That’s right. 40. It was 39 for the longest time. I think the last show I saw was in 2001. Nearly 20 years later, I pulled in the big 4-0 at the Hollywood Bowl on Earth Day, 2023. And, in true Phish fashion, it was a crazy night.
What’s Phish?
Phish is an American rock band formed in Burlington, Vermont, in 1983. The band was founded by Trey Anastasio (guitar, vocals), Mike Gordon (bass), Jon Fishman (drums), and Jeff Holdsworth (guitar), with the addition of Page McConnell (keyboards) in 1985. Holdsworth departed the band in 1986, leaving the current lineup in place for the remainder of the band's history.
They began playing in small venues around the Northeast, gradually building a following through word of mouth and live performances. By the late 1980s, they had begun to tour outside New England, gaining a reputation for their unique style of improvisational rock music and elaborate live shows.
Phish has always been a band that prizes musical improvisation, and their live shows are famous for their extended jams and unexpected musical twists and turns. This approach led them to experiment with various musical genres, including rock, jazz, funk, bluegrass, and reggae.
One of the most beloved aspects of Phish's music is the extensive "The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday" song cycle1, which Trey Anastasio wrote while attending Goddard College in the late 1980s. The story is about a mythical land known as Gamehendge. It is a complex and fantastical tale involving a heroic traveler named Colonel Forbin, a tyrant king named Wilson, and a land of mythical creatures and fabled rituals.
Phish experienced a surge in popularity in the mid-1990s, fueled in part by the growing popularity of the jam band scene and their loyal fanbase. That’s when my old friends Kenny Martin and Billy Everett introduced me to the band—two athletes/actors I worked with while hosting a stunt show at Six Flaggs Magic Mountain. In the spring of 1993, I recall hearing my first Phish song on the radio—The Wedge, from their third album, Rift. One night, they played the album for me at their apartment in Santa Clarita, California, and I recognized The Wedge.
Phish's popularity continued to grow throughout the 1990s, with the band releasing several critically acclaimed albums and touring extensively. In 1998, Rolling Stone magazine named Phish "the most important band of the Nineties.” Despite their success, Phish has always maintained a close relationship with their fans, and their live shows have become legendary for their sense of community and shared experience. The band's annual New Year's Eve concerts at Madison Square Garden in New York City have become a tradition for fans. Elaborate stage productions and surprise guests often accompany them.
Phish has continued to tour and release new music in recent years, with their most recent studio album, Sigma Oasis released in 2020. The band has also continued to embrace technology and new media, streaming live shows and releasing several live albums and concert films.
The Evening
It started in Glendale. I had spent the day with my pal down in Santa Monica. It was a hot Earth Day. Good day for the beach. We made our way back to his place. I parked my car at his house and took an Uber to the Hollywood Bowl. He doesn’t like Phish. He went to a show with me many, many years ago but just didn’t get the vibe.
So, I’m pretty tired from the day at the beach but also interested in seeing the band again. The last time I saw them was sometime in the early aughts. While still in the Uber, I took my phone out of my pocket to check that I had the Ticketmaster app up and my tickets were already on the account. The Hollywood Bowl was only accepting the mobile app for entry. No paper tickets. And sure enough, there it was. My ticket to see Phish!
As we’re approaching the venue, I could see that a bunch of people were being let out by taxis and other cars right at the front entrance of the Hollywood Bowl (instead of where they should’ve been dropped off, which is an entranceway around the corner. I asked the driver if he’d let me jump off in the front and he was fine with it (despite the multiple police officers in the area).
The trouble is, I didn’t put my mobile device in my pocket. I stuck it between my legs.
I jumped out of the car and walked up the street to the main entrance. But because the Uber had double parked in a busy thoroughfare, he had to take off immediately.
About 15 seconds after I’d gotten out of the car, I noticed that I didn’t have my phone with me. I began running frantically down Highland Blvd. to see if I could catch the Uber (lots of traffic, so I thought I’d be able to catch up). But I didn’t remember the car type or color so I couldn’t find it anyway.
Luckily, the box office went ahead and printed me out some paper tickets and I was able to get into the show. But as you can imagine, I was really torn up about having lost my phone. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the first set which included:
David Bowie
Meat
As the last song started to play, I could feel that the set was coming to an end and, being that I was seeing the show by myself, and I was a 50-somthing-year-old man who had just lost his phone and needed to figure a way out to get a ride back to Glendale where my car was, I decided to dart (sadly).
I tried to catch a taxi from the Hollywood Bowl—but no such luck. Los Angelinos just don’t believe in taxis anymore. And I couldn’t contact an Uber or Lyft ride because my phone was gone!
So I moped down Highland Blvd. to a local Best Western hotel and asked the receptionist to call a cabriolet for me. It took a good 40 minutes before one arrived and I could ride back to my friend’s house and retrieve my car.
What a night!
This is the earliest known recording of the entire cycle.