What the Frig is Going On?
What the frig is going on with our community? There is some CRAZY negative energy out there, and I just don’t understand why. This rant/commentary certainly does not apply to everyone or maybe even the majority.
We are in the 30th year of Phish. THE 30TH YEAR!!! That is a long fucking time! 1994 Phish is not walking through that door. 1997 Phish is not walking through that door. Guess what? I don’t want them to either. 2013 is a completely different sound and I am grateful for that. A band that doesn’t settle, working to try new sounds and styles, is one that thinks critically about what they are doing.
I couldn’t be more pumped about the direction in which they are headed. Page is 50 years old yet I can easily argue that he is playing some of the best music of his career. Hell he even did this just last year…
Mike on a regular basis draws incredible reviews, and may also be playing HIS best ever.
Yet all over this beautiful internet, and with people in passing at shows, I hear so much negative criticism. Stuff like…
1.) They didn’t play (insert song), or I hated (insert song).
Phish has 1200+ songs at their disposal. They are not going to play every song you want to hear. Talking about how you HAVE to hear this song, or how you don’t like such and such song at the show does ZERO good. A wiser man than me once said “It is not what they play, but HOW they play it.”
LM Tip: If you hate a song, look around you. I bet someone around you is stoked they are playing it. Different songs have different meanings to people. If you don’t enjoy the song, enjoy the people around you that are. Connect with them.
2.) I don’t like Trey’s new sound, etc.
Guess what? If Phish didn’t try new things, sounds, equipment styles, some of the things we love would have never have existed. Yes, some of you don’t like Trey’s new whale/bending or whatever you call it. I actually think it is cool. Not to mention, we are just FOUR shows in. Who the hell knows where this will go. It will evolve, I will bet you that. Let the man have some freedom. I hate the status quo. Mix it up fellas.
LM Tip: Some people hated ’97 Cow Funk when it started….
3.) Miner is such a fluffer, hater, etc.
Miner is one person. One person, who cranks out reviews while I am enjoying my sleep and/or partying. I can count on death, taxes, and Miner’s reviews. They are there for my entertainment. I read them because I enjoy it. Have I agreed with everything he has ever wrote? HELL NO. I do however think his reviews are well thought out, well written, and I love reliving the shows through his writing. Sometimes though he writes EXACTLY what I am thinking and reading his review is like watching my thoughts on my computer screen.
LM Tip: If you want to read Miner (or any other blogger, including me) keep your own opinions. Those of us that choose to write, offer one opinion and one opinion only. You should NEVER let anyone detract from an awesome experience if you thought differently about it.
4.) When did it be “cool” to be a Phish hater?
Even after transcending jams, that we are so blessed on this Earth to hear, it somehow makes you “cooler” if you criticize it. Guess what? Not with me. You are more than welcome to make any negative comment to me about any aspect of life or Phish. Just don’t do with out backing it up. Even more important do it with some tact/grace. That jam, show, experience didn’t do it for you? It did for some else. Be respectful of that.
Want to know what I think is “cool”. People that LOVE THE BAND. Want examples? Follow @drewphish. His enthusiasm is incredible. Phish is important to him and breathes life into him. Follow him on twitter and I guarantee you come away thinking “I would love to hang with that guy at a show”. That is “cool”.
@Tmwsiy has seen almost 300 shows. Been around the block, seen it all. Yet when Phish plays an outstanding jam, I feel like he gets excited as if he is at his first show.
Read backinmyday.net to read about Caravan’s incredible stories from shows long ago. 300+ shows yet he is more pumped about 2013 Phish then almost anyone I know. He is counting down the minutes till he sees them for the first time this year.
THAT is what “cool” is.
5.) This need for comparing this jam to that jam, this show to that show.
If the jam is good, it is good. End of story. I love a good debate and like talking about what are some of “the best” Ghosts. It can be fun. It can also be awful. I see people just attack others because they think something is better or worse than something else. This constant “Oh SPAC Light was good, but not as good as Bill Graham, or Dick’s”. WHO CARES? Just enjoy it! You now have a sweet jam to listen to for the rest of your life. Pretty awesome to me.
LM Tip: Want to make friends quick? Instead of talking about jams you have seen talk about jams the person you are talking to has seen.
So maybe this was a bit harsh, and maybe I am bit tired from my trip to Toronto yesterday. If so, I apologize. Just some of MY opinions I wanted to get out there.
That being said, there are so many AMAZING people that still make this the best community in the world.
Regardless I am PUMPED to for couch tour tonight. I love Phish! The music is incredible and it is a great time to be a fan!
Couldn’t agree more! Thank you for vocalizing what many of us are thinking. It’s a great time to be a Phish fan, we should appreciate how great we have it!
I agree with you for the most part. Too many negatrons out there. I love Phish and the music they play regardless of what songs they play on any given night. Even the “worst” Phish shows I have seen are some of the greatest concerts I’ve ever been to. People it’s this simple: if you don’t like the music, don’t go to the shows. Cheers LawnMemo. I’ll keep on enjoying right along with you.
I’m envious of those of you who get to see show after show after show. due to my limited means, I only get to see how’s close to home these days. I like reading the reviews. if it’s well written, I can almost hear what’re being described. people need to stop hating out loud. if you don’t like it, don’t go.
Great post, but I feel you’re preaching to the choir. Haters are gonna hate. With that said, we’re lucky Phish can still bring it as they embark on a fourth decade of collaborative music. I’d rather see Phish on an off night than 99% of other bands on their best night.
Spot on, my friend. Spot on. I have been giving a friend of mine slight hell about having many of the attitudes you just described and the sad part is that I don’t really look forward to hanging with him at shows anymore. He is a good friend. I only see him a few times a year- if that. But I can’t hear the “how Phish let me down this time” story anymore. Life is too short.
I have two kids, a wife and a boat load of responsibilities. Now more than ever, when I see Phish it is such a gift- there are no 12 show summers, no extended fall runs- and I enjoy every second. I can’t believe I will be at the Post this weekend! I can’t believe they are playing after 30 years! We are so lucky. We are such a passionate lot and to have this constantly evolving and aspiring band here for our pleasure…still….WOW. Just wow. So no matter the setlist, no matter the length of the jams, I am going to be all smiles for two days and no bitter, jaded fool is going to take that away from me. OH YEAH!
THANK YOU. Well said! Phish is my favorite band for many reasons, they are aces at what they do. Sometimes it’s hard for me to hear supposed fans really nitpicking every little detail of a show. I love Phish for who they are, all the little flibs and flubs that make us know they are playing live and improvising.
the new sound SUCKS< plain and simple.. dont joke around, the band rules the shows are tight the sound the crowd gets is BAD, really bad. no im not kidding
You guys are a bunch of old dried up cocks. When they sound like shit, thats what people will say about their music. They built their reputation on being badassed at improv jams and being unpredictable and spontaneous. They are showing their age a little, and thats fine, but they should still give the phans a little bit of the old phish every now and then. Thats what the phans will always want.
“they should”. Those words make the east of your arguement irrelevant.
amen.
Here here, LM! Harshness isn’t what you have here. It’s realistic. You didn’t attack anything but the negative actions of people and that is something that I think a lot of folks are too scared to do for fear of offending. Things like that need to be said about many things in this world and I thank you for saying it about my favorite concert makers! Hope to share some floor space with ya this turr!
You suck. your posts are worse than Trey’s playing. And Miner’s reviews areYou’re an idiot
“If you want to read Miner (or any other blogger, including me) keep your own opinions. Those of us that choose to write, offer one opinion and one opinion only. You should NEVER let anyone detract from an awesome experience if you thought differently about it.”
So you and Miner are allowed to post your opinions but no one else is? When you put something on the internet you’re opening it up for criticism, comparison, and discussion. If you can’t handle it then stop posting. It’s not my fault you guys suck at writing.
When the fuck did he say nobody else is allowed to post their opinions? It doesn’t cost an arm and a leg to start a blog, maybe you should start one and then build a following of your own like this guy and Miner have. Respect to anyone who puts their views on display…
That said, I don’t really agree with the while vibe in this post of, it’s uncool to criticize the band and everyone should just be stoked about every jam all the time. Sure that’d be great but it’s unrealistic, that give / take between band and listener is crucial. But agreed as far as an opinion shouldn’t become dogmatic or aggressive toward others.
Although I really don’t get what all the disappointment has been about with the music lately. Phish is sounding fucking incredible! Yes, even Trey.
You don’t have to happily lap up every note of piss in your ears but you should happily walk through the gates and happily walk out (unless your L was bad) due to the fact that you have the good fortune and opportunity to see this band at this point in this era. Each of the members sound great. Mike and Page are at all-time playing levels, Trey is allowing plenty of room to breathe, and Fish’s beats are octopussian. Not every note is perfect all the time and song selection might not be where You think it should be BUT if you wanna gripe, hit Mike up on twitter or something. Don’t harsh others’ vibe bc you have a twisted sense of what “should” be. Some folks can only hit 1 show this summer, Some got none, you whiny little piggies can go wee wee wee all the way home (and give your ticket to someone more grateful). Nice post LM. Wake up you silly Phishies, enjoy what you got while you got it.
Not to mention, CK5’s new rig is quite splendiferous. UFOs are going to land at the Gorge summoned by that beacon of face-meltage. Phishies are spazing 4 shows into tour about nothing. Relax, phish tour will spin beside itself and suck you in, with jams and grooves beyond compare.
Very well said LM…Glad to see there are people out there like you …. Keep up the great work
Hidden in a lot of the ^ rhetoric is basically the message that we who condescend to criticize the band in any way are over-priveleged or living in the past or too intent on disseminating hate and ill will on the web to hear the beautiful music. 2013 is supposed to be this big 30th anniversary year, so what happens? The band comes out essentially unrehearsed and back in the early ’09 or ’10 whale-dominated chaos. I’m yet to hear Trey really dig in and unleash a Jimi-style flurry of pentatonic scale or escape into true type 2 ambient ether on this tour. The whale (i’m using the term loosely) is what he does when no real inspiration is forthcoming. If you like the new sound, knock yourselves out. I didn’t pay $75+ to hear them practice; they should have more respect for us (yeah, i said it). Nobody thinks twice about the fact Languedoc and Tom Marshall are no longer involved, but I find it quite significant. Those are two integral parts of the tried and true formula. Who has to leave before people take notice? Kuroda? Fishman??
Huh? Who the fuck left you Boss to tell me what I should be thinking. I’ve spent the better of 20 years following the band, and I will have an opinion as to how they are playing and what they are playing.
Oh no…people are negative…let’s all gather around the campfire and sing Kumbaya.
Grow the fuck up!
What makes your opinion any different than mine….as I was always taught, best to keep your opinions to yourself…but no, you feel yours is so important, needed to be heard, you have a website dedicated to it.
You and Mr Miner are in the same boat..ego driven assholes who think they know what is best for the Phish fan.
yeah the hypocricy of this article is absurd…. ‘Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, so long as its not negative?’ You are stupid my friend.
yeah the hypocricy of this post is absurd… “Everyone is entitled to their own opinion… So long as its not negative?’ I agree. Grow the fuck up!
In no way shape or form was I saying don’t have any opinion or criticize the band. Have fun with it, just appreciate what you have. Appreciate the feedback both good and bad! If you think I am trying to tell you how to feel/think you are missing the point. I enjoy a well thought out criticism as much as the next person, especially if it makes me laugh!
all I know is if I drive to a show I want to hear the show, not anyone’s convo or opinion, save it for setbreak or the ride home….sick of peeps who are such phans but don’t hear a note played or lyric sung because they’re too busy annoying others with their rudeness even when asked to stop, really sick of it!
People too often forget how Phish can make you feel.When you see them live again it all comes back & it is PFA!
This kid must have been “helicopter parented”…for everything is a unique snowflake and can’t be analyzed or criticized.
The fact he had the gall to critique all the Ghosts ever played and now be upset that people have differing opinions, there is something is wrong with the community.
The sky is falling, the sky is falling
Man, Anonymous is kind of a jerk.
Werd
This is actually a pretty negative post in itself if you read back. I’ve been reading you a long time LM and said nothing but great stuff, but I think this doesn’t serve the community to alienate it even more by creating deeper divides.
Wow I’m so glad that people left some comments arguing against the article. It makes me happy to know that there are fans out there who still have brains. Trust me, I’m so grateful that the band is back and healthy, and I appreciate what I have. Doesn’t mean I have to love every minute of it.
What the frig is going on? I’ll tell you what the frig is going on: Phish has turned a string of really uneven shows and many people are frustrated. Have there been some good bits? Sure. But there has been a lot of rust from Trey: more, I think, than is appropriate for a professional musician. I’ve been going to Phish shows since 1991, and I can promise you that they flubbed a change or a key or a transition even back in the ‘good old days.’ The problem’s that the percentage of flubs from Trey these days is really hight, especially given that the band is sober, and it’s unacceptable to Phans who got Phish precisely _because_ they were once a tight band with an especially virtuoso guitarist. Oh, and as for for whether or not it’s appropriate for phans to be negative, Trey very clearly says in Bittersweet Motel that when the band plays a bad show, people do (and implicitly have the right to) get on the internet and complain.
You make a lot of great, valid points here LM– Read my mind on a lot of them! Thanks also for the shoutout!
Here comes the party people.
I’ve been seeing shows for 22 years now and honestly don’t remember a time when all those things you listed didn’t happen. Minus the Mr. Miner hate of course.
Phish fans have always been hypercritical. People always hate the new stuff. Shit, when Hoist came out and I saw those liner notes and photos, I hated on it big time! Still do 🙂 Jams have always been compared. Last years shows were always compared.
I love Phish and relish each night I’m there…I’m not saying I wouldn’t like to see more positivity and less negativity. I just think a lot of it is perspective. After a couple decades I don’t think the balance has tipped. I think most of that comparing and criticism comes from an extreme commitment and love for the band. There’s still just as much love and adoration in the crowd as ever, it’s incredible. But I only see West Coast shows now…we’re a little more softer out here 🙂
This is so on point and speaks for most of the folks I’ve been on tour with over the last 20 years (Gainesville, 93). After Jerry died, I remember mourning the “loss of future shows” just as much as the Man. I felt the same way after each Hiatus/Break-Up. The joy I get when each Tour Video comes out is akin to getting to spend time with a lost friend again. To take the time to Hate on Phish is wasted negative energy. I Phish like every show could be he last. (Phish like you’re Dyin’ shirts, anyone?). See you in ATL/CHI/SF/LA, phriends. @LAfadeaway