Attendance Bias

Brian Weinstein

Attendance Bias is a podcast for fans to tell a story about an especially meaningful Phish show.

  1. vor 2 Std.

    Venue Preview: Fenway Park, Boston, MA w/Dave Hamilton

    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

    1 Std.
  2. 24. Juni

    Venue Preview: Madison Square Garden w/Megan Glionna

    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

    1 Std. 31 Min.
  3. 17. Juni

    Venue Preview: Lakeview Amphitheater, Syracuse, NY w/Beth Ann Kempf

    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

    44 Min.
  4. 3. Juni

    Venue Preview: Walnut Creek, Raleigh, NC w/Bryan Rodgers

    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: Today, we continue our miniseries of previewing each venue on Phish’s 2026 summer tour with a peek at Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek, or for the purposes of today’s episode: Walnut Creek. We are firmly in the “Thunderstorms with 110% humidity” leg of summer tour. The last venue was Enmarket Arena in Savannah, this week we are in Raleigh, North Carolina for Walnut Creek, and next up will be Merriweather Post. Although there are some quirks to this summer tour, Walnut Creek is a well-established venue for Phish fans, going all the way back to 1994. In fact, with just one or two exceptions, Phish’s history in Raleigh is their history at Walnut Creek, which makes this a very exciting stop on the tour and an exciting episode.  Our tour guide today is Bryan Rodgers; a long-time Phish fan who has lived in and around the Raleigh-Durham area for nearly all his life. Bryan not only tells us about the literal geography of Raleigh, but explains the recent history of Raleigh, where and how the jamband scene fits in over the past 30 years, active venues, and venues long gone, and the best places to get North Carolina Raleigh-style barbecue. In addition, Bryan and I review Phish's history in Raleigh and at Walnut Creek; I’ll be honest: there are a lot more music clips in today’s episode than there usually are in the venue previews. Walnut Creek deserves and demands it. Whether it’s jamming during a thunderstorm, or a mashup between Runaway Jim and Run Like An Antelope, Bryan has us covered today.   So let’s get right to it as we prepare for Phish’s show at Walnut Creek on July 17, 2026. Support the show

    1 Std. 4 Min.
  5. 27. Mai

    Venue Preview: Enmarket Arena, Savannah, GA w/Earth and Jessie

    Send us Fan Mail Hi everybody and welcome to Attendance Bias. I am your host Brian Weinstein. By now, we are off and running. The tour started in Madison, WI for the long-awaited return to the Kohl Center, we spent a 3-night run at the long-time favorite Deer Creek, and now it’s time to visit the dirty south to visit a brand new venue–both in construction and for Phish–the Enmarket Arena in Savannah, Georgia. Not only is the venue new to Phish, but imagine my surprise during my research when I found out that Phish has never played in Savannah before. This summer we are going to witness a first! On top of breaking ground in the historic city, they’re also playing for two nights! All that said, this means there’s a lot of unknowns for fans traveling to Georgia for these two shows. Luckily, today’s guests have you covered. Earth and Jessie live in Savannah, and have plenty to say about their hometown. I helped guide the conversation during the recording, but I feel like I could have asked one question: “Tell me about Enmarket Arena and what there is to do in Savannah” and we would have everything we need to know for Phish’s visit. Actually, even though I’m not going to these two shows, I was ready to book a flight to Savannah just to try and do all of the recommendations Earth and Jessie gave during today’s conversation! They cover everything: what to do, where to eat, where to drink, where to walk, and even where to get zoned out by floors made of crystal and glass containing dinosaur fossils. But also more practical details like what the area around the venue is like, how to get there, where to park…you know, the stuff this podcast series is for.   But let’s hear it from Earth and Jessie, as they are pumped for Phish’s two shows at the Enmarket Arena on July 14 and 15, 2026. Support the show

    53 Min.
  6. 20. Mai

    Venue Preview: Deer Creek, Noblesville, IN w/Ben Karle

    Send us Fan Mail Hi everybody and welcome to Attendance Bias. I am your host Brian Weinstein. Welcome back to our 2026 miniseries of previewing each venue on Phish’s summer tour. Last time, we opened the series by visiting an arena we haven’t seen in a long time: the Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin. Today, we are going to preview an amphitheater that is embedded in Phish lore to the point where it seems like we’re talking about a family reunion: Deer Creek Amphitheater in Noblesville, Indiana. The mere mention of the words “Deer Creek”--excuse me, the “Ruoff Music Center”--elicits dozens, if not hundreds of memories and anecdotes in the Phish universe. The band has been playing the venue for a shade over 31 years, yet there’s plenty to preview and review. Luckily, today’s guest–Ben Karle–has seen Deer Creek change from an amphitheater in the middle of a series of cornfields to the centerpiece of a suburb, complete with its own downtown, since the venue opened in 1989.  There’s plenty to debate whether the growth of Deer Creek, or the town that’s grown up around Noblesville over the past 37 years is for better or worse, but for today’s episode, Ben and I simply review the venue’s history, remember stories from Phish’s illustrious past shows at the Creek–from Moby Dick to Soul Planet–and he offers his opinions on the best and not-so-best parts of seeing a show at the classic venue.  So whether or not you’re staying at Sleepy Bear Campground or a downtown AirBnB, let’s join Ben to get ready for a 3-spot on July 10, 11, and 12 at Deer Creek in Noblesville, Indiana. Support the show

    53 Min.
  7. 13. Mai

    Venue Preview: The Kohl Center, Madison, WI w/Mike from Madison

    Send us Fan Mail Hi everybody and welcome to Attendance Bias. I am your host Brian Weinstein. I’m thrilled to welcome you to today’s episode–the first of our 2026 venue preview series, as we preview each venue on Phish’s 2026 summer tour. In today’s episode, Mike from Madison reintroduces us to a venue that Phish has visited before, but not since 1998: The Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin where Phish will start their 2026 summer tour with two shows on July 7th and 8th.  Mike has lived in Madison for 20 years, and knows the ins and outs of the small Wisconsin city, offering tips on how to get around, places to eat, drink, and hang out for anybody who is going to the shows from out of town. Whether its the best tavern for a brat or thin crust pizza, or losing your mind touring a Frank Lloyd Wright designed fun house, this episode is to help you discover the joys of Mad City. More than that, we review Phish’s history in Madison. Although the band hasn’t played the Kohl Center, or in Madison in nearly 30 years, the city of lakes was a crucial building block during the band’s van years of the very early 1990s. Madison was a regular stop, usually in the fall, and you could trace Phish’s rise by looking at the different sized venues they played in Madison throughout the 90s. But there’s so much more to it. Join Mike and I as we kick off the Attendance Bias Venue Previews with the Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin on July 7 and 8, 2026. Support the show

    1 Std. 4 Min.

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Attendance Bias is a podcast for fans to tell a story about an especially meaningful Phish show.

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