Sam Cutler hates Phish

>> Was it them, or is it me? Am I getting too old for this shit?

Yup.

Wasn't he the sound guy during the Samba in the Rain period?

I don't know if he is joking.  Maybe he should have had the donut, or is it doughnut?

i watched the free webcast from the night prior to the run in MSG and i had a similar reaction to a band i had seen many, MANY, moons ago ( and enjoyed over the years ) and wondered similarly if i was too old for this shit...

Different Cutlers.

>>>>Wasn't he the sound guy during the Samba in the Rain period?<<<<

NOPE - That's JOHN Cutler

it's ok, Phish hates Sam too!

"As I walked out someone told me about this band playing Watkins Glen and proudly boasted how the band had sold some sixty thousand tickets. Man, these guys are children! Making music for other children. When they were little boys playing with their dolls I organised a show at Watkins Glen that had over 600,000 people attending .. music for adults played by grown ups. Remember those days? These guys obviously didn't have a clue about such mature goings on .. but (of course) it was way before their time"

Yeah Sam Cutler worrying about unhealthy gestures. 

Drug fueled jam bands are an acquired taste 

Who is Sam Cutler? 

Waiting for Ned to say that he was joking and he knew the difference between John and Sam.

Sam has always been a pompous brit but I gotta agree with him. 

Sorry Jonas...got lots of plates spinning here today.

Here's my wings, breh.

(Promptly pins it on my GDF flat brim)

Look at it this way, you're no Knotesau.

that makes 2 of us...

I have a ticket for the Saturday Dicks shoe.

Maybe they will have a theme for turtle to dislike and mock.

Phish Dick? 

Maybe they can make penis shaped fish sticks to pass out? 

Sorry, vegan penis shaped fish sticks.

Maybe the will spell out : S A M C U T L E R

Instead of the Wilson chant the crowd can yell out SAM CULTER!

sam was funny in long strange trip

I've been really enjoying these doughnut shows for the most part but Cutler makes some good points:

the acappella songs r pretty hit and miss.

maybe mike should find more complementary shades of make up.

the Blues is not really their strong suit.

it is a little ironic a doughnut patterned mumu would b worn regardless of the show theme.

and lastly, where the heady vegan doughnuts at?

hope they break out the trampolines fer ya ned...

Honestly the guy's a total asshole but I agree with his assessment of being at a Phish show.

that's hilarious. i liked what sam had to say in the scorsese doc. 

Is he managing TTB right now? 

No, Justin Beiber. He's looking for a new gig seeing that the Beibs found Gawd.

I'd rather see phish than the rolling stones

I wouldn't pay to see either.

Lawn: OFF!

Who do you still pay to see, Jonas? 

>>>I wouldn't pay to see either

shut up and tell us which of those 2 overrated, over priced and over crowded shows you'd rather attend.

I dont disagree with him about My Soul.

Chicken Tendie time for this guy.

His assessment seems pretty on the mark to me.  Phish SUCKS

I like Phish quite a bit but also think they suck. If that makes sense.

In other news, Lenny Kaye really likes Phish.

Some like jelly, some like jam

I used to love Phish. Lately it lacks liftoff. Like this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mg7uYhADG8o

I just checked out what they are doing at the Garden and I'm not sorry I'm not there. Sorry.

I'm sure it's better at the show.

Tried one more. It's taking soo loong to develop and then nothing but wankery.  From 17:50 - 18:30 is just bullshit. I don't care how it goes for the next ten minutes. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILK-02_1i40

Sam Cutler lives in a van.

#highlarious 

"Sam Cutler lives in a van."

My first thought as well.  I guess that doesn't make your criticism of the band invalid but it does place a bit of perspective on it.

No big surprise here really.  Sam is from a very different school of R&R.

As far as achieving liftoff, who does it anymore?  Even Phil rarely gets to escape velocity these days.

Sam Cutler just sounds like he's old and bitter and needs more fiber in his diet. I'm not trying to be "right". Just calling what I hear. I wish it got me excited - there aren't many bands left who do. 

Mindless jams, inane lyrics, and gimmicks.  What's to like?

Does he like Ween?

Aaron Copland wrote in "Music and the Imagination" that "there is nothing more boring than a well rehearsed performance." He added that "in order to create excitement, there needs to be a perceived sense of risk taking."  I think that's what's missing for me. It all just seems too comfortable. 

>>>I like Phish quite a bit but also think they suck. If that makes sense.

makes perfect sense to me.

i don't care for them a whole bunch but think they're pretty good

Talented musicians, but their music sucks 

ween achieves liftoff, and much further. 

Ween/Phish are just a bunch of soulless choads playing druggalo music for druggalos. 

Sam may be old and bitter and lives in a van now, but look at his resume.

Not many folks can say they managed the Rolling Stones and The Grateful Dead.

He has been there, done that and has seen more then most of us.

Looks like his post was removed.

I guess you can say Citler "co

es from a different school", but the bottom line is he's seen and been through it all as far as Rick and roll is concerned. If you are major league national touring band and a guy like Cutler says you're garbage, then it's prob in their best interest to listen. He has seen his fair share of rock and roll performances.

From the very beginning there have been lots of people who are/were "a guy like Cutler" who thought the Grateful Dead were garbage too.

Everybody's entitled to their own opinion and all.

Overall the post sounds odd. It's very different in tone that how he usually writes, even about things he doesn't love. There's a bitterness to it that seems off.

It's also a bit odd that his post makes it sound as if he's never heard or even heard of the band before. Strange, given they've been around for over 30 years and been on the main stages for almost as long.

I suspect there's more going on there than just him disliking a show.

Whatever, somehow I think Phish will overcome this major blow and will trudge on.

You Can't Always Get What You Want   (Cutler's book)  is definitely worth reading.  He was indeed road manager for Rolling Stones and then Grateful Dead,  in between,  hiding out on Mickey Hart's rancho after the Altamont fiasco.  He explains some stuff that I have not read elsewhere, in the book... 

For example, some (bunches) of the doses handed out at Altamont were both tainted and waaaaay too potent.  He implies that it was an organized effort by shady elements,  to create Weirdness and mayhem.  I recall that he wrote that some of the (tabs or dots or whatever) made it to lab analysis,  and the test results are what prompted him to remark upon the subject. 

Read what he wrote if you're interested in that sort of History.  Personally,  I enjoyed his book.  

I think it's humorous that SC attended the weakest night (# 5) of the Bakers' Dozen so far,  and had only that to form an opinion.  Perhaps if he attended the night before (Jam-Filled)  his experience might have been more fulfilling.  #5 was a Novelty for long-time Phish enthusiasts,  but probably not a great intro show for a first-time attendee.

I like Phish quite a bit but also think they suck. If that makes sense.<

Yeah. I get it.

"there have been lots of people who are/were "a guy like Cutler" who thought the Grateful Dead were garbage too."

Kind of the point.  Does Cutler realize that he's simply repeating what a lot of people said about the Dead?

"i don't care for them a whole bunch but think they're pretty good"

Precisely.  Always enjoy listening to them but wouldn't go out of my way to do so.

>>If you are major league national touring band and a guy like Cutler says you're garbage, then it's prob in their best interest to listen.

so phish should hang it up because of this?

"hey you kids get off my lawn" is not a good look for anyone.  I must inquire, Cutler, can you still have fun?

I think that is Hilarious !!!  Sam is very funny..I hung out with him at Ardmore last month , he is doing a book signing at some Splintered shows. He had me rolled over laughing and i love his "bloody" attitude and accent...;)  I did purchase his book and am enjoying it, saving the second half for our vacation at the shore in Aug.  I am laughing so hard at his comments...who the heck even wants a donut at a show ?

I can't stand Phish, don't get em and wouldn't waste my money traveling to see them. I do hope anyone going has a good time, just not for me. I still adore Phil and hope he comes back to east again ...but not happening I think.  Got some good shows lined up and Peach Fest also, looking forward to Jimmy Herring's whip thing, and other shows too. 

I am going to Ardmore tomorrow nite and will certainly have a good laugh with him about this comment, he is very down to earth and super friendly...with a few crazy fun stories to boot, just a few ...;)

Why does he say "white boys"? Did he manage "white boys"?

Anybody asking Cutler can u still have fun is making the old mans point...music for children (and some forty-something's)..not everybody likes licorice ...

Sam Cutler = Wilson

Sorry Uncle Sam and Waterboy, I have to disagree with you.

Sams opinion is worth more then most of us here.

He has the experience and the been there done that, to back it up.

Respect your elders kids!

Now get off my lawn! 

This guy managed the GD in their absolute heyday (1972/73), and got to see them play every night (often dosed); not to mention The Rolling Stones in '69, so I think his bar is pretty damn high.

Seeing Phish now is like seeing The GD in the 90's (minus the hard drugs). Still ok, but past their prime, with occasional bursts of inspiration and energy.

Like the GD in the 70's, Phish in the 90's was a fearless, ferocious monster of a jam band, and Trey was a total shredder. Oh yeah, and the vocals were way better too. Just sayin'.

Ended up on the fractal video for phish and found this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItZyaOlrb7E

He shoulda attended a Sat show, as with any band, always chock full of crowd pleasers/sing alongs.  If he'd stayed for the Sat 2nd set, he'd have seen about the closest to a GD feel that I've ever seen/heard from them.  Apparently this song (Blaze On) was written around the time Trey was doing the GD-50 thing (2 yrs ago), & they've only played it a few times, it's got Music Never Stopped like lyrics & a Corrina like groove, & they jam pretty good & long after it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRWzougjqhg&t=32s

He woulda hated Harpua the other night ("Can you believe these guys put down their instruments in the middle of a concert, for 10 minutes, then sat down and got into a 'heavy' discussion that ends up being about how the universe is shaped like a donut - because they're doing a Bakers Dozen shows with donuts every night, you see - while 20 000 fans sit in rapt attention, oh, how clever...")

I was sympathizing with Sam most of the first set tonight 

Sam C. is just still reeling,  Dizzy from the Ginormous question:

" How the heck do these Phish sell approximately 230,000 tickets over 13 nights at 75 bucks ++ and the Phans still want More ?? "

But out of 26 +/- sets or so, at least a Dozen are really Great Sets.  A few are kinda sucky; a few are warm-ups after a Giant Italian Dinner.  So that's  pretty OK.  And if they are netting 50 per ticket after expenses,  Band members + Sound & Light people get to split about 10-12 million bucks,  not considering the Tee-shirts & stuff.  Not a terrible paycheck  compared to lipstick-factory work.

So that is pretty Copacetic  for a band that can play an entire set of Barry Manilow covers,  and still continue touring large venues.  It's a much more refined  business structure compared to the late-60's -> early-70's era that Sam Cutler thrived in.

Plus it's brilliant to stay in NYC for two + weeks and not have to fire up a Diesel-powered equipment truck.  Those guys & girls are probably happy to wake up in their favorite Hotel or Family Brownstone and not have to say  "Am I in f**kin' Cleveland or Iowa City today ?? "

Lololol, Phishie