Can you still have fun?

So, the second night of Hartford. Where to begin? We had Section 1 Row S, which was a big help. Our seats were right next to the box seats, so we had plenty of room to move. Eli slept all day and slept all through the show and slept all night. It is so true that babies sleep, eat, and poop. Our baby is no different, except that he is experiencing Phish fourteen times this summer.

Before I delve into the beautiful show, I want to throw out an experience that my wife had during set break. She was sitting on the benches talking with Stephanie when a woman walked up to my wife and explained that she was a neo-natal nurse and that it was too soon for a baby his age to be out this early. Eliz told her that he is doing fine and the nurse gave her a very judgmental look and walked away. I am all for people voicing their opinions, but think about this. Man has been having babies for a long time and we used to not have central air and babies survived. We used to not have Baby Einstein videos and babies still grew up to get perfect SAT scores. We used to not have organic baby food and babies still grew up to be big and strong. Before we decided to take the baby on tour, we spoke with our doctor, our midwife, our doula, and our family and friends. Most of my family and several of my friends disagreed with our decision. But, all medical people thought that it was just fine to take the baby to the shows. OUR DOCTOR SAID THAT THE BABY WOULD BE FINE! Would it be better if Eli was not exposed to smoke and loud music? Yes, probably. He has special earplugs to block out the sound. And, it was only in the last 15 years that all infants weren’t exposed to smoke on a regular basis and they turned out okay. It is an open air forum for several hours. So, we are aware of the risks, weighed them, and made the right decision. Does this mean that strangers need to come up and share their opinions with us? I am a person who feels strongly about things, too. But, I have no idea what is best for you and would not try to tell you how you should live your life. It is your life and your family’s life. Am I going to come over and see what you are feeding your family for dinner? If you go to a Phish show and act like a complete fool by trying to drink as much as you can or better yet, come to see the band because you want to get high on drugs. You are out of your mind and bothering other people, acting like a fool, but no one says anything because you are doing your own thing. I personally find people who do that to be completely annoying and they ruin the music and the scene. My son, Eliz, and I come to the show to enjoy the music and meet great people. So, if you think that I am doing something wrong, that is your rightful opinion, but I am not asking you to give me your parenting advice and I am not bothering you. If you are concerned that my son is being exposed to things that he shouldn’t, then don’t do those things.

This being said, I will tell you that 95% of the comments we receive are all positive and congratulatory. Most of you welcome our son and send loving vibes. I choose not to focus on the negativity.

Onto the review. I wish that my son knew what a great show he slept through. The “Fee > Rift” opener really peaked my interest, despite some technical difficulties in “Rift.” I was surprised to find out that those songs together have not opened a show since ’95. The first set was filled with stellar funky jams, including “Wolfman’s,” “Foam,” “Possum > Moma Dance > Julius,” a near perfect “Reba” and “Cavern.” This set really rocked, although not as exploratory as many would like, it was still played very tight and CK5 had the lights almost synchronized to the music. Trey and Mike were obviously having a great time. Eliz and I were definitely having a blast. The fact that I was holding my son during the first set did not detract from my dancing, although I made sure not to let his head move too much. It was amazing holding my son during this string of excellent songs. If only I could talk to him and know that he was witnessing some greatness. I guess that will come in due time. We play Phish around him a lot.

Twenty diapers later...

This entry is long because it was my son Eli’s first show and I wanted to explain our setup and how crazy and hectic it is getting ready for a show with a two-week old and all of his necessities. We spared him nothing, although he asked for little.

So, we set out on the road on Tuesday June 15 and pulled into Hartford, CT on June 16 at 1230am. The drive with my son, Eli, was not uneventful. He slept a lot of the time, but also was on a regular routine of dirtying his diaper and then needing to eat. My wife was so great about feeding him. Our little family was chugging along like an Antelope jam. We knew generally how it was going to go, but still had our share of excitement. Taking care of a baby in a Jeep Liberty is not really all that easy. There is not a lot of room to do much. Our car is loaded with baby stuff. There are so many outfits and diapers, along with an array of other baby necessities. He is not even aware of what is going on!

We got to our hotel in Hartford late, but had to get settled in. It took us about an hour to wrestle all of the luggage and the pack n play into our room. We were 10 miles from The Comcast Theater, which is a good distance, not too far. By the time we got the room together, it was time to sleep. In tours past, I have slept in a variety of different ways, such as on the floor, sharing a bed with others, or sleeping in a chair. I have never shared a bed on the road with a baby. It was really just like being at home, but anticipation filled our room. It was not a great night of sleep.

So much preparation is involved in getting a baby ready for an outing. We have to change his diapers, my wife has to feed him, we have to pack the diaper bag, making sure that he has extra changes of clothes and plenty of diapers. We have to get his binkies ready, etc. It takes a solid hour to get ready to leave after one makes the decision to leave. So, we got started at about 400 and arrived at the venue by 500. The venue charged $8 for parking, but we opted for the VIP parking, which cost $20. We parked about 100 yards from the entrance. It was a great decision. I met some great people and had some great food. The vending was in full swing. Eliz carried the baby through the crowd and we got some bad vibes from people. Mostly, people were amazed and sent lots of love to baby Eli. I do understand if someone is surprised or judgmental of us for bringing our two week old son on tour, but I am also surprised at the behavior of many people at concerts. People do some pretty stupid stuff. They are usually the ones making comments. Hartford accepted Eli with open arms. It was mostly men who doted over the baby.

We had upper level pavilion for the first night. I had already called the opener “Punch” after nVelos. It was kind of cool because Eli was born during the end of “Cities” into “Punch.” So, that was a great start for my son’s first show outside of the womb. While Trey and Cactus did the cha cha, my son was sound asleep. He slept during the entire show. We put these orange silicone ear plugs designed especially for infants in his ears and they apparently worked really well. I can understand why he slept for some of it. Phish did not really bust a move during the first night at Comcast. I was definitely moved by some of the songs in the first set, such as “Divided Sky,” but was disappointed that Trey missed the “Golgi” vocals and guitar. I was psyched by “Walk Away,” as CK5 was really melting the stage with red, blue, and yellow lights that painted the entire stage in blissful color. No one could forget “Stash,” clearly the canvas for the first set improvisation.

Second set came quickly, although I had time to get to the bathroom, which felt like it was heated. The bathroom had to have been 95 degrees and was climbing with dudes trying to get relief and then get back to their seats. My wife had to change and feed the baby during set break. Everyone around us was cool about that, although maybe it bothered their party. “Party Time” was a soon forgotten memory when they busted into “Disease.” I could tell that things were about to get good when Trey and Mike were at the helm of this monster jam. It felt like Trey sort of pushed things along when he began playing “Sand” and I am not sure that everyone else was on the same page. Nonetheless, “Sand” was just bombastic. Although TAB does a great job with the song, all cylinders are firing when Phish hits it right. And they did. There were all sorts of twists and turns as they made their way through it, but things came crashing down when Trey began “The Horse” before he let anyone else know. He was forcing the tune down our throats for about a minute until we all got on the same page. “Farmhouse” was well played and had an open-ended jam that is unusual for this song. It was a great time. The “Mike’s” was rather standard, short, and lacked any of the deep, dark passion that so often is lacking from this song. “Weekapaug” had a different feel to it, but was really enjoyable. It was obvious the crowd was really into it too. Keeping note of YEMBlog as they updated twitter was really great. They do a fantastic job of updating the songs and expressing the vibe of the show. Before we knew it, Eli had experienced his first show. To top it off, Phish certainly shined a light on him, making for a fun summer evening. More tomorrow night.

I had a dog his name was Jim, he took all the money that I saved for rent…

Well, here we are writing from Stamford, CT. We left town on Tuesday and have taken it nice and leisurely. We drove maybe 5 hours yesterday and got to Wheeling, WV. We woke up this morning about 700, thanks to Eli, and then we made the decision to drive all the way to Hartford tonight. I am writing about 30 miles from Hartford. We are actually going to stay in Rocky Hill, CT, which is about 10 miles from the Comcast Center. Many of you might be staying here too. Who knows? I am amazed at how well my son is handling the road trip. I thought that he would be bouncing off of the walls, but he is more calm and relaxed than either me or my wife.

We got a chance to listen to Chicago, Blossom, and Hershey on our drive. I think that Chicago has a great setlist and I do not want to take anything away from the setlist. It was purely awesome, but I am not that impressed with the playing. Maybe I have to listen to it again. I got a lot out of the Blossom show, namely, the Mike’s > Hydrogen > Weekapaug and the Rock n Roll, Harry Hood, Number Line. I thought the boys sounded really tight and much more in the driver’s seat. I am listening to Hershey and it has all of the makngs of an excellent show. We are up to the Jim now and it is pure bliss. As good as anything I have heard from Jim. Trey is really stretching and moving the improve in new directions. The whole band is completely relaxed and into the jam at hand.

As I start attending shows, I will add my commentary about the show, but much of my blog will be about life on tour with my son, so I will be talking about how different things are now that I have to protect my son from all that is bad. I know that it will be hard to do on tour, but I can do it. He will be okay. The postings will take their own shape tomorrow night or Friday morning, depending on when I post. Hang in there and let me know if you have suggestions for my posts or the direction of this blog. Thanks, as always, for reading. Say a prayer for Eli tomorrow. I really hope that his little ears can handle the music. I have ear protectors for him and the doctors say that he will be okay. We just want you to be happy.

His eyes were clear and pure,

Well, we have been home with our son now for a few days. The house is still insane. We are living out of boxes and kind of fighting with each other, just out of frustration and boredom. My mom came over on Tuesday to help me unpack the kitchen and she ended up arranging our closet, too. My mom helped out on Wednesday, too. Elizabeth is just not able to do her normal things and that is understandable. Having a baby takes so much work and takes so much out of her. She has been really trying to get back into the routine, but she can only do so much. I try to tell her to take it easy.

We listened to music in our house most of the day on Wednesday. It was so nice to have music that we could share, rather than being confined to my computer’s stereo system. I had my full ADCOM amp and NAD pre-amp running my iPod through Polk speakers. It just sounded great to have music. We were still listening to Eli’s playlist. Incidentally, he was born to Cities into Punch You In The Eye. Go figure. Make what you will of that. I was just psyched to have music at his birth. But, he seems calmer when we are playing Phish in the background. He is great in the car with Phish playing and hardly ever cries.

So, his bris was last Friday, the 7th of June. All of my important people were there, except for Greg. My parents participated in the ceremony and that was really cool. The Rabbi who conducted the ceremony was really great and she was very inviting of my non-Jewish family members. All in all, it was a perfect little brit milah for a perfect little boy. His pee pee is still healing, though. We have to make sure that it heals properly. I leave that up to my wife, though.

We are packing for tour. It is amazing how much stuff one must pack for an infant. We have his pack and play, 150 diapers (and will probably run out), 20 outfits (assuming that he changes 4 times a day), ointments, creams, soaps, the Maya wrap, my wife’s baby feeding pillow, you name it, we have it. We have amassed so much stuff for the baby that I honestly hope I packed my underwear. It will be cool on the road with Eli because he is such a calm baby. He hardly ever cries and when he does, it is because he needs to be changed or wants to be held.

We have everything packed in the car, including Lizzie and Lexi. All five of us are in my Jeep, along with clothes for the girls for the next two weeks, plus all of our stuff. The next time I write will be from the road.

Congratulations, it’s a boy!

I haven’t posted this yet. It is a shame that the purpose of my blog has taken a backseat to actually spending time with my son. Yes, he was born on Thursday June 3 at 631pm. He is really healthy and weighed 8 lbs. 12 oz. He is 21 inches long. My wife and I want to share our birth experience with you. We went into the hospital on Thursday morning and my wife was put on a regular dose of pitocin. She was taking pitocin until 440 in the afternoon when the midwife came in to break my wife’s water. At this point, my wife started to have serious contractions that looked like they hurt. She was grabbing my hand and squeezing really tight. I had made a Phish mix tape entitled “Eli’s Birth Phish Playlist.” It had about 80 songs on it ranging from 1993 to 2009 and had all kinds of tracks “From The Archives” and many other solid songs. My mother in law and our doula at first wondered about the music, but after several songs, they both seemed like the music was really helping Elizabeth relax and was definitely helping me stay relaxed, so that I could focus on my wife.

Here was the deal. After she had her water broken, she was in labor for 1 hour and 50 minutes. She pushed 3 times and baby Eli came out. I caught him with my bare hands. It was the most amazing thing that I have ever done in my life. When I put my son on Elizabeth’s chest, it was the proudest moment of my life, far surpassing graduating from Northwestern or from law school. I had birthed a son! Tears came to my eyes as I called my dad to let him know that Eli was born. It is so indescribable, this feeling that I had, but it made me more focused than I could possibly explain. I saw how simple life was in this moment that my son was born. His cries were my cries of joy. We were so happy. Aside from 20 minutes that Eli spent in the nursery with us, he never left our side. We were given an early leave from the hospital because my wife delivered Eli completely naturally—no epidurals or Stadol, nothing. She did it and I was there to help her, along with several other people. She was back on her feet in no time.

So, we spent the next 48 hours preparing to move. We got home from the hospital at 300pm on Friday. We did little on Friday, but we packed up the kitchen on Saturday and did a few things on Sunday. The movers showed up at the house on Monday at 1045am. They did not stop unpacking things at our new house until 1100pm Monday night. Our house was a wreck. We had a few days to get it together. Would it get done? Stay tuned for the rest of the story in my next post.

Slave To The Traffic Light

See the city, see the zoo, traffic light won't let me through...

In my last post, I talked about how in limbo we were. Now, we seem to have gotten the green light on everything. We closed on our house. We are going into the hospital tomorrow, as my wife is getting induced at 7am. We hope that things go smoothly. She is really nervous and is still planning the family move to our new house. She wants to move on Saturday. Yeah, get out of the hospital Friday and move on Saturday, Saturday. It is a little hectic. She is trying to label everything for the movers and enough is enough. She needs to get some sleep and get ready for tomorrow.

I have my playlist ready. I can't wait to see what the nurses and midwife have to say about our music selection. It should be a lot of fun. I have got some great jams planned. I hope that Eliz is up for it. I have arrangements from 93 to 09. I am going to keep this short because I want to cater to my wife as much as I can. So, wish us luck as we endeavor to bring a new child, Elijah Hendricks, into the world. He is our bundle of joy. Much peace.

Waiting...

As you can probably tell, it has been a little while since I have written. Here is why. Well, you know what? My life is in limbo now. We were supposed to close on our house last week and it got held up. We still don't know when we are going to close. So, I have that going on. My wife has felt like she is going to have our baby every day and nothing so far. Her due date is May 29, but who knows when the baby is going to come. I hope that Eli comes out soon. We are in limbo and have not done a lot of packing because we don't know when we are going to move. Every day is like a big adventure and a waiting game. We both are just waiting for things to happen. We are having the baby, closing on our new house, moving to our new house, painting the house, setting up the house, and trying to plan our Phish tour. It is nuts around here.

I have been watching our kids for the last year and a half and now that my wife is home on maternity leave, she is doing most of everything for the kids. This gives me a lot of free time. I haven't had much time to look for a job until now. I want to go back to work, but things are so hectic right now that it just isn't the time to do it. I would like to find a job where I can work at home, like legal writing or something.

Now, onto our Phish tour. I am still looking for both nights of Saratoga and Saturday night of Merriweather. Both stubhub.com and seatgeek.com are showing very expensive pavilion seats. I am not really into paying $125 for a decent seat. On the other hand, it doesn't look like prices are coming down. Seatgeek.com has a forecaster that predicts that prices for seats are going to decrease. I would be willing to pay $75 per ticket, but not $125. Maybe we can wing it and find tickets at the show. I don't like doing that. The only time, though, that I have ever been shut out of is the Dead at Red Rocks in 1985. I had to sit on the hill and listen to the music from outside the venue. That really blew. But, it looks like there are a lot of tickets to be had. One way to find tickets is to get on Ticketmaster a few days before the show. They always release tickets. This will be my last resort. I am hoping that we can get tickets resolved.

I have our routes mapped out and our two days of travel time from here to Hartford are going to be rough. I am not looking all that forward to driving that far and only hope that my wife and Eli are going to be okay and comfortable during the trip. I am going to be fine, just because I have my tunes. I have a 160 gig iPod and am loading it with a bunch of new stuff, especially those remasters that I got from Phishauds.com. I am really into the late 90's lately, so I have a bunch of stuff to check out while I am on the road. I am also hoping that Mr. Miner at PhishThoughts.com puts out an on the road song list for the Summer Tour. Once we get to Hartford, the driving is not bad at all. The only trip that we are unsure of is the drive from Columbia to Canandaigua, NY. We are not sure if we are going to that show yet and will probably decide while we are at the shows. If the band is playing as well as I plan them to, then I will try to entice my wife to go. But, she is probably going to want to go anyway. We will just see.

Now that the weather is getting warm, it reminds me of those hot, sultry days that I have spent going to concerts in amphitheatres all over the country. I wish that Phish had some shows inside, like Knoxville last year. It is so nasty when the temperature is in the 90's and the sun is beaming down on you. I am not sure about you, but I just don't like being that hot. You drink to try to cool yourself down and then end up having to go to the bathroom during the show. Miserable. Many of you probably love the heat and being outdoors. I can understand that, but for me, I like indoor shows better. The acoustics are better and it feels more intimate. But, I can hope that things are relatively cool in mid-June in the Northeast. It has been a while since I have traveled that far.

I hope that all of you are getting your plans ready and not waiting til the last minute to make your hotel reservations. I know how glad I am to have everything done, except for finding a few tickets.

I just can't wait to get back on the road again

Lots of things are happening in my house right now. My wife, who was due May 29, thinks that the baby is coming any day now. She has been having hot flashes, contractions, and her body is telling her that the baby will not make it until the end of the month.

Here's the thing: if the baby is born earlier, then it will make moving even harder. We are closing on our house next week, but won't take possession until the 30th. So, we have some time to pack our things. It is really hectic because the girls are finishing up school and we have Lexi's graduation, Lizzie's moving up from a girl scout to a brownie, two birthday parties, the house to paint and exterminate, moving, and getting ready for baby Eli. It is a daunting list, I won't lie. I hope that we can get through it without a lot of dissent or anger, but it is hard to be that controlled by all of these things and not get upset.



What is most pressing is that I have yet to complete an Eli Birthing play list. I am going to try to get it done today, but I don't know how many songs to include, so I have to rely on my wife because she does not want to hear certain songs, like the Tweezer>California Love>Tweezer from 07.15.98. She wants less high energy jams, but can handle certain jams, especially if she knows that I like them.

Also, we have to get ready for our trip to the East Coast. We are leaving a couple of days before Hartford, because it is a 14 hour trip with an infant on board. We have to pack once we get our things unpacked at the new house. I have made a partial list and have started buying baby things that are road trip sized. I have a bunch. I bought 4 emergency ponchos in case we encounter rain like Deer Creek last year. Well, I hope that I don't encounter rain anywhere close to Deer Creek. That was insane! We have to get a big cooler for our essentials because we plan to make food on the road, rather than going out to eat every meal. I hope that the vendors have some better food this year, as last year was a big "okay."

But, we will be out of town from the 15th until either the 28th or the 30th. It depends on if I can convince my wife to go to Canandaigua. We both want to go, but it might be too much to be gone for that long with our son. Actually, I wonder if the Hartford trip is not too much for him. But, as I have made my decision, I will stick with it and trust that things will work out well. Everyone said it would be easier to get tickets this year, but that hasn't been my experience for SPAC or for MPP N1. I don't have tickets yet and don't want to pay scalpers $100 for a pavilion seat. But, with Hartford before SPAC and a whole week before Merriweather, I should be able to find tickets. I hope that i can find them. It is unfortunate that many of the shows aren't full because scalpers bought up the tickets and the supply is higher than the demand. In my case, that is not true, but I am just not willing to pay the piper (haha, sorry).

Well, thanks for reading. I will be discussing our logistics as we continue to paln things and I will definitely post pictures of Eli from his stay in the hospital and his first few days at home. I am getting ready for Summer, hope you are too!!

Happy Mother's Day + Countdown to Tour

I am wishing all of you mothers out there a very happy Mother's Day. I hope that you had a great day spending time with your family, children, parents. I made breakfast in bed for my wife and then made the kids breakfast, too. We had a really chill day, not doing much of anything. My best friend, Anthony, came over and I gave him his belated birthday present. It was the red Phish shirt with a huge yellowjacket on the back in an explosion of flowers, grass, weeds. The Phish icon is orange and blue. I think that he really liked it.

Today, my wife took our oldest daughter, Lizzie, to buy a new bike. It is a 20" Mongoose in a dirty rose color. Anthony and I put the training wheels on it. Even with the training wheels, the bike looks sweet. I am going to have to teach her how to ride without training wheels and she has a fear of getting hurt. It will not be easy and will require a lot of patience. I hope that I can find it within me to be able to teach her. I still remember my dad teaching me how to ride and I know that if I can teach Lizzie it will be an important memory for her.

For dinner, I went to my brother and sister-in-law's house. We met my parents over there. I was asked to bring a salad. It had baby greens, baby cucumbers, etc. and Maytag blue cheese. That is the funk. If you have never had it but like blue cheese, then you need to rush out and get some. Maytag is the Phish of cheeses. I have had Cabrales from Spain, but it is too rich and not as palatable. I know a little about food, as I am a trained chef and went to the Culinary Institute of America. I do not cook much at all anymore; suffering from burnout. The restaurant business is one of the toughest industries and it took a lot out of me. I even developed carpal tunnel in both hands. But cooking was years ago. Anyway, we had a great dinner and it was awesome being able to celebrate with three of the most important women in my life. We had red velvet cake for dessert. I didn't eat it. I just don't get down with a red cake. It just looks terrible and I am not a fan of cream cheese or cream cheese icing either. Now that the kids are all tucked in, it is really nice spending time with my wife, even though we are both focused on our computers. We have always been comfortable doing anything together, even in complete silence. I am lucky we have a relationship like that. There is nothing worse than uncomfortable silence.

Okay, so I am feeling a lot like I did before Hampton last year. When I found out that I had actually gotten Hampton tickets, it did not really sink it at first. I was very excited and somewhat anxious about the shows. I was still into DMB and not really sure whether I would enjoy the shows. After all, I had seen Phish 25 times in 1992 and 1993, but had not really listened to them much since then, but I had seen Trey a number of times. In order to prepare for the shows, I downloaded a bunch of Phish shows and started listening. I liked almost all that I heard. There are some tunes that just didn't do it for me and they still don't. But, it was so hard trying to familiarize myself with their songs in time to be able to recognize most of the songs. Sure, I knew hundreds of them, but Phish is so hard to predict. That is one of the greatest things about the band. The Grateful Dead and DMB had both become very predictable and did not really take a lot of risks. This is especially true of the Dead.

This year, I don't feel nearly as anxious about the shows. I am very excited, but it really hasn't sunk in that we are going to 10 shows in a row with our newborn son. He is not due until May 29 and we are also moving into our new house the first week of June. That is nuts. Then, we are supposed to drive to Hartford and start the festivities.

I hope that we are doing an okay thing taking Eli with us to the shows. I posted about my idea on Phantasy Tour and people blasted me so bad that the post got taken down. I am an educated person, having both a BA in Economics and a law degree. I am a fairly accomplished person and do not think that I made the decision lightly or selfishly. It was not an easy thing to discuss with my wife because we both want our baby to be safe, but we also don't want to miss tour. I think that Eliz was very determined that we could see the band and that Eli would be just fine. Maybe you think this is a bad idea and that nothing good comes out of it. I understand that opinion. Maybe you think that I am being selfish and that there is no place for a newborn at a Phish show. I understand that too. I also know that once the child is about 6 months or a year old, it is much harder to take a child than when he is a newborn.

However you feel, that is your right. I am writing this blog for the purpose of talking about our experiences of life on the road with Eli, both good and bad. The days that loom before Hartford (and maybe even the first night of the tour, Chicago, if we are lucky) are so full of energy and the unknown feeling that comes with having your first child. At the same time, I must manage my feelings about seeing Phish. I am getting so psyched. Unlike Hampton, I sort of know what to expect and I am totally pumped to see Phish burn up the stage like they did in Hampton, all summer, all fall.

I will devote my next post to talking about my excitement and about the details of our trip up East. I really just wanted to wish all of the wonderful women in the world Happy Mother's Day and to thank them for all that they contribute to my world.

American Idol and Phish 3D reviews

Well, I hate to admit this. I am an American Idol junkie. I had never seen the show at all before this season and if it was not for the insane amount of insults and critiques at the beginning (along with some amazing responses), I probably wouldn't have gotten so addicted to the show. When I first turned it on, I could not really deal with how much Randy interrupts someone and says "Wait, wait, no, no, no, Yo." "Yo." I am a big fan of Ellen and think that she fits in pretty well. She gives very insightful critiques and is very positive about the entire process. Now, to the final two. Well, as for Kara, she and Simon seems awfully close this year. There is a lot of touching looking, but I have nothing to compare it to. It seems like he is into her a lot. Kara has her moments where she seems right on and moments when she acts like she just woke up and she is a freshman in college. Her open advances toward Casey are sickening. Grow up and don't make it any more of a popularity contest than it already is.

It is clear that most people respect Simon's comments to the nth degree. On the one hand, he is very insightful, which gives constructive criticism, and he is also very straight-forward and up front about his feelings. On the other hand, people love to hate him and send up loud boos to express their disdain for his opinions. I think that Simon tells it like it is. Most of the time, he is right on track. I am not sure how he would rate some music that is already being released, such as new bands like Lady Antebellum or The Killers. He may love music, but he spends most of the time dogging out whoever is in front of him.

That is it about Idol. I am hooked on the show. I am 45 and was actually texting my brother on our iPhones about who was going to go home and who was staying. That is a far cry from our usual texts about family or killer Phish songs. I mean, that is sinking low, texting about Idol. I am ashamed. Oh well, flog me if you will.

Now, to the real review of Phish 3D. I took my wife, Eliz, my kids, Lizzie and Lexi. We went to the 650 showing, rather than the 1000pm showing, which would keep the girls up past midnight. They even took a 3 hour nap in the afternoon, just to prepare for the evening. We went to dinner before and were catching a movie. Let's go out to dinner and see a Phish movie! There were no other people in the theater as "AC/DC Bag" broke out as the first song of 3D. During "AC/DC Bag," about 6 people stumbled into the theater. They seemed to be big fans, too.

Overall, 3D was not really that much 3D. I took my glasses off a couple times and didn't notice any difference than when the glasses were on. I would think that the glowsticks would come flying off the screen. The balloons were something of a spectacle. They looked like they were flying in front of the camera. That was really cool. The filming of 3D seemed more like an afterthought than what I expected. I expected to be blown away, something bigger than "The Clifford Ball." Clifford Ball was an intimate, incredible look into the band. It displayed Phish at their finest. I expected to see Festival 8 in all of its glory. I do not really understand their song selection. They played "Stealing Time" and "Undermind," which are not really great songs, imho. I did think that things got going during "Tweezer > Maze" and "Mike's Song." The band did not cut the songs short and let the band show its colors in jamming out "Tweezer." The "Maze" did not disappoint either. The thing is that one could not really see Chris Kuroda's work with the lights and the producer only briefly showed the bubble or burple. When they focused on the bubble, it was floating out into the crowd and one could tell that it was one wicked spectacle.

The "Mike's" was great, deep jamming and exploratory guitar playing. Cactus was kicking it on the bass, but again, it was not really in 3D. It was a great version, and maybe it was that we were with our kids and the theater was empty, but things just seemed sort of reserved and it felt very produced and not real, like being at a show. I wished that we had gotten to see what proceeded the "Mike's," but the band then switched to its acoustic segment of 3D. The band played many songs acoustic, but nothing topped "The Curtain" acoustic. It was great to see the band unplugged because I have not had a chance to see them play acoustic at all in 2009. It was certainly a treat. It did not even seem crowded at Indio for the acoustic show, as there appeared to be lots of open space up front. Again, I really didn't understand why I was wearing 3D glasses at all. Especially during the acoustic set, there was not much difference between wearing the glasses and not. Neither of my daughters seemed all that interested in the acoustic set except for maybe "Wilson." I could tell that they were starting to fade and both of them slept through most of the rest of the show, except for Lexi. She woke up for "Suzy Greenberg."

The band, after getting through several acoustic numbers, switched to the Halloween part of the show where the band cloaks itself in a musicial costume. Last year, the band covered the Rolling Stones' "Exile On Main Street." For the movie, the band chose well-known covers to show. I would hope that one day, Phish releases all three nights of Festival 8 in 3D and in 2D. That would be great. It would be amazing to have that much Phish 3.0. The band looked great during the 10 minute "Loving Cup." One could tell that Trey was having a great time with Sharon Jones and the horns section. As the band made its final 3D debut with "Suzy Greenberg," it really blew the doors off of this version. It was obvious that all members of the band were having a blast--a sure sign of a good show. Closing out the movie was "Tweezer Reprise." It was a long intro and had a great energy.

All in all, I would have to say that watching Phish 3D in an empty theater had a big effect of the way I viewed the movie, but the movie still left me wanting more. I am sure that my kids have no place at a Phish show for a number of years. They can't hang that long, aside from the seediness of the environment. They just can't stay up that late. I am so glad that I got to share this time with them by showing my favorite band in 3D. For anyone who has not seen it, "Phish 3D" is worth seeing. It does not measure up to some of the other Phish video that I have seen, but I still would have liked to see more of Festival 8 and maybe a different song selection.

Sorry my posting took so long to materialize...

The Phish Companion

Today, I got my copy of "The Phish Companion." It is a very extensive book and is perfect for my searches for new shows. I have maybe 500 or 600, but there is always room for more. The book is laid out a lot like "Deadbase," which is a Grateful Dead compendium. The Phish book has lots more in it that looks very reader friendly. It is huge!

I have to make a playlist for the labor and birth of our son. Eliz does not want "Limb by Limb" or any songs that jam too hard. That is almost impossible to do. I mean, I can add "Waste" and "Strange Design" and maybe "Joy." But, I mean, come on, don't you think that a wicked jam could speed things up and make one feel joyous and open, like when you listen to it or when you are at a show. I have a lot of good ideas, but if you have some, let me know. I am open to suggestions. I think I am going to make it about 50 songs or so, only Phish. I mean, I could go outside the band and add a bunch of mellow stuff, but if it gets too much, we can always turn it off. We are using a mid-wife, so I am hoping that the birth goes very smoothly. Eli is kicking Eliz like crazy lately and he is moving around a lot. Last night, she was reading a magazine and you could see Eli kicking the magazine off of her stomach. That is awesome. Every time I try to take a video, nothing happens. She is big and it must be so uncomfortable. I cannot wait until he is born--it is so exciting.

One final thing, I ordered a "Lizards" shirt and a "Maze" hat off of a dude on Ebay. They look awesome. He has a ton of hats, including "Slave" and "Fluffhead." I am not sure if he has other shirts but he is giving away a free poster with every purchase. I have three Phish hats and love them all. I am psyched to get the new one. It looks awesome and it is a flex-fit, which is great. If you are interested and can't find the site, let me know. I think it is pompeiiprints. He is easy to deal with. Hope you are doing great. As always, thanks for reading.

Running

This is my brother, John. Today, I am writing about running because I want to give props to my brother, John, and my sister-in-law, Trish. They ran and completed the Kentucky Derby mini-marathon this morning. They are very active and truly enjoy working out together. Trish teaches aerobics classes a few times a week and they have a nice gym in their house. After the mini, John called me to tell me that he could not have gotten through without his iPod. At about the 6 mile mark, "Down With Disease" gave him an extra boost of energy. He kind of hit the wall at about the 10 mile mark, but then "Bouncing Around The Room" came on and it woke him up and gave him another jolt of energy. The last fifteen minutes of the race were filled with "Split Open And Melt," and he said that it melted him. I am really proud of both of them for running the race today. Running with music is so crucial. I never understood how people run without it. "Gotta Jibboo" is another awesome to run to. The beats and jams just fit running. Try it sometime. My friend Anthony told me about running to "Jibboo" and I tried it. It's great.

I have never been a consistent runner. Really, I have not been that consistent when it comes to working out or exercising. When I get the idea that I am going to start working out, I will get new shoes, some new clothes and prime my iPod with some of my favorite shows. I start out strong and work out every day. I like running and walking. I don't care much for weights or other kinds of aerobic exercises. I have to have music to run to. Before I started law school back in 2004, I had been running regularly for over a year. I was up to about 35-45 miles a week. I had a Precor treadmill in my living room and would get some ice water in a Nalgene bottle and my iPod and get to it. I usually watched TV, such as replays of Florida football games, Big Ten games, or other shows. Anything to keep me from thinking about the fact that I was running. Sometimes, I would get a big rush from it, but usually running did not really do much for me. I know that I had better energy during the day, but it always felt like a chore to run.

When I started law school, I became completely overwhelmed. One would think that rescheduling my life around the grueling work that is required would mean that I should keep up my running. At first, I tried hard. I would run 2 or 3 times a week, but I felt guilty because I was not studying. The rigors of law school were just too much for my running and cycling. I quit running within two months of school and have probably run about 25 miles total since 2004. I want to start again, but it just doesn't seem to work out. Maybe when I move, I can start running again.

Music is so essential to running. One of the best times I can remember running was when I was Chef/General Manager at a restaurant in town. At the end of our lunch shift, I would often take a lunch break and go running. One time, I began listening to the Dead at Merriweather Post Pavilion, 07-01-85. The SBD is totally crispy and the second set before drums is "Scarlet>Fire, Playin>Uncle John's" It is awesome. I started running and got so into the music that I completely forgot that I was even running. I ended up running over 13 miles. Music takes me to another place and when I run, it is no different. I become one with the song and just really feel the emotion in the song, whether it is Phish, the Dead, or even hip-hop.

Today, I can imagine that running would give me real stress release. I could feel free and forget about the issues of the day/week/month. I just can't get started for some reason. It never seems like I can do it. We even belong to one of the best gyms in the city and yet I do not exercise. Encouragement from others doesn't seem to help. One day, I know that I will get back to it.

Milk in Amsterdam

Okay, so I understand that people like to drink milk. I am not one of those people. I tend to prefer iced tea or diet A & W or diet sunkist. Those are just my flavors. My children used to drink chocolate milk like we had a brown cow. Between the two little kids, they would drink almost a half gallon a day. My wife is even worse. She drinks so much milk! I do the grocery shopping and having to buy 4 or 5 gallons of milk at a time is nuts. I often have to go back to the store for more. Eliz sees nothing wrong with it. As she is so close to having our baby, she drinks even more. She really likes it. In my drinking days, I never came close to drinking that much Newcastle. Enough of this rant about milk. I just find it funny that my family drinks so much milk and I don't care for it.

Eliz is getting really big and round. She looks great. It is so much fun lying in bed and rubbing her stomach and touching my son. I can feel his feet and hands. It is so wild. I mean, we all know of the experience, but when it happens to you, well it is different. I have been playing music for Eli in the womb. He has watched "The Clifford Ball" on my iPod and I try to play a mix of new stuff and the classics. He doesn't really react differently to certain songs, which I guess would be asking too much. He can tell my voice and recognizes my touch because when he is kicking like crazy, I put my hand on her stomach and Eli calms down. That is really cool as a soon to be dad.

We have gotten most of our tickets from Ticketmaster, etc. and are getting things worked out. We still need SPAC both nights and MPP1 pavilions. I hope we can get them soon, or at least before we leave. It is such an endeavor, trying to get it all together, packing and planning. But, before we can even do that, we have to pack for the hospital and for labor. We have Eli's outfit picked out already and have gotten most stuff together for the hospital. Then, we have to be packing to move into our new house before we leave for tour. It is quite nuts, and I guess that I can relax once we get on the road to Hartford. But with all that is going on now, I am really trying to put one foot in front of the other and hope that I don't fall.



So, I recently discovered and have been really enjoying the awesome recordings. One, of note, is 07.02.97 from Paradiso, Amsterdam. It is a strong show and has a great sound. One of the highlights is a tremendous "Weekapaug." It is a stand alone song, after an earlier set "Mike's > Simple." From the beginning notes, one can tell that this is going to be a unique Weekapaug. Cactus's bass intro in accompanied by Trey's jamming and some alternative drumming by Fishman. The song is so full of electricity that you just want to savor the moment. For all of its nearly 14 minutes, the song is just blissful. I am so sure that there are so many more gems that I have yet to discovered. I am not much of a fan of audience tapes because they tend to have a barrel sound to them and are often bass-full and not clean sounding. I wish there were more boards from the 94-00 era. Anyone with some good suggestions for a premiere Weekapaug, please comment. I think that the Clifford Ball Weekapaug is another one that transcends the song. Trey's guitar solos are just spot on and so tight.


Hope you are looking forward to a great weekend. I will try to post some too. One final note, we are taking our 4 and 7 year old daughters to see "Phish 3D" next weekend. They will have a blast, hopefully. I haven't read much about it and want to go in and be surprised at the entire project. Anyone else planning to see it?

Celebrate we will, Because life is short but sweet for certain

Today, I am going to talk about the Dave Matthews Band and how I became a fan and how that flame burned brightly until in began to dwindle and eventually went out. I am no longer a fan and not interested in seeing DMB perform, even if I was paid to see them. Maybe I would go see them if I could write the setlist and the band performed it. But that is never going to happen, so let me just tell you how it went down.

At Deer Creek in 1992, I went to see the Dead with an old friend. He lost his walet and wanted to go home. I offered to pay for everything. We ended up staying, but he was beside himself. I didn't have fun at the shows because the scene was full of beggars and people trying to sell ice-cold plastic bags. It was a joke. The younger fans didn't know any better and would yell during the band's jams or sing while the band was performing. I had not yet written off Phish. I went to see Phish a bunch in 1992 and 1993. I liked most of the songs, but some just seemed stupid. I remember that the Spin Doctors opened up for a few of their shows. I don't remember a lot about those shows, but remember that I had a good time. About 1993, my friend was regularly giving me Phish tapes and I still have a bunch of them today. What happened basically was that I didn't like the Phish fan base. They all seemed like "The Corduroy Kids," who were living on family money and trying to chase the scene. I gave up on Phish and stuck with the Dead. Well, that lasted until Jerry died in 1995. I was really disappointed at the way things went down with the Dead. I continued to listen to the music and I certainly had my favorite shows that I listened to over and over, first on tape, then on CD, finally on iPod.

I had never even heard of the DMB in 1995. A friend of mine gave me their first disc "Under The Table and Dreaming" and I listened to it often. I really liked it a lot and sought out some of their older music. I learned about the band and really liked their sound. I went to see them in 1996 and became hooked. They had a sound unlike any other that I had heard. I did not really notice the large allegiance of frat kids, nor did I care. The music made me happy. I started getting SBDs of old shows and of new shows. RCA was just beginning to crack down on SBDs, but allowed regular taping. I started seeing tons of DMB shows, including the Bela and DMB run in Winter 98. I was having a blast. The band began promoting its fan club, The Warehouse, and things began to run amuck. People were singing so loudly over the band, even from my 3rd row seats. There were fights in the parking lots and fights to get out of the venue. People seemed pushy. Meanwhile, the band's music began to change after "Crash" and it was not changing in a good way for me. I began noticing that the band was not playing its old stuff as much and began paying homage to its touring CD. They would play 8 songs off of their new CD at every show. On the years when there was no CD, it was better, but the band still played their newer stuff.

We began to see the same shows every year and would occasionally travel to other places to see the band, but mostly we were in a routine over the summer. It was great seeing Dave and Friends, which included Trey and Tim Reynolds. That was the jam!! But, by 2004, we were growing increasingly discontent with the overall shows. There were song highlights, but overall shows were not what they used to be. I tried to keep going and I did for many years, thinking that it was going to be different this year. It never was. So, I goty backstage and had a drink with Dave in 1999. By the time I had gotten ripped off by the Warehouse membership and then gotten my lame upper pavilion seats, I really didn't want to go that much. 2005-2007 were years that didn't do much for me. In 2008, the band invited Tim Reynolds on tour and it seemed like the band was stepping it up a notch, covering Neil Young and Pink Floyd, even The Talking Heads. So, I was very discontented by late 2008 when the band just didn't seem to do it for me. I had grown tired of them, plain and simple. Listening to a show from 1995 seemed like a foreign band because there was no chance that the band was going to take risks like it once did. So many songs annoyed me because either I had heard them too many times or because I didn't like watching people cuddle at shows. So, when Phish announced that it was doing a three run show at Hampton, I naturally decided to try to get tickets.

I got tickets. I went to the shows. I mingled with the crowd. I could feel the excitement each night. It was palpable the first night when the band came on stage. By the third night, I was sold on a new band. I could call this band home. They cared about how they sounded and they wanted to play old songs for their fans, even though they sprinkled in a new one or two. But "Backwards Down The Number Line" was such a great song and was so great to hear, that I didn't care if it was overplayed in 2009. Meanwhile, I went to a few DMB shows in 2009 and I had lost my feeling for the band. I could tell that they were good musicians, but their music had changed. It became background music for ABC College Football. The band had completely sold out. In all of my years, I saw 99 shows. I do not plan to see them for the 100th time. I just can't take it. There was a lot of good times with great friends at DMB shows, but I have moved on. I just had no spark left for them. When I compared the $90 that I paid for crappy seats to see DMB to the $50 that I paid to sit front row, or 3rd row closest to the stage to see Phish, there was no comparison. Even when Phish played songs that I didn't know, I still enjoyed myself because I knew that I was not going to hear several songs that I disliked and I knew that I was going to be blown away by Phish's in sync jamming and improvising. I am not comparing DMB to Phish and trying to say which is better. I am merely saying that I got totally burned out on DMB and feel like they were going in a different way than I was. They are still going that way. It is great if they want to just play new music and continue to evolve on their specific course, but I did not and do not want to go along. Without Phish, I would be looking for a band, like Umphrey's McGee. They are great, but are not Phish. I want to try The Disco Biscuits, but am very much immersed in Phish. I find that Phish touches many of those exploratory places that the Dead's early music touched and that Phish tries hard to give the fans what they want. I am all for a band that stays in touch with it fans--something not even the Dead did. Even when I listen to a fantastic "Scarlet>Fire," I still can't help but think about some of the awesome jams that Phish pulls out of the sky. They do not keep things safe by playing similar, but different, shows. They play totally different from one night to the next, always leaving fans wanting more.

Maybe you were a closet DMB fan or you just blew them off completely. Maybe you always thought the Dead were not your sort of thing. I can understand any one's point of view. I hope that you can understand mine. I chose to follow DMB and feel like it reached its peak and then just fizzled out. I rarely even listen to Dead shows anymore, and I have all of them, mostly SBDs. I have found a new band and am going to stay loyal until I have had enough--which I hope won't be for a long time.

What is the central theme to this everlasting spoof?

Today was a day like many other weekend days. Eliz and I didn't do anything. We hung out while the kids played with the neighbors next door. One of the things about kids playing outside is that they regularly come back inside and check in with you. So, there really isn't free time away from your kids, but momentary lapses where the kids are not yelling inside. Lexi hit a boy with a wand from her bubbles and her older sister came running inside, trying to bust her and get her in trouble. I had to go outside and split up the party. The kids had to bring in their bikes and their bubbles. In front of me, Lizzie asked one of the neighborhood kids if she wanted to come over for dinner. With those bright blue eyes and cute little haircut, it was hard to tell the girl that tonight wouldn't work out. I think she is okay, but I probably hurt her feelings a little.

Life is a lot different now that I am married with kids. I used to get up early and go to the grocery on Sunday mornings and then either watch NFL Countdown on ESPN and then a day of NFL or I would catch up on homework or watch College Basketball. Lots of times I spent catching up on my music collection. At the time, I had about 750gb of hard drive space, so I downloaded lots of music and it took a lot of time to burn those onto CD's. I don't know about you, but CD's become very cumbersome. It is much better to have them all on a large external HD. I am waiting for a 5TB HD to come out and I am going to put everything onto it, getting rid of my CD's. Eliz isn't a big fan of all my CD's and Grateful Dead tapes that I cannot get rid of. Anyway, we sleep in late, Eliz makes a big breakfast for the family. Lately, we have been spending Sundays looking at houses and taking Lexi to birthday parties. One of the great things about having a contract on a house is that we don't have to look at houses any more. If there was just a little football on, things would be great.

Things just seem so routine on the weekends. On the other hand, when we do things like take the kids to King's Island, it ends up being crazy. They eat lots of sugar and get really wound up. They don't listen and run around all over. They are being kids. But, as uptight as I am about order, it doesn't make for such a fun time. They say that you are supposed to just act like a kid and have fun. I can't seem to do that very well. I admit that I am uptight and can't always let loose. When I listen to music or go to concerts, I have a different experience. I am able to relax and totally get into the music. One of the great things about Phish is that they really lay it down on different songs and even "filler" songs end up being standouts! Take, for example, "Undermind" from Knoxville on 06.09.10. The bass jam was so outstanding that I couldn't believe my ears. They took a decent song and tore it up. I told Eliz during "Undermind" that they were going to play "Mike's" next and I was right. You can be listening to "Ghost" from 12.31.09 and not even believe your ears. Granted, there were lots of shows and songs like this from the band's earlier days. But, they keep it coming. I wish that I could relax more. It is something that I have been struggling with for years, but music always seems to put me in a different mindset. I felt that way with Jerry's guitar, DMB's music, and now Phish. Tomorrow, I am going to discuss my experiences with the DMB and why I think I got so into them and why I am no longer a fan.

I am trying to post shorter, so please bear with me as I slim them down. There is just so much interest in trying to make my posts fun to read and to give some insight into my life. Thanks for reading! Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Tony

Once in a while you can get shown the light, in the strangest of places if you look at it right

Here are pictures of Lexi and Lizzie. Lexi was 2 1/2 there and is 4 1/2 now. Lizzie was 5 and is 7 now. Lexi is the one with the corn. I think that picture epitomizes summer, unless you don't have kids and then maybe you would want something more beach or water-themed. It has been really hot here this week and I do not like hot weather. I prefer it to stay under 70 degrees. In Louisville, the summers get really hot and humid. It is too early to be sweating already. It makes for a long summer. I remember the hottest that I have ever been. It was at the Grateful Dead in Alpine Valley 1988. Wisconsin had one of its longest droughts in history and had record heat. We were sleeping in tents back then and it was almost 120 degrees in the tent. The temperature was insane. Sleeping was almost impossible. By the time I got to sleep, people were up and moving around. It was unbearable. The shows were good, although they played a lot of new stuff then, including one of my newer favorites, "Foolish Heart." Back then, shows were still fun and people were not selling things like ice-cold garbage bags and napkins. You were treated like family and if thirsty, someone would give you a cold one. Today, people are selling their ticket stubs from the night before. The scene has changed a lot.

I am not really ragging on things today, but just noticing the difference. I remember when shows were all general admission and people did not fight or save an entire section for their friends. It was way calmer. At Hampton, in 1985 and 1986, they used to play volleyball on the floor before shows. People looked out for each other and the recreationals were real. The hustlers were not paid much attention. The Dead, for all intents and purposes, were really done before I started getting into their music. I had a short introduction to them at summer camp in 1978, but didn't start seeing them until 1985. Jerry was way into H and the band suffered from it. Shows were predictable and rarely did the band take a lot of risks.

I remember my introduction to Phish clearly. A couple of my friends who went to UVA gave me a board from 11.15.91, Trax, in Charlottesville. I remember listening to it a lot, especially the "Mike's Song > Hydrogen > Weekapaug." I really liked it and began seeing the band whenever I could. All in all, I saw them about 25 times in 92-93. I also remember clearly making the decision that I could not like both bands because one occupied enough of my time and also because I was not really sure about the new Phishheads. The band's music was kind of weird and I didn't really get the jokes or the humor. I was never much into Monty Python and they had a sort of humor like that. My friends and I used to talk about how it was either the Dead or Phish, but not both. I sided with the Dead. I don't know why, but I thought it was a sound decision. I loved more Dead songs than I did Phish songs. Thinking back over it reminds me of a joke I once heard. How many Deadheads does it take to change a light bulb? A million, but they just follow it around, waiting for it to burn out.

Burn out is what the Dead did. They still had their moments, but had way too many go to songs and lazy moments. They did not challenge themselves and made excuses for it. So when I decided at Deer Creek 1992 that I had had enough, I quit going. To read about the destruction of the scene and the gate-jumpers really made me sick. Once America finds out about something good, it destroys it. Good things are rarely a secret. Okay, so you probably want to know why I am so optimistic about Phish and why I am using the same approach with them that burned me out on the Dead and on Dave Matthews Band. It is valid to assume that I will get sick of Phish, too. But, this is where things differ. Both the Dead and DMB stopped playing the songs that people want to hear. It was a rarity to hear "St. Stephen" and the band stopped playing "Lost Sailor" in 1986. They folded up most of their psychedelic music and traded it in for a more relaxed groove. Granted, there were moments of sublime jamming. Same with DMB. They totally stopped playing songs that made them famous. In the end, it sucked and still does. I would not see DMB if someone bought me a ticket.

Phish, on the other hand, plays the songs that people want to hear. Take Hampton, for example. When the band broke into the first few notes of "Fluffhead," it ended the drought of the song during Phish 2.0. The band brought back old songs, such as "Curtis Lowe." The band mixed that with new songs, most of which were decent. But for the most part, the band plays songs that people want to hear, such as those from "Lawn Boy" and "A Picture of Nectar" and older tunes. They are not afraid to take musical risks and practice to hone their musical skills. They care about how they sound and it shows. They mix things up most of the time. It is hard to predict what song is going to open the first set or what the encores might be. Of course, there are those of you who have seen them 300 or 400 times and might have a better idea than me. You are probably skeptical and pessimistic toward the band. You dislike some of their stuff. Granted, I am not a fan of "Ocelot." But, even then, you can't compare them to the Dead. I am not saying that I made a mistake by choosing the Dead. Not at all. I have almost every show that is available in SHN/FLAC of the Dead's. But I don't listen to them nearly as much. I have memorized certain jams and they feel old to me, sort of like my college fraternity brothers or playing beer pong. It is just not as much fun for me.

I hope that I don't get burned on "Punch" or "The Lizards" because then I may not have anything left to listen to. I guess that I could try The Disco Biscuits, but I think I have a lot left in me. I am always amazed at Phish's shows. There is typically at least a few songs that create magic and I have a lot of shows to listen to. That is the great thing about it. Things seem fresh and new to me. It is "an obsession but it's pleasin'." I like meeting new people and there are lots of people my age at shows and I have no problem talking to younger folks either. I cannot really believe that after I completely turned my back on Phish that here I am getting ready to take my newborn son and my wife to a bunch of shows and traveling the old-fashioned way--driving it. Although we are staying in hotels, maybe I won't shave every day or refuse to brush my teeth one night, just for old time's sake. I still haven't gotten completely obsessed, like I don't study Trey's equipment or know who his high school girlfriend was. He and my step brother went to TAFT together, around the same time. That is enough about the Dead and Phish for now.

Today, my wife is having a lot of contractions and pain. I am so helpless and don't know what to do for her. It is hard, because she is clearly in pain and uncomfortable, but doesn't need anything from me. I am here for her, though. I hope that she carries Eli to term and he doesn't come early. I want things to go just perfectly, and so far so good. We are going to have the baby, and then move before we hit the road. Our stuff will probably still be in boxes when we get back, but I will make sure to have broadband and cable before we leave. Essentials. That, and AC. It will be really hot by the time we get back. I tend to freeze the family out. They walk around in sweats during the summer. I can't take any more clothes off. I just get so hot. Anyway, I just hope that my wife starts feeling better soon. It is scary to think that she is carrying our baby in her womb and in like six weeks, we will have a son. I have been playing "The Clifford Ball" video (on my iPod) to him lately, because I know that he can hear it. He even kicks back at some songs more than others. I wonder if it is distracting and noisy or if he likes it. He responds to my touch and to my voice whenever I touch Eliz's stomach or talk to him.

In the next couple of weeks, I am going to put together a mix of 70 songs or something as go to playlist for the road. That should be a lot of fun. One last thing. I want to shout out to Kenny over at Ghetto-Fab Remasters, www.phishauds.com. He really gave me some good suggestions on how to get more readers and improve my audience. I appreciate the time he took to respond to me. I am hoping that I can get Mr. Miner to help me out a litle with his thoughts. His site is great-www.phishthoughts.com. I always enjoy his thoughtful prospective on Phish. Hope that all of you are having a great Friday night and have a great weekend. Remember that the NFL draft starts on April 22-24. I will for sure watch the first two rounds. Later.

Where do you go when the lights go out?

As promised, here is a photo of Eli. He has my ears and nose, can't you tell? Eliz didn't want me to post any of them because she didn't think they were as good as the last images. I don't care, I just know that US Magazine is going to pay us $250,000 for his first pictures. They were the highest bidder, so we will have to make sure that he is rocking a Rolex President and UGG booties. Seriously, can you believe all of the hoopla people make over baby photos? I just cannot believe that people care so much about how Angelina and Brad's babies look that People Magazine paid $15,000,000 for images of the twins. I mean, are you kidding me? One, I cannot imagine exploiting your children like that. Second, why would a magazine pay money like that for something so absurd. In return, People had to stop referring to them as "Brangelina." Get a life.

Tonight is going to be kind of short. We had a long day. We got the inspection done on our house and things look great, according to the inspector. We just have to get the sellers to either do the repairs or pay us for the repairs. So, we are all set to move forward. I really hope that the closing is done on May 18, as planned, and the people move out before June 1, as they promised. That way, we can move and start getting settled before Chicago. I really want Eliz to give me the green light to get tickets. The thing is that we are having a baby and that is our first priority. She is expecting around May 29-June 1. She needs time to heal and start recovering and we need time to bond with the baby before getting on the road. For all of you naysayers, I am sure that this sounds insane, but we are great parents and we will take all precautions with Eli. But, to be there for the opening night would be a blast. We went to Chicago last year and were in the second row. Although the first set was weak, the second set was great. It was fun, although a little disjointed. I definitely dug the "Carini" and the "Hood." At the show we met Jamie, a great guy from Nebraska. He was traveling solo and we hit it off right away. We ended up giving him a ride back to his hotel and I have been talking to him a lot since then. We are traveling with him on the Deer Creek > Alpine Valley trip. He is a lot more relaxed and not anxious like me. When everyone on Phantasy Tour ripped on me for talking about bringing Eli on tour with us, he was there defending me and telling me that there are wooks who probably leave their kids in the car, with the windows rolled up and with no bottle or food. Thanks for the support Jamie. His first show was Lincoln 10.21.95, with the "Tweezer Reprise" opener. That is a fun video to watch, even though the quality could be better.

What I want to talk about is Live Phish 10 from 06.22.94. More specifically, I want to bring attention to the Mike's Song>Simple tease>Catapult>Icculus>Simple>Mike's Song>Weekapaug. Cactus's bass on Weekapaug is a stand out. It is just one of those bass jamming Weekapaug's that gets me every time. I have listened to it on repeat about 6 times. It reminds me of everything that is right in the world. It is such an explosion of dopamine, unlike any anti-depressant I have ever taken. It makes me smile on a cloudy day! If you have never heard it or haven't listened to it in a while, check it out. If anyone has any other Weekapaug suggestions, please let me know. I personally think that the Weekapaug from Clifford Ball night one was some of Trey's best jamming of that song and he was totally in the zone.

If you cannot tell, I would like comments from you about my posts and about my blog, positive or negative. I have just started writing and I am trying to develop my writing style and make my posts worth reading. I want to hear from you. Peace.

I'll show you mine if you show me yours

Today, we went to see our midwife and get another ultrasound. Eliz is 33 months and 4 days pregnant and our midwife told us that our baby Eli is really healthy, weighing about 5 lbs. 7 ounces and is doing well. They showed us how much his penis has grown. That was wild. I don't think that people realize how much of a miracle it is to have a baby, much less a healthy one. I know that before my wife got pregnant with my child, I really took it all for granted. I don't at all now. I feel so lucky to have a healthy child and can only hope that there are no genetic defects or birth defects that we don't know about. Many people are able to raise children with extreme defects, but I am not sure if I could do that. Do you think it is selfish to wish for a perfect baby? I don't think so. I cannot really believe that I am going to have a son in six weeks. It is so life-changing already and I haven't even begun.

Just a few years ago, I was in law school and completely immersed in it. I was Editor in Chief of the Law Review, had just gotten published, and was not thinking about whether to use cloth or disposable diapers or whether my wife was going to breastfeed or we were going to use formula. Things have changed so much in the last few years. I had no idea that I was going to get married, have an instant family, get my wife pregnant, buy a house while she is due.

One thing that Trey talked about regarding Hampton was that there was no longer the backstage scene--it was just family and that felt good. The band members had changed and the music allowed them to still connect and communicate. I know what he means. Children change you. Sometimes you can still get too deep into it that nothing will stop you, but when you step back and see all that you are destroying, it can be life-changing. I had already changed my life before I met Eliz, but there were many dark years where I had nothing to live for besides doing it one more day. People say that the Grateful Dead was all about drugs. I went to lots of shows completely straight. People say that Phish is all about drugs. But the band doesn't feel that way. I am not saying anything about my lifestyle, just that looking at my son on that monitor today felt unlike nothing I have felt before. Thanks for reading. Think I should post a picture of the ultrasound? I told Eliz she couldn't put it on Facebook, but a blog is different, more private and personal. Maybe I'll post one tomorrow.

Phish Summer Tour 2010

Hey, just wanted to send an RSS link to the Phish Tour this summer. http://phishtour.blogspot.com/2010/03/phish-summer-tour-2010.html. For all of us who tried to get tickets on April 2, you know that Merriweather was just a bust. Ticketfly.com has no business being in the ticket industry. The site shut down and was completely inefficient. Saratoga was a very hard ticket for me. I didn't get either night pavilion and don't want to sit on the lawn with our newborn. I am hoping that they will do a re-release of tickets. Ticketmaster is pretty predictable about releasing tickets. I will probably get some kick-ass tickets. I ended up pulling front row at Alpine one of the nights. Anyone who has extra SPAC pavilions or MPP1 pavilions, please let me know. I really want to have all of our tickets before we hit the road. Infants do not need a ticket. That is good, because he'll probably sleep through it, but certainly won't remember anything. I can't imagine that he'll be scarred by the shows. I got Eli excellent ear protection and Elizabeth has a Mayan Wrap to carry him. I will write more about our decision to take our newborn on tour with us later. I'm going to try to limit the wordiness of my posts, as you don't have all day to read them.

I never ever saw the Northern lights, but I finally got a house!

On Sunday, we put an offer in on a house. It got accepted yesterday! We are going to be homeowners. The house is awesome. It has two bedrooms upstairs and the master bedroom is on the first floor. We will have video and audio monitors for the kids. The house has a sweet basement and we plan to get a 47" TV to watch football, play Wii, and watch our favorite videos.Eliz is really happy about it, but I just see all of the work ahead. She is due around May 29, we are closing on May 18, taking possession of the house by June 1, and going out of town for two and a half weeks beginning on June 15. I just don't see how it is all going to get done. I hate moving. There is nothing worse than having to pack up all of your stuff into boxes. No matter how loud I turn up the tunes, nothing stops that noise in my head telling me what a bummer it is to have to move. Have you ever felt that way about moving? Maybe it is just me. I don't think so though. I will put up some pics of our house later this week after I go to the inspection.

I don't think that I have ever been so organized for our road trip as I am for this one. Today, I was at Target and bought 4 emergency rain ponchos that will fit perfectly in Eliz's purse. They cost $1.47 each. After last year at Deer Creek, I do not ever want to be unprepared for rain. That was insane. We had pavilions and were getting pelted with rain. Page came out and said they were going to clear the lawn for an hour and start up again at 1100pm. So, the lawn actually clears and then fills up like it was bursting at the seams by 1100pm. The set was, as we all know, epic. Watching the lightning shoot across the sky set the perfect backdrop for Trey's jamming. So, we get set to leave and it was raining like I have never seen before. We didn't have a long walk back to the car, but within 30 seconds, I was soaked. I had just gotten the new iPhone 3gs that day and had to turn it around in my pocket so that the screen was not facing the rain. My medications in my medicine case were soaked! I actually thought my license had melted. It was nuts. So, for $1.47 each, I bought four ponchos. I went online and looked at buying some glow sticks and glow things.

I would never prepare for shows like this at all. I would have cash and my ticket and go. But this year, we are going to travel in style. I am going to buy a new cooler and we are going to make our own food before shows and after. Lately, lot food hasn't been that great. I guess it will be full on this summer, but I guess that I am spoiled by Dead shows and the awesome Shakedown St. of food that one could buy. Falafels, veggie burritos, satay, stir fry, you name it. One good thing is that there are lots of drink choices to quench one's thirst. Having a lot of choices to drink is great when one needs a cold one. One thing I will not bring is coffee. At Hampton, I tried bringing my coffee from Java Brewing Company and my french press. I made it one night and didn't drink it because I didn't have all of the accompaniments. It is just easier going to Starbucks or some other overpriced coffee place. I have all of the hotel confirmations printed out, our directions, and am starting to get my tickets in. It is all in one folder, all ready for the road. Hell, I even booked my rooms for Deer Creek and Alpine. All of my people are staying in the same hotel. It will be a blast. I look forward to making new friends this summer, too.

One final thing. Yesterday, I listened to the remaster of 12.06.97. I was blown away! It really does it justice. Total jam. If only the band would make it a Live Phish release. I have to find a way to get a message to Kevin Shapiro to get on that!! If only. I am also listening to all of the Live Phish 1-20 releases., I am on number 10. I wish there was a way to listen to all of the music I wanted to in the short time I have. When I was younger, it just seemed like I had more time to listen to music. I had people over to listen to my tapes and then my discs. Now, something like that would never happen. My kids listen to Phish, so we don't listen to The Wiggles or Miley Cyrus. We listen to "Makisupa Policeman," "Prince Caspian," or "Punch," three of the kids favorites. I am just saying, I wish I knew why the days seem so much shorter now. But, in a couple of months, I will have moved into a new house, be loving my new son Eli, and be jamming to the familiar sounds of my favorite band, ever.

More later. Any thoughts on my blog or suggestions are welcome. I would like to hear from you. My blog is just starting and it will change and grow as time goes on. So, please let me know what you think.

Bicycles and 08.29.89

Today was the day that I think I officially became a dad. I put together a bike for my seven year old, Lizzie. She still wants the training wheels on it, but rides it like the wind. She takes that bike out and rides it just how she likes. It is a pink and white bike named "Twirl." Remember how great life was when little things like that used to make our day? She is so happy and proud of that bike. She gave me four hugs for putting it together. I really was happy. I was listening to 08.29.89 at Townsend Park. The Divided Sky > YEM > Possum is just dazzling. It is not nearly as polished as I like it, but the jamming and tweaking was definitely there. Having a few extra minutes in my car gives me a chance to listen to the nearly 1000 shows that I have on my ipod. I don't get the same chance to listen to music at home. Eliz just doesn't like listening to music that much, so my solace is in my car. I have about 50 or 60 shows on video and I watch those sometimes, but nothing is as great as The Clifford Ball. I have tried all of the other official releases and even the HQ recordings of 2009, but they all fall short. From the beginning Chalk Dust all the way to Amazing Grace, the first night is without compare.

Anyway, today we went through tons of baby clothes and sorted them out by age. My wife is totally nesting lately. We put a bid on a house today and so we are hoping that it goes through. Otherwise, we will stay in our rented gigantic house for a little longer. We found such cool baby stuff today. Yesterday, the pack n play came from Amazon, as did the video monitor. The pack and play is really awesome and it is pretty portable. Something we will definitely use on tour a lot. Granted, Eli will sleep with us while Eliz breast feeds, but we will give him some room in his own little bed. Oh, and we got our Merriweather tickets for Sunday in the mail today. It still burns me how that thing with Ticketfly.com went down, but I need tickets for Saturday. Ticketfly couldn't handle the pressure and the whole thing fell apart. It is totally lame and I have no idea how I could never even find the option to purchase tickets until an hour later--long after pavilions were gone.

I am getting psyched for the next few months. I can't wait for Eli to be born. I can't wait for tour. I just have to ask myself if it is best for Eli. I guess that I have thought about this a lot. It probably is not the smartest move, but I am not a bad parent because I want to see Phish. It will be much worse trying to take him anytime after this until he is at least 13. By then, the band might not even be together. I am not justifying this in saying that he will remember it or be better for it. I am not. There probably is nothing good that can come out of it. But, this blog is the outlet I will use to tell you of our tales on the road. As for today, I feel great. My wife is so beautiful pregnant and both my girls are very happy playing together. Now, maybe I will have to find my highend earphones to listen to some prime Phish tonight. Maybe she'll be in the mood to listen to a little "Halley's Comet" or even a classic "Disease." See ya soon!!

How we got here

After I graduated from college and went through the period where one is expected to get married, I was still willingly and happily single. Being single allowed me to see bands when I wanted to, go to the grocery when I wanted, clean my house (if I felt like it) when I wanted. Hell, I could watch reruns of football games on the Sunshine Channel if I wanted to. I had seen the Dead 160 times and was nearing 100 shows with DMB. I still don't get why I moved to them, but that is for another post.

So, I was living in Northern Kentucky, going to law school, and was outside the law library talking to someone. A day like any other. But today was different because I met her. We didn't talk for a week or so, but eventually we talked and things got serious, quickly. She had no taste in music and didn't care about music. She liked movies and had a real love for the silver screen. But, I mean, how can you not like music or have any taste in music? I don't get it. I tried to introduce her to all kinds of music, just to see if something stuck.

We fell in love and got married three years later. She has two kids from her previous marriage and I am very close with the kids. They call me "Daddy" and they are so young that they always remember me in their lives. I have turned them on to lots of music. They fall asleep to either Knoxville or Shoreline from last summer. Our 4 year old is begging me to take her to Deer Creek. I can't do it. It is unfair to her older sister, who would not do well at an outdoor concert, or any concert for that matter.

My wife and I got married in November 2009. Our song was "Waste" (Clifford Ball acoustic version) and not a lot of folks knew the song or understood why we chose it. But, in that moment, I felt like no one else was in the room. I was lost in her eyes and recollecting the ten or eleven times we had watched Clifford Ball. It was such a great show and the DVD really brings it alive. I wish the band would release the other ones they recorded. Anyway, this is the story of how we arrived at "Waste" as our song.

When the band announced that it was playing Hampton March 6, 7, 8, 2009, my friends and I ordered tickets. No one got them but me. My brother, who was my main travelling companion, and I were all set to go. He had to bail at the last minute because of work. I had no one to go with. I didn't think Eliz would like it, but she insisted that we would have a great time. I took her. She drove a lot of the way. We got down there and it was madness. People were doing anything to get a ticket. A girl offered someone $800 for a ticket and he said he wouldn't take it. We were down in about the third row on the first night. I had known a lot of Phish, but made the decision in 1993 that I was more into the Dead and gave up on Phish. I never understood some of their songs, like they were inside jokes and I was not in on it. Take "Weigh," for example, I don't like it. But, I had a renewed sense of vigor while driving down to Hampton. I had downloaded a bunch of stuff to listen to on our long car ride. But, still I didn't know all of their songs, nor could I predict them, like I used to do at Dead shows or DMB shows.

So, at the first note of "Fluffhead," I was in another dimension. I hadn't seen them since 1993 but seen TAB a number of times. The weekend of shows was like nothing I can remember. I stopped seeing the Dead in 1992 because the music lost its way and the scene sucked. Phish cared how they sounded. They were on fire all weekend. I got all of the jokes and the music filled up that void in me. I was hooked after "The Divided Sky." It didn't stop after Hampton either. Eliz told me that she had found a band and finally understood what I meant about music. She listened to shows in the car, asked the band's names, everything. We got tickets to shows and went to a lot. We had a blast.
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Eliz had been having double vision and mini-TIAs and we were really worried about her. She went to my family doctor and she recommended that Eliz get a bunch of tests and stop taking birth control. That was at the beginning of September. She was pregnant two weeks later. She was 28 and I was 44. This would be my first child. We had names already picked out if it was a girl or boy, but we had not planned this pregnancy so soon. Regardless, I was so excited, but I kept it to myself. I am kind of private about my feelings and I was so unsure about this. We couldn't wait to find out the sex of the baby. When we found out it was a boy, I must say that I was really happy. After all, the house had three girls already. As my wife grew, the baby began to kick more. She is convinced that he is going to be a kicker for the Michigan Wolverines and play for my Minnesota Vikings. No way, we are small nice Jewish guys. My family is not big. But, Elijah kicks like crazy. His middle name is Hendricks, which is my middle name also and is a long-standing family tradition for first-born on my mom's side. Elijah Hendricks. We will call him Eli.

Ok, so we know that a baby is going to forever change our lives. We know this. We are responsible parents and do everything to look out for our kids. My wife works hard at her job and I am taking care of the girls now, but that will soon change. Anyway, when we knew that our baby was due in late May, early June, we also knew that Summer Tour was going to be announced soon. It was my wife's idea to take the baby to shows with us. She will be on maternity leave and I am flexible. At first it was our little joke, but as time got closer, she was on board. We began to plan things and were unsure if we could do Chicago and Cleveland, but those are still options. We are starting at Hartford and going through Canadaigua. We looked into ear protection and got a Maya wrap to hold little Eli. People think we are nuts. I still haven't told my mom. She will have a tough time with it. I got in a lot of drug trouble with the Dead and she thinks concerts are a waste of money. We got Eli a "MELT" onesie from the Phish store and are going to watch out for him. I posted thoughts on Phantasy Tour and people ripped on me so bad that the post got taken down. You may have anger towards me or curiostty, or you may be interested in how we handle it. Who knows. I would just be honored if you read it. So, this is how we got here. I hope that I gave enough detail to explain the purpose of the blog and about myself and my family to make it interesting. I will tell more as things unfold. My oldest daughter is in 1st grade and my youngest is in pre-school. Oh, also we are looking to move before the end of June into a new house that we are buying but haven't found yet.

My posts will not be this long or self-indulgent, but I wanted to give some background. More later.