Phish: Please treat Vermont with respect July 29, 2004 - Assocaited Press By Assocaited Press BURLINGTON, VT. (AP) -- The rock group Phish is telling fans, planning to attend its big farewell festival in Vermont next month, to mind their manners. Phish posted a message on its Web site, noting that the Coventry, Vt., region is one of unspoiled rural beauty and small, tight-knit communities. It asks that fans treat Vermont with respect. Drummer Jon Fishman says it's very important to the band that its last show, performed in its home state, go smoothly. All 70,000 tickets for the August 14 and 15 event have been sold. Phish says that if you don't have a ticket, don't come. The group's held concerts in Maine that drew audiences of a similar size in recent years. Last August's festival in Limestone drew about 75,000, surpassing attendance of the two previous festivals that drew about 60,000 people. After last summer's festival, traffic was backed up three miles in Mars Hill and five miles between Littleton and Houlton, as vehicles streamed southward. Dozens of accidents were reported. Article Copyright © 2004 Assocaited Press