Hi everybody and welcome to this week’s episode of Attendance Bias. I am your host, Brian Weinstein. Today’s guests are Jack and Fraser of PhanSets.com, who are here to tell about their NFT startup, Phansets, as well as their chosen attendance bias show: August 15, 2012 at Long Beach Arena, in Long Beach, CA.
If you got into Phish at a certain time in their history, you probably obtained a tape, or if you’re like me, hundreds of tapes. Everything about obtaining a tape was special: finding someone who had a tape you were looking for; reaching out to that person whether it was by a letter, a forum, or an email, agreeing to a trade or a B+P, and then when the tape arrived in the mail, the most unique thing about it, aside from the music, was the J-Card; the little piece of paper or thin cardboard that listed the set of music found on that tape. Everyone had their own special ritual and preferences when it came to the J-Cards. If you pretty much fetishized the tapes as much as I did, then you may have had special symbols to denote a segue, or a song debut, or a special guest, and so on.
Tapes have long vanished from the typical Phish scene, but Frazer and Jack of Phansets have dug deep into that nostalgic part of being a fan and want to update it to the present by using the concept of NFTs. In a minute, you’ll hear both guests explain how PhanSets brings back the love of special sets and JCards. But before then, we don’t want to forget the show!
Jack and Fraser were lucky enough to attend the August 15, 2012 show in Long Beach with some special guests; probably the biggest pop stars in the world at that time. So while you listen to today’s episode, imagine that you’re at the show. Now imagine that your brother in law is Justin Bieber’s musical director and guitarist. Now imagine that you and your brother in law convinced Justin Bieber to come see Phish with you. I don’t want to spoil the best parts, but you see where this is going.
So let’s join Frazer and Jack to talk about Phish Sets, Southern California venues, and the limits of an all-access pass as we discuss Phish’s performance from August 15, 2012 at the Long Beach Arena.