Last week the band Phish played two nights here in South Lake Tahoe at the Harvey’s Outdoor amphitheater. While this destination has seen entertainers from Elton John to Jerry Garcia, no one was quite sure of what to expect. For those of you who are not familiar with the band, Phish is what is called a jam band (some may tag them as a hippie band), playing an eclectic mix of rock, jazz, bluegrass, funk, reggae and more and they attract a loyal following from across the country.
Despite questionable expectations, the results were incredible. Two sold out shows with the highest attendance ever at that venue, along with record retail and food and beverage sales, not to mention a lot of sold out hotels and motels.
What Phish and its Phishhead following represent is a picture perfect example of niche marketing at its best. The band appeals to a very narrow audience, but its followers are very loyal, often traveling across the country. Just imagine if other niche audiences were as loyal as Phish fans are!
While many destinations always look for the home run ad campaign or promotion or event, sometimes a number of successful niche events can make your season. As for me, I am already looking for Phish’s next summer tour schedule. Who knows, I might even travel to see them.
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I saw more visible Phish fans on the south shore during their weekend than I saw yoga people on the north shore when I was up there covering Wanderlust. Tahoe should definitely focus on bringing in performers who have following crowds, because once the crowd comes up once to see the band, they inevitably fall in love with Tahoe and keep coming back.