About a dozen people were camped outside the Asheville Civic Center Wednesday evening waiting for Phish tickets to go on sale Friday morning. Though the temperature hovered around 38 and threatened to go below freezing overnight, their moods were chipper as they huddled beneath their blankets.
“We’re operating on faith,” said Bhakta, No. 8 in the line. The tickets go on sale nationwide, meaning they could sell out in minutes for the band’s much anticipated reunion tour. The jam-rockers haven’t played together since 2004 and have announced fewer than a dozen dates. The band will play the Civic Center on June 9.
Julian Taylor, 27, and Mike Bennici, 28, both asked off work from their jobs at Mellow Mushroom pizza bakers so they could wait for the tickets. They showed up around noon on Wednesday and earned the Nos. 1 and 2 spots, respectively. They were joined soon after by Sarah Cole, 30, who works at Salsa’s.
“We’ve got board games,” said Cole, who’s been to more than 100 Phish shows since her first in 1991. The group would be playing Simpson’s trivia soon, she said.
Asked about the chilly temperatures and potential boredom, Bhakta (who wore flip-flops) said the crew would keep each other positive.
Besides, he said, in Asheville, “anything’s fun.”
Most Asheville story ever. We need a bigger picture so I can get a good look at those sweet ‘flops.
seriously..we need more pictures..
Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
some serious fans right there.
god luck guys.
There are several dozen camped out there as of 1:30pm Thursday. It doesn’t look as much like a “line” as it does a gathering of friends. There are some tents set up and a couple of interesting busses camped in the vicinity as well. The Civic Center has brought in porta-johns for the folks waiting in line.
I am very sad I will be away from town for this event. I could care less about Phish, but 10,000 hippies showing up will be a “lot” of fun.
losers. anyone want a 3 dollar hand job?
This story rules. I just walked by there and it felt like a phish parking lot scene, about a hundred people hanging out eating veggie burritos, playing hacky sack… lots of tents set up.
Someone should challenge the Highlander’s sense of authority.
This booking is such an enormous coup for the Civic Center and the city. I can hardly wait for the circus to come to town (but I wish getting tickets hadn’t become such a royal pain of a crapshoot). But seriously, this is nothing but good for Asheville. During these down times people need the music more than ever, and Asheville has the music. If we can keep Asheville on artists’ itineraries, if we welcome them and their fans, then the tours will keep coming through town, and the hospitality industry will benefit.
That’s why we need the room tax to help the Civic Center. Keep the folks coming to Asheville for music, and everybody benefits.
Tried the ticket lottery through Phish’s website when they first announced…denied. Attempted through Ticketmaster to get 2 on day they went public, apparently sold out in 5 minutes. Are you kidding me?? Did any of the crazy people who sat in the cold for two days get tickets? Please tell me atleast someone did. Geez. Phish can go back to their ocean and stay there.
So…the question now is – how many of the folks at the Civic Center got tickets/shut out. The online sales seems to have sold out by 10:01 am.
The first 16 people got tickets and that was it. They had been telling everyone that they were going to have 400 tickets reserved so the first 100 would be good but in the end only 16 got them.
At the same time… Ticketmaster is putting tickets up for sale on TicketsNow for $300 per ticket. They should be charged with fraud and arrested for their actions. Shame on them and Trey!
I saw the leftovers leaving this morning on my drive to work. I admire their efforts but I personally think there isn’t a band out there worth waiting over night for.
If anyone hasnt seen the South Park “Die, hippy, Die” episode, i would highly suggest it.
http://www.southparkstudios.com/guide/902
Hey bro… just listen to that crunchy groove, and don’t worry about all the little ikeman’s trying to bring you down.
Hey everybody, we got our money. We don’t care if you got a ticket or not. Now pay the price for the ticket or shut the heck up. Nobody cares!! Don’t think for one minute that we the band give a crap. We already made our money!!!! Let the market sort it out.