PHISH FANS WELCOME THE MILLENNIUM

In The Spirit of the 1960s

For the more than 80,000 people from all over the world gathered in
the middle of nowhere, midnight was just one moment of a five-day
odyssey that ushered in the year 2000.

Phish fans came together in the field of the Big Cypress Seminole
Reservation in a communal send-off to the century that included Ferris
wheels, fireworks, a sea of campers and a lot of happy faces.

For the some 75,000 spectators Friday it seemed like the 1960s with
some modern twists. Young women with flowers in their hair danced
barefoot in the mud. The smell of marijuana was everywhere. People
talked of peace, love and happiness.

And the automatic teller machines broke down and cellular phones would
not work.

"When I listen to the music, I feel like I have a direct path to the
band," Steve Santini said. The 22-year-old mason from Rochester, N.Y.,
travels the country following Phish, attending 21 of the band's
concerts in 1999. "The (guitar) riffs fill my body," he said. "I'm
just so thankful to be right here. There is no where I would rather be
for New Year's Eve."

The New Year's countdown at the concert began at 11:30 p.m. With the
band on break, a giant clock was unveiled on stage. A man dressed as
Father Time appeared and began pedaling a stationary bike, as a loud
"tick-tock" sounded.

At 11:45 p.m., the band was brought back to the stage area on an
airboat. The members then drove through the crowd in a hot dog-shaped
car, tossing leis and confetti to their fans.

They took the stage at 11:59 p.m. and the New Year was greeted by a
lavish fireworks display.

Earlier in the evening, about 100 fans gathered in a densely wooded
area for a communal percussion jam. Bongos, congas, djembes and
tambourines filled the air with their sound and the crowd that
gathered moved to the dense, changing rhythms.

"This is the spirit of the band that kind of resonates within everyone
here," said Josephine Nadler, 21, of Harrisburg, Pa. "Everyone gets
along. It's a very positive way to live and a very peaceful way to
party."

Fans contributed small items to a time capsule scheduled to be opened
in the year 4020 and took part in several different interactive art
installations near a 400-foot boardwalk.

Concert officials and reservation police reported few problems Friday.
The concert began Thursday night, causing huge traffic jams on the
Interstate 75 section known as Alligator Alley, and ends at dawn Saturday.

One employee suffered minor injuries when he was beaten by a group
that stole his golf cart. About 1,200 people were treated for mostly
minor problems, such as asthma, cuts, blisters and dehydration. Twelve
people were treated and released for drug overdoses, said Rob Ticknor,
the manager of the concert's first aid station.

The four-man band from Vermont has replaced The Grateful Dead - which
disbanded after the death of leader Jerry Garcia - as the band
modern-day hippies follow around the country.

Fans paid $175 each to hear Phish perform five sets.

"It's amazing how the music joins people together," said Jodi
Carrington, 18, from Westfield, Mass.

One of the biggest complaints fans had was the price of drugs.
Marijuana was the drug of choice, but ecstasy, crack cocaine and other
illegal intoxicants were also being used. People were also drinking
beer and other alcoholic beverages.

"People are so lost in their souls - drugs just help them escape
more," said Peter Quilici, 21, from Mammoth Lakes, Calif.

Spectators were also lining up for Celtic and pagan jewelry and to get
tattoos and other body art. One 20-year-old New Jersey woman, who
called herself Fox, walked the concert grounds naked except for the
paint that covered her body.

But not all was happiness. Twenty-year-old Greg Sevigny from Westford,
Vt., had been hired to guard an ATM. He said that when the machine and
the phones stopped working "the atmosphere started getting desperate."

"People are getting tired. They can't get to the bathrooms. There are
no phones. People are starting to snap at me," Sevigny said.

Naples Daily News staff writer Jeff Clemens contributed to this
report.