Tuesday, March 17, 2009

PHISH Versus FLOWMOTION: The Heart of Rock n Roll is in the Northwest

Be careful what you wish for...I asked for Phish to come to the west coast in my Weekend Update and here you go.

As if this summer needed any more excitement, the monolith mega jamband, and recently reunited PHISH has announced they are playing two nights at the Gorge Amphitheater in George, Washington August 7th and 8th.

The dates are unfortunate for our friends in Flowmotion. Phish has selected to play the same weekend as the Annual Flowmotion sponsored event "Summer Meltdown" at the Darrington Amphiteature in northern Washington.

The Phish Summer tour announcement will probably force Flowmotion to move their festival to a new week or cancel it as the fan base will flock to see the bigger, reunited WALMART-esk Phish. Thats right, Flowmotion is the mom and pop general store, and Phish is the Walmart, they just wipe everything out in their path toward domination.

Although my friend Stephie said that they sent a letter of apology to Flowmotion, I still think this is an insensitive move on their part. The world was adjusting and getting along just fine after Phish broke up. New bands were making their mark, Phish's hiatus marked an explosion of new fans who flocked to bands like String Cheese Incident, Umphrey's McGee, Widespread Panic, Tea Leaf Green, Yonder Mountain String Band, Michael Franti, Railroad Earth and many many others to fill the void. I would say that the Phish break up was better for jamband and hippie music than other thing they could have done if they stayed together because if made people diversify their summer festival portfolios and bands of interest. Now they are back. And everyone will go back to the way things were. Except for us who never got it in the first place, we will be left in our little boats wondering what happened to our beautiful summer festival world in the wake of this giant cruise liner called PHISH.

I am particularly frustrated by their return. It means that everyone will bow down and lay prostrate once again before them. They do throw one hell of a party, but I don't think that they rule supreme.

I of course have never seen them. Phish has been touring since before I got into high school. I can't say that I'm even a big fan because of this lack of actually seeing the show (although I've watched "IT" about 20 times). I am hoping to god, allah, jesus, mohammed, the virgin mary, buddha, and all 3 million hindu gods that Flowmo moves Meltdown to a new date and doesn't cancel it over this.

Stephie said, "you are the only person I know that would choose Flowmotion over Phish."

I replied, "Flowmotion is my Phish, your Phish is Phish." Does that make sense? The band that I follow, the band that I love, the band that changed my life is Flowmotion, not PHISH. Even typing it making me mad that I even have to choose.

It like a little kid stuck in a divorce. The little kid really wants to stay with the nurturing loving father but the state gives custody to the whacked out drug abusing mother because she is the mother. The kids heart tells him different but you can't fight the system. Isn't it funny that Phish is the Man in some ways?

All that being said. Stephie got me to enter into the ticket lottery for four tickets both friday and saturday (two for me two for her if I win) night for Phish at the Gorge August 7th and 8th. I was 18 the last time they came to washington and will probably be 34 the next time they come. I have to go and see the show just to confirm what I already feel in my heart, they are an east coast band, with east coast fans, and Flowmotion is the true heart of the northwest and the true heart of everything I hold dear about music. I can always sell the tickets to friends if I don't go (not scalp, sell at price, I hate scalpers).

Its like going to a strip club when you already have a beautiful hot horny loving wonderful wife at home.

So add this complication to the already amazing summer calendar. The possibility of seeing Phish at the Gorge is rather intimidatingly exciting I have to admit.

But I must say that if it comes down to it, I may just choose Meltdown. It depends on what my brother, leslie, kali and the mad hatters want to do. Personally I believe that Flowmotion is the greatest band in the entire world and I will stand by that statement till I die.

Don't agree, go kiss a phish.

Why must planning out the greatest year of my life be so stressful?

7 comments:

Erin said...

Wow. I'm staying out of this one!

serialstar said...

It's funny that you posted this about phish and I particularly enjoyed the comparison between Phish and Walmart "WALMART-esk Phish" I went to 10,000 lakes a few summers back and felt the wrath of Trey. Up until that point I had been a Phish lover, seeing them only once, I can absolutely appreciate their music. However when you go to festivals like that, as I'm sure you know, you are blessed by getting to see some seriously talented musicians get together and jam...creating this mind blowing experience that you would have ever been able to be a part of had you not been there... So as I settled in for some Medeski, Martin, and Wood, they announced that Trey would be joining them. At first I was excited, but before the first song was even over I regretted my original thought. He completely monopolized the entire performance and made their set almost unbearable. They are some seriously amazing musicians and to have their sound be intertwined with narcissism was, well...disappointing. So maybe my upset is more with Trey than with Phish as a whole...but I still say support Flowmotion and their amazing sound and skip out on spending $100 bucks a night to see Phish (which is what it's going for here at Alpine Valley)
However to spin a positive outlook on it...it's pretty awesome that you'll be somewhere that has so many amazing performances swoopin through...

Hal Iverson said...

Just checked flomotion.net....no news or comments about Phish or moving Meltdown. I bet too many people have already bought tickets and things have been reserved and scheduled. I am calling it right now: Meltdown stands, no date change and fans will be challenged to make a choice. I know where I stand- Mad Hatters return to Meltdown 2009!!!

Susan Iverson said...

Your NW String Summit tickets came in the mail. We have them hidden in a safe place in case we get robbed, no one will find them.

Kale Iverson said...

You know what, this is a big moment in musical choices, HAL I am with you. I choose you flowmotion over the shinier streamlined and convenient Phish at the gorge. Circumstances be damned, I love flowmo, lets get meltdowned MAD HATTERS ULTRA KICK ASS SQUADRON FORCE MEGA TEAM UNITE!

Kelly Brunell said...

I choose Flowmotion...no contest!

Dead C said...

I've played shows in the past with Flowmotion, that's before everyone was kicked out excpet the cocky ass "frontman" They are a hired gun operation, plain and simple. Why compare, there is no comparison and, if you think that just because Flowmotion isn't "famous" they are Mom and Pop, or that they are "legit" on any level you're ridiculous. I think this is the funniest news I've heard in a while.


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