Phish lures fans to Maine for two-day IT festival July 30, 2003 - The Boston Herald By Ed Golden There is something about a midsummer rock concert. The open fields, the star-filled night skies, the chance to commune with 60,000 of your nearest and dearest friends. That's on this weekend at the old Loring Air Force Base up in Limestone, Maine, where fans of the Vermont-based band Phish will flock to the two-day IT festival. "Phishheads" have advice for neophyte attendees. "Pack warm clothes, including a ski hat. It can get cold at night," said Chris Kovach of Boston, a veteran of more than 400 Phish concerts. "You may be sweating coming out of the performance, but you'll feel it when the temperature gets into the 40s and you start seeing your breath." Kovach said it's the element of surprise that keeps him coming back. "They've done things in the past, where at midnight, 1 in the morning, they come out into the parking lot on a flatbed truck and play surprise sets. They have something similar in the shows this year, but I'm sure it will be much different than the flatbed truck." This is the third time Phish will stage an event in Limestone, according to Jeff Waful, a writer for Relix Magazine who has attended 106 of the band's concerts and events. They previously put on the Great Went (1997) and Lemonwheel (1998) festivals at Loring. But this is the first large-scale event since the band reassembled late in 2002 following a hiatus of more than two years to concentrate on solo projects. Attendance at IT has been capped at 60,000, fewer than at the last big Phish event, Big Cypress in the Florida Everglades, where the band helped 80,000 people ring in the millennium. But since Loring is tucked away in an isolated location near the Canadian border, a massive traffic tie-up is all but guaranteed. And that's on top of the estimated eight-hour drive from Boston up Interstate 95 past Houlton. Camping will be available on-site as part of the $ 137.50 ticket price, with a special parking area for RVs. If you require more creature comforts, there are hotels and motels 20 to 30 minutes away. A minicity on the site will offer affordable food - from vegan to pizza and hot dogs. There also will be a post office for those wishing to write home and a tent where fans can produce their own live Phish CD for free. There's even a 5K race. An on-site radio station, 96.1 The Bunny, will broadcast traffic reports, event updates, interviews, rare tapes of past shows and simulcasting of the band's six sets over the weekend. Waful will publish a daily newspaper with reviews of the sets and a column written by Mike Gordon of Phish. Melissa Charette of Taunton, who will be attending her 106th Phish concert, said it's all about "hanging out with friends, being outdoors and enjoying the music." However, she also figures it's too soon to expose her 9-month-old twin daughters to the partying. They will be spending the weekend with her parents elsewhere in Maine. Everything you need to know, including ticket availability, can be found on the event's official Web site: www.phish.com/IT. Article Copyright © 2003 The Boston Herald