Harris, you went to live clips WAY too fast!! Scott is clearly stuck on lyrics and putting Phish into a specific place he can understand them at. I think the comedy angle was the wrong approach. Scott is very literal in his comedy, he likes puns and word games and as we learned on the jukebox segment of Comedy Bang Bang he will only accept comedy that is quick and to the point. Phish isn't a comedy band, they are a fun band. They don't take themselves too seriously and therefore have many playful songs with goofy lyrics but they are not comedy and the goofy lyrics will only alienate Scott further.
To succeed you need to take an entirely musical approach. Your entry point needs to be studio. You jumped into Gamehendge too, it’s too culty and weird for outsiders to start with. Also, the layperson is not ready to sit and handle a 20 minute jam unless you’ve got them at the show and into the scene.
Start with rock… Step 1: I think Hoist is perfect. Axilla II, Wolfman's Brother and Julius are all great studio rock songs. Then throw in Character Zero and Free. Throw in Chalkdust Torture if you think he can handle it. The lyrics are random but not goofy, and ALL rock lyrics are random and rarely heard. So you sell him on the studio rock aspect, admitting that they are a band that can put out polished rock. Next, we’ll have to gage his acceptance. If he is taking to the rock, it might be wise to ride those coattails into live music. If he’s not ready yet, work the studio a bit more, get into some funky stuff.
Step 2 (live option): I think a Clifford Ball Sample in a Jar and a good live Gumbo would be great entries to the live world. Then maybe work in some Weekapaug, which is a great funky piece he’s got to like.
Step 2 (funkier option): So he still needs some more studio, let’s move on a bit from the rock. I think Stash or Tweezer are good starting point, though the lyrics are admittedly goofy the songs are solid funky. Wedge is another good option. Stash is also rather jazzy, so this would be a good example to get into their jazzy feel since this is what makes their jams coherent and much better than an average “jam band”. Phish live is much like jazz in the sense that to the newcomer it can be overwhelming and sound like random beeps and bloops, but to a fan it’s the best of interpretation and freedom while remaining in a jam. Move onto Step 2 (live option).
Step 3: It may be time to take this show on the road. Get Scott to agree to smoking a minor amount of weed and get to a venue with a nice lot scene to get the full experience. Have some beers, eat a grilled cheese and get him in a reserved seat (he’s not ready for the full crowd yet).
If still nothing, it’s time to kick him in the nuts and move on…nice attempt!
