Weather doesn't stop fans March 2, 2003 - Greensboro News & Record By Amy Wolford It was chilly. It was rainy. And Steven Eudy was surrounded by thousands of other Phish fans in the Greensboro Coliseum parking lot Saturday afternoon. The elements were not an issue. All Eudy cared about was seeing his favorite band for the 15th time -- and sharing an afternoon with others drawn to the jam band's popular mix of improvisational rock, funk, bluegrass and jazz. "I've stood out in the rain where you could put out your hands and have puddles of water in them and had fun. That's 'phun,' P--H--U-N," he said, a play on words often copied by other Phish fans waiting for the band's sold-out concert, the largest in the coliseum's history. Welcome to pre-concert phestivities, Phish-style. By the looks of things, it appeared a large portion of the 23,642 ticket holders -- and then some -- arrived when the parking lot gates opened at 3 p.m. Dressed in everything from tie-dye to folksy patchwork, concertgoers were kicking back with beers, looking for friends or lining up to buy an ything from handmade purses to glass pipes. Ticketless Gary Morris of Fayetteville, W.Va., and others trying to snag seats to see their favorite band wandered the walkways. Some shouted like circus barkers, hoping for a single ticket to get inside. Morris said he'd pay 50 bucks to see his first Phish concert. "I've seen them ask $350," he said. He refused to pay that much. And he continued to wait. Across the parking lot, Joseph McLaughlin of Asheville knew he was going to get in. And he praised the group for being more than a band. Phish, he said, is a culture. Unlike most other professional musicians, Phish encourages people to download its music off the Internet and record concerts. And Phish's improvisational jam sessions mean fans can hear a different variation of a song at every concert and on every recording. That -- along with word-of-mouth reviews -- are part of the appeal, McLaughlin said. "I think they're pioneers," he said. "It's different every time. It lets them do what they do best: improv and feed off the audience." Dorie McCarthy of Jacksonville, Fla., estimated she'd seen the band 30 times and was gearing up for her first show in two years. "The best thing about the music? It inspires me," she said. "It gives you a different outlook, especially if you're from a small town. It's a big world and we're all in it together. "It's a community," she said. Copyright © 2003 Greensboro News & Record