_Photo by Joshua Frances_

Jon Fishman appeared before Vermont’s House Committee on Fish, Wildlife and Water Resources yesterday to voice his support for a ban on the ivory trade. JamBase pointed a story in Burlington, VT’s Seven Days newspaper, which details Fishman’s appearance at the state legislature.

The Phish drummer also discussed Phish’s politics and the band’s reluctance to promote their political beliefs publicly, saying:

The band has had long and very passionate discussions about the degree to which we get involved in social and political issues. And from our own personal experience of seeing a lot of entertainers sort of get up and shoot their mouth off about things they don’t necessarily [know about].

He then added that, while he was often the most politically active member of the band, he was rarely successful in convincing the group as a whole to take action, explaining:

I have tended to be the loser in that argument. I’ve been the one in the band that tends to say, ‘We should use our bully pulpit!’ and I get shut down…We do have a measure of democracy in the band, and I do see where ‘art for the sake of art’ comes from.

According to the paper, Fishman also recalled a “really awful experience” at a 1995 Voters for Choice benefit concert in Lowell, MA (the otherwise epic show featured debuts of “Ha Ha Ha,” “Spock’s Brain,” “Strange Design,” “Theme From The Bottom,” “Free” and “Glide II,” as well as first-time covers of “Don’t You Want To Go,” “Lonesome Cowboy Bill,” “I’ll Come Running” and “Gloria”). Despite the fact that all members of the band consider themselves to be pro-choice, they regretted playing the show after hearing activist Gloria Steinem’s speech at the rally. Fishman explained:

I agree with a lot of what she says. I disagree with a lot of what she says, too. And I didn’t know that until she was speaking right after we played for this thing for which she was the lead speaker. So suddenly we are married to her opinions…I’m an adopted kid, OK? So someone on earth didn’t have an abortion, and I’m here talking to you today. Alright?…Now, another person who was adopted wrote a letter in expressing the same sort of thing. So, now, that to me, there’s some sound reasoning that I hadn’t thought about — and suddenly we’re involved in this very divisive social issue.

However, Fishman had no problem sharing his views on the ivory trade and its effect on elephants, saying:

I understand that a big concern for the inconveniences that a ban on ivory would cause humans is the effect it might have on traveling musicians…I just can’t begin to tell you how crazy and absurd I think that is…I can’t imagine that there’s a piano player out there that, given the choice between extinction of elephants from this earth and their ability to have ivory on their piano keys, would adhere to insisting that they have ivory on their piano keys.

Politics wasn’t the only topic at hand, as Fishman took some time to discuss his recent musical endeavors. While the Phish drummer refused to spoil any surprises related to the band’s upcoming Magnaball festival, he did note that he recently joined guitarist Trey Anastasio in the studio for some “song-writing” and “a little demo-ing.” He also noted that he had just missed keyboardist Page McConnell, who was in the studio a few days before him.