Phish adventures (7/20-7/22/18 - The Gorge Amphitheatre)

Returned home this Tuesday after a great 6 days of music, camping, and newly acquired tastes. You know you had a satisfactory vacation when you come back home different from how you were before you left. Those 6 days were spent void of any social media activity, and I have to be honest in saying that it was way less stressful and far more enjoyable without having Facebook on my phone. I thought it would be hard at first, but quickly discovered how much time I had been wasting on social media. When I came home, I logged on and noticed that nothing really important had happened while I was away, which cured my FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out). I've grown to discover that life is meant to be lived, not documented.

Anyway, you all know my thoughts on jam bands (see my Dead & Company entry if you don't). They really have to hit the right mark with me in order to keep my attention. If a jam goes on for too long, then I end up zoning out or not being able to think anything other than "When is this jam going to be over?" Of course, the hardcore jam band fans are never bored. The thing that strikes me the most about Phish isn't so much the music, but rather, the community that is their fanbase. Phish may not be my most favorite band in the world, but there's something to be said about the way their music brings people together. Jam bands seem to appeal to a pretty niche audience, much like prog. From what I've noticed, these niche (or cult) bands have the most loyal and passionate fans. People bond over their shared interest in these bands that are overlooked by the mainstream. I see that kind of passion among fans of bands like Ghost or Marillion.

All 3 shows took place at the lovely Gorge Amphitheatre in Washington. Since I went to 3 shows, I'm not going to talk about the details of each show. Instead, I'll just give my general thoughts. Each night had a unique setlist, as expected from Phish, but out of all of them, night 2 was probably the most enjoyable for me as far as song choice and vantage point go. There were also a few songs I recognized from my first Phish shows back in 2016 that they played during night 3, like "Wilson," or their cover of "Cross-Eyed and Painless" by Talking Heads.

Since I'm not a hardcore Phish fan, I didn't attend their shows here in LA, but I'm not ruling out the possibility of doing so in the future.