There was already magic in the air when Medeski, Martin and Wood took the stage on December 1, 2000 at The Palace Theatre in Albany. The night was cold but the rumors were hot that some very special guests would be joining MMW that night.
Those rumors turned out to be true. Elysian Fields founder/guitarist Oren Bloedow as well as Brazilian percussionist Cyro Baptista joined Medeski Martin and Wood for the entire show. Rumors had been swirling like an upstate snow squall that Phish frontman Trey Anastasio would be there and when He joined Medeski, Martin and Wood (plus Bloedow and Baptista) late in the second set, the energy of the crowd and the band reached some amazing heights.
The night began with some ambient improvisation from Medeski, Martin and Wood with special guests Bloedow and Baptista joining from the start. Instrumental grooves set the mood and seemingly took the audience from jungle to the tropics and through various soundscapes before leading in to “The Dropper.” The first pure melodies of the night then followed with “Nostalgia in Times Square.” From “The Dropper” to “Times Square” – the psychedelic journey had begun and the band took the crowd on what sounded like an audio description of a psychedelic experience through New York City.
One can almost see the different store fronts, streets, alleys, cabs, people and hallucinations as MMW and friends wind their way from Times Square through “Angel Race (I’ll Wait For You)” and “Shacklyn Knights”, the latter featuring some vintage psychedelic 60’s style guitar leads from Bloedow. A heavy trance like percussion jam brought a return to “Shacklyn Knights” before closing the first set with a dark and jazzy “Seven Deadlies,” again invoking the chaos of mixing psychedelics and The Big City.
Set two began with John Medeski laying down an eerie organ intro before Billy Martin kicked in a big beat on drums for “Big Time”. Chris Wood’s bass fueled the opening jam while MMW was once again joined by Oren Bloedow and Cyro Baptista. The Five-some took the music to deep, dark space before returning to planet Earth via the Jimi Hendrix classic “Third Stone From The Sun” which featured funky grooves and blistering lead guitar from Oren Bloedow and a percussion breakdown. The crowd erupted as Trey Anastasio appeared and it was announced that “another special guest” was going to join the stage. The new ensemble, armed with one of the world’s most talented guitarists kicked off with MMW’s “Partido Alto” with Trey adding his signature guitar style.
When asked about this show, Capital region resident Maria Levin, who was in attendance said, “Trey playing “Partido Alto” with MMW is still one of the highlights of my live music life.” “We Are Rolling,” “Start Stop” and a haunting, Roky Erickson-esque “Dracula” had Trey and company exploring the far reaches of the universe with a sound that seemed to encapsulate some of the best elements of Phish and MMW. Jax Why commented in the Facebook group PHISH TOUR 2014, “A superb evening. The “rumor” was not much of a surprise by the time Big Red (Trey Anastasio) emerged for the second set. However, the style and energy in which He played was. It was quite a different sit-in from when Trey joined MMW in Austin, TX about 4 years prior. Mature jamming and placement with intent and patience.” Following “Dracula,” Chris Wood captivated the Palace Theatre crowd with a bass solo that set the tone for a jazzy, funky and at times scary “Chubb Sub” that closed out the set.
After a standing ovation, Medeski, Martin, Wood, Bloedow, Baptista and Anastasio returned to the stage and sent the fans home into the Albany night with a “Swamp Road” for the ages.
The collaborations at The Palace Theatre in Albany on December 1, 2000 would not only lead to an unforgettable night for those in attendance but also change the course of jamband history. This magical night in Albany was the first time Trey Anastasio and Cyro Baptista joined forces together on stage. Trey would invite Cyro to join The Trey Anastasio Band in 2002. Cyro continues to be a part of TAB to this day.
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