Attendance Bias

Send us Fan Mail

Hi everybody and welcome to Attendance Bias. I am your host Brian Weinstein. Before we get started with today’s episode, I wanted to remind you that you can support Attendance Bias by rating and reviewing the show wherever you get your podcasts, you can follow Attendance Bias on social media, and you can visit www.buymeacoffee.com/attendancebias and donate anything you can. Now, onto the show:

Here we are at the end of this venue preview series for the 2026 Phish Fall Tour. I suppose when touring means 8 shows in 4 stops, it goes pretty quick. By now, we’ve heard about Atlantic City, Richmond, and Jacksonville. Today, we wrap it all up in the deep south: October 10 and 11 at the Orion Amphitheater in Huntsville, Alabama.

Today’s guest, Bobby Shirley, is an Attendance Bias all-star. Bobby first came on the podcast with his son, Oliver, to tell a great story about when they saw Phish at the Orion in 2023. Bobby and Oliver also co-host their own podcast, the Phish Phry, where father and son listen, discuss, rate, and sometimes disagree about Phish albums, shows, and songs. It’s a delightful listen.  

So if you’ve listened to Attendance Bias for a while, you’ve heard Bobby before. Today, he guides us through what it’s like to see a show at the Orion in Huntsville, Alabama, but also what’s cool about Huntsville. I was surprised to find out that Huntsville is the largest city in Alabama by population, so it did not surprise me that there are a lot of cool restaurants, breweries, and more to explore once you’re in the city. However, Phish does not have an extensive history in Huntsville. Luckily, Bobby was at both shows in 2023, so he is able to give us detailed highlights from that run.

This is one of the shorter venue previews due to Phish’s short history in Huntsville, but Bobby and I make the most of it. Enjoy today’s conversation about the Orion Amphitheater, and Huntsville, Alabama in general in anticipation of Phish’s return on October 10 and 11, 2026.

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Hi everybody and welcome to Attendance Bias. I am your host Brian Weinstein. Before we get started with today’s episode, I wanted to remind you that you can support Attendance Bias by rating and reviewing the show wherever you get your podcasts, you can follow Attendance Bias on social media, and you can visit www.buymeacoffee.com/attendancebias and donate anything you can. Now, onto the show:

Welcome back to Florida! It’s been a full 10 years since Phish last played The Sunshine State, and that last gig was in the same venue they’re playing on October 9 in Jacksonville: The VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena. To be frank, I knew nothing about that show, about the venue, or about Jacksonville at all until I spoke with today’s guest: Kristen Cassidy, or as you may know her from tour: “Green Eyes.”

Even though Phish has a very slim history in Jacksonville–this October will be the band’s 2nd show in America’s largest city by landmass–there are some highlights from that fall 2016 show at the arena.   

More importantly, there are highlights about Jacksonville. It turns out that what I didn’t know about Jacksonville could fill a library, or at least a few stomachs. Kristen gives us everything we need to know and more. She tells us the history of the arena, the best place to get red shrimp, where the preshow and aftershow parties will be, what to do if you have some extra time, and which beaches to visit if you have a day off.

So if you’re making your way south of Georgia and plan to be there for Phish’s grand return to The River City, enjoy today’s preview of Phish's show at VyStar Arena in Jacksonville on October 9, 2026 with Kristen “Green Eyes” Cassidy.

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Hi everybody and welcome to Attendance Bias. I am your host Brian Weinstein. Before we get started with today’s episode, I wanted to remind you that you can support Attendance Bias by rating and reviewing the show wherever you get your podcasts, you can follow Attendance Bias on social media, and you can visit www.buymeacoffee.com/attendancebias and donate anything you can. Now, onto the show:

Welcome to Richmond, Virginia, everybody! Even though today’s venue, The Allianz Amphitheater is brand new by Phish standards–just over a year old at the time of this recording–Richmond is a familiar friend to the Phish world. Of all four stops on this fall tour: Atlantic City, Richmond, Jacksonville, and Huntsville, Richmond has, by far, the richest Phish history. However, that history stopped in the early 90s, as the band hasn’t played Richmond proper in 32 years! Time to welcome them back.

Today’s guest, Scott Wise, is the perfect tour guide to welcome us to Richmond. Being a long-time resident of the city, and a Phish fan since the early 90s, he is able to take us through places to see, things to do, long-gone Phish venues of the past in Richmond, and more.   

In addition, Scott is the co-host of the podcast “Eat It, Virginia” where he and Robey Martin explore and find different culinary treats throughout the Old Dominion. As a result, when I asked him about places to eat and drink around Richmond for the Phish shows, I needed to get a pen and paper out, because it seems like there’s a place for every taste.

So if you’re a fan of early Phish history, if you’re going to the shows at the Allianz Amphitheater, or if you just want to go on a tour of an up-and-coming city in the south, enjoy this episode where Scott Wise and I preview Phish’s shows on October 6 and 7, 2026.

Scott's Interview with Phish's Chef

Feature About Phish Members Spotted in Richmond

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Hi everybody and welcome to Attendance Bias. I am your host Brian Weinstein. Before we get started with today’s episode, I wanted to remind you that you can support Attendance Bias by rating and reviewing the show wherever you get your podcasts, you can follow Attendance Bias on social media, and you can visit www.buymeacoffee.com/attendancebias and donate anything you can. Now, onto the show:

It’s only been a short while, but we are back previewing venues here on Attendance Bias. After Phish’s fantastic and innovative summer tour, it felt like we had maybe 5 minutes to breathe and collect ourselves before they announced the 2026 fall tour. And we are all using the word “tour” loosely. The whole tour is 8 shows in 4 venues in 10 days, all in October. So once the tour was announced, I went straight to work reaching out to find fans who would be excited to talk about each venue that will host the band.

First up is a venue that made its bones as a legendary place to see Phish fairly recently: Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. Situated right on the boardwalk, the art deco venue has hosted Phish twice before, both for Halloween runs. But today’s episode covers more than that. 

Today’s guest, Adam Pritchard, is an old school fan who has seen every show Phish has played in Atlantic City and doesn’t live very far away. Together, we review the long history of the renovated venue, offer our opinions of almost every show played there, and take a couple of conversational detours to the other shows Phish has played in Atlantic City in 2012, 2021, and 2022.  

But I don’t want to spoil it. Whether or not you’re going to AC this October, enjoy today’s conversation about Phish’s history at Boardwalk Hall and Atlantic City as we get ready to see them again on October 2, 3, and 4, 2026.

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Hi everybody and welcome to today’s episode of Attendance Bias. I am your host, Brian Weinstein. Before we get started with today’s episode, I just want to remind everyone that if you enjoy the podcast, you can show your support by leaving a rating and review of it wherever you get your podcasts. You can also visit www.buymeacoffee.com/attendancebias and donate anything you can to keep the podcast going. Now, onto today’s episode:

When it comes to the 3.0 era, everyone has their favorite year or their favorite tour. But there is one part of 3.0 that doesn’t get a lot of attention: 2010 has its share of great shows, but it mostly carries the reputation of Phish still getting back on their feet. More specifically, the 2010 fall tour was played mostly in small venues that didn’t get a lot of hype at the time. That may have made for some shows that were easy to brush off, but if you were there, it also made for an unforgettable experience.

And, in a nutshell, that is the story for today’s guest, Jordan Gundeck, who is here to tell about his experience on 10/19/10 at the Augusta Civic Center in Augusta, ME. Between UMASS, Utica, and Augusta, this leg of the Fall 2010 tour felt like a throwback to 1994, or an even earlier time in Phish history, where the sound was fantastic no matter where in the venue you were, with no lines at the concessions or bathrooms and no traffic leading in or getting out of the venue. It was a throwback.

But mixed in was the band’s confidence in their playing. The first set is made up of strong fan favorites while the second set contains a Fuck Your Face three-spot, Manteca, a killer Mike’s Groove, and much more. Speaking with Jordan, you can hear his excitement about this show from 16 years ago, as if he saw it just last night.  

But it’s Jordan’s story to tell. Let’s join him to talk about the Voodoo Lounge tour, the whale call, and whether or not the band overplayed “Possum,” as we discuss October 19, 2010 at the August Civic Center.

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Hi everybody and welcome to Attendance Bias. I am your host Brian Weinstein. Today, we conclude our venue preview miniseries for Phish’s 2026 summer tour at the place where fans will be thrilled to return: Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado. Last year was Folsom Field in Boulder, but after months or even a year of speculation, most Phish fans were thrilled to hear a return to normalcy where the band will spend the traditional Labor Day Weekend for three nights: September 4, 5, and 6, this summer.

When I decided to put this miniseries together, the idea of previewing Dick’s was a bit of a challenge. The band has been playing the venue for so long, and it’s such a fan favorite, what is there to actually preview about it? Luckily, today’s guest, Stacie Ledden, has seen almost every Colorado Phish show, going back to 1997. That’s an achievement in itself, but she ALSO has a great memory and picks out her favorite moments of seeing Phish at Dick’s, going back 15 years and 42 shows. 

As a result, this episode does provide the basics about Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, Commerce City, and the surrounding area, but it’s also a retrospective of the band’s high points, provided by Stacie. And man, there are plenty of high points to review, whether it’s a themed show, a jam of the year, or a standout version of The Squirming Coil. 

But let’s hear it from Stacie as we wrap up the 2026 summer tour at Dick’s on September 4, 5, and 6th. 

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Have you ever time-traveled? If you saw Phish at any of their shows over the past week, you have...sort of.

Scott Marks of Phish.net and The Mockingbird Foundation joins me less than 24 hours after Phish's instant-classic 5-show run at MSG to recount what we loved and what we thought of the "Phish in 5" portion of the 2026 summer tour.

Scott and I spoke right off the top of our heads, so this isn't the usual, polished episode of Attendance Bias. Rather, it's a breezy but passionate conversation between two BIG Phish fans. Whether you were at the shows or not, enjoy!

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Hi everybody and welcome to Attendance Bias. I am your host Brian Weinstein. Before we get started with today’s episode, I wanted to remind you that you can support Attendance Bias by rating and reviewing the show wherever you get your podcasts, you can follow Attendance Bias on social media, and you can visit www.buymeacoffee.com/attendancebias and donate anything you can. Now, onto the show:

We’ve made it–the tour closer. Phish is closing the 2026 summer tour with a pair of shows at a venue with a complicated Phish history: Fenway Park in Boston. It’s no stretch to say that Boston is a pivotal city when it comes to Phish history. It’s a straight line from Burlington to Boston to New York, with occasional stops in Colorado when it comes to “Crucial Places on the Phish Map.” Yet, since the mid-90s, Phish has become a bit shy when it comes to playing Beantown. And when they do play in Boston, it’s at the oldest active stadium in Major League Baseball: Fenway Park; a venue loved by baseball fans and loathed by live music fans.  

To help us bridge that gap is today’s guest, Dave Hamilton. Dave has more than his share of experience behind the mic and behind the drum kit. He plays in at least two bands: Casual Gravity and Bitter Pill. He also hosts, or co-hosts the podcasts Gig Gab about music and musicians, Mac Geek Gab about Apple products, and Business Brain for entrepreneurs. So you can tell he’s got experience at speaking about his passions, not to mention a touch of Casey Kasem in his vocal tone. In other words, he knows what he’s talking about and it’s fun to listen to him tell us what he knows,

For today’s purposes, Dave tells us about what makes Fenway great, what makes it not-so-great, and what Phish’s ascent throughout New England in the 90s and early 2000s so meaningful. In addition, we make sure to touch on key moments and gigs from Phish’s extensive history in Boston, and what to expect for these upcoming Fenway shows, based on their previous performances at the stadium.  

So let’s join Dave as we close out the Summer Tour Preview at Fenway park on July 31 and August 1, 2026.

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Hi everybody and welcome to Attendance Bias. I am your host Brian Weinstein. Before we get started with today’s episode, I wanted to remind you that you can support Attendance Bias by rating and reviewing the show wherever you get your podcasts, you can follow Attendance Bias on social media, and you can visit www.buymeacoffee.com/attendancebias and donate anything you can. Now, onto the show:

Welcome back to the Attendance Bias Summer 2026 Venue Preview Series! Last week, we got a peek at Lakeview Amphitheater in Syracuse, and now we are in the penultimate stop of the summer tour where I have a feeling things will get weird: a 5 show stop, July 22, 24, 25, 27, and 29 at Madison Square Garden in–where else–New York City.   

You know, years ago, when Phish would announce a summer tour, the band would release a pre-recorded video, sometimes with narration and other times without, and the tour dates would show up in different places in each shot. It’s been a while since Phish released a tour announcement video…until this year. The band didn’t announce their summer tour with a video; they announced this micro-residency at MSG with a video formatted as if you were channel surfing at some point in the early 90s. The channels featured various New York City staples, like the weather channel, hot dog vendors, WPIX New York, and even a 90s-style Katy Tur reporting the news, all while the studio version of “Glide” played in the background. The message is clear: Phish at Madison Square Garden is a normal part of the 90s NYC culture, just like skateboarders, the Time Square stock market ticker, or the Knicks and Rangers celebrating a win at the World’s Most Famous Arena. Clearly, the band is especially excited to make their way to 100 shows at MSG, and this summer provided an opportunity to make it happen just that much quicker.

To preview this run, there is only one person I would want to be my guest for this episode: co-host of the Helping Friendly Podcast, Osiris Media personality, and my good friend, Megan Glionna. Like me, Megan lives close to the Garden, is overly analytical, knowledgeable, and nerdy about Phish, sees them a ton, and romanticizes New York City while still being able to take off those rose-colored glasses when there’s someone urinating on the subway, or worse.

It’s no surprise that this episode is the longest of the preview series. Megan tells us about her history as a New Yorker, we debate what 100 shows at the same venue might mean to the fans and the band, and of course we wax poetic about our favorite moments at MSG, those that involve Phish, and those that don’t. In short, we cover a lot of ground since this episode previews the shows at what is probably the most important venue in modern Phish history. 

But I don’t want to spoil it, and this introduction is already taking too long. Let’s join Megan as we stop for a week in New York City to see Phish at MSG from July 22 through 29, 2026.

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Hi everybody and welcome to Attendance Bias. I am your host Brian Weinstein. Today, we continue our miniseries of previewing each venue on Phish’s 2026 summer tour with a newish venue in a longtime favorite Phish town: the Empower Federal Credit Union Amphitheater at Lakeview in Syracuse, NY. But for the purposes of this episode, we’re just going to call it Lakeview. Other than Walnut Creek, this is the only venue to host just one Phish show this summer, but it has all the makings to be a special show. Today’s guest, Beth Ann Kempf helps explain why. 

Phish has played the Lakeview Amphitheater just twice leading into the show this summer, but their history in Syracuse goes all the way back to 1989. In fact, you could argue that it goes even farther back than that, because Jon Fishman is from the area, and the band remembers that seemingly every time they play there. A recurring theme of today’s discussion is that there is on stage banter in virtually every show played in Syracuse, going back to 1989, which was just a few years after Fishman graduated high school! 

On top of that, Beth Ann tells us about the amphitheater itself, along with plenty of things to do in and around Syracuse, should you find yourself looking for things to do in The Salt City before or after the show. She’s been seeing the band since 1991, and has lived near Syracuse for most of her adult life. She’s an excellent tour guide for anyone hitting this show.  

So let’s dive into Central New York with Beth Ann Kampf as we prepare for Phish’s show at the Lakeview Amphitheater on July 21, 2026.

Support the show