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Boston Globe

Phish and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame snub: It's OK

Since entering the American consciousness in the mid-1990s as the country's preeminent jam band, the Vermont quartet has been the subject of a wide swath of commentary, much of it derisive. The group's genre-blurring style of rock, funk, prog, and jazz can sound like noise infused with the childish lyrics of Raffi to the uninitiated. Phish's studio albums are fine, but they restrain the true ability of the band. To fully appreciate and understand the greatness of Phish, you must see the band live. Advertisement Still, it was no surprise to many Phish fans when the band was recently snubbed by the Cleveland gatekeepers at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame even though the group topped the fan vote by more than 50,000 votes. Advertisement Phish has never reached the level of cultural importance held by the likes of The Grateful Dead, a band to whom they are, rightly or wrongly, seen as heirs. One reason for the endless comparisons between the two, including their front men the late Jerry Garcia and Phish's Trey Anastasio, is that both are best known for their live performances and turning a three-minute song into a sprawling 30-minute improvised opus. Members of Phish realized early on in their careers that real money for musicians is not in record sales but in live touring. The band maintains a robust annual summer tour schedule, frequently accompanied by a slate of fall or spring dates. The band also plays an annual four-night New Year's Eve run at Madison Square Garden, a gig that has achieved pilgrimage-like status among fans. This deep focus on the live show experience also includes the practice of allowing fans to record shows by providing a special ticketed section at every show just for tapers. This practice helped Phish grow its fanbase organically as fans would trade recordings of coveted shows. Today, the band has its Phish's intense focus on the experience of its live shows allowed the band to pioneer something that is now commonplace: the multiday, all-immersive music festival. Phish festivals like the Clifford Ball and Lemonwheel Advertisement While Phish has organically achieved this live success, it still does not have the common tokens of entertainment success: multiplatinum albums, a room full of awards, and critical praise. In an Honestly, he's right and that's OK. Phish is not the easiest band in the world to follow but that is a big part of what makes it special. Phish is more than just a band with songs; it is a big welcoming community or, as the fish band from Vermont. You don't have to explain why you've spent a small fortune framing concert posters and ticket stubs. You don't have to explain why you went to 17 shows at MSG one year. They just get it. It takes time to get Phish. Someday the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame will get it, too. Advertisement