Once in a laundromat years ago, Chalkdust came on the radio. I heard someone say, "is this the new Blink 182?".

It was everything to not go over and smack this girl upside the noodle.

Girl next to me at Amherst after telling me before the show that she was a really big fan: "Oh my god, is the drummer wearing a dress?"

My boyfriend's brother-in-law is a professional guitar player (he is on a few albums for a few well known bands), but clearly knows little about Phish because when I met him, he told me he once got a phone call to replace Trey for Phish when the band broke up. (My BF says he was just confused, he's none too bright, that maybe he was contacted to play for one of their solo projects or something like that...) Suffice it to say it took everything I had not to call him a liar and get into a huge fight with him in his living room on the day I met my BF's family while laughing hysterically at the same time.

Yeah, EsthersDoll, that would have been hard to keep a straight face on.

I love the comments of n00bs who kind of like the band but say clueless things (if you've been to say < five shows). The comments of the pop music critic the other night about the Providence show where he said "man, were there a lot of guitar solos" in his closing paragraph was funny enough to me that I posted it to the blog here.

But I think the perspective of n00bs is interesting. It's kind of hard to be a Phish n00b and lack context. I think it took a show or two for me to realize Fish wore a dress. And back in the day, unless you knew a taper and were hooked up, > 50% of the songs you would hear at a show were not on any of the band's CDs so you were really surprised by a lot of the playlist. I think people are surprised even today (as many seemed in Utica and I was on 12/29/94) that a LZ Good Times, Bad Times cover is in Phish's rotation.

It's not an easy band for a n00b to comprehend.

that alumni was sick, i was there for it in camdem, killed me...
I brought my buddy to his first Phish show in CO - 10.10.10 - mid show he gets nalied with a glowstick and says " does this glowstick thing ever end" - I said, nope - "just go with it"

I had some question me.

"Dude, what is that funny sound in the music?"

"Oh, just Fishman playing a vacuum."

"He must be tripping on acid to be doing that shit."

along these lines, when i told my husband i was going to see phish this summer he responded, "didn't you see them last year?"

@jackl said:

Yeah, EsthersDoll, that would have been hard to keep a straight face on.

I love the comments of n00bs who kind of like the band but say clueless things (if you've been to say < five shows). The comments of the pop music critic the other night about the Providence show where he said "man, were there a lot of guitar solos" in his closing paragraph was funny enough to me that I posted it to the blog here.

But I think the perspective of n00bs is interesting. It's kind of hard to be a Phish n00b and lack context. I think it took a show or two for me to realize Fish wore a dress. And back in the day, unless you knew a taper and were hooked up, > 50% of the songs you would hear at a show were not on any of the band's CDs so you were really surprised by a lot of the playlist. I think people are surprised even today (as many seemed in Utica and I was on 12/29/94) that a LZ Good Times, Bad Times cover is in Phish's rotation.

It's not an easy band for a n00b to comprehend.

Everyone starts as a noob. This thread is getting kind of annoying... isn't it all about the music here people?? LOL- my first show was this summer, and as a musician, I would say that I comprehend their music. Can't make a huge generalization.

@MusicalMae said:

@jackl said:

Yeah, EsthersDoll, that would have been hard to keep a straight face on.

I love the comments of n00bs who kind of like the band but say clueless things (if you've been to say < five shows). The comments of the pop music critic the other night about the Providence show where he said "man, were there a lot of guitar solos" in his closing paragraph was funny enough to me that I posted it to the blog here.

But I think the perspective of n00bs is interesting. It's kind of hard to be a Phish n00b and lack context. I think it took a show or two for me to realize Fish wore a dress. And back in the day, unless you knew a taper and were hooked up, > 50% of the songs you would hear at a show were not on any of the band's CDs so you were really surprised by a lot of the playlist. I think people are surprised even today (as many seemed in Utica and I was on 12/29/94) that a LZ Good Times, Bad Times cover is in Phish's rotation.

It's not an easy band for a n00b to comprehend.

Everyone starts as a noob. This thread is getting kind of annoying... isn't it all about the music here people?? LOL- my first show was this summer, and as a musician, I would say that I comprehend their music. Can't make a huge generalization.

i don't think anyone's trying to criticize, just sharing funny stories.

I just had one other thought, and I think I've heard this comment on more than one occasion. A neighbor of mine was at my house one day this summer and I was playing some Phish. I don't recall what show it was or even what song, but he turned to me and asked if the music was skipping. I had to explain that it wasn't skipping and it was just a nasty jam.

since then he has come to appreciate Phish quite a bit. I found this funny because I've heard it before and to the untrained ear i can imagine some stuff does sound a little like a skipping cd.

If someone says my favorite tune is philler, that is just downright hilarious!
Noob, or barney, or whatever you want to call it, its just plain funny. When I was new to the tapes, circa 90somhmgrhgh or other, I thought the Dead were playing in the Bahamas when I got tapes that said Nassau on them.

yes, its true!

No matter what song is playing, my wife thinks it is Harry Hood. We were driving home the other day, and when Stealing Time from the Faulty Plan came on from "random play" on my iPod, she said something like, "jesus christ, how many times do we have to here this damn Harry Hood song".

The first time I heard Phish was at one of my first parties with the upper classmen in High School. I heard Reba, and was blown away, but I didn't get the title of the song before I left (also the 1st time I ever drank alcohol). So I went to my local music store, and asked the guy..."Do you know a song that goes like...'Bag it Tag it'...?" and of course he had no idea. That's all I could remember of the song, and obviously it wasn't gonna be a big enough Phlag for the guy. awell. I figured it out, and i've been super-cool and totally un-noobish ever since.

@Aloicious4 said:

The first time I heard Phish was at one of my first parties with the upper classmen in High School. I heard Reba, and was blown away, but I didn't get the title of the song before I left (also the 1st time I ever drank alcohol). So I went to my local music store, and asked the guy..."Do you know a song that goes like...'Bag it Tag it'...?" and of course he had no idea. That's all I could remember of the song, and obviously it wasn't gonna be a big enough Phlag for the guy. awell. I figured it out, and i've been super-cool and totally un-noobish ever since.

Thats awesome. I'm picturing someone singing "Bag it...Tag it" very loudly in a record store. I'm still laughing...

people ask me what my [b]"Fluffhead"[/b] hat is about. i often tell them that i couldn't begin to explain.....

@Jayem said:

I used to have the "this car climbed mt. Icculus" sticker on my car. One day while getting an oil change the mechanic said. "ha, I get it, mt I clueless." I just laughed and played along rather than explain the whole thing.

ha ha- I had a "read icculus" bumper on my old van and would get the strangest looks. every now and then some kids would Beep and waive and it would make my day!

speaking of bumper stickers, a friend and i were walking through a parking lot and he noticed someone's car with a bunch of phish related bumper stickers and asks me, "do you know that guy?" i responded, "i actually met him the other day."

@Jayem - Your story reminds me -

I used to have a vanity plate on my car that said: CPHISH

Someone I knew saw me at the gas station once and thought I spelled "capiche" wrong.

I liked being a noob. i try to bring some noobness with me to every show. because it means i wont be all jaded and feel like i'm gonna be familiar with everything thats going to happen. I liked going to shows having a pretty good chance of only recognizing half of what would be played.

@Coil_Licker said:

I've got two to share. Most recently: an older women in Amherst with what sounded like a European accent of some sort - probably a parent of a student who went to the show or something - turned to me and asked how much money people actually pay to see this band. She had a bewildered look on her face.

Hilarious.

Here's the transcript of a conversation I had with my lovely, but non-phan wife the other night:

Wife: "Would people really classify this as 'good' music?"
Me: "That depends who you ask - I for one would say it is."
Wife: "No seriously, would they?"
Me: *Sigh*

I told my grandmother recently that I was going to see Phish and she said to me "since when did you start fishing?"

@mmetch said:

@johnnyd said:

I liked being a noob. i try to bring some noobness with me to every show. because it means i wont be all jaded and feel like i'm gonna be familiar with everything thats going to happen. I liked going to shows having a pretty good chance of only recognizing half of what would be played.

i still dont recognize every song played at a show

I think that means I need a new hobby. Hahahahahahaha!
A couple notes in and I can usually recognize a tune. Same thing with Primus and Grateful Dead.

we need a word for non-phans. like "muggles", only Phishy.

When ever I go on a multi-night run, my girlfriends father always asks me, in a thick NY accent, "How the hell can you go see the same band three nights in a row?". I try to tell him that in all three nights there will not be one song repeated. He then just looks down and kinda shakes his head at me. Im used to it by now.