David Gans visited with the Jamcast podcast to discuss all things Grateful Dead and share his thoughts on the upcoming Fare Thee Well shows. Gans dug into the rivalry between the Phish and Grateful Dead fanbases, saying, “I never understood it.” He elaborated, “I’ve never been a particular fan of Phish. I always thought their songs were kind of goofy but I’ve always admired the discipline and skill and the quality of their improvising.”

Gans said he preferred the folk rock influence on the Grateful Dead’s lyrics, saying about Phish, “It’s disappointing to hear some good jamming and have it wind up be some song with intentionally stupid lyrics.”

On the Fare Thee Well shows in Chicago, Gans said that bringing Trey in was a “smart move both musically and comercially” and that “Bruce Hornsby is really going to kick their ass.” He also discussed the Dear Jerry show slated for Merriweather Post Pavilion which features Don Was assembling an all-star cast featuring the surviving members of the Dead along with Widespread Panic, The Disco Biscuits, moe., Trampled by Turtles, O.A.R. and more coming together to celebrate the music of Jerry Garcia. Take a listen to the entire podcast below.