To all of my fellow Phish fans, and supporters of The Mockingbird Foundation, I am thrilled to announce the first offering of Mockingbird Holiday cards and ornaments found here: http://mbird.org/2017-holiday/.

During this season of giving, there is no better way to show your support for music education for children than customizing your own Holiday cards. These cards are created in conjunction with Picaboo Cards for various causes: https://www.picaboo.com/cards-for-causes/the-mockingbird-foundation/.

You will have a choice of creating a custom collage of your pictures from 2017, utilizing one picture that sums up the year, or simply creating your own design. The back of the card provides an inspirational message from The Mockingbird Foundation that speaks in the one language that truly unites us all: sweet, sweet music.

The ornaments are available at http://www.cafepress.com/themockingbirdfoundation, and there are three to choose from. Each contains a different special message to decorate your home or tree with cheer, love and light through the season. We hope you enjoy them. Designs were created by Annie Nicholson and Elayne Best, featuring the Foundation logo designed by Heather Hanly.

The Mockingbird Foundation greatly appreciates your continued support. As we are run entirely by volunteers – with no office, salaries, or paid staff – administrative costs are very low, so nearly every penny of your donations ultimately supports music education programs for children. So far, the Foundation has distributed over $1.1M to the cause of music education for children – 348 grants in all 50 states, with more on the way. Your support will ensure further grant opportunities while bringing holiday cheer to all. Thank you!

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The Saturday morning of the 7th Dicks Labor Day Weekend bash, The Mockingbird Foundation held its second annual Runaway Open golf tournament at Buffalo Run Golf Course in Commerce City, CO. It was impressive to see so many Phish fans (44, nearly three times as many as the inaugural event last year in Vegas) get up early to get their golf on for a great cause: music education for children!

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In celebration of Phish's 13-show run at Madison Square Garden, the Mockingbird Foundation is announcing 13 unsolicited "miracle grants" supporting music programs across the country. Each board member identified their favorite Phish show, and we found a worthy music education program nearby, part of the Foundation's long-standing Tour Grants program. We're presenting these 13 special grants chronologically, based on the dates of those favorited shows. Here's #9...

There’s no denying the power of music, no matter what kind of music that speaks to your ears and soul, it is an influential force in life. As a country for years, we have seen a decrease in many federally funded programs, one of the most critical from my perspective is reduction in support of arts and music education. I am not a musician, or an artist as my brain strengths are more dominant on the scientific and analytical side, however, I have great admiration of those who create art and music, and respect for those who teach it to our upcoming generations. I am thrilled to be a part of the Mockingbird Foundation and on the Board of the Directors and have the honor of selecting an organization to a ‘miracle’ grant in my home state of North Carolina.

The recipient of this $1,500 grant is Easton Elementary School Music Program in Winston Salem, NC, honoring one of my favorite shows, 11/23/97 at the LJVM Coliseum. In selecting this program, the teachers interviewed were passionate about providing the smallest experimental education to their students, who are often under privileged. As a teacher, hearing comments such as a fourth grader telling you, you are the best thing that has ever happened to their school, and she made music “come back” to them has to be rewarding. Those are some touching words to come from a fourth grader! The grant will help fund classroom instrumentation and a microphone for singing.

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This recap is coming to you from the land of champagne powder, Steamboat Springs, CO. I enjoyed a day of hiking in the snow with my golden, Tela, and cross-country skiing. I am transformed to another time and another space as I sit down to watch the webcast of Phish taking on their second Saturday night appearance in the amazing setting of Mexico. Sometimes we long for the old days, but you have to be grateful for technology :) A few questions going in: Will Fishman continue to sport the Lucha libre wrestler mask the entire run? Saturday night shows are somewhat of a mixed bag, we have all heard the saying about Friday, Saturday, and Sunday shows.. so will Phish deliver something special or standard great this show?

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Cheers everyone and welcome back to the second night of Phish at the historic Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in one of my favorite domestic cities, San Francisco. As was touched on in yesterday’s recap, there is a magical energy that is unparalleled when Phish tour moves from the breathtaking venue of the Gorge to indoors where I think Phish fires on all cylinders. Indoor Phish shows create a feeling of intimacy which allows the fifth member of the band, CK5 to truly shine his light and harmonious bliss ensues creating the trifecta of band, lights, immaculate sound and unity with the crowd. Disclaimer: I was not able to attend the show live regrettably, so this recap is based on my critical listening to the show. Without further ado, here we go!

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When I think of the abundance of talented individuals I have met in the Phish community, two words come to mind: kindness and creativity.

I had the pleasure of chatting with Holly Bowling, who released her first album, Distillation of a Dream: The Music of Phish Reimagined for Solo Piano, in the fall of 2015.

By the end of our conversation, there was a huge smile on my face. This talented pianist who has worked relentlessly to dissect complex Phish jams and translate them to piano is a shining diamond in our community. Holly exemplifies kindness, dedication and creativity in the music world. She has chosen to donate a percentage of sales of her album to a non-profit organization near to my heart, The Mockingbird Foundation. We are so grateful and excited for donations from our community to continue to assist with providing grants to schools and organizations to ensure music education for children.

Holly’s Phish journey began when she first listened in high school, during the hiatus around 2001. Live Phish shows were not an option during this time, so she, like so many of Phish’s devoted listeners, spent a great amount of time listening. Once the reunion shows at Madison Square Garden and Hampton Coliseum were announced in 2002-2003, Holly became an active live Phish show attendee, seeing most of the 2.0 era as well as many shows in 3.0.

The inspiration to dedicate and focus her efforts on dissecting a Phish jam came from one of the most memorable jams in the history of the song “Tweezer” - the “Tahoe Tweezer.” Holly began learning, practicing and teaching piano by the Suzuki method, so listening to a piece of music and learning it by ear was a natural extension of her musical process. She began by taking segments of the jam and writing down what she heard, transcribing the music into a manuscript book and then arranging it into a solo piano context. Although the “Tahoe Tweezer” was obviously born from improvisation, Holly wanted to study and transcribe the music with the care and attention one would give a symphonic composition, true to its magnificent form.

Holly states her first live performance of Phish’s music, which was held at a San Francisco bar during the 2014 Bill Graham Civic Center run, was one of the most memorable performances of her career as the level of interest, enjoyment, and crowd energy that filled the room was a complete surprise. I happened to be lucky enough to be in attendance that afternoon, and that small place was filled with people of a genuine interest, dancing enjoyment and overall supportive and positive energy. Holly shines as yet another example that we are in fact everywhere, and we are often pretty kick-ass.

During my discussion with Holly we spoke about her album, upcoming tour dates, musical approach, and what may be in her future plans.

The album Distillation of a Dream: The Music of Phish Reimagined for Solo Piano was released in the fall of 2015. I inquired how Holly selected the tracks for her album as the catalogue is so vast and deep! It wasn’t necessarily an easy task. If Holly were to pick the track listing today, it may be different than the current song selection on the album. For any song she is translating, there are certain criteria she is looking for and things to completely avoid. One of the biggest factors is the simple limitation of the instrument itself. For example, the organ is capable of long sustained notes, but that does not translate as easily to the piano. Holly is limited by the piano’s mechanical constraints, and steers away from songs or jams with crucial sections that aren’t a great fit for piano, such as those that are really drum-focused or have lots of fast repetition on the same note (possible on guitar, but limited by the instrument in the case of the piano). When choosing a jam that works well for transcription, Holly listens for a clearly recognizable melodic theme. Jams that focus more on changes in tone and timbre are much more difficult to translate into solo piano music. For the album, Holly chose some slower selections of Phish songs that are rarely played, with harmonies that resonate beautifully on the piano. However, she couldn’t release an album without including certain staples of a Phish diet, notably “Harry Hood.”

Holly has begun performing selections from the Grateful Dead’s catalog as well. She was asked by Jambase to transcribe her favorite performance of “Eyes of the World” as part of the website’s Songs Of Their Own video series and has been including the music of the Grateful Dead in her live shows ever since. These songs are mixed in with her versions of Phish songs, her transcriptions of Phish jams, and a healthy dose of her own improvisation. She posts detailed setlists after every show to help listeners sort out the different elements of the show and to document the origin of the improvised sections.

On Holly’s upcoming tour, she is most excited about playing The Old Church in Portland. As the name suggests, the building was once a church, but is now a non-profit music venue. It is a beautiful old building with amazing acoustics to highlight the baby grand piano and she is thrilled to be playing there. It can be an amazing adventure as a live music goer to experience music in an atypical venue. The venue can certainly set the energy and tone for the show, and for those of you in Portland, OR, I encourage you folks to go live the unconventional, which shouldn’t be hard.

Holly’s upcoming tour schedule is as follows, with more dates to be announced soon. Holly Bowling Tour Dates

Holly plans to release additional music in the coming year, although no official details of a follow-up album have been announced just yet. She has been working a lot on the music of the Grateful Dead in addition to continuing to add to her repertoire of Phish songs and is enjoying exploring the differences between the two bands’ improvisation and composition style. She has also been taking time to work on her own compositions when not on the road and is looking forward to adding in this element.

Holly told me one of the most special stories about another notable performance which occurred at the 2015 Magnaball festival. One of her friend’s presented an idea that Holly should perform her own "secret set" post show. Her friend shipped in a piano she’d bought from Craigslist, and Holly played a concert in the RV campground on the first night. On the third night, Holly stepped up to the plate even further and hauled ass post show to drive the piano through the campground area and did a second show at a friend’s campsite in the “Wetlands” campground. The site had EZ-ups, candlelight, beautiful flowers, and provided the perfect backdrop to what you would want to stumble upon on your way back to your tent, a beautiful piano softly playing music while the audience was introspectively listening to the melodic sounds produced by Holly’s playing while reflecting on the outstanding music that Phish had just delivered. This made me beam for several reasons, mostly because our community should have the goals of kindness, creativity, and the simple desire to make others smile. Go see Holly, and be sure to check out the album Distillation of a Dream: The Music of Phish Reimagined for Solo Piano if you haven’t done so yet!

For more info: http://hollybowling.com http://facebook.com/hollybowlingmusic

Album available from The Royal Potato Family: http://royalpotatofamily.com/artists/holly-bowling/

Upcoming tourdates: http://www.bandsintown.com/HollyBowling

References:

1. Suzuki Association of the Americas Website

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Hey kids, hope you enjoyed the time off since Sunday in Chicago. Last night led us back to the “Queen City” of the south. Phish has played in Charlotte fifteen times, with the recently renamed PNC Music Pavilion host to five previous Phish gigs. This shed boasts a solid track record, yielding surprise bust-outs such as “Colonel Forbin's” > “Mockingbird" and “Icculus” from 6/7/11, the glorious “Harry Hood” from 7/25/03, and the nearly 30-minute “2001” on 7/7/99. The last time Phish played here Trey made a comment that “there’s just something about playing this venue." So although as a fan I try to keep expectations in check, there are certain venues where you expect great things, and Charlotte is one of them.

Photo by Mike Gordon – © Phish

Late in July in the south, the heat and humidity yield swamp-ass just by stepping outside. Today proved different as the temperature was in the mid 80’s with tolerable relative humidity, and cloud cover to keep the sun from frying you.

As in 2011 when Phish played Charlotte, the band again opened with “Mike’s Song." The energy in the room was high as all four band members looked and sounded like they were ready to take care of business. “Mike’s Song” still did not contain the second jam, but was well executed and led into a solid “Back on the Train." The sandwich ended there as a super solid version of “Weekapaug” followed.

Setlist pictograms by Joseeen (available at Etsy)

One of my favorite songs from Fuego followed, “Wingsuit." The lyrics to this song ring true to my soul, “it’s only you, be you cause you’re the only one." Although tonight’s wasn’t as powerful as some of the previous versions in it’s short history it was certainly played with soul. A standard great version of “Possum” spurred the crowd to begin dancing in rhythm. As the opening notes of “Tube” began I involuntarily looked at the time to see how long this version would go. The funk was deep as all four members were locked in and everyone in the audience was shaking their asses. Although this “Tube” only clocks in at 5:17, it’s quite stupendous, and if you are a “Tube” fan that has been wanting for a little more, I recommend a listen.

As the beginning notes of “My Friend, My Friend” started, I looked around the venue and smiled as this first set was feeling more like a second set. When the hysterical cackles of “My Friend, My Friend” came, I wondered what would follow. Another Fuego tune was next, “Winterqueen,” a song that has evolved rapidly and produces a melodic interplay between all four members. I will admit I was not a fan of this song when it debuted in Atlantic City but it was really a highlight of the set.

Photo © Phish – Phish From the Road

Making it’s 2014 debut after a 42-show absence, Page’s beautiful ballad “Beauty of a Broken Heart” followed. As Fishman began to play the opening notes of “David Bowie," my heart raced with excitement. What a great first set to see. “Bowie” has been particularly strong in the 3.0 era, and this version included a “Beauty of a Broken Heart” tease by Trey. While this version may not stand out in a ranking exercise, it was still a great “Bowie." Everyone in the venue was enjoying watching Chris Kuroda’s favorite song to light up as the band raged the song that most of the audience thought was the strong set closer. Happy birthday, Chris! Phish was not done with us yet, as the first “Golgi Apparatus” of 2014 started. Unfortunately, it was evident that it was the first one in 2014, but still was a lot of fun and you could feel synergy with the band the audience.

Setbreak, whew. That set definitely had major flow, energy and engaged playing by all four members. Being a girl at a Phish show is sometimes the best thing ever, like when you go at setbreak to use the restroom and get a drink all within eight minutes. Efficiency, it rules, giving more time to see friends scattered about the venue.

Image by Mike Hamad of Setlist Schematics

The second set began with “555." Would my dream of seeing this go type II happen? Not tonight, but it is still such an enjoyable song to see live, it just needs more room to fulfill its potential. The opening notes of my most seen song (60 times, 31%), “Chalk Dust Torture” followed. There have been some exquisite versions of “CDT” recently – Mann2 and the Randall’s monster – and this version shines with Page leading the jam, complete with a spice of “woo” and was left unfinished as they kept it rolling.

True to their word – and in my opinion quite the gift – every city gets their own “Fuego!” This “Fuego” didn’t have the punch that other versions have seen this tour. “Fuego” has incredible potential to become a piece you listen to and completely forget what song you’re hearing. “Fuego” -> ”Twist” was a beautiful segue and I heard the “Twist” coming a mile away. “Twist” was jammed short but honey sweet and certainly one could hope it would have lasted longer.

The “Twist”-> “Circus” may not have been what you were looking for but the segue is seamless. I personally love this song and associate the lyrics with the whole Phish experience. When the notes of “Piper” began, there was quite a bit of excitement in the crowd. This “Piper” was over way too quickly – bring back the slow build, please! – with Trey initiating another segue into “Rift" despite Fish’s best efforts to roll with the “Piper” jam.

Photo © Phish – Phish From the Road

Another new album number followed, “Waiting All Night,” which is catchy as hell, “just Sail On, Sail On." When the opening notes of “Reba” began, I had chills. Although a little rough in some of the composed parts, it was a beautiful “Reba." After the “Reba” I hoped we would get a “Hood” or “Slave," instead, we got “Character Zero’d." While not a favorite, you have to give it its due as a raging song. The encore was another 2014 debut, the cover “Loving Cup” which is well, always a beautiful buzz.

In summary, a good show with great segues and succinct improvisation, an excellent first set and a good second set which had high crowd energy despite interesting song choices in the flow.

Have a great time in Merriweather, guys! Remember always dance if you can, be kind to each other, and help someone if you can. And smile, dammit, you’re at a Phish show!

Setlist pictograms by Joseeen (available at Etsy)

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Disclaimer, I am one of the people who was originally scheduled to attend Phish’s originally scheduled Toronto appearance on 7/9/13, and went to the show. I sadly did not have an opportunity to make it back to tonight’s show. Thanks to LivePhish for the live music sharing capabilities.

Phish love water. Are you wet yet? If you have been seeing shows this tour, you have no doubt been affected in some way, shape or form by water. You might have experienced this in the form of showers, humidity so thick that to dance in it causes those who don’t sweat to sweat buckets, cold torrential rain, rain on steroids, and even floods. You might have had a set cut short, or an entire set cancelled, or an entire show cancelled.

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On the second Saturday night of the summer’s second leg, the stage was set, Phish was back in Hotlanta in the Lakewood hood instead of Alpharetta. It has been nine years since Phish last played at Lakewood (7/26/03).The Lakewood Amphitheatre has a history of producing some stellar Phish performances. Some of my personal favorite shows there include 7/23/97 and 7/4/99.

The second Saturday Night Special of leg two was filled with soulful southern playing, featuring songs that have been played several times on this leg. The song selection for this show would be a mixture of songs seen in SF on 8/17/12 and at this venue in previous years (6/15/95, 7/23/97, 8/6/98, 7/3/99, 7/4/99, 6/23/00, 6/24/00, 7/26/03).

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By Elayne Best (@jugglerswithfire)

Seeing Phish at Walnut Creek Amphitheater has been like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get. Historically, shows have ranged from spectacular (7/22/97) to uninspired (6/25/00). So what would we get on 6/18/11? The night before was a standout in performance for this summer tour. How would they respond in a venue with as mixed quality of performances such as Walnut Creek?

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It has been nearly a decade since I last visited Hershey Park, on 9/15/00. If this visit is anywhere as memorable as my last, it will be as sweet as southern iced tea. 9/15/00 musically was a standard good Phish show for 2000. “Piper” and “Tube” were muscial highlights for me.

One of the most memorable experiences of the show however, was the appearance of a ‘naked’ guy who showed up beside us center mid field during the “Antelope” in the first set. While Tom Marshall and one of his daughters came onstage to sing the “Rye, Rye, Rocco” lyrics, everyone around us had their attention forced away from the stage. Things had progressed from funny to awkward. The naked guy had decided to make himself a bit ‘freakier’. As security came to escort him off the field, the crowd in the stands were chanting, “Naked Guy”, “Naked Guy”. The incident lasted through “Golgi” and finally was over by the “Bittersweet Motel” set closer.

This go around at Hershey I look forward to pre-show free chocolate, seeing friends I haven’t seen since Miami, and most importantly seeing Phish destroy Hershey for my first show of the summer tour. How sweet it is!

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