JamBase’s Andy Gadiel Talks Early Days Of The Internet & More On ‘Best Show Ever’ Podcast

JamBase co-founder and CEO Andy Gadiel discussed his Best Show Ever and much more on the latest episode of the podcast. Gadiel shared insights with host Cam Herdt about his live music journey and experience using technology to connect and inform fans.

Herdt and Gadiel met at this year’s High Sierra Music Festival, which led to Cam writing about the experience for JamBase and Andy appearing on Best Show Ever. The wide-ranging chat began with Gadiel sharing memories of growing up in Illinois and the first concert he remembers attending.

Gadiel then went into detail about his first Grateful Dead show at Rosemont Horizon in 1993. “It was off to the races from there,” Gadiel explained. The longtime Bay Area resident then clarified that his love for live music really took off during his college days. “I went from Billy Joel to Phish and sort of missed everything in between,” Andy quipped.

Phish was the band that opened the door to live music for Gadiel, who started and still maintains his Phish Page website. “But then recognizing and appreciating all the music that came before it, and getting to see those artists, has been great as well,” he added.

Andy told the tale of his first Phish show at Indiana’s Deer Creek in 1995 and how he learned about the band through information posted on Phish.net. He then discovered The Disco Biscuits through a music festival that took place in Michigan during the summer of 1998.

While running his his Phish Page, Gadiel began receiving emails about other shows and festivals. He used the evolving technology to amplify positivity and promote what was happening in the live music scene through the message board on his site.

Andy then turned his attention to a special week in his life that included some of the best shows he ever attended to keep with the theme of the podcast. Next, Andy discussed organizing a “Phriends of the Federation” list of official websites for bands that grew to include over 100 entries.

“I started going through it and I thought how am I supposed to know when those bands are playing near me unless I go to all of their official websites every single day and have to remember it? Why isn’t there a place to go to see where these bands are playing live?” Gadiel pondered. “Then, I made it. I said that’s a solvable problem,” Andy added about what eventually led to the start of JamBase.

Watch Andy Gadiel’s appearance on Best Show Ever below: