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How I became a Phishhead

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posted on Nov, 25 2011 @ 09:52 AM
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Unless my clever user name alludes you, most of you who have seen my posts probably figured out I'm a Phish Phan. I love me some Phish. Now this one band hasn't eclipsed my love of all music, but any device I have that plays music will be loaded with a ton of phish tracks. As well, it has heavily influenced my guitar playing.

It all started way back when I was in grade 9 or 10. Friends of mine since childhood have moved back into town and introduced me to a whole new crew of people. One of these people was a very beautiful girl named Lori. She brought over the first "Phish" tape I ever heard.

And I hated it. It was a bootleg from some concert, horrific quality, but I hated it. This of course made her want to convince me of the greatness so any party we had, Phish would make an appearance. At this time I was just learning the basics of playing guitar, soloing was NOT an option. But then I heard a version of "Squirming Coil" and almost lost it with the lead for that song, I couldn't get it out of my head.

Enter O.L.G.A. no, not some German babe, the Online Guitar Archive. I downloaded every Phish tab they had and set about trying desperately to learn some.

Fast forward to my year after high school. My group of friends had moved away or gone to university while I stayed working so I could afford to do the same. A new friend enters the scene. Now I should mention that Lori died, she had a heart condition and eventually her heart gave out, she literally died in my friends arms. This new friend was actually a friend of hers so we kinda had an instant connection.

He was an amazing guitar player and had only been playing for a year or so but he was already able to learn ANYTHING and play it right. So a few of us tried to form a band. It didn't really work out, but me and this friend continued to "jam" as much as we could. We'd drive around in his little car listening to "Hoist" looking for nice spots to jam, even did some busking.

A few weeks before I was due to move away for college my mother decides to drop a bombshell and tell us she's met some random dude on the internet and is leaving. I didn't hear anything from her for months, until shortly before christmas when she contacted me, told me she was living in New Jersey, and invited me down for the holidays.

So before I go to the train station I stopped at the local music store and literally bought every Phish retail album released to date. Up until that point my only "Phish" experience was a few bootlegs, and Hoist.

So alone, confused and almost broke, i boarded the train in Miramichi NB and sat and listened to each album in order of release, for the entire train trip.

I was blown away. Each album was like a whole new band, listening back to back in order, I was able to hear the band evolving over time into something great, they were playing the music I heard in my head.

Eventually I made it into New York (i could tell you some stuff about that trip but you'd swear i was making it up) and met up with my mother and her "friend". This was tough, anyone who's gone through this would know, it's quite hard to deal with at first.

So of course we do the sights in the city, empire state building, Central Park, etc etc. Then we stopped to do some shopping and I wandered into Carmine Street guitars (so sorry if I mispelled that) and walked out with my very first "new" guitar and my very first "electric" guitar.

By that time next year I had mastered several Phish songs, and was breaking ground music wise, learning musical theory to an extent, learning to improv and "groove".

Each time I listen to certain tracks my mind wanders back to that train ride, looking out the window, watching the snowy terrain flying by. When I made it to "train song" I almost lost it.

Over the years I've only managed to make it to 1 live Phish concert, 4th of July show in Camden New Jersey. Now just think about this, if you've been to Camden, a state of the art amphitheater in the middle of what can only be described as "cracktown USA".

My girlfriend and I coming out of the concert, looking like silly hippies, walking by a crack dealer on one corner, and some dude beating the crap out of a payphone on the other street.

Then this guy starts coming towards us, dressed in the usual "thug" style, kinda looking menacing. He comes right up to us and asks if we came from the show, we say yes, and he proceeds to ask us all about it because he could hear it outside the theater and said he had never heard anything like it. I gave him one of the Phish iron on logos we bought, told him to check them out if he could, and asked for directions to the nearest bus station.

I can only imagine that I helped bring him over to "our side" but I'll never know.

Any other Phish Phans care to share their story of discovery?
===========================================
some tunes by request





And finally, the first Phish song I learned complete and accurate


This song perfectly describes some of my issues with religion:



God never listens to what I say And you don't get a refund if you over pray



edit on 25-11-2011 by phishyblankwaters because: (no reason given)

edit on 25-11-2011 by phishyblankwaters because: (no reason given)



posted on Nov, 25 2011 @ 10:05 AM
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this thread need MOAR LINKS!!!!

great story I enjoyed it very much... I have had the same effect from music and playing I could'nt go on about my story but you made me want to play and listen to some Phish.




I have been exposed to phish from my friends brother so I am not well versed in their music.

post some of your fav. phish vids I would appreciate it...

HAHAHAAHAH thanks!
edit on 11/25/2011 by -W1LL because: (no reason given)



posted on Nov, 25 2011 @ 10:06 AM
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reply to post by -W1LL
 


Yeah I was in the process of editing, there's too many to post really so I just picked a few of my favs, though they are all album versions, better find a good live one




I have been exposed to phish from my friends brother so I am not well versed in their music.


something to keep in mind, studio phish and live phish are two completely separate beasts. While I love their studio stuff in it's own right, the live improv jams are what made me become addicted.





Make that sucker SING Trey
edit on 25-11-2011 by phishyblankwaters because: (no reason given)



posted on Nov, 25 2011 @ 10:58 AM
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Good story OP. Sorry you only got to one show though. Phish has done a lot for me over the years too. I've been lucky enough to see many, many shows and through a friend working with the band was able to spend time hanging with band members on quite a few occasions. I have some incredible memories thanks to that friend.
Phish has changed the way I listen to music and has turned me on to bands/music I doubt I would have ever come across otherwise. I could go on and on, but let me just say we are all very lucky to have Phish in this world, some of us just don't realize it,...yet



posted on Nov, 25 2011 @ 11:44 AM
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reply to post by phishyblankwaters
 


Most intriguing. I had never heard of them. Just goes to show that there is still some good music around these days.

To me it has a flavour of Folk behind it, but maybe that is just because the 60s and 70s were my music era and Folk was it basically.

I like the music, and thanks for posting.

ETA: Phish. I see they almost come from the right era, and certain will have cut their teeth on decent music.


Phish's music blends elements of a wide variety of genres,[2] including rock, jazz, progressive rock, psychedelic rock, hard rock, funk, folk, bluegrass, reggae, country, blues, avant garde, barbershop quartet and classical

edit on 25/11/2011 by PuterMan because: (no reason given)



posted on Dec, 7 2011 @ 10:44 AM
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reply to post by PuterMan
 


Indeed there is still "good" music out there if you know where to look, discovering Phish led me to various other bands. A key point though, is Phish is meant to be live, the studio albums are good, I like them, but the live improv jamming at the shows is what makes Phish Epic in my opinion.

I was raised on Pink Floyd, The Doors, The Rolling Stones, Tom Petty, Eagles, etc etc and various aspects of Phish play into that, as well they often cover songs from other bands and make them quite their own.

To anyone who might be interesting in Phish, I suggest 3 studio albums as a starting point.

"Hoist" which is the closest to main stream rock they've ever come.

"Slip Stitch & Pass" a live show from, err, I think Germany? Amazing, this is the type of Phish jams I'm trying to emulate with my guitar style.

"A Live One" I believe it's made up from several shows, or a two night show, but it's all live and has a version of "Tweezer" that goes for like 30 minutes.



To me it has a flavour of Folk behind it,


Yup some of them are quite "folkish" including the video up there with Allison Kraus, wow does she have some pipes.
edit on 7-12-2011 by phishyblankwaters because: (no reason given)



posted on Dec, 7 2011 @ 01:28 PM
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Do you like Oysterhead as well? It's Les Claypool and I believe the guitarist from Phish and a drummer who I don't know. Doesn't that guy even have a theremin or something attached to his guitar?





This was the sound of my last year in highschool. That and lots of drug fueled jam sessions which is where I learned to appreciate a broader spectrum of music.

Oh you might like Ozric Tentacles as well if you haven't already checked them out. Another very talented and wide ranging "jam band".


edit on 7-12-2011 by FEDec because: (no reason given)



posted on Dec, 7 2011 @ 10:03 PM
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Phish is great, got really into them around 10th grade. Now have you heard of string cheese incident there kinda like phish, check em out

might i add that Junta was my first album that i got into, you enjoy myself, david bowie, the divided skys..

edit on 7-12-2011 by dankety because: (no reason given)



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