Phish West Coast Show Draft

Summary

Helping Friendly Podcast: Phish West Coast Show Draft
Released on April 10, 2025
Hosted by Osiris Media

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Introduction to the Drafting Process

In this special draft episode of the Helping Friendly Podcast (HFPod), hosts Brian, Megan, and RJ dive deep into selecting the best Phish West Coast shows in anticipation of the upcoming spring tour. The episode begins with the hosts expressing their excitement and anxiety about the drafting process, setting the stage for an engaging and insightful discussion.

Choosing Regional Categories

The hosts outline their strategy for drafting shows, dividing them into specific regional categories:

• Southern California
• Northern California
• Oregon
• Washington
• Wildcards (1.0 and 2.0 to 4.0)

Notable Quote: Megan shares her nervousness, likening the experience to preparing for a big test:
"I'm feeling like, you know when you have, like, a big test or a big performance, and all day you're just thinking about that performance or that test..." ([00:59])

Discussing Selected Shows

Each host takes turns selecting shows from their chosen categories, providing detailed reasoning and personal anecdotes for their picks.

• Brian's Picks:

  • Southern California: 10/23/21 Chula Vista
    "I'm going 10, 23, 21. Southern California, 4.0 for the win. The jamming is just better." ([20:54])
  • Northern California: 4/21/92 Humboldt
    "4 21, 92. Formative. Formative stuff." ([25:35])
  • Oregon: 10/20/21 Eugene
    "10 20, 2021. You guys have, like, nine days to prepare for spring tour." ([74:16])
  • Washington: 11/30/94 Olympia
    "It's a great show. So much energy, so intense. It's so good." ([84:25])
  • Wildcards: 1.0 wildcard - 12/196 UCLA; 2.0 to 4.0 wildcard - 4/22/23 Gorge
    "I was considering taking 9:12:99 earlier... 4, 22, 23 Hollywood Bowl." ([70:20])

• Megan's Picks:

  • Southern California: 7/30/97 Ventura
    "I have to have 7:30, 97. I have to have Ventura because obviously everybody comes for the Bowie Cities." ([21:38])
  • Northern California: 10/16/21 Chase Center
    "I'm gonna go with 10, 16, 21 from the Chase center because I gotta have that fucking Carini." ([50:36])
  • Oregon: 7/15/98 Goose Mexico
    "I'm gonna pick 7/15/98 from the Goose Mexico tour because that jam is so fucking cool." ([61:55])
  • Washington: 7/22/18 Gorge
    "I'm gonna pick 7/22/18 from the gorge. This show fucking rules." ([98:56])
  • Wildcards: 1.0 wildcard - 12/194 Salem; 2.0 to 4.0 wildcard - 8/19/12 Bill Graham
    "I'm gonna pick 12, 194 from Salem because this tweezer into the Norwegian Wood is so cool." ([85:39])

• RJ's Picks:

  • Southern California: 4/16/92 Chula Vista
    "4/16/92 was an incredible show. Amazing stuff." ([70:20])
  • Northern California: 8/31/21 Eugene
    "8/31/21 from Eugene, Oregon. This was one of the longest jams of all time." ([62:47])
  • Oregon: 9/12/99 Portland Bag
    "I'm gonna take 9/12/99 from Portland. Great pick." ([61:07])
  • Washington: 7/17/98 Gorge
    "I'm gonna take 7/17/98 from Gorge. This is one of the most memorable riffs in Fish history." ([75:35])
  • Wildcards: 1.0 wildcard - 3/22/93 Sacramento; 2.0 to 4.0 wildcard - 8/4/13 Bill Graham
    "I'm gonna take 8/4/13 from Bill Graham. One of my favorite second sets of that entire year." ([86:00])

Friendly Banter and Host Interactions

Throughout the episode, the hosts engage in lively and humorous exchanges, showcasing their camaraderie. Megan expresses frustration over being accused of something she didn't do, leading to playful arguments and laughter. Brian and RJ support each other's picks, emphasizing the collaborative and fun nature of the drafting process.

Notable Quote: Brian humorously addresses the competitive aspect:
"I'm here for it. Megan, you're up." ([03:44])

Finalizing Picks and Next Steps

After a series of strategic choices and heartfelt discussions, each host finalizes their list of drafted shows. They commend each other's selections and reflect on the significance of their chosen performances. The episode concludes with announcements about upcoming episodes, including the next draft focused on Mount Rushmore and future projects like "Library Card" and potential new podcast ideas.

Notable Quote: Brian wraps up with enthusiasm:
"Some really great draft picks from everyone here. I had a lot of fun. No animosity. We just did a great job. I hope you guys are as happy as I am right now." ([108:28])

Conclusion

This draft episode of HFPod offers an in-depth look into the hosts' favorite Phish West Coast shows, blending personal anecdotes with expert analysis. Through their passionate discussions and strategic selections, Brian, Megan, and RJ provide listeners with valuable insights into Phish's live performances, celebrating the band's enduring legacy and vibrant fan culture.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• Megan on feeling nervous:
  "I'm feeling like, you know when you have, like, a big test or a big performance..." ([00:59])

• Brian on Southern California pick:
  "I'm going 10, 23, 21. Southern California, 4.0 for the win. The jamming is just better." ([20:54])

• Megan on her Southern California selection:
  "I have to have 7:30, 97. I have to have Ventura..." ([21:38])

• RJ on Northern California choice:
  "8/31/21 from Eugene, Oregon. This was one of the longest jams of all time." ([62:47])

• Brian concluding the draft:
  "Some really great draft picks from everyone here. I had a lot of fun. No animosity." ([108:28])

This structured summary captures the essence of the podcast episode, highlighting key discussions, personal insights, and the collaborative drafting process, making it accessible and informative for both regular listeners and newcomers alike.

Transcript

[Brian]

This episode is brought to you by Lifelock.

[Megan]

It's tax season, and we're all a bit tired of numbers, but here's one.

[Brian]

You need to $16.5 billion. That's how much the IRS flagged for possible identity fraud last year. Now here's a good number. 100 million. That's how many data points Lifelock monitors every second.

[RJ]

If your identity is stolen, they'll fix it, guaranteed. Save up to 40% your first [e-mail] podcast terms apply.

[Brian]

Osiris.

[RJ]

All right, guys, we're live. This is HF Pod. We are bringing you a very special draft episode. We are back on our drafting guys. Megan, Brian, how are you feeling? How you feeling about this?

[Megan]

I'm feeling like, you know when you have, like, a big test or a big performance, and all day you're just thinking about that performance or that test, and you have kind of, like, an elevated heart rate and your stomach is kind of, like, excited and you have butterflies. It's embarrassing, but I felt like that all day. So I'm excited to be here and kick this off.

[RJ]

Wow.

[Megan]

I take things really seriously.

[Brian]

I didn't feel any of that today. I was just excited to talk with you guys and talk about some great fish shows and share some opinions and, you know, I'm just. I'm just stoked to be here. It's Wednesday. It's. We're 30 minutes early, and we get to hang out and look, there's a lot of great west coast fish shows that we are going to talk about, and there's a great reason why we're talking about these today. We're not just doing a West coast show draft. We are previewing the spring tour that is upon us in, like, I don't know, a matter of days. What does it launch, the 18th? Something like that. I've been so focused on the stock market, I haven't even thought about fish.

[RJ]

Yeah, well, yeah, shows are going to be. Shows are going to be raging just like the stock market. We're ready. We're all ready.

[Brian]

That is a bold prediction, rj. You know, two years ago, right around this time, we all met and we asked ourselves, what do we expect from fish Spring tour? And we said, you know what? Fish has a lot to prove because Goose has really taken the mantle. And what did fish do? They came out and they played a top 25 tour of all time. I put a slight asterisk there because I don't think RJ would agree with that, but Megan and I definitely agree with that. Maybe the last thing Megan, I will agree with all episode is that they played a top 25 tour two years ago this month. Unbelievable stuff.

[Megan]

I do agree with that, Brian. A moment of peace before the storm.

[RJ]

What storm?

[Brian]

Ryan Storm? Are you talking about Ryan Storm still? My goodness.

[RJ]

I don't know what that drive by of me was of me not liking that tour, but you know, I'll let you have it. Whatever you need.

[Brian]

The end of the top 25 tour series was like just four months ago. I have vivid memories of our series finale.

[RJ]

God, what a day. Okay, all right, so I want to remind everybody, come out and hang out with us next week at Reprise. Go to repriseband.com for the dates. It's gonna be fun. I'm gonna be at a couple shows. Megan's gonna be at one. So if you, if you, if you are gonna go, just go to hang out with Megan. That's. That's what the people want. Okay. Yeah. So. So our. Is Fish now a spring band?

[Brian]

Well, now it's, It's a good point. Three years in a row we've had spring runs. Two of those were pretty epic. One was okay. Everybody was at one of them and they said it was epic. But you know, we, we. We have the tapes. I, I am, I am here for Fish playing spring. I don't know about you guys, but, like, we live in very different climates. You guys live on the humid east coast. I live in the dry interior of the country where it takes culture to reach us. Spring and fall, the elbow seasons are my favorite seasons to live in right now. It used to be summer. Like when I was a kid, it was summer. Spring in Denver is the only time of year it will be green. The only time of year you get consistent rain. Music sounds better, the windows are open. There's a little bit of like a cool breeze. And to know that every year now we get this like kind of annual tradition of Fish playing four to eight shows. I'm into it. I'm here for it. Megan, do you have any oppositional thoughts? Are you okay with it too?

[Megan]

I'm very much here for it. It's not a time that I get to go see a lot of shows usually, which is kind of a bummer. I was hoping to make west coast fish this spring because I have not seen west coast or really any fish in the west western part of the country since 95. Sorry. 96. So it's been a while and I really want to get out again, but it's hard with school, so I wasn't able to do it this year, but I'm here for that. I love spring and it's season of renewal and I feel like Fish is now, after their Mexico runs, usually really, like amped up and ready to play really great shows.

[RJ]

I kind of forgot that Fish played in Mexico a couple months ago. Were those good?

[Megan]

I know.

[RJ]

Did we like them?

[Brian]

They were okay.

[Megan]

Brian. Were they okay? Yeah.

[Brian]

Yeah, there were some good moments. It wasn't mind blowing, but, you know, I don't want to knowing what the cost of those are. It was a great time. It was the best time. As Justin Bruce said, every show is a gift.

[Megan]

Yeah, well, that's definitely your theory, Brian.

[RJ]

I just want. I want everyone to know that I am. I'm officially. I'm saying it on the podcast so that I might not be able to back out of it. And because Ryan's watching, I'm officially considering thinking about going to Goose Mexico.

[Megan]

So I only have a month already considering this.

[RJ]

And then I get. Then I stopped and now I'm kind of back because I want to see Eggy and I want to see we're on Drugs and I want to see Jaws and. And I guess I'll. I guess I'd see Goose too, if I'm going. You know, if I'm gonna go all that way to see we're on Drugs, Dawes Fresco, Eggy, you know. Yeah, I guess I'd probably stay for Goose.

[Brian]

Yikes. There's some.

[Megan]

Wow, Brian is so jealous you're going to see Frasco.

[Brian]

Really jealous. My God. Officially considering thinking about that is like whenever anyone asks me if I want to do something with them, I'm officially considering thinking about it. That is my answer from now on.

[RJ]

Exactly. It's. See, you can't hold me to anything. All right, let's do.

[Megan]

I hope you go, rj. It's going to be really good. You should go.

[RJ]

It's going to be great. Let's do one voicemail and then we gotta. We gotta start drafting because big day today. It's just too much.

[Megan]

I know. We just gotta get going here.

[RJ]

Let's listen to this one. Voicemail.

[Megan]

Okay.

[RJ]

Is that okay?

[Megan]

I'm cool.

[Brian]

Always.

[RJ]

Hey, guys, Just finished listening to the Light Mountain Rushmore episode. Great job.

[Brian]

You guys are doing great work.

[RJ]

Appreciate it. I was laughing because you guys were talking about being behind the stage for 12:30 18. I was also behind the stage for 12:30 18.

[Brian]

Amazing show.

[RJ]

The light was great. I think that Everything's Right is probably contender for Mount Rushmore when You guys get to that. But I also had a funny story, or at least memory of being given some stuff that night in exchange and ended up seeing the sunrise for the first time in a while and playing Frisbee in the streets of astoria, Queens at 6:30 in the morning.

[Megan]

That was a.

[RJ]

That was a fun time.

[Brian]

Thanks, guys.

[RJ]

Appreciate it.

[Megan]

Oh, I thought he was gonna say he got something and also freaked out and thought he was being watched by msg. So I'm glad he had a better experience.

[Brian]

Yeah, I. I just want to comment on word choice because I really appreciate how that caller said I've got a funny story and then very quickly change it to memory because I don't know if it was a funny story, but I can imagine it's a very funny and amazing memory in his own mind. And I have those as well. And I appreciate just like accurate preparation before you deliver it. Because, you know, playing Frisbee at 6:30 in the morning on New Year's Eve day in Queens. Come on, that's amazing stuff. Not really like a story arc there, but like, it's a great memory.

[RJ]

But the setting, the setting is perfect.

[Brian]

Especially after that show, man.

[Megan]

Yeah, that's a show to stay up all night for.

[RJ]

Okay, guys, Brian, tell us what's going on today. What are we doing and how are we going to do it? And why are there so many shows to choose from?

[Brian]

So many shows to choose from.

[Megan]

So there were more originally.

[Brian]

Do you want to answer this question? I'm just. I'm happy to.

[Megan]

Go ahead, Brian.

[Brian]

Yield the floor. So we draft now. That's what we do at this. At this. Pretty soon, I think that when we get through all of our series, this is going to be just a draft show and we're going to figure out ways to draft everything. But, you know, in the past we've done tour, preview, run, preview, venue preview. I mean, we stretched an entire MSG run that did not happen into a month of content. Like, don't underestimate the amount of content we can get out of this crap. Yeah, but, you know, I think, and I think you guys will agree it's fun to prepare for upcoming tours by listening to shows that happened in venues or states or cities or regions where the band is about to play. RJ will say, well, I listen to them once. I don't need to listen to them again. I just know what's good and what's not good. But Megan and I like to do this and we like to share thoughts and opinions on the podcast. Definitely not in text before the podcast because that would give away each other's hand. But what we're going to do today, rj, Perhaps you could share the spreadsheet as a screen so people can see this. We are going to draft six shows that we think are the best. Six shows to represent Fish Plane on the West Coast. And what that means is we've got six categories, but four specific categories. All right, so this will all make sense when you see it. Whenever my tech support gets everything up and loaded, we are going to draft Southern California fish. So anything. I think I had it south of San Jose or south of Santa Rosa. Forget exactly where the cutoff line was, but it was somewhere south of San Francisco specifically, because San Francisco is kind of Northern California. Kind of Southern California. It's a complicated thing, Northern California.

[RJ]

I actually have some issues with the regions, but let's just not dwell on that at the moment.

[Brian]

Damn, I wish you would have said that in the months leading up to us, actually.

[RJ]

So I just figured it'd be better to just wait until today. Go, please. Proceed.

[Brian]

Northern California. So anything north of that's. Let's go with Santa Rosa. I had it very specific at one point. Oregon as a whole concept, a whole state, a whole idea of being for fish. Washington, the state of. Not the president that we may be referring to our first president, who knows? We'll see. And then, because we can't just do four rounds and do everybody picks 12 shows, we've got to have a 1.0 wildcard, which means you can pick any show that happened in 1.0, regardless of the region, and then a 2.0 to 4.0 wildcard. Any show that happened in any region, as long as it happened within the 2.0, 3.0, or 4.0 time frame. This will give us 18 shows. You guys have, like, nine days to prepare for spring tour. If you're like, hey, what do I listen to? To get in that vibe of what it's like to see fish in Northern California or in Oregon in the springtime, Baby, we got that for you. That's what we're here for. That's what's happening. Is it going to be competitive today? I don't know. Maybe. There's a lot of great stuff here. I don't think anyone can make a bad call unless they make a bad call. So I'm excited to see what happens. You guys have anything else you want to say about this to prepare us? Anything you want to change last minute?

[RJ]

R.J. well, I just, I. I Just want to say that I think you. There was a show at. In. There was. Santa Cruz, I think was not included in Northern California for some reason. Is that right there. There was. There was some minor show that was right in between. I think it might have been 4, 1992. That was not included. I think it was.

[Megan]

There were some. Is it higher than. Didn't we have a cutoff for.

[Brian]

Thank you, Meg. Thank you, Meg. Thank you, Meg. Very helpful. This is the second helpful thing you've done this episode. Maybe the last.

[RJ]

Are you talking about this? I'm talking about the 4.3 rated for 1992 show. That's all.

[Brian]

That's all I'm saying That show should be here. Is that what you're saying?

[RJ]

It should, but I don't. But now I should have just not brought it up. Let's pretend I didn't.

[Brian]

4 1992.

[RJ]

Yeah.

[Brian]

Let me just quickly pull this up. Hold your horses here.

[RJ]

I also want to just say, for people who are listening, if you go to osirispod.com draft, as we mentioned last week, you can look at all the shows that there are available to draft from. So if you want to follow along that way, hopefully you've already listened to all of them. Like, we have the list.

[Megan]

When I saw how many shows were in Northern California, I almost died. Almost.

[Brian]

Did you?

[Megan]

Yeah, I think I texted you both sides.

[Brian]

All right. So in Santa Cruz, correct me if I'm wrong, that is in Northern California.

[RJ]

I would argue that it is. It's, you know, it's an hour and a half from San Francisco. It's. It's above the. I would say, like, the San Luis Obispo is sort of like the dividing line between Northern California and Southern California. So I would. I would argue that it is in Northern California.

[Brian]

Santa Cruz is weird.

[RJ]

Have you guys been to Santa Cruz?

[Megan]

No, I've never.

[Brian]

I've been to Santa Rosa. Not Santa Cruz.

[RJ]

Yeah, I mean, Santa. Santa Cruz is amazing. It's so weird. It's such a bizarre, awesome place. It's like a lot of lost. Lost hippies and also, like, cool downtown. But it's also on the ocean, right? You know, kind of right in between the Redwood State park and Monterey.

[Megan]

Oh, my God, I love California so much.

[Brian]

For the record, we have updated the draft chart to reflect that Santa Cruz is in Northern California. I hope that there are no other Santa Cruz shows that I'm not thinking of right now. So. And I also hope, rj, that you decide to take that show now because, like, you Just put this through all this hassle for seriously past accuracy.

[RJ]

Well, I'm so sorry. I hope you guys recover from this. It seems like it's been really hard for everybody.

[Brian]

Literally all I do is just update little cells in spreadsheets all day. So it's just, you know, same old symbol. All right, what I need you guys to do is pick a number between one and six. I'm gonna go first because it's only fair. I'm gonna pick four.

[RJ]

That's true.

[Megan]

I thought the reigning champion went first, but it's all good.

[Brian]

In terms of the draft order or in terms of picking a number.

[Megan]

Picking the number.

[Brian]

Okay, then scratch. Then scratch or you go first, Mike.

[RJ]

No, you already have four.

[Megan]

You already have it. I always take two, so I'm taking two.

[RJ]

Okay, what is it between one and what?

[Brian]

One and six. Six. It's a dice score.

[RJ]

Two.

[Brian]

Four usually have six sides.

[RJ]

Six.

[Brian]

I don't know.

[RJ]

Jonathan used his 20 sided thing once or something, so I don't like. How do I know?

[Megan]

You probably have a bunch of Dungeons and Dragon dice.

[RJ]

Yeah, you probably have a bunch of weird dice, to be honest.

[Brian]

I can use a 20 sided dice if you want. Do you guys want to go to 20?

[RJ]

No, no, no. I want. I want to go. I want to start drafting.

[Brian]

Okay. Closest without going over. The first pick goes to. Gonna roll again. My goodness. First pick goes to me. It's four. We. We rolled two ones. I should have given you more context there, but second pick goes to Megan and the third pick goes to rj.

[RJ]

Great.

[Brian]

All right.

[Megan]

Never get the turn. That sucks.

[Brian]

Yeah, it really does. All right. I was kind of dreading the first pick because it's like setting the tone and, like, if you don't take something really, really big right up front, you're kind of. But you know what? Who's fine? We're hanging out. We're just like. It's a Wednesday night. We're all killing it together. All right, so I'm going to talk you guys through this right now. What I'm thinking, and I want to get your thoughts. I tend to go for the best show in the weakest category first, but I don't think that the best show in the weakest category is necessarily so great. That is going to outweigh anything further. I do. Okay.

[RJ]

Yep.

[Brian]

So I'm thinking about taking a really strong pick in a relatively strong category. Humor me for a second. What would you do, Meg?

[Megan]

Well, I have played drafts both ways, and maybe I shouldn't tell you this But I have found that playing strategically, picking the best in the weakest category has not led me where I want it to go, because I think sometimes you end up building up the category that nobody really fucking cares about, and you lose. Like, the best one that you wanted.

[Brian]

Like, when you have the best of Albany.

[Megan]

Exactly. I think you and I both played that one totally wrong. So that would be. My advice is to.

[Brian]

Was this meant to be a text message? I'm just curious. Don't fall for it, Megan. Who wants revenge for the Victor disc? That's crazy.

[Megan]

I know. He really does.

[Brian]

I don't have anyone helping me here. All right, I'm gonna. Then. I think that that's a good call.

[Megan]

Take that slander out of your mouth.

[RJ]

Yeah. Okay. Go, go, Brian. Pick.

[Brian]

It's a good call. I'm just trying to think here.

[Megan]

And that's also the last time I'm gonna give you advice in this draft because you keep accusing me of getting help.

[RJ]

I think that this draft. While Brian's thinking about his pick, I think this draft is hard. I think this is the hardest draft we've had because I think that there are probably maybe 50 shows across this. Across this. This forced areas that could be. That are kind of all similar in terms of. In terms of rating and overall.

[Megan]

Like, does that make it harder or easier? Like, it's almost, like, harder to win because it's so based on personal preference. Like, to me, this reminded me more of the movie drafts from Big Picture that Brian got this idea from originally, because there's so many movies that come out that. And they're all so diverse. I feel like this. Whereas in, like, the studio album draft with the best years of Fish, there's a clear winner sometimes.

[RJ]

I guess it depends which.

[Megan]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[RJ]

I see what you mean. I think it could be either, But I think there's, like, a. I think they're like. Yeah, it's basically like, a huge pool of almost equally good shows. That's the way I look at it.

[Brian]

I agree.

[Megan]

I agree.

[Brian]

So I'm just gonna get this going.

[RJ]

Yep.

[Brian]

I will take any. All accusations for what I'm about to pick. I don't care. This is an amazing show. Every time I listen back to it, I get chills. I was there. I was on the rail right now.

[RJ]

I know where we're going.

[Brian]

The attendance bias is there. This is Southern California. This is Chula Vista. 10, 23, 21. When I listened back through the Southern California category, I was shocked at how this just rose to the Top for me, above a ton of excellent early 90s, mid 90s shows, late 90s shows. I mean, there's a ton of great stuff in Southern California fish, but I gotta go with my heart and my gut here, so I'm going 10, 23, 21. Southern California, 4.0 for the win. The jamming is just better. Guys, come on. Meg, you're up.

[Megan]

It's pretty good at Chula Piper, my gosh.

[Brian]

Yeah, that's the thing is, like, that comes so late in the show and it's just like, oh, my God, we have this now. Oh, my God.

[Megan]

I listened to that the other day and I was like, that jam, my gosh, 4.0 is so good. It's. It's challenging in this draft because you're putting gears up against each other that are just so different. And 4.0 is just so good. Okay, I'm picking something that I think Brian's probably going to call me a pop song for picking this. And maybe it's super basic and maybe it's just so on the nose for me, but this is my shit and I have to have it. I have to have 7:30, 97. I have to have Ventura because this. Obviously, everybody comes for the Bowie Cities. Bowie. And it's amazing. It's perfect. I love that fucking jam. It's so effortless and intentional at the same time. It's just. It's so good. But the rest of the show is awesome, too. You have like this killer Wolfmans in the first set. It's so confident. It's got that relaxed, funky, effortlessly sultry, killer chalk dust. Early in the show, the stash is like jazzy and breathy, killer peak. And then that punch you in the eye that opens the set, too, is just. There is just nothing that hits like a 97 punch. You. And of course, the Bowie's Cities Bowie is just so great. So I had to have this on my list, even if it's obvious.

[RJ]

Nothing obvious about it. It's called. It's. It's called a good pick, Megan. That's what it.

[Brian]

Good pick.

[RJ]

That's what they call it.

[Brian]

I'm happy you got that. That's summer 97. That's your vibe.

[Megan]

That's my.

[RJ]

Okay, I'm just gonna keep it rolling here. Let's just. We're going in order of picking and of region, so I have to pick from Southern California as well, per the draft rules.

[Brian]

So it's not a draft rule. We're not going like one.

[RJ]

But no, I'm just.

[Megan]

I Can't wait. Pick.

[RJ]

I'll tell you that.

[Brian]

I know.

[RJ]

I'll tell you. I told you guys earlier. What?

[Brian]

I know where you're at.

[RJ]

You think. You think you know.

[Brian]

I know exactly where you're going.

[RJ]

Do you? You think so?

[Brian]

I do. Yeah. I think it's gonna be a great pick.

[RJ]

Okay.

[Brian]

Go on.

[Megan]

Okay.

[RJ]

I think you're probably right. I told you guys earlier this week that I'm only drafting shows that bring me pure joy. And that's it. That's my whole entire.

[Brian]

That's the strategy.

[RJ]

My whole entire strategy for today. So I am taking 4. 1692, because it's. First of all, it was. It was memorialized in the follow me to Gamehenge Bootleg CD, which came out in 1994 in Italy, which made its way to the U.S. but this wasn't just an indispensable tape. It was part of the fucking gospel in the early 90s. If you didn't have this tape, you weren't. You weren't. You just. You weren't part of it. Sorry. And every time I hear it, it fills me with an enormous amount of joy and make. Mike's bass is so pronounced, and it's such a tight show. The Possum is really good. And, you know, once. Once you listen back to it, which I did this week, and you realize that, like, the Possum is amazing right after the Buried Alive and then the. It's ice right after that. I mean, it's just. It never stops the entire time. And the. You know, I don't know. The. The flat, the Mockingbird, the Iculus, the rocks, Boulders. You know, I mean, we're just. You're just in. You're in the. You're in a classic fish show just right in the middle of it the whole time.

[Megan]

So this is my favorite jam from that whole tour. That Mike's fucking groove is so good.

[RJ]

It's really good. It's really good that the whole tour is just incredible. And I'm going to be. I'm going to consider not just picking shows from that tour, although I might, which I think. I think could be kind of fun.

[Brian]

April 92 is so special. Yeah, a lot. Yeah, that's. You're. It's a perfect first pick for you. That. That is an era that is a vibe that screams rjb. The. The fact that they combine Forbins and Iculus. Yeah, I don't think that that's ever happened again. Someone's gonna come at me and be like, bro, you're out of Fish podcast. You don't know about the other three times that happened, but like, I am blanking right now on Forbin's in ridiculous being combined. So special. The pictures from this show are unbelievable. I don't have any understanding. I get that we're putting Cyprus on ice. Sure, whatever. Fine. I don't understand why we don't have an April 92 box set. I don't understand at all. It makes zero sense to me. Educate your fans. Like most people are not going back to listen to this stuff and they should. Come on.

[RJ]

Yep. Yeah. I mean, it doesn't make any sense, but, you know, we could spend all day wondering why? Why, Kevin? Why? All right.

[Megan]

Why?

[RJ]

Why?

[Brian]

Eternal question.

[RJ]

So I got the pick. I got the pick on the turn. You guys ready?

[Brian]

You got the pick on the turn?

[Megan]

Yeah. Let's go.

[RJ]

Okay, I'm my second pick. I'm gonna pick the by far the best show they've ever played in the state of Washington without a question. Commemorated by our friends at fish as part of the gorge 98 box set 717 98. Not just a four song second set with a character zero. That doesn't really matter. So you really have a three song second set with an unfinished week. A pog. That is just amazing. The. The 2001, I would I will say is like it's really half kind of them around, but. But half of it is just awesome. And the mics is really, really great. And then, but you, the way you start on that show with the Makasupa into like a really, really, really good yamar and then a really jammed out gumbo, it's just. Just takes me back. What a great summer. What a great show.

[Megan]

God, I love that show. So good.

[Brian]

I've listened to that second set a lot of late for more reasons than one, and it just holds up. It is kind of the ideal four song seconds. I know you say like the character zero, whatever, but like character zero was closing out so many sets during that period in time. It does kind of work. But the way that they get into that just beautiful bliss zone in the mics blows me away every time. The first set, not the greatest on paper, but I think has exceptional flow. Like, I think it's one of those shows you press play on Makasupa and you don't let up because the flow is just ever present there.

[Megan]

Yeah, that mics is so good.

[RJ]

Despite a my soul closer. Even so that way, you know, it still is good. Still good.

[Brian]

That was my. That was my number one in The Washington region as well. Yeah, that's a very, very good pick. Good stuff, RJ guys.

[RJ]

Thank you, guys.

[Brian]

Yeah, you should be proud of yourself.

[RJ]

What a supportive environment. I mean, we are.

[Brian]

I think at the end of the day, we're really supportive and loving and caring here. We just want everyone to get the shows and make them happy.

[RJ]

It's true.

[Megan]

Yeah, it's true.

[RJ]

All right, Megan, you're up again.

[Megan]

It's my turn.

[Brian]

Meg's turn.

[RJ]

Megan, do you have time? Do you need time to think or are you ready? Because if you're not ready, I'll ask Brian a question.

[Megan]

I'm actually ready, but I want to just explain my thinking here because I'm torn between two shows and they're in the same category. And this is. You know, the second pick is tough because it really defines where your draft goes. But I have two shows in this category that I think are kind of even for me. And I think I'm just gonna go with the one that I love the best, even though I think there's a jam that's better in the other one that makes sense. I'm gonna pick this. And I don't know if you guys will think this is the right pick, but I do. This show has massive flow, and it has one of my favorite moments that's just totally shocking and surprising and beautiful. I'm Gonna pick the 71598 from Portland because it has a great Wolfman's to open, but then this horn into the Portland jam. This is why I go see Fish. It's just a ten minute jam, but it's off of one of Fish's most poetic and evocative songs. It's a personal favorite of mine. And the ambient jam that comes out of it is just. It's so special and awesome and unexpected. And when Fish drops something like this in a first set like that is just. That's a moment I love. The Birds is good in the first set, but the second set also has this, like, great limb by limb, which has this really soft, like, ambient jam. And the way that simple emerges out of it in this unhurried way, and then simple melts. Tweezer creeps out. And I love this Tweezer jam. It's so cool. It's so relaxed. The California love in there. And there's a killer free in this set, too. And then you have the encore that's just the Wilson reprise, which that's just a solid way to encore. So even though this doesn't include the Riverport Gin, which Would be sick as a filler on it. I'm still drafting this show.

[RJ]

Yeah, I mean, that's a great call. This is, again, that jam, when it gets into the California Love section is just. It's pretty magical. And that part of the first set that you're describing is really, really awesome. Good. It's a good pick. It's a great tour. I already picked one show from that tour. I'd pick all the shows from that tour if I could.

[Megan]

I know. Such a good tour.

[Brian]

Maybe we'll draft Tre Tones at some point and we can all fight over Summer 98, because that is my favorite. It's a nice show.

[RJ]

Yeah.

[Brian]

Nice show.

[Megan]

I knew Brian wouldn't be into it. The one that I didn't take is one that I think you're going to draft in that category. Um, so you're welcome.

[Brian]

I. I'm. I. Well, we'll see where things go. I gotta figure this out now. All right, I have two picks. Unless anyone has anything else they want to say about 7, 15, 98, or. No, the River Fortune.

[RJ]

Now, I would just say that it still doesn't make sense that they played California Love in Oregon.

[Megan]

It does not. But it's summer 98, baby. Anything?

[Brian]

I got a comment on our chat right now. We've got all of our favorites, all of our regulars in here, and we've got people figuring out exactly how do we say each other's names? We got ECW asking Ev dude if it's E period V period dude, or E lowercase V, dude. Really appreciate everyone getting to know each other during this draft. See, we're all sharing in love, you know? Yeah. That's all that this is about. It's sharing in the groove, baby. Come on.

[RJ]

It is very much, very much so.

[Brian]

His name is Evan, so we're gonna have to call him Evan now.

[Megan]

We learned so much today. Ev. Dude.

[Brian]

F Dude. All right, so I got two picks here. O. I could do some damage. Okay. I know what I'm doing.

[Megan]

Let's hear it.

[Brian]

I am going to Northern California, which rises above the. Is it the 49th parallel? Is it the 37th? RJ, where does Northern California begin and Southern California end? Is it where the board shorts turn into, like, tight washed jeans? What happens?

[RJ]

Well, if you really want to know, I would say that the beginning of Northern California is probably at the right where the Central Valley of California ends.

[Brian]

So, like, which is like, Sacramento?

[RJ]

No, no, no, no, no, no, no. Fresno, Madera, San Luis Obispo. Like, that's like the. That's the. Before it go gets into, you know, the Monterey and the big Big Sur and like the hills there. It's. It's more like the. It gets like, it's more farmland, you know, and then it starts to get toward. Toward Northern California. And that's kind of the cutoff there at the beginning of that range. That would be my argument.

[Brian]

Monterey is Northern California. Is that what you're saying?

[RJ]

Yeah.

[Brian]

Okay. Yeah, I definitely got more. My car broke down once in Monterey, Labor Day 2010 and got treated really nicely by an auto mechanic. It's my one memory of Monterey, California. If it had happened in southern California, I would have been screwed.

[RJ]

Not like the coastline or like the seals or like the anything about Monterey Bay. None of that. Just a nice mechanic.

[Brian]

Great. How often do you need a nice mechanic who's like, yeah, I'll take you in on a federal holiday and I'll do work on your car? Are you kidding me? Come on. All right, we're gonna go to way Northern California. I spent the fall of 2012 trimming weed in. Where was it? Laytonville. So that's Mendocino County. And we went to like a Halloween party up in Humboldt which was crazy at this like giant warehouse where there were just like vats full of drugs and saw just like some no name funk band that I had the greatest time in the world at. And I remember being up there and on multiple substances at the same time. This is like pre children me. So like I could do anything.

[Megan]

Just making that disclaimer.

[Brian]

And I remember being like, wow, fish played here when they were my age, like 20 years ago at the time. And I totally get why this whole area seeped into their bloodstream and into their brains. And so I am going to go.

[RJ]

With a show that is don't do it.

[Brian]

Not even a week following what RJ took one of the.

[RJ]

Don't do it. Not that good. Brent first.

[Megan]

Rj, I thought you were going to take this first.

[Brian]

Oh no. I knew it was. It's not that good of a show. You're right. It's. It's not full filled with like druggy weirdness. It doesn't have the First Great Tweezer 42192 from Eureka, California. Absolutely amazing show. Good. Incredible. Trey Rift really, really wanted. The show goes in between bliss and weirdness and bizarre playing and oh my God, just like mind blowing, mind melting stuff. Some of my favorite, favorite early fish ever. And really the show where like this and 416 you can see is kind of this demarcation of, like, we don't just write complex, really cool songs. We don't just tell jokes. We also have these, like, mind altering musical excursions that allow us to, like, take this next step forward as a band, which we would hear over the next couple years. Learn more about this during our top 25 tours episode where we covered spring 92. I think it was. It was in the 20s. Amazing stuff. I'm seeing some. Wasn't number one in that category for me. You know what? Northern California is the most stacked category. I wanted something earlier to complement my later picks as well. Had a couple other options I could have gone with here in Northern California since it was wide open. But I feel really good about this. I'm really pleased with being able to capture this show at this point in time. You guys have any thoughts on this?

[Megan]

Yeah, I really wanted this show.

[Brian]

Did you?

[Megan]

It's so sick. Yeah, it's so sick. The show is just amazing. I remember when we talked about this tour and this show is. This is my favorite show from that tour.

[RJ]

I think it's the. Probably the most. One of the most memorable riffs of. In fish history. That's Freezer. I mean, just really wonderful.

[Brian]

She's also better than that. Yeah.

[RJ]

Yeah.

[Brian]

She's also my mom's 39th birthday, which, you know, is probably the thing that pushed it over the top for me.

[RJ]

Good. Happy birthday to your mom. From 1992.

[Megan]

From 1992.

[Brian]

All right, so I have one more pick. My God. Great.

[RJ]

So great.

[Megan]

I feel like I know what you're gonna do.

[Brian]

Do you? I don't know what to do now.

[Megan]

Really?

[Brian]

All right, so I'm in between. I gotta think about this. You gotta kill. So you gotta feel some dead air here, rj. Ask me some trivia.

[RJ]

Megan, what's the. What do you think is the. What do you think is the hardest thing about this particular draft?

[Megan]

Well, I think what's the most challenging is that you're kind of constantly coming up against your preference and what is the best show. And also a lot of these shows have one jam that is so fucking good, but you're drafting the whole show. And so I'm often coming up against, like, do I want to pick this show with a killer jam or do I want to pick the show that's better as the show? And I think sometimes that's hard to do. And I think the strategy is challenging because the categories are stacked, but then they're also, I think probably two that are like the best out of each category. Yeah, like, there's two. And there's kind of a step down.

[Brian]

I really wonder if ECW here is making like a deep seated jab at me, but I agree with you right here.

[Megan]

I don't think it's that deep seated.

[Brian]

Without the sarcasm or it's.

[RJ]

Or it's just very genuine, you know, enthusiasm.

[Brian]

That's what I'm wondering. If it's genuine enthusiasm, I'm there for it. I had a great conversation with friend of the pod, Ben Greenfield, where I told him your guys opinions on Kazmo Vox and he thought you guys were insane. So, you know, there's now apparently three of us in the world. We're not even Tobias Bluth. Like there are dozens of us. Dozens. All right, I've made my pick. I looked at the set list and I was like, let's go. Oh yeah. So something really big happened to me during the. RJ laughs Because I'm preparing a thesis statement right now during the top 25 tours. You guys know this. Something very big happened to me. I was converted. It was. It was as if I was. Was dipped in the waters of a tour and was. Was living there for a period in time and came out a new man. And I'm going to go forward with a strategy that is very different from what I done in past drafts. I feel good about it right now. I'm gonna go with the Washington category here and I'm gonna go with 113094 from Olympia. Let me just read this set list to you guys because like what the Frankenstein Poor heart, my friend Reba. Colonel Forbin's Fly famous mockingbird Vibration of life Fly Famous mockingbird down Disease bouncing around the rain and blooming on some My long journey home. And then the second set. This is our category of Brian just reads words on a page, which we should probably get sponsorship for, I guess. But the second set, guys. Haley's antelope in my sweet one. An 11 minute jammed out my sweet one back in antelope in a fixing to die into Yamar, into Mike Song, Catapult Magrup Cavern. I mean, come on, what is going on here? We are going 113094 for the Washington category here. You okay?

[Megan]

No, I was literally okay. Now I'm going to accuse Reinstrom of telling you my picks because I literally was talking to him about this show today and telling him how fucking excited I was to draft this show. Because that jam, that antelope, my sweet one, fixing a die is so fucking cool. It's the coolest shit on this whole fucking list. It is like, the moment of, like, fish being able to do anything, just anything. When you put a bluegrass tune in the middle of Antelope that goes into fixing to die. Like, I. Like, I didn't pick this early because I thought it was a little bit slept on, and now I'm really, really pissed. Well, payback. I feel like I'm having, like, a karmic retribution moment, and it sucks.

[RJ]

Well, you guys, let's just. Let's just take a break here.

[Brian]

I got three picks left. I'm not. I'm not calling shots at this point. I'm just picking great shows. I'm sorry.

[RJ]

Let's just take it. Let's take a quick step back here, guys. This is by far one of the best shows in that category, maybe the second best after the one that I already picked. So we're not, like, talking about, you know, you're not like. We're not in, like, you know, mining a diamond here. We're like, you're talking about a show that is celebrated, released officially.

[Megan]

I know I'm not a diamond. I'm just saying that I didn't. I know. That's, like, the diamond in the rough. Yeah, but, I mean, it's.

[Brian]

It's no Victor disc, I'll tell you that much. But it is, you know, it's also.

[RJ]

Not a diamond in the rough. Very, very common. Very, very common for Fish fans to understand what Victor disc is.

[Megan]

I want to go back to this. I know. I mean, I didn't hear about it from Ryan Storm, like, Brian has accused me of, which is ridiculous, because I just want to say, Brian, I never, ever, ever accuse you of being, like, a new fan or pull that, like, noob shit. I just don't believe in that. But I was a fan before Ryan was even born. And to say that I learned about the Victor disc from him is so offensive. Okay. I'm not over it.

[RJ]

I just can't believe that you didn't pull the card that you were seeing Fish shows while Brian was in elementary school. You know, because I'm not.

[Megan]

I actually don't think that that's, like, matters.

[Brian]

I pull that card more than anyone. It's a defensive move. Yeah.

[RJ]

You could also say that you were seeing the dead when Brian was in elementary school. Are you kidding me?

[Megan]

I don't. Listen, I'm not trying to, like, flaunt my vet stats, but I have them. But I am saying that, like, to accuse me of that is something I'm not going to get over. And now I'm really mad about this too.

[RJ]

Okay, so can we just say one. Can I say one thing, Brian? Actual. One. Actual comment.

[Brian]

Can I just say we have voter fraud already right here. We're all still voting for Megan. It makes the most fun pod. Like, I can't. I can't actually win this. I'm just here for the shows I like. I'm sorry that I got a show you also happen to enjoy.

[RJ]

Yeah, it's fine. Don't worry about it.

[Brian]

Still gonna win. Everything's gonna.

[RJ]

Winning. It's about entertainment. I'm just here to entertain people. So, you know, same. Totally.

[Brian]

100.

[RJ]

I would say that.

[Megan]

Yeah. Right, Brian, you're right.

[RJ]

The 94 fall tour was ranked number three by us and number five by fans. And I think we all agreed at the end of that project that it easily could have been the number one. Like, it could have been number one. I could have made the argument for being number one for sure.

[Megan]

Like, for sure. I think it was number two. But, yeah, like, those three, actually. Three, Three, three.

[RJ]

Any of those three could have been the. The top, I think, in after we got through. I'm just saying it's a great tour. Amazing tour. Okay.

[Brian]

Yes.

[RJ]

We're on to. We're on to Meg.

[Brian]

Incredible tour. Meg, it's your call.

[Megan]

Yeah, I know. I have to do some strategy. You guys have to talk for a minute because I'm, like, a little bit shook right now.

[RJ]

Brian, rj, Was there anything you found difficult about this draft in terms of how you were prepping or how you were trying to think about it?

[Brian]

No. I mean, I think that it is, like, we have the same amount of shows that we had for, like, the versions of Tweezer that we did or the top 25 jam or the 25 plus minute jams. So there's, like, a large quantity. But I do feel like, if we're being honest, there's really, really good high bar west coast fish, and then there's pretty average west coast fish. And I think we've all seen and heard what both of those sound like. And so the challenging part of this was determining, okay, where are the best shows at? And I think once you got a list of really strong shows, which I made a personal list of 25 shows, I thought I'd be very happy drafting and I would not regret in any sort of way whatsoever. I think There were probably 10 to 15 other shows I could have thrown on there. I just wanted to kind of like, reduce this down for focus. Once you got there, it's really about Preference, I think at that point in time, you know, for me, 10, 23, 21. That is my show. There's never been a fish show I've ever seen that has felt more like fish is playing the show for me in the moment. 4, 21, 92. Formative. Formative stuff. 11, 30, 94. Another, like, realization in the last year that fall 94 is maybe the greatest fish of all time. So, you know, I think as long as you go with your heart and your soul here, you're in a good spot. Right, Meg?

[Megan]

Yeah, I think I'm ready.

[Brian]

Do you?

[Megan]

Yeah. Yeah, I think I'm ready. I'm really torn between not screwing myself in one category. I think not having to turn makes a big difference in these drafts. I'm just going to say that.

[Brian]

So for RJ or I win, is there an asterisk? Because you were in. You were in the middle.

[Megan]

Oh, no. I'm actually a really gracious loser. I'm great at. I'm fine. I don't like it. I really fucking hate it. But I am okay. I'm. I'm definitely happy for the person that won. And I don't get.

[Brian]

I just. I just live by Hannah Hidalgo's mantra. I hate losing more than I enjoy winning.

[Megan]

Yeah, Yeah, I get that. Okay, I'm ready. So I'm choosing in Northern California, and I'm choosing a show that has what I think is the best, one of the best jams of the entire tour and maybe the greatest encore of all time. Definitely up there. I'm gonna pick 10, 16, 21 from the Chase center because I gotta have that fucking Carini. I gotta have it.

[Brian]

Great pick.

[Megan]

I listened to it again about an hour ago, and that jam is fucking crazy. Like, it is so incredible. Played that in encore.

[RJ]

Megan, why don't you tell me, Brian and I both about that show, because we were both there. So why don't you tell us how crazy it was?

[Megan]

You tell us.

[RJ]

Well, I can, because I didn't get to draft it, so.

[Megan]

Well, listen, I wasn't going to draft it, but I decided that I had to take the gloves off to have some sort of attempt to compete. You guys have really strong lists, and I was gonna leave the Chula show and the Che show on the table for you both, but I just couldn't do it anymore. I was gonna lose. I was gonna lose if I did. So I think if we get.

[Brian]

If we get into the third round and someone hasn't picked a show that they love that. That's on that's on them. No offense, rj.

[RJ]

Yeah. Actually, technically the second, isn't it? Or is it the third? You mean third pick?

[Brian]

It's Meg. It's Megan's third pick.

[Megan]

My third pick. Yeah. Oh.

[Brian]

Oh. I mean, this is, you know, since.

[RJ]

Like, I haven't picked since, like, last year, as far as I can tell you guys, for.

[Megan]

You get two picks, God knows how long you're good.

[RJ]

We'll see if we ever get there.

[Megan]

You're gonna like. This is.

[Brian]

This is the same move that RJ employed when he took the 72599 Creek show for that, you know, it was like, third or fourth round. I hadn't taken it yet. That's a applicable time. I totally get it. I think this is the right call, Meg.

[Megan]

Thanks.

[Brian]

I think that, I mean, Northern California, I thought was the most stacked category of the entire draft. Not just the quantity of shows, but, like, the high quality of shows. They just love San Francisco. They love this region. This show was magical. It's the only time I've ever seen RJ smile during Possum. My entire brain was removed from my head and, like, it was. It was incredible inside of that venue that evening, I. I had. I was blown away. And then afterwards, I tried to get RJ to podcast live about it. He decided. He decided to walk us back four and a half miles from the Chase center to our hotel. And every 10 minutes went. I'm pretty sure our hotel is right around the corner here. You know, I used to live in San Francisco. I know the city really well. I'm pretty sure our hotel is right around the corner.

[Megan]

But we did trust rj. Post show. You can't.

[RJ]

We did stop and meet Benji. I had. We had a drink. I had a drink for sure. Okay.

[Megan]

I have a question for you too, about this. This is sort of a tangent, but I'm curious. Which jam do you like better? Carini from this night or Set your soul Free from the next?

[Brian]

I think ultimately the Carini, because of the placement and pages. Synthesizers. But, but, but, but, but that is like a. The riff in Set yout Soul Free is one of my favorite things that has happened since they came back from post Pandemic. The rift that Trey finds and the way he messes with it with his effects. But I think that the Carini, like, when they started playing, that the place lost its mind. The synthesizers that Paige uses midway through are insane. Oh, my God.

[Megan]

It's so dramatic. It's so fun.

[Brian]

The lights just, like, hanging everywhere. Yeah, I think I'd have to go to Karini and probably give it a hashtag attendance bias.

[RJ]

Yeah, I agree. I agree.

[Megan]

You do too. Yeah, I like it better, but I feel like I might be in the minority, so I wanted to hear what you think.

[Brian]

I just want to address really quick before RJ goes, we have a listener question. Any Vancouver shows? No, not because we are trying to, you know, push out Canadian shows, but simply because they're not playing Vancouver. On this tour we went with, they're playing Washington, Oregon and California, so we just focused on that. But that could be a fun. I don't know how many shows they've played in Canada. I wonder if we could draft them all. Is that possible? I don't think so. I think there's been like eight.

[Megan]

Yeah. So nervous about waiting all the way until my next choice. Well, is it your turn?

[RJ]

It's my turn. Before I do that, we'll take a break and then we'll come back and I will. I will bring us to a thrilling conclusion of my next picks.

[Brian]

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[Megan]

Check them out in the Dreamlit collection.

[Brian]

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[RJ]

All right, so I could have besides the wild, the 2.0 to 4.0 wildcard, I could have a spring 92 picks across all four categories and be extremely happy and satisfied.

[Megan]

Hell yeah.

[RJ]

And I think it would be so good. I think it'd be reasonable and smart. But I don't know. I don't think I can do that right now for a variety of reasons. So this is a hard one. Hold on, let me just. Just. I'm gonna.

[Brian]

I just want to something comment that Justin Bruce is trying to turn this into a Vancouver podcast. Now the 999 tweezer that is that is some killer stuff. Great, great, great recommendation for people to listen to. Meg, where you're at right now. And I'm just going to fill some time. Rj, you just interrupt us whenever you're ready to go with three picks. Which one of these shows do you wish that you had seen live?

[Megan]

No. 7, 30, 97. No question.

[Brian]

That's the one.

[Megan]

Yeah. That tour was like. I saw those three opening shows of that tour, and I don't think I've ever seen three shows where I felt more excited to be in the audience. It was just so electric. And summer 97, there was just something so, so lit up about it. And I would have loved to see Fish that summer on the west coast, but I'd already moved back on the east coast. And so I had seen a lot of Fish out west in 95 and 96, but never again. But I really wish I'd been at that show. But I also really would have loved to have been at that Chase center show, too, because I am down for encores. I like encores, unlike you guys. Unlike RJ especially. But killer encore like that, the crowd roar after that is so crazy.

[RJ]

I have no. I have no problem with them if they're good.

[Brian]

I just remember RJ. RJ wore a COVID 19 mask to that show, and so the only thing you could see were his eyes. And he also requires an exceptional amount of space in a show because his arms. If you've ever seen RJ in person, it's all arms. Like, they're everywhere.

[Megan]

You and me both, RJ. Wait, can I say something about RJ's arms really quickly, Brian? I was with RJ not too long ago, and we were sitting at a bar, and there was a coat rack behind us on the wall. And RJ didn't even have to move his body to hang up his coat on a coat rack. That was like, on a different side of the room. I was like, what is happening?

[RJ]

This happens.

[Brian]

You really wonder what the tailoring process is like, because he looks good in a suit. Like, what, What, What. What does he have to go through? But so he had to be in the aisle because he couldn't be in our. In our section. Of course.

[RJ]

Yeah. Seats are not. Seats are not a thing.

[Megan]

Seats are not good for me either.

[Brian]

And we had very, very nice seats. As. As. As Ferris Bueller would say, they were so choice. And I was like, I'm not losing this spot. Like, this is the. This is incredible. We're like, just. It was, you know, that friends and family like, right on. Could see everything. Nobody protruding, no crazy looks in my way with, like, sparkly crap and like, light up stuff, you know, it was just like me and Fish right there and they did a lot of cool that show. The whole show was just like one great thing after another. And he just kept turning around to me and like, you couldn't see his mouth or his nose. You saw his eyes, and every time he turned around, it was just like these bug eyes that looked at you just like. And I just. I have that memory in my head of the entire show that every time Fish did something great, I looked over at him and his eyes just got really big. And I was like, yep, he's feeling it too.

[Megan]

So awesome.

[RJ]

All right, thank you, Brian. Thank you for that.

[Brian]

That was now a 1016, 21 podcast.

[RJ]

It's annoying when you had to wear masks. I was like, weird.

[Brian]

It was.

[Megan]

Oh, I hated that so much.

[RJ]

It was weird and dumb. Okay, so. Okay, this is. This is. This is tough. But I think I'm. I think I know. I think I know what I'm gonna do here. But I do have two picks, so that's.

[Megan]

Does it go back to me after you?

[RJ]

Yeah, yeah.

[Brian]

He has two picks than you?

[Megan]

Yes. Okay. Okay.

[Brian]

Yeah. You guys have three picks before I get to go again. I'm just like sitting over here.

[Megan]

So stressful. As long as you don't. Okay. Rj. Rj.

[Brian]

I don't. I don't know.

[Megan]

Ready, rj?

[RJ]

Yeah, I'm ready. Okay. So I. I guess the first thing I'm going to do is I'm going to do a show that is as close to the Boise bag as I could possibly get without being there. Because musically and on the calendar.

[Megan]

Oh, yeah.

[Brian]

Good job. Good pick.

[Megan]

I love this show.

[RJ]

I'm gonna take 9.12.99 from Portland. Great pick.

[Megan]

Yeah.

[RJ]

The ghost is. You know that it has pieces of the. Of the boys.

[Brian]

Yeah.

[RJ]

Bagged.

[Brian]

Oh, yeah.

[RJ]

Five song, second set. They, you know, it's like this tour is. You know, there's like Mozambique in the first set. So you. You like, you feel this. You feel this late 90s vibe. Like the. The 99 vibe is great. You know, post. Post Trey. Trey Trio. Was it a trade trio that played that spring?

[Brian]

Yeah, it was.

[RJ]

Yeah. Like, you know, they. He was bringing these songs, bringing the energy. I love this show. I like this tour a lot. So I'm gonna take that with. With this pick.

[Megan]

Even a good brogue in that show.

[RJ]

Yeah, yeah, it's a good show. It's a Very good show. I love that I'm leaving a couple things.

[Brian]

Really good.

[RJ]

Yeah, really, really good. Really good bathtub, Jin. I want to go back and listen to the show again. So that's why I, like, wanted to. Wanted to pick it. So I will keep listening to it. All right. So now I have only Northern California. I think Northern California is the hardest because of what we were talking about, but maybe it's the easiest because there are so many options. I'm pretty torn here. I could take another spring 92 show because there's so many, but probably won't because I just don't think it's the right move. I have a couple possibilities here, but I. I don't think that I can pass up what ended up being one of the most interesting shows they've ever played after moving the venue the day before.

[Megan]

Yeah.

[RJ]

And playing, I think, maybe one of the longest jams of all time. It's like the still.

[Brian]

It's, I think, the third longest jam that it's not a secret set.

[RJ]

I mean, for those of you who aren't. Who weren't born yet, in summer of 21, they were supposed to play at the Lake Tahoe outdoor arena at Harvey's, which I've been to. I've seen shows there. It's really cool being, like, right there, but there are wildfires. And then it was like. I mean, we were already doing rescheduled shows from the pandemic, and then this happened, and it was like, what the fuck are they going to do? And then it was like, all right, they're going to play at Shoreline. Like, what's going to happen? They're going to be. Everyone's going to be out of whack and all out of sorts, and who knows what's going to happen? And then they open the second set with Soul Planet and play one of the longest jams of their career into the final hurrah. Just what an. What an amazing, amazing set. And, like, a real. A monumental accomplishment, I think, like, just rerouting the tour to just play a show, like, let the. Let the show must go on, and then they just deliver that. And then. I mean, it's just phenomenal. So that was thrilling.

[Megan]

When it was happening live. That was thrilling.

[RJ]

It really was.

[Brian]

That falls in the category of shows I was supposed to go to. I had tickets to Tahoe, and then as we approached it, I was like, there's no way I can go to Tahoe, come home, have, like, 15 people come to my house, do the dick's thing. And so I made the responsible decision. And I was texting with friend of the pod, Ben Greenfield. Multiple shout outs here, Ben. I hope you're listening.

[RJ]

Yeah.

[Brian]

And they were like, I don't know, 36 minutes in the soul planet. We were like, we fucked up, didn't we? But then he and I saw Chula a couple. A couple months later, so everything was good. That is an excellent show. There's a lot of 2021 love happening in this. In this draft. I'm curious for you guys, like, do you think that we would think of West Coast Fish the way that we are talking about it right now, if what happened in 2021 and 2023 out west didn't happen?

[Megan]

I think so, but, yeah, go ahead.

[RJ]

Well, only because of what I said before, which is like, I think the best shows in all these regions, really, on paper, maybe, are all like 92, 93.9Pre.Pre9Pre. Just in 1.0, say, for simplicity's sake, there's. There are some that are like. Like the ones you guys have picked that are amazing, but it was just, you know, it was. It's been amazing the whole time, I guess, is my point.

[Megan]

Yeah, I mean, that's the whole. Like, I wanted to go to school out west to see the Grateful Dead out there. And then when I couldn't, I was at least glad I got to see Fish out West. Even though I did not hit a lot of great shows, I still had a great time. But there's just something special about when Fish is very far from home. It's just like when you're traveling far from home, there's something magical. Everything feels so special. Time slows down. Just good ship.

[Brian]

Yeah. And when they get out west, like, especially when the weather's nice, there's just like a feeling of seeing Fish out there, that it's. It's a quieter vibe. And then when they. When they deliver, like, the fans are right there paying attention other than when they're at the Forum. The form is the weirdest fish environment I've ever seen, I've ever experienced. My life. It is. It is like a bizarro msg.

[RJ]

Yeah, that's kind of what I would assume.

[Megan]

I remember when I saw them at the Greek in fall 95. It was so weird to be. That was the first time, one of the first shows I'd seen out there, and it was just weird to be out west and have the weather be so nice. And there was all of these. There's MTV had a crew there, and it just Felt very California and. And I was just the whole time just kind of like, wow. And it was like you were in a forest, but you're in a city. I don't know. It's just an incredible, incredible vibe. So different from east coast, fish. I miss it very.

[RJ]

I was thinking about this earlier just listening to some of the LA shows, but I think like, if you think about it really, it was like Colorado first and then California and then, you know, up to Oregon, Washington or like the, the first two. Real like fan base, you know, outposts outside of the northeast. I think it's still, still awesome. I mean, going to Bill Graham and going to the Chase center and seeing shows more recently at those venues, like the. The vibe is still awesome.

[Megan]

Yeah, I gotta do that soon.

[RJ]

Bill Graham is. Bill Graham is like, it's. It's a. It's possibly like the most vibey shows I've ever seen because it's like in this place that's just still unbelievable. Played so many good shows.

[Brian]

They're returning there this year. Right? Is that. That's part of this tour?

[RJ]

Yeah, yeah.

[Brian]

Two nights. It's gonna be crazy.

[RJ]

It's gonna be awesome.

[Brian]

Awesome stuff happened at Bill Graham.

[RJ]

Yeah. And it's not. It's not very big. Especially. I mean, especially compared to Chase Center. Um, which was. Which was fine but also bad for reasons.

[Brian]

But obviously.

[RJ]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay. Megan, pick rj.

[Megan]

Wait, no, that was his second.

[RJ]

Yeah, I did too.

[Brian]

He did too. My mistake. I'm sorry.

[RJ]

I'll take another if you want. No, no, no.

[Brian]

9, 12, 99 and 8. 31. 21.

[Megan]

Yeah, yeah.

[Brian]

Great stuff.

[Megan]

So I know exactly what I'm doing. I'm so glad this show is still on here because if I lost this one, I would have really been nervous about my list. I'm actually going to go 1.0 wildcard and I'm going to pick a show that has an unbelievable split open and mount the first set. But I just spun the second set today and my God, this tweezer. I'm picking 12, 194 from Salem because this tweezer into the Norwegian Wood, into big black, furry creature from Mars, just that whole section is incredible. There's like a point in that tweezer like a few minutes before he does the Norwegian wood section. That is so cool. It's so layered. It's so sophisticated. And I really wanted to have something from fall 94 on here. So I just. I love how dramatic this jam is.

[RJ]

That was my next. That was my next 1.0 pick.

[Megan]

I was really nervous that you were gonna pick it and I was like, I am fucked. But I'm glad you didn't. Thank you.

[RJ]

Good pick.

[Megan]

Thanks.

[Brian]

That's a great pick. I was considering that. Next. I actually really, really like that you noticed I have one Oregon pick left and you decided to take an Oregon show in a wild card segment. That is some down and dirty plane. I like it. Well done.

[Megan]

I actually didn't notice that, but I was, I did think you were going to draft this show.

[Brian]

Yeah, no, that was, that's a great, great pick. The boys can complain, but there's a reason Meg wins these. We know it. We know it.

[Megan]

Thank God.

[Brian]

It's like the Draymond Green of our, of our draft league. It's amazing stuff. I, I, I don't know what that.

[Megan]

Means, but I, that was my.

[RJ]

Megan. That was my, that was my debate was between 91299 and 12 194.

[Megan]

Yeah. I was so relieved that you didn't take it because I did not know what I was going to take for 1.0 with them because my other two were already picked. They were Evergreen and the Eureka. So if I didn't get Eureka in 92 or, or Anaconda, like I was going to take one of those two in my 1.0 or the evergreen and, and I, but I wanted this show so I was. Yeah. Few. I can breathe again. Huge.

[Brian]

Meg. Slander, apparently.

[Megan]

Why, what's. Who's Draymond?

[Brian]

Chad is blowing up. He's an NBA player for the Golden State warriors.

[Megan]

And he's not good.

[Brian]

Well, it would define good.

[Megan]

What are, what was your meant to be then?

[Brian]

He's a little dirty, you know, and he, he tells it like it is. He doesn't around and he's just dedicated to winning. This is like a compliment. What is, what, what are we, what are you asking for of me, huh?

[Megan]

I'm asking for an explanation because someone's saying it was slander. So I didn't know.

[Brian]

There's, He's a controversial figure in the NBA. Just like, you know, is he a pop star? Not at all. No, he is, he is as indie rock as it gets.

[Megan]

Okay, well then maybe I like him.

[Brian]

I, I, I've, I, I have almost abandoned my basketball team for the Golden State warriors because I just, I just want to win and I just want to, I just want winning to happen. And so he's, he's one of the reasons that they win, win at all costs type of guy is what Justin Bruce says Justin Bruce knows his stuff. All right. Do you have anything more you want to say about 12194? It's an excellent show and I'm. I think it's a very. You should be very proud of that pick.

[RJ]

Thanks.

[Megan]

I am. Yeah, I know. It fucking rolls.

[Brian]

Strategy is brilliant, Meg. Jesus. The strategy is amazing. My God. All right. This simplifies things a little bit for me. Okay.

[Megan]

Okay.

[Brian]

Because it complicates a little bit too. So you guys took my number one and my number three pick in Oregon. I. Time will tell if I should have jumped at 9:12:99 earlier. I think my only slight regret about going with what I'm going to go with is that it makes my draft very 4.0 heavy. But why would anyone want to be. Why would anyone complain about being 4.0 heavy? You know, just jaded. That's what I about it. So I had this show on my list to listen through because I remembered liking it. It has my favorite jam of the entirety of 2021, and that is 1020, 2021 from Matthew Nitarina in Eugene, Oregon. And I was kind of like, is it just about the ruby waves? And then I listen back to it. It is not. This has a Mr. Completely opener an energy into timber. This was the first energy since Mexico 2020. So the first one of 4.0. Very rare song, fan favorite, Casual enlightenment. This has a little bit of melt into end of session, back into split open and melt to close the set.

[Megan]

That shit was cool.

[Brian]

That shit was very cool. And then it has an absolutely stunning ruby waves and a very underrated, very, very overlooked golden age that I would encourage anyone out there who is like, this show's just about one jam. What's up, bro? To be like, go and listen to that golden age, man. It's amazing stuff. So does this make me a little bit too 4.0 heavy here? Maybe? Do I care right now? No. I feel pretty good about everything. So I'm going 10 20, 2021. You guys. Thoughts? Anyone cool with that? Anyone upset about that?

[RJ]

That was on my list. On my list. I don't get upset when people choose things that were on my list. It's just. It's simply how a draft works. And when. When it. When you draft some of the things that you want, you don't get. And then some of the things that you do want, you do get. So to me, I'm like, you know, you guys know me. I'm pretty pretty balanced about the whole thing. And I'm happy for you very balanced. Most.

[Megan]

Yeah, most.

[RJ]

Most especially. I'm just happy for you.

[Brian]

Thanks, dude. I appreciate that. I needed. I need you to be happy for me. That's. That's something important to me. All right. All right, I got one more pick.

[RJ]

You're. And then you're. Oh, no, no, you're not done. You'll have one more left.

[Brian]

Then I'll have one more left. So I. Can you guys talk while I figure out what I'm gonna do next? Thank you.

[RJ]

So, yeah, go ahead with the wild cards. So you have one of your two wild cards, but what's your. What was your. Did you have a wild card strategy or are you just looking. Were you just looking at shows that you had not chosen that you wanted in some way or another?

[Megan]

Yeah, I did have a strategy. I had a strategy for everything, RJ. But, no, I'm just kidding. I. For the 1.0, I felt like it's. Well, for both of them. I don't know. I think for 1.0, there was only a few that I really felt like that wouldn't be picked outside already. So I felt like I wanted to get that first. Since you've both picked in Washington, which is, to me, a more narrow category, that's not maybe where I'm going to win this draft, so I'm less concerned about it. But I really felt like I needed a good 1.0 wild card, so that's why I picked it first. But usually what I'll do is I put those. The shows that I might not pick first in the other categories into my wild card categories and then go there only if I feel like I'm light on the board. Also, I felt like I needed. I wanted something else. I wanted a 94 show on this on my list, so I felt like I had to pick there. Yeah. But, like, I'm not sure if I'll go to Washington or to wildcard next. That's. I'm unsure about it. Are you. Do you intentionally pick those last. No, you didn't do that.

[RJ]

I'm only asking you because I literally haven't thought about it until right now. So I'm hoping that you'll help me figure it out.

[Megan]

I don't want to tell you how much time I spend thinking about these drafts. It is embarrassing, and.

[Brian]

No, it's not.

[Megan]

I spend a lot of time.

[Brian]

Yeah. Because this is really important stuff.

[Megan]

Yeah. I care about it a lot.

[Brian]

This defines you, you know?

[Megan]

Yeah. In many ways, I gotta do good at the drafts.

[RJ]

In many ways, it'll define you more than maybe anything else in your life.

[Brian]

I mean, potentially. We'll see. It's not over yet.

[Megan]

I hope not. Draft winner. Draft winner.

[Brian]

Yeah.

[RJ]

It really just depends on your next pick whether you'll be remembered for this.

[Megan]

Exactly. We'll see. We'll see.

[RJ]

I mean, what do you.

[Brian]

I went and saw Citizen Kane last night in theaters.

[Megan]

Oh, yeah? How was that?

[Brian]

And it was incredible. I hadn't seen it in two years. First time ever seeing it in theaters. But, you know the big question everyone has asked when he dies, he dies basically alone. And he drops the snow globe and just Rosebud. And that happens in the first 30 seconds of the movie. Jesus Christ. The whole movie's about his life after that. Still, 30 seconds literally was named the number one movie of all time in like 1998. If you haven't.

[RJ]

That's the joke. That's the joke.

[Brian]

Sorry, please, another joke. But, you know, everyone's wondering, who is Rosebud? What is Rosebud? And none of the characters ever find out. It's. It's. We are the only ones that know. And so, you know, maybe in 40, 50, 60 years, who knows how long we're going to be living? By the time we all die, I'm sure we'll hit 120. Meg will be, you know, lying there and she'll drop a piece of paper that will have a bunch of scratched out dates that people are like, why is she writing stuff from the late 20th century? What is going on? What is. What do these mean? And someone will find that podcasts were once a thing. You used to be able to say whatever you wanted across the airwaves. And this is what we chose to say. And it meant a lot to her that she got 7, 1598 in Oregon when nobody else had picked an Oregon. You know, just amazing stuff.

[Megan]

Oh, that is such shade. Oh, my God, Brian. Oh, my God.

[RJ]

Let's go.

[Megan]

Unbelievable. I'm happy with my list, Just FYI.

[RJ]

Pick it up.

[Brian]

I'm happy with your list, too.

[RJ]

I'm pick for you. You don't pick.

[Brian]

No, you're not.

[RJ]

Brian is going to take.

[Brian]

So something very. I feel very blessed right now. My number two shows in two categories are left, and I've had to debate which one I'm going to take. And I think I'm gonna go with my gut here. This is. Every one of my drafts has to have a 85 whipping post type of pick. It's just my brand. Yeah, it does love it. You find yourself there. Can either Vote for it. Or you can vote. Or you can vote for, you know, the best shows. Whatever you want. Like this show, people.

[RJ]

He's right. I did get Robin.

[Brian]

Pretty sure that's like the only draft I've won. So can you guys just, like, let me enjoy that one draft that we had that was. That was a lot of fun for me. All right, so this is a show that I think must be released. Must be released.

[RJ]

That narrows it down.

[Brian]

I don't know why this show has yet to be released. We just got a fire relief show that was released that I think was quite good. 5, 1694. Quite a good show. Really fun second set. But I think that this would have been the better Southern California, Los Angeles show to pick. So I'm going to go with it. And that is 121 1996. Wow. Let me just read to you guys quickly, the set list, because I have the microphone. This is set one, Peaches Poor Heart Cavern. Cars, trucks, buses, all with the fade in, tons of energy. And then character zero. What is at the end of the set? What's going on here? No, because then we go to the set opener. Midway through the first set, the curtain into disease. Train Song Horse, Silent sample. Antelope. And it's a big antelope. It's a killer antelope. But then here's the second set. This is where the magic really happens. Tweezer with the ending Sparkle simple into a Day in the life. Killer Reba Swept Away Steep Tweezer Prize in the middle of the set. What's going on here? Johnny B. Goode, Slave in the Traffic light Highway to Hell. Put that show out and you will get so many new live subscribers. You guys won't have to put out Big Cypress until like, the 24th century. Like, come on. This stuff is incredible. At the UCLA basketball gym. Amazing, amazing stuff. I'm so, so stoked to have gotten this. Thank you guys for leaving it for me. Thank you to all my heads out there who understand. I don't know if this is going to win me or lose me anything, but I'm here for it.

[Megan]

Interesting. I did not have this on my shortlist. I want to look it up.

[Brian]

I feel like you should have. I really feel like you should have.

[Megan]

See, you learned something. I was at this show. Turns out.

[Brian]

Well, no, I think you would have enjoyed this show.

[Megan]

I think I did enjoy the show at the time, but I don't have a single memory from being at the show. Isn't that so weird? I don't think that would Ever happen to you, Brian? But it does happen to me.

[Brian]

No. I unfortunately remember all of my shows, including the ones I wish I had. I didn't remember.

[Megan]

Yeah, I'm gonna go back and recheck the show out. It's been a long time since I listened to this show.

[Brian]

It's an amazing show. So much energy, so intense. It's so good.

[Megan]

Yeah, this was a fun run. I did the Daily City show, the Arco arena show, the UCLA show. And then I have. I guess I went back to Tucson because then I went back up for the Aladdin theater show in Vegas, so. Which was unbelievable. But I don't know what I did in between. I think I went back to Tucson, but it seems like a really long way to go. But I think I did it. Or I just knows I have no memory.

[Brian]

You gotta shout out Ev dude here who says that we're channeling The Spirit of 11, 1773, one of the great sandwich sets in a tour of sandwich sets by the Grateful Dead. I feel like I would just like to hang out and do back and forth music wrecks with Evie. Dude. I think it'd be a great thing. I think that he would recommend something great, and then I would recommend something hopefully great, and then he would recommend something really great, and then I'd recommend something hopefully great and I'd have a good time. That would be killer.

[Megan]

You guys could really vibe it out.

[RJ]

Megan.

[Brian]

So that's it. Meg, you've got.

[Megan]

Wait, I thought you had two. Brian.

[Brian]

Yep, I picked 10. 20. 20, 2112, 1. 1996.

[Megan]

I'm sorry. I should have been getting ready. Okay, so I have.

[Brian]

Sorry. Sorry. Ev, dude.

[Megan]

Ev, dude.

[RJ]

Come on.

[Megan]

You guys are gonna be saying it wrong for so long.

[RJ]

If you guys are gonna be great friends, you gotta at least get his name right. Come on.

[Megan]

Yeah, for real, Bry. Come on. Okay, so I have Washington and 2.0, 4.0 wildcard.

[RJ]

Okay, good. That actually means that's good for me because you can't pick what I'm gonna pick next, so. Great.

[Megan]

Yeah, thanks. I don't really know where to go here for a minute. I need a minute to think.

[Brian]

Okay.

[RJ]

Brian. No, go ahead. I want to hear what you were about to say.

[Brian]

I was just going to riff until I found something to say. So if you have an actual question ready, like, go ahead.

[RJ]

Now that we're getting toward the. Toward the end, which. Which of the categories do you think is the least strong? Like, where do you think the least strong shows are? If you had to Take one of these groups of shows and never listen to them again. Which, which would it be?

[Brian]

Based on our picks or based on what is already established?

[RJ]

Based on what you were looking at at the beginning before we drafted. Like when you were looking at the list, at the list of regions or states, which one would you. I think it's the table first.

[Brian]

I think it's Oregon, unfortunately.

[RJ]

Yeah.

[Brian]

And it's funny because I remember when I lived in Oregon, looking at Fish's shows in Oregon and being like, man, no wonder they haven't been here since the late 90s. It just is not a real, like, you know, historical hotspot for them. I. I do want to just shout out really quickly before Meg goes. There is one jam in particular that nearly swayed my picks and would have destroyed my entire draft. I admit it fully. But you know, this is like, this is for fodder for the people out here. 10, 17, 14 from Eugene, Oregon, tour opener. Not a great show, some good moments, but one of them in particular is maybe my favorite jam from 2014, and that is the Cross Eyed and Painless, which I would encourage anyone out there if they have not listened to it. I don't want to know what chords Trey is playing, but I've never heard anything like it. During the back end of the Cross Eyed and Painless and when he starts singing still waiting over those chords, it's like the eeriest 4:00 in the morning vibe that you can get in that song. I'm so into it and so I'd encourage anyone out there. If you haven't heard the 10, 17, 14 cross side in a while or ever, please do.

[RJ]

That's good. Thank you for that filler.

[Megan]

Thanks. I'm ready. I'm ready. Yeah, I'm ready. I don't know. I really tossed and turned over this one, but I'm going to go with my 2.0 to 4.0 wildcard and I'm going to go with a venue that we were just speaking of. I'm going to go with 81912 from Bill Graham.

[Brian]

Great pick.

[Megan]

And this first set is great. It's cohesive, it's energetic. You've got some cool moments of intrigue and like Back on the Train. Another great rogue for all my rogue heads out there set closing Bowie. But obviously it's that second set, it's that first hour that is just pure magic. The Cross Eyed Light, Sally Cross Eyed. I've listened to it a few times this week and it's so great. It's so fucking Good. And a ride. Captain Ride. Reprise. Encore. That is another way to do an encore. Just do that. They could have done that. Mondegreen.

[RJ]

You know. You know, you just gave our listeners a bingo. A full bingo. I think based on the full bingo right there.

[Brian]

You did it.

[Megan]

Yeah.

[RJ]

I was actually wondering if Brian talking about a movie was on the bingo card, because it should have been. I know that me saying wow, wow, was on the bingo card, which I just said recently without thinking about it.

[Megan]

Stop.

[RJ]

Meg talking about monogreen.

[Megan]

Yay. Did it.

[RJ]

Yeah. What else was it?

[Brian]

I'm going back up here.

[Megan]

Wait, I didn't see that. Tell me, what was the bingo list? This is so funny.

[Brian]

I'm trying to find it, but there's a lot of Draymond Green content in here. Okay. Hating on Rogue. Oh, no, wait, wait, hold on. Here we go. Meg getting confused about a three person snake draft was on my bingo card. Eating on Rogue. So close to bingo. Need an rj. Wow. And I've got a line. Manda Hate is the center square. Oh, my God.

[Megan]

So good to actually get the Snake draft now. Like, for sure. I get it. I'm so proud. So that's gonna have to go off the bingo card because I fucking get it now somehow.

[RJ]

We'll see.

[Brian]

Can I tell you guys about another movie I watched?

[Megan]

Of course.

[Brian]

Just really quick. I just watched. It's called Hardcore. It stars George C. Scott. It's from 1979. He plays a conservative Midwestern father from Grand Rapids who lets his daughter go on a church trip to Southern California. And she disappears. Well, she disappears from the trip and she gets caught up in the LA independent porno scene in the mid-70s, and she goes missing for five months. And George C. Scott goes out to California and turns into a private investigator to hunt his daughter down. It's fucking awesome. It's like so good. The music is amazing. There's so many he and a. He and this one woman who was in a film with his daughter. They end up going searching for and the two of them getting these crazy conversations about religion and culture and sex. And it is like deep, crazy, wild, intense movie making that like I'd never heard of until I watched this movie. I cannot recommend it enough.

[Megan]

Okay, I gotta see it. What year is it from?

[Brian]

1979. It's on Tubi. So if you. If you search for it on your Apple tv, you'll just have to download the free Tubi app and you can watch it.

[Megan]

Oh, really? I feel like any movie from like 78 to 83. I'm guaranteed to love it.

[Brian]

That's your zone.

[Megan]

It's my zone.

[Brian]

That's your zone.

[Megan]

Okay, I'll watch it.

[Brian]

Do it. All right.

[Megan]

I just want to say Rogue is not growing on me. Just to be clear. People are asking if that. It's not growing on me. I'm just noting some good versions that were in these shows, but it's definitely not growing on me.

[Brian]

Noted, noted. Well, I have a difficult decision to make here.

[RJ]

Wait, is it your turn, Brian?

[Brian]

Yep. That's how a Snake draft works, rj.

[RJ]

I don't know that that's true.

[Megan]

I thought you just picked twice.

[RJ]

You picked twice and then Megan picked.

[Brian]

Sorry, my bad.

[RJ]

Yeah, totally.

[Brian]

My bad work. I was wondering this time if I was going and then Meg was going to go, and then RJ had two turns, but RJ has two turns now and then Meg and then me. Okay. I might actually be fucked here. Okay, go ahead.

[RJ]

This is all going to, you know, I have my wild card picks left only, and this is gonna, you know, screw me over in the. In the voting. But I'm not. I'm not here to win. I'm here to. To pick shows that are close to my heart, so I'm content, baby.

[Megan]

I love that, rj.

[RJ]

I'm just gonna keep. I'm just gonna keep going. So with my 1.0 wild card, I'm gonna take 322.93 from Sacramento because. Because this is obviously a full gamehenge performance, the first one since 91. But in the first set, first of all, this is another one that the tape cover is still on my wall. This is like, if you're going to get a show with Gamehenge, you're either going to get the game hoist 94 show or you're going to get the 93 show. And this was a day before my birthday in 93, which I wasn't there and I was only 14. But still important to me. The first set has a great Reebok and it's just. It has it like, you know, of course, that tour, spring 93, just. It's got a great, great first set with just like a lot of classics. But then the, the narration, it all works really well. It's a really. It's a Monday night show and, you know, they just, like, they just, they. They did it and they pulled it off perfectly and it's a great, like the whole package is there. It's a great show. So that's my 1.0 wild card.

[Megan]

I'm glad we have a gamehenge on here.

[Brian]

It's a good pick. We did a podcast three years ago, Mag. Do you recall about that show?

[Megan]

Probably not.

[Brian]

It's in a spreadsheet somewhere, you know.

[Megan]

Yeah, exactly. Oh, I think you guys want to.

[RJ]

Tell me more about it?

[Brian]

I was on spring break in Missoula, Montana, and I told my family I got to go back and record and they were not very happy about it. But I could talk about gamehenge with Meg. It was a killer time. I don't know where RJ was probably doing something really cool, awesome, awesome show.

[Megan]

Where Brian and I just had to hold down the fort for many, many, many, many episodes.

[Brian]

We kept this show alive.

[RJ]

You really did.

[Megan]

We really did. It would just be me and Brian just like, you know, having a chat. It was great.

[Brian]

Talked about every track on the Victor disc multiple times. It was very cool stuff.

[RJ]

It's really cool. I'm glad Meg was able to teach you about that during those.

[Brian]

Me too.

[Megan]

Exactly.

[Brian]

I was blown away.

[RJ]

Really great. Okay, this is. This, this one is hard. I think maybe it's not for other people, but you guys, Meg, you have a good you ever. You have probably the best 2.0 to 4.0 wild card that's available, I think, out of all these.

[Megan]

Thank you.

[Brian]

Yes, I agree with that.

[RJ]

I think I'm gonna. I think I'm just gonna go with with again. Just the shows that bring me joy and, you know, we'll just see what happens.

[Megan]

Do what makes you happy.

[RJ]

I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna take 8 4, 13 from Bill Graham. One of my favorite second sets of that entire year. You could tell that they were just moving toward this like, I don't know, another like re resurgence, which, which I think that fall was, was it. But the Energy Jam and then that Runaway Gym is just amazing. I remember getting like the next day listen to this and just, just being blown away. I mean, that whole three show run was pretty good, but I think this, this show is. Is what really like sold it for me. Of the whole tour. I think that whole tour was just, you know, I'd seen some shows earlier in the tour, but they get stronger and stronger as they went on. And I think that energy Runaway Gym combo is some of the best stuff that they've done. And then into Carini into the Wedge. I mean, it's a great, great show.

[Brian]

It's an amazing show.

[RJ]

I think one more show after that. And then the Dicks 13 run, which was awesome. I feel like this was just when they were. They were just about there. So. Yeah, I love going back to it.

[Brian]

This is on level with the fall tour, you know, like, this show could have fit in really nicely in that fall tour. Just amazing stuff. I was on my list.

[RJ]

Yeah.

[Brian]

That's a good night.

[RJ]

And ev dude says he can say now say it. Rip to 731.97. That was on my list, too.

[Megan]

Yeah, I just. I knew I wasn't going to take it because I was taking 7:30, and so I just. I wasn't going to have those two. But, yeah. What a killer show.

[RJ]

Yeah.

[Brian]

Yeah. That's an amazing show. I almost took that as my 1.0 wild card. It was that and 12 196. I guess you don't win points for almost, but, you know, I'm just going to put it on the record.

[RJ]

I think you should. I think you should. All right, well, that's it. That's it. Let me. Let me. Let me look at my list real quick. Yep, looks good. Okay, great.

[Megan]

Oh, you're done, rj.

[RJ]

Yeah. You're almost done. You're gonna be down one minute.

[Megan]

Yeah, I am. I feel like this is a hard choice because, I don't know, I feel like this category is a little thin as well. Washington and I only left it because you had both picked there. And I wasn't worried about it, like, losing something, but I'm gonna pick something. I don't know if you guys are gonna be into this pick, but I really love this show. I'm gonna pick 72218 from the gorge.

[Brian]

Great call.

[Megan]

I think this show fucking rules. It has, like, a cool Wombat Jam in set one, but the second set, the Cross Eyed that opens, is almost 20 minutes, and it has, like, epic soundscapes, synths, drama. It's really got that, like, Baker's Dozen inspired ambient stuff. And then the twist is everyone is delivering so hard in this mic. Sounds amazing. And a great segue into waves. I love waves, too. I just think they should play that song more. I just think it's a perfect stat listing. Killer jams and major flow in set 2. That's my last choice.

[Brian]

That's a great pick. I think that second set is absolutely perfect. I think that is a top five show of 2018. I was strongly considering taking that in my 2.0 to 4.0 wildcard. This simplifies things a little bit for me. Awesome pick. Great pick.

[Megan]

Really good.

[RJ]

That was the second. That would. That would have been my next one. Also in that category.

[Brian]

Definitely. Does a good job making up for your 7 15, 98 pick. Really? Really?

[Megan]

I stand by that pick. I stand by the pick. If there's. I still think it's a great show and a great pick and I'm super happy with my list.

[RJ]

Do you know why I didn't pick it, Meg?

[Megan]

Why?

[RJ]

Because I had to take my son to the dentist today and I ran out of time and I only got to listen to the first set. And so I didn't think it was fair to myself to pick it it based on the first set. But any show that starts with the curtain with is just autumn, like an automatic.

[Megan]

So good, right?

[RJ]

And then you get the birds and birds combo, which is awesome. And then I texted you guys about waiting all night. That's the show I was listening to. That first set is really awesome. And the wombat and the first set. The jam is great into Tila. Like the first set is great, but I didn't get to revisit the second set, so I wasn't like. I didn't feel comfortable drafting it, but I probably should have, so that's so good.

[Brian]

I remember I almost. I got one more pick. I almost went to.

[RJ]

No, no, I meant, I meant, I meant that was it. In terms of my comments on that particular.

[Brian]

I thought you were trying to end the draft.

[RJ]

No, no, I just wanted to say I'm. I'm done. Please proceed.

[Brian]

I almost went to the Gorge 2018, and then we realized it's about like a week trip to do a three night run at the Gorge because you have to like, yeah, either drive with camping gear or fly in and out of Seattle with camping gear. And I remember webcasting that show and just being like, okay, they've taken whatever happened last year, the Baker's Dozen, and like diluted the sound in a way that I love. Like, just like down to the core. Oh my God. That second set rules. That would have definitely. That would have potentially been my pick. But I think I'm. Gonna. I'm gonna own what I've already started here, which is a very 1.0 and 4.0 heavy list, which I think is in some ways reflective of fish at their strongest in on the west coast. And I have to give a Nod to spring 23, which was a top 25 tour no matter what RJ says. And I think part of the reason it was a top 25 tour was because the penultimate show at the Hollywood bowl and of the tour. Saturday, April 22, 2023. Ryan Rossillo's first fish show in 20 plus years. Listen to this first set, guys. Ghost into David Bowie, Esther into Harryhood into Meat and a Split open and melt leaves into squirming coil.

[Megan]

0 fucks 0 fox for that.

[Brian]

I love it so much. That list. Hot, hot, big songs and then like two songs, two relatively new songs, relatively meat and leaves that like, nobody would really ever pick but always seem to work whatever show that they're in. Set two starts with one of my favorite jams of the year in the Choctaws Torture, a jam that I admittedly did not get. I thought it was a kind of a mess during the show. And then Justin Bruce and shout out to good buddy John Magar explained to me that the middle part of the jam is like fish playing free jazz. And I was just like, okay, I get it. I hear it now. I hear it. And that chalk dust torture I listen to all the time now. I love it. You get chalk dust into Twitch 2001, into Sally back on the Train, which they had this weird penchant to play late in second sets during that tour. I don't really understand why, but, you know, fine. A Life beyond the Dream First Tube and then an Antelope encore. No, no, let's just, you know, let's not around. It's California. I had. I thought this run, 421 to 423 was outstanding. And I think this is a great show that, had it been played in 2.0 or 3.0, I think would have been one of the bigger shows of those eras. So that is my last pick. 4:22, 23 Hollywood Bowl, 2.0 to 4.0. Wild card. What do you guys think?

[Megan]

Yeah, I'm down for that. I'm just glad that. Is that the only. That's the only show from that tour that's on here, right from that run, which I'm happy about because, like, I want that represented. That was such a special west coast run.

[Brian]

Yeah, I considered 4:17, but I take a little issue, the first set. The second set's amazing. This show, to me, this was the strongest show of the run.

[RJ]

Personally, I don't think I've listened to this since we did our last project. So I need to go back. I need to go back and listen to all those from that tour.

[Brian]

I think you'd have fun listening to it.

[RJ]

I probably will. Probably will. All right, Brian, do you want to give us a rundown? As. As has been our custom, we will put a little screenshot of our picks along with a form. You will be able to vote on who you think the winner is. And again, this is not for any reason other than to have fun and entertain you are listeners. So please go to go to osirispod.com draft. Not right now. If you're watching. If you're watching, don't do it now. If you're listening, do it now and you can vote on who you think won. But, but wait. Wait until Brian tells you what we all chose.

[Brian]

I just want to address Evdude's comment here. 422 over 419. Yes. I think 419 is amazing. The sea of stars, the set your soul free. I thought the first set was a little uneven which is part of the reason why I didn't pick it. Plus RJ would never let me live it down if I drafted a show with a 46 days in it, which is why I had to let Megan draft 4, 16, 2021. All right, so 1016 now 416. My goodness. I'm and Brian read all the set lists of all the shows.

[Megan]

Oh my gosh.

[RJ]

Do it. Dare you.

[Megan]

All right, see you an hour later.

[Brian]

So my picks Southern California 1023, 2021 Northern California 4211992 Oregon 1020, 2021 Washington 1130 94, 1.0 wild card was 121962 to 4.0 wildcard was 4222023 Megan selected 73097 in Southern California, 101621 in Northern California 71598 in Oregon 722.18 in Washington 12194 in the 1.0 wild card and 81912 in the 2.24.0 wild card and RJ went with 416.92 in Southern California 83121 in Northern California, 91299 in Oregon, 7 17.98 in Washington 322.93 in the 1.0 wild card region and 2.0 to 4.0 a wild card. He selected 8 for 13. Some really great. Some really great draft picks from everyone here. I had a lot of fun. No animosity. We just did a great job. I hope you guys are as happy as I am right now.

[Megan]

I'm so happy. I feel like this is pretty close to my list that I wanted and I also am going to try to. I'll put any of these that are on live fish. I'll make a playlist so and I'll put that out for everybody so that you can listen to all these shows that are on live fish in one playlist. So I'll try to do that and get that out really soon.

[RJ]

Nice.

[Brian]

That'd be fun.

[Megan]

Yeah, right? To have all these shows in one playlist.

[RJ]

That's what it's all about. It's all about the fun, guys. It's all about the fun.

[Brian]

We could put all these shows in a playlist if all of them were officially released.

[Megan]

Yeah, I know this is a good place to start for people if they need ideas for what should be released. We have so many ideas.

[RJ]

We got a lot of ideas. And, and, and they're not going to stop. So if you think. If you think we're out of ideas, think again.

[Megan]

Think again.

[RJ]

We got plenty more. Okay, so, Brian, can I, can I say something?

[Brian]

You can say whatever you want.

[RJ]

That's awesome. Okay, so. Well, first of all, remember, go to. Go to osirispod.com draft and you can vote on the winner of this draft, which we will report officially next week on the pod. Next week, we are going, if you can believe it, we are going back to Mount Rushmore and we are taking. We are. We are going to funk up Mount Rushmore next week.

[Megan]

It's Meg's week.

[RJ]

Megan picking the MoMA dance. Mount Rushmore and the. It's going to be great. As always. The. The list is already set up. You can vote on your own. Go to osirispot.com Rushmore My God, RJ.

[Megan]

You'Re so on top of it.

[RJ]

You can vote. That's. That's. That's name of the game. Name the game in the content world. Gotta be on top of it. Megan, how are you feeling about your. About the job that you have to do?

[Megan]

I'm so excited. I mean, you know, this is like my silly Instagram handle. Like, this is who I am. I love the moma dance and I'm super excited that we get to talk about all the best versions and I get to spend a week just like, living my funk dreams. It's the best.

[RJ]

Brian, you. You compiled the list. There. There are more than there. There are more versions than there were of rock and roll, but not, not a ton. How do you feel about the list that you put together that we have to choose from? Do you have any commentary on it?

[Brian]

I feel great. I think that one thing I recognized with putting together this list is that with some of these songs that we've done, the best versions are in expected eras. I think one of the things that makes Momedance really interesting is that you get a lot of really solid versions in the eras. You'd expect it to be very solid, but the great versions tend to come in very strange eras in fish history. And it adds to a really unique jamming style. I'm really excited to see where Megan goes. I've got my list already. I've had it for months now. So I'm ready to go show off. We could just end this and start that and I'd be happy. But if we need a week off to do that, that's totally fine. I'm here for it.

[Megan]

Yeah, I need some time. This draft took a lot of time for me, so I need some time to. To watch some movies and maybe listen to something else. But, yeah, watch hardcore. Yeah, I will.

[RJ]

Just so you guys know, we're gonna.

[Brian]

Do watch the Player as well. My God, that is a five star masterpiece. The Player.

[Megan]

Which one first? Which one first?

[Brian]

The Player. The Player is like one of the best movies I saw all year.

[Megan]

I might watch a movie tonight.

[RJ]

I made it. I made. I told everybody in my house, Brian said, it's a five star masterpiece. There's no. There's nothing we can do about it. And everyone was like, okay, I know what you're talking about.

[Brian]

I would love for you to watch it. And. And I think you would love this movie so much, rj.

[RJ]

I'm gonna watch it. Telling you, once it gets an RJ vibe, it's gonna happen. That's great. It's great. Must mean that's very nice and awesome.

[Brian]

Yeah.

[RJ]

Okay, so we got. We got moma dance Mount Rushmore next week, and then we're gonna be doing spring 2025 recaps.

[Megan]

Wow.

[RJ]

Yeah.

[Brian]

We'll have back to back spring 2025 recaps and then we'll be back on a tear with another Mount Rushmore coming out the gates. We got a lot coming up. We also have another draft. Yes. 1992 Altman starring Tim Robbins. It's amazing. We also have another draft that will be coming up in a couple of months. Should we preview that? Just to get people thinking, if you want.

[RJ]

I mean, it's your thing. I'm not going to, you know, this.

[Megan]

One I haven't even gotten my head around. I'm overwhelmed by it already.

[Brian]

We are going to be drafting in early June, so we got some time. We are going to be drafting the top 25 fish shows of the 21st century. So just get ready, guys. That's awesome. There's no wrong answers unless you pick a wrong answer. There's so many great options. Every single show since 2000 is available and on the table. I'm so excited for that one.

[Megan]

Wow. This is my four. This will be my fourth year doing spring tour recaps with you guys.

[Brian]

Wow.

[RJ]

Couldn't have imagined it without you.

[Brian]

Couldn't. Could not do this, any of this without you. I'm just gonna throw it in here since VT to boot mentioned it. Altman is a great director. I also watched California Split, which is one of the greatest dude hang movies of all time. I would encourage anyone to check that out as well. But we're. We're not here to do movie drafts. Sean and Amanda haven't called me yet to. To do it. Maybe someday we'll see.

[Megan]

That call is gonna come. It's so gonna come.

[RJ]

I just want to tell everyone also that we're now, at this point, we're doing weekly episodes of Library Card, which Megan is driving the hosting train. And we're having a lot of fun. We're doing short story. We're doing a short story next week. This week we already did a book called the Safe Keep, which we all loved.

[Megan]

It's fun. Please read that book. Please read that book. Yeah, I actually went with my friend to the bookstore yesterday and put it in her hand, and she texted me this morning and was like, like, couldn't stop reading this last night. It's like, you're welcome.

[RJ]

Yeah, look at that. So if you're. If you like books at all and you like listening to us, then you'll. You will like library cards. So find that where you get podcasts. Okay? So go to osirispot.com draft for to vote on this and then go to osirispod.com rushmore to vote on momadence. And we will see you next week.

[Brian]

Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Perp has a great idea for another. A third podcast for us to start. I'm just gonna say this on air. Okay, I'm just gonna say this on air. RJ Force fed me novels for, like, a couple years and then was like, hey, you wanna sort of book podcasts, rj? If I can do that, you can start watching one movie a week and we can do Blockbuster Card. That's all I'm gonna say.

[Megan]

I love that my friend Jamie dresses up as the Blockbuster girl when we go to shows sometimes. She was the Blockbuster girl with me one day at Mon and it was so fun. She was going up to people and asking them their blockbuster stories, and we recorded them, and it was so fun. So she could be our mascot if we decide to do it. I'm here for the Blockbuster card.

[RJ]

Let's go start tomorrow.

[Megan]

My daughter just said to me yesterday, she was like, how many times do you record a week now? So I'm sure she'd be psyched if I was like, I'm also doing another one.

[Brian]

First Blockbuster card is the player. Second one is hardcore. We're coming with some crazy stuff, guys.

[Megan]

Third one, Handmaiden.

[Brian]

Yes. I'm down. I'm down. I'm very down.

[RJ]

I mean, I'm ready. I'm ready.

[Megan]

You've already watched one. It's perfect.

[RJ]

Okay. Yep. All right, so now can I do the ending?

[Megan]

Yes. Yes. It's almost as far as we should go.

[RJ]

Okay, here, let me just think about what I was saying. Okay, so go to those places to vote and we'll see you next week. Bye, everybody.

[Brian]

Thanks, guys. Osiris.

[RJ]

Every listener to Too Much Effing Perspective knows that my co host, Alan Keller is a music nerd.

[Brian]

And right up there in his pantheon.

[RJ]

With the Beatles and Elvis Costello is the Clash. So, Alan, it's one thing for you to be a nerd, but how did.

[Brian]

You rope in a Cool Guy311's Nick Hexum into a full on Clash geek fest on our show?

[RJ]

Well, first of all, Alex, it was your idea. Oh, right.

[Megan]

Second, Nick actually jammed with the Clash's Joe Strummer in a supergroup that included Flea and Tom Morello.

[RJ]

Okay, well, there is that.

[Megan]

And finally, one member of the Clash cited.

[Brian]

This is Spinal Tap, the reason our.

[Megan]

Show even exists as his favorite movie.

[Brian]

Which one? Hey, if you want to find out, you gotta listen to Too Much Effing Perspective. That's too much E, F, F, I, N G Perspective. The only podcast you could crank up to 11.

[RJ]

Hey, everyone, this is Tuck from Fit.

[Brian]

For a King, an off road minivan.

[RJ]

Every week I bring you fun interviews.

[Brian]

Alongside your favorite metalcore entertainers with my new podcast, Get Tucked.

[RJ]

Join me every Monday with bands like.

[Brian]

Counterparts, Crystal Lake, like Mods to Flames, and many more. We play unsigned and undiscovered bands, deep.

[RJ]

Dive into each art artist history, and.

[Brian]

Of course, provide the greatest breakdowns in current metal core. Tune in to Get Tucked every Monday out now through Sound Talent Media.