Submit: What do you think it means to be a phishhead?

Jen:

• When you're in your friend's basement, and no matter what, late night, you always end up talking about all that Phish is.....
• When you're in that same basement with Possum turned all the way up, and you're all just dancin hard with your eyes closed, pretending you were at a show......
• When your favorite Phish songs change daily.....
• When you think of the best times in your life, they are all Phish related.....
• When you're at a show, and you make eye contact with anyone, and you and that person just smile, cause you both KNOW......
• When at least once a day you wish Phish would just play NOW.....
• When you have the words to Silent in the Morning, Theme and pages of your favorite lines from songs printed out and taped on your wall underneath a 6 page description of Phish culture......
• When you have 3 different journals to describe your feelings---one for in the show, one for feelings after the show, and one elaborately detailed journal that becomes a project, and you have 3 separate ones because you want to make sure you don't forget ANYTHING......
• when you keep everything ever given to you at a show: stickers, random Business Cards, a shiny disco ball necklace, an alien bubble blowing pen, fliers, Tour Extras from every tour you've been on etc, just because (thanks everyone!).....
• if the memory of Big Cypress is overwhelmingly moving because of all that it was, but you can't put it into words because they couldn't do it justice......
• if someone says something about a sunrise and you automatically think of the one at Big Cypress during Velvet Sea, and you get chills and remember the tears you cried because that moment couldn't be described as anything but perfect.....
• When you think of Phish, you just smile.....

Pop:

• A. The smell of Patchouli and B.O. makes you happy.
• B. Dudes are friends, but friends are kids.
• c. You think of supergroup lineups and they always include Trey.
• D. You destroy multiple cars from touring
• E. The acronyms SOAM, PYITE, and FEFY all have meaning for you.
• F. Every time you see a band you feel ripped off because it doesn't compare.
• G. You Teach grandparents the meatstick
• H. two words: "murat gin"

Mike:

• you're in school and see someone talking about or listening to phish, and you immediately join the conversation, even though you don't know them, and pheel like you're w/ phamily
• you dance through the halls of school, pass the snarling phootbal players because phish is on your headphones
• you've driven around looking phor bittersweet motel
• all your pet phish are named after songs or band members
• you're starting to save for the next tour even though the hiatus is "indefinate"
• hiatus gives you nightmares of the waiting you have suffered and will keep suffering through.

Lance W. II:

• When your mom calls to see how you're doing because she heard that the band "broke up"
• When you first pull into a lot or hop in the lot line and see all the cars with stickers and feel like you're finally at home.
• If you made it to Big Cypress!
• If you grow a little more concerned when you check the site and still see no future show dates.
• When shows cease to be an "option," and become a "must"!
• When deer crossing signs make you smile
• When you're able to put your own personal feelings aside and are able to understand that the hiatus is for you as much as it's for them.

Mike Stiebel:

• When you skip class to watch a bootleg video of Shoreline.
• When people refer to you as "phish" for lack of a better description.
• You will fight forever over the fact that they are on "hiatus," not broken up.
• When you base vacation around tour.
• People ask why you have so many tapes of the same band?
• You can tell what song they are going to play by the 1st 2 notes.
• When you have trouble finding t-shirts that aren't related to Phish in your closet.

Dan:

• your goals in life include moving to Vermont, starting a band, and finding a guy to build you a custom semi- hollow guitar.

Andy F:

• Even though you saw 16 of 18 shows on summer tour 2000, you now say "what the hell was I thinking? why didn't I see ALL of them?"
• You shudder when you hear the word "hiatus."
• You tell people your biggest regret was not seeing more shows and they think your a damn fool, and you love it, because they don't know.

Bill:

• for the first time in the last 7 yrs you finally have extra money
• people ask you where Mt. Icculus is and you reply w/ "near Gamehedge," to which they reply "where's that," to which you reply, "everywhere."
• as a group activity at summer camp, instead of playing dodgeball, you teach the kids the meatstick dance.
• you check gadiel.com/phish for something new although you know its going to be the same as it was 3 hrs ago.
• you are playing air guitar and making "Trey Faces" to Divided Sky in the shower
• you go to write one thing on this list and all of a sudden you think of 15 more
• you are glad phish is on Hiatus
• it's not about how many shows you've seen, how many you're going to next tour or how that "Mike's jam in Denver" was so tight, but when it's about the music, and only the music. Bye Now.

Matt:

• people look at you phunny because you are dancing in your car.
• you write "you know when you're a phishhead whens " on your hand so you don't forget them.

Jillian:

• you get up 20 minutes early so you can take the pefrect shows with you for your hour drive to college

Matt:

• you know what nag champa is.
• all off your lights and keys have funky smelling black coat to them

kdeuce:

• a show is better than any girl, any drug, any thing
• you consider the fact that all of your life changing experiences have occurred at shows

Brian:

• you live on Fee lane and your roommate's name is Robert!!

Sarah:

• when your wedding song is Lovin' Cup into a sick Tweezer reprise.
• You cry because you miss seeing fall shows.
• You iron Phish decals onto your baby's little white t-shirts.

Kerr:

• when you're a camp counselor in the summer with 9-12 year olds, and instead of having the kids clap during camp songs, you have them chant "cheesecake."  All the other counselors think you're crazy, but you don't care.
• when you trade your sega genesis for a whole bunch of phish shows
• you're always looking for that girl, you know the one. dancing without a care... singing along to fee... and a smile that makes you split open and melt.
• you give out phree hugs

Shane Rabideau:

• you save your change starting after the last show so when they start up again (please soon!) you will have money for the tour (I have 150 bucks already!)

• your body tingles when you hear a sick show on CD or tape for the first time after being at the show

phishack:

• you had a dream that Mike just got you out while playing dodgeball

J^B:

• You know that Antelope is not allowed to be anyone's favorite song because it doesn't count.

Cory T:

• You want to kick someone's ass who talks about "hippies" as strange folks who listen to that garbage music.

trueblue:

• you introduce all phish songs with 'the'

Kevin:

• you look in the rear view mirror and see your three-your-old son sitting in his carseat in the back, singing along to Sparkle, Horn and My Friend, My Friend.

Matt S:

• When you live near Pittsburgh and you've actually gone north on I-79 towards Erie on the highway to the Bittersweet Motel. Just to see if it's actually there. ( I couldn't find it) :(

phishack:

• Your hacky sack beads are scattered all over the phucking arena where trey and the boyz played, phrum playing with a sack you've played with phor a long time.

Matt:

• you take a show and play loving cup.

Baconman:

• when you change your own name to trey anastasio and name your kids after the rest of the band.

OhKeePa2001:

• When you have had more than one experience waiting for a lock smith after the show.
• When you get pulled over by the police on the way to the show and the cop says, "nice stickers"
• When people see the Save Gamehenge sticker on your car, and ask if that is near here.
• When you beep and smile at cars with phish stickers on them.
• When you meet a long term significant other at a show, and actually live several states away.
• When you wake up every day asking the same question, "when will they tour again!?!?"

c. leblanc:

• You decide to study abroad in Switzerland because the band isn't touring for a while, and your first real European excursion leaves you outside Uffizi feeling at home because you know the boys have walked those streets.

Joseph:

• u r a straight male, but for some reason you're attracted to mike gordon...

Trey M:

• You have people convinced that high geere is a new type of john deer tractor because you know they will never understand
• People think that you bought your Trey Solo Tour shirt because it has your name on it.
• You are known as "the guy with all the cds
• People see your Save Gamehendge sticker and ask where Gamehendge is, and you actually know
• You get to shows three hours ahead of time because you don't want to miss the opener
• You find it amusing when people ask you where the words of the song are.
• You are at a panic show and realize how much you miss phish when a girl says that she likes panic because they have good lyrics
• You have no favorite CDs, but favorite versions of songs.
• You take your dad to a show and he leaves saying trey is better than hendrix.
• People think your "see the city see the zoo" sticker is cute

LeeCSUYEM:

• You lose your train of thought while writing these because trey starts to wail.
• You hear your girlfriend/sibling/family member inadvertently say the first words to a line of a song, and you immediately interrupt to finish the line.
• You have over a hundred shows, but you still get nervous and pissy if you can't find one disc.
• Your teacher uses you as an example in class and tells everyone that you "often wear your phish hat and are obviously a big phan" (true story)
• You are watching a movie or having some sappy moment with your girlfriend and all you can think is, I wish I was there right now.
• You and your best friends talk about "the guys" and all mutually understand who that is.
• You have a picture of the band as your computer background, and you say hi to them every time you come home and the screen is on.
• You have described highs to your friends as "phishy"
• You get real edgy and defensive when your non-phan friends make jokes about phish never coming back.
• You skip class to burn shows for a guy you met over phishhook, and your girlfriend gets pissed... she doesn't understand true kindness.
• You suck at instrument playing but have given SERIOUS consideration at different times to buying a keyboard, drum set, bass and guitar.
• You tell your friends who play the guitar that they should get a "custom 'doc," and they ask what the hell your talking about
• You wake up smiling because you had the dream about the three set reunion tour opener again.
• Your girlfriend tells you you aren't romantic enough, and in your defense you cite the time you sang "wading in the velvet sea" to her a capella.

Lentz:

• divided sky is a spiritual song for you
• your head automatically starts to bob when contact comes on
• you spend a whole day at work looking up info on the whole Gamehenge saga
• you pass out at the trey concert, but you are magically woken by the reprise of first tube
• you try and get your coworkers to listen with you, and they have blank stares
• you are amazed when people haven't heard of them
• you make phish shirts yourself... yikes

Dan the phan:

• you get chills every time you hear first tube playing off of a live show

Rich:

• you see deer signs on the road and want to go paint antlers on them
• you put stickers all over your town, just so u can laugh when u pass by them
• you swear to god you just saw mike gordon sitting on the corner, drinking a beer
• the only thing that can bring you and your older brother together is going to shows together
• you don't eat fish because you love phish too much
• you forget that phish are people and that they need a hiatus
• you go on the net rite after the show u went to last nite (last year) and d/l it the next day... now that's only in phish-land

AJ:

• you and your girlfriend fall in love while waste is playing.

HippyJim:

• When you and your girlfriend are fighting, and the only think you can think about is how much you love PHISH.
• Every time you watch Bittersweet Motel you get pumped up for a show, and you realize that PHISH is on Hiatus.

Sean:

• when 7 hot girls just invited you to a football game where all your non-phans would be, and you stayed at home to fill out this form.
• when you and your cousin, who is 7 hours away at college, always know exactly what song the other one is listening to
• When people ask if "you have anything besides phish?" and you have to answer, "yeah, string cheese incident"
• When the same college cousin sends you a 3 page email saying that he finally bought picture of nectar

Lordtrey:

• When your wedding song was.. WASTE!!
• every time you hear November Rain, you picture Axel Rose on stage singing to page on the keys.
• every time you hear Southbound by the Almanns, you think, "man, what i would do to hear Trey ripp this one out."
• you basically know they could play any cover better than its creator.
• you have emailed this link to every phishhead you know and can't stop talking about it.

Chemacal:

• When you haven't seen your Dad in 20 years, you write him a letter, go visit him, get closure and then drive down the highway, sun setting over Newport, RI, you pop in Divided Sky and it feels like you're not even really alive...you're a mythical character from a book written 500 years ago.
• When you've witnessed the complete transformation of one of your best friends in the world from an angry kid w/ a chip on his shoulder to a benevolent creature who is happy and kind, and it's all because of Phish's music
• When nothing in this whole world gets you more excited than the first 3 notes of Guyute because you know the next 10 minutes will be pure, unadulterated joy
• When you can never again eat Cheesecake without thinking of NYE2000
• When you finally get sick of trying to convince people to like the band and realize it's something you own, no one can take it away from you, and you feel like you're part of the most exclusive club in the world.
• When girlfriends can't understand why you would see the same band 3 times in a week, and you giggle to yourself because she'll never understand....
• When the same friend mentioned above records, labels and creates an album of the most significant Phish shows you've been to, as well as important shows in general, and it is the single greatest and most important gift you've ever received in your life.
• When every cover song you hear them play sounds 1,000 times better than the original, and you automatically like it, just because they do.
• When you just know that the first song out of the gate at the 1999 NYE show would be "1999" by Prince, and you feel like they played it just for us.
• When you knew what your New Year's Eve plans were on January 2nd, just weren't sure which city you'd be in for those plans.
• When you train for a marathon for an entire summer, and the only music you run to every single day is the third set of Boston 1996 NYE
• When an Elephant is leading the entire crowd out of a concert... you just watched and you don't think it's strange, you think it's a gift....
• When you wish that everyone would simply take the time to listen...to really listen...because we'd all be much better off!

Lordtrey:

• when you've spent over 300 hours and over $400 burning over 100 live Phish Shows, surfing the internet looking for the perfect 3D Graphic art to label, title and track each one. 
• When you make tons of extra copies of the most impressive cd's and bring them everywhere you go just in case you might have the chance to do the good deed of giving a show to a fellow phishhead so that he or she too, may share its Phun.
• When every Password on every computer and every website is a phish song or simply "Trey"!
• When People talk about Widespread...Don't!...Sorry, that just ain't gonna do it!
• When you and your friends and "Molly" go out, you always find your way back to your phish CD's.
• When the T-shirt you had on under your Tuxedo at your Wedding was a never before worn, perfect condition relic of all four 1996 Redrocks Shows.
• When every time you even hear the words "Rolling Stone," you just want to break down and cry and pray that the Phish story was never written.
• When you come home form being out all night at 2 a.m. and don't go to sleep until 4.
• When, every time you think about PHISH and all the Phun they have brought to your life, you are just thankful that we phishheads are so lucky to have had something so special that some people will never understand, and that feeling makes it great to be alive.

Jonny 5 (moose):

• you chill in burlington, vt. in the off season
• you shave the band's name into your head
• you can have a phatty party for 15 minutes anywhere, anytime by crankin fluffhead on the stereo

Adam:

• you and your boys take your best friend to his first show, and you just watch as he tries to take it all in, and then he looks at you and goes, "i get it"... you can't help but grin.

R*O*B:

• you spend your free time hanging out on www.livephish.org with your internet buddies and drinking pretend drinks in livephish afterdark
• you are up at 1:48 in the morning reading this because if it's about phish, you're on it
• when you consider it a victory getting phriends into phish that used to hate them

Christopher:

• When you miss swimming in the ambient positivity created by the auras of the beautiful souls all around you.
• When one of your most awe-inspiring moments is looking up in the middle of your phirst show (12/29/98) and noticing that the entire Madison Square Garden is moving in unison to the groove.
• When you feel the need to go out and spend $900.00 for the best used bass you can afford - after listening to Vultures once tooo often.
• When Lawn Boy is your favorite superhero, because he's out there "saving lives". (ie When you understand how a starburst can actually save a life.)
• When divorce (I'm 35); professional and financial ruin (since recovered); mean nothing because the trade off was the long and winding road that led you to discover the band.
• When you count amongst your fondest memories, the time you met Diane - 6:00am at the Betty Boop Lounge in Vegas (after the Claypool show). No sex, no last name, just the most beautiful soul you ever saw.
• When you literally have cried because the last thing you heard live was "Emotional Rescue". IF it had to be a cover, why not, "While my guitar gently weeps".
• When your younger siblings don't understand what the phuk you're talking about.
• When you know why, "Primus Sucks"

Obie:

• When you know that the haitus wasn't planned just for the band members to explore their horizons. Thanks guys...

JackRV2:

• You know you're a phish phanatic when you phind yourself typing all PH's as starting with "Ph"... See, even I can't type a regular ph anymore.. I need to see a fishician about this.. Wait... Hmm...

Lynndog:

• WHEN ALL YOU THINK ABOUT IS GETTIN BACK ON TOUR - PHUK SCHOOL AND WORK - WHERE ELSE WOULD YOU RATHER BE?
• WHEN YOUR BEST FRIENDS ARE KIDZ THAT YOU ONLY SEE AT SHOWS - YEAH PAGE SIDE HIGH HEADZ!!

Alex:

• You can recite a nearly perfect Gamehenge off the top of your head.
• You name a pet or member of your family after band members.
• Every time you hear a phish tune, you reminisce about a time you saw them play it live.

Mark and Daniel:

• You're at a Widespread concert and you hear the guy behind you say, "These guys blow Phish out of the water," and you are truly and deeply offended.
• You are at a Panic concert and you swear on your life you hear Schools tease "Tweezer"

DisneyPhish:

• New Year's Day always makes you think of cheesecake.
• Someone has given you a nug or a bag of shrooms for singing the Little Mermaid song to their granddaughter, who has always lived on the road as part of a traveling Phish family
• You live in Orlando and go all the way to Massachusetts just to hear a Trey show on your birthday
• You would wait in a fifty hour traffic jam if you could repeat the NYE 2000 experience
• You spontaneously burst into song, singing "You've got to run like an antelope out of control!"
• You are a music teacher and use Phish songs in your lessons as often as possible

Matt:

• You stumble across this list for the first time, read the entire thing (when you should be working), then go sit in the bathroom, laugh, cry, and wish TO GOD that you were there again.

• Oh yeah, and the true test: you NEVER get sick of talking about them. Never.

• You cut and paste this entire list into an email for your best phriend and send it to her at work because she NEEDS to read it now....not later, now.

Becky:

• you know every word in every song, and the music takes hold of your insides and just thrashes about.  It's a wonderful pheeling. i hope this hiatus is doing the guys some good...

A-dog:

• when you and your kids hit a dead possum heading home from cinci in '98, and it was a cool thing. . .
• your heart hurts thinking that your 5 month old son may never see his first show. . .
• you wanna jibboo, too. . .
• you have to wonder about the cat who owns the shop called 'say cheesecake' in your town

Kristina:

• You have a Phish Is Back/Hiatus Over! money fund (because you WILL be at the opening show)
• Most of your friends live in other states (and you miss them all the time)
• The Phunky Bitches are your MOST favorite people
• You cannot be in a relationship with someone who doesn't love Phish as much as you do
• You know you will live in Vermont when you finish school
• Phish shows are better than sex
• You can't remember the last time you bought clothes in an actual store
• Thinking about shows you've been to sometimes makes you cry
• You cried tears of PURE happiness after the second night at Albany of the last tour before the hiatus
• You can't imagine how many times you've tried to make your family understand
• You will try to find the farmhouse one day
• Hiatus is suddenly a huge part of your vocabulary and you HATE that
• You know that Phish saved your life

Eric:

• When "your song" for you and your girlfriend is Wading in the Velvet Sea...
• When you're trying to choose a tape to take for your car ride, and you end up taking 7 tapes for a 10 minute ride

Emily:

• your pet parrot can sing "Birds of a Feather"

Miah:

• all you can say is phuk the hiatus

Tim:

• When two people separated by 40 years can talk for 20 minutes in a long port a potty line about last night's show

Brad C.

• When a show is the only thing that puts you in the high gear of you soul.......and the only thing you want to do, is dance.

Submit: What do you think it means to be a phishhead?