Long Time Phish Fan Mike Shields Attends his Final Concert

Hampton, VA. This Friday, the hugely popular cult jam band Phish made its return to the stage after a nine year hiatus* and proposed "retirement". Thousands of phans, from places as far away as California and some from as close as P-town, have congregated for this momentus event in phishtory. There is clearly a buzz around this venue the band has cleverly nicknamed "the mothership" because of its space-ship like appearance. Although for many there is nothing more important and significant than "the boys" return, there is another occassion which is taking place on this day. As the sun rises again on Phish's music, the sun is setting for one of its phans.

In what is a surprising move to many longtime Phish phan Mike Shields has decided to hang up his runaway shirt and unlace his DC^ sneakers and has released a press release which states that Phish's show in Hampton on Friday night is going to be his last. "It's over, it's phinally phucking over" Shields said in his press release.

Shields, who traveled down from New York, for this occassion, saw his first show** in 1994 and has been a main-stay on lot ever since. Although his dedication has been unrivaled in the past, the last couple years he has found himself only with mild interest in the band, something which would have seemd impossable if you ever seen him at a concert. "I found myself interested in different things, I was even interested in different music. I even found myself motivated to be successful in life and realized success doesn't lie in how many Tweezers I could see". He realized things were changing around the the turn of the century when he began liking his parents again and stopped blaming them in their role of missing rock concerts.

But although his life and love of the band was changing he decided to give it one more go as the buzz around Phish's reunion built like one of their high energy rock jams. Although he rated the concert "a heck of a show" it did not affect him like shows earlier in his rock career. "I am glad the last concert I am going to see was atleast decent, this was not the case before the reunion. It was great to see a Bowie, Tweezer, and YEM at my final show, true classics, and I guess their are worst songs to go out to than Cup" Shields said through a post show fuzz on his walk back to the Daze Inn.

A pivotal moment happened post show which re-affirmed Shields's postion. Shields was asked if he was going to see Steve Kimock post show at the Norva. "Not only did I not want to answer that question...but I don't want to answer any tour question or see any of these people again for the rest of my life." Shields then commented that he isn't quite sure what a Kimock is. "Is that some kind of electric banjo?"

Shields insist the last thing he wants to come off as at the end of his career is a jaded, to cool for school, old school head. "They still sounnd good" he says "and they play alot of songs these days which people seem to like." After making this comment to me he did, however, turn to a good bearded friend of his wearing dark shades and spoke of lack of transitions and talked of "being in the shit during the shit". His comments prompted his tour friend, known as Red, to say "I love mean honest Mike Shields", possibly an old tour nickname.



I find myself, as a reporter new to the scene very skeptical of Shield's retirement. The way he speaks of these songs as events or even as old friends gives me a glimpse of his past love of the band. I do wonder if he has seen his last Melt or his last Mikes song. I question if this is a retirment set for a reunion in line with Phish's return to the stage this weekend. But in a private ceremony after the show inside the Coliseum where Mike Shields and a small group of his closest phriends have gathered I tend to really believe it's over as Trey once declared on a stage in Coventry. As his patchwork shorts were being raised to the rafters never to be worn by another phan again, I can softly hear Shields humming almost inaudibly. As I move closer I realize he is humming a slow depressing version of a Split Open and Melt. I then see one single tear run down Shields cheek as the patchworks reach their final resting spot. Rest easy Shields, your spot in Phishtory is secure...you truly ran like an antelope out of contol.