About 120 Arrests Part Of Phish Story at Civic November 17, 1996 - Omaha World Herald By Jim Minge The notes were cast. A school of 10,960 fans was snagged. You could read it in their eyes: "Gone Phishing." Promoted as a "concert," Saturday's sellout performance at the Civic Auditorium Arena - showcasing the music of improv-rock band Phish - was more like a ritual. That's because Phish is a group whose fans are as much a part of the show as the musicians. They came in tie-dyed T-shirts and flowered skirts from such places as Connecticut, Oregon, Illinois and California, according to license plates on cars and vans parked in front of the Civic. And they danced, too - lots of mellow, nonconfrontational dancing. It's safe to say that the pot being inhaled by many concertgoers affected their moods. Lt. Eric Buske of the Omaha Police Department said about 120 people were arrested at the show Saturday night, mostly on drug-related charges. About 20 of those were charged with felonies, mostly for possessing LSD or psilocybin. "There was some very, very heavy marijuana smoke in the place," Lt. Buske said. "We had a few (people) obstructing police officers, but I wouldn't characterize it as a violent crowd." Like the devoted, gypsy-spiced community that once followed the Jerry Garcia-led Grateful Dead, a large number of Phish fans - a.k.a. Phishheads - follow the band from city to city, show to show. Luckily for the zealots, Phish never swims the same channel from gig to gig. Like their music, the four members of Phish are spontaneous - both with their own songs and with the random renditions of other artists' tunes. Saturday's two-act show offered freewheeling versions of ZZ Top's "La Grange" - extended to about 15 minutes, naturally - and an encore performance of Grand Funk Railroad's "We're an American Band," which includes a line about groupies in Omaha. Keyboardist Page McConnell, guitarist Trey Anastasio, bassist Mike Gordon and drummer Jon Fishman combined for a tasty musical effort throughout the night, with choice vocals and solos from all members. Musically, the vibe Saturday was of the psychedelic brand, soaked with long, meandering guitar runs extended to exhausting proportions. There were sprinkles of reggae, country, hard rock and arena-sized anthems during Phish's groove-heavy, instrument-intense set. By the time the foursome cranked out the first riff to "Free," a mainstream rock hit from the band's latest album, "Billy Breathes," the audience was captivated hook, line and sinker. Dazed by Phish's colorful and fast-paced light show, fans danced softly while about a dozen balloons floated among the crowd on the arena floor. They cheered enthusiastically all night. Perhaps the biggest applause came at the end of Phish's second set when the four members gathered at center stage for an a cappella - a la barber shop quartet-style - version of "Amazing Grace." The 20-plus Phishheads in the tape-recording section - Phish fans are encouraged to tape shows and trade among other Phishheads - likely got a good sound, as the mix Saturday, save a few noisy spikes, was solid. There's no doubt "Omaha: 11-16-96" will be a valuable show for future trades. Phish - based in Vermont since the early '80s - last played in the area in October 1995 at Pershing Auditorium in Lincoln. That concert drew a soldout audience of 7,500. Both shows - different in song selection - were the same in one way: Both rocked. A handful of fans who said they were at last Thursday's Ames, Iowa, Phish show said that concert rocked, too. From Omaha, Phish migrates to Kansas City, Mo., for a concert on Tuesday. That show probably will rock as well. Saturday was just another successful day at the pond for Phish. Was it a keeper? It was - and this is no tale - a trophy catch. article © 1996 Omaha World Herald