View Top Shelf Todd Story

Ryan Mishkin

Where to begin? Of the many many adventures we've had over the last decade or so, I think my first full "Todd" experience is the one to tell here. Though we've been to many Phish concerts together, the first one we attended in Miami was also my first time hanging out with Todd. We'd met a few weeks prior at a Young Professionals of Wellington Event and hit it off immediately. I reminded him of his cool L.A. cousin he would later tell me. Anyway, we started talking, I told him I had tickets to Phish in Miami and no one in the area to go with. He said he was going and I can ride down with him. I was cautiously optimistic, he seemed cool enough, but you never know. He picks me up at my house, he's got his buddy Block in the car, and a cooler full of mixed drinks in the back. Maybe in the front too. We make our way to the lot in Miami and head to Shakedown, the unofficial outdoor marketplace outside of hippie concerts, to pick up some goods, grab some food, and just be part of the scene. This is where I start to realize that Todd isn't just your normal suburban dad. We finish the pregame and head in to the Heat arena where we have general admission floor seats. The show starts, and things take a turn. Suddenly Todd and another are missing, but I figure I'll they'll be back. As the first set ends, Todd is still nowhere to be found. Block and I head into the Hyde club, the "VIP" club in the arena that they opened for the phans for some reason. Sure enough, as we walk in, there's Todd sitting at a table with a bottle of Don Julio Anejo and 4 sushi boats, give or take. And Todd being Todd, he's holding court with a bunch of hippie strangers, and his new friend from Wellington. And he made a point to tell me that he remembered that I liked Anejo tequila so he got a bottle. Again, this is the first time we've really hung out. And I assumed that this was a one-off situation, taking care if his buddy at a concert, and that this probably wasn't the usual. And man was I wrong! As anyone who has gone out with Todd knows, this is just Todd. Fun-loving, generous, thoughtful, always ready to take things to the next level. Now, I should also mention that Block and I went back to the show while Todd stayed at Hyde, and after the show, when we went to find him, he was gone. We make our way towards the car and no sooner do we get to the parking lot when we see Todd peeling out of there to head home. He'll tell you that he was going to pick us up, but I think that he forgot we were there...! Either way, we flagged him down, got in the car, and got back home after an eventful night in Miami. This was one hell of an introduction, and no event show was any less fun or eventful. It was always epic. Where to begin? Of the many many adventures we've had over the last decade or so, I think my first full "Todd" experience is the one to tell here. Though we've been to many Phish concerts together, the first one we attended in Miami was also my first time hanging out with Todd. We'd met a few weeks prior at a Young Professionals of Wellington Event and hit it off immediately. I reminded him of his cool L.A. cousin he would later tell me.

Anyway, we started talking, I told him I had tickets to Phish in Miami and no one in the area to go with. He said he was going and I can ride down with him. I was cautiously optimistic, he seemed cool enough, but you never know. He picks me up at my house, he's got his buddy Block in the car, and a cooler full of mixed drinks in the back. Maybe in the front too. We make our way to the lot in Miami and head to Shakedown, the unofficial outdoor marketplace outside of hippie concerts, to pick up some goods, grab some food, and just be part of the scene. This is where I start to realize that Todd isn't just your normal suburban dad. We finish the pregame and head in to the Heat arena where we have general admission floor seats. The show starts, and things take a turn. Suddenly Todd and another are missing, but I figure I'll they'll be back. As the first set ends, Todd is still nowhere to be found. Block and I head into the Hyde club, the "VIP" club in the arena that they opened for the phans for some reason. Sure enough, as we walk in, there's Todd sitting at a table with a bottle of Don Julio Anejo and 4 sushi boats, give or take. And Todd being Todd, he's holding court with a bunch of hippie strangers, and his new friend from Wellington. And he made a point to tell me that he remembered that I liked Anejo tequila so he got a bottle. Again, this is the first time we've really hung out. And I assumed that this was a one-off situation, taking care if his buddy at a concert, and that this probably wasn't the usual. And man was I wrong! As anyone who has gone out with Todd knows, this is just Todd. Fun-loving, generous, thoughtful, always ready to take things to the next level.

Now, I should also mention that Block and I went back to the show while Todd stayed at Hyde, and after the show, when we went to find him, he was gone. We make our way towards the car and no sooner do we get to the parking lot when we see Todd peeling out of there to head home. He'll tell you that he was going to pick us up, but I think that he forgot we were there...! Either way, we flagged him down, got in the car, and got back home after an eventful night in Miami. This was one hell of an introduction, and no event show was any less fun or eventful. It was always epic.