Pubdate: Mon, 11 Oct 1999
Source: Times Union (NY)
Copyright: 1999, Capital Newspapers Division of The Hearst Corporation
Contact:  Box 15000, Albany, NY 12212
Fax: (518) 454-5628
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Author: Brendan Lyons, Staff Writer

FISH OUT OF WATER IN PHISHLAND

Albany -- Strange coincidence brings off-duty narcotics officers,
band's followers together

The Crowne Plaza Hotel off State Street became the stage for an intriguing
clash of cultures Sunday: Hundreds of narcotics detectives were checking in
for a weeklong conference amid scores of Phish fans in town for two
sold-out concerts.

The police officers were off duty, but some of the Phish fans milling
about the lobby, many carrying beer bottles and dressed like Grateful
Dead fans, stared with uncertainty at the contingent of short-haired
detectives moving about.

Some of the detectives even wore shirts with a picture of a marijuana
leaf -- with a big line through it touting their disapproval of
illegal drug usage.

"Why are they here?'' asked Jessup Randall, 19, of Connecticut, who
sat on a lobby sofa wearing a baggy hat and psychedelic clothing. "I
guess if they're just here for a conference and not to bust us, it
won't be a big deal.''

Officials of the International Narcotic Enforcement Association, a
40-year-old organization headquartered in Albany, were equally taken
aback by the ironic timing.

"It's hard because we're all coming in, and we represent two different
things. We're about law and order and they're about, well, something
else,'' said Inspector John Burke, who heads the Albany County
Sheriff's Department Narcotics Unit.

Thousands of Phish fans, many of whom came to Albany without tickets,
jammed motels and restaurants throughout the weekend. The band played
sold-out shows Saturday and Sunday at the Pepsi Arena.

On Sunday afternoon, many of the band's fans were still clearing the
cobwebs of the night before, carrying their bed pillows and
toothbrushes through the streets as they looked for places to freshen
up.

The immensely popular band formed in 1983 at the University of
Vermont, and their mix of bluegrass, funk, jazz and rock now sells out
concerts at nearly every venue they play.

Overnight Saturday, investigators from the sheriff's narcotics unit
arrested about seven Phish fans on drug charges. Albany police
reported fewer incidents but said they had not deployed undercover
officers into the crowd of thousands.

"That's like (catching) fish in a barrel,'' remarked one city
detective, laughing at his own pun.

The narcotics officers convention, meanwhile, is scheduled through
Friday and will include numerous workshops on the latest law
enforcement techniques and equipment. Nearly 800 narcotics officers,
many from local police forces, are expected to attend the conference.
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