Hey all, this encounter could be filed under run-ins with the law as well as encounters with the band. It was 1994, and I was doing the fall tour down south. I was on a wonderful spiritual high cause this was really the 1st time I had been on the road for an extended period of time (aside from a week run by myself on Dead tour that previous summer). 

The show that day was at the Edge in Orlando, Fla.  During most of that tour down south, the venues were super small, and so were the tiny little lots. There were approx. 50 + kids doing the tour, so you recognized everyone from show to show. This particular day was a bright sunshiny day in Orlando. 

The show was outdoors, and the capacity was something like 3,000 or less. There was a fence around the venue with black garbage bag-like material all around so you couldn't see inside (if you were outside). You could hear everything wonderfully, though. 

There was one main lot that was very small. Well, we (like most) didn't have tickets, and the cops wouldn't let anyone hang out in the lot during the show. They also didn't want kids hanging out on the sidewalk around the show. We decided to circle around the venue so we could hear the show and so we could scope out spots to sneak in. Security was pretty tight at that time, so we continued on. 

I was hanging out with this Beautiful Sister that I had met earlier that day. We decided to go down by this pond for awhile during set break to kick it. When we finally came back to the venue, the security had let up, and kids were going in this opening between the fence and a brick building.  It was at the end of the show, and I believe it was during AC/DC bag.  They ended the show with Highway to Hell and encored Uncle Pen and Tweezer Reprise. 

We followed some kids out the same way we snuck in cause it was quicker than going through the rest of the crowd. I turned my head left and caught eye contact with a cop that had been hassling us for not having tickets earlier that day. We were excited to see the end of the show, so I thought nothing of it. The next thing we I knew we were in cuffs for sneaking in. 

He got me on two charges: stealing passage and petty theft, so they could tax me more. Well, they took us over to write out the arrest reports and wait for our transport right by where Phish went backstage. All the boys had come by except for Trey. He was lagging behind, talking with some phans. 

Then I spotted him walking towards us. "Nice show bro," I said as he walked up, "Let me shake your hand."  I shook his hand with my cuffs on. He gave us a strange look and asked why were had been arrested. I told him for sneaking in the show. Our conversation was pretty much small talk- something about the poka-dot rayon shirt he was wearing...that he got from goodwill... 

Then, I was feeling gutsy, and I asked if we could get free tickets for this (getting caught and arrested). He agreed and asked us what the hardest show to get in this tour was. In hindsight I should have said New Years, but instead I said Halloween. He took down my girlfriend's name and said we had 2 free tickets and backstage passes to the show!! Then he wished us well and was off. 

Although we were headed to Orange county lock-up, nothing could wipe the smiles off our faces. Quite ironically, we missed the Halloween show after our VW broke down at a rest stop early Halloween morning. We hitched as far as we could but only reached PA by 12:00am that evening. 

Incidentally, that show just happened to be when they played the White Album; it was the Phan's Pick of that Year for best show!!! I dreamed about that incident for quite some time. Dreaming that I met Trey again and asked "Ya know, I never made it to that show, how's about another kick-down?" Of course he remembered me and gave me more tickets. Thanks anyways Trey!!!

 - Robert Schweitzer