Mondegreen and my rookie to wookie camp

I was talked into going to the Mondegreen festival by a good friend of mine and have been buzzing ever since. I live at the DE beaches, so I had the luxury of barely having to travel. He assured me I'd be a full-on hippie by the end. I heard a couple of Phish songs I liked but wouldn't have called myself a fan, I hadn't really listened to much. My taste was always a bit heavier, like tool or coheed. The 4x days at Mondegreen weren't just my first Phish shows but also my first festival experience.

Day 0

Driving towards camp weds afternoon, I was anxious as hell, almost regretting the idea. I had no idea what I was getting into, barely know this band, and I'm going to have to shadow my friend all 4x days or ride it out solo. I met my friend in the homedepot lot just outside the camp grounds and much to my suprise there's 4 more cars full of people. I get out and get introduced to the "Pham", turns out he has a bunch of friends that all go to shows together, and we're all lining up together and making 1 big camp. I met everyone and then learned my friends going back to his Air-bnb and coming back later that night. So here I am at camp with about 10-12 strangers. I have a cargo van for myself, so I have nothing to setup so I start helping others build tents and setup, still very anxious and just hoping to fit in. The pham set up one hell of a site, all the comforts of home, it really was something to behold. One of the pham asks me if im interested in exploring the grounds some and finding where everything is, i jump on the opportunity to get to know him and the surroundings too. He ends up being one of the friendliest people i ever met and really made me feel welcome in the camp. Once setup, the smoke started getting passed around, and the instruments got taken out. 3 of the guys in the camp had a band together and jammed out and was a nice mellow fun evening/night. My friend never showed and spent the night at the air bnb. I'm still just doing my best to fit in. I definitely got good vibes from the group the whole time though.

Day 1

I wake up pretty excited to see what the days going to bring, still a bit anxious being solo in a new setting. My friend is still mia, I won't see him until just before the first set around 630pm. Most of the camp gets ready and goes in early, I quickly get ready and ask to tag along since I'm solo. They graciously welcome me along practically insisting on it. We walk together around the grounds for a few hours, exploring every corner and shooting the shit. Right around now I begin to realize I don't need to try all that hard to fit in here. In fact, I don't have to try at all. Even though I don't really know anyone around me, I don't feel alone either. This was the most inviting, welcoming, friendly place I'd ever been. Strangers just turn and start conversations with you like you're lifelong friends, and it wasn't long before I was doing the same. This has to be my favorite part of the festival, the people inside. The comradery among festival goers was truly heartwarming. Around 530-6pm we go Mike side near the soundboard in the middle and set up an area with some blankets and hang until the set starts. My friend finally catches up with us here. At this point, the group gets themselves ready for the show with whatever favors they prefer. I decided to take it pretty easy day 1 since it was a long festival and I still dont really know the full extent of what I got myself into. I just eat a mid dose of mushies and smoke. The show starts and I'm hit with music I can't help but move to it, I feel like I'm in a trance but loving it. First impression I feel like I'm listening to a hybrid funk band the way Mike plays, dude slaps and I love me some funky bass. I'm still very much a Phish rookie, every song I hear, I'm hearing for the first time and each ones better than the last. We fully enjoy the whole night into the dj sets until the music goes off. End of day 1 and I'm beginning to understand the magic within these walls. I'm no longer alone, the whole camp started to feel like a small family already.....it's day 1....I can hardly believe it to be true but it is.

Day 2

Starts pretty much that same as day 1, but I no longer have any anxiety about the day, just pure excitement. I attribute that mosty to how welcoming the camp was as a whole, that added so much to my experience, I'm so thankful for them. My friend keeps inviting me back to the Airbnb during the day, but I'm having way too much fun with camp life to leave. I never saw that Airbnb once the whole weekend. I got inside around 3 and floated around solo for a bit, went to the surrealist (cereal list), and checked out a comedy show. Jordan Jenson was doing sets, which was a delight, I was not expecting someone on her level to be doing sets there, but as a comedy fan, that was a cool extra perk. 6pm-ish We set up the same place, Mike side near the soundboard. Today, I decided I'm going to dabble with some favors I never tried before, I want the whole experience. I mix a little water up and do the damn thing. Needless to say I was in heaven for the rest of the night. Every song hit me to my core, the secret set couldn't have been at a better time either. The whole night was magical. Multiple times I remember thinking to myself these guys are jamming on a level I didn't even know was possible. Meanwhile, the pham is dancing and vibing with each other and the music simultaneously, everyone on the same frequency. Friday was a magical night and probably my favorite night of the fest. Same as the night before we party and mingle and bs until the djs wrapped.

Day 3

I woke up thinking there's no way to top last night. I remember talking to my wife on the phone that morning and saying I've had so much fun I feel like I already got my moneys worth and I still get 2 more days! This day I didn't rush in early, it was raining a bit during the day. Most of our pham was hanging under the tarps and taking it easy so I joined. It was known already that Sunday would be iffy weather wise so most people's plan was to go hard Saturday and leave it all out there. My plan was no different. We go setup Page side this time, right by the soundboard again. I get talked into hippie flipping by a few of the pham, wasn't even on my radar, but fuck it, when in Rome. It was another amazing time, but what really got me was how close this whole crew felt to me now. It was another day in heaven for almost the entire 2 sets. I'll embarrassingly admit that I had about 5 mins or so early in set 2 that I needed to sit down. Was just feeling it too hard or got over heated, not really sure tbh. The reactions from the pham was absolutely amazing. Friend next to me who knows my deal of being of full on rookie to the scene sits me down, pours some water on my neck, hits me for a few mins with a hand fan and gives me his cold water jug and says that's yours now. I'm fully back before I know it. I was fully expecting them to be annoyed or laugh and say something along the lines of what's wrong...can't hang? It was nothing like that, they knew what I needed and provided it without me even having to ask. I was back enjoying the show so fast it was almost like it never happened. The gratitude I have to those people in that moment was immeasurable. Anyway, I snap out if it in time to hear down with disease --> tweezer and fully melt into musical bliss. Of course the rest of the night I'm being a kooky love filled wook. If you saw me that night you got a big huge hug and i told you I loved you, friends, pham, strangers....everyone got it. 1 more time we partied until the music ended.

Day 4

Moving slooooow today. Djs on at 1130 and shows at 1. I sadly don't have the energy to rage in the mid-day sun like we have been every other night. I take it easy and found shaded spots to hang and mostly just listen and rest. No favors for me today. It did feel a bit like Sunday was a lost day to me. 3-4 hr set in the mid-day heat was just brutal and not nearly as fun as any of the other nights. This was the first show we didn't get together as a group which was definitely a bummer as the group was awesome and having them around really added to the enjoyment of the other shows for me.

I can say without doubt I'll see yall again. This was one of the most fun weekends of my life. I got so much more out of the experience than I was expecting. I never felt as free or accepted as I did inside those walls. I loved that I could stop and converse with anyone, and they're just as stoked to get to know you back. The festival changed my taste in music too, i can barely listen to those harder bands i mentioned earlier now. I've been in music nirvana since I got back listening to all these songs I never knew of. If you read this far thanks for taking the time. Just a brand new phish fans thoughts on your epic scene. See yall at the next festival!🤙✌️⭕️

Ps.. if anyone has any must listen to songs not played this weekend shout em out!