Hi everybody and welcome to this week’s episode of Attendance Bias. I am your host, Brian Weinstein. This week’s special guest is Brian Brinkman of Osiris Media. Brian is all over the place in the Phish podcasting world, having co-hosted Beyond the Pond, current host of The Drop and The Ravine, and the producer of Undermine as well as 36 From the Vault. I’ll have to check again, but I think I got it all. 

During Phish’s 2021 summer tour, Brian hosted wrap up episodes of every run on live versions of The Helping Friendly Podcast. He invited me to help him wrap up Phish’s run at The Gorge, and speaking with him one-on-one was a completely different experience than what I’m used to hearing  him host his podcasts. It’s clear in both scenarios that Brian is knowledgeable, educated, and serious about Phish. But his ability to discuss the band goes well beyond their music. Brian is able to drift off the main topic at hand and connect different eras of his life, his personal experiences, other Phish shows  and jams, and general knowledge to virtually any topic being discussed. This conversation went on longer than we both expected but I hope you agree with me that there is no wasted time.

For today’s episode of Attendance Bias, Brian chose to discuss Phish’s performance of “Ghost” from 12/30/16 at Madison Square Garden. As you’ll hear him tell the story, Brian was going through an incredibly difficult and traumatic experience at the time, and this version of Ghost, in conjunction with the entire show, acted as something of an oasis in the middle of a crisis. It’s a compelling story and an outstanding jam in an overall uneven year of Phish. 

So let’s join Brian Brinkman to hear about his history in podcasting, the importance of Rattle and Hum, and what it’s like driving on a desert by yourself in the middle of the night as we discuss Phish’s performance of “Ghost” from December 30, 2016 at Madison Square Garden.