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This Has All Been Wonderful: A Travel Monologue from Summer 1994, the Year Phish Became Phish
1994 was part of an era before cell phones and ubiquitous Internet. Trying to escape the oppressive New Mexico heat, David “ZZYZX” Steinberg spent that summer driving around the country seeing a band. Phish was at a turning point in their career, still playing clubs and small theatres, but about to break into mainstream popularity. From Las Cruces to Vancouver, Canada, back to New Mexico and across the nation to Trenton, New Jersey, David saw twenty-six Phish concerts that summer.
Bringing the wry sense of humor and random digressions that have made his daily “Phish Stats” Facebook updates a favorite of veteran fans and newbies alike, this book details the journey he took in the summer of ‘94. Between pointing out the best rest stop locations and explaining how to accidentally infuriate the band that he loves, ZZYZX brings the richness of tour to life.
If you’ve ever wondered why someone would pack up their car with nothing but a tour calendar and a few cases of soda to sell, come along for the ride. There’s always room for one more.
Bringing the wry sense of humor and random digressions that have made his daily “Phish Stats” Facebook updates a favorite of veteran fans and newbies alike, this book details the journey he took in the summer of ‘94. Between pointing out the best rest stop locations and explaining how to accidentally infuriate the band that he loves, ZZYZX brings the richness of tour to life.
If you’ve ever wondered why someone would pack up their car with nothing but a tour calendar and a few cases of soda to sell, come along for the ride. There’s always room for one more.
- GenresMusicNonfiction
147 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 18, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
May 8, 2014
David Steinberg aka ZZYZX aka The Timer recounts his experiences touring with Phish in 1994 as they evolve from a small-time club band to the arena-filling powerhouse we know and love today. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone with just a passing interest in Phish or music history - there is full-on nerddom happening here. Chapters are broken up by specific shows on the run, and Steinberg intersperses stats, song descriptions and personal stories throughout. It can read a bit slow, but there is some great trivia, a few intriguing stories about the band back when they were still accessible beyond the rail and David's unique perspective having seen 300+ shows since '89. As a phan, it's fun to relate to his dedication (obsession), and I couldn't help but immediately listen to some of the recommended tracks.
July 20, 2019
Having just caught the band's run at Alpine Valley, including a Sunday show that is being discussed among the best outings of 3.0 (perhaps of all time), I figured now was the perfect time to read a book about Phish. I was correct. And having been on my list for a while now, David Steinberg's coverage of the Summer '94 tour got the nod.
This is one of those books that I think everyone could get at least a little something out of, but there is a definite hierarchy of recommendation here. That would be.. anyone > lovers of music > lovers of jam music > lovers of Phish. The order of ascension is obvious I think. I could recommend this to anyone because it's a fun little journey into the experience of someone who hops on tour with a band and the shenanigans they get up to. I could recommend it further to anyone who really loves music, as the enjoyment you find will be amplified; especially if you are a fan of jam music. And finally, and most obviously, I can recommend it most wholeheartedly to Phish fans. Especially nerdy Phish fans who have their nose in the stats (which I always tend to do shortly after seeing them).
I suppose I should give a short little run down for those completely unfamiliar. Jam is a genre that was popularized by the Grateful Dead and further accelerated by Phish, beginning in 1987 (and continuing today, albeit after one hiatus and one break-up/reunion; what band isn't without their hiccups?). It sets itself apart from your average concert by way of extended improvisational sections (jams) that lend a newness and sense of creation to the concerts that keep fans coming back time and time again. Sometimes multiple shows in a row (even if you hear a song twice in a row, chances are it won't be played the same way). And for the truly dedicated, even entire tours in a row, as Steinberg did in 1994 when he followed Phish's Summer tour for 26 shows. This may seem like madness to some. To others (like myself), a dream. Even if you can't imagine embarking on such a journey yourself, there is something to be said for the romantic flair of road life; setting out with no clear sense of how you'd make the trip work, not much money to your name, living only for the freedom of the music, getting by selling sodas post-show in the parking lot. When you let the music take control and truly dive deep into the experience, you open yourself up to all that the experience has to offer. The good and the bad. The mystic and the terrible. The monotony and the mishaps.
Especially fun, at least for me, is getting a glimpse at what all of this was like in a pre-Internet era (or rather, just on the cusp of the Internet). This is a big focus of Steinberg's throughout the book (seeing as how he is still at it, and knows exactly what the modern scene is like) and proves entertaining for someone like me who has only known the post-Internet world of concert-going. No doubt, the convenience of the modern-era can't be ignored. Nor the benefits. Sitting on my porch listening to every Phish set Steinberg describes at the touch of a button, as he describes it, cannot be overstated as a positive experience. But one does long for the simplicity of the before. One thing is sure though. Keeping detailed setlist notes may have been replaced with instant post-show updates online, or even live streams of the concert. Tape trading may have turned into file sharing. Maps may be obsolete. You may not spend all day looking for a venue because your information was bogus, or have to think of some elaborate scheme to come up with a ticket because when you finally got to the box office (can't just buy one online) the show was sold out. Those things may be a relic of the past, but one things remains. That thing that we all crave. That we all love. The music! That force of creation that brings us all running back time and time again. As much as things may change, you can count on that to stay the same.
This is one of those books that I think everyone could get at least a little something out of, but there is a definite hierarchy of recommendation here. That would be.. anyone > lovers of music > lovers of jam music > lovers of Phish. The order of ascension is obvious I think. I could recommend this to anyone because it's a fun little journey into the experience of someone who hops on tour with a band and the shenanigans they get up to. I could recommend it further to anyone who really loves music, as the enjoyment you find will be amplified; especially if you are a fan of jam music. And finally, and most obviously, I can recommend it most wholeheartedly to Phish fans. Especially nerdy Phish fans who have their nose in the stats (which I always tend to do shortly after seeing them).
I suppose I should give a short little run down for those completely unfamiliar. Jam is a genre that was popularized by the Grateful Dead and further accelerated by Phish, beginning in 1987 (and continuing today, albeit after one hiatus and one break-up/reunion; what band isn't without their hiccups?). It sets itself apart from your average concert by way of extended improvisational sections (jams) that lend a newness and sense of creation to the concerts that keep fans coming back time and time again. Sometimes multiple shows in a row (even if you hear a song twice in a row, chances are it won't be played the same way). And for the truly dedicated, even entire tours in a row, as Steinberg did in 1994 when he followed Phish's Summer tour for 26 shows. This may seem like madness to some. To others (like myself), a dream. Even if you can't imagine embarking on such a journey yourself, there is something to be said for the romantic flair of road life; setting out with no clear sense of how you'd make the trip work, not much money to your name, living only for the freedom of the music, getting by selling sodas post-show in the parking lot. When you let the music take control and truly dive deep into the experience, you open yourself up to all that the experience has to offer. The good and the bad. The mystic and the terrible. The monotony and the mishaps.
Especially fun, at least for me, is getting a glimpse at what all of this was like in a pre-Internet era (or rather, just on the cusp of the Internet). This is a big focus of Steinberg's throughout the book (seeing as how he is still at it, and knows exactly what the modern scene is like) and proves entertaining for someone like me who has only known the post-Internet world of concert-going. No doubt, the convenience of the modern-era can't be ignored. Nor the benefits. Sitting on my porch listening to every Phish set Steinberg describes at the touch of a button, as he describes it, cannot be overstated as a positive experience. But one does long for the simplicity of the before. One thing is sure though. Keeping detailed setlist notes may have been replaced with instant post-show updates online, or even live streams of the concert. Tape trading may have turned into file sharing. Maps may be obsolete. You may not spend all day looking for a venue because your information was bogus, or have to think of some elaborate scheme to come up with a ticket because when you finally got to the box office (can't just buy one online) the show was sold out. Those things may be a relic of the past, but one things remains. That thing that we all crave. That we all love. The music! That force of creation that brings us all running back time and time again. As much as things may change, you can count on that to stay the same.
September 27, 2026
Incredible happiness is better than pure understanding. (67)
And yet, despite this wisdom, David Steinberg, dba ZZYZX, engaged with Phish the best way he could think of to approach understanding: he recorded the experiences meticulously.
Show times. Setlists. Song lengths. (Trey once got so pissed at Steinberg for conspicuously recording with a stopwatch and notebook that Brad Sands banned him from the front row.) For years, Steinberg’s querencia was in the audience of a Phish concert, and he lived a monkish life to be there.
In 2026, decades after Phish first emerged out of the North American theater circuit to become one of the biggest movements in American rock music history and the modern world’s definitive jam band, Steinberg is here to use some of those details he wrote down to tell a story. He chose, with this book, to talk about his experiences during 1994: a year when he saw almost 30 Phish shows, and a year that proved pivotal for the band.
The growth of the Phish scene sometimes gets blamed on the death of Jerry Garcia [in 1995], but it really happened in 1994. We went from a world where Page could casually play a game of pool at Trax before a show to selling out Madison Square Garden in a little over two years. Until this year Phish’s growth was a long slow process, from bars to larger bars, from larger bars to theaters, each step playing off the last. 1994 was the year where that hard work paid off and a huge leap happened. As impossible as it would have seemed just a few months prior, the days of theaters were over. (137)
Phish is basically a sport for music fans; each show is a game in which the home team battles the forces of ennui to get there. The gameplay is a musical conversation between these four virtuosic friends, who make music with a cohesion earned over the course of 50 years of playing demanding music for rabid fans. This sport has scores and losses (I’ve seen a few of both) and it has its pundit class. This book from Steinberg is basically a sports book in the style of Jimmy Breslin’s account of the woeful 1962 Mets, Can’t Anyone Play This Game? I’m tempted to say something like “this book is about Phish tour in 1994, but really, it’s the story of America.” But no. It really is the story of this rock band and the shows they played in arguably their most important year of development. For diehard phans, by the ur-diehard phan.
Want to know the secret of Phish’s success? Check out how fast Mike catches onto what Trey is playing [during 5/17/92 “Possum”]. By the second chord of the “LA Woman” riff, there’s already bass accompaniment. This isn’t a one-time fluke. As the first verse ends, Trey veers into “China Grove” and the rest of the band is playing along almost immediately.
This is a reason why the slow growth was so important. The listening and playing off each other in 1992 is what made the extended jamming of 1994 possible. You can take chances in front of a small crowd and see what works. Jamming was a hit. Secret Language really only had a shot in the clubs and theatres when there was a more critical mass of fan. The anti-song that was “Wait” was quickly discarded. The years in the clubs were crucial to letting Phish learn the skills that would lead to them breaking out of those venues. (30)
What struck me about this retelling is just how fucking magical this band is — with ZZYZX a high priest of this magical thing. I know how captivating it is to see Phish in an arena or summer shed; I know how awesome the recordings of the early 90s are. But I didn’t know the band had a following this intense this early on. Trey recently gave a quote in which he said that he had watched footage of the band in 1991, and was surprised at how much of the band’s act, their oeuvre and schtick, was already in place by then. Similarly, reading about fans already obsessing over Gamehendge lore in the same time period — revering the work of an accessible, goofy band of dorks — is remarkable.
Phish.net gets the setlists up — complete with teases and show notes — in something close to real time. I love that existence, but the downside is that there’s never a chance to go online and be the one who excitedly gets to inform everyone of what just went down. From leaving Dead shows and reading the shut out crowd the setlist, to finding a computer to give a post show report, to the process a few years later of going to a pay phone and calling the designated Phish net update person with the set, there was always a chance to break Phish news when you saw a concert. (18)
Steinberg seems to have been alone during much of this tour, stone sober and broke, paying his way by vending sodas in the lot and traveling everywhere in his car. (When he considers traveling from New Mexico to Glens Falls, NY for the Halloween show, he only ever thinks of the travel time in terms of how long it would take as a road trip.) This book is essentially the dispatch of a wandering mendicant; it reminded me of the priestly documentation and purposeful asceticism of Piranesi.
But as a high priest of Phish, he has a very acute sense of the band’s strengths, weaknesses, and history. It is not a supernatural thing to him; it is something he wants to be there for, but it is something he wants to understand.
One of the great things about Phish is that all of the missteps and random directions they tried are available for us to explore. How did Phish get big? They experimented relentlessly and had no problem abandoning or changing songs if they decided the version that they’ve already played didn’t work.
Another reason for their success is that they were willing to be true to themselves and just hope that fans liked it. When you have fans following you around the country, that creates a dilemma: some people only are going to see their local show and want to see their favorite songs but others are on their 12th show of the run and are sick of the songs in rotation. How do you balance those issues? Phish’s plan always leaned towards not thinking about it too much. If they played what they wanted, the audience would hopefully follow. (58)
August 12, 2026
What a great read, especially on the heels of Phish’s trip down memory lane to the mid-1990s during this year’s summer tour. David is a talented writer and storyteller; his descriptions of everyone from border control officers to fellow phans are evocative and entertaining. I laughed out loud at numerous times while reading. As someone whose Grateful Dead and Phish touring habits also overlapped, I especially enjoyed the reminiscences about the logistics of life on the road — I’m sure it’s hard for younger people to even comprehend navigating without technology and connecting with friends via pre-planned meetups. The sidebars and tangential stories are also interesting and fun. What really shines however, is his love of Phish’s music, which he describes with an amazing level of detail and always a little reverence. Perhaps not as delightful for the casual observer but I found the book a joy from beginning to end. Glad to add this to my music book collection.
November 27, 2023
This was a quick and breezy read, but still packed with lots of great Phish action. As much as I loved the show-by-show notes covering Phish's summer 1994 tour (the same year I was just beginning to become a Phish fan, but before I saw them live myself), the real draw here is when he talks about his journey and challenges going on tour in an era without GPS, cell phones and only the earliest scratchings of a Phish presence on the internet.
December 13, 2025
I picked this book up because it covers a series of shows in 1994 of which I saw quite a few, though I think only one of them made it into this travelogue. I love first-person travelogues as well as books about music, and if you are extremely familiar with this band this will be a fun read or a nostalgia trip if you were there yourself. I don’t know that anyone outside of that fairly narrowly defined field would get as much out of it, though portions of it could also provide a general snapshot of life in the mid-90s. If you specifically want to read about Phish shows in the mid-90s before the band’s popularity escalated, this will put you there. For me, it’s strange to look back on a time period that feels like just moments ago and realize that now it’s a historical moment, and one that can never be recaptured. Given that late 1994 was also the last time I saw the band until 2025, it was also a way for me to close that gap and bring some rather distant memories back into the present. I love that the author captured this so well and used his enthusiasm for collecting and cataloguing information to preserve these moments in time. I definitely looked up a lot of the shows online to listen to while reading it. I wish more photos were available from the time period, but much like the author that wasn't something I was thinking about either at the time. I'm glad he captured so much from it, as well as the spirit and mindset of a young person hitting the road in the name of music. The three-star review isn't meant to be negative, it's just acknowledging that there's a very specific audience for a book like this, and it does focus on minutiae of setlists a lot, but I'd definitely recommend it to anyone that thinks they might be interested.
February 17, 2024
Easy read that make the reader want to back in time on tour. Or at least listen to the highlights of the shows discussed.
August 30, 2026
l was in the moment
What a wonderful read. I was in training in 1994 and missed every show, but a Phan sent me a sleeve of tapes in trade. GD (me) for phish (him). Changed me life. Heading for Dicks Friday. Great read. I recommend listening to shows as you go…
What a wonderful read. I was in training in 1994 and missed every show, but a Phan sent me a sleeve of tapes in trade. GD (me) for phish (him). Changed me life. Heading for Dicks Friday. Great read. I recommend listening to shows as you go…
February 3, 2015
Ok - I loved this book, but I'll be straight: it's for a niche audience. Non-fans simply won't get it. Younger fans might be put off by "back-in-the-day" vibe. Finally, the author isn't a natural narrative writer, something I suspect he knows.
But damn, these stories connect personally. Summer '94 was my first tour, a 20 year old noob from Tennessee traveling the Midwest and Northeast for the first time. Steinberg writes with the authentic voice of those swapping stories on the lot. It brought me a flood of great memories from a transformative month of my life.
But damn, these stories connect personally. Summer '94 was my first tour, a 20 year old noob from Tennessee traveling the Midwest and Northeast for the first time. Steinberg writes with the authentic voice of those swapping stories on the lot. It brought me a flood of great memories from a transformative month of my life.
May 7, 2014
A fun, relatively quick read. Evokes well the scene of going to Phish shows in the early to mid '90s, when the band's popularity exploded. I really enjoyed the anecdotal road-story nature of the book, so it never was just a collection of show reviews, as much as the story of the journey from show to show, with the highlights of the concerts themselves sprinkled in. Recommended, especially for fellow long-time Phish fans.
July 20, 2014
I spent way too much time during college on David Steinberg's website. His passion is infectious. I bought the book after hearing him interviewed on hfpod and loved it. It's amazing to me that you used to be able to road trip around the country on a shoestring budget and that there was a band worth seeing almost nightly that charged about $10 per ticket. I wish he'd added some more personal details and anecdotes The lack of pretension was refreshing.
April 28, 2014
Closer to a high-ish 3 than a low-ish 4. ZZYZX is legendary and this is a nice insight into his world in 1994. Hard to tell sometimes if he is joking or if he is oblivious to his tone. I suspect a bit of both at different times.
Much more concrete text than A Tiny Space to Move and Breathe but the musical discussion is super inferior. A book mixing both would be great.
Much more concrete text than A Tiny Space to Move and Breathe but the musical discussion is super inferior. A book mixing both would be great.
May 5, 2014
A fun time capsule about a great time.
May 10, 2014
Not particularly well-written with entirely too many detours to non-Phishy realms. Still, it got me excited about the shows this summer!
May 30, 2014
Love Phish and really wanted to like this book, but the writing is all over the place. It just isn't put together well, jumps all over the place, and frankly just isn't very interesting.
July 9, 2014
Great for Phish nerds. Incomprehensible to most everyone else.
November 1, 2014
what I needed right now.
December 29, 2014
A must read for any Phish fan.
January 26, 2015
entertaining and funny; led me to check out some awesome shows/jams I hadn't heard before. well worth your time.
February 3, 2016
All in all a good read with great insights into tour on the year the Phish exploded. Jealous of those experiences. Wish I had been there. Definitely inspired me to listen to more 94 Phish.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews