Phish: transcendental, musical meditation

The other day I was reading Rolling Stone on the internet, primarily because I'd be a fool if I actually spent money on that publication. The last thing a frugal student should be doing is frivolously purchasing music magazines that are nearly as old and played out as the band that shares its title. It was a little surprising to see Phish made the cover, but not really. Love them or detest them, Phish is a band worthy of being on the cover of Rolling Stone. By no means am I suggesting that being on the cover of the magazine is a sign of significant substance, but it does garner attention, especially when you're wearing women's clothing and ice skates. \nThere was something in the article that struck me as an instance of subtle profundity. When asked about some of the unconventional approaches to audience interaction, band member Page McConnell reflected, "That's how our whole career has been -- stupid ideas that work." McConnell was speaking of the Big Ball Jam, when each member of the band threw a giant exercise ball into the audience and played a game where the object was to play along rhythmically to the movement of the ball through the concert crowd. Some may view that as an act of self-gratification, which in a sense is difficult to dispute. Some Phish fans probably thought that was so sick, dude. \nOn another level, some critics saw Phish's two-and-a-half-year hiatus as a veiled publicity stunt. Others felt like crackheads without their fix during the period. Regardless, the band sold out their brief February tour of arenas in less than an hour. This tells us two things: First, if there ever was a ruse, it worked according to plan. Second, there is something about the silliness McConnell mentioned people crave. I don't think it's the dorky aspect of Phish that people go for, but I do believe it doesn't go unappreciated by their fans (or left unscorned by their haters). \nIt's all about taking a risk. It started in music long before Trey Anastasio ever picked up a guitar. He and his fellow band mates just expanded on it. Three day festivals? Eight hour, dusk till dawn sets? A drummer in a dress? Sure, some of that stuff had been done before and not all their songs are great. On any given night, there can be many miscues and aimless jamming, but what Phish does best and in a way no one else can is create an experience. I challenge anyone to go to a Phish concert, even if it is a bad show and there is no legitimate reason for you to have enjoyed it, and not walk out saying: "Well, that was an experience."\nA catchy beat or sample, a sexy mystique or a talented voice can sell records. This is fact. One thing those qualities cannot do is pass along the inexorable energy that comes from playing in front of thousands of fans and creating something entirely new out of it. People talk about the "scene" at a Phish show and how cool it is to be a part of that scene. There is something refreshing in the realization that there is a band that is actually willing to try something different on any given night and fail. Phish's newest album, Round Room, is one of those instances. Artists who can take chances, fail, and still endure are a rare breed in the American Idol age. \nRisk taking, overt cheesiness and silly antics: these are the aspects of music that people take for granted. I never understood how people can be so attracted to music that is meant to sound emotional without really being profound. Are Big Ball Jams and similar stage antics profound? Not at all, but the importance of those ideas lies in the connection with the audience. It's relatively easy to go out and perform, close your eyes, run through a set of decent music like another day at the office, then retreat to women and drugs in your backstage trailer. But to play a song that begins with the childlike silliness of a nursery rhyme, transition into a jazzy instrumental run, then settle into a sublime 10-minute groove (which is an accurate description of many Phish songs) is far more brilliant and alluring. True music fans deserve something that transcends sexiness, drugs and even rock and roll.