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- [00:03]
A
Osiris.
- [00:14]
B
Hey, everybody. We are here. We are. We are live. We are back. It's the Helping Friendly podcast. We have people watching live, waiting for this. We're talking about Mount Rushmore ICY List today. Brian, I have a question for you before we start. I know you have.
- [00:31]
A
I have an answer for you based on whatever question you have for me. Don't worry.
- [00:34]
B
I know you have a lot going on in your life, and I guess with everything going on, I'm just wondering, are your children old enough to read ikyulys?
- [00:48]
A
My son would ace the ikulys test. Whether or not he lives it out. He would know all the facts. We actually just had a parent teacher conference with him yesterday. And tell me if you've heard this before about Abe Brinkman. She said, wally knows so much. He knows so many facts. He puts all of his facts into his essays. We need a little bit more feeling and a little bit more depth beyond the fact. And I just, like, sat there, like, my jaw hit the floor and I was like, that is my son.
- [01:22]
B
Wow.
- [01:23]
A
Like, that is it right there. Yes. He would read it. Would he understand the whole meaning of it? Does he get what the book is about? Has he truly read the book? That's something we're going to have to talk about over the next couple of months.
- [01:37]
B
Yeah. What about you, Megan? Are your children old enough?
- [01:40]
C
Oh, they're old enough, but they're teenage girls. They're not reading fucking Ikyulys. No, absolutely not. Absolutely not. They're looking at TikTok deciding where they're going to go to College based on TikTok.
- [01:52]
B
They.
- [01:52]
C
They're, you know, watching reels about, like, Get Ready with Me and, you know, learning other things. But I do.
- [01:59]
A
Where is TikTok telling them to go to college and why?
- [02:02]
C
Well, it's so funny because, you know, one of the schools my daughter loves, she's like, I just haven't seen a lot of TikTok videos about the parties there.
- [02:11]
B
Wow.
- [02:11]
C
And this is my daughter, who's extremely academic, too. Let me explain that to you, who's does not party. But I think she has aspirations for college, which I'm happy for her about.
- [02:22]
A
But.
- [02:23]
C
But, yeah, she's. They really, really care about the amount of play these colleges get on TikTok. It's fascinating. And also, this is another cool thing about it, is that companies like, okay, so Dillard's. Do you know what Dillard's is? It's like a dinosaur department store, right? One of these, like, old department stores, like Macy's and it has sponsored this girl who used to go to our high school, my daughter's high school. And she's beautiful and she's cool. She's from Brooklyn and she wears Dillard's cloth clothes and like poses and she's like an influencer now. And so now my daughter was like, I'm going to look at that school because it looks pretty cool. So Dillard's is now influencing like where my daughter might want to go to college. And that is probably happening on such a large scale. Isn't that crazy?
- [03:13]
B
Yeah, yeah, I have a lot of thoughts about that.
- [03:17]
C
It's really weird.
- [03:18]
A
I feel like the whole vibe of what I was looking for in college was like, can my parents drive there in a day and can I go hiking? And that was like wherever I could find that had that vibe I was into. But like, I don't know what it would have been like if like Instagram or TikTok was serving me up ads for the University of Montana. Right.
- [03:36]
C
It's very strange. And then it also becomes self fulfilling because the more the algorithm spits things out to you, the more you want, you get that. And so it's like, you know, she's only seeing a certain thing and it's also feeding all the kids the same stuff so they all want to go to the same schools. It's, it's wild. It's really fascinating process. I can't imagine what it's going to be like when your kids do it, but I hope it's better.
- [03:59]
A
Everything's going to be better than everything.
- [04:02]
C
Yeah.
- [04:02]
A
There's going to be a revolution exponentially better. Exactly.
- [04:07]
B
I mean, I guess, you know, whatever. There's too much, there's too much to talk about here with the influence of TikTok on our brains.
- [04:13]
C
But, well, but yeah, it really is in line with Ikyulys, you know, put down.
- [04:17]
A
I was just going to say technology.
- [04:20]
C
Read the fucking book.
- [04:21]
A
DVD things.
- [04:23]
C
Yes.
- [04:24]
A
And in the spirit of revolutions that are cyclical in nature and where the winners just become the new boss, same as the old boss. See that? I fused Fish and the who together, which is somewhat fitting today. Pay attention. That may be on the test a little bit later today. Yeah, it's. I don't know what's going to happen when our kids be looking for college. I have no idea. Are we, are they even going to go to college? I don't know.
- [04:48]
B
No idea. We don't even know.
- [04:50]
C
Are we going to be in jail? Who knows? Who knows?
- [04:52]
B
Yeah, we might Be. But I'll tell you what I do know, though. Brian knows something.
- [04:57]
C
I know this has to do with baseball, doesn't it?
- [05:00]
A
It does. Do you guys want to know how much I love making podcasts with you guys?
- [05:05]
B
I know you're. You're going to miss part of the Cubs game.
- [05:08]
C
There's a game on right now.
- [05:10]
A
Not right now. The Tigers. Mariners are playing right now. But. And that's on. But the Cubs brewers potential elimination game. Cubs are down 2 0. Coming back home. Wind is blowing in. Wind has not been helpful to the Cubs hitters all season long, including in October. We have scored 12 runs in five playoff games, and we've got to beat the brewers, who are probably the best team in baseball right now. So I love podcasting with you guys so much that I'm going to have that on the background and try not to get so stressed out while we're doing this.
- [05:43]
C
Wow. I feel honored, rj.
- [05:46]
B
Yeah, I was going to mention it. I was going to mention that. The commitment. The Brink Maniacs will appreciate it. Also, if you like the content of this, of this podcast, you might like. If it resonates with you, you might want to check out our book podcast library card, because there's a lot of book reading going on there. So if you're like, yes, we need to read the book, then you should check out that podcast.
- [06:09]
A
Great plug. Yeah.
- [06:10]
B
Thank you. Okay, one more plug and then we'll get started. I saw. I saw. Anyone who's left a voicemail this week. We hear you. Thank you. We will get to those. Just, just, you know, we will get to those. We have reprise shows coming up this week. If you're in, like, Harrisburg Thursday. Well, yeah, Pennsylvania, Thursday and Friday, Saratoga on Saturday, and then back at Park City Music hall in Bridgeport on Sunday. So if you're in the northeast, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Saratoga, check them out. And we are going to be seeing them in just a few weeks, November 7th and 8th at the Brooklyn Bowl. And if anyone didn't see it, they are going to be doing Those two Texas 97 shows from July of 97 with Cotter from Goose. It's going to be really fun. So Cotter and Adrian together playing Fish. It's going to be an awesome couple nights. So if you can get to New York or if you're in New York, you got to go. You got to go to that show. Okay. Yep. And. Okay, let's get into this. We're going to do this in a new format. We're going to do. We're doing Rushmore a little bit differently, but with more excitement and more fun. So I guess should we start with what is this song? Megan, what is this song?
- [07:28]
C
If anyone doesn't know, let's do it. Well, Ikyulys debuted with fish in 1986, but it was written by Trey and Tom as early as 1984. It was first performed live at Hunt's in Burlington on April 6, 1986. And a live performance from Nectar's on July 25, 1998, was included on the reissue of the Junta CD. But Elektra incorrectly labeled it as May 3, 1998. But despite its connections to the man who Stepped Into Yesterday, it wasn't included in Trey's thesis and hasn't been played in any of the full performances of Gamehenge. The song's interesting because the first few years, the versions that we have from those years are really short. And then in mid-1998, at Beecher's Farm in Vermont, is when the song cracks three minutes for the first time and it has the first buildup to saying his name. And the next version at Nectar's in July, is when we get the first unhinged screaming from Trey in that buildup. It was played the most times in 1998. It was played five times that year. But it spends the next four years without the screaming build. And in 1992, it starts to be played inside Forbin's Mockingbird and includes more narration. The best example of that is the anaconda version from 1992, which we're definitely going to talk about today. So after these four years when they haven't had the screaming build up, it comes back in Portland in April 1992. And by fall 94, one of the best tours ever, the gospel has been spread far and wide, and you can hear the crowd go absolutely nuts when they play Ikyulys in Madison, Wisconsin, that year. And to me, the wild thing about this song is that the band might play it on a special night on top of the jump truck on their 30th anniversary, in the middle of MSG. Or they might just play it on a Tuesday night at a tour opener in Alabama. You just never know when they're feeling it. And I think there are certain songs that Fish plays and you know, the night is special. You know, there are like bust outs, rarities, lesser played songs from gameheng, Sleeping Monkey. But to me, maybe none is more special than when they play Ikyulys, because you can't play this song unless you're really really feeling it. This song is folklore, Fish. It's part of our shared history. It's where inside jokes are born. It's where they're commented on. This, to me, feels like the reason I loved Fish in the first place, because when I saw them on stage and I could feel them wanting to connect with the audience, that is what Ikyulys is all about. And I love that it's evolved and become this act of gratitude from the ban. But it's Fish. So the gratitude takes the form of Trey yelling at us to read a fucking book. But what defines the best versions of Ikyulys are strong thematic framing and a massive explosive build. So the harder Trey goes, the better the version. And the best versions are hilarious. It's been played 30 times, never when I've been in the room. Brian curated 16 versions, but we listened to all 30 to choose our top four Mount Rushmore versions, and we chose those together. So we'll do that this week. Unveil them together. There are 11 versions on live fish and two on live bait. And there are two versions on the jam chart. There's the live fish 10 from Columbus, June 22, 1994, and the Oswego version from 1999.
- [10:50]
B
Yeah, 32 times total.
- [10:52]
C
I mean, well, that's a little bit misleading, though, because the two times, two of those are. They, like, go back to it. So I kind of say 30 times.
- [11:02]
B
Yeah, 30 times in 40 years.
- [11:06]
C
Super rare.
- [11:08]
A
Extremely rare. Like, one of them cannot even predict that this song is going to be played.
- [11:13]
C
No.
- [11:13]
B
Yeah, it would be. It would be bad. You'd be wrong. Yeah, you're wrong.
- [11:17]
A
Really wrong. It's. You can kind of feel a certain show when they are going to play it. Like, we've seen some reference here for 7, 14, 19. Like, by 3/4 of the way through that show, I think that you could have fairly been, like, I bet we could get an Ikyulus tonight, you know, if you do your gap chart in your own head. But I think, like, one of the things that's fascinating about this, looking through the larger list, is once you get past night, the 1980s, it's really unpredictable. I mean, 94 or 92, excuse me, has a couple versions stacked on top of itself. Once you get past 95, though, there's no bets. Like, it's just. It's gonna be played randomly, and you just. There's no rhyme or reason to really why they're playing it outside of a couple of New Year shows.
- [12:09]
B
So, Brian, can you tell us about, like, how are we? How are we? How did we do this list?
- [12:16]
A
Or how do we read our top form? Yeah, I think that we all, individually, as we were listening through these, kind of came to a similar conclusion that what really makes Ikyulys special is when it's dropped in a random spot and it kind of elevates the rest of the show around it. Trey, from a narrative standpoint, seems to really be feeling eager to communicate with the crowd, kind of peel back the curtain of the magic behind Fish. Meg talked about the mythology of Fish. Like, it's all in this song. It feels every time that playing this or something like Harpua or Forbin's Mockingbird, that they're giving you a little bit more of that information you're looking for. About, like, what does this whole thing actually mean? Like, what did you. You guys don't just play the most incredible music of all time. You don't just, like, change the set list each night, play these incredible tours. Like, there's got to be something more at play here that we need to know more about. It's like the ultimate Fish conspiracy theory song. It just gives you a little bit more insight while also, like, confounding you all the same and, you know, leading you down all informational dead ends. But because of where it's played in a show, because of when it's played in a tour, it does something to that show, to that tour, to kind of elevate it above. Just a really fun night out seeing this band experiment and play together and the four versions that we picked. I think the unifying factor is that all four of these shows, for their tours and for their eras, are really strongly remembered as kind of tentpole shows for where Fish was at at that point in time. And part of that is because there was Ikyulys. Part of the fact that there was Niculas played is because they were already playing that important of a show at that point in time. But regardless, you know, the chicken or egg there, Ikyulys inclusion, and what Ikyulys has to say about where the band is at at these moments in time, I think historically just shows the growth, the evolution, the fan service nature of Fish that has made them, you know, not just a band that you listen to, but an obsessive piece of art that you just continuously come back to those questions that you're looking to have answered. So I think all four of these versions, like, I will be. I'll. I'll put my cards down really quickly. I was surprised how few of the earliest versions of Ikyulys were like, really grabbed me from a narrative standpoint. Meg, your point about. I think it's 51588 and then 725 88. These two versions really feel like a step up. Like the band is trying to own the room. I'm currently reading right now. Mike Ayres, Sharon in the Groove. And one of the things he talks about in the book and one of the things all of the various band members that he's introduced, he's interviewing, that they talk about is the fact that these artists knew they were lucky to, like, a Monday night recurring gig at a small venue and they were going to be playing in front of some fans, but also people who just like, were here because it was a tourist attraction or because they were getting dinner and this band happened to be playing and they had to grab all of these people and they had to really, like, keep them not just for the night, but also, like, curious when they left the venue. And Ikyulys really starts to build around that time that Fish is building a following in the Northeast, you know, and playing Nectars, playing the Front, playing Hunts, and then going out to Colorado. And Ikyulys really does a good job of serving as kind of this, you know, statement for who the band is. And so as you go through the career, their career and versions have gotten more and more sporadic. We hear, you know, the. The thing that started to capture people in the late 80s around fish come through specifically in Iculus.
- [16:25]
B
Yeah. And just want to say that what ECW here are watching on YouTube says, I judge my Iculus based on how many times Trey fakes out saying Iculus. It's the only song where. How good it is is how. How long it takes them to say the. The song title.
- [16:39]
A
Well, he gets slightly disappointed when he finally says Icy Celebration, but it's also like, no, no, just keep going.
- [16:45]
C
Yeah, well, and it's so interesting because it kind of does the opposite of every other Fish song in that it's like, usually it's the lyrical section's always the same, and then they improv in the music. And this one, it's the opposite. Like, he's always improving the narration and. And I love that how, like, as it kind of built up, it got more and more centered around the thematic framing. It wasn't just about the story of Gamehenge anymore. Like, it was in the 80s and 90s, in the early 90s. Then it became about kind of some other theme that was going on in the world. And the better and more kind of thought out the theme, you know, thinking about, like, Halloween 95, that was like the richer the Ikyulys. And I just love that. And I think it's interesting thinking about what you were saying, Brian, and what I was talking about earlier is that the other time that they played this song the most is 1994. And we know what was happening with them in 1994. You know, they were really building up to this big peak. And so it's. It's interesting. It's almost like they. They knew when they had to play this song and to kind of like build their. Their lore. It's so cool.
- [17:54]
B
Well, who's going to tell us the first one?
- [17:59]
C
Why don't you tell us, rj?
- [18:02]
B
Wow, I really threw a record.
- [18:05]
A
Do you want to say the name of the person who's going to tell us the first one?
- [18:08]
C
Yeah, you can tell. You can tell us. Well, either one. Brian and I, I'm sure we love to talk. We'd be happy to do it.
- [18:12]
A
Either is the name of the person who is going to tell us the.
- [18:15]
B
Name of the person. All right, Brian, you do the first one. Okay. Because you got. You're warmed up. You're so. You're so warmed up.
- [18:24]
A
I'm gone. I'm. I'm just like. I'm waiting on being swept out of the playoffs. I got nothing to live for right now. You know, we're just. We're just hanging out here talking. Nicholas.
- [18:33]
B
Same. Same man sucks, so.
- [18:36]
A
It does. How are you feeling about it?
- [18:39]
B
Bad? Yeah, really bad. I'm, like, just going down.
- [18:44]
A
Going down with the whole spring, whole summer, into the fall, believing in this team. And then we get to October and it's just. It's like. It's over. It's so.
- [18:53]
B
It's over, but I'm going down with the ship. Like, I'm. If it's going down, I'm there, you know?
- [18:58]
A
I love it.
- [18:58]
C
Yeah.
- [19:00]
A
Are you flying to LA after this?
- [19:02]
B
Yep. I'll be back for work tomorrow morning at seven.
- [19:07]
A
Yeah.
- [19:09]
B
Short trip, but worth it. Sorry, Brian.
- [19:12]
A
I just continue to build up the tension to the first one because, you know, I think it's. I think it's important that we do that in mock ikyulous fashion. So the first version is an incredibly important version. It is a version that is smack within a fourman's mockingbird. Meg referenced that. That was a big part of the song's evolution. It's a song that. It's a version that gives us an insight into Gamehenge and gives us a lot of breakdown historically of what Gamehenge is contextually. Like what is this area? What is this land? What do these people believe? What is the battle that is being fought? This is a version that when it came out and when it was recorded and when it was dispersed, it provided a great overall intro into who Fish is to the broader community and joined east and west of this country around a shared understanding of fish and fishdom and. And the mythology around fish. And that is of course 41692 from the Anaconda Theater in somewhere in Southern California, Isla something. Someone helped me here. I don't know. I don't. I don't know the version.
- [20:29]
C
I don't know.
- [20:29]
A
I love East. Thank you very much. I don't have got too many tabs open here. This is like. So I considered and we all considered. I think when we were talking through this. 72588 is really, really fantastic from Nectars. But I think when you think about what Ikyulus means to Fish, you have to look to the early 90s because it's around the time that the song is becoming more and more of a rarity. It's becoming like the band is being exposed to new fans on a night to night basis. We're four years just them playing Nectars. They're now touring the country two and three times a year. And this is going to be the pattern over the next three years as they build out their fan base towards playing in arenas. And while this is a slightly abbreviated version of Ikyulys, the intermixing of the start of the Gamehenge narrative with the build up to who Ikyulys is with the famous Mockingbird story. And we hear the famous Mockingbird kind of played throughout playing Ikyulys. We hear Harpua teases even as well from Mike. It feels like a version that really cements that there is this. There are all these aspects that make Fish special. The Prague writing, the. The dedication to evolution on a year to year basis. The change in set list every single night. The jamming that's going to grow. But the mythology is a huge part. Meg mentioned this earlier. This is why a lot of people get into Fish in the first place. Because you've never heard a band unveil this much of a backstory to. And this version within a Foreman's Mockingbird with Harpua Teases within one of the most historically celebrated shows in the band's overall history. This really sets the standard for where the song is going to go. Going forward and how it is going to impact the band. I'll turn to you guys. What are your thoughts on the 41692 Ikyulys?
- [22:33]
B
I mean, I'll just say that this is like, you know, it's more about the. The bigger picture that you just painted. But it's crazy that this must. This might be one of the most circulated shows of all time. You know, just coming out of this. Yeah, this run, I mean, there's really. It's like a really creative and interesting run and a great tour. And I think that's one of the reasons that it has to be in here. Aside from like all the, you know, the magic that is within the show, which is. It's a really quite a notable show.
- [23:08]
C
I think that's why I wanted to have it in there because I really did go back and forth on this one a lot because I do feel that the screaming buildup is absolutely crucial and definitive part of Ikyulys. And that's why I was originally thinking 725 88. And then I was also looking at 42492 in Portland because that's inside of Forbin's Mockingbird and it has the screaming buildup and it's totally insane. But the Anaconda version, to me, I really think it's about, you know, this is our top tour 24. This is such an important tour for the band. The show unbelievable has my favorite jam of the whole entire tour in the mics. There's 200 people at this show, but the band is so energized and there's just this incredible vibe. This is late in set one and they're playing it inside Mockingbird. And it is so kind of table setting to me about the mythology of this band. And I ultimately decided, I think this is also the best narration version of Ikyulys that we have that exists. The rest of them have less narration than this one. This is the most kind of complete one. So I think it's a nice table setter, especially as the first one on our list.
- [24:19]
A
It is really interesting to hear this compared to the three we're going to talk about. Whereas the three that we're going to talk about beyond this feel like what you expect more from Ikyulys, which is Trey. They start playing Ikyulys and then somewhere along the lines, like, Trey just thinks of something really funny and just starts screaming that. And that becomes like the telltale build for the song. This is still back in the era where he is like, no, no, no, no. I'm going to explain to you how the secret language works and I'm going to explain to you what gamehenge is so you all understand while you're at a rock show. And it really, like, makes you wonder, like, how many people were in the venue here who walked out and never saw Fish again. Or maybe like a handful of times, like, how much over sharing is he doing at this point in time? You know, for. For the dedicated fans who are going to be listening 33 years later. But you know how many people were just like, out for a night, hanging out, and we're like, what the hell is this guy talking about?
- [25:20]
C
Yeah, I'm pretty sure Trey did not think that 30 years later people would be listening to this version that he was singing in this show.
- [25:29]
B
I mean, ridiculous.
- [25:31]
A
Yeah, yeah, I don't think he did.
- [25:34]
C
No.
- [25:36]
B
It's a great show.
- [25:38]
A
Go ahead.
- [25:39]
B
No, no, that's it.
- [25:41]
A
Shout out to Evdude here, who is saying that we need some April 92 release. This is something we are talking about. As Meg noted, this was our number 24 tour on the top tours list. It's a foundational tour. I will concede that on paper, the set list look very repetitive and slightly rote at times, but as we know from diving in, there's so much excitement under the surface. As RJ is noting, this is one of the strongest shows that the band has played during this period in time. It was passed around countlessly before I ever even got into Fish. This was one of those shows that when it was like, what do I listen to? Immediately? People had it on their. On their list of must hear. So I can't recommend it enough.
- [26:24]
B
Okay, so the next one that we're going to talk about is from a show that is really. Well, we talked about this in our Undermine 40 shows. No, 25 that led up to fall 97. Is that right? Was it 25?
- [26:44]
A
We've done so many.
- [26:45]
C
40 was a different one that we did.
- [26:47]
A
40 for. 40 was 23. The top 25 shows that led to fall 97 was another fun concept by one of us.
- [26:58]
B
That was 2022. I think that was 2022.
- [27:02]
A
Celebrate the 25th anniversary of fall 97.
- [27:05]
B
So anyone who hasn't listened to the episode about this show, you got to listen to it because the whole conversation about the show is from someone who was there with the guy who Trey was talking about during Ikyulys and throughout the show, the extremely tall guy whose name was Randall. And Scott, our friend Scott Gray tells the story and he's a great storyteller. And it's just. You listen to this. I mean, this is just. There's. It's so. There's so much creativity in this version. 622 94. The fishman's getting in on it. There's so much Trey just screaming and like, it's really hard not to just like start laughing every time. But when you hear like Scott Gray tell the story of that show and in the middle of the floor with this really tall guy and Trey just like talking to him the whole night in different ways, it's just. It adds to it. So there's, you know, I appreciate that extra layer, but I mean this one's so great because there's just so much screaming and I feel like Fishman is getting it. Like all the whole band is like getting in on it and it's just. It makes it so much more powerful.
- [28:13]
C
Yeah, I think that's one of my favorite thing. I mean, this version is. There was no disagreement between any of us. We all three had this on our top lists. Like hands down. I think that this one is just out of one of these shows that's just so perfect. I mean the second set is absolutely just segue fast perfection. One of the best Mike's groups of all time, probably. And I think what I love about this is that, you know, there's a thing that Trey does in this song that he has to ask the guys for help. Like, can I get some help here? You know, he does it in every version and it's like where they have to start singing the background vocals. But in this one, everybody is so, so participatory. Like Fishman's yelling, you know, you think you're too good for the book. And Page is just like, read the book. You know, and they're all like chiming in in this way that's really playful and fun. And he's like saying the NBA players names. I assume they're NBA players and making all these comments about, you know, Pong and Simple and playing on skyscrapers. And it just builds up to the screaming that is just exactly what you want from Ikyulus. And I think that this has one of the best Ikulus peaks. And that is what you really, really want. You want this song to just get it to the point where your hands are in the air and you're just waiting for him to say it. And it's just when it does, it's like it feels so good. And this is the ultimate version of that, I think it's the old. I think this is probably, like, I have one I like more just personally, but this is probably the most, like, perfect version of Ikyulys.
- [29:41]
A
Save your life. Save your life.
- [29:43]
C
Save your life.
- [29:45]
A
Save your life.
- [29:46]
B
Yeah, also. Yeah. It's also just got, like. I mean, it's. It's got everything. Brian, before you chime in, I just want to say we got some comments here about the show. Clearly, Trey was obsessed with Randall early on during the transition from simple and iculus. You can say here Trey saying, Simba biba, phone, skyballs and scratch paper, referring to Randall writing stuff down during the set. And then he looked at him and said, you might be standing on top of your skyscraper because he was so tall. He was doing the basketball.
- [30:21]
C
Oh, my God, it is so good.
- [30:22]
B
By the time Trey said, you may think your life is okay, but you're wrong. You're all wrong, Trey finally had Randall laughing.
- [30:30]
C
So good. I mean, this is when, like, you know, when Trey talks to the crowd or, like, makes fun of the crowd or engages with it. It's just so. It's just the best.
- [30:41]
B
Yeah.
- [30:41]
C
Have fun. Like. Yeah. 1994 was so good for them.
- [30:45]
B
Yeah.
- [30:47]
A
Yeah. Because they're. They're kind of doing the same, like, journey around the country that they've done now since 1989. So they're probably, like. They're in sit. They're in the same cities, but they've clearly moved up in terms of, like, what type of venue they're playing in. So there's, like, a level of comfort. And at this point in time, they've done the spring tour. They're 10 days into the summer tour that will go for another three weeks. Like, they can kind of start to see the end in sight. They've made an album, they've released that. They've promoted it. Like, they're kind of at the point. And from here. I mean, this summer tour, this was on our top tours as well.
- [31:26]
C
For number nine.
- [31:28]
A
Number nine, you know, this tour's got Milwaukee Eagles Ballroom. This has uic. This has this show. This has the Game Hoy show. This has Big Birch. This has the first Home Dell show, the Montreal show, Sugar Bush. Like, this is just a period in time in fish history where they are feeling hilarious, they're feeling confident. They're kind of starting to be tapped into some weird aspect of the zeitgeist, like the O.J. show in Milwaukee, this show where they're narrating in real time Game seven of the NBA Finals. Which is just like, anytime Fish sports, you got it. You got it, right? Anytime Fish and sports intermixes in. In. In any way. Like, it just takes it up another level for me. Those Worcester 2013 shows where they're referencing the Red Sox in the. In the World Series. Like, it's just. It's special. It's, you know, fish taking kind of one of the only other mass culture nerdisms, you know, this. This idea of like, you can just spend all your time learning about sports. You get that with Fish and with sports altogether here, this is also kind of peak. Hilarious asshole Trey. Like, Meg, you talked about him, like, egging on the crowd. He's picked one person out of the crowd here to, you know, kind of lovingly pick on throughout the show. Like, this is just like a part of his personality that he. It works perfectly when he does this, you know, and it. This fits that 94 vibe where anything was possible, anything could happen. This band could play anything. They could jam at length, or they could give you a set like this that's a bunch of two and three minute songs segued in and out of each other. That works just the same way that, like a large scale jam would.
- [33:20]
B
Yeah, I mean, this is maybe the. If you were. If you wanted to tell someone, like, to listen to one version, this might be it.
- [33:28]
C
Yeah, I think quintessential version. Like, yeah, it has every part of Ikyulys that you want. You know, it's. It's hilarious, which I think you really need. It's got the massive buildup. The crowd is like eating out of the palm of his hand inside jokes. Like, it's got everything.
- [33:44]
B
It's got everything. We got everything here, including a quick break for you before we go to the next two. So hold on one sec. So everyone, hold up. Read the book.
- [33:56]
A
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 in to Rearranged, and maybe it'll happen for you, too. Learn more@rerangedpodcast.com Osiris.
- [35:09]
B
All right, Megan, are you going to tell us about the next one?
- [35:11]
C
Yeah, I'd love to, because that's my favorite version of Ikyulys.
- [35:15]
B
Wow.
- [35:16]
C
Yeah, it is. But I just want to mention before we get there, that one that we're not going to have on our list that is awesome is the 112094 from Wisconsin. Like, that is just the way that the crowd reacts to them playing that song is just absolutely insane. And it just builds up. And he's commenting Back to when O.J. was on the run and they were in Wisconsin last year. And it's just. That version is awesome if you haven't listened to that in a while. But our third version on Mount Rushmore is a show that I was so mad at myself that I didn't go and see. I was seeing a lot of fish this fall, but I was out west, and this was back in the Midwest, back where I was from. But I couldn't go see the show because I was out in college. But we're talking about Halloween, 1995, Rosemont. They open the show with Ikyulys. This is what should have been done on Mondegreen Day 4. Can you imagine if they had come out in that heat wave? The theme is already made for you. It's we're melting. Try like, that was the theme you had to do. We're melting, and we have to leave because we're melting. Like, just. Anyway, I think this is the most boss move you could ever do is to come out and open a show with this. They also closed set one with Harpua. So, like, they were clearly, like, on one this night. This is just the way that the crowd reacts to them playing. Starting the show with Ikyulys is so incredible. And then Trey says, welcome, and then they do the evil laugh, and they're like. It's just so, like, perfect and so theatrical and nerdy and them. And knowing that they're going to play the who Quadrophenia this night, it just. You could tell they're just in their feels. But this is the battle between the spirits and the book. And this is my favorite Ikyulys, because it takes a turn. And Trey says, I don't think it's gonna work tonight. And I love that because you don't expect it. And you're like, wait, what? And Then he's like the book the Spirits and they have this huge, like, fight. And it's just so killer and so thematically perfect. And this is my favorite Ikyulys because there's just something undeniable about how excited and into it they sound and how it has that perfect build, but it also has this twist that you weren't expecting. And so I absolutely love this version. And I mean, it's fall 95. It's the best. It's the fucking best.
- [37:49]
B
You know, some people say it's the best tour ever.
- [37:53]
C
Some people do. A lot of people, despite the shows that I saw in California that fall. But it's the best.
- [38:00]
A
It's also the only iculus played in 1995, and it is the last Ikyulys that will be played for 262 shows. 7, 1899. They're a completely different band by then. This is, this is kind of a send off. To who? I mean, fall 95 is at, @ one point a peak and also kind of a transition in its own way. We think of 96 is transitional year, but like a lot of things happened for the last time in 1995. And this is one of those where, you know, a song like Ikyulys, you kind of expect it still going through set lists and through tours of the early 90s into 1985. You don't. There's no. The last version prior to this was 67 shows earlier. 11:20, that Dane County Coliseum show Meg's been referencing. Before that it was played 15 shows earlier. Before that, 35 shows. Like it was still being played in a semi rare way that like you kind of could pinpoint if it's gonna happen or it's going, it's gonna come at least, you know, in the next tour or so. Here is a huge surprise bust out version that is now, you know, gonna foresee this song being played 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. Nine times since October 31, 1995. This is big, a big send off. I think this is my favorite version as well, for a lot of the reasons you said. I think it's just like place and setting and like the delivery of this. The use of, you know, the book being light and, you know, the rest of the world being darkness and the spirits of Halloween being darkness that may overtake the book. The yelling back and forth of book, spirits, book, spirit, book, you know, and like Trey's just so dramatic and he's just feeling the vibes of Halloween and then they, you know, they. They end it.
- [40:05]
B
And.
- [40:06]
A
And it's not a proper fade, but. But it's a. It's a close fade where, like, they end it. You still kind of hear the echo of the instruments. And then Trey starts playing as fast as possible the intro to Divided Sky. This is just a band that's just like, they're completely feeling it at this point in time. One last thing. Just as I'm looking through this, like, I just want to read. Everyone knows this, but I just want to read the set. The first set of 1031 95, because. Oh, my God. Iculus Divided Sky Wilson into Umar. Sparkle into Free Gayudi. And then we end with Antelope and Harpua. And the Harpua is not really about harpua. It's about baby raccoons. It's a Mike Gordon thought experiment that, like, then leads into the performance of Quadrophenia, which just sounds like the band figuring out their jamming style for the remainder of the year. And then we get a 40 minute. You enjoy myself. Kick off the third set. Really amazing. It's the second year of them doing Halloween cover albums. And while there's always going to be something super special about 1031 94, there's something that shows that Fish has arrived and they are ready to take over culturally in some way that they weren't a year prior to.
- [41:23]
C
Yeah, this is like, world domination. Fish.
- [41:26]
A
It really is. It really.
- [41:28]
B
Yeah. Dude says Halloween 95 is underrated, which I think is true. I think.
- [41:33]
A
I think that's true.
- [41:34]
C
Yeah. Do you guys think they're just, like, felt maybe, like, too cool to play ikyulys in, like, 97, 98? Like, why. Like, I think. Do you think they felt like they were too cool?
- [41:45]
A
That's. I think they want.
- [41:47]
B
Go ahead, Brian.
- [41:48]
A
No, no, you.
- [41:49]
B
I think that's the same reason they wouldn't have played it at, like, monogreen. I just don't think. I think they don't. I don't think Trey thinks he. Like, they need it when they're feeling.
- [41:58]
C
Like, you know, they needed it at Mondegrain Day four. Like, that is definite. Like, a misjudge from him.
- [42:04]
B
I think. I think what you're. What you're describing from 103195 is the opposite of Monda Green. You know, it's sort of like they were intentionally pulling out all the stops. Like, we're gonna do all the stuff that's gonna make everyone, like, so happy and lose their minds.
- [42:20]
C
You know, that's what they should be doing at a festival. Sorry.
- [42:23]
B
Well, I. I mean, I don't. I don't know for sure because I have an ashtray, but I would say that. I would say the reason that is like, the. The Woodlands Jam was. Was that now to ridiculous 95, you know?
- [42:36]
C
Yeah.
- [42:37]
A
Or. Or.
- [42:37]
B
Or the. Or the. I mean, the costume really is probably more like. But now, like, the Woodlands Jam is. The costume is the equivalent of the. Of the musical costume. Right.
- [42:46]
C
Yeah. No, I totally get that. I just. I think if you're going to do four days of a festival, that you should try to make them all pretty good.
- [42:52]
A
But.
- [42:53]
C
Yeah, I. I think he was wearing a jacket. He was wearing Ikyulys.
- [42:56]
A
When he wears a jacket, there's no way he'd be allowed to play Ikulus.
- [42:59]
C
Well, then he'd never be able to play because he always wears a jacket.
- [43:01]
A
Like, his sunglasses were all the way down here. His hair was, like, all up in his face.
- [43:06]
C
He looked very stressful.
- [43:07]
A
He looked awful. You got that man screaming, yes, that's exactly.
- [43:10]
C
When you play Ikey Lips, you are feeling unhinged. When you were feeling out of control, you come out and you're like, fuck it. I'm playing Ikylus today because I'm going to give these people. They're only getting whatever. Like, we had, like, an hour of music. Like, I'm going to give it to them so hard that they're going to go home and be like, that was worth my fucking festival. You know? Anyway.
- [43:30]
B
Yeah. I'm just glad we're still talking about it.
- [43:33]
A
Me, too.
- [43:33]
C
It's what I'm going to ask Trey about when I meet him. Just kidding. It's not, but I probably should.
- [43:37]
B
I mean, I think if you're going to. If you look like the villain from who Framed Roger Rabbit, then you might as well just, like, go for it. You know what I mean? Like, go for it and just do it. Exactly.
- [43:51]
C
Exactly.
- [43:52]
A
Is there no one to stop him before he walks on stage in all black and a jacket in the middle of August in Delaware in the middle of the day? Right. Who is like, yeah, that man should go on stage like that. This is a living legend. Protect this man. What are we doing?
- [44:07]
C
He could have totally passed out on stage. Like, I was actually worried about it.
- [44:11]
A
You all know that he has a white version of that suit, too.
- [44:15]
C
Yeah.
- [44:15]
A
Like, he has that in white and probably green and probably, like, blue. Like.
- [44:20]
C
And he has 25 shirts backstage. Like, he doesn't have to wear that one jacket. Like, he's got tons of clothes with him. Like, the whole thing was very confusing. I'll never understand that.
- [44:30]
A
Even on one of the kinds of our local reporter Fish fashion on, you know, what Trey is deciding on wearing before a show and what that actually means for what the show is like. But you asked, you know, about, like, were they too cool? The only thing I want to add to it is they removed a ton of songs from the catalog going into 97 Tweezer. They wouldn't play for much of 1997. You know, a lot of classics were played for the very last time, either the winter of 96 or the winter of 97 Europe tour, and then just weren't played throughout the year. And I think that there was, like, a real. We've talked about this. There was a real push to get away from this version of fish. This 103195 first set that was, I don't know if I would say, like, it ever felt, you know, rote just doing it over and over and over again. But, like, I think they wanted to see a different version of themselves. And as we get to our last version here, it is that rebirth of the magic of what Ikyulys brought to Fish and what the mythology brought to Fish. I think for a good 97 to 04, there's almost a embarrassment about what that was because these guys are in their 30s. They're, like, experimenting musically in kind of more subtle and nuanced ways. And, like, why do they want to be known as the band that, like, literally created a joke, Lord of the Rings type character?
- [45:55]
B
Oh, yeah. And it's the same. It's the same reason why, like, you know, they were worried, probably more worried than they were after about. About the comparisons to the Dead. And they were. They're just like. It was just. They were just, I think, more sensitive about it, but I think now they'd be. I think now Trey would. I think they've. It feels to me like being, like, really goofy like Fish is. Is. They're like. They're not doing it as much anymore.
- [46:21]
C
No, definitely not. But I do think they're not embarrassed about it anymore. Like, I kind of. It almost kind of reminds me of how, like, I really took some time off from Fish and felt like I. I needed to grow up and not be into that. And now as I'm older, I'm realizing, no, that's such an awesome part of my life. But I do think that even though they don't do it as much anymore, because I think they're so much more focused on making really sophisticated music. I think that they definitely aren't embarrassed about it anymore. And I think this next version is perfect. And I think if you think about the last version they played last December, Trey's like, here's a song from last year. Oh, we didn't play it last year. Ha. Here's. Here's the Oculus that we didn't play in gamehenge, you know, So I think. Which also made me sad because I kind of forgot they played it last year. And now I'm like, well, now I'm definitely never going to hear it for a while.
- [47:12]
A
Yeah, probably not. I do want to just say that, like the two longest lasting beefs of HF pod. What do you call this? 3.0? Are we 3.0? Are we 4.0?
- [47:22]
C
I never know. RJ.
- [47:24]
A
Don't. The longest lasting beefs of this era of HF pot are Megan's Monda Green Day 4 and my Alpine Dicks 2022 run. And. And the only way I have that beaten. Well, Megan has me beaten on 8, 15, 2024, best show of last year and the Woodlands Jam. But I saw Iculus the final night of Dick's 2022. In spite of all the low points of that overall seven show run. Has anyone seen a seven show run that was least epic than that?
- [47:57]
C
I was like worried about you after that. But they did play Igylus and I remember saying, why are they playing Igylus now? They've just played like a bunch of like super mid shows, but it's fine.
- [48:06]
A
So I got. I got you on that. One thing about that is. And I saw Thunderhead which was, you know, a long.
- [48:13]
C
That's sick.
- [48:14]
A
Yeah, long chase for me. Who wants to do the last one? We've got it. We've got one more Ikyulys here. We've done 1692, 62294 and 3195.
- [48:24]
B
I mean, I was there. So do you want me to do it or is that too. Is that too much bias? You think people are going to get upset?
- [48:31]
C
No, I think this is another one that we all had on our list. This one was the undeniable one as well.
- [48:37]
B
So yeah, I think, you know, attendance bias for sure. But I think this the reason I. Well, first of all, this is my. This in terms of the talking. Besides, besides 62294 and 1031 95. I mean, I think this is the most fun and interesting narration of Ikyulys and the fact that they were. He was able to do it after you know, a breakup and coming back and. I don't know, I think at this show like the kind of showed throughout that year in different ways. Like how they were still able to have fun and unwind and just be fish. But also like the subject matter of this one is.
- [49:17]
A
It is.
- [49:17]
B
It reflects where they are in life. Right? It's like about kind of about like being disconnected from the next generation and being older and like nostalgic and kind of like parental and you know, this, this 81409 version, I mean it's just awesome. Like the way that the effects carry over from. From the song are great. I mean it was, it wasn't. It was a great fun show. There was like a couple good, really good shows. Was that like that week where there were other good shows or was that.
- [49:51]
A
It's definitely the best show. The last four shows of that tour. I would say that like you're coming off of a really, really strong. At least for the era four night run at Red Rocks, especially the second night. And then the Gorge was outstanding. Chicago was a bit of a dip. Darien, I would say is super underrated. It doesn't have a ton of like big jams or huge bust outs, but that is a very classic set list. And then this was the following night and I went to Darien.
- [50:21]
B
I went to Darian. Then I went to this. Yeah, my only time I've ever been there. It was great. So fun. I had a lot of fun.
- [50:27]
A
I loved that Darien show in the moment. I don't think it necessarily would hold up 15 years later as much. But this show, I think you are underselling slightly. The. It's. It's not just a fun show. This is one of the most important shows of the era and maybe of all time. So, you know, carry on.
- [50:46]
B
Wow. One of the most. Okay, so like I was saying, one of the most important fish shows of all time here. But yeah, coming out of the Catapult with the. The sound effects and then he starts talking about Pong and I mean it's just. It's just awesome. I mean they're also this. The psycho killer in Catapult into Iculus into you and myself to finish the shows. Just. But I remember being there.
- [51:10]
C
Quarter tray. That's how you. Fourth quarter.
- [51:12]
B
I remember being there and just looking like. Just appreciating the fact that we were just doing this again. We were doing this thing where Trey was just talking nonsense and he's talking about flowers and you know, DVDs and I mean it's just. It's just so. So absurd but. But so great. I love that there's like some sound layering underneath it as they go into it. But this was just. I mean it for all the reasons I've already said. I think it's just. Just. It's so fun. Such a fun listen.
- [51:40]
C
This is such an awesome show and huge bust. I mean, 10 years since they've played this song and obviously there's breakups and hiatuses. But in the moment, this had to just be so wild that they played this and get the first versions of four bands and mockingbirds since, you know, 96 shows since 2000. It's just absolutely wild the show. And I love because it also sets them in such a moment in time. This is like right when the iPhone came out and Trey's like the iPhone and DVDs, you got your auto tuned music, it's all machines. You know, when is the last time one of you picked up a fucking book? And it's just so perfect how he's like. I think the thematic framing on this one is absolutely just as good as Halloween. I think there's a few of these that are just so thematically rich and this is one of them. And this. You can feel the history being kind of reborn in a way in this version that I think is. Is truly special and marks it as a time when, yeah, you knew that Fish still had this in them. And I think it's really like. It feels amazing to hear it. It just feels heartwarming and special and awesome. I love this version.
- [52:54]
A
Yeah, this one's really special. And this was one of my most re listened bits of music in 2009, when I would go back through just where the band was at at that point. Because it really sounded like. Like I became a fish fan in 2001. I saw my first show in 2003. The idea that Fish would ever become this band again was just not even a possibility for the first couple years that I was. I was a fan. We obviously get the Harpua in Burgetstown in 2003. But you know, we just. We didn't get a lot of chatter with the crowd. We didn't get a lot of that engagement that. That you heard throughout the 90s. And that was something. It seemed like we talked about this. It seemed kind of like a lost art for the band at this point in time and something that they were maybe embarrassed by or just didn't want to, you know, really rehash that part of the past. And this show where you get the first Foreman's Mockingbird since 2000. You get the first Ikyulys since 99, the first Psycho Killers since 97. Like you just get these. Plus it's an absolute, absolutely classic set list. Outside of that, you just get these moments throughout this show that feels like a band that is not only committed to whatever growth and evolution is going to come, you know, in the future now that they're back and they've, you know, gotten comfortable again, but also a band that is tapping into aspects of their past. You also get kind of to your point and it's crazy to think like Trey was 45 during this show and he's talking about like I was so old. Well, how old are you? You know, he's talking how like outdated or how out of step he feels like he is with, you know, youth culture and with technology. And you start to get this sense of kind of, you know, the gray beard that he's become this kind of like wiser sage, you know, who is, who is looking down and you know, caringly for the community and almost like an Ikyulys type figure himself. Trey has become, you know, he's near death experiences, he's come back, he's got this great wisdom at this point in time about how to survive in the rock world. A lot of musicians nowadays seem to take upon the way that Fish conducts themselves and the way that Fish allows themselves to experiment towards the art but live in very healthy and well meaning ways. You get all of that kind of starting in this version. We're going to have an illiterate generation soon. Put down your DVD things.
- [55:34]
C
It just.
- [55:35]
A
Like this is peak like when you're becoming older and outdated but you still have your sense of humor. It's a little bit more biting and it's a little bit more honest. Now you're starting to get that from, from the band. And it's just amazing to go back and listen to this. I said one of the most important shows of 09, early 3.0 of all time, I would say because this is that transition to Fish embracing their past and fusing their past and their present in a way that will help them. Crazy things like the stories spelling shows at Dick's and you know what they're going to do at the Jim Truck on New Year's 2013 and what they're going to do building up to the first Gamehenge performance on New Year's Eve 2023 and all these moments in between that show that point the way forward in fish from a musical standpoint. But also look back on these just bizarre storytelling, creative aspects of what made them from the start.
- [56:44]
B
Yeah, that's really good context. We're going to talk about some. Some honorable mentions. I just want to point. I just want to share my. Can I just share my psycho killer stats real quick just because you mentioned it? Yeah, just because I've seen. I've seen 50% of the psycho killers that have ever been played. Two out of four.
- [57:02]
A
And guessing you weren't at Eugene 93.
- [57:05]
B
I was not at Eugene 93. I was at the 12, 7, 97, and then 8, 1409. I'm sure a lot of people were at both those shows. But to see it, you know, in 97 for the first time in 400 shows since 93, and then see it the next time they played it 200 and almost 300 shows later is just a very unique, like, set list. Set list point.
- [57:25]
C
You know, I don't think I ever realized that this song's only been played four times. I don't. I would have said like 10 or 12 at least. I had no idea about that until you just said that. That is crazy.
- [57:37]
B
Yeah. Yeah. It does seem like it should be.
- [57:40]
C
More, don't you think? Yeah, I mean, maybe because Cross Eyed has played so much more that, you know, just thinking about that, but that's pretty wild. Yeah.
- [57:47]
B
So, okay, what do we want to say in terms of honorable mentions? We got all the rest. The other eight or 10 others.
- [57:55]
A
We've talked 5, 15, 88. We've talked 7, 25, 88. I think I would just give a big shout out to 7, 14, 19, which is a show that kind of feels like an Updated take on Hartford. 09. It's got really classic set lists, a lot of bust outs, a lot of weirdness. It's got the 38 minute Ruby waves in set two. That would really kind of point the direction of where the band was going from a jamming standpoint. And then, you know, as you. As you wind down the set and as you kind of think, okay, we've. We've heard all of the insanity, you get a Death Don't Hurt Very Long, ikyulys, Buffalo Bill and then an Ikyulous reprise. There's a. You Enjoy Myself in a Catapult and the Contact and you Enjoy myself. There's a wedding proposal that happens at some point during this second set. Like, it's really, really wild. And it is like, you know, these shows, the 8 14, 09, 7 1, 4, 19 shows happen, like, once every four or five years, and when they happen, it's just kind of like the band throws all of the weirdness and all of the bizarre, you know, backstories and inside jokes all out to you at once. And by the end, like, it almost. I remember watching this show on webcast and being like. Like, this doesn't even feel like a rock show anymore. This feels like. Yeah, you know, this feels like theater in a way of, like, the music is just a part of the show at this point in time, which oftentimes, you know, Fish shows, it's all about the music. This, like, this is where you hear Trey kind of stepping out and wanting, like, that Broadway side of him to come out. So that was definitely a version that, like, it reaches a peak level of madness towards the end of the show that I just felt like, had a reason, you know, had a. Had a chance to be on this list. But I think we ultimately got it right.
- [59:59]
C
Yeah, me as well. I had the Beecher Hill from 88, May 15 on my list. Obviously, I talked about the Portland 42492 version. The other version that I have that we haven't Talked about is May 2, 1992, from the Cabaret Metro in Chicago. This is Inside Mockingbird early set one. And this is when he's talking about how they showed the book to Colonel Hampton and people are just going nuts. And it's one of the first times that it seems like the audience kind of knows what. What they're talking about. And he's screaming about reading the book. And Trey's laughing because Fish is screaming, like, really crazy. And it just has, like, that kind of wild, freewheeling feeling. And you can see, I love these super early versions because you can feel them, like, just being so free on stage in a way that they weren't as they continue to grow. But I also had the 11, 20, 94 Madison one, the Alpine Valley one. And then I also had 1231, 24 on my honorable mentions. Thinking about, they do this big EDM fish moment, and then they come out for the encore and they play Grind ikyulys Tweezer Reprise. That's. That's pretty sick. And them talking about, you know, I mentioned it earlier, but, you know, they're going to play a little ditty from last year. If you're wondering why we didn't play this, it was a test. And he talks about how they dumped the book over the crowd. And one year later, have you done your homework? You've read the book and What? You still haven't read it and read the fucking thing then. And then they go on after it. And then after the song ends, he's like, okay, there you go. We did it. And it just has such a tongue in cheek kind of vibe. And. And you know, it's. It's so fun to know that they're still doing that. I mean, that was like less than a year ago. It makes me happy. It's awesome. So I like that one on my honorable mention as well.
- [61:48]
B
I just lost my notes because I moved some things around, which is very dumb. But what's the version where he said where he talks about being a pretty cool guy? That's the one I was going to mention it was from like, it was one of the 92 versions. I think maybe it's one of the other ones where he's like, he's like, like he's. Now that's not going to be very good information because now I can't remember which version it is. But in the middle of like it's.
- [62:13]
A
1711 where he's talking about. No, the guy on the T shirt that they're all wearing.
- [62:18]
B
No, it's one of the. It's either 87 or 91. It's one of those. But it's just like he'll get into these things where he just like, basically like what you guys said, what you said earlier. Megan, it's like, like, it's really just. This is. The song's all about how Trey does, you know, it's like that's the only thing that matters.
- [62:37]
C
Yeah. He's got to be so committed.
- [62:39]
B
Yeah. When he's committed, it's just great. You just hear him say some ridiculous one line in this version. He was. He's like, I would say I'm a pretty cool guy. And it's just like in the middle of him talking and it's just. I mean, some of these things are just. I mean, it's so absurd. The whole thing is so silly. But it's. I don't know know, it's really fun. It's really fun.
- [62:59]
A
The 71899 version, the note on it is the narration featured Trey rambling about the negative aspects of television and the positive aspects of books, which, you know, like, you add that aspect into this that like, this is a rare, rare song that taps into human emotion that removes you from, like being at a rock concert into more theater. And the lead singer of the rock band that people are partying at is talking about reading versus just absent mindedly Watching television. It's just a concoction. This is a very, very big nerd band. I'll shout out the 102794 version, which comes in an excellent encore from that Charlottesville show. Comes out of Slave to the Traffic Light and then there's a Tweezer reprise right after that. That's a very cool show that we've definitely talked about multiple times on this podcast. I'm sure everyone out there who's hanging out with us on a Wednesday afternoon has heard that show at least once. But that encore is definitely worth hearing again. And that's also like kind of a cool thing that you're tapping into that. The lead up to this highly anticipated Halloween show that fans have voted on, like, what the album is. There's so much hype, so much anticipation, and two shows before we're going to play Ikyulys. And so you're more than likely not going to get it on Halloween. Like, it just. There's something about this song that can be played around a big show or on a big show that elevates both.
- [64:34]
B
Well, we are gonna go to. Where are we going next? Next week we are going to talk about the Mountain of Cross Eyed and Painless. We're going to do it and it's going to be. I don't know what's gonna happen. But there's so many versions on this list. But you can, you can vote for your top four if you go to osirispod.com Rushmore but the. I mean, I don't, I don't know. I don't know what else to say besides, like, this is gonna be. This gonna be a tough one. There's a lot of really good cross eyed gems.
- [65:05]
C
We're gonna be dancing this week.
- [65:07]
A
Yeah, this is. This is gonna be fun. This is our first cover track since 2001, which we did back in late of 2025. So a lot of originals that we've been looking at. This is a cover that rises to the Rushmore ranks. There's one version we're already like, it's happening. Don't. Don't come at me. You know, we're doing it. And then the other three can be up for a debate. But there's some excellent versions. I've already done my homework. I've got a pretty good idea of where I want the list to go. But I'm. I'm open minded outside, you know, on 75%.
- [65:50]
B
So nice. So nice to be 75% open minded. That's like 70. That's like a 70% improvement over most people in America. So I think you're doing.
- [66:00]
C
There you go. That's true. That's true. Incredible. Perp wants to know who's picking, but it's not Brian's pick because now we're all picking together. It's our new thing.
- [66:10]
A
All picking together.
- [66:11]
B
I think it worked well. I think it worked well.
- [66:13]
A
I think it was nice. It was fun for us to talk about this behind the scenes and then bring it live time.
- [66:18]
C
Yeah, we just. We texted about it and shared our thoughts and then we kind of came together on a list. So it's. We're doing it this way. It's nice.
- [66:27]
B
I think. I think that if we have. If we're. If we agree on, like three out of the four for cross side and we each have a fourth that we really feel strongly about, then do you think we should bring it to the show and discuss it and then decide while. After we discuss them on there, like, discuss. Decide the fourth together while we kind of, like make our case for our fourth? If that were to happen now you.
- [66:47]
C
Want to go back to what we used to be.
- [66:48]
B
No, no, no. I'm just asking how do we do that? Or is it just like, text? Or is it texting like. No, dude. Nope. No, I'm giving up that version.
- [66:57]
A
I think we'll know, Like, I think it's a really good point and we shouldn't hold ourselves back from that. I think that, like, if we're on the same page with three out of four versions and then one we're like, meg has one, RJ has one. I have one. Then that's a conversation that. Yeah. Could or should happen on live. Live on air. I don't want, you know, Ed or Ev. Dude, or incredible perp to think that they can influence our votes live on air. And if, like, one of us says something, they're like, that's the one. You know, Like, I don't want to give them that much power. So, you know, we'll. We'll see how it goes. But no, I'm just playing. I think that it'll be interesting to see where we're all at because cross side is so interesting in the sense that it is one of those jam vehicles that the song is as important as the jam.
- [67:44]
B
Jam.
- [67:44]
C
Yeah. Yeah.
- [67:45]
A
And that's a rare thing. That's a like. Like, I could hear a 10 minute long cross side that doesn't jam and be like, I got my dose. Because the song rules so much.
- [67:56]
C
Yep. Shot of injection like just an adrenaline injection into every show. So sick. I love it. I'm excited listening.
- [68:04]
B
There's a lot of really good gems here. Okay. Chat. Chat gets a vote. Democracy. I mean, kind of. We'll say see. We'll see where it goes.
- [68:14]
A
We also. Sorry. We also just need to make people aware we've got the top 25 shows in the 21st century draft coming up, which is going to work a little differently than our other drops. We're not competing against each other. We're competing with history, which means it's that much harder for us as individuals because we have to come with the 25 best shows. It's not just like, nobody can win that draft. Either. We as a collective whole win that draft or we lose. That's really what we're. What we're on. So that's two weeks from now.
- [68:45]
C
I still don't really get it, but I trust you have a vision here.
- [68:49]
A
I just explained the vision.
- [68:53]
C
I know. I just don't really get it, but I'm excited about it because I need a break from, like, the aggressive draft competition. So I think this will be good.
- [69:01]
B
We're going to do it together. We're gonna do it together. We have. We have 12 versions of cross Eyed for you guys to vote on. That happened over the course of 29. Over the span of 29 years. The range. If you were doing a graph here, the range would be 29 years from 96 to 2025. So there.
- [69:21]
A
It's.
- [69:21]
B
It's a big range. You know, we did waves last like, we did.
- [69:25]
A
Wait.
- [69:26]
B
You know, we. We've done songs that have a little bit more of a compressed time frame. Sigma waves. This like a year or whatever. However long. You know, we gotta. We gotta. So we're talking about 1.0, we're talking about 2.0, we're talking about 3.0, and we're talking about 4.0.
- [69:41]
C
I love that there's 11 versions of Cross Eyed that are on this list.
- [69:44]
B
So I counted 12. Were there not 11?
- [69:47]
C
Maybe 12. Oh, maybe I'm wrong.
- [69:50]
A
I can tell you. I mean, I have the spreadsheet.
- [69:53]
C
Oh, you're right. It's 12. It's 12. Sorry, I miscounted. I was doing it quickly while I was podcasting.
- [69:58]
B
Sorry, it wasn't my. My mistake. Or else I wouldn't hear the. Hear the last of it from the. From the audience.
- [70:03]
C
Yep, 12. 12 versions.
- [70:05]
B
Getting it wrong. We're going to get a lot of stuff wrong, but we get some stuff right. And we appreciate you guys listening. Give us a call at 484-416-0488. Leave us a message. Let us know your thoughts. We will get to these voicemails.
- [70:19]
C
Give us some cross eyed stories.
- [70:21]
B
Give us some cross eyed stories. Tell us, tell us. Yeah. Your thoughts on that song and your thoughts on anything really ugly. Could be anything. Like we do. We do to you.
- [70:29]
A
You know, we, we're open minded for conversing.
- [70:31]
B
Yeah, we'll talk about whatever. Brian, get to your baseball game.
- [70:35]
A
It's already ugly. Two guys on, one out. Tyone is just pitching like crap. It's. I think it's over. But your Tigers, your former Tigers have come back. They were down three zero. They're now up five to three against the Mariners. So maybe, maybe there's something for you. If you got a Tigers Phillies World Series, that would be the, the October of rj.
- [70:55]
B
It would be.
- [70:56]
A
It would be.
- [70:57]
B
It would be. I mean, I feel like I betrayed the Tigers when I went, when I moved here and started going to Phillies games. But you know, I still have place in my heart for them. Maybe I can just watch them and rip for them once the Phillies are knocked out in about eight hours.
- [71:11]
C
They also have excellent uniforms. The Detroit. I like the Detroit vibe.
- [71:15]
B
Yeah. The old English D. The old English D. Yeah.
- [71:18]
A
Cool.
- [71:19]
C
It's classic. Yeah, it's really cool. Although I did see something you posted rj, about the Phillies wearing some sort of blue uniforms. And that looked awesome. That looked fucking awesome.
- [71:28]
B
Okay, so we need to go. But I will tell you, they only wear the powder. The powder blue is the best.
- [71:35]
C
It's the. It's so beautiful. I love it.
- [71:37]
B
They only wear them on Thursday home games.
- [71:41]
A
Okay.
- [71:42]
B
During the season. So that you only see them wearing those uniforms. If it's a home game and it's on a Thursday, that's it. Which doesn't happen that much. They got permission. Brian, did you see this? They got permission from the MLB to wear the powder blue uniforms in the game tonight. So they are, they're taking the powder blue on the road. They never wear it on the road. It's only at home on Thursdays. And they just, I think they're just throwing everything at the wall. It's like maybe why do uniforms?
- [72:06]
C
Why do they have to ask the mlb? Just because people wear like away or home game outfit separately.
- [72:12]
A
You have to get everything passed by. Rob. Rob Manfred checks everything. He just, he spends his time doing that while also reminding fans that the world, the World Series trophy is just a hunk of metal. You know, that's. That's why those are the rules. I can't. We got bases loaded. One hour.
- [72:29]
B
All right.
- [72:30]
A
We just missed an infield fly. Like, this is. My whole baseball life is coming to a crashing halt right now.
- [72:36]
B
Okay, well, don't let your life go to a crashing halt. Everybody vote on your cross side and Painless Rushmore. And have, have, have a good time out there. And remember that sports are just for entertainment and family bonding. It's not everything. That's what I told myself. Anyway, see you guys.
- [72:52]
A
Bye, everyone. Sa.