Mt. Rushmore: 2001

Summary

Helping Friendly Podcast Episode Summary

Title: Mt. Rushmore: 2001
Host/Authors: Osiris Media
Release Date: May 28, 2025

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I. Introduction

In the episode titled “Mt. Rushmore: 2001”, hosts RJ, Megan, and Brian dive deep into one of Phish’s most iconic songs, “2001.” The discussion centers around selecting the top four performances of the song to feature in their exclusive Mount Rushmore list. The episode kicks off with a blend of casual banter and listener interactions, setting an engaging tone for the in-depth analysis that follows.

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II. Listener Voicemails

Early in the episode, the hosts air voicemails from listeners, starting with Rachel Molly. She shares her appreciation for the podcast and offers insightful commentary on the nuances of experiencing Phish live versus through recordings.

Notable Quote:
"It's so true. Like you can appreciate the art without seeing a Jackson Pollock in person..." — Rachel Molly [02:24]

Megan responds to Rachel’s points, emphasizing the distinct experiences of listening at home versus being present at a live show.

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III. Understanding "2001": The Song’s Importance

Megan provides a comprehensive overview of “2001,” tracing its origins from Richard Strauss’s tone poem to its adaptation by Brazilian keyboardist Eumir Deodato and its prominence in “2001: A Space Odyssey.” She highlights the song’s significance in Phish’s repertoire, noting its role in opening second sets and its evolution through various live performances.

Notable Quote:
"It debuted for Phish, their version on 8/17/93 at the man where it opened the second set. A really great show." — Megan [15:08]

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IV. Selecting the Top Four Versions of "2001"

The core of the episode revolves around selecting the top four renditions of “2001” for the Mount Rushmore honor. The hosts debate various performances, considering factors like musical arrangement, audience reception, and the context of each show.

Notable Quote:
"This set is amazing. It's a good show to miss in a run because it's not like... They were just playing in the living room." — Brian [32:24]

Megan initially excludes the Gorge 98 version, leading to a lively discussion about the merits of including it despite her reservations.

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V. Listener Feedback and Technical Analysis

Listener Tad from Brooklyn contributes to the discussion by highlighting the challenges of ranking performances based on soundboard versus audience recordings. This feedback prompts the hosts to consider how recording quality influences their evaluations.

Notable Quote:
"There's no way it doesn't affect us. There's no way it can't affect us." — Brian [41:58]

Brian elaborates on how soundboard recordings can reveal nuances that audience tapes might miss, impacting their rankings of certain performances.

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VI. Finalizing the Mount Rushmore Selections

After extensive deliberation, the hosts finalize their top four versions of “2001” for the Mount Rushmore list:

1. Memphis 8/17/97
   Selected for its looping sirens and jazzy intro, Megan describes it as a "special moment in Phish history."

2. Gorge 4/49/8
   Brian defends this choice, emphasizing its tight and sophisticated groove.

3. Vegas 6/14/2021
   Chosen for its high energy and Mike Gordon’s standout performance, Megan praises its "crisp dance party goodness."

4. Japan Live Volume 4
   Selected for Mike Gordon's stellar bass work and the jam’s vibrant energy, Megan admits it's a personal favorite despite differing opinions.

Notable Quote:
"It just sounds like a band in their... something. It's just absolutely insane. The energy." — Megan [59:44]

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VII. Wrap-up and Upcoming Episodes

As the episode concludes, the hosts acknowledge listener contributions and tease upcoming content. They announce that the next episode will focus on “Karini,” encouraging listeners to participate by voting on their top versions.

Notable Quote:
"We have Karini next week. Apparently, I'm choosing, so I'll be ready for that." — RJ [76:50]

Additionally, they mention their new film podcast, “Rearranged,” and promote positive reviews for their other podcast, “Library Card.”

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VIII. Conclusion

“Mt. Rushmore: 2001” offers a thorough exploration of one of Phish’s seminal songs, blending technical analysis with heartfelt appreciation. The hosts’ dynamic interactions and listener engagement provide a rich, informative experience for both longtime fans and newcomers alike.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• "It's so true. Like you can appreciate the art without seeing a Jackson Pollock in person..." — Rachel Molly [02:24]
• "It debuted for Phish, their version on 8/17/93 at the man where it opened the second set. A really great show." — Megan [15:08]
• "This set is amazing. It's a good show to miss in a run because it's not like... They were just playing in the living room." — Brian [32:24]
• "There's no way it doesn't affect us. There's no way it can't affect us." — Brian [41:58]
• "It just sounds like a band in their... something. It's just absolutely insane. The energy." — Megan [59:44]
• "We have Karini next week. Apparently, I'm choosing, so I'll be ready for that." — RJ [76:50]

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This episode stands out as a testament to the enduring legacy of Phish’s “2001,” showcasing the hosts' deep knowledge and passion for the band’s music. Whether you're a die-hard fan or new to Phish, this detailed discussion offers valuable insights and a compelling look at what makes this song a cornerstone of their live performances.

Transcript

[Megan]

Osiris.

[RJ]

We are back. We are live. It is. I don't know what day it is, but this is the Helping Brilliant podcast. This is Wednesday, maybe Tuesday, Monday, Wednesday.

[Megan]

Wednesday, middle of the week. Hump day.

[RJ]

It's the middle of the week, but it just started somehow. But it's almost over, so I guess that's good. Okay. I'm rj. I'm here with Megan and Brian. Hey, guys.

[Brian]

Yo.

[Megan]

Hey.

[RJ]

Yo. We have. We have a lot to talk about today, obviously, because we do have this important Mount Rushmore that has apparently been. Apparently been stumping people for centuries now, or at least hours.

[Megan]

So days, weeks.

[RJ]

Are you going to be able to do it, Megan? You're going to be able to do it?

[Megan]

Yeah, for sure. I'm making a game time decision. It's thrilling.

[RJ]

Wow. What a day. What a day. What a decision. You guys are all tuned in. This is like the decision. Brian. This is kind of like the decision, you know, the primetime program.

[Brian]

Remember when LeBron, like, he like, did the dramatic pause and he was like, this is a tough decision, you know, and then he stumbled over, like, this season I'm going to take my talents and like, it's like Megan's. Like, this. This season I'm going to take my talents to. Is it like a 1993, 2001? Is it a 1998? Is it like a really transgressive decision and go with a 4.0 version? Stay tuned.

[RJ]

It's going to be wild. It's going to be wild. First, you know, we. We do have some voicemails we have to. We have to air out here. There's one that, there's one in particular that's gonna. That's gonna be directed at Brian and, and complimenting Brian. So that's good. And then we have one about. About Rushmore. So can we. Can we listen to the first one? Oh, God.

[Brian]

Will I take the compliment as well as RJ took the compliment about his hair pre show. Stay tuned.

[RJ]

Stay tuned. All right, stay tuned, everybody. Stay tuned.

[Rachel]

Hey, rj, Brian, Megan, whoever is listening, it's Rachel, Molly, rj. We know each other. Brian, We've met. Negan. We haven't met in person. I am Only about 10 minutes. Confession time. Haven't listened to Osiris helping friendly pod for a while, but it's a joyful place. So I'm back here and do you have to be there to get it? I'm like 10 minutes into the episode from like, I guess last week and absolutely, I am in agreement with Brian I'm in agreement with. Megan just said about with art. It's so true. Like you can appreciate the art without seeing a Jackson Pollock in person while she said Picasso or Hockney. Case in point. I'll try to find a place to. It's hard to.

[Brian]

Fine.

[Rachel]

Figure out how to do those reviews on podcasts. Wherever I get my podcast, I use the Purple, my iPhone for podcasts. I'm clicking on those three dots. Report a concern. No. Go to show. How about I'll go to show in real time. Oh, follow you guys. Here's the deal. And I realized this. Really. I mean, it's it. I realized this for a while. But when they tease. We're talking about Fish, the best band in the land. The Fish from Vermont. When they tease various songs. At least for my own personal experience, often I do not hear those teases during the show. It's only post facto after the fact that, you know, I'll see a liner note or, you know, a fishnet note or people will talk. Hey, did you hear when they tease down? No. Or you thought you heard something, but it's then you and you go to the official fishnet and see or people. People talk about it, but it's like, really? When it makes it to those footnotes, you can re listen and you're like, how did I miss that? Because sometimes, even when you are in the venue and you're there experiencing it and you're fully sober, let's just say in my instance, you're fully there, you're listening, you're experiencing, you know, substance free. It's not like, oh, I was so, you know, drunk. I didn't hear it. No, not for me. But case in point, 12, 30, 24. When in the encore. And I wrote about this in Surrender to the Flow in their encore with Harry Hood. We got a Hanukkah Harry Hood there. And Mike teased, I have a little dreidel. Well, I didn't hear that during the show. So I listened to that 12, 30, 24, like ad infinitum now, because it really was a very special night in my book and in every other Jewish person's book because it crossed over with Hanukkah four nights. Hanukkah, four nights of shows. So yeah, I'm gonna.

[RJ]

Okay, so that's where Rachel cut off because there's a three minute limit and I just want to play the very beginning of her calling back because this is the part that Brian will like.

[Rachel]

Hey, helping friendly pod. It's Rachel Molly again. I am still listening to do, you have to be there to get it. As I'm driving the mean, heady streets of lower Marion. Brian Brinkman, you are phenomenal. We met when you guys were doing a broadcast like a couple years ago. When I was out there, it was not 20. Oh, when was it? Oh gosh, maybe 20, 23. I think it was my first dicks. And Benji was there and Stephanie Jenkins. I think maybe it was a mockingbird thing. And Brian Brinkman, you were there. Anyway, about the cost. You are spot on. You are so correct that there are some people for whom resources are available and actually many for whom they are not. Whether they are financial or logistics or family. Family obligations, but particularly the financial. I will say though, you know, just like kind of like as a, you know, a nod to this, which is that it's always been this way. To tell you the truth, the. The $18.50 ticket still was like a decent amount of money. It wasn't like cheap. And yeah, sure, you know, if people were more camping and they weren't in hotels and all that, but like you still in the summertime, you still needed to have like a non job where you could travel or like save up money or have the money to travel, you know, you know, to do, to do summer tour in 97. So you're very correct. I mean, and also, where did, where did Fish start its roots? Like prep schools, sleepaway camps, uvm. Like for the most part the demographics skewed towards more like, you know, comfortable upper middle class. But the truth is that there are always people part of the scene who love the music who did not come from that background. Maybe people like were at the prep schools, but maybe the parents were like overspending or living above their means. So. Yeah, for sure. I agree with it. Yeah. Brian, you're awesome. You are correct. I agree on 100%.

[RJ]

There we go. Brian, you're awesome. And she agrees with you 100%. And Rachel, thanks for calling. Rachel also has brought me before. She's brought me fresh baked challah bread sometimes.

[Megan]

Whoa, that's killer.

[RJ]

So Brian, do you have any reaction to all those compliments?

[Brian]

Amazing. Thank you, Rachel. I feel all warm and fuzzy for being correct. I, I mean, I think she's. She's right though. I mean the there about her second point, you know, there's. The scene definitely does skew in that sort of manner. So like it's always kind of been this sense of either have the ability to or you don't have the ability to. And I think that when it was less accessible at home. The people that were drawn to it in a lot of ways were able to be there. But one just quick thought, her first point about teases and not being able to recognize teases in the show. This is something I've always thought about when I'm there. There are times where they'll get seven minutes into what eventually becomes a 27 minute long chalk dust, and you're in the venue. And by minute seven, I will unquestionably think, oh, this has got to be the greatest jam they've ever played. And it's not. It's like seven minutes into a jam that could, like, end up being a nine minute long chalk dust. And so, like, I think that there is a tendency when you're there to, like, have that feeling of, like, life is blurred a little bit and you have a sense of, like, if it's good, it's like, it's really, really good. And if it's not something you want, it, like, feels that much longer than, like, if you're at home and you can kind of just walk and do laundry while they're playing My Soul or something like that. So I think she's absolutely right. There is something blurred when you're in the venue that does change it from.

[Megan]

When you're at home, which is part of the magic and why we all love to be there, right? Totally, totally. Something so special about being in a room with 20,000 people or outside with 20,000 people and experiencing that together and that moment of. Of creation together, that's just. You can't replace that at home. And so it is a different thing, which is why I really do think about it as two different kinds of listening. But I appreciate that. I also never hear teases, even if I'm listening super closely. So I get that some people can.

[Brian]

Hear them, hear it immediately, other people that just pass them by and they're like, oh, you heard it. Okay, cool. Thank you.

[Megan]

I have heard, like, maybe three or four, but not at a show. Always when I'm listening, and I'm so proud of myself when I do. It's very rare.

[RJ]

It's pretty cool. It's a big accomplishment. Okay, well, thank you, Rachel, for calling and nice to hear from you. Okay, so we are getting into Ma Rushmore, I think. Is there anything else we need to talk about? We're ahead of schedule here, but, you know, it seems like maybe we should just get into it.

[Brian]

I guess, while we have people just. And while we're ahead of schedule, I can back us up. A little bit and just give a quick preview of what's to come. Does that sound okay to you, rj? Are you into that? Okay, I got the thumbs up from the production room, so. So we're good. It looks like RJ's packing for his European trip right now while he's podcasting.

[RJ]

Moving things around.

[Brian]

So. So Today we're doing 2001. Next week, we are doing Carini's Mount Rushmore. So start planning for that.

[Megan]

There's a lot, too. There's a lot of them that were listed.

[Brian]

A lot of really good ones. I think I'm pretty close. I'm not there. That will be our last draft, though, until early August, because.

[Megan]

Our last Rushmore, you mean.

[Brian]

Thank you. Our last Rushmore. Thank you. Producer said, not a draft. That's a Rushmore until early August because we will be starting our focus on summer tour. Bunch of summer tour recaps, all that happening. But the following week, June 9th, that week, we have our summer 2025 venue draft. And I want to make a proposal on air to you guys about that because I think there's a fun way that we can do this.

[Megan]

Oh, God.

[Brian]

No stress.

[Megan]

First of all, I can't believe it's two weeks away. Like, I definitely need to start prepping for that. But the Carini episode is huge.

[Brian]

Okay, can you just let me make a proposal on air?

[Megan]

Yes. Go ahead.

[Brian]

No stress, no prep. We just go into this, and we just. We pick our shows. Let's just have some fun. There's no reason anyone needs to get.

[RJ]

Sounds so good. That's how I do all the drafts. Super fun.

[Megan]

Okay, yeah, sure. No prep.

[RJ]

Megan won't do it.

[Megan]

I just can't do that. I just can't do that. But. Yeah, you can.

[RJ]

You can.

[Megan]

I'm gonna say yes to you, and then I'm just gonna do whatever prep I can.

[RJ]

So you actually could do it? I'm just saying, too.

[Brian]

I think it'd be fascinating to see her try, because I think she could do it.

[Megan]

This is total sabotage, I'm just gonna say, because this is, like, fascinating to see me try and fail. No, I don't think so. I don't think so. Nice try, Brinkman. I'm gonna. I'm gonna be prepping. And good luck. That's all I have to say.

[RJ]

Wow.

[Brian]

Telling a teacher not to prep from the incredible prep he knows.

[Megan]

Thank you. Thank you.

[Brian]

The underhanded accusation here. Brian will still prep. I'm just hanging out, man. I'm just.

[Megan]

He knows. Brian already prepped which is why Hilarious that he's telling me not to. He's like, meg, let's just not prep, because, you know, he pro.

[Brian]

I just want you to have a.

[RJ]

Good time being sincere. I think he's being sincere, and I thank you.

[Megan]

So do you not think I have a good time at these drafts?

[RJ]

I know.

[Brian]

I think you tend to spend the 10 days before drafts, like, working yourself up into a frenzy. And I think it could be fun for us all to just, like, chill out, get ready for summer tour. There's a lot of work coming up. We're gonna have to, like, in the moment, know what's going on on fish shore without being in the room for all the shows. Oh, my God. What are we gonna do? I think you should just hang out, have some fun.

[Megan]

But, Brian, do you think that maybe I like getting worked up into a frenzy a little bit?

[Brian]

It's a fair point. This is. This is a part of your personality that we can't do without.

[Megan]

I think I enjoy, like, doing all the work and being a little anxious about it and then coming on and trying to deliver. It's kind of what I'm into.

[Brian]

So the prep and chill. The prep, the anxious prep, and then. And then the chill.

[Megan]

Yeah. I just wanted me. You know, you work really hard, and then you go on stage and you just, like, throw it out the window and see what happens.

[RJ]

I'd like to just say that I will, Brian. In solidarity with myself and probably the. I'll be the only one who will not Brian. I'm going to do it for you guys.

[Brian]

I have. I haven't looked through.

[Megan]

RJ will win this one just like we did Prep for the one.

[Brian]

I've been catching up on new music and enjoying the jam band break. And so I'm kind of like, do I have to listen to, like, 45 fish shows to get myself ready? Like, right. Like, do I have to right now? I guess I do. Now that Megan's putting all this pressure on us, I have to.

[RJ]

I think you don't. I think you don't.

[Megan]

You couldn't do it without. I couldn't. I couldn't. I love you both for it.

[Brian]

Cool. Always. So next week's carini. The following week is the summer 2025 venue draft. Prepped or not, we'll be doing that. That's going to be a ton of fun. Let's now. Now that RJ has finished packing for Europe, now that Megan is prepped, let's turn to 2001. How about that?

[RJ]

That sounds Great. Sounds really great. Megan, are you going to kick us off here?

[Megan]

I'm going to kick us off, yeah. Because 2001, it was really fun looking into this and kind of remembering where this song came from because it was originally written by German composer Richard Strauss and then interpreted by Brazilian keyboardist Emor Deodato on his 1972 album Prelude 1972. But it's based on a tone poem from 1895 and it was also made famous when featured on the soundtrack from The Kubrick movie 2001 A Space Odyssey. And it's one of the oldest compositions that Fish has ever covered. And the version on Deodato's album is a disco inspired version which also was featured in another movie in 1979 called Being There. So this is a really heady song. It's got cinematic connections, it's got orchestra big time old composition connections. And it debuted for Phish, their version on 71693 at the man where it opened the second set. A really great show. It often opened second sets and led to big tentpole jams in its early years. It even comes inside a harpua at Sugarbush in 94. In its one year anniversary and Halloween 1996, Carl Perratt inspired the band to extend the lead in to the ascending stanzas which really stretched out the song. And I think this song is interesting because it has some really incredible versions, but the concentration of the strongest versions to me are in late 1.0 era, like specifically 98 to 2000. So it really benefits from that late 90s early millennial fish. It's got the cow funk inspiration which kind of enhanced the groove and the tightness of the song. And then the ambient space trans theme. Millennial sound of 992000 gave the intro and the ascensions really a lot of intrigue. It's also been played a lot. The show gap sometimes hits up to 14 kind of a few times, but mainly it stays below 10 and then mostly in the single digits. It's been played 270 times, which down with Disease was played 330 times. So it's been played a lot like almost as many times as Down With Disease, which is pretty wild. There are 68 entries on the jam chart, so about 25% chance of jamming, which is kind of a bit higher than I was expecting lately. It seems to be occasionally contributing to some fourth quarter slides, but it did open a great set to on night three of Mondegreen, despite also killing 12:30 in the fourth quarter last year. It's an interesting Song. It's a great song. I think starting off a set with it is really its ideal place. We had 12 versions that Brian curated for our HF pod top versions, and half of them are in Live Fish and half of them are not one.

[Brian]

Of those songs that if it sounds good in an audience, if you have a nice audience recording, it really takes over the room in a really cool way. But I think the ideal way to listen to this is on Soundboard, just because especially those great versions you talked about in the late 90s, early 2000s, really benefit from a lot of what Paige is doing in the synthesizer and some keyboard stuff Trey's doing. And just a lot of under the surface. This is a song that, like, for me, feels so much of a specific era of fish. Like, it's the opposite problem to download the disease. Down with disease fits every era of fish history, it seems like, you know, from 94 onward, 2001. For me, whenever I think of it, I really think of kind of a five year stretch in the late 90s. I don't know if you guys get this because you mentioned like the fourth quarter slide. That's kind of what it feels like it's known for now, is it kind of kicks off the party, 30 minutes to close out a certain type of show. Do you guys think of this as like a part of fish history, like longer fish history, even with how much it's been played, or do you think of it more isolated?

[Megan]

Yeah, I definitely think when I think of this song, my favorite versions always tend to be historical versions, except for one. But this song, to me, it's Party Fish. And I think that it's like the best when Fish was in like a super party mode. And so I think that they play it a lot because it's probably really fun to play. And it also injects like a bit of energy into a set, into a room. And I think that maybe if they're not sure what to play or they're just deciding, like, we've slowed down, let's pick up, they'll often play a 2001, which sometimes is not the right call, it seems like. But yeah, I definitely feel like it. To me, it's really great for opening a second set because it's so cinematic and it has that kind of like building up feeling. To me, it really reminds me of the book Orbital that we talked about on Library Card because it's so kind of otherworldly and has that feeling of like looking down on Earth and it feels kind of majestic and I think that it also speaks to that time when Fish was really playing so much with tension and release. And I think that's, to me, what makes it feel like older Fish as well, because it's so, like of that era when Fish was doing so much of that. Building something up and then exploding it, and building something up and exploding it again.

[Brian]

Seawell notes here. It's one of the ultimate. What do we play songs exactly? What do we do? You mentioned this as well. I think that's a really good point. And Vajrapani notes, if 2001 drops at the right time in the right set, it really happens. And I think that that is true even of today, because there are some really killer versions into the 4.0 era, especially in 2021 and 2024. There were two of note that were played kind of in the perfect spot and in the perfect way, and they really elevated a set in a way that you hadn't seen in a long time, which was cool. RJ, what do you think? Does 2001 buck your brain up the way that Moore does? Or are you kind of just like, time to get a beer, because we're almost ready to go out to Shakedown? What are your feelings on this song?

[RJ]

I mean, almost always. These days, it's sort of just the beginning of the end, which is sad to say.

[Megan]

Yeah.

[RJ]

But it's true. So it's, like, cool. Six minutes of this. Great. I think that this is a kind of a historical jam vehicle. You know, some of these versions from the 1.0 are awesome. There are some others, you know, we'll talk about. But yeah, I mean, it's. It's hard. It's hard for me to, like, in the moment, it's great. But, like, if I see, you know, seven Minute, you know, Town, like Talent Disease is a huge jam, and then there's like, a couple other songs, and then there's like a 2001 for six minutes. Toward the end of a second set, you're like, all right, well, I guess that's that. So I don't know. I don't. I think it's fine if that. If that's how it exists now. But also listening to all these versions, it's, you know, if you look at the diversity of jamming in these songs, you know, you look at, like, on the one end of the spectrum, you have down with Aziz and Bathtub Gin kind of in the middle or even toward this end, or like Harry Hood, you know, or Reba or something, where, like, you know, the Gems are like mostly the same with some diversity. And then at the very end I think is 2001, which is like they're almost all the same. There's like some variations in different parts. But like, you know, you can make a playlist of these without any breaks and it would just sound like this, like one long track for seven hours, you know.

[Megan]

So yeah, there's. There's only like a couple ways that it can go. Right? It's like it can either like be like really focused on the anticipation and the build up and play with like effects and kind of like build tension for a long amount of time and then explode it and then go to a different space. Or it's just like really focused on the groove and it's super tight and it's just about like slipping into that groove and just riding it. But I do want to say what I was going to say next, which is what Forbin 777 brought up, which is this is a song though, that in the moment, Even if it's 12, 30, 24, when I'm on the floor and I hear this song and I'm at a show, I'm so happy because that means I can just dance super hard with my friends. And it reminds me of all the times that I've looked across my friend Nina and we're just like, go, it's 2001. We get to really get down. And so it's a song that in the room, like you said, rj, I'm always happy to hear even if it's killing my set because it's fun. And also I kind of knew at that point that the set was over anyway. But it's definitely fun in the moment. It's just not the best listening back if it's going to blow it up like that.

[Brian]

Yeah, it's interesting because you mentioned this. Forbin mentioned this perfect speller has a really good note here. 2001 is a song that gets to showcase CK5's contributions to the fish experience. I don't think that there's a better pure song that showcases what he does than 2001. I remember when I was first getting into Fish and the guy who was kind of guiding me through that process and giving me tapes and telling me stuff was like, you have to see fish inside of an arena when they play 2001. There's nothing like it.

[Megan]

Yeah.

[Brian]

And yeah, I'm pretty sure the one time I had that experience initially, I'm pretty sure it was Vegas 2004. Unless I'm blanking. They didn't play 2001. And that was not a Chris Kuroda light rigged run.

[RJ]

Oh, right.

[Brian]

Being like, what the fuck? I lost out. But it's interesting you explain it because I am on the side, as everyone knows of. Like, I'm overly analytical in the shows. And so, like, if 2001 comes into a perfect show for me, it's kind of like, okay, we're into the fourth quarter now. Like, nothing's. Nothing's going to come. Which I was proven wrong in Mexico, which I was very happy about. Amazing version on our list. But it's interesting to me because, Meg, you're just. You described it so well. It is like Fish's ode to film history. This is Kubrick. This is 2001. Like one of my favorite movies of all time. This is Being There. This is Peter Sellers. This is like that very cinematic 70s groove. I should love this. And I think if I see this in Boulder, I'm going to try to embrace the entire moment in hopes that division between analytical fish and cerebral or just in the moment, Body high Fish gets blurred a little bit more.

[Megan]

So you're going to put your hand in there and you're just going to like, let the white lights wash over you and you're just going to be.

[Brian]

That won't be happy. I'm just going to try to be happy.

[Megan]

Okay. I'll do that for you when I see it.

[RJ]

Okay. So, Megan, are you ready?

[Megan]

Not really, but I'm going to. Yes. Let's go. Let's just do it. I'm going to just go with what I'm feeling in the moment because I overthink these things way too much.

[Brian]

This is what I'm talking about. This is the blur of analytical and in the moment Fish, just.

[Megan]

Here we go.

[Brian]

Embrace it here.

[Megan]

I'm gonna embrace it.

[Brian]

Become your very own Chauncey Gardner. Come on.

[Megan]

Yep. Whatever you just said, I. I agree. I agree. Sure. I don't know who.

[Brian]

If you haven't seen Being There, I cannot recommend it enough.

[Megan]

I haven't.

[Brian]

You need to watch it. Okay.

[Megan]

Really?

[Brian]

Peter Sellers is amazing.

[Megan]

Okay, I'll add it to my list. Okay. For our first Mount Rushmore. Are we ready?

[RJ]

Yeah, we're ready. Yeah, I'm ready.

[Megan]

Okay. Okay. This one was up for massive debate and actually was off my list for a while and I was felt really strongly about this being off my list. But I did an incredible amount of AB testing and finally settled on this. So we are going as far north as you can go. And still be in the United States of America. We're going to a former Air Force base in Maine, the location of a nude photo shoot to one of the greatest Fish shows of all time. We're going to go deep in set two on a three set evening. The Down With Disease, the gin and the hood from this set are already on Mount Rushmore. So we're going to make this entire set, besides Uncle Pen on Mount Rushmore, crowning it HF POD certified one of the best sets of all time. We're going right before the Art Jam. We are, of course, going to 8 hours, 17 minutes and 97 seconds to the went 2001. Okay, wow. I had this off my list for a long time. Because, first of all, it is not in. Obviously it's not been released archivally, which is. I don't even want to talk about that. But you have to listen to this on Relisten. You have to listen to one of the best fish shows of all time. Not on Fish's own app, which is just crazy. There are no live baits of 2001 either, which is, yeah, interesting. No live baits. Not a single one, which is crazy. Yeah. But this version, it's the first one to go really big, and it has this looping sirens, super jazzy intro, and it has a mellow groove. The first jam is really mellow and really graceful and effortless. And it can trick you into thinking it's kind of tame. And after. Yeah, Alaska. Sorry about that. That's true. It's not the most north you could be. I should have said the continental U.S. excuse me.

[Brian]

Gotta be specific.

[Megan]

Yeah, yeah, next time. Sorry about that. All the Alaska fans. That was totally wr. It's fucked up. After the first peak, you land in one of these trademark 97 grooves. It's so smooth. The guys are like yelling, yeah, yeah. Over it and just feeling it. It glides along and you just jump on back and watch the scenery go by. It's super hypnotizing. And I do think that there are other grooves that are tighter in other 2001s, but there's something so 97 about this. And I think if it was on archivally released, it would sound even better. But the way that it bleeds into the Art Jam and Trey making this speech about art and an energy exchange between the audience and the band, it's so magical. And I just think that it's a moment in history and. And the context of this is really important. So despite musically me thinking there are better 2000 ones I decided that this had to be on there.

[Brian]

This is our first gold tinted set of this project. Something we weren't even considering when we dove into this. But yeah. 81797 set to. Oh my God, what a set. Four jams are all Mount Rushmore. Uncle Penn will give you the honorable mention here.

[Megan]

Exactly.

[Brian]

So I just made a late breaking change to my list because you made such a great argument. This was my honorable mention. But it's. This is. You're right. I think this is the call. I know we're not supposed to reveal our list till later, but you know, just for. For talking point standpoint, you have. I. 2001 is ultimately to me a 1998, 1999 song.

[Megan]

Totally.

[Brian]

But I think that it comes out of this thing that was happening in the late summer tour. The coalescing of the sound, the groove. And you hear it in such a raw form in this. Plus the fact that we now have the. The Rushmore gold set. Come on. This is it.

[Megan]

I was kind of too excited to not do that. I felt like it would be kind of sad.

[Brian]

It just fits.

[Megan]

Yeah.

[Brian]

Rj, do you have any opposition here? Are you. Are you okay?

[Megan]

No.

[RJ]

Yeah. No, it's on my list too.

[Megan]

It is okay.

[RJ]

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I think like the. The. The weekend and the set, the vibes are just. It's just too much. You know, too many vibes too much to. And you can't really ignore it, you know, you just can't. You know, it's just. It's all just so awesome. And I. And I do think there's so much to this set that. I mean, we just have to put the uncle pen on there too. But the last five minutes are awesome. But like the really long intro and the. Just. The whole thing is just. It's just magic, you know, it's pure magic.

[Megan]

It really is.

[Brian]

It made. It made Trey yelling at his bandmates at the end of set one the night before just all worth it.

[RJ]

We played a set. Hey, man. You know, it's really hard. It's hard.

[Brian]

80, 000 people show up and you start to play like there's 80, 000 people here. That's not. You know, by the. By the time they got to this set, they were just playing in the living room. They didn't care. It was awesome.

[RJ]

I know. I know. It's gonna be. It's. It's gonna be on there and. And Trey will. Will finally get, you know, his validation that the great want was great. Now that this happened now now that it's been hf.

[Megan]

POD Certified.

[RJ]

Exactly. So it's certified. It's all there. All right. I. I mean, I think we're. So that means we're all. We all have it.

[Brian]

Yeah, we all have it. Yeah.

[Megan]

Yeah. As of an hour ago. Yeah.

[RJ]

Great. This was. This is. This is a good one. It's a good one to start with. Okay, what do you got next?

[Brian]

Well, before you go, we just have to, like, highlight the chat, because we have a debate going on right now whether or not Limestone, Maine is the furthest north you can go in the continental United States. And we said that it was a.

[Megan]

Bit of a ballot.

[Brian]

Guys, got to give a shout out to incredible perp here. Limestone, Maine is located further north than George Washington. Specifically, Limestone's location is 45.55 north latitude. George's is 41.13 north latitude. If any one of our dedicated listeners would know the longitude and latitude of specific fish venues, it's perp.

[RJ]

This is going great. This is going great. Okay.

[Brian]

Do you think we should do a geography podcast?

[Megan]

In Brian's dreams? In Brian's dreams.

[RJ]

We could get pretty far on that. Megan. What? What do you got? What do you got next?

[Megan]

Are you ready? Okay, so this is tough. I'm skipping over one of my favorite 2001s of all time. But I am taking you to the birthplace of rock and roll, home of the blues, home of Elvis. We're going to the heartland of this country on the Mississippi River. We are going to Memphis. We're going to the Pyramid arena on Trey's birthday. We're going to the second song in the second set. The only real jam of the show. But what a killer show. They've got a Mike's groove with a catapult and a kung in it. Something they could have done mondegreen day four. But there is this 2001, and in my opinion, there. All other 2001s are beneath it. We are, of course, going to 9 hours, 29 minutes and 99 seconds. The pyramid arena in Memphis. This version, the driving undercurrent in the intro, it's so psychedelic, so haunting. It's totally terrifying. You've got that die, die, die section. It's got this long absolute. Close your ears if you don't like F words. It's a mind fuck of an intro. Layers and layers of sick soundscapes. When they bring back the intro effects during the build, again, it's so, so killer. And then it gets so funky with Mike is just. It's laying down the sickest bass line. The audience starts clapping. Trey goes off on his soloing. To me, this jam has the best narrative arc of any of the versions. It's a boarding spaceship. You go off, and then you come back down again. This is. To me, this is the best 2001 that there is. And, yes, I had to skip a really, really great one.

[Brian]

I think this is the best 2001 that's ever been played. I'm also in shock.

[Megan]

Well, I am skipping one that was on my list until a little bit ago, and I'm pretty sure that people aren't gonna like what I skipped it for. But I. I just made the decision, and I like it.

[RJ]

It's the best 2001. The. The whole. The whole, like, intensity and the number of effects used is what makes it, like, way better than other versions. And it's just like. And it makes the peak bigger, you know, like, the cool shit they do makes the peak bigger and better. And actually, Brian, before you. Before you say more about your shock, if you want to. We did. We did get a voicemail about this specific issue. So I want to just. I want to ask you guys a question in the form of a. Of a voicemail, because I think it's important to. To talk about this. Okay, here we go. Let's see if this works.

[Brian]

This is just some amazing in show pivoting and production. I'm blown away by this, rj.

[RJ]

Been doing this for a long time. Feels a long time. Real veteran.

[Tad]

Hey, guys, this is Tad from Brooklyn. Just wanted to say first and foremost how much I've been loving the Rushmore series so far. I love listening to y' all every week. And addition to that, just. It's been giving me a way to listen to Fish that I really haven't been able to listen to or not haven't been able to, but haven't quite gone about listening to Fish in the sense that I've never really put a ton of the same versions of songs together and listened back to. Back in this way, and it's just been a blast. After all these years, still discovering new ways to listen to this incredible band. So thank you for that. I wanted to pose a question to you all relating to this episode, which I believe will be the 2001 Mount Rushmore discussion. And that is, on a conscious or subconscious level, how soundboard recordings versus audience recordings potentially affect how you might rank your own versions for putting Rushmore versions together. I found this in a big way when I was listening through the list you put together for 2001 in particular, with some of the 97 versions, such as the Went version, I found that immediately being one of the ones. I got to put that in my Rushmore. But then listening to, say, the November 19th version, which is an audience reporting, and that being really kind of muddy and not an ideal listening situation, it was a lot tougher to be like, this might be just as good and kind of classic 97, funky, gooey, like the Went version. But because, you know, it was so kind of muddy in the mix, hearing the nuances of that just made it that much more difficult to determine. I definitely found that with 99 versions, the audience versions versus the soundboard version. So, yeah, just curious if that's something that, like, you. You guys kind of struggle with when ranking. And we'd love to hear what you think about that. Thanks so much. You guys rock. Have a great one.

[RJ]

All right. So you know, that is. You know that. That is where we are. We're in that.

[Brian]

Yeah.

[RJ]

I mean, that Crucible.

[Brian]

Yeah, I. I think he's absolutely right. I think I remember when 111198 first dropped on live Fish and there's a gumbo in the second. I think it's the second song of the show. And I remember when I would listen to the audience recordings, I would kind of just be like, cool. It's just like a nice 13 minute gumbo. And then I listen to the soundboard and there's suddenly so many layers to what Paige is doing under the surface that I had never appreciated or heard before. And I think that is the challenge with this era. The rooms were really big. There was a lot of nuance. Rob Mitchum writes about this a lot in his fantastic. I don't know what he even calls the series, but he writes about every fish show 25 years after the fact of his sub stack. And he's in 2000, obviously right now, and he talked a lot about this in 99, that a lot of these shows, if you don't have a quality recording, it's really hard to get a capture of what's happening. And I think 2001 is one of those songs that the Memphis version is a perfect example. All those effects that are layered in there and there's just like, you know, it's like 10 effects layered on top of each other that they're doing over the course of 21 minutes. When you hear that coming directly from the amplifiers, it changes everything. So I think to his question, there's no way it doesn't affect. There's no way. It can't affect us. I think that some of the great versions that we've selected that have been just audience recordings, you're going based off of reputation and how it sounds in the context. And it's being elevated in a lot of ways that way. Perhaps there are versions that we're listening through to that. Had we heard the soundboard, Mr. Shapiro, we would potentially elevate it even further. I don't know. We don't have the soundboard, so we can't totally make that call. But it's a great observation.

[Megan]

It definitely hit me a lot during this song. In particular, listening to the went version today, when I was listening to it on my way home from work and deciding to put it in, I realized that if this was on soundboard, it would be so much more compelling, just because you would hear how incredibly tight and smooth it is. And I do think the one thing this song benefits from with the audience versions is hearing the crowd during the peaks, because it's just. It's so electric listening to it, and that's exciting. I really appreciated the audience tapes for that. It just sounds so. You can feel your heart swelling and how joyous it is in the moments when those hits, when you're in the audience tapes. But I definitely feel that way, and I think that's. I don't know if you want me to get into why I skipped Gorge or not now, if you want me to talk about that after. But that plays into it a little bit.

[RJ]

Well, we got to talk about the Gorge version at some point. I don't know when, without tipping my cap.

[Brian]

We will talk about it at some point in this episode, so maybe we hold it off until there. Because, you know, at some point we're gonna have to. I'm gonna have to berate you for. For what you've done here and hear your defense, and. And it's gonna have to be a good goddamn defense, you know, so.

[Megan]

Well, I'm just gonna tell now we're later. I'm pretty sure that it wasn't the right call, but I still feel like I wanted to do it because I'll. And I'll explain why. I'll explain why. I don't think it's gonna make you happy, but I'm not here to make anybody happy. I get to pick the Mount Rushmore's.

[Brian]

You do. This is your response? This is all. Everything is on you. Yeah, you're right. I have to. Also, before we take a break here, sorry, I don't mean to take These hosting duties from rj. But I'm just. I'm seeing the chat and we've got to. We've got to address both reality and also proper concessions. Because in this day and age, when people make concessions about information and being wrong about something, it's something you have to applaud. Ponchi. Ponchi, shout out to you, Gorgeous at 4707 North. That which is just going back up here. Where is it? Come on. Did I already lose this?

[RJ]

It seems like it.

[Brian]

I did. But anyway, Ponchi was correct. The perps first search for the geographical north of America was incorrect as Limestone. He apologized and carry on with the show here. Everyone's being candid and really nice and cordial in the chat. I just love it.

[Megan]

Well, I'm feeling good about the fact that I might have made only two errors. One of them might be really big. But only two errors in this episode so far, and I've only said once, so twice now, so.

[RJ]

Well, we're only halfway through, so you got plenty of time for both. All right, we are going to take a break, but first I got to say that 9.29.99 is Scott Bernstein. I think it's his favorite show. It's definitely his favorite. 2001. I think it might be his favorite show ever. He came on the podcast to talk about it maybe in 2020. So. Hey, Scotty, He's a great dude, and I know he loves the show. Also, apparently that was the night before Trey's birthday. I mean, it definitely was because of how the calendar works, but apparently it was a crazy party and lots of people I know were there. And I think it just again, kind of the peak of. Of fish party time was this fall of 99. You can hear it. It's pretty sweet.

[Brian]

You can really get the. Get the feel for it. So this means that Meg was wrong about three things this episode.

[Megan]

Oh, yeah. I said his breath.

[RJ]

Oh, God.

[Megan]

All right, well, keep track.

[RJ]

Okay, I know we better.

[Megan]

For me. Thank you.

[RJ]

We better take a break before Megan makes more mistakes. But the last thing I want to say, actually is that the podcast 99% Invisible did an episode about the pyramid, about this building. No way. Like, a few weeks ago. Yeah. And it was about how it came to be and what happened to it. And there's, like, a mall in it and all kinds. It's a crazy episode and fun to listen to if you. If you like that podcast or if you don't, you should check it out.

[Brian]

It's a bass Pro shop now, right?

[RJ]

Yeah.

[Megan]

Oh, my God, that's so sad. That's so sad. Also, to be fair, I said that was Trey's birthday. Because, rj, you texted us that. And I didn't fact check you because I was just like, dude's probably right.

[RJ]

I said it was Trey's birthday celebration.

[Megan]

Excuse me.

[RJ]

Hey. I just stopped being specific. Language matters? No, because his birthday's the next day.

[Megan]

My gosh, I just can't get things right today.

[Brian]

I always celebrate my birthday the night before, too, so I get it. That's a good call.

[RJ]

This is birthday eve. Okay, great. By the time we get back, we'll sort this all out. We'll be right back.

[Megan]

Close your eyes. Visualize your appliances and home systems. Protected covered. Repairs and replacements taken care of. Washers, dryers, AC units. Now say it with me. American home shield warranty. American home shield.

[RJ]

Don't worry.

[Megan]

Be warranty.

[Brian]

For 20% off our plans, visit ahs.com listen.

[F]

See ahs.com contracts for coverage details, including.

[Brian]

Limit amounts, fees, limitations, and exclusions.

[F]

This is Lawrence Lanahan, journalist, musician, and host of Rearranged, an Osiris Media podcast about music arranging. Once a song is written, arrangers make musical decisions that shape how we end up hearing the song. We're not just talking about adding orchestral accompaniment like horns and strings, or doing a cover version of a song. Arrangement can be putting happy music over dark lyrics, using samples, recording all acoustic, even tiny decisions like putting an electronic loop into an acoustic song to draw your attention to an important turn of phrase. It's all arranging. Rearranged Episodes are documentary essays where I use arrangements to answer some big questions like what is a song? And what can a song become? And how can the sound of a song change the meaning you take from it? Listening this way has changed my relationship with music. Tune into Rearranged, and maybe it'll happen for you, too. Learn more@reranged podcast.com.

[Megan]

Osiris.

[RJ]

Okay. All right, Megan, Are you ready to get back in it? Are you feeling confident?

[Megan]

I don't know. I'm actually ready because this is going to make every. I feel like everybody's going to get mad about this, and I kind of am into it.

[Brian]

I'm ready to get mad.

[Megan]

You are?

[RJ]

I'm already mad, so this is great.

[Brian]

Yeah.

[Megan]

Okay. Perfect. Perfect.

[Brian]

I'm. I'm literally in shock right now.

[Megan]

Listen, I am.

[Brian]

I just keep going. I've got. I'm just. I'm just.

[Megan]

Decision. And I told you, I don't know if it was Going to be right, I think. Well, we'll get into it later because I like the version I left off more than when I put on, but it's fine. Okay, so the next version that I'm going to put on, we have to go so far for this version. We're going to go well. I'm not going to make some hyperbolic statement about how far things are because I've already made that and done it very poorly. But we're going to go really far from Memphis. We're going to go to a foreign land known for its ancient traditions and its modern technology. Known for samurais and high speed trains and the best fish you'll ever eat. A country where I stayed up all night dancing in Roppongi and ate ramen noodles at 4am we're going to Japan to one of my favorite fish shows of all time. We're going to Live Fish Volume 4, the capstone final song of an epic four song second set with one of my favorite jams of all time. It's a shorter intro in this version, but I chose this version because of one band member who delivers so hard and that is Mike Gordon. And I love the they call it in the jam charts. Liquid Nitrogen Mike. And I'm here for that. It is so tight, this jam and crystal clear and it's so vibey and Mike is just laying down that it's just. It's so liquidy and gooey and syrupy and at the end when Trey's like, tomo arigato. We had a great time tonight. It's just. It's awesome. So I don't think anybody else wants this in there, but I do. So sorry. Sorry, Brian.

[Brian]

This, this is a pleasant shock. This is an amazing. Yeah, this is amazing. Set closer. Amazing show. I'm pulling up the details right now. This was the first time that 2001 ever closed a set.

[Megan]

Great spot for it, by the way.

[Brian]

Great spot for. By the way. Has since gone on to close four additional second sets. 1, 4, 2003, 12, 30, 2003, 10, 18, 16 and 8, 5, 18. Always a really wild spot for it to close. Like it closes out a set in a really interesting way. This is super dreamy. I listen to this set every time I fly on a plane because I absolutely hate flying and it really calms me down and I always fall asleep just because the airplane sometime around walk away. And I always wake up when this starts and it just sets me at complete ease. This is an incredible version. Not on my list, but this is an incredible version.

[RJ]

Yeah, it's good. Pleasantly surprised continuation of the. Of the set. Like you said, Megan. It's. It's great. Just, it's a. The sound of these shows is just totally unique and different.

[Megan]

Yeah. And I think I really love millennial fish with 2001. Like, I just think it's. It's such a good marriage. And I also. Drums Logo is just, you know, 6142000 is one of my favorite shows of all time. And I think they'll have another song on there on Rushmore, probably. But I liked this on there.

[RJ]

Yeah. I can't argue with it. I'm not gonna argue with it. I'm not gonna argue with you.

[Brian]

It's a bold and interesting call. It makes me wonder where we're going. I think I know where we're going next, and it's gonna be an interesting conversation following this. I did not pick 614, 2000, but I. I think it fits your list very nicely, and I think It's a great 2001 that more people should hear.

[Megan]

All right, great. I'll take it.

[RJ]

Okay, you got one more. You have one more chance to impress and disappoint. Are you ready?

[Megan]

Okay, here we go. It's kind of fun to be not making people super happy. I don't know. I'm kind of enjoying it. It's not like I'm really a people pleaser by nature. And this is a diversion for me. Kind of fun.

[Brian]

You're at the end of the year. You've got, like, limited fucks left to give.

[Megan]

Exactly. I've got my zero fucks vibe. I've got, like, 10 more days of kids, students. I'm done with my report cards. Like, let's go. So for our last stop today on this journey, we are going to the birthplace of Elvis. I'm sorry. From the birthplace of Elvis, we're going to the home of Elvis impersonators. Elvis can marry you. We're going to go to a desert oasis where you can see an aging singer perform or gamble your money away or get lost a casino on acid in 1996 when you're there to see fish. We're going to Vegas, baby. We are going to the majesty of fall 2021, to the opening song of the opening show of the Vegas Run. I'll never forget staying up to watch the first set of 10, 28, 21 in Las Vegas and being sad that I had to go to bed and miss what was happening, because it was so exciting to see what was unfolding I don't think I've listened to any opening of any show more than I've listened to the first 30 minutes of this 2001 into 1999. I've spent hours running to this. It is so incredibly exciting. It's got a great cool vibey intro. But to me what sets this version apart is just the pure dominance from the get go. They know where they're going with this show and with this night and this had to be so thrilling for them and. And when you listen to this version, knowing what they're going to do, it's just fantastic. This is crisp dance party goodness. It's that tight fall 2021 playing, just delivering on an old classic Fish song and just crushing it. So I love this version and I think it really is a nice 4.0 version to have on the list.

[RJ]

I just want to add a couple of things. First of all, this is on my list. Someone earlier said that the most important things on HFPOD are language and geography are key at HF Pod. The other thing is context from Brian Context Brinkman and this, this show is like. The show is amazing. The. The context of. In which this is played is amazing. The effects are awesome. This is the third time since 96 that it opened a first set which is. Which is crazy. But the page like pages work on this jam is just awesome and it's just up tempo and fun and. And more like Trey on the main theme than usual. Which I think makes it fun because it's just like a little bit when you listen to you know, 15 of these in a row, like you notice those things like you see your tray like a little bit more active and actually playing the guitar which usually doesn't do that much in this in the song. So I like it for that reason but. But maybe the context is what is.

[Megan]

What does was a huge part of why I chose it. Yeah, it's just a. A special moment in Fish history I think.

[Brian]

Yeah. I mean coming at the end of that tour they had every show it felt like was a build up from the night before. Chances were being taken, jams were being played that nobody considered possible anymore at that point in time. Plus like it was in a year when I think they could have been played a very safe couple of tours and people would have been happy because they just wanted live music again. I remember sitting on my couch watching this and being kind of terrified for everybody in there because it just seemed like such a big deal to kick off a four night Halloween run. A very anticipated Halloween run. First time back in Vegas in three years with this and it being a 16 minute version. Yeah, I think contextually there's a lot of reason for it to be here. I'll get into my list here in a second. I guess I would just go back to what I said at the top. I kind of consider 2001 as like a snapshot in time versus something that is really lasted in the way that down disease or what else on our list. Like a light that has stretched over 15 years. This kind of reminded me more as I listened through of like a Harry Hood where there was like a time that the song was really, really perfect for fish. And this version was a little bit more of an outlier. But perhaps that's a good reason to put this on.

[Megan]

You know, that's kind of an interesting point to talk about because, you know, do you want to represent like the best versions when it was kind of in its heyday, or do you want to represent where it's gone, even if it's outside of its heyday? Right. Like, I think that that's something you're kind of wrestling with whenever you're picking these lists.

[Brian]

Yeah, yeah. And I think. I think it really just depends on the song is where I come down on. Like, I don't see how you pick down the disease across four great versions. When I listened through 2001, it sounds like a late 90s song for me. It's interesting. It sounds more like a part of fish history for you in that sort of sense that we got this version. I think it's a great version to highlight. And for anybody who scoffs at 4.0 jamming, this is a good example of them taking a 90s song and really updating it with the effects and the style of jamming that they were playing at that point in time and using.

[Megan]

It in a way that is contextually exciting. You know, I don't think that without 2001, do they play the numbers show? I don't know. You know, like, I just think there are certain songs that have meant a lot for them that inspire them to do something like this.

[Brian]

That's a good point as well. The song itself, the title of the song impacted the gimmick. Without 2001, do we have like the Sci Fi Soldier songs?

[Megan]

Yeah, exactly.

[RJ]

Yeah.

[Megan]

And then where would you be?

[RJ]

It also could have been in the second set somewhere, you know, later on. But the just using it as an opener was. Was great and. And put a lot of, like, I think backs up what you said. Megan, in terms of how important they wouldn't have, like, played this first if it wasn't. If it didn't feel confident that it would, like, set the tone for. For the show. I'm just glad that I saw the next three nights and not this one.

[Megan]

Just always, always happy about the worst. I think if you haven't played this 2001 into 1999 lately, just do it when you need to, like, do something. Like you want to run through a wall. It's. The energy is just. It does not sound like a band in their, whatever, 38th year or something. It's just. It's just absolutely insane. The energy.

[RJ]

Yeah.

[Brian]

It's an interesting show to miss in a run because it's not like. Sorry to keep bringing up Mondegreen, but, like, the first night of Mondegrain was so good. And then the next three nights, there are some serious highlights. If anyone just saw the Woodlands Jam, I think you did all right. But. And, like, we all liked parts of night three. Night four was a bit. Or day four. I guess someone should say, like, this wasn't like, you caught, like, three duds after this show. But this is also so clearly the show of the run. Like, I really love 1029.

[RJ]

Yeah.

[Megan]

Yeah.

[Brian]

But missing 1028, I think would. It would still impact me. I would think about that, too. I get it.

[RJ]

Big deal. Okay, Megan, good job. I will put these in the notes. Megan's picks, when I post the episode, because people have asked that. So we. But we do also have to get. Actually, I'll just do mine, Brian, so that you can bring it in. I also. Megan, I just want to say, I think the one liners or five liners that you. That you put together to introduce the versions was great. And, Brian, I know you always do very long intros to your picks, and I usually just say the date, so. Sorry. But we all got our own styles.

[Megan]

Yeah, we got our styles. I actually forgot to say the date or the Drums title of the Drums logo show, so, you know, it's okay.

[RJ]

I just. I just want to be more like you guys.

[Brian]

I think that writing scripts for ourselves is. After 10 years of doing this is probably the right way to go. Just so that we say exactly what we want to say, you know?

[RJ]

Yeah, I'm definitely big on that. Okay.

[Brian]

If the teleprompter doesn't work, you know what you can do.

[Megan]

But I'm like, biden, I need a teleprompter all the time.

[Brian]

You can say, we'll do it live. We'll do it live.

[RJ]

Yeah, that's true. Okay, so I had two in common with Megan. The went and. All right, sorry, Three, Right? Yes. The one and the. And the Memphis and then the Vegas. The fourth I have, which is gonna make Brian so mad. I'm so happy about it, is I. I went back and forth on this and two other versions, and the gorge version actually was further down the list for me. So I. You know, I might have just been interesting.

[Megan]

Really?

[RJ]

Yeah. But the. The. The. What I decided was to. Because I don't have, like, this to go on the official Mount Rushmore, I was just going to go with Attendance Bias and the set two opener of my first show of fall 97, which was 11 19. The venue is shaped like a spaceship, if you don't know that. Assembly hall.

[Megan]

So killer.

[RJ]

This is a set two opener. I mean, it's kind of standard, but the first 10 minutes with, like, the. Just the fall 97 funk, the feeling and intensity in the room was just incredible. And then it gets more and more intensity until it builds into the main theme. It's just a great version. Captures this tour perfectly. And I really just wanted to have, like. I wanted to have a fall 97 version on here because fall 97 kind of captures that feel. So that was my. That was my fourth.

[Megan]

Oh, my God, I love that version. I definitely had that as a starred version, too. Like, the reverb and the synthy effects on the downbeats they're doing is just so killer. And then it's like knowing it's right before that. Wolfman Stew, that's like 30 minutes long. It's just so awesome.

[RJ]

It's crazy.

[Brian]

Also, the isolated Fishman start. Stop drumming at the beginning.

[RJ]

Yeah.

[Brian]

There's no intro. It's just. And then, like, they come in. Oh, man. Like, the way that that sounds coming through the whole venue. That's a really cool venue. I've only ever seen basketball there. I've never seen Fish play there, but it's a very, very cool spot. I considered that version not because of Attendance bias. I was 12. My mom was not going to give me the keys to go Champagne, Illinois, unfortunately. So I just don't get it. But I love.

[RJ]

You do get it, Brian.

[Megan]

Yeah, you get it.

[Brian]

We all know this. Someday they're gonna be like, hey, we should release a box set of fall 97. And then someone's gonna be like, oh, but we've already released half the shows. And they're gonna be like, shut up. We should release a box set of fall 97. And we're gonna get it. Yes, and it's gonna be awesome. Because that whole tour, like. Yeah, I know. We are not alone here. We have done the full re listen to that tour in accordance to the dates from time to time. And it's a very fun activity to do. It's a great tour that works in that sort of way. If you haven't, I cannot recommend it enough. It is so choice.

[Megan]

So choice as. As another Midwesterner would say.

[RJ]

Brian, what do you got?

[Megan]

Yeah, what's your list? Where did I go wrong, Brian?

[Brian]

Well, I'm really shocked that you left one off. I am shocked you left the gorge off. So I went back and forth with my first pick. I went back and forth between 81797 and 44 98. 4498 is my favorite 2001 ever. And I ultimately decided that's not a good enough reason to have it be on a list. It can be my favorite version and not a Mount Rushmore version. And Meg, your argument about 81797 is so compelling that I swapped that. 81797 is number one. I think you guys are right about that. Great long intro. The James Brown super funk stuff at the end. I do think it's a little bit over reliant at times on the art jam that comes after. But it's also a 22 minute jam that then leads. Leads into that. I think we're good.

[Megan]

Totally.

[Brian]

So my number two version is gorge 98. I'm so tell me why you took this off. Because to me, this is the archetypal 2000.

[Megan]

Yeah, I mean, I think so. This is probably what I should have done. What I should have done is had the went the Gorge, Memphis and Vegas 21. I think that would have been the perfect list. But the reason I took it off, first of all, it was on my list until like an hour before we recorded is okay. I think this is perfect. It's the fuzzy airplane hangar intro. It's got the syrupy, rich funk jam. I think the funk jam is tighter and more sophisticated than the Went. It's just, to me, the second jam is better than anything went as far as in 2001 because it gets so contemplative and beautiful. It's one of the most beautiful and interesting second jams in any 2001. So I think it has the same vibe as the Wendt Gin. It's just a kind of a better version. But I felt like the context of the went. I'm sorry, of the went 2001 I think the context of Went. And it was really compelling to me to have that whole scent on Mount Rushmore. And I think the context of that. It's so similar to the Gorge. And even though musically I think the Gorge is better, I went with context.

[Brian]

And how do you take that off?

[Megan]

Yeah, yeah. And I do think that probably I should have taken Drums logo off instead of the Gorge. But I thought the Gorge and Wen are so. You know, they're like a year apart. And If I had three from 97, 98, 99 on there, I don't know, I just. I really wanted to give a nod to like that 2000s fish, which I just. I love so much. So I think it's just personal preference and I do think that I probably made an error in leaving Gorge off. I will concede that.

[Brian]

Well, I don't want to. Yeah. I don't want to accuse you of an error. I more just wanted to know. I. I think. I think it's an interesting. So what my approach to this was. I thought of. There is a. Because I. I think your rationale here makes a lot of sense now that you explain it.

[RJ]

Whereas.

[Brian]

And I'm just going to use Disease because I think it's the best example of this. Of the counter of this down. Disease has so many different varieties of what it can be.

[Megan]

Yeah.

[Brian]

And the ultimate versions of what makes it great to me is kind of a slight adjustment one way or the other on this 20 to 25 minute long jam that is both rocking and funky and spacious and melodic and kind of does a lot of different things. Whereas 2001, there's short versions, there's medium sized versions and then there's long versions. And to me, the best versions are the long 22 to 25 minute long versions that all kind of sound the same, but showcase the band in different eras, which is what I went with. And so I'll keep going. And I think you kind of went with a more of a diverse 2001 approach. Let's have a long one. Let's have one that is a little bit more energetic. Let's have one that's a little bit different from the rest. And you ended up with a list that you ended up with, which I. We all interpret this differently. You know, a different person would have put James Madison on Mount Rushmore. James Monroe too, I wouldn't have agreed with it. But there's an argument to be made based on impact that you should have put Andrew Jackson on there if you don't like Corruption. You know, you know, maybe Benjamin Harrison. You know, there's. There's. There's people we could have put on there.

[RJ]

So true.

[Brian]

That are not who we did. So it's all about interpretation.

[RJ]

So true.

[Brian]

So I've got wind. I've got gorge. I'm not hosting the show, so I need to just keep moving. I apologize, guys. My next one, I am shocked you did not include this. And I'm thinking you overthought the attendance bias aspect of this. My. My take. You can defend yourself if I'm wrong here. 772000 Charlotte.

[Megan]

Yeah.

[Brian]

Or 7799.

[Megan]

It's on your list.

[Brian]

That's on my list. That's on my list.

[Megan]

I know. Yeah. Tell why you had it and then I'll tell you why I didn't.

[Brian]

Well, I just think that it's. It's. It's. It does this thing that, like. So I have a 97 and 98 and 299s, because I just think that those three years are the best years for 2001. They're the best for what this song can do. And 7799 is this kind of middle ground between the deep space kind of ambient weirdness that was coming out of 2001's in 98 and the more groove, heavy, danceable dance party versions that we were getting by the end of 99 and into 2000. And when I listened back to it, I remember we did that show for 40 for 40. I'm just trying to think of series we've done now for 40 for 40. You know, that was our 99 show. And I remember being blown away by that 2001. And when I listened back to it again, I was like, in the context of 2001, it really worked.

[Megan]

Yeah. This is kind of heartbreaking because this was on my list for a while and I chose that for our 40 for 40. And I love doing that episode because it made me realize what a special show that was. And this version, to me is like the best of the 97 dance parties with the 98ambience with the, like, nothing left to lose. The 99s. Like, it just. To me, it's perfect and I love it. But I really did think that maybe it was because I was there or just we had just covered it or. I don't know. I think. I think this one could have gone instead of drums logo. I don't know. Yeah, I don't. I don't know. It just sometimes they're all the same guys Deep in these. Now, sometimes you just get, like, too deep in these, and you don't really know what to do. And it's a real problem.

[RJ]

They're all kind of the same.

[Brian]

Have you ever listened to rj, Neil Young and Crazy Horses? You're the horse.

[RJ]

Yes.

[Brian]

So it opens. I don't have to tell you this, but I'm just gonna tell the audience. It opens with, you know, the crowd noise because it's a live set, and you hear from the crowd, a fan yells. They all sound the same. And Neil. Neil comes to the mic and he goes. It's all one song.

[RJ]

Yeah.

[Brian]

And then they.

[Megan]

Yes.

[Brian]

Bust into. When you dance, you can really love.

[RJ]

Yeah. I mean, I think that's the same with 2001.

[Brian]

You need to listen to Year of the Horse. That is.

[RJ]

I think there were.

[Megan]

I'm going. I've heard it, but not in a very long time. So I'm on.

[RJ]

They were like. They were like four versions that I could have put on the top, you know, that just didn't make it for whatever reason. But they're all kind of. They're all pretty similar.

[Brian]

Well. And so wrapping it up, my final one is 929.99. Best 2001 ever dance party. Yeah. Just killer stuff.

[Megan]

That one is so killer. I also think that if. If I had 7.7.99 on archival release, I would know more, and I would. I would probably have chosen it like that one. You really. It's fuzzy, it's hazy, and you need it to hear what's really going on. I want that show to be released so badly.

[Brian]

I. I would say Summer 99 is another one of those tours. I mean, it has 725.99, which. I don't know why that hasn't been released yet. It needs to be. But I would put 7. 799 there too. Yeah. RJ. Sorry.

[RJ]

That's okay. The 4498 was the first one that. That came off of my list. Also. Attendance bias. I was at the island tour, just so you guys know.

[Megan]

The space bunk perfection.

[RJ]

That right in between the birds, the feather. And then, like, the vocalizing at the end into Brother. Like that. That is just. It's, you know, it's so good.

[Megan]

That's a good vocal jam.

[RJ]

It's really good.

[Megan]

That's a good vocal jam. I listened to that one again today to be like. Like, am I crazy not to have this on there? Because it's so good.

[RJ]

They're all the same. They're all the same. Can I just tell you guys? Can we just go talk about the audience's picks and then we can see what else we need to talk about?

[Brian]

Yeah. There's one version that is not on my list. None of it. You have mentioned that. I got five text messages about why it's on my list. I'm curious if it's on the audience.

[Megan]

Really? I have an honorable mention. I have one honorable mention that we haven't talked about.

[RJ]

The audience list is 8. 1797-4498-7179-8929. 99.

[Megan]

Okay.

[RJ]

And a very small number of votes for 7799, which is crazy.

[Megan]

Wow. Oh, my gosh. I can't believe I doubted myself so much with that one. That's interesting.

[RJ]

Follow your heart.

[Brian]

Okay.

[RJ]

Which. Which one do you guys want to talk about last? That you're just shocked is not on anyone's list. Or. Or honorable? Why don't you go.

[Megan]

Yeah, I. I think 12.29.98 is just.

[Brian]

That's it.

[Megan]

So unbelievable. I was at this show just telling everybody this show is just. Or this version is just so great. Comes out of that limb by limb jam. It has like a Twin Peaks super eerie intro vibe. It's so patient. It just establishes such a mood. They're so in the zone. It feels like they're so attentive and listening so well. And after five minutes, Fishman starts the 2001 beat, but the rest of the band keeps in that ambient space. It's so good. And then they slowly each find their way to the song. And I love this version.

[Brian]

Yeah, the intro to this is really special and really sounds like 98. I think I ultimately those two Summer 99, Summer 99 and Fall 99 versions, I just felt like I had to have on there. And so if I was going to have only 198, it was either going to be island tour, it was going to be gorge.

[Megan]

Agreed.

[RJ]

Well, guys, this is just. This is just a lot of fun. As always. We really did it. We have another episode next week which is Karini, Brian's going to be choosing. We have.

[Brian]

I think that's you. You are choosing.

[RJ]

Good. Great. I'm going to be choosing.

[Megan]

Breaking news.

[RJ]

Did it. We did it. We finally figured out who's choosing next week and it's me. Don't worry. I will get my list done before we record and. Okay. One thing I want to say is if you go to the Cyruspot.com Russian more, guess what you will be able to do. Right now, you'll be able to vote on your top four versions of Karini.

[Megan]

Wow. That's so exciting.

[RJ]

Just what I do for. For the people. Um, okay, we. Sounds like. Okay, Perfect Speller. I like all the host list. Just need more swearing from Brian and rj. I can do that. I'll bring it. I'll bring the heat next time. Megan, I think that was. I think that's about you.

[Megan]

I know I can't, so. So I shouldn't swear as much, but you should swear more.

[RJ]

I think we just need balance.

[Brian]

The men can swear. I think that's what we're getting here. I think it's more just.

[RJ]

We need balance.

[Brian]

You need to speak a little bit, you know, more proper is what we're talking about.

[Megan]

Exactly. More demure.

[RJ]

I mean, I think if. But if you're going to do it the same amount, then we have to amp ours up. I think that's the lesson. Okay.

[Megan]

I like that vibe better, to be honest.

[Brian]

I think we should just go with a baseball manager approach of just like, hey, guys, we're going to. We're just going to speak the way we want to fucking speak and you're going to deal with it. Okay, I'm sorry.

[Megan]

Yeah, I like that. I'm drums logo. If I want to. I don't care. I'm just going to do it.

[Brian]

Perfect. Speller asks what our favorite map projections is, and I just want to give a big shout out to the Robinson projection, which gives you all of Antarctica and a big oceanic spread. Not really the Mercator kind of guy here. Gall Peters looks a little bit too stretched out. I'm here for Robert Robinson.

[Megan]

My favorite map I saw today was a map that the third grader in my class drew of the roof of our playground. And he walked me through it and it was pretty sick.

[RJ]

That's awesome. I'm. I'm like, super agnostic on maps.

[Brian]

You just don't like the existence that you know where you're going.

[RJ]

No, I think they're good. They're. They're great. I'm great. Grateful to have them. And that's it.

[Brian]

I'm pretty into maps.

[RJ]

I know. I'm not surprised. Not surprised.

[Brian]

Could just, like, spend all day just, like, looking at it, kind of wondering where I'm going and thinking things through and all that.

[Megan]

I love that. I miss having, like, physical maps. That was one of the one things that I remember about going on Grateful Dead tour was like, having huge things of maps in the car with us and, like, using them. That was pretty cool.

[Brian]

My son guides us in his road atlas when we take road trips. Little does he know that. I know it's just, you jump on i80 and you get to Denver, but, you know.

[Megan]

That's so cute.

[RJ]

That's great. Look at this. We're all doing extremely fun stuff and wholesome things here on this podcast. Okay, so we have. We have Karini next week. Apparently, I'm choosing, so I'll be ready for that. And besides that, I think we've. I think we've kind of done it. And.

[Megan]

Oh, we also. We also have an episode of Library Card next week.

[RJ]

We do?

[Megan]

Yeah. People should listen to that.

[RJ]

We do, but not.

[Megan]

People have been leaving us reviews about Library Card. Apple reviews on Library Card. Yeah.

[Brian]

Beautiful.

[Megan]

And they're really positive.

[Brian]

We just launched a film podcast within a podcast. And when RJ's out of town, Megan and I will probably be bolstering Blockbuster card with, like, 16 different episodes.

[RJ]

I don't know why.

[Megan]

Not working. I'm just going to be so wanting to podcast all the time, so I.

[RJ]

Don'T know why that.

[Brian]

Why.

[RJ]

Why would you do that while I'm gone?

[Brian]

Well, we just have, like, a backlog of movies we've got to get through. I want. I want to do it with you. I just watch the movies.

[RJ]

Sure, sure, guys. All right. Have fun without me. Have fun on your movie.

[Megan]

Never.

[Brian]

Have you watched Paris, Texas yet?

[RJ]

About to.

[Brian]

Thank you. There we go. There we go. There we go. We're holding off the podcast till RJ's back.

[RJ]

All right, guys, we'll see you next week. If Brian and Megan start another podcast without me, just keep an eye out for them on social media. All right.

[Megan]

Follow Brian on his Instagram. Bye, guys.

[RJ]

Next week.

[Brian]

Sam.

[Megan]

Osiris.