Adventures at a Summer Music Festival: Phish's Superball IX

Summer music festivals are always an adventure. Having been to a handful over the years, I'm always excited to experience something a little different from the average. This fourth of July weekend I did experience a festival that was out of the ordinary at Phish's Superball IX. Music festival is almost too broad a phrase to describe Superball; it was a circus, a camping trip, a dance party, a county fair, and a massive barbeque all wrapped into one eccentric, crazy package.

For the uninitiated, Phish is a rock band (some might say a "jam band", though I am not a fan of the term) that specializes in improvisational rock and roll with an experimental edge. If you can imagine the Grateful Dead crossed with Pink Floyd with a dash of Frank Zappa plus an indefinable creativity, you might get something close to Phish. Though hard to describe or classify, Phish has amassed a wildly dedicated following (witness the Phantasy Tour website) since their inception at the University of Vermont in 1983. Without the help of mass media promotion or exposure on MTV or VH1, these four unassuming guys have managed to become rock stars (despite looking a bit like mildly scruffy college professors these days).

Superball IX is their ninth festival and an attempt to top the wild extravaganzas of their previous outings. One thing to know about Phish festivals is that they are not the average stage/vending/audience festivals you might expect. The band strives to create a massive all-encompassing experience that shocks and surprises their fans at every turn. The motto of each of their festivals is "Our intent is all for your delight", which summarizes the thrust of Superball IX.

Superball IX took place at Watkins Glen Speedway in upstate NY, typically a speedway that plays host to NASCAR races under other circumstances. So already we are in an atypical environment for a multi-day, camping and music festival. Our campsite was right on the turn of the speedway, where we could look directly behind our tent to see a massive race track. On the first day of the festival, the band infamously took to the track in several tour buses to do a low speed race around the famous track. The concert itself took place within the loop of the track in an area the band deemed "Ball Square."

We were lucky enough to camp in the "Phamily" camping section, a special area reserved for friends and family of the band (we landed there through sheer luck). On day one of the festival we saw Mike Gordon, the eccentric and friendly bassist of the band cruising through our section with several family members on a golf cart. No, they are not your average, standoffish rock stars who stick to their VIP section, downing champagne and eating catered meals. From our site we had a phenomenal view of Ball Square, the concert field and recreation area. Ball Square's most stunning monument from a distance was a massive, fully-lit ferris wheel. Ball Square was more a carnival than a concert field, though it did contain a concert field. Ball Square also featured a performance art space that contained various buildings and structures that would both confuse and entertain you. For example, one building was filled entirely with balloons that were sculpted into a wild silo-like structure. When standing inside the small space, you were entirely surrounded by colorful balloons. Another building featured what appeared to be a giant human hamster wheel on the outside; many concertgoers hopped in for a spin. There was a giant movie screen that played host to all sorts of entertainment throughout the weekend when the band wasn't performing: Talking Heads' concert film "Stop Making Sense" had a late night showing, "Talladega Nights" provided a nod to NASCAR, "Boogie Nights" brought the disco, and even some NY Yankees games had their showings. A massive, reflective silver ball overlooked the proceedings.

Also inside Ball Square was the requisite concert field, which featured the stage, field, and vending. The vending was also not the average; Ben and Jerry's handed out their delicious Phish Food ice cream for free and one stand even featured Cajun cuisine like jambalaya and even Alligator Nuggets (you wouldn't believe how good these are, strangely enough). The crowd is diverse enough to appreciate anything the band throws at them. The stands selling flowy sundresses and classic rock t-shirts catered to the hippie crowd, while sometimes playing hip-hop and offbeat choices like Sri Lankan rapper M.I.A. Playing out of the speakers you might hear rappers The Roots, the Grateful Dead, and neo-country artist Neko Case all within the same hour. Many people are quick to dismiss Phish as "hippie music" when in reality, diversity is key in the Phish "phan" (fan) scene.

Speaking of the "Phan" scene, venture the concert field into the general admission camping area and you will find the "Shakedown Street" scene, a fan- operated tent city that sells everything from fan-created t-shirts (often cooler than the official shirts) and jewelry to ridiculously good food sold out of the back of fellow concertgoers' vehicles. Here you could find grilled cheese sandwiches, beer, mixed drinks, bottled water, popsicles, candy, chicken and steak wraps, falafel, pulled pork sandwiches and anything you might desire, all provided by fans hoping to fund their future Phish shows on summer tour. "Shakedown" is an adventure during the after-hours of the show, when a different element comes out in force to provide other forms of amusement. No matter your purpose for venturing to Shakedown (mine was often the awesome Ragin' Cajun shrimp wraps), you would find what you were looking for. This is what makes the Phish fan community so unique and cool, its do-it-yourself nature.

If I wrote in detail about every amazing purely musical moment of the festival, I'd write endlessly, so I'll hit the highlights. The afternoon set on July 2nd featured a fan-organized, word of mouth "Beach Ball War." Anyone who was attended a Phish show knows that "Glow Stick Wars" are a nightly occurrence. If you have never seen one, check out this awesome video from Superball. The Beach Ball war was similar in theory but instead featured hundreds of beach balls flying through the hot, daytime skies. Over the three days, Phish played seven sets, plus one late-night secret set, an ambient jam inside a storage unit in the middle of Ball Square. Though it was unannounced, concertgoers flocked there from all around to witness a truly unique set that differed from the more structured rock the band usually performs.

The experience Phish provided at Superball shows their dedication to their music, their fans and the spirit of invention and creativity, which still is alive in rock music. If you ever get the chance to see Phish live, at a festival like Superball, or just a single show, drop everything and do it. It will make you smile and appreciate life a little more.