The blog Live for Live Music took note with a post titled "Heady Colorado Governor Jared Polis Catches Widespread Panic, Phish in Same Week."
But the thing is, we have confirmed that Polis wasn't actually at the shows, despite being a fan of the bands. Instead, members of his team posted to his account from the jam concerts.
“Governor Polis is flattered to be recognized for his great music taste and gladly welcomes the invitation into the 'heady' fan group," says spokesperson Shelby Wieman. "Governor Polis also loves any opportunity to welcome amazing musical performers to Colorado, bringing fans from across the country to some of the best venues in the nation.”
While he may not have been at Panic or Phish, it still got us thinking... just how heady is the governor?
In another dimension, Polis could be scrounging the lot for miracles, flipping grilled cheese. Perhaps he'd be a pin bro, or maybe a spinner at the back of the show? We apologize in advance for having too much fun with artificial intelligence (not too heady) in visualizing this alternate plane, although we couldn't help but be inspired by the governor's own use of AI. Anyway, here's a non-comprehensive list of heady and not-heady things Polis has done in his career. Let's see where the scales fall.
*NOT Attending Panic and Phish: Not Heady
Yes, going to Widespread Panic at Red Rocks and then hitting up Phish's Folsom Field debut for the Fourth of July weekend would definitely be heady as would proudly posting about it while you're a governor. But not going to the shows after all? Not heady. And posing as if he did? NFH.Using "Ain't Life Grand" As a Walk-Out Song: Heady
A post about Panic's 75th Red Rocks show noted this from Polis: "Every election since I was elected to Congress, I have walked out to ‘Ain’t Life Grand," and shared a video of the band playing the song.Heady. But we suggest he switch to "Chilly Water" and have members of his audience throw water at each other.
Consistent Taylor Swift Puns: Meh...
This is a tough one, tbh. Polis is a major Swiftie, and Swifties aren't really heady — the friendship bracelets are giving PLUR, not Shakedown. But it is actually heady to enjoy different types of music and not be a total jerk to people who happen to enjoy both girlie-pop earworms and twenty-minute jams (although the headier-than-thou folks will 100 percent argue otherwise). With that reasoning, we could consider Polis heady. The thing is, the governor takes it to the next level by super-soaking a press release on ticket fees (see more on that below) with Taylor Swift puns. Not heady. So we're walking the line on this one.(To any Swifties reading this, for the love of god, please don't take this so seriously. You're going to build a reputation.)
Prohibiting Hidden Ticket Fees: Heady
Last June, Polis signed a consumer protection law against hidden ticket fees (this was the one filled with Swiftie puns). It also stopped ticket prices from being hiked once tickets are selected for purchase, among other things. Of course, the fees aren't gone — which would be incredibly heady — but it's nice to see them laid out for once.Being a Politician: Not Heady at all
If we were to call any politician heady, it would probably be Jimmy Carter (you know, Habitat for Humanity, pardoning draft evaders, the whole carpentry schtick, etc.) or Bernie Sanders (you bump into supercilious, socialist curmudgeons on Phish lot a good bit). Pre-Epstein, maybe Bill Clinton would be included solely on the basis of his saxophone.But when you get down to it, being in politics is clear-cut not heady. Sorry, Polis. Even if you were a heady person going into the field, politics will rip it out of you. There are parts of the job you're actually required to do, after all, such as working with law enforcement, and that includes those undercover cops in a brand-spanking-new Dead & Co. tie-dye asking, "Where's my friend Lucy? Anyone seen my girl Molly?" before busting out zip ties.
Wearing New Balances: Not Heady
Speaking of undercover cops, their classic shoes of choice are often crisp Nike New Balances. Polis is ordinarily sporting a pair of these comfortable sneakers. Not heady. We prefer when he rocks the Crocs.
Naming His Kid Caspian Julius: Heady
While he was a representative, Polis and his partner, Marlon Reis, announced the birth of their son, Caspian Julius. Given that Polis is a fervent phan, it's likely the name was inspired by Phish's songs "Prince Caspian" and "Julius." Both come together to make a pretty freaking heady — and generally awesome — name.But as fellow Westworder Catie Cheshire noted, "It would be funny if the kid is actually named after Prince Caspian from the Narnia books by C.S. Lewis but Polis just lets everyone think it’s Phish because that’s cooler." Should we debate whether the Chronicles of Narnia are heady next? (Short answer: They are.)
Passing Psychedelics and Pardoning Psychedelic Offenses: Heady
During the MAPS Psychedelic Conference in June, Polis announced he would pardon crimes involving psychedelics that are now legal in Colorado. He also signed the Natural Medicine Health Act in 2022, which legalized said psychedelics.Comparing Smoking Crayfish With Smoking Pot: Heady
Back in 2015, then-representative Polis had an inspired rant in defense of a measure he co-sponsored that would have protected recreational cannabis businesses from federal prosecution. The amendment was defeated at the time, and a comment from Republican Louisiana Representative John Fleming led Polis to compare smoking pot with smoking crayfish."I'm not going to send federal troops into Louisiana to arrest people from whatever you do down there — smoking crayfish?" he wondered. "Want me to ban that and send federal troops down there? I'll bet smoking crayfish ain't good for you. I don't know. What if it's fried? It might clog your arteries, huh? Bet that's not good for you. Want me to send federal troops down there? Do you want me to send federal troops to Louisiana to stop people from eating crayfish?"
We don't know why, but this reads as heady to us. (To be honest, we also just wanted an excuse to bring up this epic rant again.)
And now we feel like the least heady people in the world after typing heady so many times. But Polis has obviously scored some points over the years.
Do you want to be as heady as the governor? Head to one of the shows on our concert calendar.
