Under the Scales

In the Summer of 2017 Phish settled into Madison Square Garden, “The World’s Most Famous Arena,” for a residency of 13 shows, immortalized as The Baker’s Dozen. Across nearly three weekends and four weekday gigs, Phish played 230+ songs without repeating a single one. They fused jokes from their past with music that looked ahead to their future, and connected with the fan community in a way they’d...

Hey there, Undermine fans! Please enjoy the first episode of our new fiction podcast: Sugar Maple. If you like what you hear, be sure to subscribe to see where the story goes! In the series premiere, we meet our narrator, Terrance Woodridge, who brings us a tale he’s chased down: the story of Sugar Maple, the guitar of legend with a timeless sound that's passed from hand to hand over the years. In...

At the onset of the 2020s, Trey Anastasio got stuck on a platform high above MSG. While he played through with humor and grace, the moment would serve as the prelude to a year where we all felt unhinged. For those who were infected by Covid, or lost loved ones, 2020 was a nightmare. For everyone, it was an unexpected pause, marked by tension and a longing for normalcy. In the Season 2 finale, we e...

To this point, Season 2 of Undermine has mirrored the fan experience with Phish—traveling to see them, engaging with the community, and trying to understand why we dedicate so much time, energy and money to this band. But what happens if you fall in love with Phish but have no ability to see them live or to engage with the community in person? What does the band mean to you if they’re 10,000 miles...

Beyond the tape trading, the road trips, the lot vibe, the people you meet, the lights dropping, etc, the reason we all come back to Phish is for the music. Why do people throw everything they have into this band? Why are we podcasting about them in 2021? Why are we trying to decipher all of their inside jokes? Why are we debating and relisting to jams decades after they happened? In this episode...

And after all that, we go collect our thoughts and go back to waiting again for 15 minutes (they always promise it’ll be 15 minutes!). Setbreak is the time to get a grip back on reality, connect with neighbors, meet people, take a stroll, grab a bite, you name it. It’s the in between. Something has happened, and something more will happen, but for now, we wait once again. In this episode, we explo...

The anticipation has been building for hours, months...maybe even years. So many hours spent listening to shows, so much planning just to get you into the venue and in your spot for the moment we all wait for: when the lights finally drop. It’s a moment of ecstasy for many, a relief for others, and the beginning of the journey into the unknown of that night’s show for all of us in attendance.  In...

Breaking Waves: Seattle is the story of the scene that defined rock in the ‘90s. The show traces the roots of grunge, and details the rise and fall of the Seattle scene, and concludes with a look forward, examining the legacy of grunge and highlighting the current and emerging artists who will create Seattle’s next breaking wave. Produced for Audacy by Osiris Media. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/...

There’s that moment at every Phish show where we transition from the bliss of the pre-show party to the business at hand of the show itself. We walk in, get our seats, gaze at the stage, and realize how many of us there are to see this incredible band. With this comes the realization that we’re amongst a wide and disparate tribe of people chasing the same thing, oftentimes from different starting...

At first blush, hanging out in a parking lot doesn’t sound that fun. But the Phish parking lot experience is completely different—part bazaar, part sprawling tailgating party, it’s a place for people to meet, hang out, exchange money for goods, and start the good times before a concert.  In this episode, we stroll through the lot, conversing with vendors and artists alike, and hear from a few musi...

When we think of the Phish community, we usually think about the obsessive, or at the very least, passionate, fans. However, behind the scenes, in every venue Phish plays in, there’s a community that works together to make sure that the show goes on—safely, smoothly, and in the most enjoyable way possible. In this episode, we hear from the crew, the bartenders, the ushers, and so many more, as the...

While many Phish fans in the early 90s discovered Phish by way of message boards and tape trades, the band solidified their status as one of the most important bands of the era through their unpredictable and thrilling live shows—and when you just had to hear, or see, the tour to understand the full story.   In this episode, we hear about adventures on tour, and explore why “going on tour” is an e...

In the early days of the internet, college kids from around the country began to congregate online to discuss Phish and trade information and live show tapes. Evolving alongside the internet itself, the community helped the band reach new fans, expand their sound and reach a level of success which few could have foreseen in the 1980s.  In the first episode of Undermine Season Two, Phish lyricist T...

Undermine is the definitive Phish podcast. In Season 2 we'll turn our focus to YOU, the Community. We've interviewed over 100 Phish fans to get to the heart of what's shaped this community, how it originated, how it's evolved, what issues persist, and how it's communicated with each other over the the last 30 years. In addition, we'll explore how Phish impacted the lives of their fans during 2020...

Phish tour is back, and so is the Helping Friendly Podcast! HF Pod On Tour will feature live video Quick Hits at 1pm the day after every show—on Osiris Media's Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube channels. We'll also have podcast episodes every Tuesday with a rundown of the tour thus far. Featuring great conversation, fans who were at the shows, and lots of laughs and music. Subscribe to the...

We have a special episode for you today, looking in depth at JamBase's Cluster Flies, the covers compilation reimagining Phish’s album Farmhouse. The limited-edition 3LP release was mastered by engineer Joe Lambert and features custom artwork and a poster created by longtime Phish collaborator Jim Pollock. You can pre-order the LP and Pollock poster here through Monday, May 3, or pre-order the dig...

Alive Again is a limited series podcast exploring the solo career of Trey Anastasio. Based on extensive interviews with Trey and his bandmates and collaborators, Alive Again will dive into evolution of Trey’s songwriting and creative development, as well as the enduring career of the Trey Anastasio Band. The show will also cover Trey’s memories composing with Ernie Stires, his orchestral work, and...

On the season finale of Undermine, we hear from fans who saw Phish in the 1980s, and hear their perspectives on the band’s development as they grew from a college bar band into a regional phenomenon. In addition, we hear how tape trading first entered the Phish community, and how it fueled the band's growth. Finally, we speak to Paul Languedoc, Phish’s longtime sound engineer and Trey’s guitar mak...

This week, we take a step back to examine Phish’s November 23, 1985 show at Goddard College, with a specific focus on the 27-min Whipping Post. During this show, Mike Gordon had an epiphany & decided he wanted to pursue music for the rest of his life. The jam in question shares a lot in common with early jamming from The Grateful Dead. We explore Phish’s relationship to The Dead, and focus compari...

This week, we look at Phish’s legendary show from the Paradise Rock Club, in Boston, on January 26, 1989. In yet another example of Phish refusing to play by the rules set by mainstream music, the band rented out the room and sold tickets against it. We hear from one of the guys who was involved in helping to sell out the show, and we talk about the band’s forays into Boston and New York in 1989. ...

In this episode of Undermine, Phish lyricist Tom Marshall guides us through the making and release of Junta, Phish’s first official debut album. Interviews with Junta audio engineer, Gordon Hookailo, Junta cover-artist Jim Pollock, Phish’s first manager Ben Hunter and others who remember this pivotal time in Phish history.  Undermine is sponsored by Upslope Brewing Company.  Undermine is brought t...

This week, we go Westward, to explore Phish’s trip to Colorado in 1988 in more detail, and to dive into the Mike’s Song from August 3, 1988. Dave and Brian also talk about King Crimson and Genesis, and the way those bands influenced Phish. Undermine is sponsored by Upslope Brewing Company.  If you enjoy Undermine, please give us a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Undermi...

How did a college project about the mythical land of Gamehendge become one of the most intriguing pieces of Phish lore? And how did The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday fit into the evolution of Phish in the important years of 1987 and 1988? In this episode of Undermine, RJ, Matt, Jonathan and Brad discuss Phish in 1987 and 1988, including how the band’s sound changed as they solidified into the fou...

Core to the music of Phish are complex, evolving, emotionally moving compositions. Many of these early songs—Divided Sky, You Enjoy Myself, Foam, and others—remain highlights of the live experience. These songs created early in Phish’s career have stood the test of time, but what makes them so special?  In this episode, we’ll hear about three of these songs from Don Hart, the composer and arranger...

Phish’s song David Bowie combines quirky lyrics with an intricate musical arrangement that’s fit for a symphony. Starting with a discussion of the spirit and substance of this song, and a focus on the 8/29/87 version, Brian Brinkman and David Goldstein then use 1980s Phish to examine other notable bands from the decade like Minutemen, Yo La Tengo, Hüsker Dü, and R.E.M.  Undermine is sponsored by U...