Osiris Releases Phish ‘After Midnight’ Big Cypress Narrative Podcast: Episode 3

Episode Three of the Osiris original narrative podcast After Midnight explores the start of Phish‘s Millennium Eve celebration at Big Cypress in the Everglades. Hosted by Jesse Jarnow, the latest installment of the series covers the time from fans’ arrival at the festival site in Florida through December 31.

The previous episode focused in part on the traffic jam many of the 75,000+ attendees endured on the way to Big Cypress. Episode Three begins with a discussion of the campground layout at the festival. Phish manager John Paluska talks about the decision to create a grid of roads at the 800-acre site and how they named some of the roads after venues the band had played. Paluska and co-producer Dave Werlin reveal there wasn’t a cap on the capacity for Big Cypress and discuss how that was a relief to organizers.

Jarnow then provides a look at the radio station Phish hosted at Big Cypress and notes a few things that were planned for Thin Air Radio that didn’t wind up happening before discussing the band’s soundcheck. Next comes a discussion of the lack of cannabis at the event that includes stories from attendees. Guitarist Trey Anastasio then talks about some of the design elements within the campground such as a boardwalk that was built. Anastasio also shares stories of his experience at the first days of the event and riding around on a pimped-out Gator with lyricist Tom Marshall to meet friends.

Episode Three continues with talk of the synthetic drugs that started infiltrating the scene around the time of Big Cypress and were used by some at the event. The installment ends with an overview of Phish’s performances that preceded their famed midnight set. Jarnow discusses how guest appearances from Chief Jim Billie and John McEuen came about and a few of the early musical highlights. Listen to the episode below: