Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Phinally

I saw a reunited Phish on saturday night June 6th at the Comcast center in Mansfield, MA. Phish has been one of my favorite bands for such a long time, and seeing them is a very unique experience. It's so different from different from going to other concerts. There's been times when I thought that i kind of moved past them, but i can never really stop listening to Phish. I've been wondering why i'm so addicted to them. 

I first heard Phish at a time in my life when i had no direction musically. I was 14 years old, had been playing music (bass) for almost two years. I spent a most of that two years discovering the great rock bands of the 90's like Pearl Jam, Alice & Chains, Nirvana, Tool, and Rage Against the Machine. As well as really exploring the classic rock bands like Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd. These bands helped me get a solid foundation in my bass playing. At this time, i thought i had a pretty good idea of what i was doing on bass, and how bass functions in a band.  I then started to listen to get into the more flashy, technical side of bass playing. Listening to shred guitarists like Stevie Vai and Paul Gilbert, and idolizing the Yamaha wielding bass wizard Billy Sheehan. I would stay up all night trying to play bass with four fingers on my right hand, working on two handed tapping techniques, and wishing i could play with distortion (haha). So after i got into the shredding and stuff, i really had nowhere new to go. I thought i had reached the pinnacle of music, because i was so impressed with the bass gymnastics of Sheehan.
So the summer of 8th grade, i went to a music camp, and i met a few kids who were very into phish (i'm still friends with them now). They gave me a few CD's to check out.  So I got my first Phish CD and listened to it the whole way home. Then the next day i came back and asked if they could burn me another CD. I think at some point after that i watched Todd Phillip's documentary about Phish called "Bittersweet Motel". The documentary follows Phish around on their tour in 97 and ends with the Great Went festival that happened in August of that year. That first viewing of the DVD completely changed my life. These guys were total rockstars, but they seemed like normal guys, with a passion for music and a good sense of humor. They were living the dream. Getting to play gigs almost every night of the year, and playing in Madison Square Garden. 
From that day on, i was totally hooked. Phish opened so many doors for me musically. Here's a band that can go from playing jazz to blues to funk to bluegrass all in one song and end it with an extended section of improvised grooves incorporating any style that they feel like. Mike Gordon's bass playing completely changed my view on bass. His ability to play so many different roles in the band was so shocking to me, He can sit back and hold down the root, he could walk, he could play the blues, he could slap, solo, groove, use effects, play with a pick, play with his fingers, had great a great unique tone, could lead a jam, play "out" and so much more. From then on, i spent the majority of my bass playing time studying everything Mike did. Learning most of what i know now from his style. 
But it wasnt just Mike that changed my approach to music. Phish's music basically showed me that there is no limits, and it was the beginning of my interest in improvisation. I'll always be able to appreciate what phish did for me changing my approach to life and music, even if I'm not listening to them, they're a such a big part of my musical identity. 


How could i write this big entry without giving recommendations for those who read the whole thing? For listening, i'd recommend checking out the live material, because Phish really is a live band, and in order to really get a good idea of what Phish is, you've got to hear them Live. You've also got to know that Phish has evolved a lot over time, so the Phish you hear in '93 is so different from the one you hear in '98. Both have great characteristics. 

CD's
1. A Live One (this is the CD i recommend everyone gets first)
2. Live Phish 18
DVD's
1. Bittersweet Motel (The documentary i mentioned earlier, this is a look at the band off the stage as well as on.)
2. Live In Vegas (a complete live show, Performance from September 30th 2000).
3. Clifford Ball DVD set ( This thing is expensive, but really shows Phish at their best).


Ok so that's that...I think everyone already knew that i was obsessed with Phish, but i've enjoyed trying to figure out why. I'd love to hear anyone else's story on bands/music that has changed their life. 

-MD

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