Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio had a number of treats in store for his Monday night solo acoustic show at Silva Concert Hall in Eugene, Oregon. Anastasio offered the debut of a 22-year-old song, the first acoustic version of a Kasvot Växt track and a pair of tunes he hadn’t performed unplugged in a long time.
Trey opened with “Waste” before dipping into the Kasvot Växt repertoire for a singalong “We Are Come To Outlive Our Brains.” Fans in Eugene also backed Anastasio vocally on “Limb By Limb.” Then, “Brian & Robert” was followed by the tour debut of “Lifeboy.” Anastasio went on to talk about the gratitude list he makes each day and told a story of performing at Eugene’s Hilton Ballroom in the early-90s. Phish stayed at the hotel that housed the ballroom and Trey yelled out drummer Jon Fishman’s room number. Fish graciously hosted a party in his room. While Fish’s party was legendary, Anastasio went on to describe “the most epic night ever.” The guitarist told the tale of the evening he partied with rapper Nelly. He described the experience as akin to the “Hot In Herre” video.
Anastasio warmed up his fingers with “The Inlaw Josie Wales” before treating fans to the instrumental “Bliss” from Billy Breathes. Trey hadn’t performed “Bliss” in any setting until last night. Another surprise followed as the guitarist played the title track from Billy Breathes acoustic for the first time since February 22, 1999. Next came a run of “Sample In A Jar,” “The Wedge,” “Mercury” and “Mountains In The Mist.” Anastasio then debuted the acoustic arrangement of Kasvot Växt track “Cool Amber & Mercury.” He followed “Back On The Train” with a story of learning to surf nearby. A few songs later, Trey recalled how he wrote “Strange Design” just before the birth of his daughter. He also mentioned Phish’s trip to Europe in 1992 for a tour that included a set at Denmark’s Roskilde Festival. Anastasio joked that’s where Phish met Kasvot Växt.
Towards the end of the marathon set, Trey dusted off the acoustic arrangement of “Down With Disease.” Once again the crowd participated and sang some of the lyrics of the song to Anastasio’s delight. The guitarist last played the unplugged “Down With Disease” back on March 5, 2011. He then concluded the set with a “Chalk Dust Torture” featuring “Say It To Me S.A.N.T.O.S.” within. The encore was also a lengthy affair featuring six songs. First up was “All Of These Dreams” ahead of “If I Could” and “Talk.” The night came to a close with the familiar pairing of “The Horse” and “Silent In The Morning” as well as “More.” Listen to the debut of “Bliss” taped by GOTFOB:
Setlist (via Phish.net)
Set: Waste[1], We Are Come to Outlive Our Brains[1], Limb By Limb[1], Brian and Robert[1], Lifeboy[1], Farmhouse[1], The Inlaw Josie Wales[1], Bliss [2], Billy Breathes[1], Sample in a Jar[1], The Wedge[1], Mercury[1], Mountains in the Mist[1], Cool Amber and Mercury [3], Back on the Train[1], Water in the Sky[1], Joy[1], Strange Design[1], Steam[1] > Backwards Down the Number Line[1] > Blaze On[1], Down with Disease[1], Chalk Dust Torture[1] > Say it to Me S.A.N.T.O.S.[1] > Chalk Dust Torture[1]
Encore: All of These Dreams[1], If I Could[1], Talk[1], The Horse[1] > Silent in the Morning[1], More[1]
- [1] Trey solo acoustic.
- [2] Trey solo acoustic; debut.
- [3] Trey solo acoustic; first acoustic performance by Trey.
