By Jeremy Weberman
A sea of tie-dye filled the U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati on Nov. 21st. As the house lights dimmed and the light show began, so did the Phish experience. The overwhelmingly loud crowd screamed its pleasure as lead singer/guitarist Trey Anastasio mounted the stage. With a grin on his face, Anastasio seemed ready to bring the Phish experience to Ohio. The crowd included a good number of BHS students and staff members.
After casually plucking a few strings, Anastasio broke into the crowd pleaser “Chalk-dust Torture” (performed at last year’s White & Gold by F plus The NOGTS). By continuing to play crowd favorites like “The Momma Dance”, “The Divided Sky”, “Fluff-head”, and “the Squirming Coil,” Phish kept their audience engaged. Senior Kevin Cira explained that the band, “found a way to bring creativity to groovy music, for anyone and everyone to enjoy.”
English teacher Todd Butler seems to agree. He feels that “each show has a unique print to it. Cincinnati offered two beautiful ballads, ‘If I Could’ and ‘Fast Enough For You’, that had been shelved for many years. When the band decides to pull these songs from the shelf and place them distinctly in the set list, the crowd is treated to a nonpareil intimacy that the band seeks to, and very often does create.”
This “intimacy” that Butler refers to is one of the many factors that make Phish shows somewhat of a “brotherhood” or even a “religious” experience for certain individuals. Network technician Joel Freimark said “When Phish went on hiatus back in 2000, it was rather sad for me, but not really because I’d miss the music. There are countless friends that I’ve made over the years, people I’d only see on Phish tour, and it was hard not seeing them for a few years.”
This sense of “brotherhood” is shared not just by seasoned veterans of Phish shows, but by first timers too. Senior Sam Terkel ,who was attending his first Phish show, feels that “everybody is extremely peaceful and friendly with each other. It is so easy to strike up a conversation with people around you, because everybody is there for the same core reason: to listen to some great music and have a great time.”
Unfortunately, some people think a “great time” at Phish shows simply means getting stoned. Others feel that this is a misconception. Freimark explained, “ the band’s fan base have earned the stereotype of a bunch of stoned hippies listening to endless jams, but the truth of the matter is, it is really not the case anymore.”
This is not to say that there is no drug use at the concerts. Just as at any concert, there will be a certain level of drug use. One student, who did not want to be identified, said, “it is something different with Phish shows. You will find drugs from pot all the way to nitrous tanks and LSD. The drugs can not be stopped and… have become part of the experience.”
One of the beauties of a Phish show is that the individual can make of the experience what he or she wants it to be. The music caters to all types of people, regardless of age, sex, and race.
The diversity of fans at Phish shows are reason enough to go to a concert. At any concert you can find professionals, college and high school students, hippies with dreadlocks, and even a few old “Dead-heads”. The atmosphere of the show encourages conversation between strangers in the crowd. These conversations can lead to various things, whether it is a common love for a sports team, or meeting your future spouse, like Butler did. One thing is for certain, however: those who attend a Phish show won’t soon forget it.
