Being a longtime fan, surrounded by non-fans, I find myself always trying to explain why I like Phish. This is not an easy task, as I'm sure most of you reading this have tried. One thing I'll always say (kind of sarcastically) is that they just don't "get it."  Hopefully you know what I'm talking about. 

I first heard a Phish song in '93 when I was still in high school, it was Fee. What struck me about it was how different it was from anything I'd heard before. But, I still wasn't a big fan until I let other songs sort of soak in. I try to tell people that Phish for me is kind of like listening to classical music. It's all about build-ups and anticipation to get to a good grove in a song. For example, Reba, for someone listening the first time, the fast pace and crazy lyrics are a little too much to take in, but once that jam kicks in, hold on to your seat! 

So all in all, what I say to first time listeners, is that it takes patience. Songs may sound a little "out there" at first, but soon enough, you're certain to find a piece of a song that touches your soul. Thank god it did for me!

- jcro