THE PHELLOWSHIP PHRONT

THE PHELLOWSHIP PHRONT
Volume 21
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Who are we?
The Phellowship is a group of Phish Heads
who choose to remain drug and alcohol free. We
are not affiliated with any other sober music-fan
organization or recovery program. The Phellowship
has absolutely no opinion on the issue of drugs and
alcohol, and neither condemns or condones it. Our
simple purpose is to provide "phellowship,"
support and information to those who seek the
comfort and camaraderie of other clean and sober
people at shows. The only requirement for
membership is a desire to stay substance-free at
shows. Though The Phellowship consists primarily
of those recovering from addiction, we are open to
anyone who wishes to remain clean and sober at
shows.
Welcome to FALL TOUR and NEW YEARS 09! Festival 8 was amazing; a weekend full
of music, art, album covers, acoustic sets, costumes and phriends in sunny Indio CA.
We had a great turn-out of phellowship members at our set break and campsite
meetings. We even had a section in family camping for sober campers! Our website,
phellowship.net, continues to update and the yahoo forum is always lively, with the
latest thread started by Manny about your 1st Phish show, your favorite part about
seeing Phish, and what Phish means to you. It sparked some great discussion ☺
THANK YOU to all the contributers to the newsletter, this volume and past volumes.
Your submissions carry the message of hope and camaraderie The Phellowship is all
about!
FALL TOUR
11.18.09 Cobo Arena, Detroit, MI
11.20.09 U.S. Bank Arena, Cincinnati, OH
11.21.09 U.S. Bank Arena, Cincinnati, OH
11.22.09 War Memorial at Oncenter , Syracuse, NY
11.24.09 Wachovia Center, Philadelphia, PA
11.25.09 Wachovia Center, Philadelphia, PA
11.27.09 Times Union Center, Albany, NY
11.28.09 Times Union Center, Albany, NY
11.29.09 Cumberland County Civic Center, Portland, ME
12.02.09 Madison Square Garden , New York
12.03.09 Madison Square Garden, New York
12.04.09 Madison Square Garden, New York
12.05.09 John Paul Jones Arena, Charlottesville, VA
Phish returns to Florida for a four-night run
at American Airlines Arena in Miami, including a
three-set New Year's Eve show. The shows
are the band's first performances in Florida
since 2003.
12/28
12/29
12/30
12/31
American
American
American
American
Airlines
Airlines
Airlines
Airlines
Arena,
Arena,
Arena,
Arena,
Miami,
Miami,
Miami,
Miami,
FL
FL
FL
FL
What is our mission?
A little history...
The Phellowship has had a
presence on the Phish.Net since
early 1996 with the first official
meeting not occurring until
Halloween of that year at the
Omni in Atlanta, GA. It was
there that a fledgling group of
clean and sober fans were
allowed to set up a table inside
the venue to serve as a meeting
place for those who choose to
remain clean and sober at
shows. After a few more
gatherings met with success
that fall, the group came back in
the summer of 1997 and has
been on Phish tour ever since.
In that time, membership has
blossomed and thousand's of
people have come to know The
Phellowship, several calling
themselves members. Whether
recovering from addiction or just
choosing to refrain from mind
altering substances, teams of
clean and sober fans gather at
the table each night of tour and
share in the freedom and joy
that seeing Phish is all about.
Having absolutely no opinion on
issues relating to drugs or
alcohol, The Phellowship
wishes to simply make itself
available to those who seek a
clean and sober environment
at shows.
Festival 8 was so much fun!
I camped with the Phellows, ate
with Phellows, shared with
Phellows, walked with Phellows,
arrived with Phellows, and went
home with Phellows.
When all the craziness of the
festival seemed to much to handle
you were all there for me, and for
that I am Grateful!
Looking forward to being there for
you and keeping the yellow
balloons aloft. See y'all at MSG
and Albany,
--Lew
It is not our intention to segregate ourselves from the greater
Phish community. Sometimes the predominance of intoxicating
substances at shows and on tour can be trying for those people who
choose to remain clean and sober. It is our hope that knowledge of The
Phellowship’s experience will help those in need realize they are not
alone; that others are nearby with whom they share a common bond.
With comfort and security in place, they may join in, and experience
the freedom and joy that Phish is really all about. We hope that The
Phellowship will offer a bridge to those in need so that all individuals
may join in and… GET BACK ON THE TRAIN!
and now a few words from our phamily
The Phellowship is
Traction in the rain of life
That comes down at shows
Tim D
8 was amazing it will be the food that
nourishes me until my next phish experience,
hopefully sometime in 2010. The phellowship is
the icing on the cake, the jelly in the donut, the
meat in the fist, the calm in the storm, the
oasis in the desert, and remember the magic
is in the hole. I digress, i love the phellowship.
There are many times when i dont attend
meetings at the table, i just say hi, then there
are times when i may stay at the table the
whole show. I just love the fact that its
there. The people i have met are wonderful.
barrett c. indio ca
Hi Kidz, here we go again! The excitement and energy that has
emerged since Hampton from the Phellowship brings comfort to
my soul. It seems like only yesterday, (not over 12 years ago),
that people from all over this country were in touch with the
Phellowship website, email group, and most importantly each other
in the quest for our ultimate sober buzz...PHISH LIVE!!!. Another
great buzz is the people who create the glue that holds this thing
tightly together. Look for new service positions over the Winter,
and do keep offering to be of service at a show near you...or far
away for that matter cause tour is tour. The band's the same, the
people are the same, just the city changes. Thanks to everyone
who offers service, comes to the meetings, and accepts the fact
we are part of, not separate from the wonderfully fantastic high
that is PHISH!!! I love you all and can't wait to see you on fall
tour...and always remember..."IT'S ALL GOOD"! Love and Hugs,
Robert
Phish, the Phellowship and Me
I can remember back in 1992, when I was introduced to Phish. I was deep into my lengthy
addiction, and heard Reba at a psychedelic party, but little did I know the insanity was about
to begin. I was instantly hooked, went out the next day and bought Junta, Lawn Boy, and a
bootleg live CD. This was the best “Drug” I had ever had, granted I also enjoyed the boys
greatly on drugs too. After years of trading tape case after tape case building the quite
extensive collection, as one was too many and thousands were not enough, I finally got to
see them in 1995 in New Orleans, at State Palace. I began another leg of phish tours for the
following years ending in Big Cypress, as I was facing full blown addiction of…well
everything including Phish. I continued to see them off and on through the pre hiatus and
when they called hiatus after Coventry, I was in the deepest part my addiction much like the
state of the band, everything was not flowing smoothly. I could no longer surrender to the
flow; the flow had swallowed me whole. While dropping most of the alcohol, pot, and
psychedelics, I had indulged into a world of pharmaceuticals with no turning back. My
beloved band was gone, work was nuts, family life was not Happy, Joyous and Free, and my
new addiction to Oxy-contin took over in full control. This went on throughout the entire
Phish Hiatus, ending me up in rehab a couple of months before the Band announced the
Hampton reunion. Upon admitting myself powerless and learning that it is OKAY to ask
for HELP! I took a lead from a phriend very familiar with THE PHELLOWSHIP; I got
involved and have stayed active ever since. I really am grateful to know that Phish is back
on track, and The Phellowship is here and allows similar pholks such as myself the ability to
enjoy their love of the band, and keep our sobriety and new way of life as a forefront. The
Phellowship is strong point of my sobriety as I love the experience, strength, and hope that
is shared on the list. I meet people for the first time and we have a ball, as if we have
known each other forever, or that we have been through the same things and just know.
Thank you PHELLOWSHIP for what you provide to an amazing group of miracles. Life is
not always a bed of roses and I do live life on life’s terms today. I do not always get to see
Phish as I would like, but when I get to today it is a truly amazing experience, even better
than before when I thought “I HAD” to have substance to enhance the experience.
TODAY, I will take the band, the Phellowship, and my new sober self, and be Happy,
Joyous and Free! Clayton R Mobile AL
Hey all! My name is Nick and I am a member of the Phellowship. I saw my first sober phish show
this summer in camden and was totally blown away. I had seen them a few times during my
active addiction but sadly was such a mess i really had no clear memories of what it was like. The
drugs had taken me to a place where I could not even enjoy the music that I loved. My only
reason for going to shows was to get completely trashed and eventually i didn't even go to shows
for that. The isolation of addiction led me to not care about anything or anyone. Anyway with the
gift of desperation and with the help of rehab and drug court i was able to find this new way of life.
It took me a year and half of being clean to be able to attend another concert and I hooked up
with a similar group. From then on I discovered a renewed sense of love for music and jam band
scene. I no longer needed any substance to feel the music or to dance like a fool and the best
part is I could remember the show afterwards. Festival 8 was my first experience with the
Phellowship. It was also my first ever Phish festival and first 3-day festival in recovery. I must say
i was a little nervous about the whole thing cause I had never been out to the west coast and was
flying solo. Once I met some of you phells that i had never really even talked to before i was
completely at ease. It was like we had known each other for years. Meeting people from all over
the country who share a common bond of being in recovery and on another level of being music
lovers. What an amazing spiritual experience. The venue was amazing, the music was incredible,
and I made some lasting friendships. Can't thank you all enough for being a part of it. Can't wait
to see you all during Fall tour. Peace and Love Nick N.
hey phellows. i can’t believe its another TOUR! i also can’t believe all the outstanding
phriends i have met since i embarked on my journey in sobriety. the people i have met in
the phellowship have been here, there and everywhere for me. its such a wonderful
feeling to know i am not alone. festival 8 was an amazing experience, a perception
changing experience. it made me realize i can do whatever i like with the help of others. i
can continue to see live music, even while in “the lions den.” i don’t have to be a part of
the chaos, i CAN be a PART of experience that is PHISH and their music. and be a part
of YOU and your wonderful friendships and support. see you in albany, maine, msg and
MIAMI! xoxo love and hugs to my phells. amanda m ☺
8 Sets of Phish, and Much
Much More!
1. Eating scoops of Ben and
Jerry's 2. Walking the grounds
3. From Kid A to Electric
Ladyland 4. Then in a
hammock I lounge. 5. Visiting
Friends 6. Making new ones
too 7. Hitting up meetings 8.
That's what we do.
9.
Shopping for gifts 10. At a
shakedown store 11. Grabbin
some coffee
12. And doughnuts "No more?"
Another scoop of Phish Food
please! 1. Dress up in
costumes 2. Watch the fires
boil 3. Lets go explore 4. The
Squirmin Coil! 5. Saying
goodbye 6. Packin up our
gear 7. PerHaps we can do
this 8. same time next year!
9. See ya this Fall 10. And I'll
bring the hack 11. Anything
is possible 12. When we
keep comin back!
Greg B. aka Haps
PhanArt: The Art of the Fans of Phish is
a comprehensive collection of all the art
fans made as inspired by the band Phish.
Included in this book are show posters
made by fans, lot shirts, stickers,
personalized license plates, tattoos, and
various other pieces of art, as well as
artist profiles, interviews with members
of the Phish community and essays on a
variety of phish-related topics.
The Phellowship is featured as an
instrumental part of the book, with a
story of recovery and redemption by Ken
H, and a history of The Phellowship that
was assisted by Mama Paige, John P,
Robert C and original members of The
Wharf Rats. 12 unique pieces of
Phellowship fan-art are included in a 3page spread that aides in sharing with the
Phish community the impact and
importance of this open group of sober
fans.
PhanArt is not for profit, with all net
profits benefiting the Mockingbird
Foundation for music education
nationwide - mbirg.org website for
PhanArt: phanart.net/blog
Hey Now! As Phellowship Secretary and Archivist, I am working on compiling some publications to keep the
individual Phellowship member informed, and up-to-date. Beginning in early 2010, I will be writing a
narrative about the birth, and development throughout the years, of the Phellowship. This publication will be
made available to members of the Phellowship upon its completion, for the price of cost only. I would love to
hear from each and everyone of you as I'm sure we all have something to add.
The Archives section of the website is now fully operational, and I would love to hear any suggestions about
how we can continue to preserve the legacy of the Phellowship, or entertain posting any web articles you may
come across that mention the Phells.
Thank you.
Sincerely, Emory W.
Please send all inquiries and suggestions to [email protected] .
LOOK FOR
YELLOW BALOONS
and
PHELLOWSHIP BANNNER at shows.
You can even catch a meeting
between sets all tour!
For more information please
contact a member listed on this page
visit our forum at http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/Phellowship/
* For general information/questions/comments about the Phellowship:
[email protected]
* If you would like to make a donation to The Phellowship, or have inquiries about the
treasury: [email protected]
* For specific questions about the history of our organization, or if you're interested in
covering a story on The Phellowship, contact Paige C at [email protected]
* if you have over 1 year in recovery, and are interested in working a Phellowship table
near you, contact Robert C at [email protected]
* For webpage related questions or suggestions, contact Tom R at
[email protected]
* If you would like to contribute a story, picture, poem, etc. to the Phellowship
newsletter, contact Amanda M at [email protected]