"Welcome To Our Theme Park!"

"Welcome to our theme park," says Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio with a giant grin as he jumps behind the wheel of a golf cart. He guns the engine and bolts from behind the stage, past a huge Ferris wheel and onto the concert field where, the following day, he and his band mates --drummer Jon Fishman, bassist Mike Gordon and keyboardist Page McConnell --will play the first of seven sets at their annual two-day event, this year dubbed Lemonwheel.

 

In an era when superstar acts like U2 can barely fill stadiums inurban markets, this past August, over 60,000 Phish fans willingly traveled long distances to a decommissioned Air Force base in bum-fuck Limestone, Maine, to pay seventy-five dollars to see the show and camp out for theweekend. But this is no anomaly.

For the last two years, Phish have been one of the biggest draws onthe concert circuit; 1997's summer extravaganza, the Great Went -- whichwas held at the same site -- also drew more than 60,000 people, more thanany other single-band concert that year.