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 Feedback: http://www.timesunion.com/react/ Website: http://www.timesunion.com/ Forum: http://www.timesunion.com/react/forums/ 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. - --- MAP posted-by: Derek Rea