Officials from both the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor and Phish confirmed late Monday that the band is indeed rehearsing at the new arena to prepare for Wednesday night’s Waterfront Concert at the Darling’s Waterfront Pavilion, the first show of Phish’s summer 2013 tour.

According to assistant general manager Todd Stoudenmire, Phish’s crew arrived over the weekend and set up sound and lights, as a test run for both the band and for the venue.





“It was a great opportunity for the Cross Insurance Center to welcome the production crew into our building and see how a concert of this size would set-up in our venue,” said Stoudenmire. “It has been a pleasure working with them and we are happy to have them.”

He only confirmed that Phish’s crew was there, not the band itself, though Erin Cooney, press representative from the band later confirmed the band was at the facility.

There are 16,000 tickets available for Wednesday’s concert via Waterfront Concerts, although concert and Bangor city officials expect many more people than that to arrive in the city in the next 48 hours. Bangor police Sgt. Paul Edwards said Monday morning that more than 14,000 tickets already had been sold and the department is preparing for an influx of people with additional patrols on the streets. The city is also partnering with other area law enforcement, said Deputy Chief Troy Morton of the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office.

“Bangor has a plan,” he said. “It’s more than just Phish. Because it’s a holiday week there is always increased patrols. There are lots of people who are going to be in town for the [Fourth of July] parade.”

The waterfront concerts “brings a lot of business to the area,” Morton said.

“I think it’s just amazing what they’ve done to bring in business to Bangor. And it’s not just Bangor. I think it’s good for the entire area.”

Hotels and campgrounds in the greater Bangor area reported on Monday that the vast majority of rooms have been booked, ranging from the Fireside Inn and Hollywood Casino in Bangor, to hotels and motels that are further away from the venue, such as the Vacationland Inn in Brewer and the Courtyard Marriott near the Bangor Mall. Campgrounds, including the Paul Bunyan Campground and Pleasant Hill Campground in Bangor, Walton’s Campground in Eddington and Pushaw Lake Campground in Orono also report near-capacity booking.

Phish fans can get an early treat on Tuesday, when PBS NewsHour will air a profile segment featuring lead guitarist Trey Anastasio, set for 6 p.m. The extended 30 minute conversation with Anastasio will be posted online at 7 p.m., after the broadcast ends.

BDN reporter Nok-Noi Ricker contributed to this report.