Trey Anastasio: Life in Slow Motion
The spectrum of Phish encompasses a wide range of styles and stories, and much of that comes down to the creative output of Trey Anastasio. The band might not spend as much time on the road as they used to, but Trey seemingly just can’t stay away from the stage for too long between Phish tours.
His latest solo effort saw him take an acoustic tour to cities all across the country in Spring 2025 in his first such tour since 2018, and his longest solo acoustic tour to date. His acoustic shows feature a decidedly different flavor from any of his other ventures. He dives deep into his personal songbook as well as the Phish catalog, and in place of the long jams, he takes his tangents in between songs to engage with the crowd through stories from his long career and fun interactions in intimate theaters.
Photo by Sanjay Suchak
It leads to a Phish concert experience unlike any other. I had the chance to catch his set at the Warner Theatre in Washington DC in April. Like every other stop on this tour, the show was an instant sell out, and fans filled the storied venue for what felt more like a chance to just hang out with the jovial rock star around a figurative camp fire rather than to witness a Phish show.
Come Unglued While in Mid-Air
Trey entered the stage to a rapturous response that echoed throughout the acoustic-friendly setting. Armed only with his acoustic guitar, his trademark excited smile, and a chair situated at center stage, he set the tone by opening with “More”. A song that truly shines the most in this stripped-down presentation with its heartfelt message of life and Trey’s dialed in vocal performance.
Following a performance of his solo song “Lost in the Pack”, Trey took us down memory lane to describe what it means to be playing again in DC. While he’s brought solo shows to the area numerous times over the years, most recently at The Anthem in 2021, Phish proper has not played in DC since December 1999 at the MCI Center, now known as the Capital One Arena.
Photo by Richie Downs
He recalled stories of playing at long gone venues The Rozy and The Bayou, and remembered one of the perks of The Bayou was an elaborate deli platter the venue would set up for the artists. One night, his dog was travelling with the band, and she had helped herself to the massive spread of meats and cheeses while no one was looking. We all laughed along with his infectious joy of this memory.
Trey then let us know a young fan named Sojourn had requested two songs for tonight’s show, one of which had been played acoustic previously and the other never before. Sojourn’s first request was granted with “What’s Going Through Your Mind”, which has been a highlight of the latest batch of newer songs entering the catalog last year. The second request would be coming later.
We were then treated to an excellent stretch starting with “If Again” from Trey’s Ghost of the Forest project, followed by Phish classics “Theme from the Bottom” and “Brian and Robert”, both filled with precision flowing from Trey’s fingers and voice as he played at the top of his game.
Photo by Sanjay Suchak
The crowd got more involved when he moved into the modern standout “Oblivion” by filling in the background vocal flourishes during the chorus. The intimate setting and performance invited the audience into the show much more than your normal Phish show. Trey even managed to bring some jams to the festivities by looping guitar lines and building a tremendous section of floaty improv. Even on his own, he still finds the space above the clouds and brings us all along for the ride.
With our audience vocals warmed up, Trey swung into “Limb by Limb” for full crowd participation. Without missing a beat, we all filled in the alternating verse lyrics to his sheer delight as he laughed over his lines. Indeed it felt like we had been taken far away to a campfire sing along as the crowd largely dialed into the peaceful energy.
Perhaps the most surprising piece of crowd interaction came from the chompers versus the shushers. Every person who regularly attends a jam band show knows the painful distraction of a person with little awareness of their surroundings choosing to have a full conversation during the music. This environment was unfortunately no different, but many in attendance weren’t having it as shushers would rain down their disapproval when a chomper let loose. With the venue’s excellent acoustics, any uninvited conversation was far more audible than normal, and shushes carried across the whole hall. I was happy to see that most of the time it worked, and much of the music was uninterrupted by needless chatter.
The Time Stands Still
Despite minor interruptions from an excited crowd, Trey never missed a beat. The energy in the room hit another level with the sing-along friendly “Blaze On” among a long stretch of other classics like “Sample in a Jar” and “Strange Design”, plus a haunting rendition of “Monsters”.
A little over half-way into the show, Trey unveiled Sojourn’s second request with a humble warning that he’d give it “the old college try” by playing it acoustic for the first time. The opening notes revealed the epic “Walls of the Cave” and you’d be hard pressed to believe he had never played this one with this arrangement before. It worked perfectly even as he moved through the various sections that normally feature multi-layered contributions from the other members of Phish. He pulled this one off despite his own apprehension and made this night stand out from the rest of the tour in the process.
Photo by Sanjay Suchak
After a detour into a lovely rendition of “Snowflakes in the Sand”, Trey invited the crowd into more sing along sections with the beloved “Waste”, a raucous chorus line in “Possum”, and an energetic “Wilson” where the crowd made their presence felt throughout by echoing the call and return sections with extreme excitement.
Nearly two hours into the performance, Trey brought out Jeff Tanski to add some piano flourishes to the final stretch of songs, as he had done for the rest of the tour. They kicked off this section with the elusive “Pebbles and Marbles”. A highly-sought-after song from Phish fans with only eight performances by the band in the 4.0 years, along with several other appearances on this tour. Its elegance shines the brightest in this stripped down arrangement.
Elegance then crossed with epic storytelling as the duo went into “Petrichor”. Another rarity in the world of Phish that’s only been performed by the band once in 4.0. Understandable when its original form required the use of a full orchestra. Trey took it for a spin during his orchestral shows last year to spectacular results, but this new two-person arrangement concentrates the story with playful interactions between Trey and Jeff, highlighted by the short but soaring vocal sections. A true testament to Trey’s compositional prowess.
Once the rain passed, we were treated to another Ghost in the Forest selection, “In Long Lines”, seeing its first performance since 2019 and its only showing of the whole tour. As always, Trey dug deep for tonight’s show, but choices like this help the DC show stick out from the rest of the extensive tour.
Where Do You Go When the Lights Go Out?
After a brief yet playful respite in “Bouncin’ Around the Room”, Trey and Jeff opened the valve of exploration with a mind-bending version of “Split Open and Melt”. A contemplative and powerful execution of simplicity made the entire room feel like it was spinning to the rhythm of Trey’s subtle looping. Those of us in the back of the left section witnessed someone with perhaps a few too many substances in his system collapse in the aisle during the spacey excursion. Always a jarring thing to see, but even more so in this rarified setting. It goes to show, you always have to account for the people factor at every show. Don’t let indulgence override the music. Otherwise you could end up missing the best part of the show like this guy did. Thankfully, venue staff were quick to get him the medical attention he needed.
Photo by Sanjay Suchak
To wrap up the long set, Trey and Jeff locked into the blissful vehicle of “Harry Hood”. This one has become a chameleon in Trey’s solo shows, fitting into every mood between last year’s orchestral run, and now the acoustic-piano combo first hit upon in the Beacon Jams in 2021. No matter what shape it takes, Hood always lifts us up and serves as a fitting conclusion to any show.
Even after holding the stage for close to two and a half hours, Trey still delivered a hefty encore, again with Jeff’s assistance. Starting off with “The Squirming Coil”, both of them nimbly navigated the complex arrangement before Trey took charge over the outro. This would’ve been a satisfying conclusion on its own, but the pair took flight into “You Enjoy Myself” for one more celebratory moment.
Trey’s face beamed with joy during every moment of the show. His happiness radiated over the whole hall and brought us all on the same wavelength for an unforgettable evening of music and community connection.
Photo by Sanjay Suchak
His journey still rolls full steam ahead to our continued delight. Less than two weeks after the solo tour concluded, Phish set sail on a short West Coast Spring Tour, which has delivered several stand out performances of its own. So far, 2025 is shaping up to be another great year for Phish phandom.
My next stop on the Phish train comes this summer in Philadelphia at The Mann. Cheers to all travelers and let’s help the band make this yet another year to remember!
Trey’s entire solo acoustic tour is available to stream on LivePhish. Or thank a taper and check out this AUD recording of the DC show on the Internet Archive.
