Features

Harris Wittels: The Parks and Rec Writer Gets to "Analyze Phish"

So there are no plans for an episode 5?

Well I want to do another one but with another person who is as funny as Scott and who doesn’t like Phish as much as Scott. So I’m just trying to find that special someone. Scott was perfect because he was passionate about music and very opinionated about Phish. I asked Paul F. Tompkins, who is one of my favorite comedians, I thought he would be good on it. But he was like, “I just don’t hate Phish that much.” We need to have that to have a funny arc for the series. So I’m just waiting. It’s the most fun ever to pick jams for these people to listen to and watch them be forced to like it.

So overall how do you think you fared at your task of getting him into Phish, would you change your approach?

I would, because it was an hour long podcast you had to play excerpts but I think I would like to play whole “Antelope.” I wouldn’t start with covers because they would just compare covers to their favorite bands. So that was probably a bad entry point. I started it with studio recordings from Billy Breathes, which I don’t think I would do again since that’s not really who Phish is, even though I thought Billy Breathes was a good entry point because that was my first Phish CD, and that what I got into listening to them.

How long have you been a fan?

My first show was September 25, ‘99 in at the Woodlands in Houston. I was literally a fan since that night. It was the most amazing concert experience of my life. It wasn’t even that great of a show but even a regular Phish show especially pre-hiatus is gonna be better than anything else you see.

Do you ever go back and listen to that show?

I revisit it pretty frequently, less frequently now especially since Live Phish is available, now so I just listen to shows from the current tour, when I have time to listen to whole shows. But it was great, I remember the moment “Bowie” reshaped my opinion on what music could be.

I’m curious because I have tried to get some of the uninitiated friends as you call them into Phish. Do you think it was harder to get Scott Auckerman into Phish or dealing with the criticisms that the various message boards threw at you?

There nothing more annoying than Phish fans, and that’s coming from one. Just that everyone has their favorite show, everyone has their favorite jam of a particular song, and if you disagree you are just wrong and it’s very annoying. When it’s all being aimed at you, you are like, “What do you people want from me?” There is no right answer to this, I promise if i went with danknugs27’s opinion you would have reacted the same way. “You should have shown him Denver 91 not Denver 93 you idiot.” Well it’s all the same to a guy who doesn’t know Phish. I would get these really long essays from people, and I appreciated it but what they also need to realize is we are trying to make an entertaining podcast.

Were you kind of surprised at how many Phish fans and Earwolf fans latched onto the podcast? Where you expecting it to be as successful as it was?

No I had no idea who would like it or who would listen to it. You never know when you start something. And I was so happy when people got into it. People who did like Phish and people who didn’t. It was a fun debate by two people who love music. It was one of the most fun things I have ever done and I hope I get to do it again.

The cool thing is I have met [Lighting director Chris] Kuroda’s sister a couple times and she showed him a snippet from it- the part where everyone keeps talking about how Kuroda is the 5th member of the band. She showed him that and he laughed at it. I don’t know if it has gotten to the band yet but it has gotten to him.

One step closer…

Yeah, but I kind of don’t want them to hear it, there is a lot of shitting on the band.

Scott’s reaction to “Fluffhead” was pretty spectacular though.

They are used to it. If you watch Bittersweet [Motel] they laugh at all the bad reviews.

So you have been writing for Parks and Recreation for about 3 years?

I came in on season two and we are writing season five now.

Are you constantly playing crunchy Phish jams in the writers room?

I am not allowed to, I am allowed to play them in my private office and turn it up as loud as I want. Greg Daniels, who is one of the funniest comedy writers out there, he wrote on Seinfeld, Saturday Night Live and created the American Office, I was like, “I am going to introduce him to Phish and that will be his gift.” So I gave him a show and he was like, “Yeah I kind of like it” but he didn’t get into it.