Phish - Interview with David Byrne - Full Raw video

Recorded 10-20-98 for the PBS show Sessions at West 54th

[@isuak47]

This obscure Scandinavian band rocks

[@geofftweety953]

It's like 60 Minutes on acid

[@jeremybarriga9266]

60 minutes on acid is 8 hrs

[@DaveLowenstein]

It's amazing that something filmed in 1998 can look like it came from 1988

[@EzeICE]

Yup cuz the same exact technology existed in both eras.

[@DaveLowenstein]

+SUN WARRIOR mind: blown

[@EzeICE]

+Dave Lowenstein lmfaooo

[@lungflogger9]

funny!!

[@michaeldriscoll5602]

Dave Lowenstein. Agreed.

[@MothershipBrotha]

Switch your headphones around for this cool interview... they produced it in backwards stereo!

[@jimmyf9545]

I love Phish..hard work equals success.

[@kyleogle1599]

Absolutely true

[@EFK76]

the page nods at the end are funny, great post.

[@jginnever]

Just discovered this by searching for David Byrne and Phish. This is great!

[@krishnaveganathar]

The Talking Heads set from the Omni is my hands down favorite Halloween concert from Phish.

[@JoeLaRocca]

The band was never the same after that. FULL FUNK

[@Triggin1]

I was there! it was epic!

[@SeaHorseGypsy]

"I shan't. I shan't move."

[@danjopaluska6082]

so interesting to see david byrne in this context.

[@fatuousfolderol3375]

David Byrne is amazing

[@gregfaircloth6440]

Whoah, I get the sense these guys could’ve gone on for hours. I’d love to see Byrne with his own podcast, bringing on a wide variety of guests but primarily artists and musicians

[@paulsr.4700]

so cool to see these 20 years later

[@bp9884]

Maybe the only band where every member answers questions instead of just the lead singer

[@jdg6336]

Lars from Metallica 🤔

[@rgvt5638]

The 0:25 impression of “yuup” is EXACTLY what Vermont guys are like to this day. I lived in Burlington for many years and can confirm 💯

[@CesarHernandez-nh1wz]

Damn wish I could keep listening to the rest!

[@vankula]

All hail the 4 song 2nd set of the 90s

[@DrakusRecords]

There's not too many bands that stayed together as long as Phish. Yes they had the short breakup in 2000-01, and the longer breakup 2004-09, but for the most part, it's been these same four guys staying together and playing amazing music for almost 40 years.

[@davidonguitar]

U2 since 1976 no hiatus

[@robpetrie6967]

yeah but U2 sucks@@davidonguitar

[@virrepi]

The tone test at the end is Classic! Page’s face is hilarious!

[@geoffreybijak6497]

He is so bugged out, its great. Such an awkward moment.

[@TaylorArtandFun]

This is one of the best moments in Phish comedy history IMO.

[@ruddiguscraggley3850]

Why that had to happen I still wonder The lady… “Ok Page, we r gonna make this next 30 seconds as awkward as we can for u… “ ‘…And go!!’

[@handsformaps3973]

Phish is how I learned of talking heads

[@chaffypappus]

"i still don't mind sleeping on floors" -fish heck yeah

[@chancycowan3479]

I love this❤

[@3408alw]

I LOVE THIS

[@berfmurret]

Love these gentlemen!

[@telemarkgurl]

story of a ghost is my fav studio album.

[@feellikearanger5950]

telemarkgurl without a doubt

[@averyprice9422]

Yep

[@smc4606]

I feel like I never told you....

[@MrMattyswift]

Rift

[@moheganson]

@@MrMattyswiftLawnboy ❤

[@telemarkgurl]

@6:30 the discussion about studio vs. live interesting to hear their thoughts from '98 and knowing they are laying tracks RIGHT now after our halloween experience and them taking that to the studio.

[@ODUBlue]

Fish's laugh is prescription strength

[@TankZappa]

Fish is 100% right. Allowing fans to record live shows is free advertising. I think Trey is right too. It doesn't cut into album sales. Even if it does I think it's worth it. Frank Zappa should have done the same.

[@illuminotmereloaded6896]

Does Cenk have this mustache when he pleasures the horse?

[@casengregg1163]

Agreed. I dig Zappa and agreed with him on a lot of issues, but he always came across as such as asshole. Smart and funny as hell, but way too often he seemed to present unnecessary antagonism or generally rude demeanor

[@creamcannon825]

​@@casengregg1163He's Italian

[@keithruggles4554]

wait wait wait....I just skimmed some fodder but are people really saying derogatory, or unappreciative, or irreverent things about David Byrne? I'm confused. Have you listened to any of the vast voluminous expanse of original organic perceptive prospective projective empathic intuitive inspired inspiring incorporative engrossing engaging enigmatic insightful delightful profound and inordinately beautiful and universal ingenious performance-poetry-music-art. anyone? no one of you guys has really listened to david byrne ? who are you people? I don't get it

[@tiphermartin6779]

lol neerrrrrrrdddddd

[@jimmyf9545]

David is a genius...anyone otherwise...

[@infowazz]

the younger generations are a different breed.

[@stevemcqueen1904]

@Jimmy F nah, he is just extremely autistic.

[@GeneMontemore]

Fishman's explanation at 11:00 of albums vs concerts becoming more and more separate as time goes on ironically came together on Sigma Oasis.

[@SuperQdaddy]

I remember phish. When the played that club off canal st .nyc in late 80s

[@yankees29]

Wetlands?

[@TheHSIHP]

Wetlands was awesome

[@yankees29]

@@TheHSIHP it was. I was in a car outside once blazing up with some bros and the cops rolled up on us. My two friends got caught with bud but I had mine in my sneaker and they couldn’t find it. Lmao. Oh what a night.

[@J-Finelli231]

This video is really about the hairdos. Not the people under them.

[@LoudmanSpeaks]

Cool idea having breakout musicians all over the big festivals…I remember that lesbian drum circle at the Great Went was pretty amazing.

[@kimberlyb7346]

This camera person has a crush on Paige haha!! I typed this before the end I was right man serious crush!!

[@johndelauder1177]

35 min in page is like. Uhh. Is this for real. Is she serious. So dedicated!!

[@infowazz]

So weird to hear them mention email and ticket sales online in 1998. I was in the Army and got out in 1998 and clueless about the interwebs then. i saw them in Austin in 97. After the show the police kicked us out one by one. i had to drive back to post and that was not cool at all. Nowadays it would be impossible due to security.

[@yankees29]

I mail ordered the 97 summer tour. I didn’t have a computer back then. Lol

[@georgeallison3629]

I keep giggling because it sounds like my cat's purring the entire time

[@jimmyf9545]

God bless Vermont!!

[@jimmyf9545]

David Byrne...the opposite of normal. Love it!#!

[@illuminotmereloaded6896]

I haven't seen this in 24 years. Crazy I should come across it randomly, because I was just thinking about this yesterday. David Byrne saying "It's kind of ambitious", has always kind of pissed me off. It's one of the most ambitious things a band could ever do, and like Mike says, "It becomes a study." I haven't even watched this clip yet, I just remember these things. Next time I talk to Mike on lot or wherever, I'm going to bring this up. It's always Mike that I run into. I know that's not that weird, but still.

[@smelltheglove2038]

Remember when he first got the segue and would ride around on that thing?

[@illuminotmereloaded6896]

@@smelltheglove2038 I do, though I can’t remember the exact moment it showed up. Did he first ride out on stage on one at The Clifford Ball? That seems a little early, maybe. I know the next pop culture reference to a segue that I saw was on Weeds where the naked guy is riding down the street. That wasn’t until 2004 or so.

[@smelltheglove2038]

@@illuminotmereloaded6896 yeah, I think the first time I saw it was at Hampton ‘03.

[@illuminotmereloaded6896]

@@smelltheglove2038 That makes sense.

[@illuminotmereloaded6896]

@@smelltheglove2038 So maybe IT is the festival I’m remembering the stage ride from.

[@garytrollmann]

Interesting to think that trey was experiencing similar problems with Phish that Byrne was experiencing with the talking heads before they released Remain In Light. Story of the Ghost (they album they are referencing) was made as more of songwriting collaboration as they reference while talking about long jam sessions. SOTG helped alleviate tension in the band regarding creative control. Similarly, other members of the talking heads were fed up with Byrne's controlling nature on projects which gave birth to the Talking Heads finest album that was almost entirely derived out of polyrhythmic jam sessions

[@illuminotmereloaded6896]

It was this year 1998, 24 years ago to the day yesterday that they played the last show of the 8 (9 if you count the Mid Fyn set) show tour in Barcelona. The PA failed miserably, and Trey went on about how "I" can't play when "I" have to listen to that fuckin thing. It really resonated with me and has never left me. One of the greatest times of my life, that tour.

[@trenttalley924]

Best Phish album imo

[@jessica5497]

David did great here. Idk wtf these comments are talking about

[@jimmyf9545]

That is too much at the end..somebody loves Page

[@Smegma_pirate]

Wow, David Byrne is higher than I’ve ever been on coke, and I’ve been very high on coke

[@jessica5497]

He's not high. He's Just an Aspie

[@infowazz]

@@jessica5497 bingo

[@illuminotmereloaded6896]

I shot it every day for almost two years. Lucky to be alive. Hate that fucking drug. But can't stop doing it when I'm doing it. May 2019 was the last time.

[@berryseinfeld6772]

Idiot. He’s autistic.

[@moheganson]

@@illuminotmereloaded6896sounds like my relationship with alcohol

[@seanoreilly968]

"the inverse dizzy gillespie"

[@deBebbler]

The Halloween segment beginning at 25:30 is gold. Great answers from each member and a super goofy joke at the end that perfectly encapsulates their supreme dork nature.

[@illuminotmereloaded6896]

Dude! I loved the Sinatra group, and I think I recognize yer screen name.

[@deBebbler]

@@illuminotmereloaded6896 Internet Celebrity, here I come! Yeah, that Sinatra Group sketch was a stroke of genius. Everyone killed it in that bit.

[@illuminotmereloaded6896]

@@deBebbler I’ll bet not many people recognize yer profile picture. Hell, man. I think about having a Ben Vereen quality every day. No it’s that I think I remember you from my hometown. Three Sheets to the wind? Paul is actually dead, by the way.

[@deBebbler]

@@illuminotmereloaded6896 You'd be surprised. At least, I wasn't prepared for it. That pic gets a lot of mentions. I always had to work to like the Beatles. Maybe it's because I grew up by a beautiful gigantic lake that their Misery Beat never resonated with me.

[@illuminotmereloaded6896]

@@deBebbler Interesting. Did you mean Mersey Beat? Like the Mersey Beat article? Any idea what I'm talking about? So do you have an idea who I am?

[@TheKennerdactyl]

how did david byrne come to interviewing phish? it seems incredibly random...hmmm...

[@PRR876]

On Halloween '96 they covered "Remain in Light". THis influence sent the band in a new groove based direction that would carry them through 2000.

[@richardjduke]

This was during the show Sessions at West 54th that David Byrne hosted. It was an eclectic music show much like Austin City Limits. So this is the full interview, which parts were intercut with their performance.

[@DrewberTravels]

+kenner gauthier David Byrne's Big suit was booked at the time.

[@hymedude7378]

Wouldve preferred a jam with David.....

[@yuckydude]

wow they look like kids

[@jimmyf9545]

They were, bruh...I'm old.

[@gmcsrbosavl6964]

I remember watching this when it aired. I’m curious to watch again now and see if it hits me the same way. I remember it getting uncomfortable when DB asked them about covering Remain in the Light and asking in that deadpan tone of his, “why would you do that?” I remember Trey nervously explaining the concept of donning a “musical costume” for halloween, DB seeming pretty unimpressed by the idea and Trey looking pretty uneasy. Gonna watch it now and see if that is what actually happened.

[@gmcsrbosavl6964]

Lol…not at all like i remembered

[@user-uv1hc9gq1k]

Bro! Sending love 🎉 this is the first time watching this.... my first show was 95 Worcester ma...... so lucky and blessed.

[@gmcsrbosavl6964]

@@user-uv1hc9gq1ki was probably at that show. They always seemed to play hot shows in Worcester.

[@illuminotmereloaded6896]

I remember the Taste being very good. That's the last song, right?

[@Outsquatchin]

Good zoom!! he was being left out..

[@openupandsmile4me]

who and why did you dislike this video??

[@fordprefect7316]

I think making Mike laugh would make me eternally happy

[@darwinblinks]

the time I met him he didn't crack a smile

[@TommyBaysMusic]

The director may have had a crush on Page, lol

[@jdg6336]

I really liked Rei Momo 👍

[@ZacharyRader]

strawberry clam colonel

[@TyFly42]

"exactly as it lay on...plastic" they gotta put hoist on wax.

[@jimmyf9545]

How do you play a vacuum cleaner??... Haha

[@larptroll69er22]

This would've been cool if it was 6 or 7 years earlier.

[@robclute]

Sheldon Cooper interviews Phish

[@kevinhoy6838]

miss that pepe lepu shirt

[@nathan419]

I saw him wear it in Denver years ago and it brought a smile to my face. I think it was either the S or FYF show.

[@michaeldriscoll5602]

Also, miss the"Grinch" shirt.

[@mrader217]

PAGE! JEEZUS CHRIST!!! STOP MOVING!!!!! OK, NOW MOVE!!!

[@lzylightnin]

PAGE!!!!! MOVE YOUR LEG BACK!!!!

[@lzylightnin]

AND STOP EATING SO MUCH ACID!

[@cl2984]

Next musical costume Phish does will be "the feeding of the 5000"

[@andtheywillknowusbyourname5511]

Likes Crass and Phish? Man I wanna be friends lol

[@mkwilson38]

Wonder why David and Trey have not collaborated in these later years? Maybe two creative controlling artists wouldn’t work well together.

[@tylerohare2980]

they're on different levels of strange.

[@guywoodhouse4684]

because david dislikes phish. he only did this because he was paid to.

[@gottajiboo40]

Ugh. Again, Page is left out.

[@danbrenton2645]

Page was tripping pretty good in this interview. Had to play it cool ;)

[@2010RSHACKS]

Did they dose this guy or what?

[@Nuthane]

i feel as if david byrne may be a little coked out. or maybe hes just uncomfortable or something

[@SuperSparrow45]

David has always been pretty socially awkward. He also suffers from aspergers.

[@DanXile]

Probably doesn't help that they're crammed so uncomfortably close to each other. "Page can you step forward one step please?"

[@bgilley8199]

Nuthane that's just his normal self. Maybe stoned a bit.

[@Smegma_pirate]

SuperSparrow45 and he was also a fan of cocaine

[@dzfaz]

David Byrne is a nervous wreck here. Painful to watch.

[@kitchenchallenge9375]

Huh?

[@Jesse-fk3xc]

Agree very awkward stuff and not just because of Byrne

[@someotherdude]

David Byrne: Nervous, skittish genius. Phish: random, pointless music.

[@cmhardin37]

Technically everything is pointless in the end. We're all going to die. No one is alive by choice.

[@Jesse-fk3xc]

@@cmhardin37 good point

[@meyerkarl5276]

Check out Phish playing crosseyed and painless at coral sky 96 with Santana's percussionist.

[@TheHSIHP]

For pointless music, it has a brought a lot of joy to people over the years

[@evangelistbrianbaker]

For those that didn't know, Phish did cover the whole Remain in Light album Live. They are huge Talking Heads fans