About this episode

Mark Goodwin joins the podcast to discuss the intersection of Phish's music and Bitcoin culture, sharing personal stories and insights into the band's improvisational style.

In this episode, we welcome journalist and drummer Mark Goodwin for a sprawling, joyous dive into Phish’s improvisational magic, Talking Heads worship, and the bizarrely perfect overlap between Phish tour lore and Bitcoin culture. Mark shares his New England origins, jazz-drum roots, and the moment Phish rewired his musical brain—from Lawn Boy on a road trip to Rush, to finally catching the band’s 3.0 rebirth at Hampton. We relive festival highs (Superball IX’s midnight “No Quarter,” the storage unit set, and a field-wide Stop Making Sense dance party), unpack the evolution from ‘93 precision to ‘97 cow-funk fearlessness, and celebrate Mike Gordon’s modern sonic heft and Fishman’s behind-the-beat pocket. We also trade stories about cities, scenes, and synchronicities—from mimes and movie theaters to Prague’s subterranean ghost—while considering how Phish’s ever-growing songbook and improvisational ethos could cement their legacy a century from now. Worlds collide as the Sphere run lines up with Bitcoin 2024, and we reflect on Sigma Oasis’ uncanny timing, the role of statistics and setlist lore, and the communal proof-of-work that makes this band’s history feel both personal and…

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