Hundreds of concert-goers rang in the New Year by being arrested over the course of jam band Phish’s four-show run at Madison Square Garden this week. A total of 238 arrests were made after the first three concerts.
Most of the arrests were due to the possession and sales of drugs, including marijuana, ecstasy, mushrooms, and OxyContin. One individual was arrested for possession of 424 capsules of MDMA, 71 strips of LSD and 14 bags of mushrooms. Over the years, Phish’s fans called “Phish Heads” have become notorious for their heavy drug use, leading many police officers to be around the venue. Not all of the arrests were for drug use however, as some were also for ticket scalping and public urination.
Recently, New York has become very cautious when it comes to drug use. Four months ago the city canceled the last day of electronic dance music festival Electric Zoo after two attendees died and four became ill after taking ecstasy.
The majority of fans arrested at Phish’s shows were either given summonses or charged with misdemeanors. A few committed felonies by selling drugs to undercover police officers.
Phish’s New Year’s Eve tradition of performing at Madison Square Garden has been occurring since 2010. Inside the venue, Phish performed from the top of a flatbead truck, celebrated the New Year with a short rendition of “Auld Lang Syne,” and also had a balloon drop.
The band has not yet made a statement about the tremendous amount of arrests.
