Which Designs Should Come Back?

Help me decide which designs will get another run in 2011. If you haven't seen these before, you can scroll through the blog to see the pictures, or visit my Facebook page to see the "Past Designs" gallery.

Online Surveys & Market Research

Merry, Happy, and Thanks etc...

Greetings and salutations to everyone! Here's to hoping everyone has a great holiday, and safe travels to the NYE run and back. Many thanks to everyone who collected my shirts and stickers over the past year. I am hoping 2011 is just as much fun!


Look, here's Santa smoking a cigarette.

And the Winner is...

The winner of the XL Ladies Maze shirt is Twitter user @kt913! Thanks to everyone for Retweeting and good luck next time around!

Ladies Maze Shirt Giveaway

It's giveaway time again! This time it's for the ladies! Today's giveaway is a size XL Ladies cut Gildan Maze shirt. It's 100% pre-shrunk cotton.

To enter, simply ReTweet this message on twitter:
"RT @jiggslikesphish Last minute #phishy gifts at Jiggs Lot http://jiggslot.blogspot.com/"

A winner for the XL Ladies Maze shirt will be chosen at random from the retweets at 2pm today! The shirt mails out on monday!

Good Luck!!!!

Extra Maze Shirts!

I have two more size XXL Maze shirts left. I can still get them mailed in time for Christmas! 

Close up of front. Back reads: "You've lost it!"

SOLD OUT

In Process...

Here's some shots from the presses...it's happening, folks!

My Friend Shirts - Pre Order

Front

When my printer and friend contacted me about doing an Iron Maiden themed Phish shirt I wasn't sure it would work. I couldn't think of a song that would fit the theme until I remembered the Killers album art. Giving Eddie a knife seemed the perfect way to set it off.

Modeled after the head shop metal shirts of the 80's and 90's, these My Friend shirts feature a three color front, and a one color back printed on Gildan 100% cotton black. (Hoodies are a 50/50 blend)

Pre-Order is open until December 5th. Since this is a Pre-Order, the shirts will not begin shipping until around the 15th. This should give you enough time to get them before Christmas and the NYE run. Of course, there is always the unknown, so we'll try as hard as we can to get them to you. Make sure your correct address is updated in PayPal before you order.

PRE-ORDER FOR THIS SHIRT HAS ENDED. There may be a small amount of these shirts available for purchase in a couple of weeks. Watch the blog, facebook, and twitter for updates.

Limited Number of Maze Shirts

There's a limited number of the "Pac-Maze" shirts left from the pre-order. There's no current plan to re-print, and I won't be headed to NYE this year, so this will be the only place to find them. I have a few shorts sleeves in S, M, XL, and one 3XL. I also have long sleeves in L, XL, and 2XL, and 1 XL Hoody left.

SOLD OUT

Phish and "Journalism"

There are basically three types of articles written about Phish shows. There are articles written about the music, written about the fans, or written about drugs. The latter category is reserved for those who have little regard for the first two.

It's no secret that the some fans of this band "...like to alter their consciousness" as Gordon has been quoted saying in the past. Considering the impact a band like Phish has on the economy of any area that they play, focusing solely on this one aspect is somewhat myopic, though not without precedent. All one has to hear is that they are a band with "...a following somewhat like the Grateful Dead." Once that image is implanted, the article almost writes itself. Those guys were big druggies, right? If this band is anything like them, then let's run down all of the arrests that took place around the shows. They are pretty much the only band that has arrest records like this, right?

You should be able to ignore the hundreds of thousands of dollars pumped into the local economies through lodging, restaurants and local attractions. It's not like these people are taking time off of work, and flying in after saving for months to make these destinations part of their vacations. A boost to your economy is no big deal, right?

Also ignore the level of musicianship playing right there in your area. A band that has B.B. King, Sharon Jones, and Springsteen among their peers is no big deal. It probably doesn't matter that the band takes a few months off to learn an entire album for their Halloween shows. Lot's of bands do that right? Tonal fugues? What the hell are those? Look, they probably just play a single chord over and over again. This is pretty much the same thing as a rave. What's the big deal?

Writers like this perpetuate the stigma because it's easy. It's stock. They don't know, or care to know anything more than what they read on the police blotter. Their readers may not know this, but we do. To the writers that choose to dig a little deeper, I thank you.

Maze Shirt

This year is the 30th anniversary of a game I spent way too much time playing when I was a kid. There have been other Pac Man themed shirts (a Ghost one if I remember) but I have never seen a Maze one. I have been wanting to do this one since the spring, but kept putting it off. Then at Deer Creek this year I saw that someone made an attempt at this with a sticker. I figured it was time to go ahead and do a run since I have had several mock-ups of this sitting around since May. After a few tweaks, I finally decided on this design.

The shirt color will be Navy Blue. The front is a three color, yellow, white, and orange print on a Gildan 100% pre-shrunk cotton shirt. The back text is printed in white and reads "You've Lost It". The design is available now for pre-order only in a short sleeve (mens or ladies), long sleeve, and hoody. You won't find me on lot this fall, so this is the only place to get 'em.

Keep in mind this a pre-order. It may take a few weeks to get the shirt to you. The pre-order will close Wednesday 11-3-10, and they should be mailed out a couple of weeks after that. I will do my best to get them to you as soon as possible.



Edit:
Pre-order has ended. Stay tuned for updates

Stop Throwing Glowsticks at the Band!

There are mixed opinions on throwing glow sticks at shows. Now that most people bring the lighter, thinner glow sticks, there is not nearly as much concern for getting hit in the head with them. However, some folks still choose to bring the bulkier, old glow sticks. When a glow stick war erupts, you should still expect to be pelted occasionally.

For us fans, it's not really that big of a deal. The most amazing thing we may be doing is dancing. But let's imagine for a minute if this happened to you while you were working. Picture yourself at work, on the phone, maybe finishing a report, maybe speaking to a client, maybe at a moment of extreme concentration where a facet of your job needed your direct and immediate action. Now imagine at that very moment you are struck with a pile of glowsticks. It may accidentally shut down your computer in the middle of a huge project. Maybe it hits the phone just right and it hangs up on the biggest account your company ever had. Ooops.

When you intentionally throw these things as hard as you can towards the front of the stage this is exactly what you are doing. Aiming for the band with anything is one of the lowest things you can possibly do. Purposefully trying to hit the band while they are onstage and playing may be the most selfish thing I have seen.Yes, professional musicians need to be ready for anything in a live environment, but we have control over this environment, too. This is our favorite band, remember?

Fans, if you see this happening, please say something. I do not, and will not advocate violence, but maybe your fellow fan is too spun to realize what they are doing. If you must throw glow sticks...please...do not throw them at the band.

Farewell Willowbee

I only got the opportunity to meet her once, but Liz (known to us as Willowbee) was a bright spot in many people's lives on reality-tour.com. Her presence there and in the real lives of fellow Phish fans will be deeply missed. Sincere condolences to her family and friends for this terrible loss. The obituary appears below.

Elizabeth Claire Young Passed away Saturday, October 2, 2010. She was born October 27, 1983 in Indianapolis to William and Doris Young. Liz graduated from Broad Ripple High School in 2002, where she was active in the Madrigal Singers and the Humanities Advisory Council. She later attended Marian College. She was a Phish devotee, and music was one of her biggest passions. She is survived by her parents; her godparents, Brad and Zee Hirst; her aunts and uncles, Nancy Huckleberry, Jim and Carol Young, Dave and Patti Young, Marty and Diane Young; several cousins and boyfriend, Christopher Lafave. There will be a private service with no calling. No flowers, please. Memorials may be made to Broad Ripple's HAC, Broad Ripple Alumni Choir, or Bethlehem Lutheran Church. Online condolence may be shared with the family at: www.flannerbuchanan.com

 

Boston in Charleston

Balcony 3, Section N - 17.50 + fees

When I saw Phish in Charleston, I was only heading to see my third show ever, in an era when they were blowing minds nightly. I love this particular run, because it led up to the first ever Halloween musical costume in Glens Falls, NY.

I had heard that they were doing a lot of bluegrass type tunes this tour like Nellie Cane and Ginseng Sullivan. Then someone told us they were doing a bluegrass take on a Boston cover. One of the things that appealed to me about Phish is their ability to take the show into many different places. So, naturally I hoped that out of the two fall shows I was hitting that year that I would catch a version of that. That night I hit pay dirt. Besides a tight, well played show, I was treated to a mini bluegrass set with the Boston cover as the crown jewel. These moments continued to make me wonder where these guys had been all my life.

Below is a download for "Foreplay>Longtime" from Gallard Auditorium on 10-28-94. The original source was recorded on AKG 460's but I have no additional information on this recording. I have EQ'd the copy I was given and tried to improve the quality, but it may be a bit rough.

Foreplay>Longtime - download

Fall Merit Badges from PhanArt & Jiggs

In cooperation with PhanArt, I have designed three fan merit badges for the upcoming fall tour. Each badge is stitched in an edition of 50 and costs $5. If you want one in advance, stay tuned for ordering info through PhanArt (not Jiggs Lot....the badges will be available soon on the PhanArt blog).

The Last 4!

After going through some stock recently, I discovered that I have 4 of the Whalecaller shirts left. There are no further plans to print any of these and the screens have been reclaimed. They'll go to the folks with the fastest mice. 1 XL, 2 L, and 1 M are the sizes left.

SOLD OUT

Sale on Kuroda Shirts!

For a limited time, get your Kuroda shirt for $12 bucks with no shipping! That's any regular size Kuroda shirt shipped for free for only $12 bucks! Shirts are 6.1 oz. Gildan 100% preshrunk cotton. The print is lime on a charcoal colored shirt.

These are in stock and will ship immediately.

Click here!

Whalecallers Hoodie Auction for Mockingbird

Hartford Whalecallers Hoodie

If you missed your shot to pre-order a Whalecallers shirt or hoodie, now's your chance to get one for a good cause. A brand new size XL Whalecallers Hoodie is up for auction. Every single penny of the winning bid goes directly from Jiggs Lot to The Mockingbird Foundation.

The auction will run from today through next Friday (Oct. 1st). The winning bidder will also receive a free sticker with the same design featured. The item will ship immediately after the bidding ends. You will likely get the item in about 3 days.

Put a bid in today! Click here to bid.

Whalecaller Shirts Update

In an incident involving a fall, a flash dryer, and several thousand nerve endings, there was a delay in the shipment of the Whalecallers shirts. I still expect them by the end of this week, and they should begin shipping to you by no later than Monday. Keep in mind, there are a bunch of orders, and I want to make sure there aren't any mistakes, so I may mail a smaller batch the next day.

I am still on track with my mid-September prediction, so all is well. When I mail your shirt (s) I will email you your delivery confirmation number. It normally only takes three days, but if you want to, you can track it via usps.com.

There are no plans for any reprints...but I do intend to auction off a hoodie for the Mockingbird Foundation, so look for that soon.

And the Winner is...

The first winner of the Tweezer Madness shirt chosen at random was @PosterIsDead. However, Poster was unavailable, and the original post stated you had to be ready to respond after the drawing with your address if you won...so, the next drawing had @JedLuckless as the winner! Congratulations! Thanks very much again to everyone who re-tweeted the message to enter!

Tweezer Madness Giveaway!

A Tweezer Madness shirt will be given away today after 6pm. The shirt size is Large. The shirt is 100% pre-shrunk cotton. The prize is non-transferable. You must be ready to send your address upon winning, after 6pm or another winner will be chosen. All you have to do to enter is copy and paste the following text on Twitter:

RT @jiggslikesphish Check out the shirts and stickers at www.jiggslot.blogspot.com #Phish #LotShirts

Yup...that's all there is to it. I will pick a winner from the re-tweets at random and announce it here after 6pm today. Good luck!

Phish Rejection Email, Circa 1986

I Can't Describe the Feeling When...

Most of us know what it's like to score Lottery tickets. Some of us even remember the feeling of scoring Phish Tickets By Mail (PTBM) after you decorated your envelope and had the request carefully prepared and mailed out. Getting your tickets back in the mail is always a good feeling. Then, there's the feeling of anticipation when driving to the show, and of course the feeling you get right when the lights go down.

Another feeling a lot of us can relate to is getting shut out. This happened to many during the Hampton runs in 02 and 09. Having the time, money and willingness to get the tickets didn't matter...there were not enough to go around. And that was that.

Perhaps more heartbreaking than getting shut out, is sitting one out. Whatever the reason, you know you can't go. There have been countless shows where this has applied to me. However, this is the first time in my years of being a fan that I will ever have to sit out a run knowing that almost every friend I know will be there. It's truly a bittersweet feeling knowing that I will not be there to share in the fun, but I wish the best shows possible for those folks. I know everyone going is deserving of a good time. Enjoy those Charleston shows, folks...they are bound to get down.

This year I will watch Fall Tour unfold from the couch and hope there's a Holiday Run announcement. Though, that is beginning to look less likely.

Even so, I have a lot in 2010 to be thankful for.

Whalecaller Pre-Order has Ended

No more Whalecallers are available for pre-order. If you missed this round, be watching the blog for the Whalecallers stickers due to arrive very soon. I'm sorry I cannot offer these for free as many have requested. They are 1 for $3 and 2 for $5 with free shipping.

Whalecallers Pre-Order (Part 2)

You spoke, and I listened.

The popular Hartford Whalecaller design is back up for pre-order. There have been so many requests for this item that I had to make it available one more time. This pre-order will only be up for a limited time. No more orders will be taken after August 27th, 2010. Please read carefully before placing your order.

The design is printed on a 100% cotton Gildan Ultra. For information on the shirts I use and sizing, please click here. The shirt color is Metro Blue and the design is a three color front print. If for some reason Metro Blue is not available, Navy Blue will be used instead. I will not print these on custom garments, but I will have ladies and hoodies available for pre-order. After pre-order closes (8-27) the shirts will be ordered, printed, and shipped to me. This could take a couple of weeks, so your shirt may not arrive until mid September. I constantly update the blog and twitter to keep folks updated on the order status.

To reserve your shirt now, click here.
Pre-Order is closed.

More Videos from Deer Creek

Here are some more videos from the Deer Creek run this year. For more and the original post click here.

 

Back at the Creek

Deer Creek remains one of my favorite venues for many reasons. Vending-friendly, nearby campgrounds, and great venue staff are some of the things that make it just a little more special. This year I was lucky enough to have an EZ-Up with me and get parking close to shakedown on both nights. This makes vending and relaxing a lot easier. Extremely high temperatures made the shade a welcome addition. My wife and I were using this run as a celebration of 10 years of marriage, plus she had recently had a birthday. We were looking forward to a great set of shows. We arrived early on both Thursday and Friday, so we knew we'd be spending a good amount of time in the sun. Sunscreen and water was a must.

On Thursday, the heat was the worst. We were so early that we had to drive from gate to gate and wait to see which one opened first. We tried to park out of the way with a line of other cars peacefully waiting for the gates to open, but were asked to leave by the Sheriff. We even talked to some Live Nation staff who confirmed what we had heard about the lots opening earlier in the day, but they would not open the gates any earlier. We got in just after 3pm.  Shakedown seemed to take a while to get busy. We met a lot of folks, but missed a few connections, too. I ran into Art from theheadythreads@hotmail.com vending some designs I made for him, and offering up some apple moonshine. After some meet-ups and some beverages, we headed inside.

There were a lot of highlights throughout what many I heard call a 'safe' first set. The Cars, Trucks, & Buses and Wolfman's were very strong versions, and the TTE was set at a nice blistering pace to end the first set. Second set brought a lot of transitions including a great spacey Drowned Jam, an amazing Jibboo>Gin transition that brought big cheers from the crowd, and a rare Buffalo Bill. That night also saw my favorite Melt since the return, unfinished and segueing into Dog Faced Boy. As if saving the best for last, Trey brought out the megaphone for a Fee>NO2>Kung>Fire encore.

Friday saw a slight break in the heat and some overcast skies. Again, we arrived early and got the same prime spot at the top of Shakedown. The lots filled up fast, and everything seemed to come to us. I was pretty busy with the shirts at this point, so I never got a chance to leave the site. We had some great folks around us, including the guys with the Animal Muppet. I hope Animal found his extra. It was great meeting everyone on Friday that came out including the folks from Reality-Tour.com,  OhKeePa.com, the family from Seattle, and my friends from Twitter. I wish I could mention everyone by name...but you know how that goes.


 Friday's first set had a number of worthy mentions including the return of Walls of the Cave, my first Curtis Loew, and a strong Possum>Wilson set closer. The second set Maze is one of my favorite versions. If you have not listened to it yet, Page is out of control. I was also blown away by the Meatstick>Mango transition. I never saw Mango coming, and it flowed perfectly into the Fluffhead>Julius.

Even though we weren't heading to Alpine Valley, I appreciated the well played Contact>Slave encore as a nod to traffic heading out in all the various directions from whence it came. Our fate in traffic was not the best, as we were involved in a crash on the way out of the venue that night.. We are all ok, but it will make for a memorable Creek run.

Watch the blog for more videos from Deer Creek.

A Heartfelt Thanks

As some of you know, I was involved in a collision leaving Deer Creek after the second night. Another driver pulled in front of us, totaling the rental car I was driving. I consider everyone in the car very lucky, as this could have been much worse. I am not going to go into detail, as there have been a couple of unresolved complications.

The purpose of this post is an open thank you to those who helped more than  they could possibly know. A vehicle behind the driver who pulled-out stayed for the duration of the accident clean-up to speak to the officer in charge of the scene. Thank you. You gave your names, and made sure the officer knew we were not at fault. Only when we had a ride and you made sure we were ok did you leave.

To the other two drivers who stopped and asked if there was anything they could do, thank you. We were ok at that point, but you didn't have to stop after the show at all...but you chose to.

To the local resident who gave us a ride back to the hotel...thank you. The world needs more people like you.

The Planets Align for Deer Creek...Literally

Among the many forces coinciding on a traditionally great run for Phish is the Perseid meteor shower, which takes place every August. What makes it even more unusual is that Venus, Saturn, Mars and the crescent Moon will appear in the sky within 10 degrees of each other.

Although the 12th will have a lot to view, the best time to see the most of them would be starting close to midnight on Friday the 13th. Those of you staying onsite at the venue are in for quite a show.

Looking northeast around midnight on August 12th-13th. The red dot is the Perseid radiant. Although Perseid meteors can appear in any part of the sky, all of their tails will point back to the radiant. - from science.nasa.gov

Load-in and Soundcheck in Telluride

Thanks very much to Damstrange of Phantasy Tour for posting these great pictures and video! I hope everyone is having fun in Colorado!

Links Coming Down Tomorrow (7/10)

Tomorrow evening all the PayPal links for purchase will come down so I can prepare for Deer Creek. If there is something you had your eye on, you may want to grab it now...especially if you are not going to Deer Creek. Check out the links on the right hand side of the page.

The last batch of shirts will arrive to me tomorrow, so if you are waiting on a shirt (Tweezer, Reba, Kuroda) it will be mailed to you on the 11th. All other shirts will be coming to the shows with me. I will have a limited amount of Tweezer Madness shirts available at Deer Creek. After that...watch the blog for updates on another run of those, and also of the Whalecallers shirt.

More Shirts On the Way

Those that were asking for larger sizes (M, L, XL, XXL) in both the Reba and the Kuroda shirts can put in their orders now for stock that is on the way to me. Links are on the right hand side of the page.  The box should arrive on August 10th, and I can get anything you order sent out the morning of the 11th.

The rest will be coming with me to Deer Creek, but of course I can't save anything for you there, so the only way to reserve your preferred size is to grab it now.

Also...I am working on another run of the Whallecallers. Again, thank you for all of the requests. I will let you guys know when those are done as well.