Bro's, Brah's, and Sister Golden Hairs...

Producer: Long time Grateful Dead guitar tech, Sonny "Sunshine" Smith, was quoted as saying, "Let's all just chill, man. What's all the hate for anyways? It's like, for the music, so why can't the Panic and Phish fans just like, get along?"

In this installment of OITO's "Behind the Music", we'll take a deeper look in to the rivalry that some people call "weak sauce" and "dangerous to the scene". We will dive in to the the two fanbases that get along like oil and water, like people and sharks, like soap and hippies. Welcome to the world of...

"Spread Heads"

"Phish Head"

v.






Let's start the debate. And here to help are 2 fans, one from the Widespread Panic end and the other from the Phish fanbase. Pictured in the wizard outfit is, not Pete from the Adventures of Pete and Pete, rather, longtime Phish phanatic, Parker "Tweek" T. To the left, some WSP fans, but we'll talk to one in particular -- "Trapper". Joining us later will be a couple of special guests that will lend their points of view.

"Tweek": (Snnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnniiifffffffffffff) Thanks for meeting me in this alley, brah. Can we start by poppin' in "Hampton Comes Alive" and letting that play? I need to calm my nerves. Listen, Panic is chill, I guess, but those n00b faaaaans are tripping bro. Those guys are all like, 'Phish is nothin' but like drums solos and bass slaps.' And that's pretty gnarly, bro. I need to get my speed ball and then rage along with Trey and his face melting shredder hand. Feel me? They're like, fake or something...whatever 'cause I'm like, over it.  

Producer: You're over it? So, you're willing to make amends and coexist?

"Tweek": Whaaat? Hold on man 'cause Trey's melting shit.

Producer: We turn now to "Trapper". You can see a young, budding "Trapper" on the far left of the Panic fan picture above. That was one of his first "shows". He calls himself a "vet" now, and the road has, well, taken its toll. Here he is just just 3 years later...

 
"Trapper": Life is grand, brah. That's what I say. Panic gives me life, and that life is then absorbed back in to the music, so it's like a circle...like a circle of life music. Whooa, that's trippy! But like, Phish and those people aren't heady, man -- not enough substance in the their music. They just do drugs. I don't touch that stuff, man.

Producer: You don't take drugs? Seriously?

"Trapper": Nahh, I just smoke weed and eat molly. No drugs, man... I'm not stupid. Haha, I'm made this shirt, man. Check out this shirt...

It's like mean. That's like mean stuff, man. And, it doesn't even matter though 'cause like JB and the boys light fires and then like, put it out with Chilly Water.

Producer: Well, despite editing, this show is starting to come off the tracks really quick. So, we now look to the frontmen of Phish and WSP for some guidance. Phish's Trey Anastasio (sp?) and WSP's John Bell are here with us.

Trey & JB: (simultaneously) Weee oool weeee oll weeee wah weeen!!!!

Producer: Well, that was something.

 Trey: Beeedle be be beep..........bowwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!!!!

JB: Beeeeeeoweeeeeeeen be be beeeeonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn...Chilly water!!! (Drum solo)

(15 minutes later)

Producer:  I don't get it.

"Tweek", "Trapper", & some people we've never seen before:  Whoooooa! Righteous, man. I dig this fah sure.

Producer: A freak-out, wait sorry, a phreak-out was born right there. Not sure that any of what just happen benefits society, but it happened none the less. The rest of the world doesn't understand what is seen in WSP and Phish, but honestly, their fans are too stoned to care. 

This "jam" went on for hours and hours. Literally, it went on for roughly 4:30 hrs. The "Behind the Music" staff try to talk to both groups of fans to feel out the situation -- to get a sense of the tension level. Their response, "Huhhh?"