Phish fans fill concert routes August 2, 2003 - Portland Press Herald By Bob Keyes LIMESTONE - Traffic in northern Maine came to a near standstill Friday as tens of thousands of fans descended on the former Loring Air Force Base for the two-day It festival, hosted by the rock band Phish. Late afternoon, as the crush of fans approached a crescendo, traffic was backed up more than 20 miles on Route 1A from Limestone to Mars Hill and about 10 miles on Route 1, from Limestone to near Presque Isle. Some of the worst congestion was in and around Caribou, where Route 89 leading to the concert site splits from Route 1, and in Mars Hill, where routes 1 and 1A split. Fans were reporting a 2 1/2-hour drive from Presque Isle to the concert site, a little more than 20 miles. "We're getting them in here as fast as we can. We're asking everybody to have patience," said Maine State Police Sgt. Hugh Turner, who was stationed near the concert site's main entrance. A tired driver was the cause of an accident at 7 a.m. on Interstate 95 in Hampden that sent three New Jersey teenagers to the hospital, said Maine Public Safety spokesman Steve McCausland. Troopers said the three had driven through the night from New Jersey on their way to the concert, and speculated that the driver fell asleep at the wheel. The three were brought to Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, where they were treated for multiple injuries. Another rollover at 11:15 a.m. in Carmel slowed traffic again, but the three Phish fans involved were not seriously injured, police said. Otherwise, the only problems associated with the concert were the threat of rain and the crawl of cars, RVs, VW buses and other vehicles, said concert spokesman Adam Lewis. Despite ominous clouds that suggested a downpour, only a few drops fell Friday. Showers were forecast for overnight and today. More than 60,000 fans are expected to attend the festival. Music begins at 5 p.m. today. The Vermont-based band will play three sets tonight and three more Sunday, with each night's music ending well after midnight. By 4 p.m. Friday, organizers estimated they had parked about 12,500 vehicles, each containing an average of two to three fans. More fans were apparently still on the way, according to the Maine Turnpike Authority. Between 1 p.m. and 8 p.m., more than 3,000 cars passed through the York toll plaza each hour. Some fans drove through the night from Camden, N.J., where the band played Wednesday. Danny Clary, who has been following the band since the summer tour started July 4 in Phoenix, took turns at the wheel with his friends during their nonstop trip to Limestone. At a gas station in Houlton, Justin Hosp told a similar story. He left Camden at midnight Friday and arrived in Houlton around 3:30 p.m. "It has been quite a haul," said Hosp, 22, a bartender from Atlanta. State police will be out in force this weekend, patrolling Interstate 95 in search of weary, marathon drivers who may pose a threat to themselves and others, said state trooper Bob Byron. "I stopped one this morning that had been on the road for 10 hours straight," he said. "These kids all pay $140 bucks for a ticket, and the earlier you get (to the festival), the better place you get to camp. So they keep driving." Previous Phish festivals in Limestone, in 1997 and 1998, attracted 70,000 and 60,000 people, respectively. Promoters planned to cap ticket sales this year at 60,000. Advance tickets were sold in all states and seven foreign countries, including Japan. Phish fans mean money for Maine, especially Aroostook County, where the concert is bringing a needed "economic shot in the arm," said Brian Hamel, president and chief executive officer of the Loring Development Authority. The concert is expected to pump $25 million into the state economy. Gas stations had lines three deep, grocery stores were crowded and entrepreneurs were in evidence from central Maine to Presque Isle. Hours from the festival in Fairfield, Jim Banks had turned his sign shop tucked between I-95 and the Kennebec River into a "Phish Stop." His staff was busy designing bumper stickers and shirts at 11 a.m., less than 24 hours after Banks came up with the idea to boost sales. At an Irving Truck Stop in Houlton, retired dairy farmer Allen Moody, 73, started handing out bright green Gideon Bibles at 5 a.m. Families along Route 1 greeted fans, waving handmade signs with greetings like "Phish Phans." Others set up stands to sell food and drinks, advertising their goods with signs like "Phish Want Water." "It is good to be welcome. In a lot of places we don't get that," Phish fan Clary said. Gates to the campgrounds, situated along the tarmac near the concert site, were supposed to open at 8 a.m. Friday, but state police said promoters decided to open during the night because traffic already was backed up on adjacent highways. People who arrived early got a head-start on the partying. Colorful tents sprang up in a semi-orderly fashion, vendors began selling food and a few small carnival rides started to turn. Becky Jason and Chad Couture felt lucky to make it at all. Their car broke down just as they arrived, following an overnight drive from Burlington, Vt. As Jason steered the car through the gates and toward the campground, Couture pushed. He had assistance from Brice Harrington of Richard, Va., who was traveling in the vehicle behind Jason. "I'm just trying to help them get out of the way," Harrington said. Lewis said organizers are prepared for such events. Tow trucks are at the ready, along with locksmiths to help people who lock their keys in the car or lose them altogether. To host the concert, promoters essentially erected a large city on the former air base, with food vendors, a post office, 94 telephone lines, 1,100 portable toilets, First Aid tents and other essential conveniences. Officials at Cary Medical Center in Caribou said Friday they had already treated some patients for chest pains and dehydration. The medical center enlisted the the help of a grass-roots organization, called the Peace Makers, to help ensure fans are safe at the festival. The group - sporting a van driven to the original Woodstock festival in 1969 - is working with emergency personnel to encourage fans to drink water and party in moderation. The festival has its own radio station. The band purchased air time on the 100,000-watt WQHR-FM, popularly known as The Bunny. Concert DJs began broadcasting at 3 a.m. Friday and will continue through Monday afternoon, when the campground closes. In addition to playing music, the station provides key festival news updates, including traffic conditions. The concerts will be broadcast live, as well. Copyright © 2003 Portland Press Herald