Attendance Bias

Send us a text Hi everybody and welcome to today’s episode of Attendance Bias. I am your host, Brian Weinstein. If you’re a regular listener of the podcast, you know the typical format. But I love it when a guest has an idea and we have to think a little out of the box so that the guest can tell his or her story while still keeping the familiar segments of the show. Today, Ryan Miners helped make that happen. Rather than choosing one specific show or jam, Ryan wanted to talk about two sequences that both involve the insane instrumental, “Buried Alive:” The first one is Buried Alive into Poor Heart from November 9, 1996 at the Palace at Auburn Hills, and the second one is Buried Alive into AC/DC Bag from August 11, 2024 at Bethel Woods. Two Buried Alive segues, roughly 28 years apart. But even though we didn’t cover an entire show, there was no shortage of content for Ryan and and I to cover. Between the 28-year gap of these two segues, we touched on a tremendous amount of information, not hesitating to go off on tangents where, at one point, Ryan flips the script and puts me on the hot seat!! There’s something about a good Phish segue that brings out the best in the audience, and Ryan was able to explain exactly what made these two so special. But I don’t want to spoil it. Let’s join Ryan to talk about the Wetlands Preserve, the history of Deer Creek, and what it means to hear the line “Thank you Mr. Miner,” as we discuss segues from Buried Alive from 1996 and 2024.

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Send us a text Hi everybody and welcome to this week’s episode of Attendance Bias. I am your host, Brian Weinstein. While we’ve spent a good amount of time on Attendance Bias discussing the fall 1995 tour, there was a short southeast swing after the Quadrophenia Halloween show that we’ve never touched on, and that I have to admit, I don’t think I’ve ever listened to. After Halloween in Chicago, the band took an 8-day break and then played three nights in Atlanta before 4 consecutive nights traveling and playing shows in the state of Florida. Today’s guest, Matthew Wheelwright is here to tell about one of those shows: November 14, 1995 at the University of Central Florida Arena in Orlando. Matthew is an ideal guest to tell us about this outstanding show from fall 95: he’s seen a ton of shows since 1990, he is a knowledgeable fan who can tell about the show both in real time and in context of Phish history, and is just as excited to talk about the show today in 2024 as he was 19 years ago. Not only does the audience recording from this show sound pristine, but there’s plenty to highlight: a psychedelic version of “Free,” a fully acoustic “I’m Blue, I’m Lonesome,” and the best known part of this show: an insane sequence the kicks off with “Stash” and goes in and out of several segments before closing with “You Enjoy Myself.” But all that just scratches the surface. Let’s join Matthew to talk about dynamics, clean cut college kids, and why you should thank a taper today, as we discuss Phish’s show from November 14, 1995 at The UCF Arena in Orlando.

Send us a text Hi everybody and welcome to today’s episode of Attendance Bias. I am your host, Brian Weinstein. Today’s guest, Cris Coey, chose to speak about Phish’s show at the Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky from November 7, 1996. It’s a show that is famous in Phish history for mostly one reason–the long, multi-faceted version of Bathtub Gin that is jammed out in the middle of the 2nd set. The has been released twice on soundboard by LivePhish, and for good reason: widely known as the “Rupp Gin,” the jam perfectly encapsulates everything that was great about Phish in 1996. There are innumerable great Phish jams, but this is a rare one that gets a specific name based on its location. Yeah, one of those jams. However, this episode is not just about that Bathtub Gin. As Cris and I discuss, Phish had a lot to offer in 1996 as they embraced their newfound dominance in arenas and large-scale venues, coast to coast. They were done with theaters and the occasional arena. With Billy Breathes demonstrating their maturing songwriting skills and expertise in the studio, as well as having conquered the abstract rock madness of 1995, Phish had one foot in the past and one in the future, when they had yet to destroy America. Although the Bathtub Gin is the centerpiece of the show, there’s much more to it. As we talked, it became obvious that Cris is a fan’s fan. He’s obviously attended a lot of great Phish shows in his time, and we had a lot in common, but also some disagreements in our opinions. It was really a pleasure to hear some new points of view when I took my opinions for granted. But I don’t want to get ahead of myself. Let’s join Cris to chat about Frankenstein, the YEM vocal jam, and whether or not northeast Ohio is Phish country as we break down November 7, 1996 at The Rupp Arena in Lexington.

Send us a text Hi everybody and welcome to today’s episode of Attendance Bias. I am your host, Brian Weinstein. We’ve discussed several shows from the legendary Baker’s Dozen on Attendance Bias, but this is the first episode where we talk about the Baker’s Dozen’s little brother: a show from Phish’s 7-show run in the summer of 2023. Today’s guest is Lucas Jordan who came on the podcast to talk about his experience at Madison Square Garden on August 1, 2023-the fourth show of that seven show residency. Now, it’s a bit unfair to mention this show in the same breath as the Baker’s Dozen, especially since Lucas wasn’t a big Phish fan back in 2017. In the beginning of our conversation, it was hard to shake the comparisons. But as we went on, it’s clear that the 2023 residency could stand on its own. This wasn’t Lucas’ first Phish show, but it was the one where he truly became absorbed in the impact the live scene can have on a fan, penetrating his sense of what is possible at a live concert. But that’s Lucas’ story to tell. Let’s join him to talk about Chicago venue, the rarity of Timber Ho, who’s got the best voice in the band, and more as we discuss August 1, 2023 at Madison Square Garden.

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Send us a text Hi everybody and welcome to today’s episode of Attendance Bias. I am your host, Brian Weinstein. Today’s guest is Katie, but she is probably better known as The Phunky Witch around the Phish Twitter community. For today’s episode, Katie chose a stunning, psychedelic segment from Phish’s visit to the Sphere in Las Vegas: “Theme from the Bottom into Split Open and Melt” from April 19, 2024. Even though the band’s 4-show stand at The Sphere happened fairly recently, I just knew it was a matter of time before a guest chose to talk about the music from that run. From any perspective, The enormity of The Sphere seems to be the perfect venue to discuss attendance bias. Is it possible to convey the experience of being at The Sphere in words? Or does one have to be in attendance to understand what it’s like? Luckily, Katie chose a segment of the show where we can hear the musical magic and she does a great job explaining why it was special to be there. So let’s join Katie to talk about red eye flights, the Nassau Coliseum, and black eyes as we discuss “Theme from the Bottom into Split Open and Melt” from April 19, 2024 at The Sphere in Las Vegas.

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Send us a text Hi everybody and welcome to this week’s episode of Attendance Bias. I am your host, Brian Weinstein. Today, we welcome back guest Adam Jerugim. Adam previously told about seeing “Harry Hood” on April 18, 1992 at Stanford University, and after today, he seems to be the Attendance Bias resident expert on west coast Phish in the 90s. In today’s episode, Adam and I expand our conversation to a full show, and that full show is Phish at the Warfield Theater in San Francisco on May 27, 1994. This was the third of three shows at the Warfield, and it came toward the last week of the 1994 spring tour. On Attendance Bias, we often talk about transitional years and signposts to major musical changes in the Phish evolution but when it comes to late spring and summer of 1994, it’s okay to just sit back and show to love to a band at a major peak. This show, while maybe not a tentpole of a peak year, still has superlative versions of David Bowie, Harry Hood, Reba, plus some trademark Phish goofiness and oddity appearances. But we get into all that in a moment. One theme I loved talking about with Adam was Phish’s growing popularity on the west coast at this time. While the band would make their debut at Madison Square Garden late in the year and celebrate New Year’s Eve at Boston Garden, they were still reasonably in the middle of the pack when it came to the west coast. Selling out three nights at The Warfield seemed to send a signal that things were about to change, big time. Today’s show, as classic as it is, still frames the band at a time when they were about to blow up big time up and down the Pacific coast. There’s a lot going on. So let’s join Adam to talk about the Bay Bridge, opera singers, and whether shushing is better than wooing as we discuss May 27, 1994 at The Warfield Theater.

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Send us a text Hi everybody and welcome to today’s episode of Attendance Bias. I am your host, Brian Weinstein. If you pay attention to the Phish podcast world, or the Goose podcast world, then you’re certainly familiar with today’s guest: Ryan Storm. Ryan is the host of the Almost Always There podcast as well as We Move Through Stormy Weather on Osiris Media, and you’ll find his reviews, commentary and general thoughts about the jamband scene at all of his outlets, which you can find in today’s show notes. Ryan previously appeared on Attendance Bias in the summer of 2023 for a Madison Square Garden recap, and we were trying to arrange a traditional Attendance Bias appearance since even before that! Today is that day! Ryan chose to tell his story about the Phish show from October 22, 2021 at the Ak-Chin (though I knew it as Desert Sky) Pavilion in Phoenix, AZ. While the summer 2021 tour was a mixed bag in terms of Phish and the Phish community coming back from quarantine and getting back on its feet, the fall tour was full of musical highlights and the true beginning of the 4.0 era. Plus, this was likely the last traditional Phish tour; the band would announce several dates all over the west coast, with several being one-night stands. It’s likely that this tour will be the last time that you could go city to city and see just two shows. Along with the slew of new songs and keyboard and guitar effects, this was the end of one era and the beginning of another. So let’s join Ryan to talk about family, tension, and much more as we discuss October 22, 2021 in Phoenix Arizona.

Send us a text As we prepare for Ryan Storm's episode about 10/22/21 at The Desert Sky Pavilion in Phoenix, we also are preparing for our next episode with Adam Jerugim: 5/27/94 at The Warfield in San Francisco. Have memories from spring 1994? Call 516-366-5732 and leave a message of your thoughts, opinions, and memories from spring 1994!

Send us a text Hi everyone! Do you have memories, thoughts, ideas, or criticisms about 10/22/21 at Desert Sky Pavilion? Want to share them? Call 516-366-5732 and leave a message as we get ready for the next Attendance Bias episode with Ryan Storm of Osiris Media! I can't wait to hear from you!

Send us a text Hi everybody and welcome to today’s episode of Attendance Bias. I am your host, Brian Weinstein. There are a lot of Phish shows that are seen as turning points in both the band’s career and the evolution of their sound over 40 years. The Paradise in 1988, Gamehendge in Great Woods, New Year’s ‘95, Halloween 1996, and dozens more. Those are the high profile ones. Because there are also shows that can fit the description of “turning points” but don’t get the same sort of attention as the ones I just mentioned. Today’s guest, Josh Buswell-Charkow was in attendance for such a show: November 2, 1996 at the Coral Sky Amphitheater in West Palm Beach, Florida. This show isn’t exactly an unknown–Phish did release a DVD of it after all–but it does get lost in the hubbub of the band’s Talking Heads Halloween costume and then the insane Las Vegas show that closed the tour in December. The popular narrative often goes that Phish covered Remain in Light on Halloween, played small venues in Europe in the winter of 1997, and changed their sound to the cow funk we all know and love by the middle of the summer. However, there were little steps in between those touch points and today’s show is one of them. Guest starring percussionist Karl Parazzo for the entire show, the listener can hear the band changing their overall sound almost on the spot, infusing the Talking Heads-style repetitive rhythm while purposely making space for the guest star. But there’s even more to it than that. Let’s join Josh to talk about the best time to be in Florida, the best Phish guest stars, and more as we discuss November 2, 1996 at the Coral Sky Amphitheater.

Send us a text Hi everybody and welcome to this week’s episode of Attendance Bias. I am your host, Brian Weinstein. It was an absolute thrill to talk to today’s guest, Michael Benjamin about July 6, 2012 at SPAC. It was a thrill for two main reasons: First, I knew I was talking with a real fan about a genuinely exciting show, because he drove over 6 hours to get to the venue, and crossed the border, since Michael lived in Canada at the time. But also, today’s conversation selfishly granted me a wish that I didn’t even know I had. Michael comes to us today from Stockholm, Sweden. I’ve had Canadian guests before, so Michael isn’t the first international guest, but I’ve never had a European guest! Attendance Bias has gone intercontinental! We are everywhere! But a little more close to home: this show was the first night of a 3-night run at the beloved upstate New York venue during a peak year of Phish music. It’s a common thread of this podcast to wonder when Phish was actually “back” after they returned in 2009, and 2012 seems to be as good a year to suggest, for a number of reasons that Mike and I discuss in just a few minutes. So let’s join Mike to talk about touring costs, whether or not Ocelot is a bathroom songs, and when the band will return to Toronto as we discuss July 7, 2012 at SPAC.

Send us a text Hi everybody and welcome to today’s episode of Attendance Bias. I am your host, Brian Weinstein. With all of the lore and inside jokes of the Phish universe, conspiracy theories are part and parcel of being a superfan. When we learn the lyrics to new songs, see the artwork announcing a new tour, or even an offhand comment from a band member on a PhishRadio interview, Phish fans are always looking for signs and asking: “What does it meeeeean?” Today’s guest, James Del, is the perfect fan to answer that question. James works closely with people the creative sector, and he chose one of Phish’s most creative, if inscrutable performances to discuss today: The SciFi Soldier set from October 31, 2021 at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas Nevada. Phish Halloween sets are always fun and always generate controversy, but there was so much to the SciFi Soldier set that it almost transcended the idea of a Halloween costume set: the songs were practiced, but the vocals sounded spontaneous. Instead of a Phishbill, there was a comic book. There were themed shows leading up to the 31st that may or may not have connected to Halloween night. And that’s all to say nothing of the poor ventilation and Covid aftermath of this run that ended the fall 2021 tour. All that is to say that James and I had plenty to talk about, even when dissecting one set of a three set show. While I was fairly passe about SciFi Soldier, James was seeing entire worlds in these songs. Not a line went by that James didn’t ascribe a deeper meaning and a grander sense of scope to the wider Phish experience. I can honestly say that, after this conversation, I will never listen to this set the same way again. So let’s join James to talk about passion fruit, Gamehendge, and the Phish codex as we discuss set 2 of October 31, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Passion Fruit Newsletter We've Got a Band podcast

Send us a text It's been about 2 weeks since Phish's 11th festival, and we are just starting to come back to Earth. Luckily, I am joined by the best to recap those 4 amazing days in Delaware. Skinny and JW of the "Stub Me Down" podcast, along with Scott King, have a free-form conversation to reflect, rank, and simply shoot the breeze about Phish's long-awaited festival. Other than the introduction and outro, this episode was not edited.

Send us a text Hi everybody and welcome to this week’s episode of Attendance Bias. I am your host, Brian Weinstein. You know, everybody has their own standards for what constitutes a “special” Phish show: a killer setlist, monster jams, rarities, meeting up with old friends, making new friends, going to your hometown venue, and more. I mean, that’s the entire premise of this podcast! But every now and again, Phish plays a show that is an undisputed SPECIAL SHOW. A show that encapsulates all of the above, and maybe even a little more. Today’s episode with guest Chris Bojar revisits such a show from the recent past: July 14, 2019 at Alpine Valley in East Troy, Wisconsin. There can be little doubt that Phish has a special affinity for the summertime shed, as they’ve played several great shows there. However, few shows are as explicit as this one, where the band went out of their way to tell the crowd how much they love playing at Alpine Valley, both directly and through goofy antics and banter, including a breakout version of Ruby Waves and putting the pressure on a certain couple to get married. Throw in the fact that Chris is from Wisconsin, and was able to have a buddies weekend at the height of summer and the table is set for an all time great show. And, boy, did Phish deliver. So let’s join Chris to talk about planning setlists, Spock’s Brain, and getting harassed by Kentucky police as we discuss July 14, 2019 at Alpine Valley.

Send us a text Hey all, I'm testing out an idea for a late-summer episode about Coventry. For several reasons, I always figured that it would be impossible to do an Attendance Bias episode about Coventry because...well...who would be biased in thinking that Coventry was a great show because they were there?! BUT a listener emailed me with what I think is a pretty clever idea: What if listeners called in with one positive memory about Coventry? It could be something as big and concrete as having a blast with friends, or a specific jam, or something as minor as eating a good stack of pancakes the morning after it was over? Not to whitewash it, but to pick out the little joys of even a bad Phish experience ("finding your joy" as the hippies say). I opened a number on Google Voice for people to call in and leave messages, which I'll then download and include in the episode. If anyone here is willing to test-run it, and you can think of ONE GOOD THING from the Coventry weekend, can you call 516-366-5732, leave your name and where you're from, and your one positive thing that you can say about Coventry? I really appreciate it! This is new for me, so I hope it works!

Send us a text Hi everybody and welcome to this week’s episode of Attendance Bias. I am your host, Brian Weinstein. Today’s special guest is a returning champion: Thom Epps, who was a guest on attendance bias way back in the summer of 2020, when the podcast was just getting off the ground. Somehow, with the excitement on my part of hosting a podcast, and Thom’s excitement of being a guest on a podcast, his that early episode completely missed the point: Thom picked a show that he did not attend, and I didn’t see anything wrong with that, even during the interview! Fast forward a couple of years, and when Thom and I saw one another at Atlantic City this past summer, he asked if he could redeem himself by coming back on the pod to talk about a show that he did attend. Of course he could and he is here today to talk about Phish’s show from June 22, 2000 at the Amsouth Amphitheater in Antioch, TN–basically Nashville. I’d heard chunks of this show throughout the years, but never listened to it straight through. My focus was always on the special guests toward the end of the 2nd set, but there is so much more to appreciate here, including a bouncy version of Sand, a silky smooth 2001, and much more. So let’s join Thom to talk about No Quarter, Einstein Bagels , and the zeitgeist in 2000 as we discuss June 22, 2000 in Nashville.