Key & Peele ended its five-season run Wednesday, and there was much sadness. Over the course of the show, its star duo has taken shots at everyone from politicians to gang members to rappers to any number of stereotypes. But on their way out, they added another name to their hit list: Phish fans. Yes, Phish fans. You know them, you love them, you are kind of confused by them.
Full Disclosure: I myself was a Phish fan at one point.
Fuller disclosure: I have been recently flirting with the band again after several years apart from one another.
Now, I would so very much love to defend Phish fans here and refute the claims made in the sketch. Oh man, would I love to. But, yeah, there is sadly not much to defend.
Claim Number 1: “When dudes get into Phish, they don’t come back.”
I kind of agree with this because if you really get into Phish, like get into them with the bootlegs and ticket stubs from tours and the lingering taste of grilled cheese, garlic and tomato sangies forever hanging around in your mouth, that just doesn’t leave you. It may get suppressed for a spell and, yes, you may deny your fandom from time to time. But it doesn’t go away. You may think it does, but then you randomly hear “Punch You in the Eye” and it all comes back to you.
Claim Number 2: “Dudes start getting into, man, Yeah I went to that one concert…”
This totally happens. Listing your Phish concert memories and foggy recollections of sets is a badge of honor when you’re out in the lot, hopefully perusing for weed or extra tickets. Does it become a game of one-ups-manship? Yeah, totally. It may have been one of things that steered me away from Phish and the jam band scene back in the day. That and hip-hop. And work-required drug tests.
Claim Number 3: “Oh, I’m getting my bobblehead.”
Hey, if it’s a good show, you get your bobblehead going way sooner than 20 minutes in.
