Feelin' kinda Phishy in Hampton August 10, 2004 - The Virginian-Pilot By Jim Washington HAMPTON — Phish, the band that grew a faithful following with its Grateful Dead-style jams, said farewell to a friend Monday night. Hampton Coliseum has long held a special place in the mythology of the band, which played to a sold-out crowd there Monday, perhaps for the last time. Phish announced in May that it would hang up its trampolines, beach balls and glow sticks for good at the end of this summer’s tour. At an early Hampton show, the band told fans it was one of their favorite places to play. In 1999, Phish released “Hampton Comes Alive,” a six-CD set of two concerts held there the previous year. Since then, Phish fans have cherished shows at the Coliseum, dubbing the building “the spaceship” or “the mothership.” Thousands of followers flooded the Coliseum’s parking lot from early Monday afternoon into the evening, turning it into a concourse of camaraderie, community and commerce. The mobile marketplace – known as “Shakedown Street” among fans – offered everything from T-shirts to veggie burritos to smoking implements. Tom Reedy drove from Albany, N.Y., for the show and said he intended to drive to New Jersey to another one, scheduled for tonight. There are only five concerts left in the summer tour. “People are excited, but it’s kind of bittersweet,” Reedy said. He sat in front of a sheet where he displayed T-shirts he was selling, featuring Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead and Eric Cartman from TV’s “South Park.” “There’s a weird energy,” Reedy said. “Hampton has good memories for a lot of people, but a lot of people couldn’t get tickets, and there’s a desperation.” The show, announced just the day before tickets went on sale, sold out quickly As Reedy spoke, fans walked by, waving one finger in the air to indicate they needed a ticket. Reedy, who is 27, with blond hair and beard, said he has been following the band off and on since 1997. He’s seen them 65 times. Has he thought about what he will do when Phish quits? “The hereafter? I don’t know. There will be a little bit of a void to fill.” Fellow fans flocked toward the Coliseum as show time grew closer, many dressed in shorts, flip-flops and T-shirts, others decked out in full costumes, including a fellow dressed up like an Oompa Loompa. Stephen Leckey of Richmond began his Phish odyssey in Hampton and planned to end it there. He has seen the band about 30 times. “I saw my first show here, and I’m seeing my last show here,” he said. “It’s great music, and they’re a great band, and I’m going to miss them, but not as much as some of these people. This is their only world.” As the excitement mounted inside the Coliseum, Dave Henry, a University of Virginia graduate who drove down from Connecticut to catch the show with some friends, tried to sum up the appeal. “I try to tell people, 'Imagine what it’s like to be here with thousands of people, all of them just as happy as they can be. You just forget about all your problems for a little while.’” Once the band hit the stage about 7:45 p.m., it rewarded the fans’ loyalty with a set heavy with favorites such as “Chalk Dust Torture,” “Bathtub Gin,” “Runaway Jim” and “Loving Cup. ” Some fans said they thought the venue’s size, seating or history evoked good vibes from the band, but one college student who drove six hours from Boone, N.C., had a simpler explanation. “It’s Virginia,” he said, before running off into the crowd. “People get wild in Virginia.” By 11 p.m., Hampton police reported that 22 people had been arrested, and 54 summonses for misdemeanor charges had been issued. The majority of the arrests were for drug and alcohol use, police said. Article Copyright © 2004 The Virginian-Pilot