Beyond the Pond is a bi-weekly podcast in which Brian Brinkman (@sufferingjuke) and David Goldstein (@daveg924) use the music of Phish as a gateway to introduce the listener to many other bands, the vast majority of which are not jambands. An episode generally begins with a deep dive into a designated portion of Phish improvisation, and then can spin off to any variety of musical themes and other acts, the overarching purpose being introducing the listener to as many new and different bands as possible.

This week on Beyond the Pond, we dive into the first five shows of Phish’s Fall Tour, comprising two nights at the Times Union Center in Albany, and three nights at the Hampton Coliseum in Hampton Roads, VA, a/k/a “The Mothership.” Both venues have featured prominently in Phish history in the past, hosting what many would consider to be seminal gigs such as a legendary two night run in November 1997, and the 2009 comeback shows (Hampton), and 12/9/95 will forever be known as the “Albany YEM,” and is quite possibly the best version of that song ever played.

In addition to dissecting these five shows, we offer up some potential picks for Phish’s Halloween cover set, and detail two albums that we would love to see played in full. There’s something for everyone here; late 70’s studio perfection, dystopian guitar maelstroms, and a frank discussion as to why each of these shows seems to sag a bit in the 4th Quarter, not unlike a football team that can’t “finish;” leaving too much time on the clock and always letting the opposing team sneak back in at the last minute, inevitably wrecking your Sunday afternoon.

We appreciate you listening, and are certain that you will learn something new over the course of just over an hour.

You can review and subscribe to Beyond the Pond on iTunes, or simply listen through the player below.

You can find us on Twitter at @_beyondthepond

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