"Fluffhead" from 7/24/99 @ Alpine Valley w/ Mike Lowe

Attendance Bias

Hello everybody and welcome to this week’s episode of Attendance Bias. This week’s guest is trumpet for DC-based bands, Skyscrapers and the Monumental Brass Quintet, Mike Lowe. As Mike’s band played their first gigs and figured out their sound as indie jam rock, COVID hit and the band had to take a forced hiatus from the stage. But as you’ll hear him say in today’s episode, they’re getting ready to return to the U Street bars in Washington.

For today’s episode, Mike picked a monster jam; “Fluffhead” from July 24, 1999 at Alpine Valley. Indeed, this version of Fluffhead is unlike any other that the band has played. Stretching for over 32 minutes, with a type 2 jam that is almost entirely led by Mike’s melodic bass playing, the band has yet to play a version that displays an equal amount of musical creativity. Mike describes how fans had their jaws drop to the floor after it was played, unexpectedly as the second song of the show.

So let’s join Mike to talk about his band Skyscrapers, Phish’s sound in 1998, and "Fluffhead" from July 24, 1999 at Alpine Valley.