Attendance Bias

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10/30/98 @ The Thomas and Mack Center w/ Eric Doyle Jan 24, 2024

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Hi everybody and welcome to today’s episode of Attendance Bias. I am your host, Brian Weinstein.

Halloween is, without question, one of the highest profile nights of the Phish calendar. All Phish Halloween shows are judged, compared and, for better or worse, claim their spot in the band’s mythology. But, as part of a pattern that’s been discussed on this podcast before, it’s not always the high profile night that gets the best show. It’s usually the night before the night. December 30 for New Years Eve, and in this case, October 30 for Halloween.

Today’s guest, Eric Doyle, chose to tell us about his experience at October 30, 1998–the night before Phish covered all of The Velvet Underground’s classic album, Loaded. While that Halloween show has its supporters and detractors, the night before should be celebrated for its combination of factors that make it one of the best representations of 1998 that Phish had to offer.

With The Story of the Ghost having been released just days prior, the band making high profile appearances on David Letterman, Sessions at West 54th, and other promotional outlets for the new album, Phish was at a crossroads as to how involved they would become with the record industry at large. History has explained that part of the Phish story, but with mixed mainstream success at the time, no one was sure what would happen.

All of those aspects were apparent during this two-night Las Vegas run in 1998, but it didn’t stop the band from delivering a killer show on the night before Halloween. Let’s join Eric to talk about Phish’s history in Atlanta, Fishman leading the way, and more as we discuss October 30, 1998 at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas.

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9/5/15 @ Dick's w/ Nate Schwerin Jan 17, 2024

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Hi everybody and welcome to today’s episode of Attendance Bias. I am your host, Brian Weinstein.

I would guess that most of us have had the experience at a Phish show where the band is communicating to us, directly. Not communicating with the crowd; I mean, the members of the band are playing a show that speaks to our exact life experience. Whether or not you’ve ever made eye contact with Trey right before they leave the stage after the first set, there’s no denying that the best kind of art is the kind that speaks to you; the kind that you can understand and appreciate through your own personal lens. Today’s guest, Nate Schwerin, had a life-changing experience at the Phish show at Dick’s on September 5, 2015. As you’ll hear Nate describe, it was right out of a cheesy movie but happened to him in real life.

It’s no surprise that Nate’s game-changing show happened at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park; including 2023, Phish has played 38 shows at the venue. It’s no surprise that some fans have had some of their most meaningful experiences there.

But that’s enough from me, it’s Nate’s story to tell. Let’s join Nate to chat about Big Sky Montana, The Catcher in the Rye, and being 13 years old at your first show as we break down September 5, 2015 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, in Commerce City, CO.

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12/31/10 Set 2 @ MSG w/ Jared Cowen Jan 10, 2024

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Hi everybody and welcome to today’s episode of Attendance Bias. I am your host, Brian Weinstein.
I’ve mentioned a number of times on this podcast that, when I’m not spouting gibberish with strangers about Phish, I am a middle school teacher. I try not to offer too much personal information on the podcast for obvious reasons, but I am overly thrilled to say that, today, my personal life on the podcast and my professional life at school intersect in the most glorious way.

That way is through today’s guest: Jared Cowen. Jared is the lead singer and guitarist of up-and-coming jamband Baked Shrimp. If you frequent any of your local music venues or attend pretty much any summer jamband festivals, you’ve seen Baked Shrimp’s name on the lineup. The trio frequently combines progressive arrangements and dexterity with extended, fist-pumping jams. They rule.

Oh, and did I mention that Jared was my student in 7th and 8th grade? Teachers often say that the best part of the job is when we see the legacy and success of our students as they grow older and into their adult selves. Jared and I were lucky enough to spot each other as Phish fans as teacher and student, and since then, we’ve gotten to know each other as people–not just in school–and I’ve gotten to know Jared’s family well, often seeing them at MSG or various other shows in the tri-state area.

So as Baked Shrimp prepares to release a new album, it only made sense for Jared to make an appearance on Attendance Bias. For today’s episode, Jared chose to discuss set two of December 31, 2010–one of the best NYE shows of Phish’s career, and one could argue a turning point in the jamming style of the 3.0 era. We break it all down.

Let’s join Jared to talk about middle school memories, high ceilings, low floors, and the Meatstick heard round the world, as we revisit set two of New Year’s Eve 2010 at Madison Square Garden.

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NYE 2023 Recap w/JW from Stub Me Down! Jan 03, 2024

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7/22/17 @ MSG w/ Adam & Jeff Winik Dec 20, 2023

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Hi everybody and welcome to this week’s episode of Attendance Bias. I am your host, Brian Weinstein. It is another family affair today on the podcast, as we welcome father and son Adam and Jeff Winik to tell us about Phish’s show from July 22, 2017 at Madison Square Garden, also known as Strawberry Night of the Baker’s Dozen.

This is not the first time that a father and son have shared guest duties on Attendance Bias, nor is it the first time that a couple of dogs appear in the background–Adam’s dog Maggie and my dog Duncan can be heard at various points of the conversation. While it’s not unusual for a heady parent to bring their kids to their first Phish show, that usually results in a story that’s seen through the parent’s eyes, with observations from the kid. This time it’s the son who brought his father (as well as his mother), and I find it especially interesting to hear what the show was like through the eyes of Jeff, the father. As you’ll hear me say in just a few minutes, my parents were only interested in Phish insofar as I was going to see them play live and was listening to them 24/7 in high school.

Add on the layer that this show was the beginning of the Baker’s Dozen–the unprecedented record-breaking MSG event that instantly became legendary in the Phish community–and there’s plenty more to discuss. For this episode, Adam was excited to talk about Strawberry Night, and you can hear the emotion in both his and Jeff’s voice, and we decided to discuss the entire first set, and then the parts of the second set for which his parents were present–I was not surprised to learn that they left right around “Split Open and Melt.” So we can consider this episode Strawberry Night set 1 and highlights from set 2.

But there’s much more to it than that. Let’s join Adam and his father Jeff to talk about barbershop quartets, the best Moma Dance ever, and July 22, 2017–Strawberry Night–at Madison Square Garden.
Adam's Phish Tribute Band: The Divided Sky
Jeff's a capella quartet: Generation Gap
Note: the a capella song that opens the episode is performed by Jeff’s previous a capella group, Party of Five

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“Beneath a Sea of Stars, Pt. 1” from 7/25/23 @ The Mann, w/ David Factor Dec 06, 2023

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Hi everybody and welcome to this week’s episode of Attendance Bias. I am your host, Brian Weinstein. Phish shows can be special for a million reasons, and there are times when “coincidence” doesn’t even begin to describe the crossroads of music, surroundings, timing, and information that all occurs at once and makes us feel as though something bigger must be at play. I shy away from the word “magic,” and I’m not the religious type, so I’ll just call it Phish synergy. Today’s guest, David Factor, is here to tell us about one of those moments of Phish synergy from “Beneath a Sea of Stars” during the second set of 7/25/23 at The Mann Music Center in Philadelphia.

At the time of this recording, Phish has just wrapped up their two benefit shows at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center. Even though the show at the Mann, and David’s story, happened a month before the SPAC benefit shows, the fact that the benefit shows were so crowd pleasing only adds resonance to David’s experience when he found out about them in the first place. Trust me, it will make sense when you listen to him tell the story.

But enough from me: let’s join David to talk about Worcester, Limestone, and Beneath a Sea of Stars from July 25, 2023 at The Mann.

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8/14/09 @ The Meadows, Hartford, CT w/ Derek Hill Nov 22, 2023

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Hi everybody and welcome to today’s episode of Attendance Bias. I am your host, Brian Weinstein. Today’s guest–Derek Hill–picked an outstanding show from an underappreciated year: August 14, 2009 at the Meadows Music Center in Hartford, CT. Long-time listeners of Attendance Bias may remember that I recorded a mini-episode about the version of “Icculus” from this show, which was played right in the heart of the 2nd set.

And that leads to just one of several themes that come up during today’s show: the idea that Phish was back during their summer 2009 tour, but were they all back? Derek and I happened to see several shows throughout this tour, separately, yet we had many of the same thoughts. It was extremely fun to catch up on a summer tour from 14 years ago with a complete stranger.

But that’s the thing about this podcast: when the guest is passionate about his or her choice, we are not complete strangers! Derek took his time to pick this Hartford show and once we began talking, it was very obvious that he made the best choice possible. There were times where it felt like this could have been a three-hour episode, just about that Icculus…not to mention many other bustouts and killer jams.

But enough from me; let’s join Derek to talk about the IT festival, selling quesadillas on lot, and second chances as we discuss August 14, 2009 at the Meadows Music Center in Hartford.

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4/11/94 @ Snively Arena, UNH w/Jay Wilson Nov 08, 2023

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Hi everybody and welcome to this week’s episode of Attendance Bias. I am your host, Brian Weinstein. Today, we are taking a ride on the the way-back machine as guest Jay Wilson takes us to the UNH college campus and tells us about his second show–April 11, 1994 at Sively Arena.

1994 was a pivotal year for the band in so many ways. In addition to this spring tour promoting Hoist–which was produced to be their most commercially viable album–the band was really showing off their schizophrenic musical style, combining absurdity with prodigious talent, and they were making the final leaps from large theaters to amphitheaters, at least in their most popular markets. Places like The Beacon Theater in New York would soon be replaced by Madison Square Garden, and this was when New England was still their stomping ground. By 1995 virtually all of New England would be left behind, except for the occasional stop.

Today’s conversation touches on virtually all of those aspects of 1994 Phish. But there’s much more to it than that. Let’s join Jay to talk about New Years Eve shows, falling in a hole, and jazz, as we discuss Phish’s show from April 11, 1994 at Snively Arena.

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“Oblivion” and “Chalkdust Torture” from 7/11/23 @ Orion Amphitheater, with Bobby and Oliver Shirley Oct 25, 2023

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Hi everybody and welcome to this week’s episode of Attendance Bias. I am your host, Brian Weinstein. I am not a parent, but something that I frequently hear from my friends who have kids is that one of the best parts of being a parent is that you get to see the world, and the things you love, through the eyes of your kids. If that is a benefit of having kids, then today’s guests must be two of the happiest people in the world of Phish.

Those guests are Bobby and Oliver from the Phish Phry podcast; a father and son duo who are doing a deep dive into Phish’s studio albums and release biweekly podcast episodes to talk about their impressions of each album. It’s an informative and fun listen! For today’s episode of Attendance Bias, though, Bobby and Oliver chose to talk about an excerpt from their first show: “Oblivion” and “Chalkdust Torture” from July 11, 2023 at the Orion Amphitheater in Huntsville, AL. This was the first live show for both father and son, and it ended with a wallop.

Not only do we get to talk about studio recordings, first shows, and new songs, but a certain guitarist makes a guest appearance that made this first show extra special. But it’s not my story to tell. Let’s join Bobby and Oliver as we talk about “Oblivion” and “Chalkdust Torture” from July 11, 2023 at The Orion Amphitheater.

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7/5/13 @ SPAC w/ Sam Huber Oct 11, 2023

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Hi everybody and welcome to this week’s episode of Attendance Bias. I am your host, Brian Weinstein. Today’s guest is Sam Huber, from the Philadelphia area. Sam is an enthusiastic fan who picked a show where the crowd energy just seeps through the audience recording–July 5, 2013 at SPAC in Saratoga, NY.

A few themes come up repeatedly in today’s conversation: how special SPAC is, peacefully surrounded by trees that seem to have an affect on the energy and vibes of any given show, the idea of the band messing with the fanbase by playing certain songs at certain places in the setlist, and how getting in the car unprepared can lead you to the greatest of adventures.

On top of that, there is the main idea that SPAC is a family gathering–a homecoming on the east coast. Although it’s just a few hours from New York City, SPAC carries the reputation of being the summer home for Deadheads and Phish fans. Although this was not his first show, Sam was ready to be received by the community at this legendary state park.

So let’s join Sam to talk about the reaction to Energy, when the band will break open Yarmouth Road, and more as we discuss the Phish’s show from July 5, 2013 at SPAC. Just a note about today’s recording: there are a few audio glitches toward the beginning of the conversation, but they stop at about the halfway mark.

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