Longtime Phish fan and respected show ‘taper’ killed in crash after band’s Atlantic City concert
Duncan Oldham was a respected member of the band’s taper community. Prosecutors and police were investigating.
A fatal crash in Atlantic City early Sunday morning between a car and a pedestrian has rattled the community of fans of the jam rock band Phish.
Duncan Oldham, 69, of Geneva, N.Y., was struck and killed by a driver following Phish’s Saturday night show — a 3½-hour show and one of a three-night run at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall.
Oldham was a highly regarded “taper” — someone who records a band’s shows in their entirety and shares them — among the Phish fan base. The practice is embraced by the band, with its shows including a dedicated taper section with a recognizable sea of microphones.
“Duncan was a well-known Phish taper going back to the 90s,” one member of the Phish Subreddit wrote. “Many of his sources still circulate and are the best ones available for shows that haven’t been officially released by the band. It’s a huge loss to the community.”
Oldham attended and taped the band’s Friday performance. His recording had already been uploaded. At Sunday’s Phish show at Boardwalk Hall, the first following the crash, fans said the band’s crew acknowledged the loss, putting out a sign in the taper section.
Phish has not publicly commented.
Oldham was struck near the intersection of Iowa and Pacific Avenues around 12:05 a.m. Sunday, according to police. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The driver remained at the scene, police said. No additional details have been released and no charges have been filed.
The Atlantic City Police Department and the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office were investigating the crash.
Emotions were raw as friends of Oldham, Phish fans, and fellow tapers processed the death.
“I watched my best friend die in front of me,” audio engineer Charlie Miller wrote on social media shortly after the crash. Miller was on the scene and gave a statement to police. “I’m devastated.”
According to Miller, who is well known among the Grateful Dead and Phish fan bases, he and Oldham were leaving the Tropicana after having post-show pizza when a car failed to yield for Oldham at the crosswalk.
“The Phish crew, Phish management team, Boardwalk Hall event staff, first responders, Clarion Inn staff and the Phish fans have all been very supportive,” Miller added. “Duncan’s last words before the accident were ‘that was a really good show.’”
Tributes to Oldham continue to mount online, celebrating his legacy as a taper along with his love for food and his pugs.
One Reddit user called him “Not just a taper, but a super nice guy. This [is] a loss not just to his close friends, but also those of us that casually knew him from shows. I’m still trying to wrap my head around this one.”
A former neighbor called him a constant at Phish concerts.
Another user remarked on Oldham’s willingness to share his taper archive treasures.
On Facebook, a fellow taper called him “a good man who cared about our taper community, and we gave our love back to him. A contributor to our community like Duncan will be sorely missed by all.”
At Phish shows since Oldham’s death, fans took Sharpies to yellow balloons, penning lyrics and tributes to Oldham on the spheres before tossing them into the crowd.
“Be at peace, Duncan,” one balloon said.
