This Made Me Smile

Smart Girl

Working At A Non-Profit

Totally stole this from a friend who just posted this link. If you work or have ever worked at a non-profit please click the link below. 100% truth here people.

CLICK HERE.

Trey Makes Plea To Seahawks

While at a show in Washington State last week Phish frontman Trey made a plea to the crowd. 

He came out in a customized Nike/Phish/Seahawks t-shirt that read "Duh-Duh, Duh-Duh" and Wilson 3 on the back, a reference to the E-notes played at the intro to the song "Wilson". (Russel Wilson is the Seattle Seahawks QB)

During the show Trey emphasized again how much he'd love for fans to chant "Wilson, Wil-son" at Russel during games and said they invited members of the Seahhawks to the show but they couldn't attend due to training camp. 

I don't know about you but this would be hilarious and amazing. Come on Seattle.

Wilco - Heavy Metal Drummer

Maybe one of my favorite songs from this band. Heard it used on a tv show earlier this week and fell in love with it all over again...

"Unlock my body and move myself to dance"

Seriously?

This next sentence basically sums up everything that is wrong with the music industry....

"Selena Gomez has the number 1 album in the country right now..."

If I have to explain this you really shouldn't be reading this blog.

I'm Back... Kind Of

Well its been a rough few days for your girl here. Just been very emotional and feeling angry about Little A's passing. I'm very happy that my friend is not in pain anymore but there is just something about it that is not sitting well with me. Maybe its because she shared a middle name Jane, with my friend Emily who passed in 2006. Maybe its because I realized yet again that life is just not fair and things like this can not be explained away. Either way I've been sad and trying my best to put one foot in front of another. 

Thanks to everyone who has reached out and send prayers and thoughts to Alyssa's family. Most of all all my love to my good friend Amy who literally lost her best friend. My heart breaks at least five times a day when thinking about their relationship. 

So here I am doing my best to make it through the day, trying to smile just like A did. And thats what I will take with me from her 14 year journey on this earth. Until the very end she was smiling, laughing and thanking her friends and family for being near her. So I will do just that. Smile. Laugh. And be thankful and grateful for all the great people in my life.

To get back on track here is a video for the new Justin Timberlake song and the video can't help but make you smile when you see him dancing across the stage. 

Also the 30 day countdown until vacation has officially started. Phish. Colorado. Can't come soon enough.

Just Not Fair

If I have learned one thing about this crazy adventure we call life its that not all things are fair or make sense.

I woke up this morning to just terrible news. My friend Alyssa. Little A. Cheeto. Munchkin. Passed away after a long battle with Cystic Fibrosis. She was 14 years old. I met this inspirational girl through my friend Amy and her spirit and zest for life was just unmatched.

My heart is broken for her family and friends. 

This one was special. 

Breathe easy Alyssa.

Happy Friday

Hello and welcome to Friday. We finally made it. Sadly there isn't much to report in music news today so I don't have much to post about. Hopefully something spectacular will happen over the weekend and give me some new topics!

Have a wonderful weekend everybody!

Sara Bareilles - I Choose You

Its a rare find in music these days when an artist actually sounds better live then they do on their album. This is certainly true for this next song.

Avett Brothers Tonight in Richmond

The Avett Brothers are playing tonight in Richmond. I'm not going in an attempt to save money for fall tour but I'm sure its going to be a pretty great show. Although another thing keeping me away is the venue. I'm not too sure that RIR is the best place in the city for them to play but oh well, I'm sure everyone will have fun.

If they play "Murder in the City" I'll kick myself tomorrow. Its one of my all time favorite songs.

'If I get murdered in the city

Go read the letter in my desk

Don't bother with all my belongings

Pay attention to the list

Make sure my sister knows I love her

Make sure my mother knows the same

Always remember there is nothing worth sharing

Like the love that let us share our name'

Van Morrison - Tupelo Honey

This song certainly has a special meaning to me and my life. Love it a little more every time I hear it. Van Morrison at his finest. 

"You can take all the tea in china 
Put it in a big brown bag for me 
Sail right around the seven oceans 
Drop it straight into the deep blue sea 
Shes as sweet as tupelo honey 
Shes an angel of the first degree 
Shes as sweet as tupelo honey 
Just like honey from the bee 

You cant stop us on the road to freedom 
You cant keep us cause our eyes can see 
Men with insight, men in granite 
Knights in armor bent on chivalry 
Shes as sweet as tupelo honey 
Shes an angel of the first degree 
Shes as sweet as tupelo honey 
Just like honey from the bee"

New Day

Former President Clinton Sings 'Blurred Lines'

Pretty sure this video broke the internet today. It's actually pretty hilarious...

Whoops

Couldn't make this up if I tried...

Rapper Gucci Mane responds with 'Bitch I might be' when asked if guilty.

WTF

Hilarious

Absolutely loving this new promo that 'How I Met Your Mother' released for its new season. Love it and can't wait to see how they bring this series to a close.

PHISH TOUR ANNOUNCED!!!!

Well this has made my relatively slow day SO MUCH BETTER! Phish just announced their fall tour and just as expected they are returning to Hampton for a three night run! Can't wait. Can't wait. Can't wait!!!

Here are the official dates:

10/18 Hampton Coliseum, Hampton, VA

10/19 Hampton Coliseum, Hampton, VA10/20 Hampton Coliseum, Hampton, VA10/22 Blue Cross Arena, Rochester, NY10/23 Glens Falls Civic Center, Glens Falls NY10/25 DCU Center, Worcester, MA10/26 DCU Center, Worcester, MA10/27 XL Center, Hartford, CT10/29 Sovereign Center, Reading, PA10/31 Atlantic City Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, NJ11/01 Atlantic City Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, NJ11/02 Atlantic City Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, NJ

Also Halloween in A.C. again? Uh-Oh.

Ha.

Not really that much going on in the world today so all I got is this....

I Miss Pretty Lights

For years Richmond, VA was an easy stop for the band "Pretty Lights". Year after year they would come to The National or the Canal Club and me and all my friends would rush the doors to get a piece of this electronic masterpiece. They were small, relatively unknown. Then last week I turned on Conan's show to see them perform. What a long way this band has come... yet I do miss them playing at small venues around town. Almost no better dance party then a Pretty Lights show...

Phish Ticket Stub Collage

I'm almost done with my Phish ticket stub collage. Pretty neat to see my ticket stubs all collected like this. Now if only I wasn't a dumb kid and threw away most of my early ones... Doh!

New Birdy

I'm pretty excited after watching this next video that gives a little behind the scenes for Birdy's new album. You should remember Birdy... I basically dedicated my blog to her last year. 

The new album drops in September so you have from now until then to catch up.

Click Here.

Truth

"Because in the end, you won't remember the time you spent working in the office or mowing the lawn. Climb that goddamn mountain"

-Jack Kerouac 

10 Trips You NEED To Take In Your Twenties

Buzzfeed put a list together of the '10 Trips You Need to take In Your Twenties' and I'm happy to report that out of the 10 I've done about 7. Not to shabby... 

Only In My Family....

Only in my family does this conversation actually exist. 

(Recounting the events over the last 24 hours)

So like many kids who fall into my brothers and I age (28-33) grew up on Nickelodeon. It is no surprise that many of us still rank some of these shows as our all time favorites. Well the email exchange over the last 24 hours between my two brothers has proven this.

It started yesterday afternoon when my little brother sent us the bracket above. It looks like Nick is having its own show faceoff and well we couldn't help but chime in on what could happen. 

Its started off with Rick's prediction:

"Hey Dude would face a tough 2nd round with Pete & Pete, but I think it could go all the way…"

Then came my turn to chime in:

"Hey Dude vs Salute Your Shorts in the final!"

Finally my older brother had to set us all straight with his complete breakdown:

"As the most experienced here, I'll breakdown the Final 4 for you…

Animation - Ren & Stimpy
Live Action - Hey Dude
Best Ensemble - Salute Your Shorts
Best Game Show - Double Dare

Hey Dude blows out Ren & Stimpy to go to the finals…
Double Dare beats Salue Your Shorts to go to the finals in a close game

…Double Dare beats Hey Dude on a buzzer beater in the finals…."

And this my friends is the geekery (is that a word) that went on in my family last night. And I wouldn't trade it for the world....

HAHA.

Phish Fall Tour Announcement Imminent

Every phan I know is sitting refreshing their twitter feed and Phish websites for the upcoming fall tour announcement. I know everything is a bunch of rumors right now but if what I'm hearing is true they will be heading to Hampton, VA in mid October for a three night run. Yes we already have our hotel booked for the rumored dates (obsessed much?). 

Also hearing some great old school venues will be used in this upcoming tour including a trip back to the Glen Falls Civic Center in NY. The last time they were at that venue was 1994 for their famous Halloween show where they covered the entire Beatles White Album. This was the first time they did the "musical costume" a phish tradition that continues to be one of my favorites... 

DROP THEM DATES BOYS!

Gift Idea

With my birthday approaching in a little over a month here is a gift idea for all of you. Thats right I want a Meta World Peace Knicks Jersey! Ha. No seriously.

Since I have little to no interest in my NFL team this year this will be the way I will represent my city.

Go Knicks!

LORDE - Royals

I really hope you all are paying attention because this 16 year old is taking the music world by storm and you will be able to say that you heard her music before she actually 'blew up'. 

The Daily Beast has a fantastic article about her that you can read RIGHT HERE. Here is the part that I particularly loved.

"Royals" the hit tune by the 16 year old New Zealand songstress Lorde, is the anti-Magna Carta/Holy Grail poking fun at the outrageous excess of hip-hop music in galvanizing, teen-targeting pop anthem. The song is off of the Love Club EP - a collection of five songs released on SoundCloud in late 2012 as a free stream, where it was downloaded more than 60,000 times. When "Royals" was officially released this March, it made its debut at number 1 on the New Zealand charts, where it stayed for three weeks. 

Lorde wrote the song in July 2012, inspired in part by the Jay Z and Kanye West collaborative album Watch The Throne. 

"I really enjoyed it" she says "I can get absorbed in Kanye's world, but a part of me is always like "This is kind of bullshit--all the crazy extravagances he's talking about. And I started listening to a lot more top 40 music, and realized a lot of the stuff isn't very relateable to anyone's lives.

Instead, Lorde sought to create pop anthems that capture teenage ennui and aggravation, whether its falling in with the wrong crowd or the monotony of partying. Her songs which she co-wrote are all culled from her real-life experiences"

Trust me when I say you must keep your eye out for this one....

The To Do List Trailer

Looking forward to finding this movie staring Aubrey Plaza (Parks & Recreation) when it comes out later this summer! Looks hilarious!!

New Trailer! Hunger Games!!

Yeah I'm a geek who has completely sunken into this series. I seriously can not wait for this second movie to come out. Over the weekend they put out a brand new trailer at ComicCon and it looks amazing!!!

Hey There Ms. Clarkson

I thought this was a pretty cool photo that Kelly posted from the road this weekend. It was before her show in Austin when she was doing her soundcheck. That also must be an amazing feeling to belt your songs to an empty stadium. 

Sara Bareilles Visits Craig Ferguson

Last night my girl visited the Craig Ferguson show to sing her new single "Brave" and it was pretty fantastic. I wish that I was able to just sit at a piano and sing songs that I wrote. Its just not fair how talented people are sometimes...

Enjoy the video below (it also includes a pretty funny interview).

Not Too Sure About This

I go back and forth about how I feel about this next story. I'm glad that it happened but again, I just don't know how I feel about it. I love Paul McCartney. I think he puts on some absolutely fantastic concerts and have mad respect for everything he has done for the music business. But again, just not too sure about this pairing....

"Paul made rock history on Friday night when he brought out Nirvana's surviving members during the encore of his show at Seattle's Safeco Field. It was only the second time that drummer Dave Grohl and bassist Krist Novoselic (plus touring guitarist Pat Smear) have performed together in Nirvana's hometown since Kurt Kobain's death in 1994, and the first time they've played there in more than 15 years."

Read the entire article HERE.

Thank You Stuart Henderson

Disclaimer: I know that lately I have been talking a lot about Phish on this blog. But hey, its a music blog, they are my favorite band and I'm gearing up for an intense run through Colorado next month. So yeah sorry but not sorry if you do not like just skip on down.

Yesterday I read another amazing article about the band that I refer to simply as "My Boys". Stuart Henderson took to Huffington Post to write an article simply titled:

Dephending Phish: It's Not Them, It's You 

And its pretty perfect. I will post the entire thing below so you all can get a good read. Also may I add a quick thank you to the press for actually starting to cover this band more? Its nice to read articles like this especially since I great up for years and years with only terrible ones...

"Yes, Phish's lyrics can be pretty terrible. Many of their songs are filled with what could be characters from stoner nursery rhymes. Their sense of humour is corny as hell, and they have all these songs that ride on goofy nonsense gags. The band seems gleefully irreverent about this, though, always daring you to take them seriously, keeping you at a distance until you finally give in or bail.

Plus, what's up with the irritating pun in their name? Deeply uncool.

And, pick a genre! They play a little bit of everything, and it's hard to tell what's parody and what's earnest. But, for me anyway, worse than the accumulated silliness, are those too-frequent moments of on-the-nose sentimentality, those cloying ballads awash in "passion," like diary entries written by some pretentious 15-year-old. Those are the songs - and they have a lot of them! - that conspire to keep me at arm's length.

So, let's not kid ourselves, but...

"The Beatles may have been the best band in music history, but they sure wrote some terrible lyrics." This is my standard line when I tell people that I am going to see a Phish show and they laugh in my face. It's the thing that baffles me most about the widespread hatred for this band. If you can handle silly songs likes "Yellow Submarine," "Octopus' Garden," "Rocky Raccoon," "I Am The Walrus," "Mean Mr. Mustard," "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" and goddamn "Maxwell's Silver Hammer," then how can you possibly complain that Phish is too puerile?

Or, conversely, how can you sit through pablum like "The Long and Winding Road," "Let it Be," or "Here, There and Everywhere" and whinge about Phish being too cheesy? No, that really can't be it. What's bugging you is something deeper, something much less easily shrugged off as a refusal of the apparent awfulness of any song called "You Enjoy Myself" (for instance).

Look, the thing is that you're being a snob.

Phish is, by any reasonable measure, a rather extraordinary American rock'n'roll band. This Vermont-based four-piece has had among the most unlikely, consistently entertaining, and inventive (not to mention successful) careers that I can name, despite being relegated to the fringes of the pop world. They have written a raft of terrific music, played thousands of concerts, performed highwire acts of improvisation in front of millions of fans, sold hundreds of thousands of records, and never had one hit song. Not one. You wanna talk about "alternative music"?

They built their career by, simply, playing concerts. Night after night, playing in front of people. They built a fanbase through word of mouth in those pre-internet late-1980s. Because they performed a different setlist every night, and because they improvised their way through their shows - this is the much-maligned "jamming," which is really just another word for spontaneous creative expression, so relax - people were encouraged to record their shows and trade them with friends. That was how I first heard them, sometime in 1992, and it was why I borrowed a fake ID and lied to my parents so I could catch their first Toronto show later that year. I needed to see what it was like to have this happen in front of me.

And I was changed.

Since, by its very nature, improvisation means unpredictability, it made sense to listen to as many versions of a particular song as I could find. It also made sense to see show after show, night after night. One evening's "Harry Hood" could be quite radically different in tone, mood, and affect than the next. As with any band, there would be "on" nights and "off" nights, but with an improv rock band you could also get "on" songs and "off" songs over the course of any given performance. And, since Phish (like their concert-focused forebears, The Grateful Dead - who, by the way, they actually sound nothing like) always played at least two complete 75-minute sets of music every show, they gave themselves the time and space to pick themselves up and try again if something didn't work.

It helps that the four men who have comprised Phish since their inception back in 1983 are such talented musicians. Jon Fishman (drums), Mike Gordon (bass), Page McConnell (pianos), and Trey Anastasio (guitar) are, each of them, blindingly virtuosic when they are on their game. But, surely, it is Anastasio who leads the charge, and his guitar - one of the most expressive, inventive, dynamic instruments I know - drives much of what you might hear on a typical evening.

Anastasio and his bandmates are masters of ebb and flow, of tension and release. They, like any good DJ, like any good electronica artist looking to send a rush through the dancing throng, have mastered the art of energy-building. Most, but certainly not all (for that would get tiresome), of the instrumental sections of their songs build from a quiet, peaceful segment through to a series of mini climaxes, rising up and then falling back, building again and then fading, climbing toward an inevitable peak that, by the time it is reached, the audience craves beyond reason. I have seen people practically melt down at such moments, seen them jumping up and down with tears streaking their faces, seen them beaming ear-to-ear even as they yelp through their ecstasy. (Yeah, a lot of people do drugs at Phish concerts. So what? I mean, really?)

But so this is why, for most of the past 30 years, Phish has served for many music nerds like me as a kind of antidote to the stale predictability of the "rock concert." I probably see 100 non-Phish shows a year. I love live music. But I get so tired of the same thing, the same approach, the same "professionalism" (which too often looks like "boredom" on their faces as band members "do their jobs"). And then, I go see a Phish show, and get to watch these guys head out onstage with only a vague sense of where even the first song is going to take them, what notes they are going to find themselves playing, what energy they are going to pull out of the air, what the hell is going to happen.

I'm not saying Phish is inherently better than other bands (at all), or that the Phish concert experience is superior to the typical rock concert. But I am saying that a bad Phish concert is infinitely more interesting than a bad show by, say, Vampire Weekend, The National, or Jay Z. Because even a bad Phish show is bound to offer at least a few moments of firecracker brilliance.

Back in 1995, I saw Phish play a song called "Tweezer" for something like 50 minutes. Somewhere in there, after the jam had moved from a riff-based rock song into a messy heavy metal section, and then into a dark and uncomfortable vocal jam, and then into a high-tempo locked-in country pattern, lead singer Trey Anastasio started singing The Who's "My Generation." It was utterly incongruous and totally thrilling, this cowboy version of a classic anti-establishment rock'n'roll anthem. It only lasted about a minute, and then we were carried off into the unknown again for awhile before they found their way back to the "Tweezer Reprise" to end the set.

But, wow, that "My Generation." No one knew why it happened, probably including Anastasio. It just felt right so he tried it. It worked. Not everything else did that night. But I was richer for having been there, watching a band try stuff onstage. 

So, go see them. If you hate it, fine. But I urge you, if you're a music fan, not to close your mind to this band, this music, this concert experience. There's nothing like it. I mean, isn't that enough of a reason right there?"

New Phish Rolling Stone Article

Click THIS LINK to read the Rolling Stone interview with Trey from Phish. Its quite interesting. Some of my favorite quotes are:

"Like anybody who's in a 30-year marriage, we've gone through plenty of ups and downs. We've fought and we've had fun, and now there's just this new plateau that we've reached that I couldn't have anticipated"

.

"You know, for better or for worse, tons of stuff happened that led us to separate in 2004, but at the core of it was probably losing the most important thing, which is that Phish is the four of us, together. And that we have to make time for that"

"I know people say this, but I'm really saying it after 30 years: whatever state the audience is in on a given night absolutely, completely affects where the show goes. And I watch – that's what I do."

"I'm still with my best friends and everybody's healthy and I wouldn't trade it for anything. That's why I said two of my favorite eras were in the car and in the band practice room. I just like being with those guys. It doesn't last forever, so I'm taking it while I got it."

Next Bo Jackson?

I was pretty sure we would never see a freak athlete like Bo Jackson ever again... I may have been wrong. 

This throw from Yasiel Puig on Friday is almost unbelievable. 

One Day (Reckoning Song)

This weekend I watched the new HBO documentary called 'The Crash Reel' that featured the story of Kevin Pearce. Kevin was an Olympic hopeful for snowboarding half pipe before a tragic accident left him with severe brain damage. The story focuses not only on the extreme sport but Kevins miraculous recovery from such a devastating injury; an injury that took the lives of many of his peers. 

This following song was played while the credits rolled and it was perfect. I wish I could find the actual video of the credits because it was beautiful but for now just listen to the song. It definitely makes your toe tap. Its called 'One Day (Reckoning Song) by Asaf Avidan.

Veronica Mars Movie Trailer

Now lets move on to something thats actually important... like the trailer for the new Veronica Mars movie!!! Ha. Yup I'm a geek and proud of it. 

Are You Ready???

Are you ready?

Are you ready?

I mean ARE YOU READY?

Ready for the Royal Baby that is!! Ha.

I actually can't wait until Kate gives birth and the rest of the news outlets focus their attention towards some actual news. The attention given to this kid already just seems a little wrong. Imagine being born into that kind of pressure? No thank you. 

So keep calm Kate. Carry on Kate. And get this baby out so people can stop FREAKING OUT.

Example: I heard a story of some ladies who gave birth to kids yesterday but are waiting to name them until Kate and Will name theirs. Craaazy.

Cool Tribute

I thought this was a pretty neat tribute. Above you will see the sign for Kurt Cobain's birthplace, Aberdeen Washington. It reads "Come As You Are".

(told you news was slow today)

Friday!

I was actually beginning to think that Friday was just not going to come this week... but alas it is here and I for one am excited about that. This week has kind of been miserable. It was very long and crazy here at work, I didn't sleep particularly well this week, oh and its like 100 degrees outside. So yeah, I'm looking forward to a weekend of rest, relaxation and well not working. 

I hope everyone has some fun plans to beat the heat. 

That is all for now. There really isn't too much fun and exciting things going on in the music world today. I'll try and find something fun to report on. 

Best Moment Espy Winner

If you haven't noticed by now my little brother and I watch a lot of award shows together and comment back and forth the entire evening via text message. Its always some of my favorite nights out of the entire year and last night during the ESPY's it was no different. Some of the text we were sending to each other made me laugh so hard it almost hurt. Yet my favorite was after the "Best Moment" award was given to Team Jack. Jack is a brain cancer patient who was given the opportunity to join his favorite team Nebraska for a play on the field and scored a touchdown. It was one of the best clips from the entire year and it was not a surprise that he deserved the win and ended up getting it. 

My favorite text was right after he won from Rick: "What kind of acceptance speech would you have given if you were Alex Morgan and somehow you won this award...." Followed by: "That would have been super super awkward".

Other great texts from the evening included:

"The Lochte jokes killed me"

"Puig is a loser"

"PS- Snoop is high as F**K"

"How hold is Gabby Douglas? Holy shit--she does not look 17. I feel like a creeper"

"Oh man you are going to cry again..."

"All I've learned from tonight is 1. Sports are awesome. 2. Cancer is not"

"This is the saddest ESPYs ever"

Then we went on a tear over DeAndre Jordan's dunk over Brandon Knight"

"Who gives a stink face after a dunk"

He FW a tweet he read "I'm just glad they didn't show Brandon Knight's photo in the ESPYs 'In Memory Of Segment'

"If you search Brandon Knight, the first thing that comes up is Brandon Knight death and Brandon Knight RIP"

"His wikipedia page was even briefly updated to say that he died March 10 in a game against the Clippers, with the cause of death listed simply as 'DeAndre Jordan'

And this my friends is why I love my little brother. HAHA.

Repost: Why We Come Back

This is one of the better explanations of why I keep coming back to Phish shows. I found it on Mr. Miners Blog and will repost it in its full glory here.

This essay was written in collaboration with Zachary Cohen and Andy Greenberg, the guys from Please Me Have No Regrets.com. These guys have been waxing philosophic on all things Phish in long form over on their site for about a year now. This is cross-posted on their site as well.

*****

Why do we return, like moths to the flame, to Phish? What is it about the Phish experience that so attracts us, that underpins our fascination, our obsession, dare we say our addiction to this band? Do we even know why we keep coming back?

Fans are always primed to cite their most obvious, though not incorrect, reasons: for the music and adventure, to see friends and for the sense of belonging, for the community. But beyond these recreational pursuits, something larger looms, something more purposeful.

The common thread that binds all Phish fans together is a desire for the transcendence of self and a communion with the collective unconscious. For when we attend Phish concerts, our own sense of importance shrinks as we join a force far greater than ourselves. And though people may scoff at the word “religion,” if understood to mean simply the spiritual journey that like-minded brethren seek, our devotion to Phish approaches that of the pilgrim.

In their live concerts, Phish offers the promise that at any moment, anything can happen. And when they are at their best, “anything” often does. We come back to Phish because of this Freedom. Enmeshed in their live experience, this feeling returns us to a child-like state where our world is fresh and new and we are freed from the worries, obligations, responsibilities and ethical / moral compromises of our day to day selves. And like Peter Pan refusing to grow up, we crave to experience this “not knowing,” so that we may be able see the world anew, with fresh eyes and ears.

The energy manifested at Phish shows, both internal and conjoined, is unlike any secular experience. And this is never more true than during a free-form improvisational excursion. When Phish breaks free of their own constraints, casting aside rhythm, tempo and the harmonic structures of their songs, they untether both themselves and the audience from terra firma. It is then, when venturing into unchartered waters, that we are able to perceive the universal magic of pure ideation. During these moments, we are reminded that raw creation is the single most powerful force in the universe. Seeing, feeling, hearing, experiencing and most importantly, being a part of that process provides us with a net energy gain. This energy buffets us, providing ballast to our bodies and souls.

Shamanism and Spectacle

The four members of Phish—Trey, Mike, Page, and Fish—are modern-day Shamans who guide us on this spiritual journey. They function as vessels able to tap into and share sacred information that remains unavailable to all of us in the quotidian rhythms of our day to day lives. Our very purpose as human beings can be divined through Phish, whether we know it or not.

And this is why we keep coming back.

Though it may seem foreign to us to envision dancing, music, light, sound, even intoxicants, as tools for the elevation of the spirit, countless cultures throughout the ages have depended on these very practices; To strengthen themselves, connect with deities and promote the overall health of their communities.

The Phish show is a spectacle that serves as a breeding ground for the creation and sustaining of this energy we’ve described. We attend a show, and like Alice down the rabbit hole, or Neo opting for the blue pill, we enter a world unaccountable to the natural laws of time and space. We become frozen, arrested. We are beholden to nothing but the music, ourselves, and those around us. Phish concerts heighten our senses, attuning us to foreign, though strangely familiar, wavelengths. We hear music that has never existed and that is also strangely ancient and true.

Upon leaving a Phish concert, we are often flabbergasted to realize that the rest of the world has continued to spin, blissfully unaware of what we just experienced. And just as a deep-sea diver surfaces and has to adjust to a new pressure environment, we too must normalize after a Phish concert. Often enough it is in this between time, this interstitial, that we are most lucid and receptive to the lessons that have been bestowed upon us. This is also true after individual improvisations. All of sudden, lyrics that we long ago memorized and melodies that serve as the soundtrack of our lives take on new import and meaning. They are somehow truer and more real.

The Dissolution of the Self

The most difficult task for any musician is to play without thinking. When Phish achieves this and transcends their egos they kick open the door to a world of mammoth insights. As listeners experiencing this, we instinctually respond by sublimating our own egos so that we may fully appreciate the band’s illustrations of “What We Are;” Of what an authentic experience truly is. As the energy rises, the listener taps into harmonic, atomic truths, transcending the self in the process. It is in this moment that we feel part of something bigger than the mechanized social behemoth, with its impositions of order and bureaucracy, unnatural restrictions on our freedom. Unmoored by these limitations we are free to commune with the cosmos.

The promise of any Phish concert is that any moment anything is possible, a clear symbol and parallel with the true freedoms and fundamental nature of the universe. We are here after all, and there is nothing more marvelous to behold than existence. Music imitates G-d and / or the creation of the Universe; The relative stability of harmonic intervals mimics that of the electron orbiting the nucleus of an atom. Phish has become so familiar with their harmonic terrain that in their purest creations they function like G-d or whatever force initiated our world.

Our purest fantasies are those where we are free to create purely, like a child at play; So as we watch and participate in Phish’s creation acts we play out this fantasy of creation alongside them, alongside one another. At their best Phish are able to explain the deepest secrets of the universe by transmitting a signal that we spontaneously comprehend down through to our pores, to our very particles, the basis of our existence.

This is why we come back.

Simply The Best

Watch above to see Jon Hamm absolutely kill the opening of the ESPY awards last night. His Dwight Howard jokes were right on point and well the Teo one was amazing too. Great job Jon. Great job!

"Simply the best..." hahaha

Emmy Nominations

The Emmy Award nominations were announced this morning and I stayed in my house an extra few minutes to see who grabbed them. I was pleasantly surprised at some of the nominations and then downright appalled at the lack of nominations for other shows. Here is my rundown.

-Big shout out to Netflix for their 8 nominations for House of Cards including Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright for the main acting categories. This is a first for a streaming service. 

-So happy that Laura Linney got nominated for her role in The Big C. So well deserved.

-Also well deserved is Kerry Washington being nominated for her role in Scandal. Show is so addictive...

-My biggest problem is the omission of Parks and Recreatio' for the TV comedy series. Please tell me I don't live in a world where people actually think that The Big Bang Theory is funnier then Parks and Rec. Come on people. Although they did give Amy Poeler a nomination (she better win the damn thing).

-I though Homeland was over nominated this year. Season 2 was nowhere near Season 1 quality. I actually thought Dexter and especially Jennifer Carpenter (Debra Morgan) deserved a nomination.

-Elizabeth Moss was the big winner with nominations for both Mad Men and Top of the Lake.

-Yay for Bill Hader being nominated for his last season on SNL.

-And congrats to Jeff Daniels for the nomination for The Newsroom. Seriously if you are not watching that show get on it! Season 2 just started...

Thats all from me here. Good luck everyone.

Robin Roberts Receives Arthur Ashe Award

Robin Roberts, one of my personal heroes, was awarded the Arthur Ashe Award last night at the ESPY's and she gave one of the best speeches I have ever seen. If you do nothing else but watch this video today I would say your day is complete.

Love you Robin. What an inspiration.

Acoustic Ellie Goulding

Doesn't get much better then Ellie performing her hit "I Need Your Love" on the back of her tour bus. Enjoy!

Robin Roberts To Win Arthur Ashe Award Tonight

I'm not sure there is a more inspiring story in the media right now other than Robin Roberts. Everything she has been through in the last few years it is fitting that the ESPY's will honor her tonight with the 'Arthur Ashe Achievement Award'. I can not wait to watch (and cry) my eyes out tonight when watching her walk across that stage and achieve that award. Congratulations to one of my heroes Robin on this amazing achievement. 

New John Mayer

John Mayer looks absolutely ridiculous on his album cover for 'Paradise Valley' due out in August. Yet despite that the singles coming off the album are sounding pretty fantastic. (And no this is not because I get an email from my older brother about them every time they are released.) They are actually good. 

The single I heard last night called 'Wildfire' is a perfect summer jam. Makes you want to sit out on your porch with a glass of lemonade and relax. 

Trust me and try this song out.

Now go change your clothes John...

Poor Form Rolling Stone

I am shocked and saddened by the choice that Rolling Stone magazine has made with their cover article this week. I will not show the picture here because I think it plays into everything that is wrong with the media in 2013 and if you want to have that conversation with me I promise it will be a good one (and long one). 

Usually the cover of R.S. has been reserved for musicians, actors and even politicians but the choice to put Boston Marathon bombing suspect on the cover has angered and outraged many.... and for good reason. R.S. says that they want to reveal 'how a popular, promising student was failed by his family, fell into radical Islam, and became a monster". And to that I say who cares. This is a man who took the lives of many, shattered a city and caused chaos for days. Why glorify him? Why give him any more attention then he is already getting?

I don't really have anything else to say but I"m saddened by the choice that R.S. has made and my thoughts and prayers go out to the victims, their families and the city of Boston during this difficult time. 

Damn You Sara Bareilles

I told you all this yesterday that I was going to buy Sara's new album and why I was excited for it. Well today I'm here to report that its as amazing as I would have expected and like always I found a song that has broken my heart in two. It always happens on her albums (See the song 'Gravity').

This time the song is called "Manhattan" and the lyrics will hit you like a punch to the throat. Just check out some of them and the song below. Its perfectly devastating....

"You can have Manhattan, I know it's for the best

I'll gather up the avenues and leave them on your doorstep

And I'll tip toe away so you won't have to say you heard me leave

....

You can have Manhattan, I'll settle for the beach

And sunsets facing westward with sand beneath my feet

I'll wish this away, this missing the days when I was one half of two

And you can have Manhattan cause I can't have you"

This my friends is why this singer-songwriter will never get old in my book. Go pick up her album today!

Congrats Mo!

As a life long Yankee fan last night was a very emotional All-Star game. It would be the last time we saw our hero our savior Mariano Rivera pitch in an All-Star game; making it even more real that this is really the end for probably the greatest pitcher my eyes will ever see. And well they paid him every bit of respect that he deserved.

The top of the 8th inning started with the familiar tune of 'Enter Sandman'. We see a shot of Mo getting ready to run out on to Citi Field. He enters the stadium to a huge standing ovation but something was different. In respect for the man not one player took the field giving Mo his final spotlight. He ran to the mound. A catcher came out to catch some of his warm ups. The benches cleared still cheering for the man, and Mo did what he is known for. He was gracious, he was emotional, bowed his head at each side and quietly started the inning. Of course he retired each of the batters he faced in easy fashion but his night was not over. 

Rivera got the last honor that he had yet to achieve in his baseball career. All-Star MVP. He stood there with the crystal bat kind of in shock about how the evening went. For anyone else I would think that they would know they deserved it... but thats just not Mo. He is literally the most selfless player I have ever seen. That matched with his talent is the reason that he has garnered this much respect not only in the MLB but across all of sports.

As a Yankee fan this season is going to be tough when it comes to a close. 'Enter Sandman' will always make me think of this man and his dominance. But I hope more than anything that players across the country will see how Rivera conducts himself and take a hint. He is surely one of those players where I thank my lucky stars I was able to see numerous times with my own eyes.