Pharwell boys? Not phor long...

Recently, a lot of rumors and news in the music world have drawn attention to one of the most popular bands of of our generation, Phish. My favorite band, this news and speculation has interested and excited me immensely, and I feel compelled to write about it, to tell all those who don't know.

Phish broke up in 2004, and since each member has gone their own way creating music with their own bands or as a solo artist. But let me give you a brief history of Phish first, for those of you that don't know. The members of Phish, Trey Anastasio, Mike Gordon, Page McConnell and Jon Fishman, all met in Vermont in varying ways. After trying out different members, the band as we know it today was formed in 1983. They played the local circuit, and soon became known for their live performances. Slowly expanding their geographic range, they became very popular and developed a cult-like following. Once their fan base grew, the albums came and more and more shows followed. Extremely dedicated to their fans and craft, Phish became renowned for their live shows, peaking in the mid-1990s (the New Year's Eve 1995 show at Madison Square Garden is considered one of their finest and was rated as one of the top five shows of the entire decade by Rolling Stone). They continued to tour and eventually went on "hiatus" in 2000, only to return in 2002. After the hiatus the band toured feverishly, returning to their typically dedicated style of spring, summer and winter tours, with the usual Halloween shows and New Year's runs. But eventually the end came once again, this time called a "breakup" by the band, not a hiatus, and that brings us to where we are today.

It might have been time for the band to take their first break. Looking back on it, the first hiatus was probably necessary. They returned with a touring fervor that fans were used to. But the breakup (now the media are referring to it as a hiatus, but technically it is a breakup) seemed unnecessary. They were touring again, fans were happy and things seemed good. The reason for the breakup came from the "leader," Trey. It came out later that he basically broke the band up, wanting to pursue personal interests. The others followed, completing the aforementioned solo projects, but now this all seems to be coming to an end.

Phish was awarded with the lifetime achievement award at the 2008 Jammy's. More recently, positive news has arisen. Trey has admitted that he screwed up (he was arrested several times for drug possession) and how much he wants to play Phish songs again and how he lost sight of what was important. His writing partner, Tom Marshall, was very excited to see Trey back in old form and admitted they wrote new songs. After this, news from Mike about the band speaking to an old producer came out. On top of this, on Phish's website, a letter from Page was written to the fans about how close the guys are, what they have done recently and plans for the future. I won't write about all the details here, but if you read the articles the mood is very optimistic.

But I'm not here to tell you the news, but how much this means to me and other Phish fans. From the beginning, Phish has created a tight-knit network of fans. Their shows are personal, no matter how many three-night stands at 50,000-seat venues they play. The Phish community is one that means a lot to everyone in it. Every fan has their own favorites: their favorite shows, songs, versions of songs and moments that stick out to them. No song is played the same way twice, and no show on a tour is the same. In fact, you might here 10 songs repeated on a tour, and that might only be once. It seems like a lot, but their catalog is immense. Phish grew through live shows. It's not only where they perfected their art, but each show, each tour, has a different vibe. Each show is a reason to see them again, as you are given the chance to take part in a new glow stick war, to hear that other song you really like, or to hear the old favorite, or to see how they play the song this time. The publication and bootlegs of live shows only widened their influence and myth. Phish fans have the many shirts designed for each tour to talk about, many becoming collector's items, along with many posters for each individual show. Everyone has their own, special experience and is happy to share it.

I only had the pleasure of attending one Phish show, on their "pharewell tour," but the atmosphere was amazing. A show is a place for fans to celebrate where they are, who they're with and enjoy fantastic music. Hailing from Vermont adds to the personal atmosphere, not wanting superstar status. They play what they like to play, to fans who love to hear it. And even though they never made it mainstream, they have amassed a fan base that is, in my opinion, the strongest of our generation. It is Grateful Dead-sque, and there are, fortunately or unfortunately, no real words to describe it...you need to feel it for yourself.

My brother recently went to the Rothbury music festival, where Trey, Jon and Mike were performing, all separately. With rumors in the air, campers proudly displayed Phish flags at their campsites. Anyone who sees the iconic fish logo knows the band it represents, but it means a lot more to those who truly are fans. And when the three members played a few songs together at Rothbury, and when Trey said how great it would be to have the keyboardist with them, the crowd cheered for something they want, hope and are willing to return.

I hope Phish returns, for whatever capacity it's in. Trey, hopefully, now realizes what he has done to bring the two previous breaks. As much as I want Phish to return, I want to make sure it is done right. Anyone who listens to the Coventry shows, the final shows, knows that they're better than that. They just can't go out like that. I think they know this, too, and sometime soon we will be seeing a summer tour. I hope I have given you at least a bit of a feeling about Phish, their community and how important they are to me and all my fellow fans. There will be future posts about them, you can be sure of that, but until then, we need to appreciate what we've been given so far.

It's Graduation...

It's been a while since I've made a new post, but things have been busy for me. Since the last time I posted I've ended my senior year, graduated from college, made the long trek home, tried to unpack my life, had my graduation party, gone on a post-grad trip to Hilton Head Island, celebrated my parents' 25th wedding anniversary, celebrated my anniversary, and in there finding time to apply for jobs, figure out my life and enjoy summertime...so yea, it's been busy. But part of this blog was to talk about music, and I realize I've only had one post about music so far. So what better way to get back into the blogging game...

I've listened to a lot since I've last posted, but my favorite has been "Graduation" by Kanye West. I listened to this album a lot once I got home and is now one of my all-time favorites. It also became a favorite of the aforementioned Hilton Head trip with all of my friends, so it got a lot of play. But there's so much more to it than "Stronger," which I downloaded way back in the fall of 2007. Let us explore...

The first song is my favorite on the album, and one of my favorite Kanye songs. "Good Morning" has an absolutely amazing beat and I can listen to that song endlessly. It also includes one of my favorite lines, "I'm like a fly Malcolm X/Buy any jeans necessary." But this song is my favorite, and there have been many times already that the first thing I do after waking up is listening to this song...it's that good.

Moving on, though, "Champion" and "I Wonder" are fantastic, as is "Good Life", which features T-Pain. The middle of the album has some songs that aren't the best, but still very good, but the end is just a strong finish. "Flashing Lights" is a total party song that never gets old. "Everything I Am" is my second favorite on the album. It's slower but has amazing lyrics and just makes you sing along. "Homecoming" is a faster favorite, and besides all the great Chicago references, it's just a great song. And "Big Brother," is a great homage to Kanye's mentor, the Jigga-man himself, Jay-Z. An eloquent song.

Wow. When I thought about writing this post I didn't think I'd be at a loss for words while describing this album, but I can't find ways to describe it. That's how good I think it is. My only advice is to get it youreslf and listen to it to see what I mean. Aside from the songs being so great, the album cover has great artwork from Takashi Murakami. In true Kanye form, every element of the album has style and was done masterfully. Good job, Kanye. So my advice to you is to pick up this album any way you can, give it some good listens, and wait for him to come to Lollapalooza like I am. Happy listening.

The Marlboro Marine

I'm writing today about something that should have been written about before, but I got a little busy. In Rolling Stone's April 3, 2008, issue (Issue 1049), they wrote a story on the Marlboro Marine. I'm guessing that you saw the photo above sometime, and that's the one that spurred the story. The story came about when Los Angeles Times photojournalist Luis Sinco took the shot in November 2004 in Fallujah, Iraq. The photo instantly spread across the world as the face of the War in Iraq.

Sinco put together a piece for the story for the news website MediaStorm, and I encourage everyone to take a look. I'll add the site to the links list for easy access. Sinco made a video with lots of photos he took of Blake Miller, the marine, and it's an extremely touching piece. It tells the story of the photo, Sinco's time with the troops and the unbelievable bond Sinco formed with Miller while back in the U.S. They are now good friends, and Sinco even drove from California to Miller's home in Kentucky to take him to a doctor in Connecticut so Miller could get treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder. I encourage you to check out both stories, but they are slightly different. The MediaStorm version is harder-hitting because of all the visuals and the audio with it. The Rolling Stone version tells more about Miller himself, while the MediaStorm version tells about Miller, Sinco, their time in Iraq and in the U.S., their relationship and gives more commentary about the war in general. It sounds one-sided, but you can do a lot more with 16 minutes of video than you can in four pages of print.

In addition to the Marlboro Marine story, it's a great idea to check out MediaStorm anyway. They have a collection of 22 stories that cover a wide range of topics. Another good video is "New York Reacts," which is a feature of New Yorkers and their responses to 9/11. Robert Browman, one of the heads of MediaStorm, gave a lecture to my class at Syracuse University about their style of journalism, and gave insights into their method of bringing news. Sponsored by the Washington Post, they bring interesting, informative and important issues to the news world. And, maybe most importantly, they do a great job with it. All of the stories are interesting and give a first-hand account. So check out MediaStorm and feel free to discuss any stories you like.

Who doesn't need more Google in their life?

Google has once again found ways to help people. There are two things to discuss here, so I'll start with the more humanitarian of the two. Thanks to the site iConflict.com that was discussed below, Google has launched a maps program that charts refugees around the world. All you need to do is download some software, which apparently 350 million people have done so far, and you're able to see where the world's refugees are located. You can even zoom in close enough to see individual tents. Once you've selected a specific location to view, you can see pictures and get information about that location. Google has teamed up with the U.N. for this project, and they hope to alert more people to growing problems around the world. I can't think of a more nobler way than this to try to make an impact on the world, and hopefully more efforts can be made because of this.

Now to the more utilitarian creation. Google has teamed up with the Chicago Transit Authority (no, not the band) to create yet another aspect to their already dynamic maps program. This program allows people to search the best routes to get around the city on the "L," Chicago's equivalent of the subway system. It does not link with Metra, the suburban train system, or Pace, the suburban and city bus system, because apparently the Regional Transportation Authority is working on its own rival site. But it is still amazing. For first-time users there is a tutorial video to guide you around the site. Once you're past that, it gets better and better. You can manually view a map of Chicago to find stations near you, and once you're there you can get basic information, like the line the station belongs to, and get a schedule for that station. If you want directions from the beginning, you can enter your destination and step-by-step directions for your trip are delivered. And if you want to make sure you don't want to drive, click the "Drive There" tab and you are instantly given driving directions side-by-side.

And things can only get better. You can set the time and date you want to travel as well, and you get new directions customized for your travel arrangements. Other options such as Street View allow you to see pictures of your destination, in case you're more of a visual person. Oh yeah, they even give you the fair you'd have to pay if you used public transportation. This is an absolutely wonderful invention for those who are unsure of traveling publicly or for travelers to a new city. It can only get better if Metra and Pace team up with Google. This service is available in other cities too, so check it out before you travel to a new city for business or leisure. Check out the links below for the story and to see it for yourself. Where would we be without Google?
http://www.chicagotribune.com/technology/chi-cta-google-webapr09,0,3820867.story
http://www.iconflict.com/

Bringing more news to more people....from more people

Another news site was created to bring news to the world, only it could be from anyone around the world. The site iConflict.com was created about 10 days ago as a way for the average citizen to post stories as they please. The goal of the site is to bring more stories to people's attention, often first-hand accounts, about issues that would or would not normally be noticed, according to co-founder Jason Haber (information based on story in The Daily Orange).

I have always been leery about user-generated material, especially if it is news related. Wikipedia sometimes scares me, but it is good for a quick bit of information you might be looking for on something fairly common. But I've always held the view to leave the news reporting to the actual reporters. You never know who is reporting the story, and if they are telling the truth, because they might not follow the same ethical standards journalists must. So far, however, I'm impressed by the reporting on the site. Most of the posts to this point have been by Jason himself, but now some new users are submitting entries. The manner is very professional and functions like a site solely for news. It is easy to navigate as well, with the newest stories on the opening page and a list of hot spots right to its side. And if you want to see it visually, the hot spot map highlights countries that have been in the most stories recently.

One aspect Haber notes that I think is wonderful is to get stories heard that might not make the news otherwise. As gatekeepers, we sometimes don't let some stories through for whatever reason. This is a great way to get all stories heard. It will also be interesting to see how the site progresses. As it grows, will the integrity of the reporting change? Also, almost all of the videos on the site now are links to YouTube. For this site to really take off as a news provider, I believe that videos from reporters will be necessary. As great as it is, YouTube can't be used for everything. This is a great way to bring worldwide news to everyone, from people who were closer to the story than most, but how effective will it really be?
http://www.iconflict.com/

More Casualties, Different Medium

On Monday WBBM-Channel 2, Chicago's CBS affiliate, followed the trend in media today by downsizing. We've all heard this story before, but this one is different because it involved some of the station's top anchors. Diann Burns, the highest paid anchor in Chicago, along with lead sportscaster Mark Malone, longtime anchor and correspondent Mary Ann Childers, reporter Katie McCall and 14 others all lost their jobs. It seems that downsizing broadcasting outlets will now join print publications.

This is a real shame. What is striking about this is that some of the more recognizable names lost their jobs, as opposed to newspapers, where the longtime staff members retain employment. It's easy to see why these journalists lost their jobs, as they were probably making more money than others at the station. It is easier to let Burns go, as her contract expires, and hire someone else who would not be earning the same $2 million that she was. Financially it makes sense, but is it worth it to let such valuable journalists go?

The newspaper business has been cutting people for some time now. The New York Times let several members of their team go last year, as did the Chicago Sun-Times, and the Tribune Company has made many large changes in the last few years. New ownership has brought the future of the company into question, which holds many media outlets, including WGN radio and TV. But the Tribune Company received the most attention when it greatly downsized the Los Angeles Times newsroom about two years ago.

Everyone within the journalism field knows what is going on and not how to fix it. Ron Magers, anchor for Chicago's ABC affiliate WLS-Channel 7, sees the issue and has a positive vision.

"The hope I hold onto is that we will all be reporting something somewhere somehow. We just don't know what platform," Magers said.

I think he's right, and that's what we need to think about. People will always need the news and the people who bring it to them, no matter the medium. The news doesn't necessarily need to be delivered by paper, or broadcasted, but the news needs to be delivered.

Story: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-tue_childers-burns-out-apr01,0,3450734.story

If only New Wave were around today...

I can't think of any better way to get this blog started than by talking about music. I consider myself to have a strong sense of musical history, and I've been expanding it ever since my current class, The History of Rock, started earlier this semester. Recently I've been thinking about the '80s. I've always had a lot of contempt for the '80s. Musically, it made me sick. In my opinion, arena rock and hair metal is a disgrace to music. Rock was a commercialized commodity, and it was only recently that I truly enjoyed something that came from the stereotypical band, and that was just Slash in a commercial. (www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6X0YtvKwy8). I think I always knew it, but New Wave holds a special place in my heart. Devo, Gary Numan, they each bring something interesting to the table. In the '70s synths took rock prog, but they were used perfectly in New Wave. With new technology in the bustling suburbs, synths brought a futuristic, technologic, robotic feel that was only made better by advancements in videos and visuals (www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8M-jWBmuyc). Orchestral Manoeuvres In the Dark's "Enola Gay" is my current favorite. And how would you want to picture yourself in the '80s: at a Twisted Sister show or in "Ferris Bueller" and "Fast Times at Ridgemont High?" So next time you go on iTunes or Limewire, stay away from Motley Crue and download "Pocket Calculator" by Kraftwerk and play some Pac-Man.