Attendance Bias

Send us a textHi everybody and welcome to Attendance Bias. I am your host Brian Weinstein. Today, we continue our 2025 miniseries of previewing each venue on Phish's late summer or early fall tour with a brand new venue–not just new to Phish fans but new to the world–the Coca Cola Amphitheater in Birmingham, Alabama.Today's guest to give us the inside scoop on the amphitheater is none other than the co-host of the Phish Phry Podcast and Alabama native, Bobby Shirley. Bobby and his son Oliver were on Attendance Bias about two years ago to tell about their experience at the Orion Amphitheater in Huntsville, Alabama where Bobby took Oliver to his first show and they were lucky enough to meet Trey before the show started. Bobby returns today to review Phish's long history in the Birmingham area, diving into their two appearances in 1994, and their several performances at the Oak Mountain Amphitheater over the next 20-plus years. More than that, the Coca-Cola Amphitheater just opened at the time that Bobby and I spoke, so for all of you listeners who are planning to catch Phish at in Birmingham, we've got good news: this seems like the perfect place for a mid-September two night stand in the south.Find the next great song for your playlists.Music news, reviews and interviews to bring you closer to your favourite artists.Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the show

Send us a textHi everybody and welcome to Attendance Bias. I am your host Brian Weinstein. We are at the start of the late summer/early fall 2025 tour, and so it is time to look ahead to the venues Phish will be playing. This run is 8 shows in 4 separate venues, including today's preview of the Bourbon and Beyond Festival in Louisville, KY on September 12.While the rest of this tour is made up of familiar, or at least traditional, venues, this one night show on September 12 is the first time Phish is playing this particular festival, and the first time that Phish has played in Louisville since 1995. Our friend Andrew from Louisville is a resident of the city who has been waiting for Phish to announce a show in his hometown for a long time and was thrilled when the festival announced Phish as a headliner, although we both agreed that it's a bit of a head scratcher. As we'll hear Andrew explain, Bourbon and Beyond isn't a typical music festival, although the musical headliners over the past few years have become more and more impressive, with Phish topping the list (at least for him). But the reason Phish is playing the festival doesn't matter. The important thing is that the band is returning to the city that might best represent their theater era of the mid-90s, so who knows what they'll bring to the stage when they play the Derby City in September. So let's join Andrew as he gives us the history, the recommendations, the tips, and tricks to prepare for Phish's headlining spot at the Bourbon and Beyond festival on September 12, 2025.Find the next great song for your playlists.Music news, reviews and interviews to bring you closer to your favourite artists.Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the show

Send us a textHi everybody and welcome to this week's episode of Attendance Bias. I am your host, Brian Weinstein. I think that all Phish fans, or fans of live music in general, would agree that the venue in which you see a show is inextricably linked to your experience at that show. It's almost impossible, at least for me, to separate the setting from the experience. We go deep into that idea with today's guest, Jordan, the founder and owner of the VenueLlama website as well as Fire on the Mountain Chicken Wings. Today, Jordan chose a segment from one of his favorite shows that he thinks expresses pretty much everything a Phish show can be: the second half of September 3, 2022 at Dick's: the portion we discuss includes The Moma Dance, No Quarter, 2001, and Split Open and Melt. Dick's may be the most-represented venues on this podcast and I'm thrilled that Jordan chose this section and this show, because it's another gem to explore. A chicken wings restaurant speaks for itself, but a theme that runs throughout our conversation is our opinions, references, and general romanticizing of various concert venues for live music both domestic and international. Of course, a venue can provide the ultimate Attendance Bias, and I think Jordan and I did a good job investigating that aspect of the concert going experience, as well as how he hopes that VenueLlama can make the experience the best it can be.So let's join Jordan to talk about chicken wings, Spanish architecture, and Freetown Christiana as we discuss the last segment of September 3, 2022 at Dick's.

Send us a textHi everybody and welcome to today's episode of Attendance Bias. I am your host, Brian Weinstein. Today's guest is journalist and writer Mike Ayers. Mike's new book, “Sharing in the Groove: The Untold Story of the ‘90s Jamband Explosion” covers exactly that–it's an oral history of how a new scene and community developed, grew, and thrived in from the late 80s to the turn of the century. I read it in about 2 and a half days, and if you have any interest at all about the roots of our current jamband scene, it's a must read.If I may sound both nerdy and pretentious at the same time, I do consider myself a student of history. I'm fascinated by how customs, cultures, and patterns develop over time, whether or not we're aware of them at the time. I love looking back, or listening to others–primary sources–look back and tell their stories with wisdom and insight. Park me in front of a Ken Burns documentary, and I'm occupied for hours. Now, if you do that and then make the topic something that I experienced and am genuinely interested in, I'm hooked. That is what Mike's book did for me. I caught the 2nd half of the 90s jamband explosion once I broke away from mainstream radio and got into Phish, moe., and then other lesser known jambands in the latter-half of the 90s. But all I knew about them were their music, the names of the bandmembers, and the basics of their history.  What Sharing in the Groove offers is the behind the scenes look as to what brought this music, and this scene to me, and to you, and how everyone had a role whether or not we knew it at the time. Mike and I talk about different topics that the book touches on for nearly an hour of this episode, yet we barely scratch the surface. Again, “Sharing in the Groove” is a must-read.On top of that, Mike chose an all-time jam for his Attendance Bias pick: The Went Gin, “Bathtub Gin” from the Great Went festival, August 17, 1997. When he first suggested it, I was genuinely surprised that it hadn't been discussed on this podcast already. Now, we don't go deep into the festival itself, but this singular 15 minute jam is enough to break down and appreciate as much as any other track ever discussed on here.But enough from me. Let's join Mike to talk about fraternity budgets, tape trading, file sharing, God Street Wine, and more as we discuss his book Sharing in the Groove, as well as the Went Gin from August 17, 1997. 

Send us a textHi everybody and welcome to this week's episode of Attendance Bias. I am your host, Brian Weinstein. Whenever a guest messages me and wants to tell a story about a show from the fall 1995 tour, it's nearly impossible to say no. And when it's a guest who has previously been on the podcast, I know it'll be a compelling conversation. Such is the case today, when Brian Blatt joins me to tell about Phish's incredible show from December 7, 1995 at the Niagara Falls Convention Center in Niagara Falls, NY.Brian is the host of the High Pitched Cavitation radio show, and has previously came onto Attendance Bias to discuss his experience seeing Phish in April, 1994 at the Concert Hall in Toronto. That conversation centered around seeing Phish in the great north at a time when they were at the tail end of their theater and smaller venue era but still playing large venues in the summer and the end of the year. They had a foot in both worlds, in a transition period. By today's show in December 1995, the transition is nearly complete. Phish was at the end of a 3-month tour where they would play anything and everything. It came to a head in a most explosive way at Niagara Falls, and fans of a certain tape-collecting age know all about it. If you're a newer or newish fan, you might know that this show has been released officially by LivePhish. Whether or not this show is new to you, it's worth a listen for sure.So let's join Brian to talk about West Coast Phish, Western New York Phish, and Tetris, as we discuss December 7, 1995 at the Niagara Falls Convention Center, in Niagara Falls, NY.

Send us a textHi everybody and welcome to today's episode of Attendance Bias. I am your host, Brian Weinstein. I would imagine that most of us have been there: a Phish show where the first set gets off to a typical start, and then something happens-maybe a bustout or a special guest-that makes the show instantly memorable. Or maybe a show where the weather takes a turn for the worse and the show has to end early or there's a downpour that's almost as memorable as the music. Well, today's guest, Ric Hickey is here to tell us about a show that has both: July 1, 1999 at the Starwood Amphitheater in Antioch, Tennessee. When Phish comes to Nashville, it's not a given that there will be special guests onstage, but the odds are in your favor. Ric tells us about seeing Phish in the early 90s around the Cincinnati area and various parts of Ohio, but also how he became familiar with the Nashville area. The 1999 summer tour has become a popular time to discuss on Attendance Bias, and Ric was there for the tour's first few shows in the southeast. While he wasn't a bluegrass aficionado at the time, he was still impressed by the lineup of country royalty that joined Phish during the first set of this show for a mix of bluegrass standards and Phish originals. Then, a rollicking rainstorm caused an early end to the 2nd set, leaving most fans went, muddy, disoriented, but hopefully satisfied. But we'll let Ric tell the story.Let's join Ric to talk about the complex chord progression of Billy Breathes, short-lived DAT recordings, and what a dobro guitar sounds like as we discuss July 1, 1999 in Nashville.

Send us a text Hello everybody and welcome to today's bonus episode of Attendance Bias. Today is a recap episode, so it's going to be a little different from what you may expect from normal episodes. I do have a co-host today that is JW Josh from the Stub Me Down Podcast. He and I tend to do recaps after Phish runs that we've attended either together, or at least both of us attended at the same time.And today is hot on the heels of the Forest Hills 2025, summer, two-night run, we both had a lot of thoughts about this two night run, about the crowd and the environment, the venue, as well as the music play. So today's gonna be a little different because I did not edit even a word of this, and I also did not include any music clips.I thought it would be in the best interest to get it out as soon as possible. So whether you were at the Forest Hills two night stand, one night of them, or you weren't there at all, but you just want to get a look or a listen as to what it was like to be there, give it a listen. You could always hear Stub Me Down, Josh's podcast, anywhere you get podcasts, and then we'll continue regular episodes of Attendance Bias after the summer tour is over.In the meantime, enjoy today's Forest Hills recap with myself, Brian Weinstein and Josh from the Stu Me Down podcast.

Send us a textHi everybody and welcome to the last episode of this Attendance Bias mini-series, in which we previewed each venue Phish will play during their upcoming summer 2025 tour: We just took a look at a new venue to the Phish world: Forest Hills Stadium. Today, we turn our attention to an old favorite; a venue that has been a part of the Phish conversation longer than some fans have been alive, literally.Today, I am joined by family: My sister in law, Liz Ratto, who coincidentally is not only a Phish fan who has been to SPAC several times, but is also a resident of Saratoga Springs! When planning out this series, I was a little nervous about this episode, because Phish has been playing this venue for so long, who knows what new information we could provide? But the answer is: a lot! Liz gives some great pro tips for not only attending the show, but things to do around Saratoga while you're in town for these three nights that close the tour: July 25, 26, and 27.Phish has a long history at SPAC, but an even longer history in Saratoga. But lets hear it from the locals. Join me and Liz to hear how to make the best of Phish's final run of tour in Saratoga

Send us a textHi everybody and welcome to Attendance Bias. I am your host Brian Weinstein. Get ready for some venue whiplash; after three nights at the largest indoor venue on the tour in Chicago, Phish leaves the second city to arrive in New York. More specifically, July 22 and 23 at Forest Hills Stadium in Forest Hills, Queens; home to The Ramones, Simon and Garfunkel, and Peter Parker. If you've listened to Attendance Bias for any amount of time, you've probably heard me mention that I live in Forest Hills, so today's episode is a homecoming; I don't think I've ever lived closer to any music venue. Before these shows, I've never been able to walk to a Phish concert from my front door. And who would be the best guest in the world to give a preview of this venue and this neighborhood? None other than my wife, Michela Ratto. Michela has been on Attendance Bias once before, and while I mostly give background information and context about this venue that is new to the Phish world, she gives plenty of tips and tricks to help any listeners coming to these two shows, filling everyone in on what to expect.We cover a lot in today's episode; the history of the Forest Hills Tennis Stadium, what the neighborhood is like, the best ways to get there, and of course we give our takes on the controversial headlines about the stadium that crop up ahead of every summer concert season. Ironically, this is the longest episode of this venue preview series, but there are no music clips, since Phish has not only never played the stadium before but they've never played the entire borough of Queens!So join Michela and I to get the inside scoop on the Forest Hills Stadium, our theories as to why Phish chose to play the smallest New York City venue they've played in years, and where to get the best food once you get inside on July 22 and 23rd. 

Send us a textHi everybody and welcome back to the Attendance Bias mini series of previewing each venue of the Phish 2025 summer tour. By now, we've gotten the scoop on the SNHU Arena in Manchester, The Pete in Pittsburgh, the Moody Center in Austin, Folsom Field in Boulder, the Schottenstein Center in Columbus, the North Charleston Coliseum, and the Mann in Philadelphia. We are nearing the end of this series as our episode today focuses on Phish's three-night run at the United Center in Chicago on July 18, 19, and 20. Today, I am joined by Brendan, longtime resident of the Chicagoland area, and he has seen his share of Phish shows in and around the Windy City. More to the point, he has seen tons of sporting events at the United Center, and attended two out of Phish's three inaugural shows at the massive arena in the fall of 2023. Since Phish has only played one previous run at the United Center, there isn't a lot to dig into there, but there is a ton to talk about when it comes to Phish's Chicago history, the background of the venue itself, and obviously, recommendations for things to do around Chicago during this three-day run. Let's join Brendan to talk about it all.

Send us a textHi everybody and welcome to Attendance Bias. I am your host Brian Weinstein. We are just past the mid-point of this Attendance Bias mini-series, in which we preview each venue Phish will play during their upcoming summer 2025 tour. We are coming off our visit to the Palmetto State for the North Charleston Coliseum, and today's episode is all about a venue that feels like it's been around forever in the Phish world: the Mann Music Center in Philadelphia, PA. I always group Philadelphia in with Merriweather Post, SPAC, and Jones Beach as part of the I-95 Corridor tour circuit, and while there is truth to that, there is a richer Phish history at The Mann than most venues. Today, I am joined by my friends Tom and Stephanie who have long-standing roots to Philadelphia and Tom especially has a long history with the Mann. While there may not be too much for northeast Phish fans to learn about Philadelphia, we do our best to offer recommendations, tips and tricks, and wallow in some good old nostalgia about past Phish shows in Philadelphia, as is our want here on Attendance Bias. So get pumped for July 15 and 16, as Tom, Stephanie, and I take a long look at the Mann Music Center in Philadelphia.

Send us a textHi everybody and welcome to Attendance Bias. I am your host Brian Weinstein. We are at the halfway point of the tour by now, having just visited the Schottenstein Center in Columbus for the first time, it is now time to visit an old favorite: The North Charleston Coliseum in Charleston, South Carolina for a THREE NIGHT weekend run! A city brimming with both American history and Phish history, we are lucky enough today to be joined by Charleston native Dave Scozarro who tells us about both: places to see, things to do, and highlights from Phish's 35 years playing The Holy City. In a sense, you can track Phish's entire career arc by keeping track of the venues they've played in Charleston since 1990. From small clubs, to larger clubs, to small theaters, and finally, the N. Charleston Coliseum. They moved in in 1995 and never left. Sure, they played two shows at the local tennis stadium a few years ago, and Dave explains why it may not be such a great idea for the Phish crowd for them to continue there.But there's so much to love about both Charleston and the coliseum. World-class food in the city, general admission seating in the venue, and almost four decades of music to dig into. Let's join Dave as he prepares us for July 11, 12, and 13 in Charleston.

Send us a textHi everybody and welcome to Attendance Bias. I am your host Brian Weinstein. We are almost at the halfway point of the tour by now, arriving from Phish's 3-night holiday weekend stand at Folsom Field to one of the larger indoor venues on tour: the Schottenstein Center in Columbus on the campus of THE Ohio State University. This is Phish's first time playing at the Schot, and luckily, today's guests have a deep well of knowledge about both Columbus and the venue itself. My friends Ryan and Shannon are here to tell about different neighborhoods of Ohio's capital city, great restaurant recommendations, and stories galore from Phish's history in Columbus.For the most part, the modern Phish touring machine has always stopped at the now-defunct Polaris Amphitheater when it was time for the tour to visit Columbus. However, a legendary storm–some remember it as a tornado–made its way over the city during a show in 2000, and Phish hasn't been back since. The summer of 2025 is the return of the king.In addition to huge venues and college campuses, that reinforces another trend of this upcoming tour; the band's return to cities and towns that have been long-dormant on the Phish tour itinerary. Manchester, Boulder, Austin, and now Columbus fans are thrilled to welcome Phish back to their respective cities. Certainly, you can hear the excitement in Shannon and Ryan's voices.So let's dive into pro digs for college kids with Ryan and Shannon to get ready for July 9 at the Schottenstein Center in Columbus, OH.

Send us a textHi everybody and welcome to Attendance Bias. I am your host Brian Weinstein. After an odd summertime Texas stop in Austin, Phish is keeping us disoriented this year: it's now time for a holiday weekend run in Colorado…but not the one we expect. Instead of the end-of-summer blowout at Dick's over Labor Day Weekend this summer, we are instead celebrating our country's independence with a July 4th weekend party at a college football stadium almost double the size of Dick's: July 3, 4, and 5 at Folsom Field, in Boulder, CO.Today's guest, Bryan from Boulder., has lived in the college town for over 20 years and has a lot to offer Attendance Bias listeners today. While thousands of Phish fans have made Dick's their summer family reunion this year is a change of scenery, not to mention an adjustment to the calendar. When these shows were rumored, and then announced, there were mixed feelings among the fanbase (at least those who made their opinions known online). Bryan explains why there's so much to look forward to in Boulder, and how, in many ways, Folsom Field has a lot to offer, compared to Dick's. But it's not all just a comparison of two Colorado stadiums. There's also the band's history in Boulder, the activities within and around the city, restaurant and brewery recommendations, and more. I think a lot of us are curious about what this run is going to look like, and today's episode might be able to give us some answers to frequently asked Folsom questions.So let's join Bryan from Boulder, longtime resident, to give us the lowdown on what to expect for July 4th weekend at Folsom Field in Boulder, Colorado.

Send us a textHi everybody and welcome to Attendance Bias. I am your host Brian Weinstein. After two days off and a very very long drive, we are at the third stop of our tour: The Moody Center in Austin, Texas for June 27 and 28. It's rare that Phish stops in Texas, rare that they stop in Texas for the summer, and even more rare that they'll play in Austin–it's been about 15 years since the capitol city entertained the band and its fans. Today's guest, Dianna Hank (known in social media circles as Dianna 2Ns) lives in Austin and is thrilled for Phish to come back to the offbeat city and help keep it weird. If Austin is a city you haven't gotten around to visiting, Dianna makes a strong case for why you should make your way to the City of the Violet Crown, for Phish or otherwise.While Phish has a respectable history in Austin, including an appearance on the long-running PBS show Austin City Limits, and an appearance at the related festival, this 2025 weekend run is primed to be the best. This is the band's first time playing the new, air-conditioned, indoor venue for a two-night run with guaranteed pre-show and post-show live music to be found, great vibes and delicious food in abundance, and more. So whether you're on tour, a Texas native, or flying into town just for the weekend, Dianna is here to give us the lowdown on June 27 and 28 at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas.

Send us a textHi everybody and welcome to Attendance Bias. I am your host Brian Weinstein. We are fully on tour by now, having visited Manchester, New Hampshire and now on the 9-and-a-half-hour drive to the Pete–that is the Petersen Events Center, on the University of Pittsburgh campus–in Pittsburgh, PA. For whatever reason, the band decided to skip Star Lake in Burgettstown in favor of this modest-size collegiate arena that has played host to Phish twice in recent memory. But if you're on tour and decide to skip Pittsburgh because it's out of the way, you're missing out on a whole lot. Today's guest, Emily Bush, bleeds black and gold. With deep family roots in Pittsburgh, and an understanding of the city's amenities and history, she offers an insider's guide to what Phish fans should see, do, eat, drink, and expect for the first single-night stop of the tour.Although I don't think a visit to Pittsburgh is in the cards for me this summer, there were points during today's conversation, when I wanted to suggest to my wife that we move to the Steel City. After I got off the call with Emily I started to Google some of the apartment complexes and neighborhoods she mentions, and although I'm staying in New York for the foreseeable future, moving to Pittsburgh is not a 0% option, regardless of how Phish plays this summer.So let's get excited for the second stop of the tour: June 24, as Emily gives us the low down on The Petersen Events Center, and Pittsburgh as a whole in today's episode.

Send us a textHi everybody and welcome to the first episode of this new series of Attendance Bias: over the next few weeks, we are going to take a look at venue Phish is going to play on their upcoming 2025 summer tour; from old favorites like SPAC and The Mann, to first-time visits for Phish, like Folsom Field and Forest Hills Stadium.Today, I am joined by returning guest Chris Casey and his partner Jenn, both New Hampshire natives, to give us a local view of the SNHU Arena, or the “SNU,” at which Phish will open their summer tour with a 3-night run on June 20, 21, and 22.Phish doesn't have a big history at the venue, but Chris and Jenn have a long history in Manchester, and New Hampshire as a whole. So, what follows is a mix of a venue preview and a travelogue. I hope you enjoy it and look forward to our previews of other venues on the summer tour.

Send us a textHi everybody and welcome to today's episode of Attendance Bias. I am your host, Brian Weinstein. Not many guests have come on the podcast to talk about anything from the year 2000. It's kind of a lost year when most fans consider the tail end of 1.0. 1999 gets a lot of love, Big Cypress is the unquestioned greatest of all time, but what about those 52 shows that capped the 1.0 era? Today's guest, Brad Rosen, joins us today all the way from Israel to help plug in that gap. Brad went to a bunch of shows on the 2000 fall tour, and if he had his way, I have a feeling that he would want to have an episode about every single one. But we were able to whittle today's guest spot down to highlights from the Albany 2000 run: September 8 and 9 2000 at the Knickerbocker Arena, known then as the Pepsi Center.Phish was just about a month away from their first hiatus, but this 2-night stand presents a band that has it all, with maybe the edges beginning to fray as they drift from one jam to another with few boundaries in sight. Throughout the show, you can hear the crowd responding to the band with ceaseless energy, although we'll also hear Brad explain how, if there were few boundaries in the music, things were definitely fraying in the lot scene. So give Farmhouse another spin, make some room for Michael Ray, and don't forget to stop at Hershey as Brad and I discuss September 8 and 9, 2000 in Albany.

Send us a textHi everybody and welcome to today's episode of Attendance Bias. I am your host, Brian Weinstein. At Dick's in 2013, Phish famously used the setlist to spell out the phrase: “Most Shows Spell Something.” It was a good goof at the time, but it also inspired thousands of fans to take the message literally and inspect the band's song choices at any given show and, sometimes, craft a motif, theme, or narrative that might change a listener's perspective and they would see and hear the show through a completely different lens than usual. Today's guest, Jeffrey Rosenberg tells us that at least one show spelled something. Jeffrey chose to discuss August 9, 2024 at the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts. Where most of us would hear a standard-great Phish show that night, Jeffrey heard meditations on love, action, addiction, recovery, and more. At times, today's conversation may sound like the podcast version of the Always Sunny in Philadelphia Pepe Silvia meme, but as you listen, I hope you can hang with Jeffrey and I, whether or not you think the theory holds water.But in the end, that's what Attendance Bias is for: every fan gets their own story, and every fan's perspective is valid. As you'll hear me say a few times during today's episode, I'm grateful that Jeffrey came on the show to share his perspective, because he was able to talk about songs that I've heard literally hundreds of times and, with a few sentences, provide a new way for me to consider the lyrics. It stuff like that, that makes this podcast such a joy. I hope you feel the same way after today's episode.So let's join Jeffrey to talk about New York tornadoes, summer 2000, and The Mary Tyler Moore show as we discuss August 9, 2024 at Bethel Woods.

Send us a textHi everybody and welcome to today's episode of Attendance Bias. I am your host, Brian Weinstein. At Dick's in 2013, Phish famously used the setlist to spell out the phrase: “Most Shows Spell Something.” It was a good goof at the time, but it also inspired thousands of fans to take the message literally and inspect the band's song choices at any given show and, sometimes, craft a motif, theme, or narrative that might change a listener's perspective and they would see and hear the show through a completely different lens than usual. Today's guest, Jeffrey Rosenberg tells us that at least one show spelled something. Jeffrey chose to discuss August 9, 2024 at the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts. Where most of us would hear a standard-great Phish show that night, Jeffrey heard meditations on love, action, addiction, recovery, and more. At times, today's conversation may sound like the podcast version of the Always Sunny in Philadelphia Pepe Silvia meme, but as you listen, I hope you can hang with Jeffrey and I, whether or not you think the theory holds water.But in the end, that's what Attendance Bias is for: every fan gets their own story, and every fan's perspective is valid. As you'll hear me say a few times during today's episode, I'm grateful that Jeffrey came on the show to share his perspective, because he was able to talk about songs that I've heard literally hundreds of times and, with a few sentences, provide a new way for me to consider the lyrics. It's stuff like that, that makes this podcast such a joy. I hope you feel the same way after today's episode.So let's join Jeffrey to talk about New York tornadoes, summer 2000, and The Mary Tyler Moore show as we discuss August 9, 2024 at Bethel Woods.

Send us a textHi everybody and welcome to today's episode of Attendance Bias. I am your host, Brian Weinstein. Today, we have a returning guest: published author Rachael Wesley, who–as of today–has released her memoir, “Second Set Chances,” published by Vine Leaves Press. The last time Rachael was on Attendance Bias, about three years ago, she was working on the sixth draft of what would become Second Set Chances. At the time, she didn't have much to say about the memoir, as it was still very much a work in progress. Instead, we focused on her favorite genre of writing–Creative Nonfiction–and we went deep into talking about the version of “Simple” from 8/29/14 at Dick's.But this time is a bit different. Rachael is back, and Second Set Chances is available at her website, RachaelWesley.com and at VineLeavesPress.com. You'll hear how Rachael took these last three years to make her story become a fully published work. Just as importantly for THIS podcast, you'll also hear us break down Down with Disease into Carini from December 29. 2013 at Madison Square Garden; an incredible sequence that capped off the best year of 3.0 to that point, and two jams that hold up 12 years later.So let's join Rachael to talk about Second Set chances, DNA strands, and the best flavors of La Croix as we discuss Down with Disease into Carini from Madison Square Garden on December 29, 2013. 

Send us a textHi everybody and welcome to today's episode of Attendance Bias. I am your host, Brian Weinstein. Since their return to the stage in 2009, all the way to today, Phish has continually proven that they still have the goods–that they've avoided the trap of becoming a nostalgia act. They've proven it in a number of ways: reinventing themselves as different bands for Halloween, releasing several albums, changing their touring setup to allow for more multi-night runs, or the tried-and-true method of keeping fans interested: playing extremely long and exploratory jams that go down as some of the most perfect examples of extended improvisation in music history. Today's guest, Andy Rapacz, picked one of those jams to discuss today: “Simple” from July 27, 2024 at Alpine Valley. Starting from the ashes of a typical Sigma Oasis that opened the 2nd set, this Simple is easily in the conversation for the title of the best version of the song ever played. Just as impressive as the music, the fact that it was played 40 years into the band's career adds a certain psychological boost to the idea that it was played at all! Andy is a Wisconsin native, so he gives plenty of background context to Alpine Valley, what it was like to see such an impressive jam in his home venue, and the fact that he's an exercise physiologist who deals with neurological dysfunction adds a whole new dimension to the discussion about how Phish's sound makes you feel. So let's join Andy to talk about Halloween 1994, how time is relative, and steep lawns as we discuss Simple from July 27, 1994 at Alpine Valley.

Send us a textHi everybody, and welcome to Attendance Bias. I am your host, Brian Weinstein. You know, prom night is full of cliches: carnations, gowns, tuxedos, slow dances, limousines, and so on. Now, take all those tropes and add an unexpected twist: your afterparty is taking your limo with a bunch of friends into Manhattan to see Phish play two sets at the hottest live music club in the city. And THAT is the story of today's guest, Josh Gertz, who is here to tell us about his prom afterparty: Phish's show on June 9, 1990 at the Wetlands Preserve. My prom afterparty was to go to the Limelight Nightclub and then to Wildwood, New Jersey for the weekend. I'd trade that for Josh's experience in a heartbeat.Phish was in a transitional period in 1990; they were still composing their multi-part nerd-rock opuses, but were also poking out of the comfort of the northeast, slowly growing their audience while they infused their strange band personality with musical virtuosity. It's arguably for the better that Josh didn't know what he was getting himself into, because even 35 years ago, the band was figuratively and literally pushing their boundaries.This incredible music all played out against the backdrop of the Wetlands Preserve. Talking about lower Manhattan is a constant refrain in today's conversation; Josh is originally from Northern New Jersey, and I'm originally from Long Island, so two households, both alike in dignity, going to the city to see live jamband music bore some common talking points. And that was just the beginning of our conversation.So bring your change of clothes, cool off if you need to, and give Trey a high five as Josh Gertz tells us about Phish at the Wetlands on June 9, 1990.

Send us a textHi everybody and welcome to today's episode of Attendance Bias. I am your host, Brian Weinstein. Today's guest is kickass bassist, singer, songwriter, bandleader, musical omnivore and big-time Phishhead, Karina Rykman.If you've been paying attention to the jamband and jamband-adjacent scene for any time over the past 5 years or so, or maybe a bit longer than that, I imagine that you've heard of, seen the same of, or been lucky enough to hear Karina Rykman. She performs live with her guitarist and effects-man Adam November and drummer Chris Corsico as a psychedelic bass-led power trio that will blow you away. For those of you who are on a strict Phish diet and may not be familiar with Karina, you should be aware that she has played bass onstage with Mike Gordon in several different configurations and, as of this episode, is preparing to open for him in New Orleans during Jazz Fest. In addition, she has roots with Trey Anastasio and his family going all the way back to her middle school days, and Trey co-produced her debut album, Joyride.Karina and I cover a lot of topics in today's conversation, including our experiences in New York City, her influences in terms of music and life, what it was like to record her album, and her upcoming gig at Webster Hall in New York City on Saturday, May 10. But fear not: there are Phish references and chatter about the band sprinkled throughout our conversation.Also, it wouldn't be an Attendance Bias episode if the guest didn't pick out a special Phish experience, and Karina chose a doozie: October 30, 2010 at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City where Phish truly blew everyone's minds with a Tweezerfest that weaved bits and pieces of Led Zeppelin songs throughout.But there's so much more to it than that. Let's join Karina to talk about songwriting craft, rocks off boat cruises, and the best place in Manhattan for smoked salmon as we discuss October 30, 2010 in Atlantic City, and much more.

Send us a textHi everybody and welcome to today's episode of Attendance Bias. I am your host, Brian Weinstein. I do my best to be modest about this podcast, but I have to say: today's episode has pretty much everything that makes this show a joy to listen to and produce: an enthusiastic guest who came with plenty to say about herself and the show she chose, a Phish show that provided plenty of rabbit holes to go down, comparisons between Phish's past and present, and of course, a high-profile guest star that caused a bit of controversy in the Phish community after the show. Today's wonderful guest is Patty Gambill, and the show she chose to discuss is from August 6, 2024 at Van Andel Arena, in Grand Rapids Michigan.This show, and the next night were Phish's first shows at the minor league hockey arena since 1998, and an indoor show during summer tour as well. There were plenty of signs to predict that these would be special shows, but the summer of 2024 seemed to shake something loose in both the band and the fanbase, so it's hard to call any specific show special, when almost every show was special. We try to get to the heart of it but I think that this will be an ongoing conversation for a long while.But enough from me. Let's join Patty to talk about special guests, bluegrass, and more as we August 6, 2024 at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids. 

Send us a textHi everybody and welcome to today's episode of Attendance Bias. I am your host, Brian Weinstein. Today's guest is Ian from Montana, who is here to tell about his experience seeing Phish on July 24, 2015 at the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, CA where he went from being a casual 3.0 Phish fan to a Phish family man. The show marked a turning point for him and what a Phish concert experience could be like.2015 was a transformative year for Phish. Not only did Trey kick off the year with the legendary Fare Thee Well Grateful Dead celebration, but the summer tour began with nearly a full album's worth of new material, but each member of the band came ready to play with an array of new effects and sounds that seemed to gel right from the get-go at the tour opener in Oregon. Today's show was the next stop on the tour, and the band capitalized on their auspicious opening just a few days before.While the show was a mixed bag in terms of jamming, Ian was there with his whole family–his wife and his two young children. As we discuss, taking kids to a Phish show can be a contentious topic in our small community, but he pulled it off with aplomb, and this was the show they were all meant to see. So let's join Ian to talk about west coast crowds, Round Room, and Bill Graham as we discuss July 24, 2015 at Shoreline Amphitheater in California.

Send us a textHi everybody and welcome to today's episode of Attendance Bias. I am your host, Brian Weinstein. By now, everyone recognizes just how special last summer's Mondegreen festival was, inclusive of the music and the overall experience. Today's guest, Seamus Gallivan had a premonition of how special the festival would be to him, and emailed me several weeks ahead of time and asked me if he could kind of reserve the festival, to come on the podcast and talk about it after it was played.No one has ever asked to reserve a show before, so I wasn't sure how to respond. I told Seamus to hold off and see how the festival went, what his experience was, and what there would be to talk about. But in the end, Seamus was right. There was plenty to discuss. While I did release a full-festival recap soon after the festival was over, Seamus got back in touch and asked if he could tell his story about night three of Mondegreen: August 17, 2024. Certainly to both of us, it was the musical highlight of the weekend.And you can hear it in our voices during today's conversation. Seamus came prepared with tons of notes and observations, many of which mirrored mine, demonstrating that we were on the same page. You can even hear our voices rise and we start to speak faster and faster as we approach some of the night's musical highlights. And, believe me, there's no shortage of highlights. Let's join Seamus to talk about Trey's kooky guitar tones, the San Francisco Bay Area, and much more as we discuss night 3 of the Monegreen Festival from August 17, 2024 The Woodlands in Dover, Delaware.

Send us a textGet ready for Wednesday's full episode about 8/17/24 in Dover, DE with Seamus Gallivan! In the meantime, Attendance Bias listeners called in to share some of their favorite memories, and odd musings, from this past summer's Mondegreen Festival! Kill a few minutes in anticipation of Wednesday's full episode. Enjoy!

Send us a textHi 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 textHi 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 textHi 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 textHi 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 textHi 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 textHi 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 textHi 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 textAs 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 textHi 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 textHi 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 textHi 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 textHi 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 NewsletterWe've Got a Band podcast

Send us a Text Message.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 Message.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 Message.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 Message.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.

Send us a Text Message.Hi everybody and welcome to today's episode of Attendance Bias. I am your host, Brian Weinstein. Today's special guest is Jamie Boldt, and boy, did he pick a winner to review today: 10/31/95 at the Rosemont Horizon in Chicago, Illinois.Regular listeners of Attendance Bias will note that The Who was THE band for me as I made the transition from classic rock and alternative radio in my early teens to exploring the world beyond the corporate record stores and Top 40 radio. To say it another way: before Phish, there was The Who. As you'll hear Jamie and I discuss in just a little while: it was a major turning point for me when I found out about this Halloween show.  In the bigger picture, this was Phish's 2nd Halloween musical costume. After the unmitigated success of The White Album Halloween show in 1994, the band chose to go a different route, playing a huge venue in the midwest, and choosing a relatively obscure album that required additional musicians. But there's more to this show than the musical costume; the first and third set are masterpieces that stand on their own.Jamie chose to discuss this show for a number of reasons, and one of them is that he wanted to get my take on the convergence of Phish and The Who. While I am the host of this podcast, and I get my thoughts in there, Jamie is the guest and we get to hear what it was like to witness this epic show that continues to live on the top shelf of Phish history.So let's join Jamie to talk about Greenwich Village, mod  culture, and Jon Fishman's relatives as we discuss October 31, 1995 in Chicago.

Send us a Text Message.Episode PlaylistThe Improbable, Unstoppable Rise of Goose, by Charlie Werzel for The AtlanticWelcome back, everyone! Today, Megan Glionna and Brian Brinkman of The Helping Friendly Podcast join Attendance Bias as we morph back into "Flocking Outside: A Miniseries About Goose From 3 Phish Lifers."About a year ago, the three of us released a 3-episode miniseries to get a handle on the sharp rise of Goose, and the tension that was building between the fanbases of Goose and Phish. Those episodes are still available if you scroll back to Attendance Bias episodes from June, 2023. In those three episodes, Brian and Megan gave me information about Goose's history as a band, and we discussed the context in which their profile was rising in the jamband scene.A year has passed since then, and Goose's story, as well as each of our own stories, has changed and expanded. In today's episode, which I think is a coda to the previous three, Megan, Brian, and I discuss the band's development of the past calendar year, how they've changed musically, how they've separated themselves from the jam scene, and how we've changed as fans. We hope you enjoy episode 4 (coda) of "Flocking Outside!"

Send us a Text Message.Hi everybody and welcome to this week's episode of Attendance Bias. I am your host, Brian Weinstein. Today's guest, Brian Blatt, takes us back 30 years to April 6, 1994 at the Concert Hall in Toronto, Ontario. Phish had just started their spring tour promoting Hoist, but also showcasing their increasing ability to play anything and everything–from straight rock and roll, to bluegrass, to latin jazz, to a capella tunes, and more. Plus, a recurring theme of today's show was the band's improvisational exercises paying off. Whereas in 1993, they could segue in and out of any song in their repertoire, now they were jumping off the ledge into the unknown, not knowing where they'd end up, or whether they'd come back to the song at all. On top of all that is Brian's experience. He drove from Rochester, NY to Toronto for this show; a drive of about  3 hours. This was not his first time seeing Phish, but this was his first time seeing Phish sober. That new experience of clarity allowed him to remember, even 30 years later, the exact moment where he GOT IT. The exact moment when he was hooked.I don't want to spoil it, so keep listening as we join Brian Blatt to talk about vocal jams, garbage plates, Weird Al, and more as we discuss Phish's show from April 6, 1994 at The Concert Hall in Toronto.Audio of 7/28/92