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Hi everybody and welcome to today’s episode of Attendance Bias. I am your host, Brian Weinstein. Before we get started today, I want to remind you that you can support Attendance Bias in several ways: you can visit www.buymeacoffee.com/attendancebias and donate anything you can afford to keep the podcast going, you can leave a rating and a review of the show wherever you get your podcasts, and you can follow attendance bias on social media. Now, on with today’s show:

I received a message on Instagram a few weeks ago from today’s guest, Patrick Quinn. It was a thoughtful and complimentary fan message, telling me how he enjoys Attendance Bias and how our histories as Phish fans seemed to intersect in a number of ways. I love receiving fan mail, and so I clicked on this person’s profile to see who he was, beyond his profile picture.

What I found was an artist who works in one of the most interesting mediums: Pat is a metal forger who helps run and teach newcomers how to forge and shape metal. I was immediately intrigued–when I think of forging metal and blacksmiths, I picture what is probably the most generic image: a medieval peasant, covered in cloaks with soot all over his face, hammering at a piece of metal over an anvil, with sparks flying everywhere. While some things never change, Pat’s organization: The Center for Metal Arts in Johnstown, Pennsylvania is bringing something old to the new millennium. He and his colleagues host workshops where people come to learn ancient arts that result in beautiful, heirloom-quality tools. It has to be seen to believed, and there is a link to the CMA in today’s show notes.

Then, of course, there is Pat’s selection for today’s episode. Pat chose to talk about Phish’s performance of “Most Events Aren’t Planned,” which closed set 1 of July 24, 2024 at the Mohegan Sun Arena. The Vida Blue original is typical for a Page McConnell song–it’s mid-tempo, contains thoughtful lyrics about change and loss, and has a few time changes that whip both the band and the crowd into a frenzy. This version at Mohegan Sun is a stellar performance.

So I didn’t know what to expect diving into today’s conversation, and finished it excited and satisfied. Let’s join Pat to talk about Hartford, metal work, and sandwich cookies, as we revisit “Most Events Aren’t Planned” from 7/24/24 at Mohegan Sun. 

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