I had just finished university and had been weighing my options. I owed a little money to my mom for school and naturally wanted to pay it back. I had some best friends who had been teaching English in Korea and making some good money. They found a job for me that began June 1. I had taken my brothers to their first shows at the 9 9 99 show in Van, and then down to the Gorge. I went on solo to that epic Portland show, but that's a tale for another day.

I hate stating how many shows you have been to, like it's some military rank, but for some of you, it's credence is very important. I have been to 76 shows since '95, and like most of you, am a "phish dork", with my little notepad writing down what song it is after two seconds of playing. The reason I am discussing this is if Phish is playing in SF, and I am on the east coast, well, too bad. But, if I'm in Korea, and they're playing in Japan, I better %&*$# be there.

The job that I had did not allow me to go to any shows. My bros were heading to the 3 in Tokyo, which suited me just fine. But, I couldn't go. Imagine arriving to Asia, and after being there for a day or two, your best friends take off to go see some epic shows leaving you to ponder the organized chaos of Korea.

Two days before I have to split, I go to a late showing of the movie "Road Trip". I'm extremely pensive, with a good measure of apprehension thrown in to sweeten the mix. After the flick, I check my cell, and my mom has left some messages. It's pretty late, so I am little perturbed. I get home, and she informs me that one of my bros has phoned, explaining that my job has been givin to someone else, and to give him a ring. I do so, and he tells me it's all good, and that I could now find a better contract. And . . .

I'm going to hit the Tokyo shows. Like I said, I'm just setting the mood here, so hold one. My mom has been to 3 shows with me (10/19/96; 11/25/98; and 9/11/99) and knows what Phish means to me. She is also a travel agent, so she went in to change my ticket first thing in the morning to get me to Korea via Tokyo. I wake up lightly, as a very heavy weight had been lifted off my shoulders. Go downstairs and find my mom. She looked a litte bummed, and then proceeds to explain to me that I get into Tokyo on the 8th of June: gold. However, the Tokyo-Seoul route is so overbooked that I wouldn't be able to get to Korea until the 19th. Edison's invention explodes in my brain, "I going to do the whole %$&*# tour."

Another one of my brothers gets on the net and secures me three tix to the shows that weren't sold out yet. It'll be tough to get into the smaller shows, but, who cares, I'm going to Japan.

I have an old friend in Tokyo teaching English, a Montreal honey. If you haven't been up to Montreal yet, well, you're missing some of the finest. I can stay with her while I'm there, and have a sweet base camp. Upon arrival, she gives me my own cell, maps to every Tokyo venue, and a key to her pad in downtown Tokyo. Sweet.

Sleep my first night and feel great. Go to the city train station to meet my one bro from Korea. Craig came in for the first show, while Kirk and Caroline were coming for the second and third.

I'm waiting and Craig is late. Finally, I see him, and we go nuts. We're on the subway, full of Japanese people, screaming, "We're in fuckin' Tokyo." Get off after two stops and are in a full run now. We're late and I don't have a ticket for On-Air East. My Montreal honey's map indicated we had to run out of the station, and run between the first and second of three giant TV screens. What we saw after getting out was nuts. The craziest intersection in the world, Shibuya (there's a cool shot of it in the flick Baraka, check it out)

Run to the show, Phish is already on, Craig goes in. So after all my longwinded-ness, here's where it gets good. Yeah it took a while, my bad, i'm sorry.

After chilling outside of the venue, scanning for extras, but not happening. I have my ear up to the glass door so I could hear some of the set. After the glass door, there was a huge oak door that led into the room itself. This Japanese wookie slaps his ticket against the glass inside the venue. I thought he was telling me to go fuck myself, but then he held up a finger, saying hold on. He slipped the ticket through a crack, and I had it in my hand. I run to the gate, and they explain to me that it's already been ripped, no admittance. I put on an Oscar-worthy performance explaing it was my mom's birthday, and I had to call her and leave the venue, and the ticket was so expensive, blah, blah, blah.

It works; I'm in. Run to the wookie, slip his stub, give him a hug, open the oak doors, and as fast as I could I slip into the stitch and pass. I got in during the Moma and rocked down the rest. Absolute gold

Meet up with Craig after the show and go back to my friend's pad. We're pumped. Smallest venue that I have ever seen Phish in, about 800. Craziness. Before that my smallest show was at the CCCC or Portland Meadows, or Lake Acid, I don't know.

Next day, meet up with Kirk and Caroline and go to the show. The night before Craig and I had bought some mushrooms at a legit vending booth near the show. Yes, at that time, boomers were still legal in Japan. They are expense (25/g) but real nice. We also mixed up some Bombay and OJ and brought it into the show. We were allowed to bring it to the show!!

Macked the boomers, pounded the Bombay, and raged the tenth row. We met up with this dude Craig met the night before, Chase, and rocked it down with him. On a brief side note, I find it very important to be able to laugh at yourself; this is why I will tell you this. First set, Trey chk chk chk chk chk, either Punch or Guyute. I yell top of lungs, "Punch" to the opening notes of Guyute. Personal highlight baby. I haven't really lived that down yet.

The show rocks, so does our buzz, and we head after to a club called the Liquid Room where LTJ Buken, DRS, and MC Conrad are dropping the super phatty drum and bass with mc's. Party until 6, having to literally be dragged off the dance floor.

Lie in bed that Sunday and skip the outdoor show. Heard it was magical, but I was all good at the time, you know what I'm sayin'!!!

Say good bye the next day to my friends, and chill in Tokyo. Tuesday, hop on the train to Nagoya with no ticket, no place stay, and basically no clue.

After a few brief stops on the outskirts of Tokyo, this Japanese dude gets on and sits down next to me. He has the seat right next to me in the smoking car. You can just sit at your seat on the bullet train and smoke; again fuckin gold.

This dude next to me immediatly asks me if I'm going to the show. Ends up he went to school in Cali, seen about 30 shows (2 which I was at 11/29 and 11/30/96), and he's a journalist. He tells me Nagoya is tiny and that I probably won't get in. He doesn't have an extra, but he's a real cool guy. He hasn't seen a show in years so I get him up to speed on what's happening: the phunk, new stage setup, etc. After shooting the shit for about two hours, I need some time alone to think about my precarious situation. I slap my discman on his ears to listen to some newer Phish. We have about 30 minutes before we pull into Nagoya. I choose one of my favorite jams that I have ever seen: CCCC 12/7/99 Halley's Comet coming in over 25 minutes.

I continue chain smoking as this dude is bopping along, eyes closed. Train starts to slow down, as does the Halley's. Dude takes of the earphones, takes out his wallet, and gives me his ticket. "Give me 6000 yen right now!" What?!? Hey, I don't want to create any problems. This dude tells me, "Dude, you're getting into this show no matter what. Don't worry, I'll work it out." Pay the dude, have a ticket, thank you Mr. Comet.

Go to the show, find some more boomers, and rage probably the most intimate show Phish had played in 5 years. I'd say about 500, but the level of intimacy was second to none, as you can hear on the tapes. Meet up with Chase, tells me I can crash on the floor of his hotel, and things are absolute gold.

Wow!! This is crazy. Things are going so smooth. Continuing on this vibe, Chase's travel buddies are not really into Phish and sell me their tickets for Big Cat in Osaka, the one ticket that I needed. More smoothness executed to perfection.

Do the rest of the tour with Chase and make a great friend. We rock down the rest of the tour, especially as 6/14/00 was his birthday. Third row Trey side for that epic second set.

Well, I could go on, but that's enough. The rest was amazing and met so many great people. In Osaka, I even met this guy Jeff, who ended up living in my city in Korea as well, and we're still close.

That was the best two weeks of my life, and I must thank Phish, Chase, Craig, Kirk and Caroline, my mom, and all Japhamily that made it what it was.

-  al dude