Home Jambase Reed Mathis Joins Pink Talking Fish At Sweetwater Music Hall

Reed Mathis Joins Pink Talking Fish At Sweetwater Music Hall

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Pink Talking Fish welcomed special guest Reed Mathis to share the stage at Sweetwater Music Hall in Mill Valley, California on Friday night. Mathis sat-in on guitar during the Phish/Talking Heads/Pink Floyd tribute act’s second set and encore at the Bay Area Venue, which also hosted Pink Talking Fish on Saturday and Sunday.

Reed Mathis emerged following PTF’s “Pigs (3 Different One)” second set opener. Mathis added a second guitar to the band’s cover of the Talking Heads classic “Slippery People.” The Reed Mathis and Electric Beethoven bandleader and Billy & The Kids bassist stuck around on guitar for Phish’s “Llama.” Pink Talking Fish and their guest began the A Picture Of Nectar gem slow before launching into the full speed version.

Earlier in the night, Pink Talking Fish opened the concert with “Gumbo” and then delivered a seamless run of “Nothing But Flowers,” “Happiest Days Of Our Lives,” “Another Brick In The Wall Part 2” and “Another Brick In The Wall Part 3.” Next came a standalone “Lizards” before “Found A Job” and “Fearless” were connected by a “Slave To The Traffic Light” jam. “Fearless” bled into “Frankenstein” to end the first set.

Mathis’ guest spot was followed by Pink Floyd’s “Time.” Pink Talking Fish then lit into the Phish jam vehicle “David Bowie” and beloved Talking Heads favorite “This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody).” The tribute act closed the frame with a song a piece from the bands it honors as Pink Floyd’s “Fat Old Sun” gave way to “Simple” by Phish ahead of Talking Heads’ “Burning Down The House.” PTF worked Frank Zappa’s “Peaches En Regalia” into the Phish live staple “Cavern” for the encore. The latter saw Reed Mathis return on guitar. Mathis previously covered “Bye Bye Foot” for JamBase’s Cluster Flies compilation and performed many Trey Anastasio songs including Gamehendge during livestreams presented early in the pandemic.

In other Reed Mathis news, the multi-instrumentalist will round up a number of fellow Bay Area musicians for “Bob Dylan’s Night In New Orleans,” a tribute to be held at The Chapel in San Francisco on Saturday, January 29. Mathis, under the moniker “The Reed Mathis Singers,” will be joined by ALO bassist Steve Adams and drummer Ezra Lipp as well as Tea Leaf Green keyboardist Trevor Garrod, Midnight North’s Elliott Peck and singer-songwriter Chuck Prophet.

The ensemble will perform Dylan’s 1989 album Oh Mercy and 1995 album Time Out Of Mind. Both LPs were produced by Daniel Lanois and recorded in New Orleans. “This will be a real session – no impersonations or reenactments here – just strong souls, teamwork, improv, and some of the greatest lyrics ever penned,” wrote Mathis in an announcement. “Lead vocals will be spread around the entire ensemble. And the grooves will be ominous and funky.” Tickets are on sale now via the venue’s website.

Setlist (via PTF FB)

Set One: Gumbo, Nothing But Flowers > Happiest Days Of Our Lives > Another Brick In The Wall Part 2 > Another Brick In The Wall Part 3, The Lizards, Found A Job > Slave To The Traffic Light Jam > Fearless > Frankenstein

Set Two: Pigs (3 Different Ones)* > Slippery People** > Slow Llama** > Fast Llama**, Time > David Bowie, This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody), Fat Old Sun, Simple^ > Burning Down The House^^

Encore: Peaches En Regalia > Cavern**

  • * – w/ Bathtub Gin tease
  • ** – w/ Reed Mathis on guitar
  • ^ – w/ Christmas Wrapping tease
  • ^^ – w/ I Love You Always Forever tease

Source: JamBase.com