Run Like an Antelope: On the Road with Phish

by Sean Gibbon

One journalist's wild summer on the road with the world's most popular cult rock band, Phish.

Despite their enormous success and their status as America's biggest cult rock and roll band, Phish remains an enigma. Each of their albums has sold more than 500,000 copies, and their concerts sell out instantly, but the band makes a virtue of ignoring the mainstream, and the fans rather prefer it that way. In Run Like an Antelope: On the Road with Phish, Sean Gibbon deftly and hilariously chronicles this unique musical subculture.

Inspired by the offbeat road stories of Hunter S. Thompson and Bill Bryson, among others, Gibbon resolved to follow Phish and their kite's tail of hundreds of thousands of followers on their 1999 summer tour. What he discovered is a new kind of American tribe: a mixture of aging, resigned Deadheads, wealthy college kids, and dedicated Phishheads, all bound together by their belief in the band, passion for the music, and energetic spirit, which transform Phish into an experience. His ensuing adventures among the Phish fans constitute a memorable, insightful, uproarious odyssey into this new frontier of American pop tribalism. Whether he's being kidnapped by a group of ebullient Georgia Tech coeds, or being serenaded by devoted fans on the institution of Phish, Gibbon navigates the wild, fascinating Phish experience with verve and a keen eye, brilliantly communicating both the enormous energy of the band's music and the distinct character of their fans.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Memoir, Travel

240 pages, Paperback

First published February 14, 2001

Reviews

[Lynn Nowak · Rating 1 out of 5]

Phans will learn nothing about Phish from the book, nor will they be able to relate to it. This book is about an outsider's view of a Phish tour. The writing sucks. The little plot that there is moves at a snail's pace. No one should waste their time with this book.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this book a lot. It read like an on-the-road adventure, and captured the energy of going to shows...I guess it's not fair to review this book, as I'm in it (that's me on page 30). I don't care. I'm impartial. good book.

[Brian Wade · Rating 1 out of 5]

What a disappointment. This guy is lame. No interesting insights at all. I think the author would have preferred watching tv in the hotel room every night instead of going to the shows.

[Tim Barney · Rating 2 out of 5]

This guy puts the d in douche

[terrence · Rating 1 out of 5]

Phish plays three blocks away every labor day. I watch a previous year's utube and feel "real" vibes shake my mobile home (trailer trash, if the truth be known). I wanted to hang at outskirts of venue with the followers camped out. Being on a walker I could not navigate dirt and mud for a deadhead experience. I only read the first 10% but may revisit book before next concert.

[Thany · Rating 2 out of 5]

does this guy even like phish? lol. i only gave this 2 stars because… phish. otherwise, this book was no bueno: riddled with typos and grammatical errors made worse by the author’s sour attitude towards literally everything.

**read in response to PS reading challenge prompt “A book rated less than 3 stars on GoodReads”**

[Daniel Skolovy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought it was well written. It’s not a crusty wook on the road selling grilled cheese or doses but it’s kinda a period piece. Theres not point in wishing the book is something it’s not. But it was a good read.

[Victor · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was not extremely impressed by Gibbon's writing style, due to the fact that it seemed that he was fairly critical of what he refers to as "Phishheads", when in fact, I believe the correct, or at least more preferred nomenclature is "Phan". The term "Head" and its meaning in this context is twofold. What bothers me about the usage of this term throughout the book is that it makes a direct tie to the drug-culture, shedding a negative light on Phish's fans. Secondarily, the term comes from the Grateful Dead's followers: the "Deadheads". While there is a huge argument as to whether Phish is just a new era of Deadhead's is beyond me. My personal opinion is that the two bands are only similar on the basis of their subculture's behaviors. However, the anecdotes of each Phish show was well done and I am surprised that Gibbon was able to recall the vast majority of his shows, despite journaling. My only other qualm was the generalization that Gibbon states that "the majority of Phish fans are these tourist types-college kids, prep-school kids, yuppies. Age bracket: sixteen-thirty, with the majority in their early twenties. They fuel this economy" (75-76). I find this fairly true, but I feel like Gibbon's could have certainly stated this generalization in a more neutral fashion. Overall, I had greater expectations. I guess you truly can never judge a book by its cover.

[Dave · Rating 1 out of 5]

The author, Sean Gibbon, attempts to do a Hunter S Thompson gonzo style; totally immersing himself in a situation and writing from the inside out, with his own story becoming intertwined with the actual reporting. He follows a Phish tour across country for a summer.

pros: there are some funny parts. there's a bit of phish history (only a very small amount though)

cons: a lot of unneccessary hippie bashing... they're so dirty and they have these mangy dogs! eeew dredlocks... over and over again until you're sick of hearing it. I mean, what did you expect dude? it's a phish concert.

I picked up this book hoping for some inside info, backstage interviews, allegations and rumors. instead, it's a story about someone who's never been on a road trip before and can't get over himself and his insecurities.

[Ben Paulson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fun to read about a band that I somehow never got into... Phish. As many folks in the book point out, the lyrics are quite lacking. The music though is often very good.

I really did not enjoy the writing or the author's dour attitude throughout the book though. I found it to be overly judgemental at times...focusing primarily on the negative aspects of touring as opposed to the positive ones. I also would have enjoyed more focus on the band and music itself.

[Andrea · Rating 1 out of 5]

The only redeeming quality of this book is its hilarity. Rent-a-Wreck? Gooball medical emergency? This kid takes custy to a whole new level.

[Jlewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

great perspective from a couple phans. what i learned - follow your dreams, then write a book about it.

[Nathan Kester · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was terrible. Just terrible.

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read twice. Feels like my life.

[Graham Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good solid fun. Funny observations.

[Sandra Rice · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book over 10 years ago and I enjoyed it enough to still remember how much I liked it.