Roundtable — Phish Shows + Jams for Warmth

Summary

Helping Friendly Podcast Episode Summary: "Roundtable — Phish Shows + Jams for Warmth"

Release Date: February 17, 2025
Host/Author: Osiris Media

The "Roundtable — Phish Shows + Jams for Warmth" episode of the Helping Friendly Podcast (HFPod) delves into a multifaceted discussion covering President's Day reflections, favorite American presidents, the podcast's progress, upcoming Phish shows, and personal music preferences. The hosts—Megan, Brian, and Dusty—engage in a dynamic conversation that intertwines personal anecdotes with broader cultural discussions, all centered around the beloved band Phish.

---

1. Acknowledging President’s Day and Favorite Presidents [02:20 - 09:09]

President’s Day Observance: The episode opens with the hosts recognizing President’s Day, emphasizing the celebration of all U.S. presidents rather than just the well-known figures like Washington or Lincoln. Brian initiates the conversation by encouraging listeners to honor their favorite presidents.

Favorite Presidents Discussed:

• Dusty’s Choice:
  "I like guys that don't last longer than they need to. It's just like getting out. Get on with your business." [03:08]
  Dusty favors William Henry Harrison for his brief presidency, appreciating leaders who serve without overstaying their tenure.

• Brian’s Preference:
  "FDR is my favorite president. Without question. He's the best one." [03:16]
  Brian expresses unwavering support for Franklin D. Roosevelt, citing his leadership during complex times.

• Megan’s Connection:
  Megan shares a personal story about her family's history with the Roosevelt estate, highlighting her admiration for Eleanor Roosevelt and other influential women leaders:
  "I love Eleanor Roosevelt. I know she's not a president, but I do think that women like her and Hillary Clinton are women I've always deeply admired." [08:05]

Historical Complexities: The hosts also touch upon the nuanced aspects of presidential legacies, such as FDR’s involvement in the Japanese Internment Camps:
“How does that shape your view of him?” [03:33]
Brian acknowledges the complexity:
"American history is complex... they didn't tell us any of the bad shit these people did. It's bad." [04:03]

---

2. Podcast Achievements and Upcoming Projects [10:09 - 22:17]

Mount Rushmore Debut Episode: The hosts announce the upcoming "Mount Rushmore" debut episode, where they will rank their top four versions of specific Phish songs. Dusty expresses enthusiasm:
"I've got my top four finished... It's going to be great." [11:11]

Tour Reviews and Show Listings: They provide updates on their attendance at upcoming Phish shows, sharing tour dates and locations:
"We're going to have a bunch more announced soon. So if you guys haven't seen them, check them out." [14:09]

Engaging the Audience: The hosts encourage listeners to participate by voting for their favorite Phish show versions and submitting voicemails with feedback:
"Leave us voicemails and tell us what you think." [52:42]

---

3. Favorite Phish Shows and Jams for Warmth [22:17 - 69:07]

Winter-Themed Phish Shows: The core of the episode revolves around selecting Phish shows and jams that provide a sense of warmth during the cold season. The hosts share their top choices, each bringing personal stories and preferences to the table.

• Dusty’s Favorites:
  "Winter 03 is the first tour I saw Fish on... Fish is still capable of doing anything." [30:28]
  Dusty highlights winter 2003 as exemplary for showcasing Phish's versatility and energy during colder months.

• Megan’s Experiences:
  Megan recounts a poignant New Year's Eve show where her boyfriend was expelled:
  "I celebrated New Year's Eve by myself that night... it was freezing." [35:02]

• Brian’s Selections:
  Brian mentions shows like "1228 97" and "1242, 99" as standout performances, emphasizing their atmosphere and musical intensity:
  "12:30, 97... it's one of the best gems." [15:12]

Special Show Highlights: The discussion includes specific shows known for their unique jams and memorable performances, such as:

• "The Ghost" as a highly regarded jam:
  "The Ghost is ranked number five on my all-time gems list." [19:27]

• Deer Creek Memories:
  "61995 just when I want to feel good. Because there's nothing like Deer Creek memories." [52:32]

Anecdotes and Personal Stories: Dusty shares experiences like his wife’s food poisoning during a show and how it affected their concert experience:
"Thankfully, 122912 was a terrible show because I was... in and out from the venue." [37:37]

---

4. Music Recommendations and Personal Albums [69:07 - 71:57]

Hosts Share Current Listening Preferences:

• Dusty’s Picks:
  "Beach House's Teen Dream... Stars of the Lid's The Tired Sounds of Stars' Lid... Blue Lake So Weft." [54:37]
  Dusty recommends ambient and experimental albums that complement the winter mood.

• Megan’s Deep Dives:
  "I've been doing some deep dives... Miles Davis’ In a Silent Way and the new Rose City Band album, Sol y Sambra." [58:30]
  Megan discusses her explorations into classic and contemporary music, emphasizing her appreciation for Phish and other artists.

• Brian’s Classics Selection:
  "Led Zeppelin's Physical Graffiti is one of my top five albums of all time... Grateful Dead." [60:03]
  Brian focuses on timeless classics that resonate with the winter ambiance.

---

5. Conclusion and Future Plans [71:57 - End]

Upcoming Episodes: The hosts outline their plans for future episodes, including discussions on the Mexico 2019 Phish run and the official Mount Rushmore series:
"We're going to talk about Mexico 2019... Next week, we're gonna talk about Mexico 2019." [65:26]

Final Remarks: The episode concludes with reflections on the desire for more engaging presidential leadership and the importance of storytelling in their podcast:
"I hope there are more presidents. That's my one hope." [67:02]

---

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Dusty on William Henry Harrison:
  "I like guys that don't last longer than they need to. It's just like getting out. Get on with your business." [03:08]

• Brian on FDR:
  "FDR is my favorite president. Without question. He's the best one." [03:16]

• Megan on Eleanor Roosevelt’s Estate:
  "The Roosevelt Museum is a huge part of my family's history." [06:55]

• Dusty on Mount Rushmore Episode:
  "I am officially ready for that episode... It's gonna be a lot of fun." [11:11]

• Megan on Favorite Phish Jams:
  "They allow you to relax but not kind of lose focus." [00:02]

• Brian on Music Preferences:
  "There's nothing like Deer Creek memories." [52:32]

---

Key Takeaways

• Presidential Reflections: The hosts provide personal insights into their favorite presidents, acknowledging both strengths and historical complexities.

• Podcast Milestones: Celebrating approaching 500 episodes, HFPod showcases its growth and dedication to Phish fandom.

• Phish Show Insights: Detailed discussions on favorite winter Phish shows highlight the band's ability to create warm, immersive experiences even in colder seasons.

• Personal Music Journeys: Hosts share diverse musical tastes, ranging from classic rock to ambient and experimental genres, illustrating the podcast's broad musical engagement.

• Community Engagement: Encouraging listener participation through voicemails and votes fosters a strong, interactive community around the podcast.

---

This episode of the Helping Friendly Podcast offers a rich blend of historical discussion, personal storytelling, and passionate engagement with Phish's musical legacy. Whether you're a long-time fan or new to the HFPod community, the hosts' authentic conversations provide valuable insights and entertainment, embodying the podcast's mission to amplify the fan voice in all discussions about Phish.

Transcript

[Megan]

Today's show is sponsored by Sunset Lake cbd, a Vermont hemp farm creating CBD products designed to help you relax and decompress at the end of the day. They've got everything you need to kick back available on their website. Smokeables, edibles, hemp derived THC, coffee, and even CBD for your pets. The best part is that Sunset Lake CBD will ship your CBD directly from their farm to your door. That means fewer trips to the store and more time for relaxing and doing what you enjoy. I really love to chill at the end of the day, but I still want to stay engaged, maybe read a book, listen to a new album. So I really love Sunset Lake's vibe gummies. So they really allow you to relax but not kind of lose focus. Sunset Lake is offering our listeners 20% off all orders. All you have to DO is visit sunsetlakecbd.com and use the code HFPOD at checkout. Sunsetlakecbd Farmer Owned, Vermont grown.

[Brian]

Hi, I'm Dusty, the co founder of CashOrTrade.org, the world's only social ticketing platform where fans have come together to buy, sell and trade tickets at face value, free from the scalping brokers of the resale market and the leaders of the face value movement. I want to thank you all for joining us and working together to disrupt the ticketing industry. So I'd love to tell you a little bit about cash or trade. It's a fair ticketing platform where fans have come to make a post whether they're looking to buy, sell or trade a ticket. The second they list it will send an alert to anyone who is looking. They can click on the alert, hop into a conversation and commit to buy. Once they commit, the money will be held in escrow by cash or trade. Will securely transfer the funds and we will validate the ticket. You can transfer it, then leave a review. It's a lot like Airbnb for tickets, so embrace the face and see you at Cash or Trade.

[Megan]

Osiris.

[Brian]

All right guys, we're live. We are back. Felt like we were just together. We were just together a few days ago, but we're back. We are going to do something a little different today. But first we should acknowledge that it is President's Day where we celebrate and honor all of those who have served as presidents of the United States, not just Washington and Jefferson and, you know, Lincoln and whoever. It's, it's everybody. So I hope everyone just, you know, think about your favorite president and honor them.

[Dusty]

Do you have A favorite president.

[Brian]

Are we gonna do that?

[Dusty]

I mean, I'd like to. I have, I have mine ready to roll, so I would love to.

[Brian]

Do you have, how many do you have? What's your list like?

[Dusty]

I mean, I have one that's above everyone else and then I have, I've got a top five.

[Brian]

Yeah.

[Megan]

Ranking.

[Brian]

Yeah. Yours is a, Is William Henry Harrison. Right. It's always been kind of top for you.

[Dusty]

Yeah, I like guys that like, you know, they don't last longer than they need to. It's just like getting out. Get on with your business.

[Brian]

Yeah, yeah. I mean, well, FDR is my favorite president.

[Dusty]

You know, without question.

[Megan]

He's the best. He's the best one.

[Brian]

I don't think there's, I don't think that's close.

[Dusty]

What is, what is the Japanese internment camp do to your overall score of Roosevelt? As we've learned more about this over the years, how does that, how does that shape your, your view of him?

[Brian]

It's a good question. Well, as you guys know, American history is complex. And, and you know, these are the kinds of things I didn't learn about until like college. You know, you go through, you learn about US History and then you go back and learn about US History in college. And it's totally different.

[Megan]

You're like, wait a minute, I know.

[Brian]

They didn't tell us any of the bad shit these people did. It's bad.

[Dusty]

They give you just enough to get you like the beats of history. And then, yeah, you go back and you're like, I'm going to take this highly specialized course that only count, you know, very specific credit that I need in my, you know, to graduate with 120 credits as an undergrad. And now I learn, Are you kidding me? Now you're going to tell me all this stuff? It's insane.

[Brian]

I mean, I do think that. Go ahead.

[Megan]

I was gonna say, growing up in Michigan, it wasn't just specific beats that I learned about history. I learned a very specific perspective on history that was very much not true in a lot of ways. Very much from a certain perspective, especially when I was young. But yeah, I just finished this book that I've read about American history and it taught me so much. And I think the biggest thing is that even the greats were flawed and everybody had to make compromises and some of them were really hard. And that's kind of sad thing about American history. One of the many sad things, I.

[Brian]

Think it's like impossible at this point to think about what it was like During World War II in this country, like after Pearl Harbor, I mean, you know, people were living in, like, a state of constant panic, you know, and I think a lot of that stuff is just what you were saying, Brian, or your question. I feel like that's just. It was just such a different time. But, but I mean, he was the only president who really like, or the first maybe, who really like, just tried to keep poor people in mind mostly.

[Dusty]

You know.

[Brian]

Even though it's like kind of what they're supposed to do. But he, like, really did. It is. It's kind of amazing.

[Dusty]

Well, and he reset the terms of what it meant to be president and what the expectations were is you're absolutely right around having a system that, that protects at least as a safety net for the poor. So much so that ever since the late 1940s, I mean, even, even during his period, there were lots of people. We don't hear as much about them, but there were people who were arguing against what he was doing as loudly as they are arguing in of the opposite policies today. And so you really see the power of what he was trying to put forth because of the opposition. I will say, though, I'm not going to give you my whole top five, but I will just say over the last year or so, James Madison really, really rising up for me. I'm just. I'm a devotee to the Constitution and to the vision that Madison had, and I'd encourage many, everyone out there to read more about him.

[Megan]

Megan, do you have a favorite president? Well, I mean, I'm very much tied to the Roosevelt family because of how I grew up. When I was really little, I think I've told you guys this story, but my parents.

[Brian]

You actually are a Roosevelt.

[Megan]

Yeah, Yeah, I guess I could say that in a very, very not correct way. Yeah. No. When my parents were young and my dad was in grad school and my mom was teaching, and I was a young girl until I was three years old, I lived in the guest house on Eleanor Roosevelt's property before it became a museum. And when my parents were at a kind of cocktail party that they were throwing on the property, they invited my parents, and my parents went and someone came over to them and said, they're going to turn this property into a museum and they're going to have to buy you out of your rental lease. And that's how my parents got money to get their first down payment to buy a house. So the Roosevelt Museum is a huge part of my family's history. And now you can go to that estate, Eleanor Roosevelt's estate, Valkill, it's called. And you can walk through the house that I lived in for my first three years of my life, because it's a museum now. So cool.

[Dusty]

Roosevelt family set you up. They are there to pay it forward. Nowadays, they would say there's just too much di in this house because there are women living here and speaking and reading, and so we're just going to take it from you.

[Megan]

Exactly. Now, it's a cool. It's a cool connection, and I've always loved reading about them. And I love Eleanor Roosevelt. I know she's not a president, but I do think that women like her and Hillary Clinton are women I've always deeply admired for their intellectual pursuits and their doggedness, despite being publicly hated for being women who spoke up and made things happen. And I also got to meet Bill Clinton once. Completely charmed.

[Brian]

Yeah, completely charmed.

[Megan]

Meeting is definitely like a loose term here. But it was a book signing, and I was going to. I stood in line for a very long time to meet Bill Clinton because I'd never met a president before. And when I got up to the line, I brought my book up, and I was like, hi, Mr. Clinton. And he was like, looked up with those blue eyes. He goes, please call me Bill. And I was like, oh, okay. I will. Indeed I will. These giant blue eyes, just like, yeah, it was great. So I like Bill Clinton, despite being a deeply flawed man.

[Brian]

That's his whole thing. That's his number one. That's his number one advantage in life, is, like, being charming.

[Dusty]

The good thing is we've kicked out all the deeply flawed men, and now we have Chuck Schumer with his glasses down over his nose, holding up a Corona and an avocado, teaching us the lessons of American democracy. It's amazing. Great work, guys.

[Brian]

Okay, we're gonna move on. For those of you listening who didn't think you were getting a. A political lecture, we're gonna move on. First of all, we have a. We have a. We have a new. A new. And a new draft winner to announce. New. Because I won the last one. The new one is the old one. Out with the old, in with the new, which is the same as the old. Congrats, Megan. You won. According to our poll that we sent out. I don't count the social media polls. They're biased, and Mark Zuckerberg is promoting them. Algorithms. No, but the Google form that people filled out 53.7% of the vote, that's a plurality in any district.

[Dusty]

That's a mandate these days.

[Brian]

I'll tell you what means you control the draft from now on. Congrats.

[Dusty]

It's your responsibility. Well done.

[Megan]

Oh, boy. Oh, boy. Thanks, everyone. I went with my heart, voted for my favorites, but I also played with a lot of strategy, so I appreciate the congratulations.

[Brian]

We. I'm so happy with the albums I got. I'm going to only listen to the albums I drafted from now on. I'm never listening to anyone. Another one, maybe. Happy. Um, okay, we got a Mount Rushmore debut episode coming out either next week or no, in two weeks. Right. So we got. You guys got to get your votes in for your top five, top four versions of Bathtub Gin. We got. We got some input, but we want more. We're going to announce the fan votes. We're going to announce our own votes. We're going to have conversations about this. It's going to be great. We have. We've figured out what it's going to look like, and it's. It's going to be a lot of fun. I know people have been sending in their thoughts, but just keep. Keep sending them because we want to hear. We want to hear your votes.

[Dusty]

I am officially ready for that episode. I've got my top four finished. I've got honorable mentions in case we don't have enough content, and I've got the relegated versions from the long list, so I'm ready for that. I'm jumping into the next four or five episodes just to try to get ahead of the game because, you know, we got lots of music to listen to in 2025, and Goose decided to be a great band again, so now I have to listen to them even more. And. But very excited for the Mount Rushmore episode, I think. I think you all will out there will enjoy kind of the competitive nature that we've structured these episodes in, while also allowing us to just dive as deep as possible and completely nerd out on why we think certain versions of certain songs are arbitrarily the most important. So can't wait.

[Megan]

Have we told everybody how we're doing it that we're not?

[Dusty]

Oh, maybe we should.

[Megan]

Yeah. Can we tell everybody about that?

[Brian]

Yeah, we do have not.

[Megan]

So the way that we're going to do it is each episode, one of us is going to be in charge of picking our top four Mount Rushmore versions of these songs, and then we'll talk those through, and then at the end, the other two people will share their top four, and we'll see Kind of how they're similar and different. And then we'll talk about fan vote as well. They leave anything out?

[Dusty]

Well, I mean, when we finish an episode, are we, like. If, like, there's ver. If there's two versions, say, that you guys have on your list. I don't have on mine. Are we going to figure out a way to, like, encapsulate a full Mount Rushmore? Maybe. Maybe this requires a HF POD meeting post episode. I don't know. But. But you're absolutely right. We're gonna have, like one person give their perspective and then some response, which I think should be really fun from an episode by episode standpoint that'll rotate throughout the series.

[Megan]

Yeah, I think that's gonna be really fun.

[Brian]

Yeah, it's gonna be great. And we're gonna. Yeah, it's gonna be great. But I do think the host in charge of that one there, that's the. That's the Mount Rushmore. You know, there's no.

[Dusty]

That's the list. A lot of pressure.

[Megan]

So much pressure. A lot of trolling, too. Like, I have to choose ikyulys despite never having seen the song. I saw that on there and I was like, this is funny.

[Brian]

It's good.

[Megan]

I like this.

[Brian]

Good. Smart. It's Brian's assignments. Being funny.

[Dusty]

Being really funny. RJ's gonna have possum to do at some. At some point.

[Megan]

So funny.

[Brian]

That'll be easy. I'll just pick four randomly because they're all the same. Okay. There are. We have a bunch of repressed shows coming up I want to tell you guys about. We had. The first one is in a couple weeks or maybe. Yeah. Ten days in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. I'm at the Met. There's the 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th in Worcester, Saratoga, New York, and New Hope. And then at the end of March in Killington. And then mid April, Nectars, then Broadbrook, Connecticut and then Northampton. So we got a bunch of shows. There's going to be a bunch more announced soon. So if you guys haven't seen them, check them out. Go to repriseband.com and you can see the tour dates and tickets and stuff. Yeah.

[Megan]

And we have to talk about what they're playing in Brooklyn.

[Brian]

We do. You. You should.

[Megan]

They're talking.

[Brian]

I don't know. I don't know what they're playing. What are they playing?

[Megan]

They're gonna play my favorite fish show of all time in Brooklyn. For me, they're going to play 12:30, 97. Like that.

[Brian]

They're going to say the fourth day of Mondegreen.

[Megan]

No, they're going to. It's going to be so crazy. I know. I can't believe I get to relive that experience and actually remember more of it. This time.

[Brian]

It's the ninth, ninth ranked show of all time according to fish.net's ratings.

[Megan]

I think that's too low, but I.

[Brian]

Mean, it's below 1120.

[Megan]

What is, what is before it? Like, everything that they've played in the last two years?

[Brian]

Like, no, nothing. No, they've, they've, they've somehow pushed anything recent out of the top 10. But there are two other 97 shows ahead of it. 1117, 1122, which I don't think either of those are better, but they're all in the four point, actually. Sorry, sorry. 4.634 is the rating for all three of those shows. So you can count it as number six if you want.

[Megan]

Okay. Because they're kind of like.

[Dusty]

I think that's still too low.

[Megan]

But yeah.

[Dusty]

Oh my.

[Brian]

You got, you got Big Cypress. 4, 398, 6 14, 2000, Halloween. 94, 22803, New Year's, 95. And then this. I don't know if you have any.

[Megan]

Of those, I mean, logos above this shows.

[Brian]

Yeah.

[Megan]

Yeah. That's interesting. It's a little bit hard at that level to kind of decide which is better than others.

[Brian]

That's why we should just have tiers. You know, let's not worry about 1, 2, 3, 4. Like these. You know, it's a top 10 show any way you look at it.

[Megan]

Yes.

[Dusty]

I don't personally think any other fish show contains all elements of what makes fish special in one show. This one does. Somehow it does. And that has to count for something. Even Big Cypress, which is outstanding and absolutely deserves to be in there. Even 1231, 95. I don't think any of these shows, like, containers, all these different elements, the narration, Segways bust outs, huge jams, peek beneath, you know, behind the curtain to see that. No, it's, it's just four guys. But that's the point, you know, the curfew element to it. I mean, come on. So this is a great show. The only thing I ask of Reprise when they cover this is that they figure out like the, the whatever happens around like 1325 in that ACDC bag when they're, they're building, building. And then Fishman hits a snare and they all just connect at the same time. Like, just study that. Guys. Those guys do such a good Job reinterpreting the jams. Just put that like 30 seconds in there, right? Please, please. Is that too much to ask?

[Megan]

I bet they could do that. I can't wait to see how they're gonna do it.

[Brian]

Yeah, it's gonna be great. It's gonna be fun. Tell your friends, tell. Tell everybody. Tell your enemies, tell everybody. We want everyone there. We're gonna. We're gonna be. We're gonna be. I'm gonna be at the seventh in Saratoga and the eighth in New York, maybe the ninth in New Hope. I'll be at a bunch of these shows. So if you guys see us out there, say hi. There is going to be some recreation, you know, and some interpretation on their own. Brian, to your, to your question. I. I think putting like 1117 above this is kind of crazy, personally.

[Megan]

That's totally crazy. I think.

[Brian]

Even though it has one of the best gems, obviously.

[Dusty]

But yes, that's it. That's. That's the one reason why it's above there. And the live. I mean, they're both live fish releases. I don't know. I think that there's. There's almost like a reverse mystique going on there. You know, there's no video evidence of 111797 happening. It was played across I25 in a now defunct torn down arena where the Denver Nuggets won 11 games in 1997. I don't even think the picture from the live Fish Release is from 1117 97. I think it's actually from 11 16. It's just, it's. It's a mind blowing. Holy crap. It happened.

[Brian]

You say it's like a Cornell 77 thing. Like maybe it's not real.

[Dusty]

I think it's. It's definitely real. But it's as close to that as we get here in Fishdom, where, like, how did this show started with Tweezer, went into Reba, has this crazy ghost, goes into fire like a Johnny Be Good goes into the interstellar space. Like there's a lot of. What the hell. The note around the yam in fish.net on the jam charts is an excellent version, but easily the most overrated yam ever played. Like, there's just a lot of yin and yang with that show that, like, I think people are just like, no, it has to be in the top five.

[Megan]

People die for that ghost too.

[Dusty]

Like they die for great ghost.

[Brian]

I mean, you know, the. Come on. I got.

[Dusty]

There's not a credible.

[Brian]

If you guys want to talk more about my conversation with Trey about that Ghost. We can, because it's one of the coolest things that ever happened to me. You guys want to talk about that?

[Dusty]

Are you asking if we want to talk more about the ghost or more about your conversation with Trey about the ghost? I just want to clarify.

[Brian]

The Ghost is ranked number five on my. On my all time gems list.

[Dusty]

Oh, I forgot. I was going to start that project this winter as well and see where our lists combined and dive diverged but started.

[Megan]

It's very hard to do, I find.

[Brian]

It is.

[Dusty]

It's. I mean, Goose just decided to play a really good tour.

[Brian]

By the way, I want to. I just wanted to say for everyone listening, Brian said that Goose decided to be good again. I have been on the record and off the record saying that Goose has been awesome continuously. And Brian and Megan, you have jumping on and off, on and off the wagon or boat, whatever we're on.

[Dusty]

I'm just saying, Flock, I still listen. I'm just trying to be as honest as I possibly can about this sort of stuff.

[Brian]

That's all. That's all that you can do in life.

[Megan]

All right. It's not that I've been off. It's just that it takes a lot for me to be listening to every single show you play. Like, you have to be smoking it for me to do that, which Goose has done at times for me. And just because I have a lot of, you know, I've got a lot of stuff I want to listen to right now and. And read and watch. So you've got to be really unbelievable for me to watch everything that you play and. Or listen to. And there was a time they were doing that and maybe they're back. I don't know. I just started listening to this tour, so we'll see. But I've always loved Goose. Always love them. They're the best. Amazing.

[Brian]

So back.

[Megan]

But they're back, apparently.

[Brian]

Megan, is there anything else we were.

[Megan]

Supposed to talk about we should tell people about? Library card.

[Brian]

Yes.

[Megan]

Yes. We have a new episode out. We just dropped a new episode about Clara and the sun by Kazuo Ishiguro. And we had a really great conversation because it's a. Interesting book. And I think the conversation was nuanced and it was fun because we all weren't coming from the same perspective, which I think really made the conversation more interesting and more layered. So it was great. And we are. Our next episode's in a few weeks and we're going to talk about Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver and a lot of People have been reading the books and participating in the show with us, and this is definitely a book you should read so that you can be involved in this conversation with us. Because this book is mind blowing and it's incredible. And she's one of my favorite authors. And I'm really excited to dig in deep on this book because there's so much in it.

[Dusty]

Yeah, I don't know how to even prepare for this episode. There's so much to cover. There are so many, like, 20 page years of his life that you just, like, dive deep into, and I've probably forgotten at this point in time, and so I can't wait to revisit this. There's so much. It's an unbelievable book.

[Brian]

Yeah, it's gonna be really fun. This is gonna be episode number five. So we're. And I. I just wanna tell you guys, you know, those of you listening have been listening for a long time, you know that we've made a lot of podcasts. Me, I've made the most podcasts. Brian's made the second most podcast. Megan has made some podcasts, too. According to available data, a significant minority of podcasts make it past five episodes, with estimates suggesting that around 90% of podcasts do not even reach episode three. So really, we're already. We're already among the rarefied era of podcasters. Guys, we got to episode five. I mean, if it happens, you know.

[Megan]

You'Re not there yet.

[Brian]

Let's not jinx it. But we've, we've been, you know, we've been doing okay here at HFPod. We're beyond five. I think we'll keep going. You know, it's touch and go at times, but. But, you know, I don't think we're going anywhere. We have 461 episodes in. In Apple podcasts, according to that app. I think there's probably 20 that aren't on there. So I'd say we're like approaching 500.

[Megan]

That's amazing.

[Brian]

Yeah, it's crazy.

[Dusty]

And I mean, if we were able to. If this were to turn into something that we did, like, regularly, I think that we would at least record three episodes a week. I think we have enough. I think, like, at the end of the day, we have way more to say. So we're not getting.

[Brian]

We're.

[Dusty]

We're not finishing anytime soon here.

[Brian]

We just.

[Dusty]

We can't live without it.

[Brian]

Especially we keep coming up with awesome series and great drafts, keeping everyone. Keeping everyone on their toes. All right, so the. So the whole idea of today's episode. Why we're here is we're going to talk about what fish we go to when we need some warmth. I don't know about you guys, but it's fucking cold. It's. It's cold again. We had 50 mile per hour winds yesterday. Big tree fell on. On part of my house. It was during these gusts that I think we're up to like 60. I think the wind's only like 25 or 30 miles per hour right now. But now it's back from being like 40 to being like 20. So it's good timing for me because it's freezing. I was thinking, like, I don't know, shows, albums, jams. Do you guys even think about fish in this way? This is. This is. This whole discussion is based on a presumption that we have time to listen to fish for fun, to prep for episodes. So let's just pretend that we are in a world where we're just listening to fish. Do you. Well, first. First question is, do you have seasonal fish? I think you probably do, Brian, but. But, but I don't want to. I want to put words in your mouth. Do you have fish that you listen to in different seasons?

[Dusty]

Well, that's how I approach this. I will say that, like, my listening patterns have changed over the last couple of years. I used to do the whole, like. Well, it's February 17th, so I would listen to February 17th, 1997, at least the second set. I don't do it as much anymore because it became such a habit and I started not hearing the surprises I was looking for. So now when I reach for fish, it's either in the general vicinity and I want to hear a show I haven't heard before from around this time, which can be challenging during the winter months because this band doesn't tend to tour as much during the winter or. And I've selected a few of these, a couple choice summer shows and summer jams that just sound like an amphitheater sound like the guitar is just going out into the lawn and fittering out into the air and you can feel the humidity and it just gives you that sensation of summer in the middle of winter. And then finally, now that we've had eight Mexico fish runs, and now that I've been to Mexico and know, like the midwinter stopover where fish jams right by the ocean in the middle of February or late January, now I get the sensation of, oh, when I put this on, it takes me back to that and helps even regardless what the Groundhog. Is it the groundhog? Yeah, the groundhog. Whatever the groundhog says. Spring is on the horizon. It will return. We'll be good again. What about you guys?

[Brian]

Well, I. I think about it sort of. It's interesting. I don't really listen to summer fish. During the winter. I'm much more likely to go for, like, winter, fall, indoor, like, you know, hot, hot inside, hot. Music, shredding. I don't. I don't. And I think in the summer, I'm not really listening to it. I guess I listen along with the season I'm in, but I'm trying to get. I'm trying to, like, warm up with trays. Shredding, probably mostly, you know.

[Dusty]

Well, can I clarify one thing?

[Brian]

Yeah.

[Dusty]

Because I was thinking about this before we. Before I kind of built out my list. I think of, like, November and December, fish as its own beast. And like, during the months of November, December, there's so much to turn to from a fish standpoint. January, February, March is like its own isolated experience. And so when it gets cold out, I'm absolutely doing what you're talking about. But when we get to this time of year, it's. It's a slightly different approach, at least from my perspective.

[Megan]

That makes sense. I thought about a little bit differently. I think about the mood I'm in this time of year, and this time of year, I'm always feeling more introspective or mellow, more quiet, more contemplative. So that's the kind of fish that I want to listen to this time of year. So my list is more what makes me feel that way and what's good for, like, curling up with a book and a cup of tea or like, sitting under a bunch of blankets on the couch and thinking, you know, that kind of stuff. So that's kind of the mood that I'm in this time of year. So I'm always looking for fish that will make me feel like that.

[Brian]

Yeah, yeah. What about. I mean, we just did the album draft, so we all, like, listen to some or all of the fish albums. Do you guys listen to fish albums? And do they change by season? Because there are. There are fish albums that definitely have, like, a winter vibe versus a spring or summer or fall vibe. I feel like that they're. That's where you could see the most contrast in terms of sound.

[Megan]

Yeah, definitely. It's funny because I think after re. Listening to all these albums, I want to listen to more studio fish now, because I was pretty blown away by some of the stuff I heard and how differently they approach the studio, I think that they're. To me, it's more like the older albums are more nostalgic and make me feel young as opposed to Certain Season or Vibe. And then the older albums make me think more. Just kind of make me more contemplative about where the band is and what they've kind of accomplished and what they've done. And also just. I've really loved the last few Fish albums. I think they've been awesome. I think Evolve and Sigma are so good, and I've listened to those more than I would have expected that I would have.

[Dusty]

I listen to two Fish albums. I don't tend to reach for others. I do, however, listening back, like Unta, for example, and the White Tape, I felt like that would be stuff that I should listen to if I'm driving or, like, on a road trip. But If I'm gonna. 9, 99 out of 100 times, if I'm gonna reach for Fish, I'm reaching for a live show.

[Megan]

Yeah, same.

[Brian]

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it feels like, you know, but like, when we're listening to new music or listening to new shows, I mean, it wouldn't. It would be. It would make sense. It'd be totally fun to put on Rift or something. It just doesn't really happen.

[Megan]

The most. But, yeah.

[Brian]

Yeah, I just don't, like, ever really, unless I'm. Unless I'm forced to, by the by you guys.

[Megan]

So, I mean, that album is, like, one of my top 10 albums of all time. It changed my life. So that album is something I do play. I probably play it a couple times a year just to hear it.

[Brian]

Wow. I don't think there's a single Fish album on my top, like, top 20 of all, like, all time list. Maybe that's a problem.

[Dusty]

Maybe I don't think there is on mine. No. I think that they're just in such a separate category because I think, like, one of the points it sounds like you're making is. And something we talked about last week is the fact that, like, Fish albums tend to be like. Like a rock in a river that you're trying to get across. Like, they're like a stopping point, you know, where the band had these ideas, these songs, this sound in their head, and it just, like, puts that to wax. And then where you actually hear them diving off into what a specific song can do or can be is in the live show. And I think what sets Rift apart in a lot of cases is the fact that aside from a Few versions of Maze, recent versions of My Friend, My Friend, a couple versions of It's Ice. For the most part, those songs are played pretty close to the way that they're played on the record. So the record kind of like captures these really special songs written in a very formative point in their career and presents them in a very similar way to how you're going to hear those songs in concert. And so it kind of takes like a pristine version of a song that you'll hear like, mound at a show, but puts it like that's. That's like the tightest version. Whereas, like an album like Picture of Nectar, like, you got Choctaw's Torture and Tweezer on that album. Those are just like small samplings of what that band, what this band was able to do with those songs. Or like an album like Hoist, where you have Disease that is well represented there. But like, you would never say to anyone, like, have you heard down with Disease? Here's the definitive version you need to listen to, right? The Jack Welch Management Institute at Strayer.

[Brian]

University helps you go from I know.

[Dusty]

The way to I've arrived with our top 10 ranked online MBA.

[Brian]

Gain skills you can learn today and apply tomorrow.

[Dusty]

Get ready to go from make it.

[Brian]

Happen to made it happen and keep striving.

[Megan]

Visit strayer.edu Jack WelchMBA to learn more.

[Brian]

Strayer University is certified to operate in.

[Dusty]

Virginia by Chevin has many campuses, including at 2121 15th Street north in Arlington, Virginia.

[Brian]

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

[Dusty]

And right up there in his pantheon.

[Brian]

With the Beatles and Elvis Costello is the Clash. So Alan, it's one thing for you.

[Dusty]

To be a nerd, but how did you rope in a cool guy 311's Nick Hexum into a full on Clash geek fest on our show.

[Brian]

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

[Dusty]

Oh, right.

[Megan]

Second, Nick actually jammed with the Clash's.

[Dusty]

Joe Strummer in a supergroup that included.

[Megan]

Flea and Tom Morello.

[Brian]

Okay, well, there is that. And finally, one member of the Clash cited this is Final Tap, the reason.

[Dusty]

Our show even exists as his favorite movie. Which one? Hey, if you want to find out, you got to listen to Too Much Effing Perspective.

[Brian]

That's Too Much Effing Perspective. The only podcast you crank up to 11. Okay, let's talk about gems. I feel like for me I would go to like something like 1228 97, which we need. We need a better you know, we need better sound from that. From that show. But that, like, you know, this, like, the. The axilla in the simple and the Ghost. Ghost of the Machine, like, the. The. It's like. You can imagine being in that arena at the end of December 97, and all the arenas that I was in at the end of December 97. It was hot. It was smoky. It was cold outside, but hot inside. And that's, like, what I tend to go to. And then these, like, really weird, you know, or even one of the. One of the Hampton shows, 1121 or 1122. Those would be, like, the first things I would go to if I was thinking about, like, what am I in the mood for on a day when it's, like, 20 degrees outside? I think that's just because. Maybe because I went from 20 degrees into one of those shows, you know, in the past. But also, like, that. That weird indoor fall fish, to me, is, like, the ultimate to me. That's, like, the warmest. That's the warmest fish because it's, like, so weird and so contained in there, so intense. That's, like, what I think of first.

[Megan]

There's something very magical about seeing fish over those New Year's runs when it's cold out. There's just something. I remember the 1231, 96. My boyfriend at the time got kicked out of the show, and I had. Yeah, yeah. And I had to.

[Dusty]

Are you willing to share why?

[Megan]

Yeah, sure. He was smoking a cigarette and in the venue and wouldn't put it out and then argued with someone. Yeah.

[Dusty]

Lesson learned.

[Megan]

Yeah.

[Dusty]

There's, like, three steps there of, like, ways to avoid that.

[Brian]

Yeah.

[Megan]

I don't. I. There was so many ways, and those steps involved me seeing me saying, hey, let's just stop right now, and, like, let this go multiple times, and it still didn't work. So then he got kicked out of the show, and so then I was in the show by myself. So I celebrated New Year's Eve by myself that night.

[Dusty]

My goodness.

[Megan]

Had to, like, go find him after the show. And it was Boston. It was freezing, like, very, very, very cold. And as he was running out, he was like, just don't forget to grab our coats. I'll be fine, Meg. And I was like, okay. Like, great. So then, like, you know, Bohemian Rhapsody and, like, everything's happening, and, like, it's New Year's Eve and I'm by myself. And then I had to go get our coats from where we had, like, stashed them or whatever. And then we. I Had to go out and, like, exit by myself, which is definitely not a fun thing to do when you're, like, 19 and you're, you know, in a really intense state of mind. And then I walked out with, like, our coats into the, like, freezing cold in Boston, and I actually found him right away. But that will always remind me of, like, winter fish, of, like, being indoors in this, like, very sweaty, very intense experience, and then you're coming outside and it's freezing cold. And so, yeah, I totally get those vibes. Rj.

[Brian]

I wish I had a more colorful story to accompany my. My. My, you know, desire to listen to those shows, but thank you for doing that for me.

[Megan]

Yeah, no problem.

[Brian]

It's good. Very, very evocative. Brian, what do you. What do you. How does that land with you? Would you go to a fall winter?

[Megan]

Not this story, but.

[Brian]

No, I mean, both. All of it.

[Dusty]

Well, it's funny because I. I have. Just. Speaking of winter fish shows where there's, like, a catastrophe, I'm pretty sure my wife got food poisoning on 1229, 2012, and we had, like, amazing seats, like, awesome seats, and it was my first time at msg, and we had, like, been on the road all fall, and like, our whole. This, like, season of travel was, like, peaking with going to Fish, and she got sick from, like, what was definitely, like, lukewarm Chinese food that we ordered, like, earlier in the day. And I remember, like, having to pull these two girls aside to, like, ask them to go into the bathroom to make sure that she was okay. And I was just like, she's not on drugs. She's just sick, you know? Like, I just. I just need to know she's okay. Yeah.

[Megan]

Yeah.

[Dusty]

And then she rallied the next night for 12:30, and we had, like, one of the best show experiences I've ever had, but wasn't kicked out, but was definitely, like, a lot of. Thankfully, 122912 was, like, a terrible show because I was, like, in and out from the venue or from, like, our seats into the mezzanine the whole time. But in terms of shows, like, as you're talking through this, like, I'm not thinking at all about Fall Fish right now unless we have a project going on. But what I was realizing going through this is the first tour I saw Fish on is, like, the epitome of winter tour Fish. It's got the arena vibe that you're talking about, where it's cold outside, it's mid February. These giant arenas that are near airports and in parts of cities that nobody really goes to oftentimes, especially in the case of Chicago, Fish plays at the Allstate arena, which is just like a rundown piece of. In like the sweetest way possible. But like, I. My mind goes to winter 03 because I think that the band sounds like they're jamming in winter in that tour in the most incredible way possible. And if you think about that year, you know, they release Walls of the Cave in November, they do SNL and Letterman, they do the Victor disc, they release Round Room, they play a New Year's Eve show that has like a very wintry theme to it. 7 Below inspires all these wintry jams, those kind of dark CD jams from Hampton. And then you get this two week long tour where, you know, for me, the seven below that I saw from February 20th, that gets very quiet, contemplative, kind of groovy and like an icy kind of way. The. The next two shows later, 222 in Cincinnati, they play a really cool version of Tube that has this kind of sultry late night groove to it before going into a very arctic, chilled out bathtub gin. And then a week later you get the bathtub gin and tweezer from 228, which is. We talked about it earlier in the show. It's highly touted by the fans that show just like, even if not every song is for you, the Next song is 100% for you. And it just flows in a really perfect way and kind of combines the mythological feeling and like that sense you get of like something big is happening from a New Year's Eve type show. But oh, by the way, we're in Long island and we are in an arena that I don't even think exists anymore, but has produced some of the best Fish shows of all time for398, the show228, 2003 that, you know, just feels like in the dead of winter, Fish is still capable of doing anything. And so I, I go to Winter oh three. If we're gonna like do like a time and place in terms of jams that you need to really like showcase how, how great the band is at this point in time.

[Megan]

Yeah, similar, similar kind of feeling to. In that I was looking a lot towards like winter 99. That's kind of the tour that I was thinking a lot about and I was thinking about some of those jams that I just absolutely love to just like sit and hang out and listen to. Like the Haleys from Portland from 12:7, the sand from Raleigh from 12:16. The tweezer. I know tweezer from Raleigh from 12:16. And, you know, you've got, like the 12:8 Piper, the 12:11 Ghost. There's just a lot of incredible jams that are really, really, really contemplative and fun to listen to and perfect for this time of year. Like, that's what I'm listening to when I'm reading a lot. Or, you know, these weekends, like, they're. They're quieter, they're. They're longer, so you get to just like, sit and read and listen to really vibey, spacey, ambient fish.

[Brian]

12, 7, 9, 9. Haley's with that.

[Megan]

Yes, please.

[Brian]

Oh, my God.

[Megan]

Yeah, it's the best. I listened to it again this morning. It's.

[Dusty]

And it's interesting because that Haley's is like a summery jam in the middle of winter, but, like, on the other side of it, the gym, like a big wave.

[Megan]

Yeah, yeah.

[Dusty]

And the gin, which I just listened to as I was preparing for Mount Rushmore. That gets quiet and contemplative. So you get, like two sides of fish in that show in a really, really cool way. That's a great call.

[Brian]

What. Okay, so we're all like, basically winter 1.0. But you said Mexico earlier, so there's some. There's. And Brian said 2.0 and 2.0, so. But we're like. Yeah, we're pre Coventry here.

[Megan]

Yeah, yeah. Because the other tour, I would say, is like, fall 98 is the other one that has some of these vibes that I like. But, yeah, definitely. It's a lot of. Yeah. Pre Coventry.

[Dusty]

That said, we've gotten. And you mentioned this just there. We've gotten this new tradition within Fish of Mexico. Shows that happen usually in February, but then the past, they happen in January, and they just happen again in January this year, which is this kind of oasis in the middle of winter that I think changes the dynamics of a lot for Fish because you get this, like, base level of where the band is at over four nights heading into the year. Something which we will probably be Discussing more in 2027 at this rate, the runs. But it's also summary. Everyone's in shorts, everyone's in T shirts. People have been swimming in the Caribbean Sea. Is that what it's still called? I don't know. People have been hanging out, you know, like, having drinks, really nice weather. Just, you know, amazing, amazing stuff. But it's still in the middle of winter. And so if you're at home watching those shows, you get this really unique experience. Of webcasting in a chill while, you know, fish dives deep and has this just amazing party going on down four hours south of wherever you live. It's a fun twist on fish winter.

[Megan]

I do love that. And I love getting those shows and getting new fish this time of year. It's so special and so fun. And this year and last year were so good. And it's just been so fun to kind of anticipate that and know that we're going to get that. When it's so cold and things seem so dark, it's nice.

[Brian]

Really, really. Like when I think I went. Did I go three times? I think I went three times. And I definitely was like, all right, that's enough. And then this, this month, I was like, it was not enough.

[Megan]

I want to go back, too. I've only gone once, but I really want to go back. It's so fun. It's just so fun. It's so fun.

[Brian]

Okay, so before we. Before we, like wrap up, because we, you know, we. We could talk about this all day. What else? Brian, I want to go to you first because you have a long list, I'm sure in your head. Ready? But what's your. What? Give us five go to winter albums, either right now or Evergreen.

[Dusty]

Well, before I do that, I still have some fish things to talk about. I don't know about you. I got a. I got a list here. Can we.

[Brian]

Well, I don't want to. I don't want to step on your list. Please.

[Megan]

Let's go with your list, Brian.

[Dusty]

Well, I want to. I want to just share one other aspect of. Technically, winter fish is March fish. And March does not become spring until. Is it like 21st or 22nd? I think it's 21st. We get. That's the box.

[Megan]

Yeah.

[Dusty]

Thank you. There's one memory that came to mind, though, because March is this interesting month, depending on where you live in the country, where you start to get the initial hints of spring, you may get like a two day snowstorm that still hits on like March 13th. But you usually in those first three weeks get at least like two to three days where the sun's out a little bit longer. Once you start to move over to daylight savings, you also get just seasonally beautiful days where you're like, okay, I can still handle this. And there's one show that really reminds me of that sentiment. And a lot of it has to do with the idea of rebirth, renewal, but also the sense that when this show happened where I was an unseasonably Warm day where I took like a gigantic bike ride and listened to a bunch of fish. And that was March 6, 2009, the first fish show of 3.0. I was living in Chicago at the time and I have like vivid memories. It was like 65, 70 degrees. I worked a lunch shift at the restaurant I was at. I came home, I grabbed my bike and I hadn't listened to fish in I don't know how long at that point in time. And I threw some fish on and I just biked through our forest preserve near my parents house and came back home and I was like listening to my brother's cell phone. Gravelly stream of fluff head, Divided Sky. And those two songs back to back just strike me as like a larger symbolic feeling of what fish can do during winter and what they can do seasonally whenever they play. Which is give you this sense of renewal, rebirth, things are going to be okay again. And so I always think about that when I think of fish in the winter.

[Megan]

I love that. It's true. There is such a sense of possibility in a lot of fish that's I think, something that, I don't know, we probably don't talk about that a lot, but it is something that I think is a reason why a lot of us go to see fish is because they're the possibility of transcendence. And I think that that possibility kind of exists in so much of the music that we love from them.

[Brian]

Yeah, that's a good point. And I didn't really think about it as a. As like the spring being a part of the winter, but it is, you're right, that's when that's like, that's when many great Americans. Birthdays are right around that time. So I should be thinking about that, should be thinking about that.

[Megan]

But so many great Americans, so many.

[Brian]

Too many to name today too, right.

[Megan]

Here on this podcast.

[Brian]

In fact, over here, here we have a. We have a bunch.

[Dusty]

We got a winter baby and a spring baby right here. Actually two spring babies. It's crazy.

[Brian]

Yeah, we're here. That's true Spring.

[Megan]

Despite my summer vibe, we moved to.

[Brian]

This neighborhood and we have two friend. Two families who are friends on the block. And all three of the guys are all born in the same week in March. And all three of the girls are all born in the same week in July.

[Megan]

That's very weird. Yeah, that's very weird.

[Brian]

It's like. It's wild. Anyway, okay, March, March. It's a good point. And then you start to bread like bridge into Spring. I like that you do.

[Dusty]

And so you get things like the 31493 Yam, Spooky Yam. That is from Gunnison, Colorado, which I live now in Colorado. We get 70 degree days randomly throughout the winter. And mid March is when you get that like just happens and you get a jam like that that you're like, we're technically still in winter, but the sun's out all day, there's a chill in the air, maybe there's a bunch of snow melting. And Fish is gonna play an outstanding version of Yim. I will say, though, last thing about Fish and. Or, you know, you guys can obviously say something else if you have it, but since RJ wants to wrap us up here today, I mentioned earlier Summery Fish and there's no venue that feels more like Summery Fish to me than Deer Creek.

[Megan]

Yes.

[Dusty]

And so I would be remiss to say if I didn't say that I listened to 7:25.99 throughout the winter as well. Because not only is that a show that should be released by Kevin Shapiro, but it's also a show that makes me feel like I'm just drenched in humidity and a little bit too high as you. As you. As you can get on a summer's eve and just kind of stumbling and laughing and having a great, great time listening to Fish do things like my friend, My friend into my left toe into whipping post. I mean, just nothing makes you feel like we will be okay and we will get to summer more than something like that.

[Megan]

100% agree with that. I always listen to 61995 just when I want to feel good. Because there's nothing like Deer Creek memories. Nothing.

[Brian]

I'm glad you got that in. Thanks, Brian. I want to just shout out Chad Blitz, who's watching on YouTube from South Florida, where I don't think they have a winter. I think it's just.

[Megan]

Oh, nice.

[Brian]

I think it's just warm. Always appreciate everyone watching and listening. Oh, yeah. By the way, if you're listening and you haven't voted on the Mount Rushmore stuff, you have to do that. But also you should leave us voicemails and tell us what you think. We didn't get a single voicemail about the album draft. Maybe it was just too amazing. But there has to be. There has to be thoughts. I want to hear. We want to hear thoughts. So call us at 484-416-0488 and maybe when you call, Meg will answer.

[Megan]

I will say that there was no voting on any of my Socials. So I just wanted to put that out for the record, just to keep the clean. I did not put a link to vote on any of my socials. So people couldn't vote through my socials. They had to go to the official Osiris or HF POD accounts to vote. Just so I wouldn't be accused of this. Just. Just letting everybody know that.

[Dusty]

Well, I don't think anybody's accusing you of electioneering at this point in time.

[Brian]

No, no, we're just. We're just trying to recalibrate. We're like. We're like Democrats. We're trying to start from the beginning. We need new messengers, we need a new message. We need everything.

[Megan]

I have, like, just read a whole book about all the problems that liberals are having right now, and I have ideas, so maybe some of those can translate to draft.

[Brian]

Well, we can't come to you for ideas about how to beat you. That's like. That's not really going to work. We're going to have to have our own convention. All right, Brian, give us some albums.

[Dusty]

Sounds like certain someone. 10. I'll give you ideas on how you can beat me. Yeah, just do it, you know. All right, so you changed the question here based on your text. So I am going to go based off of what I've got right in front of me here, and I'm going to give you my favorite records of 2025 so far, which are technically winter records because they were all released.

[Brian]

They are. I don't have to. I don't have to send you every question in advance. I just said.

[Megan]

You said you were going to say.

[Brian]

I know that's coming next. There's just separate questions. It's fine. I'd love to hear what you're liking so far this year, Brian.

[Dusty]

Well, now that.

[Brian]

Now that.

[Dusty]

Now that I had a moment to. To let Meg battle for me, an album did come to mind that is, to me, oh, really perfect. The perfect winter album.

[Brian]

Can't believe it.

[Dusty]

And that is Beach House's Teen Dream, which came out in February of 2010, and just sounds like icicles forming on the side of your house in, like, just the most beautiful way possible. I love that record. And that record, just like I remember it came out during the winter. I lived in South Korea, which is unquestionably the coldest I've ever been during a winter. And I just remember that being like a warm blanket. So I would highly recommend that. I would also recommend Stars of the Lid, their record, the Tired Sounds of Stars Lid, which is an ambient album that I adore and sounds like it's like the perfect record to go down for hibernation in in the Middle of Winter. So very much into that. In terms of this year, I'll just throw out a couple records that I really dig that have come out this year. The new Sharon Vanetten record, Sharon Van Netten and the Attachment Theory is the most exploratory and interesting music I've heard Sharon Van Etten release in probably five or six years. I really, really dig that. I've been listening a ton to the original soundtrack to the Brutalist, which is my favorite movie of 2024, one of my favorite movies I've seen in 2025. And the soundtrack, the score is just remarkable. Even if you haven't seen the movie, you should listen to it. It's just very thematic and it sounds like romantic era classical music. And there's great song titles like Handjob and Porn and a few others I'm forgetting about. But unbelievable movie, unbelievable score, and then two others. Just really quick is the new album, which I think is the last record by the weekend, Hurry Up Tomorrow, which builds off of Dawn FM that came out in 2022 that I absolutely loved. Sounded like a cross point between the War on Drugs and R and B, and I can't get enough of it. I love that record. I just put it on. We had a work event on Thursday night and someone asked me to DJ and I put that record on. Had like six people come up to me and compliment it, which I was like, oh man. I didn't really realize this was reaching young entrepreneurs of Denver. This is amazing. And then my favorite record of the year is Blue Lake so Weft, which came out a couple weeks ago. I did not love the Blue lake record from 2023, but this one immediately hit me. Very Americana, atmospheric, experimental, somewhat ambient, somewhat noise, someone industrial, somewhat jazz. Like. There's just a lot going on there. And I'm super into this record. It's the kind of album that, like, for me, an album, albums I love or when I can't like, figure out what's going on. And this record absolutely does that. So Blue Lake Weft, that is my favorite record of the year so far. Who knows where it will end up 10 months, 11 months from now. But that is all I'm listening to when I'm not prepping for random fish podcasts in the coming weeks. What do you guys got?

[Megan]

It's a great album. I really like it too. Well, I've been doing Something a little different this year. I've been doing some deep dives, which have been really fun. So I've listened to how many. I've listened to 82 albums this year already, which I'm kind of proud about. But I did a Beatles deep dive and then I did the Fish deep dive, and then now I'm. I'm in the middle of a Miles Davis deep dive. So I've. On his 30th album right now. Turns out guy's a lot of albums. A lot of albums. So I am now in 1968, in miles in the Sky. It's the album that he made with the second. It's the second album with the Quintad or with the second quintet. Excuse me. It's really awesome. It's a transitional record, like, between him going through electric and not. And so it has, like, some electric on it, some not a lot of open, extended improv. It's been great. It's been really fun just seeing what stood out to me about which albums of his that I've loved the most. And I'm really enjoying that. And yeah, I've been listening to some new albums. Just been fun. But I've mostly just been listening to that and a lot of fish. But I do really love the new Rose City Band album, Sol y Sambra. Awesome. I love that band. Talk about summer vibes. Their last album was the most summery album ever. But I love this one too. And imagine, it's going to get a lot of play for me this year. How about you, rj?

[Brian]

Wow. I mean, mine are going to be like. I mean, albums that I would go to in the winter are going to be albums that were all made at least 10 years ago. If not 30, maybe 40, maybe 50.

[Megan]

Right?

[Brian]

Yeah. The most recent would probably be Lost in the Dream. I think that's like a great winter album. We're on Drugs. One of my favorite albums ever. It's just got like a comfortable, soothing, amazing. What an amazing record. That is beautiful. I also listen to a lot of Led Zeppelin in the winter. I love Led Zeppelin so much. Physical Graffiti is one of my top five albums of all time. I could listen to that album every day. I feel like it's. It's good for like a winter Friday night when you really just need to, like, turn up the volume a little bit on the stereo, which people did in the 70s, but. But some people still do now. Like me.

[Megan]

Yeah. Rock on, rj.

[Brian]

I appreciate. Appreciate you guys. Humor me in this, but, like, I mean, let's Be honest. Really. It's just mostly listening to the Grateful Dead because what, you know, what season is not good for the Grateful Dead?

[Megan]

That is every season. I agree.

[Brian]

It's every season. It's every day.

[Megan]

I do. I do feel like that's what's dropped off the most for me. Which is sad.

[Brian]

Yeah.

[Megan]

I listen to like less Grateful Dead than I ever have in my life. It's really sad. So I. I need encouragement. Whenever you're listening to something, just send it to me so that I remember I gave you.

[Brian]

I gave you some recently, remember.

[Megan]

I know. And I listened to a lot of it. Yeah, it was really great.

[Brian]

I. They just released in at the end of January, Dave's picks 53, which is October 2, 1976, which. And then. And then I think come in April. There's a 73 show coming. The mid-70s is just, you know, that's the best for me.

[Dusty]

That fall 76. Big shout out to. I believe it's 928 76. It may be 927. It has this just like insane sandwich second set. That is. It's my favorite help slip Franklin that we've ever gotten. Unbelievable stuff. But to your point, Meg, about Miles Davis. I was just pulling up. I listened to this over winter break every year. The final tour, the Bootleg Series Volume 6. It is a four disc, four hour compilation of John Coltrane and Miles Davis playing in 1963 in Europe. And that is.

[Brian]

That's the.

[Dusty]

That's the. The Dead is always like a spring listen for me. Open the house up Saturday morning, making pancakes for the kids and like hearing Jerry's guitar just soothe your soul. That's where it's become. Because you're right. Like ever. Ever since 36 from the vault ended when I was listening to more Grateful Dead than probably anything. Like while helping make that show, my listening has definitely fallen off. And that's. That's not something to be proud of. That's just not something to be proud of.

[Megan]

No. You're not taking your vitamins. You know it's going to show.

[Dusty]

No.

[Megan]

Yeah, I agree. I listen to much more debt in the summer.

[Brian]

I think that's, you know, it's for every season. In my opinion. It's for every day, for every day of the year. Just like HF Pod. Do we guys, do we know what we're doing for next. Next week's episode yet?

[Megan]

I think it's. I mean, tbd. We have.

[Dusty]

We have an idea.

[Megan]

Yeah.

[Dusty]

Some of us have prepped. Some of us have taken Detailed notes. Some of us have built their arguments and their defenses.

[Brian]

I really like. I really like the shows. When I listen back, I came away being pleasantly surprised.

[Dusty]

I. You know what? Should we just, like, say we're gonna do this episode? If.

[Megan]

Yes, let's just do it then. I think that's right.

[Brian]

Brian, what is it?

[Dusty]

So we are. We're. We were hoping this week to have young Ryan storm on to talk about Mexico 2019, a run that he pushes on me every 10 days or so, and I'm like, hey, man, tons of other stuff to listen to. But, you know, I remember it being fun. So we decided we would talk with him about it. He had some travel delays and some travel issues coming back from Grand Rapids. Goose was too hot. Talk about a hard quartet. I'll tell you what, that band was too hot that they just couldn't. He couldn't travel back. And so we had to pivot this week. We're hoping to do it next week, but we're running into some scheduling issues. Ryan, open up the schedule. You know, do it. Do what you can. If he's here, we're gonna talk. If he's here, we're gonna talk with him about Mexico 2019. If he's not here, we're gonna talk about Mexico 2019. So next week, we're gonna talk about Mexico2019. I will say, just to kind of pepper the listeners out there, I walked away with one question coming out of Mexico 2019, what would 2004 Trey sound like if he were sober? That was my big takeaway.

[Brian]

I think that's fair. It's very loose. It's like. It's very loose.

[Dusty]

Way loose. It is like, we don't really care how these songs are supposed to sound. Let's get to the jam.

[Brian]

And. And also, if you're gonna listen, I mean, I think this is probably what part of what Ryan likes about it. But Paige is just all over these shows, like, he's. He's like, leading the band most of the time, which is kind of crazy.

[Dusty]

Yeah, it's an interesting. Because it's not that long ago. And a lot of the approach to the shows are very similar to what we get now. But to your point, it's before Trey gets the synth pedal and before Paige is really emphasizing his synthesizers. So it's kind of this. It's. It's a very unique, very different sound from what we are, what. What we get in a lot of modern day fish jamming wrapped in this package that almost feels like a 2024 show just six years earlier.

[Brian]

Yeah, it's gonna be fun. Okay, so we are talking about Mexico 2019 next week. It's going to be warm. We're going to have warm, warm ideas. Hopefully our guests will join us. But if our guest doesn't join us, we'll do it anyway.

[Dusty]

Yeah, it's on you, Rye. It's on you, bud.

[Brian]

And then we have the following week, we're going to start our Mount Rushmore series, which we're super excited about. So leave us voicemails and tell us what you think. And we hope you had fun hanging out with us today on this President's Day. When we think about all the presidents, I hope there are more. I hope there are more presidents. That's like. That's my one hope.

[Megan]

Yes, that's.

[Dusty]

That's the one hope. Yeah, there should be more because presidents are interesting. I read a biography of James Garfield over the summer, and I don't know how many of you out there have thought about James Garfield, but pretty interesting life. Nobody. Nobody. Pretty interesting life. Really interesting look at where America was in the mid19th century. I'm finishing right now the recent biography of Ronald Reagan. I was really going in with an open mind. Like, I'm willing to be convinced. And the one thing I'm convinced about is that nobody could say meaner things in a nicer way than Ronald Reagan. And I guess that's a skill. That's a skill in and of which.

[Brian]

Has been thrown out the window now.

[Dusty]

Yeah, we're just skipping past the same things nicely, and we're just, like, saying the mean stuff out loud. It's an interesting time to be alive. And so, yeah, it would be nice to have, like. You know, what I'd really like to have is another. Another tr. You know, guy. Guy who really wants to fight for the little guys, but really believes in the power of America and speaks in that sort of manner of like, hey, we are a strong. We are a ambitious country, but also like, hey, poor people should have a chance to, you know. Can we just have one of those?

[Megan]

Yeah, or maybe just like, one who's really interested in learning and doing better and, you know, being a good person. Maybe one of those.

[Brian]

Wow.

[Dusty]

Kind of like how George Bush decided to channel all his failure into painting. You know, he learned a new skill. That's exactly what Meg is saying right there.

[Megan]

Yeah. Who knew that he would be like, our model?

[Brian]

I know.

[Megan]

Times have really gotten fucking bad, man.

[Brian]

Take him. Take him back. Take him back.

[Megan]

He doesn't seem as bad now let's bring him back.

[Dusty]

I don't know about that.

[Brian]

All right, guys, we're going to see you next week for Mexico 2019. Everyone have a good rest of the week. We'll see you then. Bye.

[Megan]

Bye, everyone. Osiris.

[Brian]

Hello, everybody. I'm Bruce. And I'm Nolan. And this is the Corner of Gray street podcast. As longtime Dave Matthews Band fans, we set out to create a podcast to dive deep into the past, present, and future of dmv.

[Dusty]

Not only do we recap and review.

[Brian]

Shows within an ongoing tour, but we.

[Dusty]

Revisit past shows from throughout the band's.

[Brian]

History, conduct interviews with a wide variety.

[Dusty]

Of guests with ties to dmv, and.

[Brian]

Create unique and exclusive content like our Concerts on the Corner series. Whether you're a fan of the band or just a fan of great music.

[Dusty]

We think you'll find something you'll enjoy.

[Brian]

We can't wait to see you on.

[Dusty]

The corner of Gray Street. Welcome to us talking about our podcast for a minute.

[Brian]

What's the name of that podcast?

[Dusty]

That's Axe to Grind. And right now you're going to be getting a little, little taste of it, right down to the shaky microphone and all.

[Brian]

And my name's Bob.

[Dusty]

And my name's Patrick. And usually we're joined by Tom.

[Brian]

Tom's the best. Tom has a real grown up job that requires him to be at work, but we talk about decidedly not so.

[Dusty]

Grown up things like hardcore music and things that people that like hardcore music tend to like.

[Brian]

So that could be the latest shows, revisiting classic material, talking about the new classics, all the little dorm room nonsense that you imagine from niche music podcasts that you either love, want to love, or hate.

[Dusty]

Yeah, imagine all the emotions that you have towards a genre that has impacted your life and then condense them down to an hour to two hours a week.

[Brian]

So triangulate your speakers, think about jumping off the bed, singing along, dancing like an idiot, and listen. Axle Grind podcast.