We're approaching the 9th Annual Runaway Open charity golf tournament for Phish fans in Denver. There are still spaces, but please register soon! If you won't be in Denver and/or don't golf, please share this link with anyone who will be and/or does: mbird.org/9RO. We want a full course of fans, swingin' sticks and raising funds for music education.

To whet your whistles, here's the info sheet that will go in each player's schwag bag (which will also include a 4'x4' Runaway Open picnic blanket, a 42" collapsible Runaway Open umbrella, and a host of prizes donated by our sponsors):

In celebration of Phish's 23-show summer tour, the all-volunteer and fan-run Mockingbird Foundation has announced that it is sending an unsolicited $2,000 Tour Grant each to nine music education programs, one near each venue on the tour. This group of $18,000 grants includes the 700th grant by Mockingbird and is Mockingbird's 28th round of unsolicited Tour Grants, an effort that now totals $288,000, 11% of all disbursements made by the Foundation. These grants are part of a long-standing effort to help support music education in the local communities that Phish touches.

We appreciate your support that has made these grants possible - individual donations, auction bids, poster purchases, registration for our three upcoming golf events over the Dick's weekend, and so much more. As always, Mockingbird remains all-volunteer, with no office, no salaries, and no staff, and can only do what we do because other fans pitch in and participate. If you haven't recently, please consider donating today.

Come say hi at the Mondegreen festival in Deleware! On Friday, Aug 16, we'll be at the Surrender to the Flow (@STTFlowMagazine) pod from 1-4pm, making Fan Art together. We’ll also have our shiny new poster by @young.lungs available by donation.

Not going to the fest but still want a poster? Don't want to worry about keeping it safe in your tent? Order online today: store.mbird.org

The Mockingbird Foundation's second online charity auction closes today at 6pm pdt, making this the last day to bid on scores of offerings. Plan ahead for birthdays, anniversaries, and Christmas. Make a Phish fan in your life super happy, and help us raise funds for music education, with a Mockingbird/Phish.net package in their size, some stocking-stuffer golf gifts, or one of 35 trips...

• Two new, unboxed copies of The Phish Companion, Third Edition
• Seven (7) special packages (with 1-4 lots each) of Mockingbird and Phish.net logo merchandise, each with 11 limited-edition items, organized by size, from Ladies’ small to Men’s XXL
• Thirty-five (35!) travel packages: 4 adventure trips (2 international, 2 US), 2 awards shows (Emmy’s and AMAs), 8 “once in a lifetime” vacations, 4 “getaway” vacations, plus 16 more trips (8 international and 8 US)
• Twelve (12) ticket/memorabilia collages honoring Taylor Swift, the Grateful Dead, & Woodstock, plus the Chiefs, Packers, Cowboys, Eagles, Giants, Steelers, and more
• Whiskey rocks, insulated water bottles (in 5 colors!), and kitchen items
• Electronics offerings including rangefinders, flashlights, solar chargers, power banks, and a drone
• Golf balls, tees, divot tools, towels, and a shoe bag
• Tea, wine, and gourmet food

Proceeds benefit music education for children through the all-volunteer nonprofit Mockingbird Foundation, created and managed entirely by volunteer Phish fans since 1997. With no salaries, staff, or office, we've funded 693 grants totaling more than $2.5M, including our 29th round of competitive grants announced just last week and a string of Tour Grants coming all summer long. We appreciate your support in funding as many as we can.

The Mockingbird Foundation has launched its second online charity auction, featuring dozens of limited-quantity items that will be of interest to almost any Phish fan, family member, and/or friend:

• Two new, still-boxed copies of The Phish Companion, Third Edition
• Seven (7) special packages (with 1-4 lots each) of Mockingbird and Phish.net logo merchandise, each with 11 limited-edition items, organized by size, from Ladies' small to Men's XXL
• Thirty-five (35!) travel packages: 4 adventure trips (2 international, 2 US), 2 awards shows (Emmy's and AMAs), 8 "once in a lifetime" vacations, 4 "getaway" vacations, plus 16 more trips (8 international and 8 US)
• Twelve (12) ticket/memorabilia collages honoring Taylor Swift, the Grateful Dead, & Woodstock, plus the Chiefs, Packers, Cowboys, Eagles, Giants, Steelers, and more
• Whiskey rocks, insulated water bottles (in 5 colors!), and kitchen items
• Electronics offerings including rangefinders, flashlights, solar chargers, power banks, and a drone
• Golf balls, tees, divot tools, towels, and a shoe bag
• Tea, wine, and gourmet food

The auction is now open and remains open for two weeks. Proceeds benefit music education for children through the all-volunteer nonprofit Mockingbird Foundation, created and managed entirely by volunteer Phish fans since 1997. With no salaries, staff, or office, we've funded 693 grants totaling more than $2.5M, including our 29th round of competitive grants announced just last week and a string of Tour Grants coming all summer long. We appreciate your support in funding as many as we can.

Music is a Language & The Mockingbird Foundation present a benefit concert @ Four Noses Brewery in Park Hill, Sunday 9/1/24, 12-4p, to support music education and local music. This pre-Phish party, early afternoon of the fourth Dick’s show, will feature Bubala (12-1 and 3-4) and an after-school youth band from Musical Life Denver (130-230).

A nonprofit founded and run by Phish fans on an entirely volunteer basis has announced nineteen (19) new grants totaling $140,900. The Mockingbird Foundation has now disbursed 693 grants totaling more than $2.5M to support music education, of which more than $2M has been through the foundation's two-tiered competitive grants process. Mockingbird’s 29th round of competitive grants includes support for schools, community centers, and non-profit organizations in 13 states: AZ, CA, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, MD, NJ, NY, PA, TN, & TX. Complete details are now available at mbird.org/2024/06/round29grants/

The Mockingbird Foundation is once again offering three options to golf with fellow Phish fans this Labor Day weekend and help fundraise for music education:

• The Ninth Annual Runaway Open charity golf tournament for Phish fans will once again have up to 120 fans, in a shotgun start, preceded by coffee and a group photo. We'll have on-course contests, but this is all about swingin’ sticks with fans for charity. So, don’t sweat it if you’re rusty, new to the game, or prioritizing fun over competition - so are we! Register here, today! Registration covers all cart, greens, and tournament fees, including the shotgun structure (pricey to arrange on a Labor Day Saturday!); coffee, lunch, and a drink ticket; a gift bag of limited-edition event items as well as items contributed by sponsors; and a nominal charitable margin to support music education grants. Some sponsorship options are listed on the registration page, but we welcome your suggestions.

• We're also gearing up for the return of the disc golf tournament which Matt James spun up last year, to satisfy known demand and help raise more funds for music education. The first outing was a huge blast, with more players (and more funds raised!) than we expected, so we look forward to a repeat and hope to see you there. The 2nd Annual Wingsuit Open will also be Saturday August 31st in Denver, and registration is now open.

• Those unable to be on site can still join in the fun and charity fundraising by taking part in the virtual component - our Fifth Annual Virtual Open - using the same 18Birdies app we've used since the Fifth Annual Runaway Open went fully online in 2020. This will be an 18-hole, stroke-play event, on any course you want to play, any day from August 22 to September 4. Those who participate and make a donation of at least $70 to the Mockingbird Foundation before that window closes, will be sent the same limited-edition event merch being handed out on site, all with the Runaway Open logo. To play, join the tournament at 18birdies.onelink.me/IdkR/jccqsyjf, or by using tournament code 82868 on the app, or the QR Code here. Those participating on-site may also be interested in joining the virtual tournament. The app has lots of embedded services, offers a free trial period to test it’s distance and training features, and includes a gallery and chat space for those participating.  

PHISH has announced a summer tour that begins with three shows at Great Woods on July 19, 20 and 21, and then continues at the Mohegun Sun on July 23 and 24, Alpine Valley on July 26, 27 and 28, St. Louis on July 30 and 31, Deer Creek on August 2, 3, and 4, the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids on August 6 and 7, Bethel Woods on August 9, 10, and 11, the previously announced Mondegreen festival in Delaware August 15th through the 18th, and finally four shows at Dicks from August 29th through September 1st. Tickets through the Phish Tickets lottery process for everything except Mondegreen are available now through Monday, March 11th, at noon e.t. Public onsale begins Friday, March 15th, at 10am e.t. For more information, visit Phish's website.

PHISH's next festival, MONDEGREEN, will involve four days of shows (so perhaps more than four shows) on August 15-18, 2024, at The Woodlands in Dover, Delaware. For more information about the event, please click here. Although passes for the festival go on sale this Friday, January 19, at 11am e.t., through AXS (create a fan account, or update your current AXS info (perhaps with a New Device) for a smooth purchase experience), travel packages go on sale this Thursday, January 18, at 11am e.t. For more information about mondegreens, there's a YouTube video here, an entertaining New Yorker piece from nearly a decade ago "The Science of Misheard Lyrics" here, and, of course, lest one e'er forget, heaven's just a funky moose. 

PHISH released video today of its performance of Gamehendge on December 31, 2023, which spanned two of the show's three sets. This video not only contains footage that was broadcast to viewers of the webcast on New Year's Eve, but also previously unseen footage.

In celebration of Phish’s four-show New Year's Eve run at Madison Square Garden (Dec 28, 29, 30, & 31), the all-volunteer and fan-run Mockingbird Foundation has announced that it is sending an unsolicited $1,000 Tour Grant to four music education programs nearby:

• P721X Stephen D. McSweeney OTC of Bronx, NY,  for microphones (with cables and stands), an electric guitar, and an amp.
• NYCDOE of Far Rockaway, Queens, NY, for bongos, shakers, flutes, props, iPads, costumes, and other instruments
• P10X of Bronx, NY, for adapted instruments for students with fine and gross motor difficulties.
• Robert F Wagner Middle School 167 of New York, NY, for a Fender electric bass, strings, bow, and rosin.

This is the 26th round of unsolicited Tour Grants, an effort that now totals over $268,000, which is 11% of all disbursements made by the foundation. These grants are part of a long-standing effort to help support music education in the local communities that Phish touches. They follow Mockingbird's largest competitive grant round ever, and a total of 66 grants this past summer alone! Mockingbird has now made 661 grants in all 50 states, totaling more than $2.3M.

PHISH will perform at Madison Square Garden on December 28, 29, 30 and 31. The ticket request period for the phoi pholloi is underway at tickets.phish.com and will conclude on Monday, September 25th, at Noon eastern time. The public onsale begins Friday, September 29th, at Noon eastern time. A limited number of travel packages (hotel + tickets) will go on sale Wednesday, September 27th at Noon ET here.

The next Phish festival will be at The Woodlands in Dover, Delaware, from August 15-18, 2024. More information will be published soon. Join the Phish Update to hear about it first (email + shiny new SMS list): phish.com/update.

We're excited about the upcoming First Annual Wingsuit Open, a charity disc golf tournament for Phish fans organized by Matt James. The event will be September 2nd in Aurora, CO, and benefits music education for children through the all-volunteer Mockingbird Foundation. Complete rules, registration info, and a course map are at www.peacejames.co/wingsuitopen. There will also be a mini disc golf competition and a putting competition on site, as well as other contests, prizes, and limited edition gift items TBA.

Matt's hoping to grow the event to 180 players; you'll want to say that you were an OG, at the inaugural event. Also, the event is currently in the "middle registration" period, and the donation request jumps in 5 days to "late registration". (Those unable to attend can also register to get a player's pack shipped to them.) So, sign up soon, and start working out those throwing arms!

Note that this is the same day as the Eighth Annual Runaway Open charity golf tournament, for which there are still openings and which will now also include a virtual component. Three kinds of golf, to accomodate your preference and location, and bring us all together for some fun and fundraising. Register for one, or all three, today!

The all-volunteer Mockingbird Foundation is hosting the 8th Annual Runaway Open charity golf tournament for Phish fans on Saturday September 2nd in Denver during the upcoming Dick's run. We'll have 120 players in a shotgun start, with coffee, lunch, cocktail, gift bag, raffles, and prizes, and we'd love to see you there. Register soon (mbird.org/8ro), while spots are still available - it fills up every year, and we can't go above 120.

(Audio is the ending of "Tweezer/Magilla" by Michael Ray and The Cosmic Krewe, from the Mockingbird Foundation's double-disc tribute, Sharin' in the Groove. Concert photo by Nate Cundy for Listen Up Denver, by permission of the photographer and website.)

PHISH has just announced that they will perform two shows at the Broadview Stage at SPAC on August 25 and 26 and that proceeds from the concerts will benefit Vermont and New York flood recovery efforts.

The ticket request period for these shows is only one (1) day, ending tomorrow, Wednesday July 26 at noon e.t. For more information and to request tickets just click here. Tickets to the general public will go on sale this Saturday July 29 at 10am e.t.

Phish has announced an eight show Fall tour beginning in October. There will be three shows at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, then two shows in Dayton, OH, at the Nutter Center, and finally three shows in Chicago at the United Center. The ticket request period is underway at https://tickets.phish.com, and it will end on  Monday, July 10th at 12pm e.t.  The public onsale begins on July 15th at 10am e.t. See https://phish.com/tours for more information.

The all-volunteer, fan-run Mockingbird Foundation has just announced its largest round of competitive grants ever - 19 grants in 15 states totaling over $144,000!

This makes 625 grants totaling over $2.3M, and we'll be announcing several dozen more over the summer, thanks to the tremendous generosity of Phish fans like yourself.

If you haven't donated yet, please do. We're glad to slowly increase the percentage of inquiries we get each year, but it's still unfortunatley very competitive, as the need for funding in this area is tremendous!

The all-volunteer Mockingbird Foundation will be announcing scores of grants this year, including Summer Tour Grants, upcoming emergency grants, and, in less than a month, our 28th round of competitive funding. But we're starting with something special.

We pulled all of the Round 28 requests for $2K or less, ushered them through an expedited due diligence review, and are now announcing 25 grants totalling $35,980, in advance of Round 28. We're still playing with the name, but the gist is this: Identify dozens of small requests, that could make a big difference, and fund them quickly! 

With this announcement, Mockingbird has now made more than 600 grants nationwide. We'll hit 650 before the summer's over, and 700 is in our sights, thanks to the generous support of Phish fans like you!

In honor of Phish's upcoming shows at the Hollywood Bowl, April 21st, 22nd, and 23rd, the Mockingbird Foundation is sending checks for $1,000 to support music education through three nearby programs, all in Los Angeles, CA:

• Larchmont Charter Hollygrove, will get outfitted with a new PA system and microphones,
• Mar Vista Elementary will be able to purchase 45 children's sized Fender guitars, and
• Palms Middle School will acquire some new musical instruments for their students.

These unsolicited "Tour Grants" are part of an effort that now totals $230,000, over 10% of all Mockingbird grants to date. We're doing them for all 8 shows this spring, and all 23 this summer, updating a running list on the Foundation's website as we go, and welcome Phish fans and others to make a tax-deductible contribution supporting this effort.

In honor of Phish's upcoming shows at the Greek Theatre, April 17th, 18th, and 19th, the Mockingbird Foundation is sending checks for $1000 to support music education through three nearby programs:

• the ARISE High School, in Oakland, CA, will be stocking up their instrument loan library with some new guitars;
• the Berkeley Unified School District VAPA, in Berkeley, CA, will be able to provide scholarships for music camp; and
• the Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School, in Oakland, CA will be purchasing new chairs for the music students.

These unsolicited "Tour Grants" are part of an effort that now totals $230,000, over 10% of all Mockingbird grants to date. We're doing them for all 8 shows this spring, and all 23 this summer, updating a running list on the Foundation's website as we go, and welcome Phish fans and others to make a tax-deductible contribution supporting this effort.

In honor of Phish's upcoming shows at Climate Pledge Arena, April 14th and 15th, the all-volunteer, fan-run Mockingbird Foundation is sending checks for $1,000 to support music education at new nearby music programs:

• Music4Life (in Seattle, WA) provides donated nad repaired musical instruments at no charge to public school distrcts for use by students in need; and
• Highline Public Schools (in Burien, WA) will be purchasing three Trevor James fluters for their elementary band program.

We'll be doing the same for all 8 shows this spring, and all 23 this summer, updating a running list on the Foundation's website as we go, and welcome Phish fans and others to make a tax-deductible contribution supporting this effort.

Joseph Decuis - a lovely farm-to-fork experience in Roanoke, Indiana - will host a benefit concert on Sunday, April 16, 2023. The event will be a tribute to celebrate the life and music of George Ogg, and the organizers' initial goal is to raise $10,000 for the Mockingbird Foundation, per George’s children’s wishes.

George Ogg was a teacher and professional musician in California with his wife and children from 1980 to 1988. He had hundreds of students over his long entertainment and teaching career. For several years, George performed as a local musician/guitarist in the Fort Wayne area. During this time, he played out extensively with many different musicians and was dearly loved by all who worked with him. He was also a musical volunteer at area churches, and was on staff at Emmanuel Lutheran Church for the 5 p.m. church services. See videos on his YouTube channel and clips on his Facebook page.

The benefit, which begins at 3:00 p.m., will feature live music by some of Fort Wayne’s finest musicians, anecdotes from the friends that loved George, and hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar provided by Joseph Decuis, a fine-dining restaurant with casual lunches at the Emporium, next door. Much of the food is raised on their farm 6 miles away, and guests are encouraged to consider two associated B&Bs, one on the farm and one near the restaurants.

All proceeds will go to benefit The Mockingbird Foundation. Tickets are free, but seating is limited, so please make sure to register via Eventbrite. A goodwill collection will be taken.