Back on the Chain

Fundamentals, Jason
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A podcast that explores the deep connections between Phish's lyrics and the creation of Bitcoin, based on the blog posts of Fundamentals Fundamentals Blog Post https://risk-fundamentals.ghost.io/phish-and-bitcoin-a-continuum-of-genius-network-effects-and-unintentional-foreshadowing/ Fundamentals X: @Fundamentals21m nostr: npub12eml5kmtrjmdt0h8shgg32gye5yqsf2jha6a70jrqt82q9d960sspky99g Jason nostr: npub19l2muzvelq07kfx8glfqmpf8jdcj2xp733rhjfc05t2g2mt9krjqrae40w

  1. FEB 7

    BotC33: First Tubing with Richard "Greasy Fizeek" Greaser

    In this wide-ranging conversation, I welcome credentialed journalist and musician Richard Greaser for an unfiltered exploration of culture, media, politics, and the saving grace of music. We trace how “kayfabe” politics, collapsing narratives, and manufactured outrage drain agency—and why building small, real communities and live art experiences can reset our nervous systems and actually move culture. We dig into Phish as a living counterexample to industry capture: improvisation, setlist craft, the Baker’s Dozen, and why sanctuary at a show is a macro signal. Richard shares his vision for genuinely subversive music, DJing for intimate rooms, and creating parallel culture with pioneers rather than plebs. We hit everything from the fourth turning and personal responsibility to AI “glazing,” cigarettes as subversion, dead-internet noise, zoomer vibes, and why a summer Phish tour might be a surprising social stability indicator—all while plotting a meetup at the Sphere. We also examine the difference between audience size and true influence, why local scenes matter, and how to resist astroturfed movements by focusing on what you can actually build. If you’ve been craving a thoughtful, unsanitized talk about art as resistance, culture capture, and carving a Sigma Oasis amid chaos, this one’s for you. Fundamentals X: @Fundamentals21m nostr: npub12eml5kmtrjmdt0h8shgg32gye5yqsf2jha6a70jrqt82q9d960sspky99g READ THE BOOK: https://zeuspay.com/btc-for-institutions JOIN THE PIONEERS CLUB: https://fountain.fm/episode/F5QFM50ZVtTyQlDd0vOf Jason nostr: npub19l2muzvelq07kfx8glfqmpf8jdcj2xp733rhjfc05t2g2mt9krjqrae40w READ THE F****G BOOK!!^^ Intro: Back on the Train - Phish 09/13/25 Birmingham, AL Backing Tracks: 12/07/97 Dayton, OH https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLihV7Iur38WZcLw6xRHVsI43SPARDgorp https://open.spotify.com/album/3geRJavlyRU9kD2YSDHDnL Life Saving Gun, Phish 01/30/26 Rivera Maya, MX https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPxmP2ZCsKo Outro:  Rock and Roll, Phish 05/08/10 George, WA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFY1therCaM

    2h 49m

  2. JAN 29

    BotC32: Unbounded Hangout with Mark Goodwin

    In this episode, we welcome journalist and drummer Mark Goodwin for a sprawling, joyous dive into Phish’s improvisational magic, Talking Heads worship, and the bizarrely perfect overlap between Phish tour lore and Bitcoin culture. Mark shares his New England origins, jazz-drum roots, and the moment Phish rewired his musical brain—from Lawn Boy on a road trip to Rush, to finally catching the band’s 3.0 rebirth at Hampton. We relive festival highs (Superball IX’s midnight “No Quarter,” the storage unit set, and a field-wide Stop Making Sense dance party), unpack the evolution from ‘93 precision to ‘97 cow-funk fearlessness, and celebrate Mike Gordon’s modern sonic heft and Fishman’s behind-the-beat pocket. We also trade stories about cities, scenes, and synchronicities—from mimes and movie theaters to Prague’s subterranean ghost—while considering how Phish’s ever-growing songbook and improvisational ethos could cement their legacy a century from now. Worlds collide as the Sphere run lines up with Bitcoin 2024, and we reflect on Sigma Oasis’ uncanny timing, the role of statistics and setlist lore, and the communal proof-of-work that makes this band’s history feel both personal and mythic. From Fishman teaching himself drums over drumless bluegrass to Trey practicing to Remain in Light, it’s a celebration of influence, interplay, and the live-show laboratory—where fear can be fun, funk can be scary, and the numbers always add up to another unforgettable night. Fundamentals X: @Fundamentals21m nostr: npub12eml5kmtrjmdt0h8shgg32gye5yqsf2jha6a70jrqt82q9d960sspky99g READ THE BOOK: https://zeuspay.com/btc-for-institutions JOIN THE PIONEERS CLUB: https://fountain.fm/episode/F5QFM50ZVtTyQlDd0vOf Jason nostr: npub19l2muzvelq07kfx8glfqmpf8jdcj2xp733rhjfc05t2g2mt9krjqrae40w READ THE F****G BOOK!!^^ Intro: Back on the Train - Phish 09/13/25 Birmingham, AL Alternate HD Video 04-18-24 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cySKvPB62k Backing Track - Phish 11/22/97 Hampton, VA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9BIl_HiqOY Outro: Once In a Lifetime - Phish 10/31/96 Atlanta, GA - Set 2 Remain in Light musical costume https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=negQCMxYlz8

    2h 38m

  3. JAN 20

    BotC31: Programming Phish into the Bitcoin Conference with Craig

    Fundamentals X: @Fundamentals21m nostr: npub12eml5kmtrjmdt0h8shgg32gye5yqsf2jha6a70jrqt82q9d960sspky99g READ THE BOOK: https://zeuspay.com/btc-for-institutions Jason nostr: npub19l2muzvelq07kfx8glfqmpf8jdcj2xp733rhjfc05t2g2mt9krjqrae40w READ THE F****G BOOK!!^^ Intro: Back on the Train - Phish 09/13/25 Birmingham, AL Alternate HD Video 04-18-24 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cySKvPB62k Backing Track: Set 2+Encore, Phish - 07-21-91 Parksville, NY  Phish - 1991-07-21 (Set 2, E, E2) - Arrowhead Ranch, Parksville, NY Outro: Mountains in the Mist, Phish 07-11-99 Camden, NJ  Mountains In The Mist In this episode, we welcome Craig—Bitcoiner, Phish fan, and Deadhead—to jam on the surprisingly rich overlap between Phish culture and Bitcoin ethos. We swap Sphere stories (themes, sensory overload, and “cup is full” moments), revisit the legendary Hampton “21” show easter eggs, and dig into lyrical synchronicities from Golgi Apparatus to Fluffhead, Character Zero, and Cast Away > IT’s Ice as playful signals that map onto Bitcoin ideas. We also talk scene history (Arrowhead Ranch, tape-trading, Wetlands), parenting at shows, and the way Phish’s risk-taking mirrors open-source experimentation. Craig pulls back the curtain on outreach strategies for the Bitcoin Conference—floating how Tom Marshall, Chris Kuroda, and even historian Jesse Jarnow might fit—and we kick around meet-up ideas around the Sphere weekend aligned with the conference. From Zappa’s “central scrutinizer” to NGU memes and the Baker’s Dozen “glazed” lore, this is a joyride through subculture, serendipity, and the values that tie improvisational music to decentralized money. We close on Mountains in the Mist and the stories we tell ourselves—little strands of golden truth that keep us warm and carry us through the night. In this episode, I sit down with Craig—Bitcoiner, Phish fan, and Deadhead—to explore the curious overlaps between Phish culture and Bitcoin ethos. We swap Sphere stories, dissect themed shows and deeper setlist easter eggs (from Hampton’s “21” motifs to Baker’s Dozen “glaze”), and debate whether lyrical threads like Golgi Apparatus, Fluffhead, and Character Zero accidentally presaged elements of Bitcoin lore. We also get practical: how to (tastefully) reach Tom Marshall or Chris Kuroda to intersect with the Bitcoin Conference, the realities of Sphere ticketing and travel packages, and the power of scene cross-pollination that built the jam ecosystem. Along the way, we reminisce about tape trading, Arrowhead Ranch, ARU, and the jam-band network effects; consider Zappa’s Central Scrutinizer as a proto-meme lens; and chat bringing kids to shows, parenting tradeoffs, and why even a “bad” Phish show still beats most nights out. We close with a bullish vibe: setting a playful prediction market on whether Tom Marshall might join the conference orbit, brainstorming a Fish x Bitcoin meetup around the Sphere weekend, and reaffirming why these stories—woven like “little strands of golden truth”—keep us connected to the music, the tech, and each other.

    1h 34m

  4. JAN 13

    BotC30: The White Episode with Asher

    Fundamentals X: @Fundamentals21m nostr: npub12eml5kmtrjmdt0h8shgg32gye5yqsf2jha6a70jrqt82q9d960sspky99g READ THE BOOK: https://zeuspay.com/btc-for-institutions Jason nostr: npub19l2muzvelq07kfx8glfqmpf8jdcj2xp733rhjfc05t2g2mt9krjqrae40w READ THE F****G BOOK!!^^ Intro: Dire Wolf, Grateful Dead https://open.spotify.com/track/7rLRoUv0PMTcHz0lOfpnti Background Music: Phish 6/18/94 Set 2 https://youtu.be/UKnh5eTQplA&t=4392 Outro: Looks Like Rain, Grateful Dead https://open.spotify.com/track/0LvXJBEAkICLyX49mD0Aa8 Bonus Track: Dire Wolf (bluegrass cover), Molly Tuttle https://open.spotify.com/track/7JMZ6bCzD1nENedrV3njJi In this episode, we welcome our friend Asher for a wide‑ranging, heartfelt, and often hilarious conversation that weaves through Phish, the Grateful Dead, and the culture around jam bands—recorded the day after Bob Weir’s passing. We reminisce on Jerry vs. Bobby, Owsley, LSD lore, MK-Ultra whispers, and how “Heads” by Jesse Jarnow frames the psychedelic marketplace of ideas. We trade ghost-in-the-machine stories about Trey, Hendrix channelings, and the ineffable fractal nature of Phish—right down to New Year’s gags, Kubrick nods, and the perennial art of reading setlist tea leaves. We also dig into the thorny question of race and jam-band culture, why these scenes skew so white, and whether the vibe today still feels countercultural or captured. Along the way we rehash the 2019 “rescue” gag debate, recovery culture’s influence, and how information warfare has replaced the old culture wars—all while staying anchored in our love of the music that still levels us. We close with thoughts on how Phish might honor Bob Weir onstage—recalling past tributes after Jerry and Phil—and speculate on what songs could carry the moment. It’s a candid, spirited memorial to the roots of this scene, a defense of the magic that remains, and an invitation to keep the signal alive—even as the culture around it shifts beneath our feet.

    1h 43m

  5. JAN 7

    BotC29: It's Ice: Phish Drops Another 21 Reference

    Fundamentals X: @Fundamentals21m nostr: npub12eml5kmtrjmdt0h8shgg32gye5yqsf2jha6a70jrqt82q9d960sspky99g READ THE BOOK: https://zeuspay.com/btc-for-institutions Jason nostr: npub19l2muzvelq07kfx8glfqmpf8jdcj2xp733rhjfc05t2g2mt9krjqrae40w READ THE F****G BOOK!!^^ Intro: My Friend, My Friend - Phish 12/31/25 New York, NY https://relisten.net/phish/2025/12/31/my-friend-my-friend-40730?source=3188523 Background and Outro: It's Ice Cream: Harry Hood > 2001 > Tweezer - Phish 12/31/25 New York, NY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=In3FMYG4eZ8 Happy New Year and welcome Back on the Chain. In this episode, we catch up on missed plans, family vacations, and why neither of us made it to the Phish New Year’s run—despite multiple golden-ticket invites. Then we dive deep into 12/31: first-set musical standouts (a blistering My Friend, My Friend), the surprising Cream tease and whether it was a spontaneous pop-culture nod or part of a longer runway, and a full walkthrough of the  It’s Ice/Cream/Harry Hood/Freezer/2001/Tweezer production. We explore competing theories behind the NYE concept—from benign Ben & Jerry’s “It’s Ice Cream” lore to heavier interpretations—and how the setlist could (or couldn’t) support them, before zooming out to what really matters: the band delivered a rare, third-set, 30-minute Tweezer and top-tier playing throughout. We close with the Spock’s Brain encore, uncanny Rock Paper Bitcoin synchronicity, and some reflections on audience capture, network effects, and keeping the focus on the music as 2026 kicks off.  Resources and mentions: 12/31 set highlights (My Friend, My Friend; Lifesaving Gun; It’s Ice → Cream → Harry Hood; 30-min Tweezer; Spock’s Brain), Ben & Jerry’s limited “It’s Ice Cream” flavor (2018, WaterWheel 21st anniversary), Hood Milk references, Bader Field/The Met anecdotes, Stranger Things finale timing and Prince needle-drops (When Doves Cry, Purple Rain), and the ongoing art-versus-interpretation debate within the Phish community.

    1h 10m

  6. 12/16/2025

    BotC28: Bubba Sits In

    Fundamentals X: @Fundamentals21m nostr: npub12eml5kmtrjmdt0h8shgg32gye5yqsf2jha6a70jrqt82q9d960sspky99g READ THE BOOK: https://zeuspay.com/btc-for-institutions Jason nostr: npub19l2muzvelq07kfx8glfqmpf8jdcj2xp733rhjfc05t2g2mt9krjqrae40w READ THE F****G BOOK!!^^ Intro: Back on the Train - Phish 09/13/25 Birmingham, AL Alternate HD Video 04-18-24 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cySKvPB62k Backing Track: Phish 12-14-95 Binghamton, NY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kgo-5c-ilMc&list=OLAK5uy_laR1sPXicMnL3jjNOtO695syA_H_bg_l4 https://open.spotify.com/album/5WYqHtFImqwNmg3f4LvfON?si=TDzbdWUMQauVK24hB4ctXA Outro: Let it Go - Fastball https://open.spotify.com/track/7IsEXPk6qqt30FfQv4SZMa?si=849cb52aa07f4630 In this rollercoaster of an episode, I open by lamenting a string of tech issues that nearly derailed our planned conversation with guest Bubba—only for him to heroically pop in and out throughout the show, creating a delightfully jammy, “segue-all-night” vibe. We pivot from disappointment to celebration, marking December’s wave of music anniversaries—especially the 30-year mark of December 1995 Phish shows—before freewheeling into a wide-ranging music talk: Live Phish history, Zappa influence vs. bluegrass roots, danceability as a Phish first principle, and what made 90s live releases special. Along the way, we compare Dead vs. Phish scenes, regional fan cultures, and the oddities of pop-cultural bias—then Bubba arrives and lights it up with raw, hilarious, and unvarnished stories from the trenches: late-80s Nashville door-to-door publisher auditions, near-misses with Millennium Records and The Romantics, life as a “rock ’n’ roll hairdresser,” and the bloom-and-bust realities of bar-band economics, vans, and vanishing drive shafts. Bubba’s first three concerts—Elvis, Neil Diamond, KISS—set a throughline for showmanship and songcraft, as we trade our own first-show memories (Metallica, Rush, The Who) and revisit why some bands stick forever. We dive into Van Halen’s swing, STP’s jazzy guitar DNA, Def Leppard’s high-and-dry tone, Lou Reed’s slow-burn gravitas, and the power of albums that never leave rotation. Bubba shares surreal small-room legends (Dylan, Lou Reed, John Prine popping into a 300-cap bar), the lost communal magic of the pre-social age, and a case for rock’s return in a perfection-obsessed, soulless pop/AI era. We close on simple life wisdom—keep it minimal, keep moving forward, never give up—and a few must-hear album and artist recs to dig into next.

    2h 9m
  7. BotC27: High Demand for Phish Loving Bitcoiners

    12/10/2025

    BotC27: High Demand for Phish Loving Bitcoiners

    Fundamentals X: @Fundamentals21m nostr: npub12eml5kmtrjmdt0h8shgg32gye5yqsf2jha6a70jrqt82q9d960sspky99g READ THE BOOK: https://zeuspay.com/btc-for-institutions Jason nostr: npub19l2muzvelq07kfx8glfqmpf8jdcj2xp733rhjfc05t2g2mt9krjqrae40w READ THE F****G BOOK!!^^ Intro: Back on the Train - Phish 09/13/25 Birmingham, AL Alternate HD Video 04-18-24 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cySKvPB62k Backing Track: Phish Set 1 (most) 12-07-95 Niagara Falls, NY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48ayMjaJBvM Outro: Punch You in the Eye - Phish 12-08-94 San Diego, CA  Punch You in the Eye | 1994-12-08 | Phish | Relisten Other Mentions: Phish 12-07-97 Dayton, OH https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVvTb-YlijNyQYl3tUOVyfgdOjVRFTOGE In this week’s Back on the Chain, we spin 12/07/1995 Niagara Falls while diving deep into why late ‘95 remains peak “innocence and innovation” Phish. From bluegrass bookends (My Old Home Place > Uncle Pen) and a cappella closers to a bonkers Split Open and Melt opener and the rare, exploratory “digital delay” Weekapaug, we unpack the setlist craft—highlighting the sly Demand > Set II Melt callback to Hoist’s car-crash epilogue. We contrast Fall ’95’s audience-connected era (secret language, Big Ball Jam, on-tour chess) with the steamrolling “Phish Destroys America” dominance of Fall ’97, preview a future 12/07/95 vs 12/07/97 Dayton debate, and revel in Reba’s jet-fueled tempos. We also revisit Hoist as a signal-rich trove: Demand (human agency, “demand,” evolution) and Julius (Caesar cipher nods, time dilation, Orange Julius Gen X lore) join the canon. Then, worlds collide: the growing alignment between Phish’s Sphere runs and the Bitcoin conference in Las Vegas, plus a look back at Tom Marshall’s “phish loving bitcoiner” acknowledgment that helped spark this very show. We tease ideas for Vegas side events and celebrate how these scenes continue to intersect—on-chain and on tour. Setlist highlights we discuss from 12/07/1995 (Niagara Falls Convention Center): My Old Home Place opener, Demand in Set I, Split Open and Melt opening Set II, a type II Weekapaug “digital delay jam,” a cappella endings (Hello My Baby, Amazing Grace), and an Uncle Pen encore.

    1h 18m

  8. 12/03/2025

    BotC26: The 2026 PhishCoin Conference in Vegas

    Fundamentals X: @Fundamentals21m nostr: npub12eml5kmtrjmdt0h8shgg32gye5yqsf2jha6a70jrqt82q9d960sspky99g READ THE BOOK: https://zeuspay.com/btc-for-institutions Jason nostr: npub19l2muzvelq07kfx8glfqmpf8jdcj2xp733rhjfc05t2g2mt9krjqrae40w READ THE F****G BOOK!!^^ Intro: Back on the Train - Phish 09/13/25 Birmingham, AL Alternate HD Video 04-18-24 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cySKvPB62k Backing Track and Outro: Phish Set 2 + Encore 12-01-95 Hershey, PA https://youtu.be/c-oM3nw4iNw?si=Q091CubXZ7-pVyhx&t=4332  Other Mentions: High Hash Rate Podcast: Golgi Apparatus with Fundamentals - HHR056  https://fountain.fm/episode/oP1HkfvAU5ULcj8BcElp  In this emergency-level episode, we process a whirlwind 24–48 hours in Bitcoin and Phish world—and how they just physically converged. From Vanguard’s “capitulation” on Bitcoin ETFs to MicroStrategy chatter and a shifting market mood, we pivot to the bombshell: Phish announced a nine-show Sphere run that perfectly bookends the Bitcoin 2025 Conference in Las Vegas. We talk implications, logistics, and why this feels like the vision of Phish x Bitcoin finally materializing. I share the backstory of our show’s thesis—that Phish culture and Bitcoin have been intertwined since the beginning—and make the case for bringing Phish’s community-building lessons to Bitcoin’s sometimes overactive immune system. We also speak a new dream into existence: get Trey and Tom on a Bitcoin Conference panel to explore lyrical and cultural overlaps. We celebrate the 30-year anniversary of 12/01/1995 Hershey (the “mystical land of chocolate”)—a snowy, intimate night where a friend finally “got” Phish mid-Mike’s Groove and never looked back. We reminisce about ‘95 vs. ’97 contrasts, Ghost/Tweezer evolution, and Phish’s unparalleled refusal to “sell out”—how they beat the money printer and what Bitcoiners can learn from that integrity. With the Sphere dates now surrounding the conference, we’re calling for a Phish-themed event in Vegas and rallying the community to help make it happen. If we build it, maybe they will come.

    1h 20m
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About

A podcast that explores the deep connections between Phish's lyrics and the creation of Bitcoin, based on the blog posts of Fundamentals Fundamentals Blog Post https://risk-fundamentals.ghost.io/phish-and-bitcoin-a-continuum-of-genius-network-effects-and-unintentional-foreshadowing/ Fundamentals X: @Fundamentals21m nostr: npub12eml5kmtrjmdt0h8shgg32gye5yqsf2jha6a70jrqt82q9d960sspky99g Jason nostr: npub19l2muzvelq07kfx8glfqmpf8jdcj2xp733rhjfc05t2g2mt9krjqrae40w

Information

  • Creator
    Fundamentals, Jason
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    33
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Fundamentals 2025
  • Show Website
    Back on the Chain