Gone Phishin’

Phorgive us, readers, phor a second while we try to be phunny. Because there are very phew bands with such a devoted phollowing in today’s music scene as Vermont’s phinest: Phish, the phour-piece jam band. 

Nearing its 30th birthday, Phish brings throngs of people to every concert, and many of those fans are the same every night. They pack up a car with travel gear and friends and take off on a journey that is only understandable to those who have experienced it themselves. It’s a diverse mix, too, from Wall Street bankers, to fast-food servers, to journalists, to going-nowhere hippies and everyone in between.

The common bond between these varied walks of life is the music. Love or hate the band, Phish is a phenomenon that is unmatched in this digital-first music world. An hour after every concert is finished, you can head to the band’s website and download the entire show for $10. And if that’s not enough, since 2010 Phish has webcast many of their sold-out gigs for those who either couldn’t make the show due to proximity, or just didn’t have the cash to spend. That has allowed the fan base to expand even further. 

There are very few Phish fans as devoted as David Calarco, who saw his first Phish concert on June 17, 1995, in Virginia. Calarco is also known as the Phish-scene-famous Mr. Miner who is behind the website Mr. Miner’s Phish Thoughts, which he has run since 2008. Calarco’s 2011 book Mr. Miner’s Phish Thoughts: An Anthology by a Fan for the Fans (BAJ Design, 680 pages, $45/hardcover) is a collection of his blog pieces since the day Phish announced they were reuniting after nearly five agonizing years in Splitsville. 

For Calarco, that was the day his faith in music was reborn. “I had spent so many years, put so many miles on my cars traveling all over the country and the world to see this band,” Calarco said. “When they announced the breakup, I kinda knew it was coming. The band wasn’t healthy and neither was the following. It was something that needed to happen, because if it didn’t, we wouldn’t have Phish today, happy and healthy as they are. And I can honestly say I can’t remember being so happy as I was the day I heard the news that Phish was reuniting.”

On Oct. 1, 2008, a video on phish.com reported that the four men who rocked bars, clubs, sheds and arenas since 1983 would be returning to the stage for three shows in March 2009 at Virginia’s Hampton Coliseum. It was, to say the least, a vindication of sorts for the faithful who witnessed the mess that was Phish’s farewell show in August 2004, in Coventry, Vt. Guitarist Trey Anastasio appeared strung out the whole weekend, which turned out to be true; he was later busted for prescription painkillers and heroin in December 2006. 

“That was such an interesting time,” Calarco said. “It all began to unravel musically and physically. The band seemed relaxed in the few shows leading up to Coventry because they knew the pressure and the stress was almost gone. They were retiring so it was no longer an issue for them. But the scene was in disarray. The bad drugs were everywhere and it seemed the band’s troubles had spilled onto their followers. It was the antithesis of a Phish festival. It was so dark and so gloomy. It was clear everyone involved needed a break.”

Calarco, 37, grew up in Woodbridge, Conn., and currently lives in California. Initially a high school history teacher, Calarco eventually abandoned that potentially successful career to follow his true passion for journalism. He started penning reviews of Phish and other concerts for Relix magazine, the jam scene’s version of Rolling Stone. 

In 2010 Calarco decided he was going to focus all of his attention on the book. The content was abundant, although what wasn’t clear was who was going to shell out $50 for some dude’s essays about a band. “It’s a limited audience,” he admitted, “but that didn’t stop me.” In fact, within two months, Calarco’s self-published book had sold more than 1,000 copies. 

The tome’s 680 pages are packed with photos and details, such as an analysis of every show from March 2009 up through the 2010 New Year’s run at Madison Square Garden. Calarco talks about the outfit’s evolution, from a goofy, incredibly talented group of highly trained musicians who met in college, up to the much wiser Phish that we see today. There’s no more partying backstage at shows, either, since the band usually brings their families out on tour. Calarco manages to mesh together everything from the beginning to the new beginning. 

The words in the essays are heartfelt, but not always appreciated by readers. Calarco gets flak from those who don’t agree with his opinions, usually in the form of anonymous message board postings. Calarco isn’t losing sleep, however: “If I listened to every negative thing written about what I write, I’d be out of the business,” he said. 

Calarco has followed his dream by following what he says is the greatest band on earth. While he is unsure of his next step, he does know he will never give up the one passion that helped him get this far. “Phish will always, always be a part of who I am,” he said. “I will never stop seeing them, and I hope I get to bring my kids {he doesn’t have any yet} to as many shows in hopes of getting them to build a bond with me through something we all can love.”