Holmdel, New Jersey’s PNC Bank Arts Center was my hometown venue and will forever be close to my heart. Growing up in tiny Hazlet, about 45 miles south of New York City, we usually had to travel into the Big Apple or up to The Meadowlands to see big acts unless it was summer. The Garden State Arts Center, as it was called from the time it opened in 1968 until PNC Bank bought the naming rights in 1996, was a mere mile from the house where I grew up and each summer would host a wide variety of musical acts. As a tot my parents took me to see doo-wop revivalists Sha Na Na at the shed, which was one of my first musical experiences and over the years I saw dozens of concerts there.

Bands such as the Allman Brothers Band, the Steve Miller Band and Santana would seem to visit each summer and even if I couldn’t afford a ticket that night, I was still able to hear the music quite well from the parking lot. From the time I was nine I would go away for eight weeks each summer to sleepaway camp which certainly cut into my Arts Center-going opportunities. That never phased me much until 1994, when I found myself entering a passionate love affair with the music of Phish.

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Music may have disappeared from MTV but that hasn't stopped the cable network from launching a new awards show to honor "the art, creativity, personality and technology of music into the digital space." Categories include "Innovative Artist," "Best iTunes LP" and "Funniest Music Short." We're pleased to announce that Phish.net has been nominated in the "Best Fan Forum" category and voting is open to anyone with a Facebook account, Twitter feed and/or a mobile phone.

To vote, head over to the "Best Fan Forum" voting page and press the "Connect Now" button towards the right hand side to connect your phone, Twitter feed or Facebook page with the site. Then, press the "Vote" button next to Phish.net's name and logo. Voting ends at 11:59 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, April 20. You can vote up to ten times each day by Twitter and "web" as well as once per day via Facebook "like." The winners will be announced on the award show's website at 8 p.m. EDT on April 28.

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