Gordon Meets Gordon

No, the Phish-man wasn’t shopping for a new home. About five years ago the bass player attempted to register the domain name MikeGordon.com, only to discover the real estate agent beat him to the punch by registering the URL in 1994. Bassist Gordon tried to persuade real estate salesman Gordon to give him the domain, but the realtor refused, which is why the musician’s Web site is Mike-Gordon.com.

“I told him I was active in my career and didn’t want to ditch that at a time when Web-based real estate was on the rise,” said the Wisconsin Gordon.

But the two became long-distance friends, exchanging e-mails and linking to each other’s Web page. Throughout all that time the two never had a face-to-face meeting. That is, until Sept. 26 when bassist Gordon played Madison’s Barrymore Theatre.

“I just met the other me,” Phish’s Gordon said from the Barrymore’s stage. “He’s a bass player, not just a real estate broker. … When he put up his Web site people used to call him and say ’Is this Mike Gordon?’ And he would say, ‘Yes’ and they would say, ‘Wow, I really like your bass playing.’ And he would say, ‘How does anyone know that I am a bass player, that’s so cool.’”

The real estate agent played in a Doobie Brothers cover band during the 1970s. For an encore, Phish’s Gordon served up a rendition of the Doobs’ “Taking It To The Streets.”

Phish Gordon also had a few words of advice for anyone running into realtor Gordon.

“If you run into the other me,” he said onstage, “give him a good handshake.”

You can run into Phish’s Mike Gordon in Pittsburgh tonight when he plays Mr. Small’s Theatre. Friday is Toronto at the Mod Club; on Saturday he travels to Buffalo, NY, for a gig at the Town Ballroom and Sunday is So. Burlington, Vt., at Higher Ground.

Click here for Mike-Gordon.com.

Click here for MikeGordon.com.