#jon fishman

I tend to believe that everyone experiences and enjoys music in their own way, and that debates (online or otherwise) about which artist or song or guitarist is "best" are just a waste of time and energy.

JON THE FISHMANNNN🐟🐟🐟

wanted to include a few of my favorite nicknames for fish

Dress-ed to Kill: Jon Fishman Turns 60

Potentially a criminal in several conservative states, Jon Fishman - the muumuu-sporting drummer of Phish - turns 60 today.

Born Feb. 19, 1965, Fishman reaches the milestone as the band he co-founded in 1983 reaches one of its own with its nomination to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. And if said Hall hadn’t pissed away its credibility over the past 15 years or so, the induction would be foregone.

As it goes, Outkast is just as likely to get the slot.

In any event, Fishman is and will be a sexagenarian when the decision is made and he will regardless continue anchoring the Grateful Dead-inspired quartet that quickly became its own thing without forsaking its improvisational roots.

And fans or not, music lovers tend to root for Phish, whose live shows are mana for many, and its quirky, vacuum-playing sticksman, whose closet full of donut-patterned dresses becomes more subversive as theocracy continues its ugly spread.

Phish on.

Saw Phish again on Saturday! I probably liked Friday more- but that doesn't discount Saturday. Friday was just next level. Here are some blurry cell phone pictures of the lights!

These MSG shows have been kinda weird on paper. The kind of setlists you wouldn't expect going in. Maybe even the kind of setlist that would make you think "eh, I can skip this one." But while they haven't been playing The Greatest Hits, there is an exciting energy throughout this MSG run.

I try and have more intelligent things to say but holy shit Moonage Daydream was awesome. I haven't been actively chasing it from them, but I've been hoping to catch it. And they delivered- Trey providing a total face melting solo to close out set 1.

The big thing that made Saturday so much fun was how consistently they stuck the landing. Take set 2, as an example. It was a strong strong start with The Wedge into a very exploratory Fuego. Even if the Fuego had moments where it felt like the band was wandering until they found the next cool idea, they kept finding new cool ideas. Every time, the destination made the journey worth it.

But then you get Oblivion, which is a song I like, but I really didn't care for. Kinda low energy- especially when followed up by Wingsuit. And just when I felt like they had sucked all the energy out of the room, in comes 2001! It wasn't a long jam- it's never gonna make the jam chart- hell, they only played the main section once instead of the usual twice. But DAMN it was so much fun. Despite being short, the band took a lot of improvisatory risks. CK5's lights were especially on. 2001 breathed new life into the set, which continued on with the Cracklin' Rosie and then the SANTOS.

Like I said, they stuck the landing. Even if I was checking my phone during Wingsuit, I was grinning from ear to ear by the end of SANTOS.

a/n: this is my first Phish & Community fan fiction. there may be another one coming at a later date, I haven't decided yet.

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As the study group walked around campus, they noticed some new faces. Jeff's attention was immediately drawn to a group of hippies setting up a tent near the quad. "Hey, Britta," he said, "you think they're Phish fans?"

Britta rolled her eyes. "You know Jeff, just because they're hippies doesn't mean they like Phish."

"Actually, I do like Phish," a voice from behind them said. They turn to see Trey Anastasio, Mike Gordon, Jon Fishman, and Page McConnell, all wearing Greendale Community College t-shirts.

"Wait, you guys are Phish!" Britta exclaimed.

"That's us," Trey replied with a smile.

"They're fish?" Troy said to himself, "They look human to me!"

The study group was ecstatic to meet the band and invited them to their study room to hang out. As they settled in, Jeff couldn't help but be skeptical. "So, what brings you guys to Greendale?"

"Well, we wanted to go back to school and get our degrees," Mike explained. "And we heard Greendale has a pretty relaxed admissions policy."

"Plus, we wanted to get away from all the crazy fans," Fishman added. "It's nice to be in a place where people don't constantly ask us to play our most famous song, You Enjoy Myself. I don't know about the rest of the guys, but boy, was I getting tired of it!"

"But don't you guys already have degrees from Goddard College?" Abed asked

"Well, now that's a funny story," Page started, "we actually all misplaced our degrees and the registrar refuses to reissue them on account of the constant flood of Phish fan mail they get sent. Admittedly, some of it is jarringly inappropriate."

"You all misplaced your degrees?" Jeff asked in shock.

"Weeeeeeelllllll," Mike said, "not to point fingers or anything, but the reason we lost them is that, during a particularly heated jam session, Fish's drumsticks broke and so he grabbed the nearest items to use as makeshift sticks to play out the song. They happened to be our degrees. He accidentally flung them out of an open window and into a nearby pond."

Fishman added sadly, "Despite our best efforts to retrieve them, our degrees sank to the bottom of the pond, never to be seen again."

"And so we enrolled here, at Greendale." said Page.

Still squinting in disbelief, Jeff asked "Well, if you're such great musicians with some massive cult following, why do you need degrees anyways?"

Sighing, Trey explained, "Well, the state council of Vermont passed a new law requiring all musicians based in the state performing in public venues to hold at least an associate's degree in music theory or performance, in order to improve the overall quality of live music in the area. We would have faced fines out the wazoo!"

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Abed, Annie, and Troy offered to help Phish navigate Greendale's bureaucracy to get their degrees. They started by going to the Dean's office to ask for a waiver of certain requirements.

The Dean, delighted to have famous musicians on campus, agreed to help them. The band thanked him, but the Dean's stipulation was yet to be announced.

"A-ha! Well, I've just gotten the numbers and enrollment is up 200% since it was announced on Leonard's Twitter that you were attending here." the Dean said.

"Oh, that's great. I'm glad we could help." Trey said with a soft smile.

"Not as happy as I am that we don't actually have to stay here." said Mike under his breath.

"About that," said the Dean.

Mike narrowed his eyes.

"I'm going to need one more thing from all of you actually." the Dean said, pausing, "I need you all to live on campus for the rest of the semester and live like Greendale students."

Immediately, the band began protesting.

"Now, now, I'm still offering you all degrees by the end of this semester, but you just need to make Greendale seem fun and exciting to be at! I want you all attending classes and participating in activities. I need you to become part of the student body and endear youselves to the students. No if's, and's, or but's!." the Dean said with finality, "This is the greatest recruitment tool I've ever been given as a dean, and I won't have it taken away from me!"

The band quickly became a fixture around campus, often jamming in the quad or playing impromptu shows in the cafeteria. The entire student body was enamored with their laid-back attitude and unique musical style. Slowly, the band became just another part of Greendale's colorful tapestry.

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One day, a college student named Max was walking to class when he saw Mike Gordon walking towards him. Max was a huge Phish fan and was ecstatic to meet one of his musical idols. He approached Mike and nervously said, "Hey man, I love your music! Can I get a picture with you?"

Mike smiled and agreed, he was always very generous to his fans. But as Max fumbled to get his phone out, he accidentally dropped it and it shattered on the ground. Max was devastated. But Mike just laughed and said, "Don't worry about it, man. I've got something even better."

Mike then proceeded to pull out a tiny keychain that played the bass line from "Down With Disease" whenever you pressed the button. He clicked it and placed it in Max's hands. Max was stunned and left speechless.

As Mike walked away, he hummed to himself, oblivious to Max's disappointment.

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One day, a student named Dave was walking to class when he saw Jon Fishman walking towards him. Dave was a huge Phish fan and couldn't believe his eyes. Fish approached him and said, "Hey man, do you have the time?"

Dave, trying to play it cool, responded, "Uh, yeah, it's 11:36."

Fish nodded and thanked him, then walked away.

Dave was thrilled and couldn't believe what had just happened. He went to his class, but couldn't focus on anything else. From that day on, Dave thought about that everywhere he went and every time someone asked him the time, he would tell the story of how Jon Fishman himself had also once asked him the time also.

Years later, Dave would see Fish again at a Phish concert and tried to thank him for the interaction, but Fish didn't remember him at all, and just stared blankly when Dave brought it up. Oh well, at least he still had his memory of the time that Jon Fishman asked him what time it was.

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One day, Brett was walking around campus when he saw Trey Anastasio walking towards him. Brett, being a huge Phish fan, was starstruck and didn't know what to say. As Trey got closer, Brett blurted out, "Hey Trey, I love your music! Can you play 'You Enjoy Myself' for me right now?" After all, Trey did have a guitar with him, so it wasn't that unusual of a request, right?

Trey smiled and said, "Sure thing!" as he set down his guitar, revealing it to be made entirely of cardboard. It was now apparent that this was some sort of project for one of his classes. He then proceeded to beatbox and make weird mouth noises for a few seconds, causing Brett to look on in confusion.

He looked at Trey, bewildered, as he continued to beatbox. He didn't know what to do or say, so he just stood there awkwardly. Trey didn't seem to notice or care that Brett was so uncomfortable, and just kept on with his beatboxing.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Trey finished his impromptu performance and looked up at Brett. "How was that?" he asked, grinning expectantly and awaiting Brett's approval.

Brett didn't know how to respond, so he just awkwardly said, "Uh, yeah, that was... great."

Trey laughed and said, "Thanks, man! I'm always happy to please a fan!"

And with that, he picked up his cardboard guitar and walked off, leaving Brett standing there, still in shock at what had just happened.

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One day in the cafeteria, a student named Jake was standing behind Page McConnell in line at the campus deli. Page was trying to order a sandwich, but he seemed to be struggling with the menu.

"Uh, can I get the, fuckin', uh, turkey club with uh, no, tomato?" Page fumbled.

The deli worker said cheerily, "Sure thing. Would you like any dressing on that?"

Page looked panicked, as if this was an entirely unexpected question, and he said, "Uh, what kind of dressing do you have?"

The deli worker replied, "We have mayo, mustard, or ranch."

Page thought for a moment, and said "Hmm, I don't know. What do you think, man?" and he turned to Jake.

Jake (caught off guard) blurted out, "Uh, I don't know, man. Maybe try the ranch?"

Page, horrified that somebody would suggest ranch, turned to the deli worker and said, "Yeah, okay, I'll go with the mustard."

Jake immediately felt burning shame as his face turned red. He had made a grave error and now Page would never ask him for sandwich advice again.

The deli worker said, "Okay, coming right up!"

As they waited for their sandwiches, Page consciously avoided Jake's eye line. After Page recieved his sandwich, he walked to his table. His sandwich was immensely disappointing.

"I guess I should have gone with the ranch." he sighed.

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On Halloween night, the band invited the study group, along with a few other select friends, to a secret Phish show to be played on Greendale's campus. The group was excited to see their new friends in action, but became hesitant when they realized the show is being held in the abandoned Greendale Asylum.

As they made their way through the dark, creepy halls, they heard strange noises and see unsettling sights. Suddenly, a figure jumped out from behind a corner, causing everyone to scream in terror. It was just the Dean, dressed as Jon Fishman for the Halloween show. Relieved but still a little shaken, the group settled in for the concert.

It was an exciting and heady concert, but halfway through the second set, as the band launched into an evil rendition of "David Bowie," things start to get even weirder. The walls began to shake, and the floor started to tilt. Suddenly, the band was sucked into a strange, swirling vortex and transported to an alternate dimension.

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In this new dimension, everything was just a little bit off. For instance, instead of coffee, the locals drank a beverage called "mud juice" made from dirt and water. They also noticed that all the stop signs were actually green. Additionally, there were no televisions or computers, but everyone spent their free time listening to radio dramas and playing board games. Even though the differences seemed bizarre to the band, the locals didn't seem to find anything unusual about their way of life. It was all very foreign and surreal to the band, but the strangest difference of all was the absence of jam bands.

They soon realized that in this dimension, music is still a big part of life, but jam bands simply didn't exist. No long, improvised jams or extended guitar solos. Instead, every song is a tightly controlled four minutes or less, and this rule is strictly enforced.

As the group explored this bizarre new world, they come across a street performer playing a guitar. They asked him to play some Phish, but he looked at them like they were crazy. "I've never heard of them," he says. "But I can play you some nice, short tunes if you'd like!"

Phish

Lawn Boy