Phishing for Biscuits: Giving Back

While Phish and The Disco Biscuits are both acclaimed for their mind-blowing live performances and impressive instrumental control, both groups recognize that their responsibilities as musicians go beyond delivering powerful music. Accordingly, both groups use their influence as opinion leaders to promote charity and good will to their fans through associated non-profit organizations.

            Recognizing their position of influence, Phish has initiated a series of chartable organizations that support humanitarian and environmental wellness. For example, “The Water Wheel Foundation” was established by Phish in 1997 to oversee the band’s charitable efforts, and to allocate raised funds to worthy causes (Phish, Waterwheel). One tier of The Waterwheel Foundation is the “Touring Division” that has donated over $575,00 dollars to more than 300 local charities from the towns in which Phish has toured (Phish, Touring). Additionally, Phish has donated all royalties from the sales of Ben and Jerry’s Phish Food ice cream to the “Lake Champlain Initiative,” summing hundreds of thousands of dollars that go toward cleaning and conservation efforts that help guarantee a clean source of water (Phish, Champlain).  

            Similarly, The Disco Biscuits recognized their opportunity to give back when bassist Marc Brownstein co-founded “Headcount” in 2004, a non-profit organization that registers voters at concerts and aims to make “civic participation part of the live music experience” (Headcount, About). Brownstein has been extremely active in alerting young fans that their voice matters, and whether during performances, at live press conferences, or via online promotion, the bass player has educated Biscuits fans that by aggregating their support, they can really make a difference. With an impressive reputation at many music festivals and concert venues, The Disco Biscuits have been able to put Headcount in the spotlight, and expose their audiences to the issues the organization represents.

            When evaluating such charitable efforts though, one must recognize that Phish and The Disco Biscuits only represent a small portion of the non-profit support that the greater rock and roll community has contributed to society.

            One such example is the “Rex Foundation,” a non-profit initiative spearheaded by the Grateful Dead in 1983 meant to “benefit the broader community and the broader good” (Rex Foundation, Mission). Still active today, The Rex Foundation allows its members to go beyond individual requests and provide widespread support for “creative endeavors in the arts, sciences, and education.” Making good on their promise, The Rex Foundation has already donated over $8.2 million dollars to over 1000 deserving recipients (Rex Foundation, Mission).

            Guitarist David Gilmour of the psychedelic rock group Pink Floyd also used his star power for the betterment of society when he refused payment for his performance at Live 8 in 2005.  As the concert was meant to pressure members of the G8 (a meeting of the eight richest countries in the world) to aid impoverished African countries, Gilmour stated that he would not profit from his performance, as he argued that the money “should be used to save lives” (Associated Press).

            Adopting goals that benefit society and raise awareness for both global and local issues is an extremely important element of the rock experience as it relates an image to fans that goes beyond intoxication and guitar solos. These bands recognize their status as opinion leaders for their loyal audience, consequently allowing them to emphasize that music is really about good nature and aiding those in need, not about selfishness or anarchy. As a result, such groups actively contribute to the formation of a conscious, aware, and motivated fan base that can enjoy the musical experience with a higher purpose in mind.

References:

Associated Press. (2005, July 06). Gilmour to donate live 8 profits to charity. MSNBC Entertainment.

http://www.headcount.org/about.asp

http://www.phish.com/waterwheel/index.php

http://rexfoundation.org/home/mission/

Phishing For Biscuits: A Touch of Jazz

Because many contemporary jam bands like Phish and The Disco Biscuits are sustained through the support of extremely loyal fans, many may mistakenly evaluate their music as if all their stylistic and performance tactics are completely unique. However, many of the practices employed by contemporary improvisational groups are deeply rooted in older, more established forms of music, making bands like Phish and The Disco Biscuits fusion groups who integrate many different styles into their musical catalogue. While such groups incorporate influences from every corner of the musical spectrum, this analysis will focus on the connection between modern jam bands and the original improvisational music form: jazz.

            Harkening back to the swing style popularized in the 1920’s and ‘30s, there is a distinct connection to contemporary jam music in that both are fundamentally dance music. When swing was at the forefront of American pop culture, clubs like The Savoy and The Cotton Club were filled with young people showing off their chops with free style, improv-heavy dances like “The Lindy Hop” (Hubbard, 131). Similarly, upon entrance to any Phish show, one will inevitably encounter throngs of people expressing themselves through dance. In the book The Phish Companion, a comprehensive guide of Phish music and culture, the authors describe one performance at which “from the front row to the back, all you could see was people dancing their hearts out, loving the groove” (Mockingbird, 748).

            For further comparison to jazz it is helpful to analyze the similarities between jam bands and the bebop style that followed swing. Bebop musicians perceived swing as being too formulaic and traditional, and consequently emphasized speed, technical virtuosity, and extreme register shifts in their music (Hast, 233). While bebop was certainly not dance music, the emphasis on injecting passion and expression into playing is an essential part of jam band structure. For example, any Disco Biscuits show features the band driving their compositions into unfathomable speeds, employing lightning fast ascending and descending scales, and illustrating their impressive command over their respective instruments, leaving the band as drenched in sweat as bebop players were decades earlier.

            Another fundamental jazz principle that has been incorporated by many jam bands is the notion of signifying, the practice of introducing one’s own technique and improvisation into an already established tune. Bebop trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie explained this idea in an essay in which he says that pop tunes were “too bland and mechanically unexciting,” leading beboppers to build on top of those compositions by “substituting their own melodies, harmonies, and rhythms over the pop music format” (Gillespie, 166). This idea is central to many Phish and Disco Biscuits shows because it makes covering (playing another group’s) material all the more exciting precisely because that song will be different from the original. For example, Phish has reworked rapper Will Smith’s hit “Gettin’ Jiggy Wit’ It” to include a funky bass line and piercing guitar solos while The Disco Biscuits tailored Men Without Hat’s “The Safety Dance” to include heavy synthesizers and keyboard effects.

            Accordingly, while traditional jazz musicians emphasized different instrumentation in their tunes, preferring horn sections to electric guitar and keyboards, technological innovation used on albums like Herbie Hancock’s Head Hunters and Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew laid the framework for the complex sounds used in jam band arrangements. Therefore, it is apparent that many of the principles that define Phish and The Disco Biscuits’ music can be historically traced to the many forms jazz music has taken over the past decades.

References:

Gillespie, Dizzy. To Be, Or Not...To Bop. New York: Doubleday, 1979. In Keeping Time: Readings in Jazz History. Robert Walser. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999.

Hast, Dorothea. Exploring the World of Music: An Introduction from a World Music Perspective. Highland Park, NJ: Kendall Hunt Pub Co, 1997.

Hubbard, Karen and Monaghan, Terry. Negotiating Compromise on a Burnished Wood Floor: Social Dancing at the Savoy, in Julie Malnig, ed., Ballroom Boogie, Shimmy-Sham, and Shake: A Social and Popular Dance Reader Chicago: U of Illinois P, 2009.

The Mockingbird Foundation. The Phish Companion: A Guide to the Band and their Music. San Francisco, CA: Backbeat Books, 2004.

Phishing for Biscuits: A Phestival Experience

           Since Phish’s inception in 1984, the group has held eight unique multi-day music festivals in remote regions at which thousand of fans gather for several days to revel with the band. Emphasizing Phish fans’ communal nature, Phish is virtually always the only act to perform at their festivals, presenting the group with the freedom to employ larger scale theatrical tactics than would be possible at a normal concert venue. Accordingly, Phish uses the festival setting to create spectacle for fans (for example when the foursome entered the stage of the Big Cypress festival in 1999 in a giant motorized hot dog car) and perform extra musical surprises (such as performing an unannounced set atop an air traffic control tower at 2003’s It festival) that wouldn’t be possible or appropriate in another context.

            Recognizing the importance festivals hold within Phish’s fan base, The Disco Biscuits introduced their own festival in 1999 called “Camp Bisco.” However, unlike Phish who never relinquish the musical spotlight, The Disco Biscuits invite hordes of other artists from different genres to perform, exposing hardcore Biscuits fans to new music while also enticing new fans to the festival. For example, hip-hop superstars Snoop Dogg and Nas performed in 2008 and 2009 while earlier years hosted fusion-reggae group John Brown’s Body, highlighting musicians that extend beyond the improvisational dance stylings of The Disco Biscuits and similar livetronica groups/DJs.

            While multi-day festivals are especially notable within the jam band niche because of their popularity amongst the groups’ obsessive fan bases (Phish’s millennium celebration festival hosted 85,000 people) countless other music festivals exist in America that provide a broad range of experiences beyond tie-dye shirts and extended guitar solos. For example, while the Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival held in San Francisco, CA boasted a stellar lineup this past summer with artists like Dave Matthews and Pearl Jam, another major selling point for fans is food. According to the Outside Lands website, “we are going above and beyond the standard festival food by engaging our cities food resources,” and encouraging festival goers to indulge in freshly shucked oysters and skewered beef instead of grilled cheese or peanut butter and jelly.

            Other festivals emphasize scenery and creating a family friendly environment where parents can feel comfortable bringing their children. The Northwest String Summit, a summertime bluegrass festival held in Oregon, was voted as one of the five most scenic festivals in the country in Relix Magazine’s annual Festival Guide for the “rolling, green hills and lakeside oasis” of the festival grounds, where children can pick naturally growing berries and interact with wildlife in the safe, contained environment (Greenhaus).

            For hip-hop lovers, a festival called “Rock the Bells” has been traveling around the country since 2004, gathering the biggest names in rap music in one location to perform on the same stage.

            Folk music is also well represented in the festival circuit, especially at the annual Newport Folk Festival, an event created in 1959 that introduced Bob Dylan to the world, and today retains a reputation for great music in a family-oriented atmosphere.

            Accordingly, while these are only a handful of the many American music festivals, they illustrate the wide spectrum of music and experiences that fans can explore. Thus whether fans want to relax with the kids, chow down or jam out, the festival experience is there to satiate a broad range of needs.

 References:

  Greenhaus, Mike. "9th Annual Relix Festival Guide." Relix Magazine Jun.

2009: 57.

Nagy, Evie. "The Disco Biscuits Draw Big Crowds to Camp Bisco."Billboard Magazine 19 Aug. 2009

"2009 Outside Lands - A Taste of the Bay Area. http://www.sfoutsidelands.com/attractions/taste.php. Outside LandsMusic and Arts Festival, 9 Nov 2009.

Phishing for Biscuits: The Microcosm of the Phish Ticketing Problems

            When Phish announced their plans in October 2008 to reunite for three performances at Hampton VA’s Coliseum, fans across the nation rejoiced at the thought of seeing their favorite jam-rockers back in action once again. However when tickets for the shows went on sale several weeks after the announcement was made, Phish fans realized procuring tickets would be far more difficult than imagined. When tickets were released via Ticketmaster at 10am on October 18, countless fans were greeted with error messages and drawn out waiting periods until the website reported the 13,000 tickets available were sold out. While hopes were re-ignited when Phish announced a summer reunion tour in February 2009, tickets proved elusive once more as ticketing service Live Nation froze after being overwhelmed by over one million ticket requests (Kreps). Ticketmaster then erred again when a technical glitch released passes for Phish’s four-night run at Red Rocks in Boulder, CO a week early, and then cancelled the orders of those sharp enough to realize what had happened (Kreps).

            While these examples have aggravated Phish fans to no end, the problem extends beyond the jamband niche. Ticket distributors have been failing to deliver quality service to music fans of all kinds, highlighting the fact that the Phish ticketing fiascos serve as a microcosm of the larger problem of finding tickets to high profile events in general. For example, one week after the Live Nation freeze, more technical errors prevented fans from buying tickets for Bruce Springsteen’s Working on a Dream tour (Greene). While it was insulting enough that dedicated fans could not complete their ticket transactions or lost their spot in line, frustration grew when even those ready to buy the minute tickets went on sale were redirected to Ticketmaster’s affiliated site TicketsNow, a service that resells passes to sold out events at marked up prices. Expecting fans to purchase tickets for hundreds or even thousands of dollars more than the list price, especially after tickets have only been available for hours or minutes, is especially offensive considering the ridiculous $13.50 “ticket charge” that is automatically imposed on top of any other costs (Kreps).

            Such difficulty has jaded the average ticket buyer, and led to conspiracy theories regarding ticket distributors plans to inflate their ticket sales. Many have wondered how it is possible for an event to sell out in minutes, only for those same tickets to be available moments later on redistribution sites like TicketsNow and eBay. One blogger explained that the trend is a result of groups having their hand in the “proverbial cookie jar” in that the best tickets are skimmed off for the distributors, their friends, and scalpers (Jongreer).

            While these comments may be ramblings from another fan blocked from buying regular priced tickets, the comments point out the absurd lengths the average fan must go to in order to see their favorite talent. Concerts are supposed to be a bonding experience between the artist and their fans of any socio-economic status, and act as an opportunity for the artist to show their appreciation for the audience’s support. However in today’s ticket market, concerts have locked out the average person, and been transformed into events that only the ultra-rich can afford. Therefore, regardless of whether tickets are being kept aside for scalpers and brokers, the fact remains that ticket distribution in this country must be amended because right now all that is left for the regular people is crumbs.

References:

Greene, Andy. "Ticketmaster Admits Springsteen Sale "Wasn't Our FinestOur." Rolling Stone. 3 Feb. 2009: Web. 1 Nov 2009.

Jongreer. "Ticketmaster Tries to Solve a Big Problem with a Little PR Push." Catching Flack. 25 Jun. 2009: Web. 1 Nov 2009.

Kreps, Daniel. "Get Ready to Pay Big Fees: Live Nation Ticketing Service Launches." Rolling Stone. 8 Jan. 2009: Web. 1 Nov 2009.

Kreps, Daniel. "Phish Fans Furious as Live Nation Fails First Major Ticket Test." Rolling Stone. 2 Feb. 2009: Web. 1 Nov 2009.

Kreps, Daniel. "Phish Fiasco: Ticketmaster Glitch Releases Red Rocks Passes Early, Then Cancels Orders." Rolling Stone. 19 Mar. 2009: Web. 1 Nov 2009.

 

 

 

Phishing for Biscuits: All in the Phamily

In a Boston Globe article published days before Phish kicked off their summer tour at Boston’s famed Fenway Park, the author describes that Phish’s reunion has re-ignited a community of individuals who see themselves as more than just fans (Simons). The article describes that while the most important aspect of Phish is the seemingly unlimited combinations of songs and improvisation the group performs, “a close second is the opportunity to catch up with close friends” (Simons). This illustrates the idea that the Phish phenomenon is about more than seeing a concert, but being immersed in a culture of like-minded individuals whose passion for “epic and diverse concert experiences” causes fans to return show after show establishing a “close-knit community” (Simons).

            Illustrating this idea, the Globe article mentions the Phish pre-show “lot scene,” a phenomenon borrowed from “Shakedown Street” at Grateful Dead concerts in which fans congregate in the parking lot of the venue Phish is slated to play to both socialize and sell homespun goods, food, beer, and jewelry. However, for many the lot is more than a spot to score a new tie dye or a cheap grilled cheese, but a “full blown family reunion” where fans can reconnect with their “Phish pals” (Simons).

            Branching from the loyal community of Phish followers, The Disco Biscuits have elicited a similar communal feeling amongst their fans. Following the Phish example of breaking barriers between fans and the band to foster strong connections within the scene, a hallmark of The Disco Biscuits experience is audience-performer bonding. For example in a feature article from Relix Magazine in April 2005, former Disco Biscuits drummer Sam Altman claimed that the coolest thing about his Disco Biscuits experience was that “the line between fans and the band was so completely blurred. We were all partying. We were all up all night. It was these same kids every night and there was no line between the stage and the crowd.” (Greenhaus).

          However, one of the motivations behind these all night ragers was the predominance of the rave drug, ecstasy in the scene. The presence of drugs therefore conjures an image in the minds of critics of the stereotypical member of this community as a bug-eyed deviant peddling his wares with nappy dreadlocks and baggy pants. Phish fans are similarly stamped as tie die and hemp laden stoners who neglect societal responsibility to follow a jam band indefinitely.     Countering these negative characterizations though, the Globe article argues that most fans don’t conform to the stereotype. The article states that fans are actually “professionals of all stripes…who view their fandom as just another part of their persona” (Simons). Furthermore, drugs are not necessarily the focal point of all Phish and Biscuit concert experiences. For example, harkening back to the “Wharf Rats” of the Grateful Dead era, Phish fans called the “Phellowship” and Disco Biscuits fans called “The Digital Buddahs” have united to travel the globe with their favorite jammers sober and clear headed.

The central point here is that by rejecting the archetype of the “disassociated rock star” Phish and The Disco Biscuits make fans feel more like friends than patrons. This motivates fans to travel within this diverse, colorful community of people bonded by mutual adoration for the performers to find that special feeling that can only be felt when seeing their favorite musicians in action.

 References:

  Greenhaus, Mike. "Pure Bisco: The Trance-Formation of the Disco Biscuits." Relix Magazine Apr. 2005: 64.

  Simons, Adam. "The Return of the Phish Phenomenon." Boston Globe 24 May 2009.

Phishing for Biscuits: Playing with Structure

On Friday October 2^nd, The Disco Biscuits announced their plans to hold their EP release party on October 11 at the recently opened venue “Brooklyn Bowl,” in Brooklyn, New York. While the show was announced rather close to the actual performance date, tickets for the intimate 600 person show still sold out in a matter of hours. Fans experienced similar frustration when the 10,000 tickets available for Phish’s reunion shows in Hampton, Virginia were sold out in literally a matter of minutes. While such difficulty to acquire tickets is frustrating for fans, this week's topic will explore the unique musical approaches the groups take to their shows that cause their tickets to be consumed so quickly.

While Phish certainly did not invent the practice of transitional material, one of the most popular elements of a Phish show is their ability to move through a series of songs without stopping. Transitions are musical content that act as a bridge from one song to another, and often fastens the audience’s attention because they aren’t bothered by constant stopping and starting within the set.

              Because The Disco Biscuits were so heavily influenced by Phish’s musical practices, transitions also became an integral part of their live show. However, The Disco Biscuits have since taken this practice to the extreme, and often times play entire sets of 1-3 hours without stopping once. As guitarist Jon Gutwillig described the practice in a 2008 interview, “we do improv between the sections getting from one song to the other so we don’t have to stop, and a lot of the time those are the part of the show that the fans like the most because it’s exciting to guess where the jam is going, and it’s danceable” (Gutwillig Interview).

 Furthermore, the Biscuits use fresh and innovative techniques to play with the structure of their songs. Imagine an average Disco Biscuits song as a composition that begins with a structured hook before ultimately transforming into a climactic peak. The hook of a song is soulful and melodic, and often contains the song's vocal section. Once finished with the composed hook, the group transitions into an improvised jam section that builds momentum until the song culminates with a final composed peak, a fast-paced musical section that serves to complete the song with high intensity. While the group sometimes plays such songs straight through, they often tweak them in topsy-turvy ways that maintain an atmosphere of mystery and surprise throughout the show.

For example, The Biscuits will at times play the hook of the song, transition into a totally different song, and then transition back into the peak of the first song. In addition, the Biscuits at time play “inverted” or backward versions of their songs that start with the peak before dropping into the hook.  The Biscuits also play the “ending only” of their songs in which only the peak is played and not the hook, or “unfinished” versions that feature the hook without the peak.

These practices allow Phish and The Disco Biscuits to keep their song library fresh, as the different forms of improvisation and transitional material ensure the same songs sound different every time. This leads fans to snatch up tickets as quickly as possible, lest they miss something truly unforgettable.

 References:

 Gutwillig, Jon. Interview produced by Diana Costello. “The Disco Biscuits at Nokia Theater New Years Eve Run 2008.” Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5G7UKxQT6g&feature=player_embedded. 30 Dec. 2008.

Phishing for Biscuits: A Live Experience

As The Disco Biscuits continue adding dates to their immense fall tour and Phish continues to prepare for their first multi-day festival in a half decade, it seems like a good opportunity to briefly shift the focus away from the current events surrounding these two groups in order to describe some of the unique performance tactics the groups utilize when playing live.

            Referencing historic events like rock and roll originator Little Richard swinging from an 100 foot rope over a Memphis stage to The Who’s Keith Moon exploding his drum set on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, Phish and The Disco Biscuits have adopted the concept that their music is as much about the stage show as the music proper. Accordingly, while skeptics may question why fans would go to such trouble to see the same group play similar material night after night, it is because the groups have set a precedent of creating one-of-a-kind live experiences rather than just concerts.

            For example, during the final late-night set of Phish’s third multi-day festival called Lemonwheel, guitarist Trey Anastasio lit a fuse that traveled from the stage to the fence bordering the festival, and ignited an enormous model elephant into an array of fire and water works while the group played a cover of 20^th century composer, Henry Mancini’s “Baby Elephant Walk.” At another Phish event, the It festival, the group awoke the festival goers with an unannounced, spacey, ambient set atop an air traffic control tower that began at 2:30 am. Phish is also well known for their tendency to switch instruments mid-performance, and using seemingly non-musical household items like Jon Fishman’s vacuum cleaner in a select few of their live shows. Such unique performance methods drew a massive crowd of 85,000 eager fans to the 5^th Phish festival, Big Cypress, held in Southern Florida on the eve of the new millennium.

            Following the example of their predecessors, The Disco Biscuits have also integrated theatrical means into their shows to create an experience for their audience. For example, at this past summer’s Camp Bisco, a multi-day festival organized by The Disco Biscuits, the group entered the stage as alter ego “The Perfume,” a side project in which the members perform Disco Biscuits songs in non-traditional ways. The resulting performance included a hip-hop version of their song “M.E.M.P.H.I.S” and a calypso version of song “Once the Fiddler Paid.” In addition, at a performance at New Jersey’s Starland Ballroom in February 2008, guitarist Jon Gutwillig paid homage to the destructive tendencies of ‘60s rockers like Pete Townshend and Jimi Hendrix when he demolished his guitar in front of the sold out crowd.

            As you can see, the two groups see their job as not only playing their instruments, but also creating an environment of fun and surprise throughout the performance. Consequently, Phish and The Disco Biscuits have cemented a reputation of crowd-pleasing shows that not only illustrate great musical virtuosity but also constantly keep audiences wondering what’s to come next.