I have always considered myself a big fan of Phish. However I had never had the opportunity to see them perform live in concert until this past Saturday night. Phish just recently kicked off their summer 2010 tour, and my friends and I were lucky enough to score some sold out tickets from SeatGeek for their show up at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Saratoga NY. It being my first Phish show, I was struck by the energy, passion, and all around euphoria exhibited by both the band and the fans in attendance.

Phish has a policy of never playing the same song two nights in a row. It’s a testament to the breadth and quality of their catalog that they are able to play something different every night, and never send their fans home disappointed. That in a nutshell is what makes a Phish show so unique. Unlike most live bands today, with Phish you never know what you’re going to get.

The music industry has changed, and continues to evolve at a breakneck pace. As record stores disappear, and sales continue to decline, more and more emphasis has been shifted from record sales to concert ticket sales. In the past, bands toured to increase record sales. Today bands release records to support their tours. With concerts being artists primary source of income, much more emphasis has been placed on the appearance, the spectacle, the “show.” With so much attention being paid nowadays to choreography, backup dancers, costume changes and other superfluous accessories, many modern concert-goers have forgotten what a concert should be about. News flash – it’s about the music!

Phish knows it, Phish phans know it, and at any Phish show this simple mantra shines through. Just like the Grateful Dead, the Allman Brothers, and other jam bands that preceded them, Phish revels in the beauty and spontaneity of their nightly creations. Each show is unique, and that fact is what keeps phans coming back night after night. In fact, due to the special nature of each individual performance, every single Phish concert from their summer 2010 tour is being professionally recorded, and is available for purchase the next day on livephish.com. The atmosphere at a Phish show is one of joyful celebration, to the extent of borderline religious revelation.  Everyone is there for the same reason, to worship their gods of music- Trey, Mike, Jon and Page.

While Lady Gaga may draw more fans to her shows, you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone attending multiple concerts of hers, for the simple reason that there is no point to it. A Lady Gaga show is an extravagant whirlwind of sights and sounds, all expertly choreographed down to the second, designed to shock and entertain. Such concerts have more in common with Broadway musicals than traditional concerts. They can be extremely entertaining, but just as you wouldn’t go back to the same Broadway show night after night, you wouldn’t go see a Rihanna show time and time again. You’ve been there, done that, seen what there is to see.

Pop music acts come and go at a remarkable pace. While today Taylor Swift or The Jonas Brothers may be on top of the world, headlining shows at arenas around the country, it’s important to recall that a few years ago the very same stadiums were being toured by Gwen Stefani, Maroon 5, Christina Aguilera, or the Spice Girls. But while these acts have receded into the background, Phish keeps rolling on, heads bobbing, lights flashing, and jams grooving.

Tickets to Phish’s summer tour can be purchased here, and as always feel free to email me with any questions or comments at jonathan@seatgeek.com and be sure to follow us on twitter @SeatGeekMusic