Saturday, August 13, 2016

Statistical Analysis of Phish Fans




All It Was Was A Fairy Tale and Devotion To A Dream

            The rock band Phish is a jamband that entices listeners of all ages.  They are known primarily for their live concerts, never playing the same show twice.  They have been a touring band for over 30 years, with a few breaks along the way.  They have never had a top 10 hit, and their best-selling record peaked at number 7, 20 years ago.  Even with that, in 2013, according to Billboard Magazine, they had the 2nd highest grossing US Summer tour.[1] Phish consistently sells out large venues across the United States and they do it with a brand loyalty that is truly amazing. 
            Fans of Phish are known for their devotion.  One possible measure of devotion is the percentage of shows seen out of all possible shows after the first show seen.  I wanted to determine whether fans who started seeing Phish in the 1990’s, often referred to as Phish 1.0, were more devoted than fans who began to see the band later. I conducted a poll of 683 fans online.  I shared this poll on several Phish message boards, so the poll is likely biased towards those who are more interested in the band than the general public. 
I was interested in the age breakdown, the year that they started seeing the band, and how many shows they had seen in total.  The numbers are staggering.  One individual had seen the band 281 times.  He started seeing them in 1992 and has seen roughly 25% of all the shows they have played since then.  That’s not even the highest percentage of possible shows seen.  That honor goes to a fan who started in 2009 and has seen over 40% of possible shows since then.  The top 15% of fans, by this metric, have seen just over 22% of possible shows since they started seeing the band.
            Fans of Phish often discuss 3 separate eras, “1.0” covering their beginning up until their first hiatus in 2000.  “2.0” covers their brief reunion from 2002-2004.  And “3.0” covers the period from 2009 until the present.  The distribution of when those polled saw their first show is shown in Figure 1.

                                                                             Figure 1
            This chart shows a broad distribution of respondents.  It is possible that the spike in respondents in 2009 was due to pent-up demand following their second hiatus.  Figure 2 shows the average number of shows seen by year started.  The earlier a fan started seeing Phish, the more shows, on average, were seen.  However, a more accurate gauge of devotion is the number of shows seen as a percentage of the total number of shows you could have seen.  Because I only polled based upon the year started, I counted one half of the number of shows from that year plus all the following shows as the standard.  I call this the Devotion Quotient and its distribution is shown in Figure 3.

                                                                                Figure 2

                                                                                Figure 3

            An examination of this graph seems to indicate that people saw more shows, as a percentage of possible shows, if they started seeing the band in 2003 or later.  This was examined more closely.  At a 10% significance level, people saw more possible shows if they started seeing the band in 2003 or 2004 than if they started seeing the band prior to 2000.  The p-value on this test was 0.013.  However, the differences between those who started seeing the band after 2009 and prior to 2000 were not statistically significant. 
            One possible explanation for this phenomenon is that people who started seeing the band in the 1990’s would likely be in their late 30’s or into their 40’s and thus would not see as many shows as they used to.  With many folks in this age group, family and career pressures restrict the number of concerts seen in general. However, an examination of the data broken down by age indicates that there is no statistically significant difference between the various age groups.  This is a somewhat surprising conclusion because many fans do not consider the period from 2003-2004 as the finest work the band has ever produced.
                                                                                 Figure 4
The data makes clear that Phish maintains its touring revenue by convincing a relatively small number of people to buy a relatively large number of concert tickets.  Figure 4 show that, regardless of what year a fan started seeing them, they still tend to see 3 or 4 concerts a year.  Thus, a small core of a fan base is able to generate sales of a million or more tickets each year.  At an average ticket price of $60, that is $60 million in gross ticket sales from perhaps as few as 300,000 devoted fans.  While all of Phish’s fans exhibit a tremendous level of brand loyalty, those that saw their first shows in 2003-2004 tend to be the most devoted.


[1] http://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/5719306/dave-matthews-band-jams-to-top-of-hot-tours-with-40m-phish-with-18m-grande

Sunday, October 21, 2012

So long folks

It is with great regret that I must inform you that I cannot continue with the Phish Listening Room.  I just don't have the time in my life to devote to this that it requires and looking forward, I won't have that kind of time for several years.  Thanks for reading and I hope to see some of you guys on the road in the future.
Chris

Saturday, July 21, 2012

June 19, 2012 nTelos Pavilion, Portsmouth, VA Sources Review

Phish moved down the eastern shore a bit from Jersey down to Virginia.  nTelos was the smallest venue of tour and launched a meme that Phish played with all tour.  On top of tucking, Phish played a version of Split Open and Melt that is definitely worth a re-listen.  For a Tuesday night show, there were a ton of tapers on hand.  There are 9 sources available for this night!  I want to thank the tapers for all that they do and for sharing their recordings with the community.



Source 1 (hereafter M934c source)
Source: Schoeps m934c> M221B> PS> Aeta PSP-3> SD 722 (@24bit/96kHz)
Location: FOB, DFC, DIN, m934c/cardioid
Transfer: SD 722> Samplitude SE 9.1.1(dither/resample)> CDWave> flac(16/44.1)

16 bit source
24 bit source


Source 2 (hereafter Busman source)
Source: Busman k11 > BSC2 > Lunatec V2 > Tascam DR100-mkII (24/44.1)
Transfer: SDHC > Sound Forge 10 > CD Wave > .flac (level 8)
Location: FOB / DFC / Mics up 6 feet, ORTF

16 bit source

Source 3 (hereafter MK4v>KC5 source)
Source: Schoeps mk4v's(DIN)>kc5>m222>nt222>aeta psp-3>744t
Location: FOB/SLOC
Transfer: 744t>CD Wave>Wavelab 5>Flac

16 bit source

Source 4 (hereafter B&K source)
Source: B&K4022(xy) > Sonosax [55%] + B&K 4027(ortf) > Sonosax [45%] > 744T
Location: fob 1st row seats dfc
Transfer: 744T>soundforge 10.0>cd wave>flac

16 bit source

Source 5 (hereafter MK4v>VST source)
Source:Schoeps MK4v(Din)> Vst 62IUg>Aeta PSP-3>Mytek 192 adc aes/spdif>R44(OCM)24/96
Location: FOB, DFC 6' Stand
Transfer:SDHC>Audacity 16/44>Amadeus Pro>xACT

16 bit source

Source 6 (hereafter MK41v source)
Source:Schoeps MK41v(NOS)> Kcy > Sonosax SX-M2/LS2>R44(OCM)24/96
Location: FOB, DFC 6' Stand
Transfer:SDHC>Audacity 16/44>Amadeus Pro>xACT

16 bit source

Source 7 (hereafter MK21 source)
Source: Schoeps mk21> KC5> M222> NT222> Aeta PSP-3> SD 744t (@24bit/96kHz)
Location: FOB, DFC, NOS
Transfer: SD 744t> Samplitude SE 9.1.1(dither/resample)> CDWave> flac(16/44.1)

16 bit source
24 bit source

Source 8 (hereafter Nak source)
Source: franken nak 300>cp-1>r4 oade tmod 24/48
Location: fob loc 4 ft pas @9ft
Transfer: r4>pc audacity dither 16/44.1>cd wave splits>tlh flac 8

16 bit source

Source 9 (hereafter MK41 source)  ****24 bit only****
Source: Schoeps MK41 > KCY > Schoeps VMS5-U > Mytek 192 > Marantz PMD-661
Location: FOB (just) at left corner of FOH On Stand, approximately 8'
Transfer: SDHC Media Card -> Dell m1730 via media card reader > Sony Sound Forge 10 @ 96kHz, 24

24 bit source





Phish - 6/19/12 "Maze" from Phish on Vimeo.

Once again, the M934c source is my pick for best of the evening.  It is extremely clear from the lowest lows to the highest highs and has great presence and levels.  The low-end has plenty of umph to it and the tone is very natural.

The Busman source  doesn't have the low-end punch of the M934c or MK21 sources.  It is quite clear though.

The MK4c>KC5 source is a bit boomy and there is a fair amount of crowd noise.

The B&K source is very muddy sounding, particularly in the low-end.

The MK4v>vst source is nice and clean sounding, but just doesn't have the punch of the MK21 or M934c sources.

The MK41v source sounds a bit distant and doesn't have the definition of the better schoeps sources.

The MK21 source has excellent low-end and is very clean.  There is plenty of low-end without being boomy.  However, the tone is slightly different from the M934c and I don't prefer this source quite as much.  That said, if you already have the MK21 source, by all means keep it.  It is really good.

The Franken Nak source is quite good for a Nak source, however the low-end just can't compare to the MK21 and M934c sources.

The MK41 source is incredibly in your face and is really present.  However, there is a bit of crowd noise and the low-end isn't quite as punchy as the MK21 or M934c sources.

Happy listening!

Friday, July 13, 2012

June 17, 2012 Bader Field Atlantic City, NJ Sources Review

The third night of an excellent run at Atlantic City didn't have quite the punch that the first two nights had, but it did offer a few choice nuggets that are worth a re-listen.  I would definitely recommend giving the 2001 a spin as well as the Reba that follows.  I want to thank the tapers again for their efforts in getting these shows into our hands.  I hate to apologize again to my readers, but life and tour got in the way of keeping these up as fast as I would like.  However, things look fairly open for the next several days, so I hope to get through nTelos this week and have the OH-PA-OH run up next week, with the Creeks to follow shortly there after.  Lots of good stuff to get to.  There are 7 sources for this evening.



Source 1 (hereafter M934c source)
Source: Schoeps m934c> M221B> PS> Aeta PSP-3> SD 722 (@24bit/96kHz)
Location: FOB, DFC, DIN, 6' Stand, m934c/cardioid
Transfer: SD 722> Samplitude SE 9.1.1(dither/resample)> CDWave> flac(16/44.1)

16 bit source
24 bit source


Source 2 (hereafter CCM4v source)
Source: Schoeps CCM4V'S(din)>Lunatec V2>Benchmark AD2K>
Sound Devices 722 (24/48)
Location: FOB/DFC 42' From Stage, 6' High
Transfer: Sound Devices 722>Sound Forge 9.0>CD Wave>flac(16)

16 bit source

Source 3 (hereafter MK22+MK8 source)
Source: Schoeps mk22 + mk8 [M-S]> Vark KCY> Darktrain 30' KCY Extension> Naiant Littlebox (onboard M-S conversion)> Sony m10 (@24bit/96kHz)
Location: FOB, DFC, ~6' Stand.
Transfer: Dithered to 16bit via Mbit II and resampled to 44.1kHz via iZotope

16 bit source
24 bit source

Source 4 (hereafter MK21 source)
Source: Schoeps mk21> KC5> M222> NT222> Aeta PSP-3> SD 744t (@24bit/96kHz)
Location: FOB, DFC, DIN, 6' Stand, NOS
Transfer: SD 744t> Samplitude SE 9.1.1(dither/resample)> CDWave> flac(16/44.1)

16 bit source
24 bit source

Source 5 (hereafter MK4v source)
Source: Schoeps Mk4v> KCY>Schoeps Vst 62IUg>Oade 248>Mytek 192 adc aes/spdif>R44(OCM)24/96
Location: FOB, DFC,Din, 6' Stand
Transfer:SDHC>Audacity 16/44>Amadeus Pro>xACT

16 bit source

Source 6 (hereafter MK41v source)
Source: Schoeps Mk41v(NOS)> KCY>Schoeps Vms5u>R44(OCM)24/96
Location: FOB, DFC 6' Stand
Transfer:SDHC>Audacity 16/44>Amadeus Pro>xACT

16 bit source

Source 7 (hereafter AKG source)
Source: AKG392's(Right of SBD behind TS rail) -> Hydra Silver XLR's -> Edirol UA-5 (Oade warm mod) -> Microtrack II 24 bit @ 48 Khz
Location:Omnidirectional 39" separation, 75 HZ bass rolloff, Mics aimed at PA Stacks, approximately 12 ft high on stand.
Transfer: Microtrack II-> USB -> PC-> CD WAVE Editor -> Adobe Audition 3.0 16/44.1 conversion -> Flac Frontend

16 bit source
24 bit source




Phish - 6/17/12 "Reba" from Phish on Vimeo.

The M934c source is my pick for the best of the night.  It is extremely clear sounding and the bass response is great.  The differences between this source and the MK21, and really the MK4v was right there too, are miniscule.  I slightly preferred the tone of the bass, it seemed a bit brighter, particularly on some of the really interesting stuff that Mike is doing at the beginning of 2001.  That said, if you already have the MK21 source, unless you are really obsessive, there is no reason to replace it.

The CCM4v source is pretty boomy and sounds a bit distant.

The MK22+MK8 source, like so many matrix mixes, has too much low-end without enough definition.

The MK21 source, as mentioned above, is excellent.  It is very clear with great separation.  The only differences between it and the M934c source are minor tonal differences.  If you already have this source, there is no need to switch.

The MK4v source is also quite good.  It doesn't have quite the separation of the MK21 or M934c source, but is still excellent.

The MK41v source is a bit boomier than the MK4v source or the MK21 or M934c source.

The AKG source is a bit thin on the low-end.  At points where Gordon is really dropping a bomb, the AKG's just kind of fade out.  Nowhere near the punch of the M934c or MK21 source.

Happy listening!

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

June 16, 2012 Bader Field, Atlantic City, NJ Sources Review

Night two at Atlantic City brought some heat right from the start.  There are very few bad shows that kick off with Mike's Song and this show is no exception.  The Lighteca in the second set is definitely not to be missed.  As with the night before, there are 5 sources available, though the sources are slightly different.  I want to thank all the tapers for recording this show and sharing it with the community.

Source 1 (hereafter MK21>KCY source)
Source: Schoeps Mk21> KCY>Schoeps Vms5u >R44(OCM)24/96
Location: FOB, DFC,NOS, 6' Stand
Transfer:SDHC>Audacity 16/44>Amadeus Pro>xACT

16 bit source

Source 2 (hereafter M934c source)
Source: Schoeps m934c> M221B> PS> Aeta PSP-3> SD 722 (@24bit/96kHz)
Location: FOB, DFC, DIN, 6' Stand, m934c/cardioid
Transfer: SD 722> Samplitude SE 9.1.1(dither/resample)> CDWave> flac(16/44.1)

16 bit source
24 bit source



Source 3 (hereafter MK21>KC5 source)
Source: Schoeps mk21> KC5> M222> NT222> Aeta PSP-3> SD 744t (@24bit/96kHz)
Location: FOB, DFC, DIN, 6' Stand, NOS
Transfer: SD 744t> Samplitude SE 9.1.1(dither/resample)> CDWave> flac(16/44.1)

16 bit source
24 bit source


Source 4 (hereafter MK4v source)
Source: Schoeps Mk4v> KCY>Schoeps Vst 62IUg>Sonosax SX-M2>Mytek 192 adc aes/spdif>R44(OCM)24/96
Location: FOB, DFC,Din, 6' Stand
Transfer:SDHC>Audacity 16/44>Amadeus Pro>xACT

16 bit source

Source 5 (hereafter AKG source)
Source: AKG392's(Right of SBD) -> Hydra Silver XLR's -> Edirol UA-5 (Oade warm mod) -> Microtrack II 24 bit @ 48 Khz
Location: Omnidirectional 39" separation, 75 HZ bass rolloff, Mics aimed at PA Stacks, approximately 12 ft high on stand.
Transfer: Microtrack II-> USB -> PC-> CD WAVE Editor -> Adobe Audition 3.0 16/44.1 conversion -> Flac Frontend

16 bit source
24 bit source




Phish - 6/16/12 "Light" from Phish on Vimeo.

The MK21>KCY source is a bit boomier than the other sources, all of which sound pretty darn good.  However, the separation and balance just isn't as good as the MK21>KC5 source.

The M934c source is very clear and quite well balanced, but it doesn't have the extra umph on the low-end that the MK21>KC5 source has.

The MK21>KC5 source is my pick for the night.  It is extremely clear and well balanced.  The separation is superior to the AKG source and the low-end has just a bit more kick than the M934c source.

The MK4v source sounds quite good but doesn't have the separation that the MK21>KC5 and M934c sources have.

The AKG source is quite good, but there is a bit of boominess at the lowest frequencies and the overall sonic separation isn't as good as the MK21>KC5 source.

Happy listening!

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

June 15, 2012 Bader Field, Atlantic City, NJ Sources Review

After a festival set at the 'roo, Phish took most of the next week off prior to what many believe was the real start of tour.  A three day, non-festival, stand at Bader Field in Atlantic City, NJ.  After a great start to tour in Worcester, there were high hopes for these shows and the first show did not disappoint.  Featuring a standout version of Birds of a Feather, as well as a classic Twist > Piper, this is a show to add to the collection.  There are 5 different sources available for this show.  I want to thank the tapers for recording this show and sharing it with the community.

Source 1 (hereafter AKG source)
Source: AKG392's(Right of SBD) -> Hydra Silver XLR's -> Edirol UA-5 (Oade warm mod) -> Microtrack II 24 bit @ 48 Khz
Location: Omnidirectional 39" separation, 75 HZ bass rolloff, Mics aimed at PA Stacks, approximately 12 ft high on stand.
Transfer: Microtrack II-> USB -> PC-> CD WAVE Editor -> Adobe Audition 3.0 16/44.1 conversion -> Flac Frontend

16 bit source
24 bit source



Source 2 (hereafter M934c source)
Source: Schoeps m934c> M221B> PS> Aeta PSP-3> SD 722 (@24bit/96kHz)
Location: FOB, DFC, DIN, 6' Stand, m934c/cardioid
Transfer: SD 722> Samplitude SE 9.1.1(dither/resample)> CDWave> flac(16/44.1)

16 bit source
24 bit source

 
Source 3 (hereafter MK21 source)
Source: Schoeps mk21> KC5> M222> NT222> Aeta PSP-3> SD 744t (@24bit/96kHz)
Location: FOB, DFC, DIN, 6' Stand, NOS
Transfer: SD 744t> Samplitude SE 9.1.1(dither/resample)> CDWave> flac(16/44.1)

16 bit source
24 bit source

Source 4 (hereafter MK4v source)
Source: Schoeps Mk4v> KCY>Schoeps Vst 62IUg>Aeta PSP-3>Mytek 192 adc aes/spdif>R44(OCM)24/96
Location: FOB, DFC,Din, 6' Stand
Transfer:SDHC>Audacity 16/44>Amadeus Pro>xACT

16 bit source

Source 5 (hereafter MK41v source)
Source: Schoeps MK41v(NOS)> Kcy > Sonosax SX-M2/LS2>R44(OCM)24/96
Location: FOB, DFC 6' Stand
Transfer:SDHC>Audacity 16/44>Amadeus Pro>xACT

16 bit source



Phish - 6/15/12 "Birds Of A Feather > Back On The Train > Heavy Things" from Phish on Vimeo.

The AKG source has less separation than the M934c source and lacks in tonal clarity at the lowest frequencies.  Basically, it is not as crisp sounding as the Schoeps sources.

The M934c source gets my nod for recording of the evening.  The bass tone is excellent without being overpowering and the high-end is fantastic.  This recording has great tone and is well balanced from the lows to the highs.  I think this is a new set of mics for taylorc, I could be wrong about that, but he consistently produces great recordings and this one is no exception.  There is a fair amount of crowd noise, but it is not super distracting.

The MK21 source is also quite good. The companion source to the M934c, it just doesn't have the great highs of the M934c, though the bass is quite good, possibly a touch more rich than the M934c's.  However, at closer listen, I like the balance of the M934c's a bit better and definitely like the high-end more.

The MK4v is a very, very good recording.  The low-end has a bit more punch than the MK21 or M934c sources, but the levels are a bit lower and the highs don't sound as nice.

The MK41v, a companion source to the MK4v, sounds a bit distant and is quite bass heavy.

Happy listening!

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

June 10, 2012 Bonnaroo, Manchester, TN Sources Review

With Phish just finishing a scorching two night run in Worcester prior to jetting off for Tennessee, it is not surprising that there weren't a great many tapers there for this show.  Many of you probably, like myself, saw this show on the webcast.  It certainly doesn't offer the jamming that the Worcester shows had, but it is fun in its own right and the Tweezer and Carini>Shafty are definitely worth the re-listen.  There are two different sources available for this show.  Thanks a lot for the tapers that captured this and shared it with the scene.


Source 1 (hereafter MK21 source)
Source: Schoeps mk21 > kcy > Sonosax SX-M2-LS2 > Sony M10 (24/48)
Location: NOS/FOB
Transfer: Micro SD > Sound Studio > xACT > .flac (16/44)

16 bit source
24 bit source




Source 2 (hereafter CK-1 source)
Source: Avantone CK-1 (cardoid) > Fostex FR-2LE (24/48)
Location: FOB/DFC; ~110' from stage; mics at ~ 9 feet
Transfer: CF > HDD > Wavelab 6.0 > CD WAVE > Trader's Little Helper

16 bit source



Phish - 6/10/12 "Carini > Shafty" from Phish on Vimeo.


The MK21 source is my pick for the best of the two.  The levels are excellent, the separation is very good, and the bass response is quite good as well.  There is minimal crowd noise, which can be a problem at a festival.  The mids are noticeably superior to the CK1 source and the low-end really hits well during "the note" at the beginning of Tweezer Reprise.

The CK1 source doesn't have the tight high-end of the MK21 source and the levels get a bit crunchy at times.  The recording is quite good, but with the level problems, I would pass on this and grab the MK21.

Happy listening!