type II cast

a type II podcast, broadcasting from the hose.


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Episode 70: Phish’s Abstract Moment

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This week, the podcast pushes the boundaries of recorded Phish analysis as we are joined by Zac Cohen and Andy Greenberg, resident essayists at Please Me Have No Regrets. On this episode, I’m talking with Zac and Andy about a piece they’ve been hard at work on over the past few weeks; “Phish’s Abstract Moment.” It is their contention that just after covering The Beatles “White Album” on Halloween in 1994, Phish embarked on a nearly-year long journey in which their dominant mode of jamming was an “Abstract” one, characterized by a willingness to explore the outer reaches of their own catalog. Zac and Andy discuss some of the influences leading up to this important moment in Phish’s career when they produced some of the most dramatic and emotionally evocative improvisations of their entire career. They also examine the significance of this type of jamming and the legacy it has left on the band’s current material. Though much of the music is difficult, disjointed, and strange sounding, it speaks to the nether regions of your musical souls and Type II Cast claims no liability if tonight’s clips MELT YOUR FACE.

Type II Cast will be back in June with the next Game Show Extravaganza, details to drop “soon.”

Thanks for listening,

-Steve

PS – Read the Essay Here

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Episode 69: The Great Went

Listen to Episode 69: The Great Went

This week on the program we continue our effort to review all past Phish festivals, which, if you are playing along at home, means that we have landed at The Great Went. Phish’s first of three fests from Limestone, Maine, this was the band’s biggest concert to date and it definitely did not disappoint. Scotty B is in the driver’s seat for tonight and we are joined by Dave Calarco, Brian Bavosa, and Chris Bertolet. The cast covers everything from the tour leading up to The Went, the impact of this event on festivals to come, what the scene was like, and even the weather. It should be no surprise that we have pulled the best clips to represent this amazing event (spoiler: one is The Gin).

Have a memory from The Went you want to share? Leave a comment below. We will be back in two weeks, details to be determined. Thanks for listening,

- Steve

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Episode 68: Desert Island Tweezer


This week on the podcast, we step into the freezer to discuss one of the biggest jam vehicles in the Phish cannon: Tweezer. Leading the discussion is panelist Drew, who has been know to fancy the tune. The episode is built around a “desert island scenario.” Joining him are veteran guests of Type II, Dave Calarco and Charlie Dirksen. Drew asked each panelist for the ten versions of Tweezer that they would bring to said island to make their stay more enjoyable. The panel then discussed the ten most commonly chosen versions among them. Of course, we have supplemented the in depth analysis and fun show anecdotes with ample clips. By the end of the episode, there will be laughs, there will be tears, and I guarantee you will have learned something. What Tweezers would you take to a desert island? Let us know in the comments below. We will be back in two weeks to talk about the Great Went.

Thanks for listening,

Steve

UPDATE 04/27/2013 – Click Through for Additional Information About this Episode.

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Episode 67: Nerdgasm, Part 3

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The Ultimate Phish ‘Nerdgasm’ Part 3: Sweet Sixteen to the Champion

Howdy once again and welcome back for part three in what has become quite an epic Type II adventure. For this final installment, Chris, Steve Paolini, and I began at the Sweet Sixteen round and played through until we crowned a champion. Again, you really need to listen to both previous episodes to be caught up to speed, as we don’t waste any time going over the rules that made up the selection process. Also, please download the bracket in order to play along at home. This episode features clips of each of the top sixteen jams and the entirety of the winning song to close us out. So block off the next two hours of your life and get ready to find out what Type II Cast deems the “best” phish jam.

Agree or disagree with how things turned out? Let us know below. Also, you can find links to stream all of the jams via this google doc. Thanks for listening, see everyone in two weeks.

- Steve

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Episode 66: Nerdgasm, Part 2

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The Ultimate Phish ‘Nerdgasm’ Part 2: Rounds 1 & 2

Hello and welcome back for Part 2 of the Ultimate Nerdgasm, our take on a “March Madness” style tournament. What separates this from similar brackets are the six rules developed by panelist Chris Glushko and guest .netter Steve Paolini. These rules guided the selection of the 64 jams that we discussed on this episode. Before listening, you absolutely need to listen to the last episode and print out this bracket in order to follow along at home. Over the course of this episode, we voted from the original 64 jams down to the Sweet Sixteen and played clips (each exactly three minutes) for some of the closest matches. Each selection should be credited to the collective consciousness of Chris and Steve. Their Phish nerdiness is truly remarkable. Of course, that left me as the deciding vote on a few occasions, a task that was quite challenging at times. Fortunately, it’s hard to go wrong at the end of the day since all of these selections will fill your ears with hosey goodness.

How would you have voted on these 64 Jams? “Who” do you want to see make it the Final Four? Let us know below, and stay tuned for the final installment of The Ultimate Phish “Nerdgasm” next week.

- Steve

Phish March Madness Sweet16

Phish March Madness Sweet16.xls

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Episode 65: Nerdgasm, Part 1

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The Ultimate Phish ‘Nerdgasm’ Part 1: The Selection Show

If you’re reading this, you probably consider yourself somewhat of a Phish nerd—someone who gains an unhealthy amount of pleasure in discussing best songs, shows, sets, venues, cities, lyrics, compositions, recordings, jams, lights, and more. With that said, we decided to hold the ultimate Phish nerdgasm, a 64-team March Madness style tournament to determine the best Phish jam of all time. Now, this is nothing new to the Phish blogosphere. We’ve all seen Phish March Madness brackets before, and I’m sure we’ll see them again. But we wanted to make ours just a little different. We did so by taking ourselves way too seriously. And I knew that if there was one person to take on this project with, it was fellow Phish.netter, Mockingbird Foundation volunteer, and list-maker extraordinaire, Steve Paolini.

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Episode 64: Sound Check

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Check Check … 1 … 2. 1 … 2.

This week on the podcast we talked about one event that goes down before every show, even though most of us will never hear it: the sound check. And while the main reason for a sound check is technical necessity, the band has on many occasions used this time to do everything from joke around with each other to straight up melt faces. Of course, covering thirty years of sound checks is nearly impossible, even considering that many never reach the public’s ears. But from what is available, Josh, Brian Feller, and I hit you with some of our favorites and discussed the state of sound checks past, present, and future. Did we miss one of your favorites? Let us know in the comments section below.

Thanks for listening. We will be back in two weeks with “March Madness.”

-Steve

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