Long May They Run

Phish came of age in Burlington, Vermont in the mid-1980s within a particular cultural and political environment. To what extent did this setting imprint on the group? How is the Green Mountain State entwined within the Phish DNA? What is the power of place?

Before digital streaming services allowed music listeners to explore and discover new genres, Phish acted as a curator for its fans.  Routinely covering songs at live shows and even entire albums on Halloween, the band has taken pleasure in introducing audiences to its vast spectrum of musical influences.

Going all the way back to Phish’s early days, the band’s visual aesthetic has been entwined with its musical mindset. The group has embraced a collaborative, DIY approach to fashioning its logo, stage design, concert posters and even performance art.

Spontaneity is essential to Phish. However, advance planning is required before the band can explore the musical depths. The same holds true for other aspects of the Phish experience in which proper preparation gives way to inspired improvisation.

There was a time when Phish fans had to record and trade physical cassette tapes in order to relive a show, or hear it for the first time. They relied entirely on that network until the band and its fans pioneered a more efficient way to communicate and share music using a new network called… the Internet.

Two simple words have enhanced the way the band approaches music, and each other.

When Phish plays a show, there are only four people on stage. But off stage, there is a supporting cast of creators and deal makers who embraced what many did not yet understand, and who had to stretch their imagination in order to continue to push forward. 

Phish travels into uncharted territory while spreading its influence among a rapidly growing community of artists, professionals and fans who become leaders in a new festival movement.

Long May They Run kicks off Season 1 with a front row look at Phish’s roots and creative evolution, as band members and those in the inner circle explore the inspiration behind Phish festival culture, as well as the risks and relationships that were necessary to create its identity and its following.

Season One of this groundbreaking music documentary, Long May They Run, will focus on the band Phish, and how they are among only a handful of artists who have sold out stadiums for decades, redefined the bond between artist and fans, influenced a way of life, and innovated an entire industry along the way. Hosted by music journalist Dean Budnick, LMTR tells the story of a band, their fans, and the journey that made them one of the most successful touring bands of all time. Long May They Run is a production of C13Originals, a division of Cadence13.

The group anticipated today’s direct fan engagement not only through newsletters but also via on-stage chess matches, a “secret language” of special musical cues and a “Big Ball Jam” that allowed the audience to play the band. Phish’s ability to bounce between styles and don a variety of musical Halloween costumes mirrored a new generation of listeners who rebuffed traditional genre limitations in their personal playlists. While the idea of an eight-hour set to welcome the new millennium might sound exhausting, the business model that facilitated the pilgrimage of nearly 100,000 faithful to a Florida Indian Reservation to witness the spectacle remains a blueprint model of festival business success. The group’s management and support team consists of outliers and innovators whose work continues to resonate throughout the live entertainment industry.   With over 50 interviews, season one of LMTR will shed light on a band who helped to pioneer an entire industry on many impactful and important levels, doing it their way.