Fink's Travels

Never Miss a Tuesday.... or a Wednesday. Or to cut to the chase, never miss a Bakers Dozen Show. Stream, webcast, get to NY; whatever you can do to see the Phish in action the time is right here, right now. They are executing and playing on a level with a consistency that hasn't been seen in almost 20 years. That's also 18 years longer than my memory seems to go back these days so as far as I am concerned we are at peak Phish. I probably sound like a broken record but it's a really beautiful and special time to be a passionate, loyal and dedicated follower of the P fish.  What they might not have in youthful dexterity and the unrelenting raw energy they had in the 90s, they more than make up for it with the experience of playing for so many years, surviving, the knowledge and comfort of who they are and where their place in music history stands. It's really a beautiful thing to be comfortable in your own skin. I was younger, stronger, faster in my 20s. However today ...

Never Miss a Tuesday Prior to the Dayton show last week, I told the tale below. Based upon what we witnessed last night, it bears repeating. My buddy Jonny ran into Trey in NY a few weeks before the Bakers Dozen. Trey asked him how many of the 13 shows he was attending. Jonny said all of them. Trey laughed and responded "Never miss a Tuesday." Johnny is part of the new generation of hardcore phans. One of the things I have noticed about Phish is that the fan base is regenerating. There is an entire generation of younger people that have fallen hard for the Phish. It seems that there are as many, if not more, of the younger generation doing the full tour.  Unlike just about every other band I have loved for a long time, our base has a new wave of fans coming in. I see so many more younger kids that get IT at Phish. This is such an important component of what makes Phish great today - young, new, fresh, optimistic, healthy and eager energy. It's good for the ...

Coconuts It appears the gag is going to be exactly what Page said it would be in an article from July 2007 during the hiatus: " One casualty: creative touring concepts were rejected because they weren’t economically feasible....Another idea had them playing a “baker’s dozen” of shows – 13 nights in Madison Square Garden.... Riffing on that absurdity, the band imagined giving away free donuts and even basing the theme for each show around that night’s variety. For “Boston Crème,” a setlist might have included covers of songs by Boston and Cream. Such tours, of course, never saw the light of day. Says McConnell, “Even if creatively it made sense to the four of us, the management – I don’t want to say they wouldn’t let us do it, but really, they just wouldn’t let us do it.” One of the things I have learned as I have gotten older is to pursue my own happiness and desires, follow my instincts, trust myself as opposed to what others and society believes I should do. F...

For the second time this tour Phish made me cry. It's kind of getting ridiculous. If I was the type that got embarrassed, it would probably be embarrassing. Similar to the first time (Chicago Slave), it wasn't just a tear or two. It was a full on session. If somebody told my pops (who grew up playing hoops in Brooklyn and at 72 still runs in a full court league) his son would be "bawling" on the floor of MSG, he would think they meant "ballin". But this post isn't about my pops, this post is about my mom. That cry was for my mother. The most amazing woman I have ever known. The woman who loved me more than anyone ever has. There is no love that can compare to the love of a mother for a child. I am in tears again as I write this. As I attempt to put down the words she so deserves for making me the man I am today. I owe her so much and of course it makes me so sad at times that she isn't here. But I also feel such a pride and joy and honor being her...

Greetings and salutations from the big donut. I am really happy to have a day off. Being on tour is awesome - I love it so much. Seeing different friends and family, seeing different parts of the country, eating all sorts of local cuisines, havin' a good time. However it isn't for the faint of heart. It's legit a grind. A rush from city to city. Coordination of hotels, tickets, friends... Phish is my job (I'm kind of serious). And tour itself is a marathon, not a sprint. Living out of your suitcase, the lack of a normal routine, struggling to get workouts in, not being home, missing my dogs and my own bed. Therefore a day when I can sleep in until noon, causally get together w some friends and family in the city, check out the park and the museums, basically hang out and relax all day is beautiful. It's also nice to wake up and not feel that nervous day of show energy. I take Phish seriously. Very seriously. It's so much more than just having a good time to me ...

Hump Day It's difficult, potentially impossible, to write a review about Phish and separate one's own personal experience from what's happening with the music. In fact I don't even really want to try. There are plenty of better bloggers, reviewers, YouTube commentators, etc out there that can do a much better job analyzing the music than I can. So for better or worse my 18 readers are going to also occasionally get a taste of what's happening in my life and my brain when I am at these shows. This will be one of those times.  Last night got off to a rough start for me. There was a ticket fuck up (not my fault but it specifically impacted me and the people I was with). I ended up alone in subpar seats up in chomper central for the first 5 songs of the show.  I really don't understand the behavior of certain people at shows. If you are at a show, be courteous and respectful of the people around you. Spread good energy, introduce yourself and be friendly with your n...