Welcome to Conference on the Mound, a semi-regular newsletter that explores Phish, baseball, and sometimes how the two overlap.
Suggested Soundtrack: “Waste,” sometime in 2020 at The Barn, Vermont
Hello and Happy Election Day!
Chances are you’re feeling some kind of anxiousness or existential dread that ranges from “Hmm, I’m not sure about this” to “OH MY GOD WE ARE ALL GOING TO DIE.”
As you might have surmised from my last edition (thank you for indulging me), I have bounced between the two — and along the entire range — roughly 3 to 4 times an hour for the last few weeks.
But something kinda strange has happened the last two or so days. I’ve become… a bit less anxious? Maybe (and my political bias will now show itself so shield your eyes) it’s the confidence in the forecasts. After all, for all the worries, we have to remember that Trump barely won in 2016, that he actually LOST the popular vote, and that Biden is far more popular a candidate than Clinton was and stands to win back several key states Clinton lost.
Maybe it was writing that last edition, an emotional catharsis that helped calm me just by getting it all out.
Or maybe it’s the fact that there’s just so much to worry about I literally can’t get as worked up about the election as I otherwise might. I don’t know.
Whatever the case, I’ve also taken some steps in the last few days to mitigate the anxiety: we started putting up Christmas decorations on Sunday, I consumed the normal amount of football over the weekend (a lot!), and I’ve been exercising with the dog regularly. The weather here in Northeast Ohio has also taken a turn for the pleasant — MY GOD, IT’S THE SUN! — which helps and I read Max Brooks’ new book Devolution over the weekend. (Quick review: I liked it! Started slow and I still like World War Z better but by the end I really enjoyed it.)
Then, last night, while I puttered around the house after dinner, the Monday Night Football game on in the background, I binged the last pre-election edition of podcasts so that I could listen to ANYTHING else today and it got me thinking that maybe I should drop something that offers up distractions for the tens of readers on this list. You get distractions, I get a boost of self-importance, it’s a win-win!
SO! Whether you’re standing in line waiting to vote or just need something non-Election-y to read or watch, here are some things I hope help.
Let’s get to it.
The Dark Side!
Yester, Nov. 2, was the 22nd anniversary of the time Phish busted out a full album cover of Pink Floyd’s epic Dark Side of the Moon for a half-filled arena in Utah. Typically, Phish covers an album on Halloween and IIRC, this was teased/rumored to be the album for 1998 until Phish actually performed the Velvet Underground’s Loaded on October 31 (which includes one of my all-time favorite Phish jams). This is why we love Phish: for the random stunts. If you’re a Phan, you know the details (including what I probably just got wrong); if you’re not, it’s kinda fun!
Speaking of Halloween, Phish still has 3 of those sets available to stream from this weekend’s Dinner and a Movie special: 2014 (Thrilling, Chilling Sounds), 2018 (Kasvot Vaxt!), and 1996 (Remain in Light).
Phish, Digital Pioneers
I wrote this one over two years ago but I still think it was one of the most fun things I worked on in 5 years at Mashable. It’s especially fun because I was there to watch Phish fans make the leap from tape trades to online downloads; I clogged my roommate's computer with a lot of FTP downloads of shows in the late 1990s. So to do this story was not just a trip down memory lane but was a chance to share this really cool (to me) aspect of the band with a wider audience.
At the core of all this success is a two-way street of admiration, respect, and loyalty that goes beyond your typical band-fan relationship, especially given the size of the fandom. It's hard to picture Taylor Swift or Jay-Z being able to similarly communicate their appreciation for the proactive nature of their fanbases.
But for Phish and its fans, it's definitely tangible. The band continues its taping policy (taper tickets are still available for purchase at their shows), and fans' show their ongoing devotion by following the band across the country or subscribing to LivePhish and purchasing webcasts when they can't.
Read it here: How Phish Became The Unlikely Heroes Of Digital Music Streaming
Between Me and My Mind
This 2019 documentary about Trey is, as fellow Phish journalist friend Larry Getlen said, “pure fan service… but in a good way.” I don’t feel there’s anything revelatory here nor is the documentary meant to be that way; while there were some wonderful, spontaneous moments, the film’s structure felt like it showed a little too transparently. Does that make sense? But the thing is, when your subject is this warm, honest, genuine, and full of joy, you can’t help but find yourself smiling along. By the end of the doc, we learned a little bit about how the Baker’s Dozen and the New Years 2017 gag came together and we learned a few things we didn’t know about Trey and his family, but we mostly learned what a joy it is to have this guy in the world. If there’s one complaint I have, it’s that we didn’t get more of the Halloween 2018 show behind-the-scenes as was teased in the closing credits. That’s a good problem to have! All in all, it’s a very pleasant way to spend 90 minutes on a very anxious day, and for only $4.
Rent it: from one of these places.
An Astronaut Racoon Flying In A Garbage Can
One of the topics I hope to write about in The Book is about Minor League Baseball logos/mascots and the way that they’ve gone full speed ludicrous in recent years. There have ALWAYS been silly Minor League teams for sure — the Toledo Mud Hens have been around forever. But when my hometown announced they were going to be the Rocket City Trash Pandas, that was a new high bar. Funnily enough, the team has sold millions in merch since they announced the name back in 2018 and they still haven’t played a single game, thanks to coronavirus canceling their inaugural season. Though I wasn’t able to reach anyone from the franchise for this story I did for Mashable, I hope I’ll be able to when I revisit this topic for The Book.
Minor League Baseball has a long history of wild nicknames and strategic promotions to gain attention and put local fans in seats. Teams like the Toledo Mud Hens and the Chattanooga Lookouts have had their unique names for over a century — standing out amongst teams that simply share a name with their Major League parent teams, like the Syracuse Mets or Iowa Cubs.
But in the last several years, the weird-name trend has grown even weirder, as if there's an unspoken game of one-upsmanship to come up with the most outlandish name possible.
The Yard Goats. The Jumbo Shrimp. The Baby Cakes. The Sod Poodles. The Flying Squirrels. They're all real. And so are the Trash Pandas.
But there's some method to the seeming madness. The wilder the name, the wider the recognition.
Read it here: Minor League Baseball is Swinging Big and Going Weird with New Team Names
Baseball is doomed
Okay, probably not, but there’s a LOT that’s coming up for baseball, from Minor League contraction to the coronavirus to the conclusion of the current labor agreement, and none of it is good. The Ringer’s Ben Lindbergh breaks it all down in a great way. This isn’t a “relaxing” read but it’s not about the election and it’s important and it’s about baseball.
Read it here: The MLB Offseason is Dark and Full of Terrors
The Phish Lot Doc
I just became aware of this 50-minute doc the other day. It was dropped on YouTube a few weeks ago and the director recently did an interview on the film. It was shot in the lot scene for Phish’s post-Thanksgiving tour last year and there’s probably a lot of great stuff in here. I hope to watch it myself at some point today, even if in the background while I work work work. The only shame is it wasn’t done on a summer tour because those lots are usually more robust owing to the weather and venues. Still, excited to watch!
Watch it: Above!
Doc Ellis, Legend
If you don’t know about Doc Ellis, now is a great time to learn. If you DO know, well, then you know. There’s a good chance you saw the short animation about his famous/infamous no-hitter on LSD. It’s terrific.
But there’s a full-length documentary on the man that goes far deeper into what a complicated person he was called No No: A Dockumentary and you can stream for FREE with a library card or university login courtesy of Kanopy.
Watch it here if you prefer to rent via YouTube.
And there you have it! I hope something in this list brings you a bit of distraction today. Until next time, stay safe, wash your hands, wear a mask, and MAKE YOUR YOU VOTE TODAY!!!!!