Madison Police Seized 10 Nitrous Tanks Outside The Phish Shows

A multi-day run of Phish concerts in Wisconsin attracted people from all across the United States, and some were busted for distributing nitrous oxide to fans.

Wisconsin Police Bust Several Phish Fans In Possession Of Nitrous Oxide Tanks

I remember going to my first Grateful Dead show. My friend walked me around the parking lot scene. It was a really cool experience seeing all the fans hanging out before the show. It was like a market with people selling homemade merchandise, food, beverages, and so much more. That's how they could afford to stay on tour and go to shows.

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According to the City of Madison Police Department...

Madison Police Department patrol officers along with members of MPD's Central District Community Policing Team confiscated 10 tanks of nitrous oxide during a proactive safety effort this week.

 

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As we were exploring, I noticed several fans walking around with huge balloons. I asked my buddy what was the deal with that. He said that was "Hippy Crack." Apparently, some people survive on the road by selling balloons filled with nitrous oxide. Then, the Deadheads would breathe it in to get high. I had never seen anything like it before. Where does someone acquire a nitrous oxide tank? They all can't be dentists.

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The Phish fans are pretty similar to the Dead fans. Recently, the band had a run of shows at the Kohl Center in Madison. The local police were not surprised to witness many people walking around the arena parking lots with nitrous balloons. The officers made a handful of arrests and confiscated 10 nitrous tanks and hundreds of unused balloons. It suddenly became a much more expensive show for those fans.