Phishing Trip (2009-2011)
As the humidity rose and the temperature hit 89 degrees I was drenched in sweat as I walked through the gates of Boston’s Fenway Park for Phish's first official tour date in five years. I hadn’t seen the band since 2001, and I had never photographed them, so my excitement level was rising as the skies opened up and the rain poured down. An hour later, just as the band took the stage, the skies cleared, the temperature began to plummet, and a huge rainbow arched over the old ballpark. It seemed a fitting tribute for the band’s return, and the crowd went wild. For the next three hours I was mesmerized both visually and musically, grooving to the music while continually photographing the twirling dancers and band members, all psychedelically lit by the amazing light show. As the last cord of the encore was struck, I was once again drenched in sweat, not because of the heat and humidity this time (the temperature had dropped to a very chilly 43 degrees) but because I had been so photographically energized and inspired. I decided right then and there that I wanted to continue to photograph this traveling circus called Phish, and see where it would eventually take me.
On and off for the next three years I attended and photographed numerous Phish shows, and the community of fans that followed the band. The scene brought back memories for me of attending Grateful Dead shows in my youth, and I loved being in that equivalent head-space once again. What came clearly into focus for me was just how much Phish and their fans had adopted so many of the Grateful Dead’s traditions; the pre-show parking lot rituals, the band allowing fans to freely record and share the music, and the inside tidbits and jokes that only the faithful were privy too. Phish had taken the Dead model and brought it into the digital age, but now instead of trading tapes, they traded CD’s and downloads. Sadly though, over time, I noticed how the Phish scene, like the Grateful Dead scene before them, began morphing from a place of togetherness and joy into one much darker and more ominous, often fueled by nitrous oxide tanks, harder drugs, and a new influx of fans who seemed far less interested in the music and positive vibes then into partying and being a part of the scene.
As the years passed, I began to feel that I had photographically gone about as far as I could documenting the scene surrounding Phish, and I moved on to photographing a few up and coming local bands who played in smaller venues, giving me a more intimate and personal photographic experience.
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