RunawayJim.org

The following article is the final part in a multi-part series on my life as a Phishhead. I would suggest starting at the beginning: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6

As I wrap up this series on my life as a Phishhead, I have churned up many old memories of Phish in my life – from buying my first album to going to my first show, from awaiting the newest issues of the Schvice to standing in line at the Hartford Civic Center, from the sadness of their departure to the excitement of their return.

When I first heard of them, I thought they were some fad band that people in my high school liked. I started listening to them and got more and more into them. I soon realized they weren’t a fad. They didn’t go away. If anything, they got bigger and bigger. I am still surprised that there are so many people who had never heard of them. Even at the height of their popularity in the late ’90s, there were a lot of people who had no idea who Phish was. I have done my best to spread the word and turn people on (or off, in some cases) to the band.

I remember the day they announced their breakup. Of all the people to send me condolences, my father was a big surprise. I had no idea he even knew who they are, let alone that he knew they were breaking up. That just goes to show how big they had become and how important they are in the world of music.

If there is anything to learn about Phish it’s that they are much bigger than just the four guys that make up the band. Phish is a community, a community that could not be any stronger than it is right now. A community I hope will never go in the direction it had gone in the post-hiatus period. There was so much hate, so much contempt. They were some dark times for both the band and the community.

As the tour continues tonight in Asheville, I can only get more excited to see what they do next. My next show is over 2 months away. And while this may be the final chapter of this little series on my blog, this is certainly not the final chapter of Phish. The road continues onward and upward.

One thing is certain, the world is a much better place with Phish and I am grateful to have been a part of this whole thing.