Trapped in Time

Phish - Festivalography Pt. 1/4

I often find it hard to explain to people - be it friends, family, colleagues, strangers - why Phish is my favorite band, why I see them as much as I possibly can, and why I love their music and community.

A major reason for my devotion stems from my first festival experience when I was 18 years old.  I had just graduated high school, and road tripped by myself from Indiana out to Pittsburgh, Philly, and then all the way up to Limestone, Maine for the IT festival. Over 70,000 people showed up, and I was just one of them.

It took me 27 hours to get from Philadelphia to my parked spot on the abandoned runway.  I knew no one there (at the time), and I was a n00b having seen less than 10 shows. Yet, everywhere I went, I met wonderfully nice people who took the time to get to know me, congratulate me on going to such great lengths on my own, and just sharing in what they already loved.

A few really nice people brought me up to the rail and I saw both days from the first few rows, in total awe of how far I’d come all by myself, how great the music was, and how unique the culture was. It was a life changing experience, a rite of passage, almost as if I’d opened up a door where so much could be found.

Since then I’ve made countless friendships through Phish and their music, and continue to almost everywhere I see them. Because of Phish there is The Butter Room, and because of The Butter Room, I now have dozens more friends that I never would have met or known about any other way.  It’s also opened up some great business opportunities in the last year that most people wouldn’t think exist in some pseduo-hippie community that many think centers around drugs (which is simply not true).

And unlike the last festival which was supposed to be the band’s final concerts - and turned out to be a complete and utter disaster resulting in me walking over 15 miles - this weekend will undoubtedly go down as a success on many different levels.

Over the past week, Sirius has been running “Festivalography” which is a radio documentary with interviews from the band members and music from the various festivals.  Part one tackles the band’s first two festivals, and over the next 3 nights I will be posting the remaining episodes, leading up to this weekend’s first ever Halloween festival.

Even if you’re not a Phish fan, have a listen because I think you’ll find that there’s a unique cultural aspect in their festivals that exists nowhere else today - or over the past 15 years. No other band can throw a festival of their own, gear the experience to their own community, and foster such positive and meaningful experiences for all involved. It’s incredibly special and I’m so excited for the music and memories that I’m going to share with many of my close friends.