Intermission- The Culture Shock of a Phish Concert

So we’ve spent the last sixty plus days walking in the woods. Often it’s just the two of us. We’d periodically pass other hikers and sometimes see them at night at the shelters. More than 10 people is a “crowd”. 

Given that has been my daily routine, it was probably not the wisest decision to make a Phish concert the center of my re-entry into civilization. Being surrounded by thousands of Phish fans “bouncing round the room” – literally – was hard to take. It was like being a human pinball. 

The day started out well. Ian and I drove to Philadelphia from Salisbury. We stopped at the REI in Plymouth Meeting for resupply, then went to Spruce Street Harbor Park to meet Linda, George, Mark, and Amy. We were there early, but there was a great place to sit and there was an ice cream vendor, so we had all our needs met. It was great visiting once everyone got there.

Then we met some friends at a restaurant in South Philly – Tre Scalini (great suggestion, Jane!). Then we headed to the Mann Center and the concert. 

Now this was not my first Phish concert. I knew what to expect. Nevertheless, I felt overwhelmed. By the crowd and by the excess of consumption. Living so simply for so long, I really struggled. Even the number of cars in the parking lot overwhelmed me. 

I found that closing my eyes and just listening to the music helped. 

For now, I’m happy to be back on the trail. I’ll be a little more careful in what I choose to do immediately once I finish.