"Sit up and take notice, tell like it is" - SPAC Phish Shows

There are a few things to know about Jesse. He likes to talk, a lot. He is gluten and dairy free due to allergies, which makes eating out quite difficult. And, he is obsessed, I mean: OBSESSED, with the band Phish. Certainly there are other interesting things to know about him, but mainly it is the latter. That boy is in love with the four band members of Phish and would do anything to see them play live.  This past weekend marked the fourth time I saw them (obviously all with him), and I will - probably regretfully - admit that they are rather talented musicians who are fun to see play a full venue.

A Phish show is like no other experience though. Believe me. I've decided to walk you through one.

Phishheads are like no other music-fan. It is no group of screaming girls crying out for Justin Beiber or that silly One Direction band. It is no groupie type fan base that forces themselves upon the stars of heavy metal front men. And it is certainly no folk-artist sing-a-long crowd. No. Phishheads are ridiculously devoted to this jam-band-foursome, and they cannot get enough of the summer tour dates. In fact, the idea of missing a show in a series of 3 or 4 is simply unheard of.

This past weekend, July 6-8th, Phish played a three day stint in beautiful Saratoga Springs, NY at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC). Only 2.5 hours away from Syracuse, I knew Jesse was not going to pass up this opportunity. It being the closer weekend to a summer full of shows, he was definitely attending and I, the lucky girlfriend, got to accompany him.  Originally, I was just going to head up for the Sunday show, but the drive there and back-there and back for Jesse was ridiculous, so we ended up getting a fantastic deal on a Priceline hotel just outside Albany and made a weekend of it.  For just $37 and 25 minutes from SPAC we were able to stay near the venue and enjoy the nature of Saratoga. Additionally, the awful-after-concert-drive only had to happen once. 

There are a few things to know about Phishheads: 

(additionally known as: reasons I think they are actually a cult-group)

1. There are all these inside jokes and stories regarding lyrics, moments on stage, or the Phish-fan blog site.

2. Every major Phish fan can tell you the songs played at any given tour and how they sounded, what the band members did, and what was unreal about it. Likewise, any huge Phish fan can tell you what disappointed them.

3. Phish fans cannot dance. They are a crowd full of white people who cannot dance at all (I fit right in).

4. Even though they look homeless, Phish fans can afford the $13 beers at SPAC.

5. If you are driving to a Phish show and have Phish-related memorabilia on your car, a huge spectacle will be made while you are driving down the highway.

6. Phishheads listen to nothing but Phish. Most days but definitely on show days.

7. Phish fans get to shows HOURS early so they can dance around the parking lot, drink, mingle and check out all the cool stuff for sale that is available at every show.

8. If someone is wearing something, even if it doesn't look Phish-related, it is definitely Phish-related.

9. Phishheads must stock up on glowsticks for days.

10. Phish fans are usually really friendly, welcoming, and won't hesitate to talk about all the Phish shows they have seen and how excited they are for the series of Phish shows you are at them with.

Needless to say, they are very nice people, sometimes referred to as Wooks (check out the "Urban Dictionary" definition if you want to see for yourself!)

After a seemingly brief drive up to Saratoga Springs, Jesse and I met up with some of his Phish friends in a parking lot. Being the smart poor college students we are, we invested in a cooler and bought our food at the grocery store for the weekend. We really only needed dinner and snacks Saturday night and lunch/dinner for Sunday. After enjoying our picnic in the lot, we made our way toward the venue.  Now, I didn't have a ticket (yet) and Phishheads are known for walking around the venue with one finger up notifying everyone that they are in need of a ticket. I have always laughed at those people at previous shows, but Saturday night.. I was one of them. I did have Jesse do my bidding though. We didn't have much luck in the crowd, so we went to the box office to get our AWESOME lawn tickets. Just kidding about the awesome. 

Night One!

Our AWESOME view from the lawn

And the AWESOME guy that was screaming behind Jesse

SPAC is a really beautiful venue, located in such a pretty part of upstate NY. However, their GA lawn seats stink. They are truly awful. Probably because the venue is designed like this:

The pavilion has two levels which gives every spot on the lawn a really terrible view of 

anything but the jumbo-trons

(image taken from google-interwebz)

Take my advice: if you are interested in going to see a band you really enjoy at SPAC, splurge for the Pavilion seats. Otherwise you will be looking at the backs of the heads of sweaty fools dancing around in a dirt pile.

Needless to say, we moved at the end of the first set to a more open view of the stage. It was on the concrete, right next to the main entrance to the pavilion, but was a much clearer view of the stage. And I didn't have the constant smell of pot being blown into my face.

A much better view

At this point there are a few other things to mention about Phish:

1. They play two incredibly long sets.

2. There is no opening act. You go to a Phish concert to see them play Set I for 1.5 hours and Set II for 2 hours. There is a 30-45 minute set break in between.

3. Each song lasts 10-30 minutes. Some jams go right into other songs, and some do not.

4. Every Phish fan must throw glow-sticks at a really inspiring part of a song. In other words, when the guitarist, Trey, starts breaking it down.

5. The light show is spectacular. Truly.

Since we were staying in Albany, we took a short ride downtown and checked out the capitol complex.  Coming from a state with a modest capitol area and the traditional domed building, I was intrigued by the massive concrete structures housed in Albany. The entire legislative structure was something definitely unique to my preconceived notion of capitols. However, as a (more full-time than ever) resident of New York, it was something I enjoyed seeing.

This is just one view of the area - a huge concrete exterior ensconces the center of the complex

The Egg - located in the Empire State Plaza

Jesse explained to me that it is a Performing Arts Center and that people actually watch concerts and ballets in that odd-egg shaped concrete rock.

For the remainder of our day, before night two (which was actually night three ... Jesse doesn't like talking about missing Friday's show, which in hindsight - according to all the post-show hoopla - was the best one) we traveled to John Boyd Thatcher State Park, just southwest of Albany. We pulled off at the overlook area to hang out, walk around, and enjoy the rest of our cooler food. Although we really didn't have time to explore the whole walking/hiking area, which from pictures seems amazing, we did get to hang out around this view:

Can't beat it

The weather was breezy and perfect too

Then it was back to SPAC with a brief tour of the quaint downtown Saratoga Springs and Skidmore College, which are both insanely cute and beautiful.

The kinds of people you meet in the parking lots

Though, this is kind of cool .. you have to admit

Ready for the show!!

Just kidding- I was hungry and bought a $5 bowl of Bacon-Macaroni and Cheese on Shakedown Street

*Shakedown Street is the title of a Grateful Dead album and song. At Phish shows, it is a series of tents and vendors that line an area of a lot away from the venue. You can find all your Phish memorabilia on Shakedown Street, including: bumper stickers, t-shirts, booze, drugs, etc. You know.. the good stuff.

I simply bought Macaroni. And, I am still alive. What do you know?

Night Two!

As I mentioned before, the lawn was simply awful. So.. (even though we had lawn tickets for Sunday too) we made our way into the pavilion. Shhh, don't tell the crazy yellow-shirted-SPAC workers. Thank goodness we did.

Haha, people on the lawn

Our view on night two; trust me... it was a LOT better. My camera skills are weak, but there was so much more room to dance around (badly, of course) and see the band. For the Phishheads out there, we sat Page side, rage side.

It was great to see this fool so happy. He really does love the shows, the music, and the experience (it was his 23rd, after all...). I was happy to be a part of it with him. A great (fourth) show, for my first time at SPAC. The 2.5 hour drive home (after the concert let out at 12:30) was awful, but definitely worth the trip up to beautiful Saratoga Springs!

The Recovery Room

With all the (negative) press Planned Parenthood has received recently, especially in light of the 2012 Obamacare initiative, it could be ironic that I chose to start volunteering at my local PPH clinic this summer. Or, if you know me... that may have been one of the reasons I started volunteering in the first place.

Needless to say, yesterday was my first, independent day working at the center and, boy, was it a ride.

This summer, and potentially throughout the upcoming school semester, I will volunteer 5 hours a week at the Rochester-Syracuse Regional center (PPRSR) on Thursdays. Given the Fourth of July was on a Wednesday this year, and Wednesday is typically "abortion day," I had the overwhelming first-day experience of volunteering in the recovery room yesterday.  Without going into confidential details, it was one of the most unique work-related experiences I have ever had. It was also one of the most emotional. Containing my own rapidly flowing thoughts and feelings was difficult in front of all different kinds of women receiving surgical abortions. Contrary to political framing, there was not one type of woman going in for a surgery, but I met individuals of all backgrounds, all stages of life, and all different personal reactions to the momentous decision.

Let me begin by sharing my own personal standing, because I actually find that important to share when discussing anything related to "standing with planned parenthood." I am pro-life. Truly.  I don't like saying that is my "political" viewpoint, but unfortunately, society has made this issue a tug-of-war-political game too. Personally, I could never get an abortion. But, like many things .. I say that without actually knowing anything at all.  Although my personal position is what political gamemakers like to call "pro-life," I am also "pro-choice" because like most political spectra, I don't like people telling me what to do. I have always been a stubborn, obstinate kind of girl. I have a feeling that I don't like people telling me what to do because I am confident in my own mature decision-making. I feel secure and intelligent about the choices I make. However, that is not to say all people make smart choices. That's evident by the dumb-dumbs in society. How many DUIs, Dropouts, and bad body art are out there? Must I even ask?

That being said, the reason I "stand with planned parenthood," among other reasons I am volunteering this summer (namely to assist with my senior capstone-thesis project related to reproductive health), is because no matter how many dumb-dumbs are out there, I find it a phenomenal feat that women of my country actually have a right and an option regarding their reproductive health. In fact, even though many people see PPH as an "abortion house," that isn't the service they concentrate on most.  Mostly, PPH focuses on getting certain populations of people healthcare who wouldn't normally have access. They educate and test to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted infections. They assist individuals in getting contraceptive devices so that women won't need to visit the center on surgery day. The point of the clinic is to provide literature and information so people, who are going to make decisions regardless -- good or bad, have the resources made available to them. Like in a classroom where you can choose to ask the teacher for extra help if you need it to improve your own grade, PPH simply provides the educator. If people are still going to make bad choices, even when resources are obviously out there are their disposal, well... human beings will be human beings.

Yesterday was definitely an overwhelming, heart-racing experience, but I know I am going to learn a lot. If anything, I am going to learn the most about myself from this volunteering experience. I think that's what makes the donation of your time that much more valuable. We'll see how the whole gig pans out; being uncomfortable while learning is what makes learning enjoyable though. If you already "know everything," what's the point in being taught something new?

A little something in my free time...

While here in Syracuse for the summer I am discovering some wonderful things that help make this a truly vibrant community. Yes, it get hot. And yes, there are still things about Syracuse that are very funky; namely, the overwhelming number of streetlights that OBVIOUSLY do not sync together on the same street. But regardless, Central New York (and Syracuse, specifically) also have some incredible people and amazing ways to get involved within the community. Who would have thunk it?!

Moreover, who would have guessed I would be involved in "Save the Neighborhood Grocery Store" movement that has taken over in a neighborhood I do not even live in?

Wegmas Food Markets, Inc. is a family-owned supermarket chain headquartered just outside Rochester, NY (that's about an hour from Syracuse, NY). The grocer was founded in 1916 in Rochester, NY and is consistently acclaimed one of the best US grocery chains; it has ranked among the top 10 in Fortune's "100 Best Companies to Work For" list for eight consecutive years.

So, what's my beef with this amazing company?

They are tearing down  TORE DOWN the Wegmans located in the Northside of Syracuse. This is a major problem for a number of reasons. First, the Northside of Syracuse has a rich history embedded in culture.  Originally, this side of town was settled by German-Americans in the 19th century. Overtime, the Northside became home to all kinds of new Americans, and today in the 21st century, the neighborhood has become home to many nations representing diverse languages, cultures and ethnicities - Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, Somalia, Bhurma, Nepal, Bhutan, Vietnam, and Eastern Europe. Why does a diverse culture (of many immigrants) matter, do you ask? Well, that brings me to the second major problem .. the people living in this area are starved for resources. Many people lack fluid incomes, access to reliable transportation, and fluent English speaking skills.  And if it is not the refugee/immigrant populations to worry about, many low-income Americans and retired people live in the Northside too. When the one grocery store providing fresh produce, meats and dairy decided to leave this poor neighborhood, they ultimately created a food desert: any area in the industrialized world where healthy, affordable food is difficult to obtain. Food deserts are prevalent in rural as well as urban areas and are more prevalent in low-socioeconomic minority communities. They are also linked with supermarket shortages in a geographic location.

This is when I decided to get involved. When I heard news of a community meeting from my friend Dan, I jumped on the opportunity to provide my resources, ideas and young social media "expertise" to the struggling community. Since that initial meeting, the group has made great progress. Although Wegmans still closed its doors on the neighborhood (as promised on: June 30, 2012) the neighborhood association has riled the press media with press conferences, numerous letters to the editor, a viral video release, among other proposals. Although I, admittedly, am not on the front of this battle, it has been wildly exciting to get to know such an interesting group of people. Seeing them work together to bring in another grocer has been inspiring.

Take a look at their work: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feEVJW-GWpU&feature=plcp

And some of the media coverage: http://centralny.ynn.com/content/590226/at-least-one-proposal-submitted-for-pond-street-wegmans-site/

You can count on my own letter to the editor. It really is such a shame that Wegmans has selected this neighborhood to mess with; I think they have surprised everyone. And really... good for them.