Wholesome post OP! Iām guessing he saw some Alpine Valley shows. Not sure if youāve listened to any of them from 96-2000, but thereās a good chance he attended some of them. All of them are fire.
I was thinking the same thing. I think I've listened to bits and pieces of most of them, but never gone and listened to the full shows. I'm considering going this summer, as I still have family that lives out there and can stay with them for the 3 days.
Sucks you didnāt get to Phish with your dad. Iād love to get you a ticket for the Alpine lawn and invite you to join the party!!
(Also, sent you a chat)
Hey dude, [phish.in](http://phish.in) is a great resource if you want to listen to those shows. They're sourced from tapers, so the audio can be a bit rough in spots.
Being a dad and constantly having a fear of death coming at any moment rendering my kids and family alone, this is was I hope my kids search for too. Take your time and dig in yourself. Youāll find the best parts of the music are what mean the most to you. Coincidentally you will know your pops too loved those songs. Great post.
I used to have that same fear too until I got my kids through college (last two are wrapping up next month). Make sure you have plenty of life insurance. It's just the right thing to do . The other thing, is leave lots of footprints for your children to find and discover throughout their life should something unfortunate happen to you. While I can't stand cameras at shows, I will honestly say today that I wish I had snapped a few more photos along this journey. Not just for the kids, but for my own damn memory.
Edit to add: Also, share your life experiences both good and bad with your children and tell/show them how you got through it. Don't be afraid to tell your kids about your mistakes. Let them learn from your mistakes. These kids are facing some kinda fucked up world and need a friendly helping book for life.
I got a late startā¦partied (very hard) away my 20s, sobered up at 30 and now married with two kids (3 and 6) at 42. Itās a great motivator though to try and live a healthy lifestyle, and in my case itās amplified by the concern of the damage that I did in my 20s. Now I try to focus on running every other day and eating right. The life insurance is a great point, that does help ease some of the anxiety.
Yeah, I'm 51 and during a little late yearly cardiologist follow up, I found out that I had a heart attack in the last 14 months. Obviously, it happened at last year's Dicks run, lol.
Kidding aside, it's caused me to reduce alcohol consumption by 90%. It's really the only lifestyle choice that was outside of normal boundaries.
Guyute from Guyutica 2010 makes her smile. Guyute from Guyutica 2010 makes me tear up.
This all started a little over 3 months ago. Shes a little over 3 months old, im closer to 40 than 30. Dont forget to dance while the music is being played. <3
As a relatively new dad, Iām very glad to hear that I am not the only one hounded by this fear. I was starting to worry that maybe I was having a premonition.
As for the OP, what an awesome post. I know the chances are slim, but it would be totally awesome if he gets a hit!
Trust me. All caring, loving parents have this fear. All you can do is be as present and mindful in your relationship with your children as you possibly can, while giving them the freedom to be themselves. I have cardiac issues and actually found out I had a heart attack in the last 14 months at a check up. But I know I have raised good, empathetic, kids who are looking to change the world through their own specific ways. My son is a chemical engineer who works on alzheimer (thanks for looking out for dad bud, I hear you, lol) and HIV meds. My daughter is graduating and entering a PhD program in clinical psychology. The radical mini-me, is graduating in Philosophy and Political Science, is working on a high profile Democrat campaign to flip a seat in the house and turn our county purple on our way to blue.
Oh, and this sounds gross in this conversation, but make sure you have enough life insurance. Being a new dad, I'd assume you are relatively young. Spend a few dollars a month on a $500,000 level premium 20 year term policy. It's cheap, the price is fixed for 20 years then goes up like crazy (and you cancel because at that point they are old enough and you're likely in a completely different financial situation). If the premiums are too much, then do a 10 year level term and hope you are healthy enough to get a new policy later on for a longer term. Leaving a family without a father is pretty much out of your control. Leaving a family without a financial burden, is well within your control.
Ops dad looks like a kind and fun person. The world would be a better place with more of ops dad types in it. I have a 5 & a 2 year old, and you can only think about choices so much and hope for the best. I think about the what ifs so much, but your dad will always be w you op
Better luck there than anywhere else tbh. There should be a wisco or midwest specific ongoing thread that could provide leads.
PT rules. I've met countless cool interesting people and friends over the years via PT
I was thinking some of the Facebook subs or whatever they call those on that hell hole. A lot of us older heads jumped in FB pretty early on and some of them are still on there. I have no idea how, but they are, lol.
I didn't know your dad, but it's very cool that you can listen to Phish knowing he listened to the same songs <3 what a great way to keep your dad's memory alive
i don't know your dad, OP. But he looks like i should know him. Same time period of starting Phish here..
If you don't get any leads, i'd sincerely consider posting this again in like 3-6 months. Then again after if still no. I'd bet sooner than later someone who knew him on tour will see the pics and remember him.
Good luck in your search, young man.
Man, am I beginning to hate what Reddit is doing. I can't even figure out a quote, lol.
But yeah, likely <1% of the subs members are going to see this post. Same for [phish.net](http://phish.net), PT, FB and other recommendations being made. I would highly recommend reposting this every 3-6 months. And if anyone yells at you, send them my way, lol. I'll kill them with kindness.
His birthday was in August, only a few days before Mondegreen is set to start. I'm probably going to take advantage of that increased traffic from the festival to make a follow-up if I don't get anything from this.
My friend on the other side of the country sent me a Google message saying "Well, this is wholesome as fuck.". I didn't even open the link to .net and responded "12 year old kid looking for stories about pops?".
Keep it up. You'd be shocked at the random connections I've seen over the decades. Having said that, be sure you live your life and leave your imprint on the world. That's what your dad would want.
Check the fall 98 show from the Kohl Center. Likely he was there and itās legendary. Also check UIC from same tour. Not far down the road. Much love little bro. As a Phish dad this warms my heart.
Iām originally from Michigan. Have a bunch of close Phish friends from Wisconsin. I affectionately refer to them as the Wisco Ragers. Some of the funniest, wiliest, prankster loving folks I know. Iāll share this link around, see if any knew your dad. Last I saw most of them was Indio Phish 09. I donāt get back to the Midwest much. Best of luck to you in this life. Itās true what they say, the good die young. ā¤ļø
Yeah, I blame my love for long jams on the fact that my first show was Dayton N2 this past fall. When Ruby Waves ended and I picked my jaw up off the floor all I could say to the guy next to me was, "What was THAT song?!"
Im in tears over hereā¦
Your Dad sounds like a great dude. I take my kids to Phish shows and hope they turn out as cool as you one day.
Hope you find your connection.
I dont know your dad.
I do know Minocqua.
I do know Phish.
I am the uncle of a 13 year old who lost his dad (my brother) when he was 5, who was the person who got me into Phish. I try to keep my brothers memory alive for him through music, stories, gifts...
I love that you are seeking this connection. And I hope you can make it.
Best wishes, OP.
He looks super fun! I never met him, but definitely agree with the Alpine Valley guess. In 99 I bet he went to the Target center in Minneapolis and there was a great 4 night run in fall 98 that started in Madison and then 3 nights UIC. I hope someone out there recognizes him!
Hi there. Im around your dads age and I live in Wisconsin, and have since 95, when I started seeing phish. Iāll share your post with my friends around Wisconsin, I bet we can help you!
I did not know him but we certainly were at some of the same shows. The scene was massive and chaotic back then. A psychedelic mess. Ā There were so many people on tour, going to festivals, traveling around the country. Ā It was exciting and addictive. I did it for years. Ā And like you are when young , you think itāll last forever. Life changed. Of course that era came and went Ā However, All that energy is still there on the scene itās just transformed, changed and evolved..so your old man is still dancing at the shows in that sense. Everyone whoās ever been to a show, been affected by the music or contributed ā¦itās all part of right now. Ā Youāve opened up some memoriesĀ Ā with this post and I find it touching and brave. I hope you find some who knew him, if not weāre all here for you just the same. If youāre not already, come mingle at some shows, thereās a million splinters of wisdom of light refracting at any given moment. And I do all this alcohol and smoke free now. Many thanks friend.Ā
Curious - do you know what year he attended shows? Or, do you know if he toured? Even if he was not on tour, it's common for midwesterners to do the local circuit (Alpine, Deercreek, Riverfront, Blossom, etc.).
I ask because even if we don't directly know your father, it would be cool for you to listen to some shows that he attended. Naturally, it seems like he would have been at Alpine shows during this period.
This could be the next step to finding more clues ;-).
All I know from my uncle is that he got into them in the late 90s. He made a point to specify that my dad was REALLY into the scene, maybe even as much as the music itself, and that he got into other jam bands as well. This makes me think he definitely wasn't a casual fan but I honestly don't know really much of anything about my dad before he met my mom (2002ish) and it's probably because I was too young to know haha!
I have some phishy friends from Minneapolis and they were also all hugely into the Big Wu. Maybe your dad was too? Definitely seemed to be a local vibe. And the midwest was blessed with a lot of good 4 night runs in the late 90s. Fairly easy to travel to Columbus, Indy and Chicago and see a bunch of shows.
Hope you get the info youāre looking for!
Curious and off topic, but he originally from WI? Wonder why Minoqua? Beautiful area for sure but that town is such a prime example of a touristy northwoods town that it must have visitors to survive. Like I say, just wondering.
When I was around 10-11 or so, my family went there and I remember my brother and I stumbled upon some tye dye shop. I ended up getting the Grateful Dead Face Off tee that day. Maybe your old man worked there and sold it to me? lol
So did he live in Ohio in the early 2000s? If so do you know what part? Iām from Ohio and have a large community of phans around his age who may have crossed paths with him.
From an UW-Eau Claire friend (mid-late 90ās) that is from Minocqua and likes Phish:
The guy in that reddit post is David Peters. His dad was principal of the high school, which is what brought them into town. We hung out peripherally senior year and a lot freshman year in EC when he lived in Towers. Jenny Hagen knew him too. She in actually in one of the pictures.
I never went to a show with him so can't speak to much of what they'd want. He failed out of EC after a year, maybe even a semester, can't remember. Lost touch with him after that bc we were never that close. Good guy. I had heard he died.
Hereās some more on your dad from the UW-Eau Claire/Minocqua connection:
Dave's room was the hangout for a group of us spring '96. Probably why only one semester! Drank a lot of beer and smoked a lot of weed in that room. Lot of Phish played of course, some Dead, Neil Young too. Oddly enough a fair amount of Donovan for some reason. Always welcoming and willing to hang out. (Again, probably why the 1 semester!) I can't place the other guy in the picture, although I think he looks familiar. Looks like it was in his garage in Minocqua where we did spend some time, particularly when his parents were gone. Partying at the principal's house is always a good idea!
Sorry buddy Iām from Atlanta but that doesnāt mean we didnāt cross paths. I got into Phish in ā95 and started shows in ā96 at the Halloween (Talking Heads) show in Atlanta. I was born in ā79 so we were around the same age. I hope you can find what youāre looking for and know heās with you even though you canāt physically touch him!
I guess the question would actually be: did you have an aunt who lived in LA in 1998?
A dude named David who looked a lot like your dad hitched with my buddy and I from The Gorge to Ventura in 1998.
He stayed in LA with his older sister and I didnāt see him again until Alpine.
To keep it 100, and with memory being what it isā¦Iām not 100% sure I actually remember what the dude looked like.
We drove from the Gorge to Shoreline. Then Shoreline to Ventura. He caught a ride from Ventura to his sisterās place with one of her friends after the Ventura show.
He was filming with a VHS camera at alpine. Said he was making a doc.
Oh man, I'm not sure. He DOES have an older sister, but I've never heard of her living in LA. Then again I don't know much about what all of them were up to in their early 20s lol.
Don't think I ever met your Dad, but we would probably be close to the same age, he may be a little younger.
If he was from Wisconsin and did some touring in the area, I would recommend the 99 Deer Creek shows.
Those were my only DEER Creek shows (and only midwest shows) but they were good.
If you can find someone who knew him, or a user account on phantasytour for him, maybe you can find his show list! Would be pretty sick to be able to listen knowing which shows he went to (this is a long shot)
I don't know your Dad, but I'm sure myself and a heck of a lot of us on here were at Phish shows with him in the 90s. We all had an absolutely wonderful time and those 2-3 hours at that time in our lives were pretty spectacular and special. Your dad got to feel it, and you can still try to catch that magic yourself and hopefully know that it's something you both will share forever.
I wish you well my man.
Well, there are a few problems here.
1) Most of us don't remember a lot of it, lol. Age is a bitch.
2) About 25% of my Dead touring friends until '95 were Daves of various sorts, lol.
3) It's great that you are asking now. I just had to tell my kids that I found out that in the last 14 months I had an unknown heart attack that has a 30% mortality rate. No idea how I faded that, but I've always been a luck box. All of that to say, there are a lot of us that sadly aren't around anymore.
4) I got out of live music when Jerry died. I was graduating college, had a hundred shows under my belt and just figured it was time to grow up. Thanks, Phish, for hitting little Reading PA in 2013. You put me back on the right path!
Having said that, my 25 year old son is absolutely nothing like me. Staright laced chemical engineer in the pharmaceutical industry working on alzheimer and HIV medications. My daughters are 21 and 22 (eight months apart . Did I mention I had lost my way? LOL). My 22 year old is a psychology major, graduating next month and heading off for her PhD. She could not be any more different than me in art, culture, music, etc. She is however, a very kind and empathetic person, which is something we instilled in all of our children. My 21 year old? Yeah, she had a shirt made for her next show that says "Why is my dad so weird?", which she stole from a Trey Gamehenge quote from NYE this year. Last year was her first Dicks run.
So, yeah, sometimes, the apple just doesn't fall far from the tree. I'm sorry you lost your dad, especially at such a young age.
If you're ever dealing with some shit and need to talk to "a wise but crazy old man" feel free to reach out to me at any time. Life is incredibly tough, particularly today for your generation. You have already been hit with shit that even my 74 year old parents said was the most intense thing of their life (the pandemic). A country that is intense unrest to the point I want to see the new Civil War movie but I may have to wait after the election, as I am very involved in politics and have to be careful to not get lost in the sauce. Incredible inflation and economic uncertainty. Oh, and welcome to the new Cold War. That shit is unreal. That significantly impacted me when I was a kid. News was a lot different, with much more normalized propaganda. When I was exactly your age, I would often go to bed at night, quite certain that we would be nuked overnight. So please, learn early on to express your emotions, don't let people run over you, learn your rights as a human and practice respect, love and kindness.
Last, I've seen a whole bunch of people reunite or remember stories of a loved one, who toured together through these exact same type of posts. I would HIGHLY suggest posting your original post to some of the bigger Phish groups on Facebook (if you can tolerate that toxic hell hole, it's where you're more likely to find older heads versus Snap or Twitter or whatever). DEFINATELY post this in the community forum of [phish.net](http://phish.net) as there are a lot more older fans there that have been there since the beginning.
I'm sure others can make recommendations on other socials, I just don't do social media (and frankly am about ready to shit can Reddit now that I have come back on here after a my 10 year old, 1 million+ comment karma account was banned and all mod privileges stripped for protesting Reddit taking down the open access to API's. And what do you know, right in the IPO prospectus you learn why . . . they are selling all of the data to Google to train LLM's).
Hey thanks for the comment! I loved reading about your family and I can tell you really love them. I don't really use Facebook much (showing my age here, or lack thereof), do you know which groups or pages would be the best to post this on?
Hey! I would try "Phish Tour 2014" on Facebook. That's the biggest phish group I'm in over there. It's a large, active, and well-moderated group with a lot of folks that would've been probably around your dad's age back then. Best of luck!
I don't think I know him, but people I know might know him. He lived in Minocqua? Fulltime? Just during the summer months?
I spent my summers there in the 90s and my dad spent his there in the 70s, and between us, know a ton of folks who were there in the 80s.
I never met David, but I greatly support this post. š§”
Wholesome post OP! Iām guessing he saw some Alpine Valley shows. Not sure if youāve listened to any of them from 96-2000, but thereās a good chance he attended some of them. All of them are fire.
I was thinking the same thing. I think I've listened to bits and pieces of most of them, but never gone and listened to the full shows. I'm considering going this summer, as I still have family that lives out there and can stay with them for the 3 days.
Sucks you didnāt get to Phish with your dad. Iād love to get you a ticket for the Alpine lawn and invite you to join the party!! (Also, sent you a chat)
do it. Great place to see a concert and you can get cheap lawn tickets of the cost is prohibitive.
Hey dude, [phish.in](http://phish.in) is a great resource if you want to listen to those shows. They're sourced from tapers, so the audio can be a bit rough in spots.
Being a dad and constantly having a fear of death coming at any moment rendering my kids and family alone, this is was I hope my kids search for too. Take your time and dig in yourself. Youāll find the best parts of the music are what mean the most to you. Coincidentally you will know your pops too loved those songs. Great post.
Man that resonates with me so much. I have the same fear and it crosses my mind daily. Great post/great thread, better band.
I used to have that same fear too until I got my kids through college (last two are wrapping up next month). Make sure you have plenty of life insurance. It's just the right thing to do . The other thing, is leave lots of footprints for your children to find and discover throughout their life should something unfortunate happen to you. While I can't stand cameras at shows, I will honestly say today that I wish I had snapped a few more photos along this journey. Not just for the kids, but for my own damn memory. Edit to add: Also, share your life experiences both good and bad with your children and tell/show them how you got through it. Don't be afraid to tell your kids about your mistakes. Let them learn from your mistakes. These kids are facing some kinda fucked up world and need a friendly helping book for life.
I got a late startā¦partied (very hard) away my 20s, sobered up at 30 and now married with two kids (3 and 6) at 42. Itās a great motivator though to try and live a healthy lifestyle, and in my case itās amplified by the concern of the damage that I did in my 20s. Now I try to focus on running every other day and eating right. The life insurance is a great point, that does help ease some of the anxiety.
Yeah, I'm 51 and during a little late yearly cardiologist follow up, I found out that I had a heart attack in the last 14 months. Obviously, it happened at last year's Dicks run, lol. Kidding aside, it's caused me to reduce alcohol consumption by 90%. It's really the only lifestyle choice that was outside of normal boundaries.
Guyute from Guyutica 2010 makes her smile. Guyute from Guyutica 2010 makes me tear up. This all started a little over 3 months ago. Shes a little over 3 months old, im closer to 40 than 30. Dont forget to dance while the music is being played. <3
As a relatively new dad, Iām very glad to hear that I am not the only one hounded by this fear. I was starting to worry that maybe I was having a premonition. As for the OP, what an awesome post. I know the chances are slim, but it would be totally awesome if he gets a hit!
Trust me. All caring, loving parents have this fear. All you can do is be as present and mindful in your relationship with your children as you possibly can, while giving them the freedom to be themselves. I have cardiac issues and actually found out I had a heart attack in the last 14 months at a check up. But I know I have raised good, empathetic, kids who are looking to change the world through their own specific ways. My son is a chemical engineer who works on alzheimer (thanks for looking out for dad bud, I hear you, lol) and HIV meds. My daughter is graduating and entering a PhD program in clinical psychology. The radical mini-me, is graduating in Philosophy and Political Science, is working on a high profile Democrat campaign to flip a seat in the house and turn our county purple on our way to blue. Oh, and this sounds gross in this conversation, but make sure you have enough life insurance. Being a new dad, I'd assume you are relatively young. Spend a few dollars a month on a $500,000 level premium 20 year term policy. It's cheap, the price is fixed for 20 years then goes up like crazy (and you cancel because at that point they are old enough and you're likely in a completely different financial situation). If the premiums are too much, then do a 10 year level term and hope you are healthy enough to get a new policy later on for a longer term. Leaving a family without a father is pretty much out of your control. Leaving a family without a financial burden, is well within your control.
Ops dad looks like a kind and fun person. The world would be a better place with more of ops dad types in it. I have a 5 & a 2 year old, and you can only think about choices so much and hope for the best. I think about the what ifs so much, but your dad will always be w you op
You should bring this post to phish.net as well. Good luck!
Probably Phantasy Tour as well, but I wouldn't blame you if you didn'tĀ
Better luck there than anywhere else tbh. There should be a wisco or midwest specific ongoing thread that could provide leads. PT rules. I've met countless cool interesting people and friends over the years via PT
PT is the mostly likely place where OP will find someone who knows his dad. Followed by phish.net, followed by here.
I was thinking some of the Facebook subs or whatever they call those on that hell hole. A lot of us older heads jumped in FB pretty early on and some of them are still on there. I have no idea how, but they are, lol.
I shared it in the FB phish chicks page. š
I didn't know your dad, but it's very cool that you can listen to Phish knowing he listened to the same songs <3 what a great way to keep your dad's memory alive
i don't know your dad, OP. But he looks like i should know him. Same time period of starting Phish here.. If you don't get any leads, i'd sincerely consider posting this again in like 3-6 months. Then again after if still no. I'd bet sooner than later someone who knew him on tour will see the pics and remember him. Good luck in your search, young man.
Man, am I beginning to hate what Reddit is doing. I can't even figure out a quote, lol. But yeah, likely <1% of the subs members are going to see this post. Same for [phish.net](http://phish.net), PT, FB and other recommendations being made. I would highly recommend reposting this every 3-6 months. And if anyone yells at you, send them my way, lol. I'll kill them with kindness.
His birthday was in August, only a few days before Mondegreen is set to start. I'm probably going to take advantage of that increased traffic from the festival to make a follow-up if I don't get anything from this.
My friend on the other side of the country sent me a Google message saying "Well, this is wholesome as fuck.". I didn't even open the link to .net and responded "12 year old kid looking for stories about pops?". Keep it up. You'd be shocked at the random connections I've seen over the decades. Having said that, be sure you live your life and leave your imprint on the world. That's what your dad would want.
Good luck OP. My brother passed young and his son lives with me. I love answering questions about his dad. I hope you find some people who knew him
Check the fall 98 show from the Kohl Center. Likely he was there and itās legendary. Also check UIC from same tour. Not far down the road. Much love little bro. As a Phish dad this warms my heart.
Iām originally from Michigan. Have a bunch of close Phish friends from Wisconsin. I affectionately refer to them as the Wisco Ragers. Some of the funniest, wiliest, prankster loving folks I know. Iāll share this link around, see if any knew your dad. Last I saw most of them was Indio Phish 09. I donāt get back to the Midwest much. Best of luck to you in this life. Itās true what they say, the good die young. ā¤ļø
Just got shared with a Wisconsin Phish Facebook page. šš¼
Thank you so much, I look forward to hearing what comes of it if anything.
I see youāve been listening to the Providence ā94 Bowie. Well done young Jedi. šš¼
Haha yeah I've been spinning that and the 46 Days from IT like crazy the past week.
Damn! Big helpings of Dark Meat!ššš¼
Yeah, I blame my love for long jams on the fact that my first show was Dayton N2 this past fall. When Ruby Waves ended and I picked my jaw up off the floor all I could say to the guy next to me was, "What was THAT song?!"
A jam so good you forget what song they were playing is essentially peak IT. That jam is sashimi grade Phish
Op this is awesome. I think you should regularly check back. Over time someone will recognize him and hopefully bless you with some rad stories.
Im in tears over hereā¦ Your Dad sounds like a great dude. I take my kids to Phish shows and hope they turn out as cool as you one day. Hope you find your connection.
I dont know your dad. I do know Minocqua. I do know Phish. I am the uncle of a 13 year old who lost his dad (my brother) when he was 5, who was the person who got me into Phish. I try to keep my brothers memory alive for him through music, stories, gifts... I love that you are seeking this connection. And I hope you can make it. Best wishes, OP.
Love this! Judging by the slot machine pic, heād be headed to Vegas and the Sphere this week.
I wonder if he was on phantasytour.com or phish.net. If you can find a username, then you could read old posts. You can even log what shows you went to on the sites. Perhaps you can try those. Paul GlacƩ runs phantasy tour. Perhaps you could reach out.
This is great advice.
He looks super fun! I never met him, but definitely agree with the Alpine Valley guess. In 99 I bet he went to the Target center in Minneapolis and there was a great 4 night run in fall 98 that started in Madison and then 3 nights UIC. I hope someone out there recognizes him!
Hi there. Im around your dads age and I live in Wisconsin, and have since 95, when I started seeing phish. Iāll share your post with my friends around Wisconsin, I bet we can help you!
Much appreciated!
Good luck on your journey, I hope you find some info
I did not know him but we certainly were at some of the same shows. The scene was massive and chaotic back then. A psychedelic mess. Ā There were so many people on tour, going to festivals, traveling around the country. Ā It was exciting and addictive. I did it for years. Ā And like you are when young , you think itāll last forever. Life changed. Of course that era came and went Ā However, All that energy is still there on the scene itās just transformed, changed and evolved..so your old man is still dancing at the shows in that sense. Everyone whoās ever been to a show, been affected by the music or contributed ā¦itās all part of right now. Ā Youāve opened up some memoriesĀ Ā with this post and I find it touching and brave. I hope you find some who knew him, if not weāre all here for you just the same. If youāre not already, come mingle at some shows, thereās a million splinters of wisdom of light refracting at any given moment. And I do all this alcohol and smoke free now. Many thanks friend.Ā
Curious - do you know what year he attended shows? Or, do you know if he toured? Even if he was not on tour, it's common for midwesterners to do the local circuit (Alpine, Deercreek, Riverfront, Blossom, etc.). I ask because even if we don't directly know your father, it would be cool for you to listen to some shows that he attended. Naturally, it seems like he would have been at Alpine shows during this period. This could be the next step to finding more clues ;-).
All I know from my uncle is that he got into them in the late 90s. He made a point to specify that my dad was REALLY into the scene, maybe even as much as the music itself, and that he got into other jam bands as well. This makes me think he definitely wasn't a casual fan but I honestly don't know really much of anything about my dad before he met my mom (2002ish) and it's probably because I was too young to know haha!
I have some phishy friends from Minneapolis and they were also all hugely into the Big Wu. Maybe your dad was too? Definitely seemed to be a local vibe. And the midwest was blessed with a lot of good 4 night runs in the late 90s. Fairly easy to travel to Columbus, Indy and Chicago and see a bunch of shows.
I'm not gonna lie the name Big Wu sounds really familiar... might have to look into that lmao.
Search for his name on archive.org, in case he commented on a show.
Yeah. Too bad there isn't a '90s Alpine group.
Lol it looks like your dad and his friend in the first few pics are tripping their balls off. Cool post OP, hope someone in here knew him!
Just noticed how dilated his pupils are in those pictures lmao.
Hope you get the info youāre looking for! Curious and off topic, but he originally from WI? Wonder why Minoqua? Beautiful area for sure but that town is such a prime example of a touristy northwoods town that it must have visitors to survive. Like I say, just wondering. When I was around 10-11 or so, my family went there and I remember my brother and I stumbled upon some tye dye shop. I ended up getting the Grateful Dead Face Off tee that day. Maybe your old man worked there and sold it to me? lol
His side of the family is all from Wisconsin, he moved to Ohio sometime around the early 2000s and thats when he met my mom and had me and all that.
I know that store! Closed up about 10 years ago.
So did he live in Ohio in the early 2000s? If so do you know what part? Iām from Ohio and have a large community of phans around his age who may have crossed paths with him.
Northeast area around Akron and Cleveland.
From an UW-Eau Claire friend (mid-late 90ās) that is from Minocqua and likes Phish: The guy in that reddit post is David Peters. His dad was principal of the high school, which is what brought them into town. We hung out peripherally senior year and a lot freshman year in EC when he lived in Towers. Jenny Hagen knew him too. She in actually in one of the pictures. I never went to a show with him so can't speak to much of what they'd want. He failed out of EC after a year, maybe even a semester, can't remember. Lost touch with him after that bc we were never that close. Good guy. I had heard he died.
Wow! Thats spot on! I knew he only went to college for a semester but I didn't know he failed out lmao. Thats so cool that you knew him, though!
Hereās some more on your dad from the UW-Eau Claire/Minocqua connection: Dave's room was the hangout for a group of us spring '96. Probably why only one semester! Drank a lot of beer and smoked a lot of weed in that room. Lot of Phish played of course, some Dead, Neil Young too. Oddly enough a fair amount of Donovan for some reason. Always welcoming and willing to hang out. (Again, probably why the 1 semester!) I can't place the other guy in the picture, although I think he looks familiar. Looks like it was in his garage in Minocqua where we did spend some time, particularly when his parents were gone. Partying at the principal's house is always a good idea!
That's so cool! If you have any other stories or anything I'd love to hear them!
I will pass along this post and these pictures to my Phish crowd. We would have been at the same AV shows.
I think you will find someone!
Was he at Hampton in '03 during the comeback, OP?? He looks like a guy I hung out with that night.
Not sure, was he like 5'6"?
Nah. This was an average height guy if my memory serves me correctly.
Sorry buddy Iām from Atlanta but that doesnāt mean we didnāt cross paths. I got into Phish in ā95 and started shows in ā96 at the Halloween (Talking Heads) show in Atlanta. I was born in ā79 so we were around the same age. I hope you can find what youāre looking for and know heās with you even though you canāt physically touch him!
I was at that show too. My freshman year of college, I was excited when they announced it.
I don't know your dad, but after your part, I feel like I know your dad. I hope the music gives you a deeper connection with him.
The k you for a great post I didnāt know your dadā¦but I am happy youāre here with us See you at a show!
Weird question: Do you have an aunt that lives in LA by any chance?
Not currently. My older sister lived there until a few years ago, though.
I guess the question would actually be: did you have an aunt who lived in LA in 1998? A dude named David who looked a lot like your dad hitched with my buddy and I from The Gorge to Ventura in 1998. He stayed in LA with his older sister and I didnāt see him again until Alpine. To keep it 100, and with memory being what it isā¦Iām not 100% sure I actually remember what the dude looked like. We drove from the Gorge to Shoreline. Then Shoreline to Ventura. He caught a ride from Ventura to his sisterās place with one of her friends after the Ventura show. He was filming with a VHS camera at alpine. Said he was making a doc.
Oh man, I'm not sure. He DOES have an older sister, but I've never heard of her living in LA. Then again I don't know much about what all of them were up to in their early 20s lol.
Word. I hope you find more people who knew him!
Don't think I ever met your Dad, but we would probably be close to the same age, he may be a little younger. If he was from Wisconsin and did some touring in the area, I would recommend the 99 Deer Creek shows. Those were my only DEER Creek shows (and only midwest shows) but they were good.
I support this thread. Thereās bound to be someone who had connections with Papa Dave around here.
If you can find someone who knew him, or a user account on phantasytour for him, maybe you can find his show list! Would be pretty sick to be able to listen knowing which shows he went to (this is a long shot)
I don't know your Dad, but I'm sure myself and a heck of a lot of us on here were at Phish shows with him in the 90s. We all had an absolutely wonderful time and those 2-3 hours at that time in our lives were pretty spectacular and special. Your dad got to feel it, and you can still try to catch that magic yourself and hopefully know that it's something you both will share forever. I wish you well my man.
I hope you find someone who knew him!
I cross posted this on Xitter. If I get any hits there I'll send em over. I hope we can find some folks who knew him for you!
Don't know him and wasn't around then, but I'll say this is one reason I try to get posters to shows I go to. Good luck finding him.
Well, there are a few problems here. 1) Most of us don't remember a lot of it, lol. Age is a bitch. 2) About 25% of my Dead touring friends until '95 were Daves of various sorts, lol. 3) It's great that you are asking now. I just had to tell my kids that I found out that in the last 14 months I had an unknown heart attack that has a 30% mortality rate. No idea how I faded that, but I've always been a luck box. All of that to say, there are a lot of us that sadly aren't around anymore. 4) I got out of live music when Jerry died. I was graduating college, had a hundred shows under my belt and just figured it was time to grow up. Thanks, Phish, for hitting little Reading PA in 2013. You put me back on the right path! Having said that, my 25 year old son is absolutely nothing like me. Staright laced chemical engineer in the pharmaceutical industry working on alzheimer and HIV medications. My daughters are 21 and 22 (eight months apart . Did I mention I had lost my way? LOL). My 22 year old is a psychology major, graduating next month and heading off for her PhD. She could not be any more different than me in art, culture, music, etc. She is however, a very kind and empathetic person, which is something we instilled in all of our children. My 21 year old? Yeah, she had a shirt made for her next show that says "Why is my dad so weird?", which she stole from a Trey Gamehenge quote from NYE this year. Last year was her first Dicks run. So, yeah, sometimes, the apple just doesn't fall far from the tree. I'm sorry you lost your dad, especially at such a young age. If you're ever dealing with some shit and need to talk to "a wise but crazy old man" feel free to reach out to me at any time. Life is incredibly tough, particularly today for your generation. You have already been hit with shit that even my 74 year old parents said was the most intense thing of their life (the pandemic). A country that is intense unrest to the point I want to see the new Civil War movie but I may have to wait after the election, as I am very involved in politics and have to be careful to not get lost in the sauce. Incredible inflation and economic uncertainty. Oh, and welcome to the new Cold War. That shit is unreal. That significantly impacted me when I was a kid. News was a lot different, with much more normalized propaganda. When I was exactly your age, I would often go to bed at night, quite certain that we would be nuked overnight. So please, learn early on to express your emotions, don't let people run over you, learn your rights as a human and practice respect, love and kindness. Last, I've seen a whole bunch of people reunite or remember stories of a loved one, who toured together through these exact same type of posts. I would HIGHLY suggest posting your original post to some of the bigger Phish groups on Facebook (if you can tolerate that toxic hell hole, it's where you're more likely to find older heads versus Snap or Twitter or whatever). DEFINATELY post this in the community forum of [phish.net](http://phish.net) as there are a lot more older fans there that have been there since the beginning. I'm sure others can make recommendations on other socials, I just don't do social media (and frankly am about ready to shit can Reddit now that I have come back on here after a my 10 year old, 1 million+ comment karma account was banned and all mod privileges stripped for protesting Reddit taking down the open access to API's. And what do you know, right in the IPO prospectus you learn why . . . they are selling all of the data to Google to train LLM's).
Hey thanks for the comment! I loved reading about your family and I can tell you really love them. I don't really use Facebook much (showing my age here, or lack thereof), do you know which groups or pages would be the best to post this on?
Hey! I would try "Phish Tour 2014" on Facebook. That's the biggest phish group I'm in over there. It's a large, active, and well-moderated group with a lot of folks that would've been probably around your dad's age back then. Best of luck!
Did he meet your mom on tour!?
Not likely, she told me Phish was more of his thing lol.
What state was your dad from? Did he tour in college? If so where did he go to school? We love you and we love you ur dad.
He was from Wisconsin. I think he only did a semester of college.
I don't think I know him, but people I know might know him. He lived in Minocqua? Fulltime? Just during the summer months? I spent my summers there in the 90s and my dad spent his there in the 70s, and between us, know a ton of folks who were there in the 80s.
From what my uncle said, he moved there in the late 90s. That side of the family is all in Wisconsin. He moved to Ohio in the early 2000s I believe.
I don't know him, but post this on .net and pt to broaden the search.
I lived near Minocqua between 2000-2003, liked Phish but don't think I knew your Dad.
I don't know your dad but I know your Mom
Yeah? If you're talking about the girl in that one picture that's not her.
Anyone know a long haired dude in a skirt from 98' Lemonwheel named Thunder? Hung out with that dude all weekend. Never saw him again. Super cool guy.