Children of All Ages

One of the most interesting and heated debates I have participated in is whether or not you should bring your kids to a show. This subject is amazingly divisive and has brought out the intensity usually saved for political bickering.

The events that took place recently at Furthur Festival, specifically the story regarding the mother nearly passed out with her child still attached to the “leash device”, would be an extreme case against. I might as well start here. If this is you…not only do you not deserve to be at the show, you do not deserve to be a parent. Still, I find it difficult to use this example to argue against bringing a child to a show, as there were probably issues with this family arrangement long before a ticket was purchased. Responsible parents keep kids out of harms way.

Another argument that I have actually heard is that children present at a show limit people’s ability to have a good time. As we were walking back to our car last year after Alpine Valley my son and I were discussing the chances of him seeing a Tweezer the next year. I overheard a couple of guys saying…”Oh…wait…[hisssss] wait dude, there’s a kid….” as we walked by. If your guilt overcomes you because you don’t want to be seeing huffing nitrous, then that doesn’t really fall on my parenting. That falls on your huffing. My son would never intrude on anyone’s concert activities because we have had numerous discussions on appropriate behavior. What good is it to lecture and advise your kids on what not to put in your their bodies if you can’t expose them to public places and public events? How can you advocate restraint if you can’t show them by example?

When we go to an amusement park, all we want to do is ride the rides. However, there is a little more to it than that. You have to endure lines, heat, poor attitudes of low paid park employees, foul language, and rude behavior. All of this for a 3 minute coaster ride. Sharing the Phish experience with your kid is not that much different. Actually, it’s a little easier. Planning and preparation, just like anything else, plays a huge part in making a successful, fun weekend.

My favorite comment has little to no basis in reality. It goes like this: “Your kid doesn’t deserve to be here [or]…doesn’t belong here”. OK. Stop reading. Go get your tickets and take a look at them. I’ll wait.

Do you see where it says ‘All Ages’?

There’s a pretty good chance that includes my 11 year old, too. While many fans will be texting the setlist, wandering the venue, waiting in the beer line, or heading for the bathroom, he and I will be right there in the moment, enjoying the spectacle and hoping like hell that Piper will drop into Tweezer. Who is to say that he doesn’t love it just as much as you do?

We are raising a second and third generation of Phish fans. The fanbase as a whole is growing older, and that means a fanbase with a much more varied age. I am extremely thankful that a new generation of fans that were my son’s age during the hiatus is now able to finally experience this music in a live setting. There is really nothing like sharing something you love. I would never endorse breastfeeding an infant a few feet away from Fishman’s riser, but taking the right precautions for a show here and there can make for great memories of summer vacation. Grant families at Phish a wide berth if you must, but also grant them the respect of a fellow fan.