We went around the festival grounds at Super Ball IX asking phans from around the country questions about their favorite band.
Check out how far they traveled to Watkins Glen, what they had to say about their first experience with Phish and what they would ask the members if they got backstage.
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Left to right:
Brett Tora - Philadelphia, PA - Flew from Arizona then drove four hours
Brian - Kansas City, KS - Two days, 1,100 miles
Chris H. - Norfolk, MA - Flew 15 hours from Colorado
Jeff - Albany, NY - Drove 3.5 hours
Rachel Halpern - Atlanta, GA - Flew from Colorado to Boston and drove six hours
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Left to right:
Ryan - New York - Drove 3.5 hours
Ryan Jacob - West Palm Beach, FL - Traveled 23 hours between flights and cars
Sam - Ft. Worth, TX - Flew to Ohio then drove
Sean Rings - Michigan - Traveled 12.5 hours
Simon Goetz - Washington, D.C. - Drove 5.5 hours
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Left to right:
Tara McDaniels - Gaithersburg, MD - Drove 5.5 hours
Rick and Cathy - New York/Denver, CO - Cathy drove 31 hours
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"I found 'A Live One' in my brother's room when I was in sixth grade, and I saw the 30-minute 'Tweezer' and I thought that was the most ridiculous thing ever, so I had to listen to it." – Chris H.
"My brother got me into Phish. He took me to a Merriweather show for my 21st birthday. It wasn't that great, but it was still the best concert I'd ever been to." – Tara McDaniels
"Through various friends of friends. My dad's always been an old-school Deadhead, so I've always grown up around this stuff basically since before I can remember." – Ryan Jacob
"My buddy Rick brought a tape over one day around '93 and I loved it. – Jeff (Albany)
"I was sick of hearing The Dead because it was too slow. I saw [Phish] live and it was great. I'm a Dead fan, but Phish melted my face every time. – Sean Rings
"I first read about Phish in 'Rolling Stone' when I was living in Europe in '97. – Brian (Kansas City)
"Four words: 'My Friend, My Friend.' I was 15." – Rick (New York)
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What was your first show like?
"Telluride 2010. It was epic. It was awesome. – Simon Goetz
"Atlanta 2003. It was an awesome show. My parents went out of town and my brother and sister came home from college. They were my babysitters and we had the most insane party ever. I was going into tenth grade." – Rachel Halpern
"Philly, the night before Thanksgiving in 2008. My grandfather had just passed away. It was just me and my cousins, and it was what I needed at that time in my life. Since then, I've just been traveling and looking for that same feeling." – Ryan Jacob
"Binghamton '95. The blizzard. It was very, very snowy. We almost didn't get to go, but last minute, my friend's dad drove us there. I think I was 14." – Jeff (Albany)
"My first show was Burgettstown '97. At first, it was a little bit overwhelming, but once I got settled in it was really good. The 'Suzy' jam was my first glow stick war. It was super funky." – Ryan (New York)
"My first show was Kansas City '95 or '96. It was sweet. Poured rain [and] people were sliding down the hill with no tops." – Sean Rings
"February 13, 1997 in London. It was great, maybe 1,500 to 2,000 people. Some of the shows we hit that tour were 700 people. Just small indoor clubs. London was big. Amsterdam was huge. Brussels was relatively small, though, just a couple hundred people." – Brian (Kansas City)
"Binghamton, December '95. It was back when they had the chess board. Page would make a move and then the audience would make a move." – Rick (New York)
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If you could talk to the band about anything, what would it be?
"I would ask them what the jibberish at the end of 'Fluffhead' is because nobody knows what's really being said. It's not even online." – Brett Toran
"I would probably ask them about their experiences on the road." – Jeff (Albany)
"I would ask Trey, 'What goes on in your head when you're late on lyrics or flub lyrics?'" – Ryan (New York)
"Why don't they play in Florida more often, man?" – Ryan Jacob
"When the hell are you gonna play Kansas City again?" – Brian (Kansas City)
"When are they going to do a legitimate run through Texas and the Southwest? – Sam (Ft. Worth)
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Check out our Super Ball IX Review Guide for the biggest highlights, lowlights and surprises from the festival.
What are your answers to these questions? Let us know in the comments below.
