Tonight, Wednesday, December 11, The Den in Williamstown, Vt. will host Phish’s Jon Fishman. The iconic Northeasterner is slated to be a special guest during the venue’s monthly open mic night, where he will join an old college pal and longtime collaborator, J Willis Pratt. 

News of the Central Vermont event’s percussive addition during the concert showcase landed on the venue’s official Facebook account yesterday: “Do you like the band Phish? Have you ever dreamed of playing your instrument on the same stage as their drummer and cofounder Jon Fishman or just been in the same room? Well, here’s your chance!”

Adding context, the venue’s online presence extended details on tonight’s programming:  “This Wednesday at 6pm Chris Martin and Donna Thunder has confirmed Jon will be a special guest at this months open mic night on The Den’s stage! You will not want to miss it! See you at The Den!

Pratt’s association with Fishman and the band extends back to their mid-80s salad days at the University of Vermont [and Goddard College]. Opening for the group occasionally, he became a sort of Easter egg in the Phish circuit, adding to the band’s liner notes in 1995’s A Live One. In turn, Fishman applied his chops to Pratt’s 1990s albums The Lost Paradox and Bleeding in a Sharks Tank. 

“Honest to God, he’s one of the best songwriters that’s ever lived,” Fishman said of Pratt in a 2020 Relix interview. “I’d put him up there, lyrically, with the Neil Youngs and Joni Mitchells of the world. It’s a different style; it’s not that intellectualized, introspective style. It’s really direct.” 

Read the referenced 2020 article. Scroll down for more information on tonight’s concert.