Hi everybody and welcome to today’s episode of Attendance Bias. I am your host, Brian Weinstein.
When I first began collecting tapes, I would always keep my eyes out for Phish shows at Jones Beach. Having grown up on Long Island, going to concerts at Jones Beach was a summer tradition. It didn’t even matter who was playing-the venue was a 10 minute drive for me, and on a nice night, it’s one of the best outdoor venues in New York. So you can imagine my reaction when I found out that my new favorite band had played there a number of times.
It’s with that genuine delight and natural curiosity that I approached today’s guest, Jonathan Frederic, about his chosen show: July 23, 1993, Phish’s first time headlining their own show at Jones Beach. 1993 was an amazing time to learn about Phish, as they were just dipping their toes in the water to jump from small theaters to larger amphitheaters, a transition that would continue for approximately the next two years. During that time, the band was introducing new music from Rift, beginning their craziest musical exploration and experimentation, and creating new ways to connect to the audience, as they couldn’t maintain un-mic’d a capella performances and the Big Ball Jam in these sprawling arenas and amphitheaters.
It was a pleasure to hear a first-person experience from someone who experienced all of these changes in ONE SHOW, especially at my one-time hometown venue. So let’s join Jonathan to talk about when to eat carbohydrates, ending up front-row center at the venue, and The Pixies as we go over July 23, 1993 at the Jones Beach Amphitheater.