Vegas Run. In a stunning move, the band debuted a new album of brand new material - for the third times in five years - here donning the moniker, Kasvot Vaxt, a fictional Scandinavian band that had supposedly crafted a single album in 1981 before disbanding. One of the best pranks the ba...
Nov 10, 2018•1 hr 46 min•Ep. 48
In Episode 047 we focus on the second week of Phish's Fall 2018 Tour, highlighting two excellent jams - 10/24 Mike's & 10/26 Mercury - within the band's two night run in Nashville & three-night run at the former Rosemont Horizon, now Allstate Arena, just outside of Chicago. Two exciting jams from across their catalogue, these both encapsulate the continued high the entire community is currently on as we move to Las Vegas for their four-night Halloween Run. And so now, we've arrived in La...
Oct 31, 2018•1 hr 39 min•Ep. 47
In Episode 046 we focus on the first five shows of Phish's Fall 2018 Tour, highlighting two standout jams - 10/16 Tube & 10/19 Golden Age - and using them as a springboard to make our Halloween Album picks! Two vastly different jams, they both showcase the consistent highs of the tour, while proving that the band is clearly well practiced and focused heading into their tenth Halloween Cover Run. Songs featured in this episode are: Daft Punk: "Give Life Back To Music," "Girogio by Moroder," a...
Oct 25, 2018•1 hr 27 min•Ep. 46
In Episode 045 we're joined by our good friend and musicologist, Jake Cohen ( @smoothatonalsnd ) to discuss one of the best Phish jams of all time: the 09/14/1999 "AC/DC Bag" from Boise, ID. A multifaceted excursion that seamlessly melded together 99-era bliss jamming with big techno beats, ambient soundscapes and 1.0 peaks, this jam has a bit of everything and showcases the impact of snooze-you-lose Phish at the peak of their game. Songs featured in this episode are: Mahler: "First Symphony - T...
Oct 09, 2018•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 45
In Episode 044 we're joined by one of our favorite music writers, Grayson Haver Currin ( @currincy ) for a wide-ranging conversation about music, travel, current festival trends, and how some of our formative songwriters can regain their past glory. While Grayson's work appears in a number of publications we admire: Pitchfork , NPR and Outside Magazine , among others, it was three of his essays he wrote over the last twelve months that convinced us we had to chat with him. The first, What I Lear...
Sep 25, 2018•1 hr 33 min•Ep. 44
In Episode 043 we discuss two phenomenal segments of music from Phish's 2018 Summer Tour Closing Weekend at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, CO. Focusing on the "Ghost -> Crosseyed & Painless" from August 31 and the "46 Days -> Tweezer -> Golden Age" from September 2, we discuss the sleek shifts of music the band employed during the three-night run, but also, the larger musical transition at play for the band in 2018. Songs featured in this episode are: The Byrds: "I Am ...
Sep 11, 2018•1 hr 47 min•Ep. 43
In this Bonus Episode, we feature an interview Brian did with Joel Cummins of Umphrey's McGee just prior to the band's July 7 show at Red Rocks Amphitheater. In addition to the interview, Joel requested we showcase the band's excellent jam off "Divisions" from July 5, the band's first performance of the song in 66 shows. Umphrey's McGee is a band that took both Dave & Brian some time to really "get." But once we did, they proved to be yet another obsession - much like Phish - with a wealth o...
Aug 21, 2018•57 min
In Episode 042 we discuss four jams from the East Coast leg of Phish's Summer 2018 Tour. Selecting one from each stop: Alpharetta, Camden, Raleigh and MPP, we turned to Episode 027: Phish Pandora for inspiration in crafting this episode. Each jam we selected received its own Pandora-esque playlist, which further helps to shed some artistic light on the last ten days of Phish's Summer Tour. Alpharetta, GA --- Carini --- 08/03/2018 --- Outkast: "Player's Ball," Outkast: "Millennium," Outkast: "Ske...
Aug 16, 2018•2 hr 11 min•Ep. 42
In Episode 041 we discuss not one, but two jams from the second week of Phish's Summer 2018 Tour. Focusing on the "Set Your Soul Free" from July 25th in San Francisco and the "Soul Planet" from July 28th in Los Angeles, we explore the inspiration the band has received through two of their newest songs, and the impact this is having on the band from an improvisational standpoint in the tour thus far. Two very unique jams, the "SYSF" touches on 2.0 peak-less groove jamming, while the "SP" is a clo...
Aug 07, 2018•1 hr 40 min•Ep. 41
In Episode 040 we return to our roots and discuss the first Chalk Dust Torture jam since our very first episode. A heroic, D-Major jam to the heavens, the Chalk Dust from the first night of The 2018 Gorge run immediately set itself apart as one of the best jams of the young tour. Songs featured in this episode are: Deafheaven: "Honeycomb," Wild Pink: "Yolk In The Fur," Futurebirds: "Serial Bowls," and Blackberry Smoke: "Living In The Song" In addition, we discuss two new 2018 records we highly r...
Jul 26, 2018•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 40
In Episode 039 we discuss the shimmering and blissful version Gumbo from July 22, 2003 at Deer Creek Amphitheater in Noblesville, IN. A 15+minute mid-first-set jam, this version diverges from the psychedelic-blues jamming they employed throughout much of 2003. An exceptional example of Trey's lead guitar, this version is sure to have you floating 2–3 feet above the ground. Songs featured in this episode are: The War On Drugs: "Red Eyes," The Stone Roses: "This Is The One," The Hold Steady: "Chic...
Jul 17, 2018•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 39
In Episode 038 we discuss the effect-heavy, funk-laden version of 2001 from Memphis, TN on September 29, 1999. The jamming peak of an absolutely packed show, we humbly argue that this, very well, may be the best version of 2001 the band has ever played. Songs featured in this episode are: Funkadelic: "A Joyful Process," Milt Jackson: "People Make The World Go Round," Albert King: "Crosscut Saw," Memphis Minnie: "When The Levee Breaks." In addition, we discuss two new 2018 records we highly recom...
Jul 10, 2018•54 min•Ep. 38
In Episode 037 we discuss the expansive, relentless, sometimes terrifying, others delicately beautiful, Runaway Jim from June 16, 1995 at Walnut Creek Amphitheater in Raleigh, North Carolina. An archetypical Summer 1995 jam, this sees Phish mess with noise and sonic walls of sound in effort to find a musical connection far beyond the reaches of melody and accessible music. Songs featured in this episode are: Mark McGuire: "Brain Storm (For Erin)," Spiritualized: "I Think I'm In Love," The Careta...
Jun 26, 2018•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 37
In Episode 036, we look back on the first half of 2018 and discuss our favorite albums of the year so far. In addition to our Top Five Albums of 2018 so far, we've compiled a list of our Honorable Mentions and share some of our listeners Top Three Albums of 2018 so far. David's Top Five Albums of 2018 (So Far): 5. Screaming Females: All At Once; 4. Erika Wennerstrom: Sweet Unknown; 4. Preoccupations: New Material; 3. Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks: Sparkle Hard; 1. Iceage: Beyondless. Brian's T...
Jun 12, 2018•1 hr 28 min•Ep. 36
In this Bonus Episode, we felt compelled to talk about the life, legacy, and personal impact of Anthony Bourdain, who died on June 8 at the age of 61. We also compiled a playlist that runs the last half of the episode featuring songs we know he'd love. Bourdain's suicide is a shock to many. As world travelers, foodies, and as two young fathers committed to understanding the world, being proven wrong, and listening to the stories of the people that make up our vast & diverse world, we feel th...
Jun 09, 2018•1 hr 18 min
In Episode 035, we discuss the bass-driven version of Down With Disease from September 12, 2000 at Great Woods Amphitheater in Mansfield, MA. A true Mike-led jam, this version of DWD represents one of the archetypical jams of the band's Fall 2000 Tour, their last of the 1.0 era. Songs featured in this episode are: Darkside: "Paper Trails," Primal Scream: "Burning Wheel," The Walkmen: "The Love You Love," and Mclusky: "To Hell With Good Intentions." In addition, we discuss two new 2018 records we...
May 29, 2018•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 35
In Episode 034, we continue our deep-dive into the history of one of our favorite bands, U2. Once again, we brought on one of our close friends, and U2-expert, Ryan Nichols ( @ryannichols7 ) to help us out. Approaching the band's history chronologically, we explore how U2 grew into the biggest band in the world, shifted in one of the most extreme manners for a mainstream Rock band, and has spent much of the last 20 years trying to figure out what's next. We also consider possible ways for U2 to ...
May 22, 2018•2 hr 24 min•Ep. 34
In Episode 033, we deep-dive into the history of one of our favorite bands, U2. To do so, we brought on one of our close friends, and U2-expert, Ryan Nichols ( @ryannichols7 ) to help us out. Approaching the band's history chronologically, we explore how U2 grew into the biggest band in the world, shifted in one of the most extreme manners for a mainstream Rock band, and has spent much of the last 20 years trying to figure out what's next. We also consider possible ways for U2 to reclaim the sta...
May 15, 2018•2 hr 21 min•Ep. 33
In Episode 032, we’re joined by an excellent writer & podcaster, Steven Hyden ( @Steven_Hyden ) to discuss his new book, Twilight Of The Gods: A Journey To The End Of Classic Rock . A free-flowing conversation, we touch upon Steven’s Phish journey before discussing everything from Chris Robinson’s Grateful Dead cosplay, to the best Springsteen record of the 21st Century, to indie rock bands who could (and should) jam, to our favorite records of 2018 thus far, and much more! Songs featured in...
May 08, 2018•1 hr 55 min•Ep. 32
