Thank you to the 100 golfers who came together on September 2 at Willis Case Golf Course in Denver in support of our mission. We’re still crunching numbers, but have already raised over $6,000 through the event to continue our support of music education programs across the country.

I've had a bad habit of posting results 9 months or so later, but this time... we've got tournament results, prize summaries, sponsor thanks, some photos of the event, and a hidden lyrics puzzle - all below the fold...

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The Mockingbird Foundation is all about music education, and the volunteers behind it adore concerts, so we love when we can support the combination of the two. We're proud to announce that we have donated $20,000 to the Lebanon Opera House in Lebanon, New Hampshire, to bring teachers-by-day and musicians-by-night The String Queens to the venue for a residency in April 2024 as part of the LOH's coming Centennial Celebration.

During this residency, The String Queens will not only put on a slate of shows for the community, but also host a youth education series to demonstrate how diverse string music can be and offer one-on-one lessons to participants. We'll share more about the series as the event draws closer, but to find out more information, visit the Lebanon Opera House's social media pages.

We are only able to achieve this through your continued support. If you haven't donated recently, we hope that you'll consider doing so - at mbird.org/donate or via the "donate" button at the bottom of any page on Phish.net or at the top right of any page at mbird.org.

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When Jimmy Buffett recorded Phish’s “Gumbo” 23 years ago, it was one of many incredibly generous things he did, to the surprise of some. Generous, because it was for the Mockingbird Foundation’s two-disc tribute album Sharin’ in the Groove, which continues to raise funds for music education through scores of streaming services (from Amazon to Spotify and beyond) to this day. Incredible, because he spent an entire week in an Atlanta studio with the full Coral Reefers band, all on his own dime, recording the one Phish song that mentions a parrot. (Jimmy also has his own song about gumbo, as well as a song about a lizard.) Surprising, because some in the “music industry” continue to be stupefied that he did it at all.

Jimmy was extremely charitable, helping to start three nonprofits serving different needs. But he was apparently known for declining charitable performance invitations. He did his own things, and enjoyed his own spaces, and he gave plenty through other means. But his performances were understood to be for Parrotheads, or perhaps for profit (at least up front), not directly for philanthropy. “How’d you get him?” many who would know have inquired. The short answer is, I just asked. The longer answer involves that Jimmy and his people were instrumental in the creation of the Mockingbird Foundation, in ways few know and appreciate, providing helping hands both before and after Jimmy recorded what became our track #2.

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[We'd like to thank Rachael Wesley for recapping last night’s show. Her debut (and very Phish-filled) memoir, SECOND SET CHANCES, is forthcoming (April 2025) through Vine Leaves Press. Follow her on IG rachael_wesley_writes or check out her website: rachaelwesley.com for writing and book updates. —Ed.]

Growing up, Sundays were never my favorite day of the week. I was raised in a secular Catholic household, which meant if my parents woke, sans alarm, in time to attend Mass, we would go. My brother and I almost always arose before Mom and Dad. We would tiptoe around the house like mice, turning on Rugrats at the lowest volume possible, whispering together, holding our breath every time we heard a noise, anticipating our parents rising. Any second, we would be summoned to dress for church.

This happened about 50% of the time. Whether we made it to Sacred Heart of Jesus or not, our afternoons always ended with family time and sauce (never gravy) at my Grandparents’. Sometimes, it felt like forever before the spaghetti was served.

Though I never learned to enjoy church, I discovered that if I just surrendered to the routine of that day, Mass would go by a lot quicker, and the pasta at Gram’s would arrive sooner rather than later.

It’s been decades since being forced to attend a Mass I had zero interest in, but as Matt, yesterday’s reviewer, so beautifully said, Phish IS Church, and I’ve been a willing member of this congregation for over twenty years. A Sunday show day includes many of the same elements of the Sundays of yore: church, family, and food, and, for good measure, throw in the lessons of my youth to remember to surrender to what the day throws at you.

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[We'd like to thank Matt (@scissortail) for recapping last night's show. -Ed]

“Phish is church.”

I’ve been seeing Phish for a long time, and I’ve heard many people say some version of this over the years. I’ve said it plenty of times myself. It’s slightly difficult to articulate exactly what we mean by this phrase. We just feel it. We know it. The strange and mysterious alchemy of the music, the fellowship, the collective joy, the freedom, the release—it lifts up our hearts and enriches our souls. For many of us, it is nothing short of necessary.

The first time I saw Phish with my friend Byron was at the Woodlands Pavilion near Houston in 1999. I saw Phish with Byron dozens of times after that.

On Saturday morning I attended Byron’s funeral in our hometown of Edmond, Oklahoma. On Saturday evening I attended a Phish concert in Commerce City, Colorado. My wife and I, and many of our longtime Phish friends, decided that our Saturday should unfold this way for two reasons:

Because Byron would insist on it. And because Phish is church.

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[We'd like to thank Michael Ayers for recapping last night's show. -Ed]

I have a love/hate relationship with Dicks. I think it has become the quintessential Phish experience. Even after the loss of camping in 2019, it’s hard to top the Dicks experience. The city is fantastic, the venue is fantastic, hell, even the cops are chill. It’s always a great way to end summer tour.

Dicks, however, does not reciprocate that affection. In 2016, a minor medical issue ruined what was otherwise a perfect show on N1. In 2019, a minor medical emergency was narrowly averted as I was able to get some rest and water before anything serious happened. Which brings us to N1 2022. Were any of you leaving the Thursday show Mike’s side and saw a dude sitting on the ground, surrounded by EMTs because he faceplanted into concrete? If you did, hey, that was me! Two broken teeth, a $1200 ambulance ride, a lost Montreal Expos hat (one of those really nice fitted ones, too) and Dicks 2022 was over before it really got started.

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[We'd like to thank Lindsay Hope for recapping last night's show (@lindsayhopecreative on IG or on the web.)]

If there’s anything circling around the sun for decades following this band has taught me, it’s that you have the best shows when you have no expectations. When you live in the moment. And when you focus on feeling so damn lucky to be a part of something much bigger than yourself. Because even if you think you have it figured out — these guys find a way to surprise you. And when you let go of chasing songs or building dream setlists — the magic happens. For me, 8/31/2023 was that kind of night.

For the 35th rendition of Dicks, Phish took the crowd on an interstellar improvisational adventure. There was no shortage of experimentation — from the explosive start with a 19-minute show opening “Carini” (dedicated to Frenchie, the naked dude who inspired NYE 2022’s gag and a fellow Coloradoan I happen to have personally known… RIP) to a Tweezer that’s honestly hard to put into words. All night, it was easy to get lost in the ambient jamming under the full moon. And just when the flow seemed to go off the rails, the band brought the crowd back down to Earth to remind us why we were all here in the first place — to have a one-of-a-kind experience unlike anything we’ve ever heard before.

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[Courtesy of Christy Articola. -Ed.]

It's time for another issue of Surrender to the Flow! This issue is STTF #79: Colorado 2023, and we are so excited to offer it to you free or by donation as always. This issue is full of good stuff! It includes information about this year's Dick's Run 2023, e.g., where to eat, things to do, and things you need to know about. In this issue there are also reviews of most of Summer Tour 2023, and articles on a variety of interesting topics that we know you'll just love, e.g., articles about FOUR non-profits doing fantastic work, the Phish Studies Conference 2.0, and the status of the We've Got It Simple documentary.

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The 2024 Phish Studies Conference, which will be hosted at Oregon State University on May 17-19, is soliciting proposals for academic presentations, art exhibits, and musical performances. Scholarly presentations may come from any academic discipline and methodological approach and can fall into three categories: individual 20-minute presentations, 90-minute panel, roundtable, or workshop proposals (three presenters minimum), or 10-minute student scholar papers.

The conference also seeks proposals for artwork to be featured in conference venue hallways and meeting rooms. Additionally, the organizers invite proposals from musicians and bands to play during nightly social events. Performers and bands do not necessarily have to play the music of Phish but should have some relevance and connection to the band or their music.

Proposals for all categories are due no later than December 15, 2023. For more information, see the Call for Proposals on the conference webpage.

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[We'd like to thank Jennifer Moore (Twitter: @rowjenny) for recapping last night's show. -Ed.]

Everyone knows what happened last night, so part of me feels like this entire review should just be WOWZA!!!!! Nothing I can write here can encapsulate the musical magic of this very special Saturday evening in Saratoga.

Last night, Phish played their second performance of the weekend at Saratoga Performing Arts Center. Both shows were benefit shows to raise money to help people in Vermont and Upstate New York who were affected by catastrophic flooding in July. Phish and their charity organization, the Waterwheel Foundation, put these special shows together in a matter of weeks, complete with two acoustic preshow performances by Page and Trey.

We were fortunate to score pit tickets for the Saturday SPAC show. The SPAC pit is small (capacity 150), and in the dozens of times I have been to a concert at SPAC, I have only been in the pit a few times before. We entered the early entry lottery and scored numbers 3 and 4!!!!!!!

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[We'd like to thank Jennifer Moore (Twitter: @rowjenny) for recapping Trey Anastasio's and Page McConnell's one set performance prior to Phish's show last night. This intimate acoustic performance was for a select number of fans; giving them access to the SPAC Foundation Lounge before and throughout the Phish show, and special Foundation poster and merch, in addition to other amenities. More information can be found at https://phishfloodrecoverybenefit.100xhospitality.com/. -ed.]

For the second night in a row, Trey and Page performed a special, intimate acoustic concert at Saratoga Performing Arts Center in the late afternoon on a tiny stage inside the SPAC grounds. These special acoustic preshows were one of the many ways Phish, and the Waterwheel Foundation, Phish’s charity organization, raised money to benefit victims of flooding in Vermont and Upstate New York. Vermont experienced catastrophic flooding in July, with many towns completely inundated with flood waters, including our state capital of Montpelier. I live in Burlington and while we were safe from the flooding, many of our friends’ businesses and homes were not. We have been under the delusion that Vermont was mostly safe from massive disruption from climate change. This summer’s flooding was a giant wakeup call, and everyone is incredibly appreciative of the effort that went into pulling off these fundraisers on such a tight timeline.

We attended both nights of the Foundation event. In case you didn’t read yesterday’s review, the Foundation preshow was held at the Charles R. Wood Stage, a little tiny stage at the back of the lawn near concessions. It is small and simple, with a beautiful all wood back wall. It looks like the kind of stage a kids’ summer theater would perform on. The stage had a few hundred chairs set up in front of it, but also a little very low platform directly in front.

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[We'd like to thank Jennifer Moore (Twitter: @rowjenny) for recapping Trey Anastasio's and Page McConnell's one set performance prior to Phish's show last night. This intimate acoustic performance was for a select number of fans; giving them access to the SPAC Foundation Lounge before and throughout the Phish show, and special Foundation poster and merch, in addition to other amenities. More information can be found at https://phishfloodrecoverybenefit.100xhospitality.com/. -ed.]

On the terrible day in July that Vermont started experiencing catastrophic flooding, I made a joke online “Phish play another flood benefit show in Vermont (too soon?)” As it turns out, it wasn’t too soon. Phish started planning two benefit shows at SPAC almost immediately when the flooding started. The last time Phish played a flood benefit for Vermont (SIGH) it was held at the fairgrounds in Essex, Vermont, capacity 11K. This time, Phish chose SPAC for two nights, capacity 25K.

SPAC is an amazing choice for Vermonters for these shows – it is the closest amphitheater to the state, and for many of us, we consider this our home venue. I grew up in upstate NY and cut my Phish teeth here, too. There have been 21 standalone Phish shows at SPAC and I’ve been to all of them. As someone who adopted Vermont as her home state for twenty plus years, it means a lot that this band and the entire organization put together these shows in such a short period of time. Huge thanks to everyone who made these shows and this special event happen.

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[We would like to thank user Mgolia6 (Matthew Golia) for recapping last night's show. -Ed.]

While I am grateful for the opportunity to recap this show, I would have preferred that Phish not have to perform a benefit concert and that upstate New York and Vermont had not been ravished with storms and flooding. That being said, hats off to Phish, the band and organization, Waterwheel (and by proxy The Mockingbird Foundation and all of the .net volunteers) for their tireless efforts to support their community and the communities on every tour stop. Please, where possible, donate to help uplift and empower others.

235 years ago, in the Spring of 1788, a young Gideon Putnam was driven from his home in Bemis Heights New York by torrential flooding. He was rescued from the floods by his neighbor, Zophar Scidmore, and his sailboat, yes, a sailboat, in the middle of upstate New York. When the flood waters finally receded, the 25-year-old Putnam left Bemis Heights, following an old Native American trail to Saratoga Springs...and the rest, as “THEY” say, is (p)history!

Now, if not for that catastrophic flood, Gideon Putnam may have never come left his Bemis Heights home, taken risks to build hotels, tube the mineral springs, and create the hamlet of a town that is Saratoga Springs. And if it weren’t for the recent floods, Phish would not be in town and I would not be here click clacking away at the ole word processor, sipping on LEMONADE to recap the deluge of sonic brilliance that rained down upon SPAC last night.

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[This post is courtesy of user Mgolia6 (Matthew Golia), who will be recapping the Friday SPAC show in a week for this blog. -Ed.]

A Quick Level Set

We all have a different relationship with Phish. Each is personal, subjective, and influenced by a multitude of factors. Some fans are pure music lovers. Some love drugs (there is a veritable Silk Road pop up shop on every tour stop). Some come solo. Others roll deep with a lively crew. Some drag people while others get dragged. The draggers oft times were once draggees. For some it’s their first show. For some it’s their first show sober. For some it’s their hundredth. For some it’s their 46th and this is significant because they believe that at that show they will not only get a “46 days” but a chartable one to top 8/3/2003.

Some are lopes (that’s short for antelopes- term of endearment) that herd near the merch tent with their modified reinforced yoga mat holsters; waiting for the tour posters to go on sale so they can ask the clerk for the 46th numbered copy (same kid from above…lol). I once thought that these holster slingers were hardcore yogis who took mat protection to the next level and had a planned communal yoga sesh at setbreak. Turns out I was wrong.

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I've been remiss to post results of the 7th Annual Runaway Open from 2022, but since the 8th Annual is less than 3 weeks away - Sat. Sept 2nd at Willis Case in Denver - it seems well past time...

Last year, we had 120 plays (plus 18 additional donors, and a great slate of sponsors!) and gorgeous weather. Foursomes names have changed each year - sponsors, Phish characters, songs, etc. - and were named for venues in 2022. The top foursome was Gallagher's (Gronli, Stoleson, McCumsey, and Hunt); 2nd place was Red Rocks (Zabka, Zabka, Stone-Zabka, and Ratiff); and 3rd was Saratoga (Patrick Donnely's foursome; sorry we were never sent the other 3 names). The top golfer was David Hunt, and two of Donnely's foursome tied for 2nd place.

Player photos from the event last year are below the fold...

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