After a wait that seemed endless for Phish fans, the band finally took the stage on July 17 in Lake Tahoe for their first show of 2018. This episode of The JamBase Podcast, like a good second set opener, breaks form into unusual territory for the series. Instead of starting with our typical “Rundown” of recent news stories followed by a pair of themed interview segments, Episode 17 features a deep dive into the start of Phish Summer Tour 2018. JamBase hosts David Onigman, Andy Kahn and Scott Bernstein discuss the beginning of tour with an assist from Ryan Chiachiere of the Trey’s Guitar Rig website.
But first … let’s take a look back at some of the best segments featured so far on The JamBase Podcast. As mentioned, each episode usually has two interviews with each falling under a recurring topic. We’ve talked to musicians about quitting their day jobs and their first shows, had them look back through the stages of their touring lives and many other aspects of being a working musician. We’ve also talked to non-musicians who play integral roles in various aspects of the music industry as part of our “All Access” segment.
First, AK takes us through top moments from “The Art Of The Setlist,” a segment that gets musicians to share trade secrets of how they decide what to play, featuring Warren Haynes, Bruce Hornsby and Chris Robinson. Next, ScottyB shares three “Tour Stories” highlights as Melvin Seals, Natalie Cressman and Kyle Hollingsworth tell tales from their lives as touring musicians. Finally, DaveO gets us up to speed on our “All Access” look at music industry vets that play a role in the scene off-stage, which has included segments with Umphrey’s McGee manager Kevin Browing, Annabel Lukins of Cloud 9 Adventures and High Sierra Music’s Rebecca Sparks. Dave also showcases G. Love’s “Worst Show Ever” clip to give a feel of his debauchurous segment.
The bulk of Episode 17 focuses on what has gone down so far for Phish in 2018. AK, DaveO and Scotty were all together in JamBase’s Bay Area offices to share their opinions on the first six shows of Phish Tour. The conversation kicks off with a discussion of the group’s two-night stand at Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena at Harveys in Stateline, Nevada. The tour has seen guitarist Trey Anastasio implement some interesting changes to his setup that Scotty then explores with Ryan of Trey’s Guitar Rig.
Next, talk turns to the first-ever three-night Phish run at The Gorge Amphitheatre in George, Washington. Andy and Dave attended in person and lead a breakdown of the good and the bad at the scenic venue. We also address the unfortunate events that marred the weekend. The three hosts were all in the house of the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco and finish by trading viewpoints on Tuesday’s concert (the segment was recorded ahead of the show on Wednesday).
Stream Episode 17 below and please subscribe to The JamBase Podcast via iTunes, Stitcher and/or Google Play if you haven’t already:
