Features

Happy Holidays from Mike Gordon, Mickey Hart, Al Schnier and Tom Blankenship

Artists reflect on their favorite holiday moments

With the holiday season once upon us again, we asked some of our favorite artists to ponder the most memorable gift that they’ve ever given or received, the gift they want most this year and a notable holiday performance that they’ve attended or played. From the literal to the metaphysical, and the old to the new, their responses elicited a range of emotions that got us thinking about our own holiday highlights.

Here are our first four, with more on the way…

MIKE GORDON
Bass
Phish, Mike Gordon Band

What is your favorite holiday gift that you’ve given or received?
A white, black and red RadioShack cassette recorder received when I was about five for Hanukkah.

What gift do you want most this year?
A small piece of petrified lava enhanced by the blessings of a Peruvian shaman so that it can help one to accurately predict the past.

What is your favorite holiday show as a fan or performer?
As a fan/performer, I caught the New Year’s ‘95 Phish show at B.B. King’s in New York City when they videoblasted it. I dug it much more than I had at the time, enough to text bandmates.

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AL SCHNIER
Guitar/Vocals
moe.

What is your favorite holiday gift that you’ve given or received?
Over two years ago, my wife gave me a wallet made out of tyvek paper (same as express mailing envelope) and it’s still my only wallet.

What gift do you want most this year?
A 1959 Gibson Les Paul guitar.

What is your favorite holiday show as a fan or performer?
My wife surprised me and took me to see A Prairie Home Companion when they came to New York City about 15 years ago.