Happy Birthday Page McConnell | The Leo Trio

We’d like to wish a very happy birthday to Phish keyboardist Page McConnell, who was born in Philadelphia on this day in 1963. McConnell’s 51st birthday comes at an exciting time for the band, who just this week finally announced the upcoming release of their first studio album in five years –Fuego. Page joined Phish in 1985 and it’s hard to imagine the band reaching the same level of success has he not come on board at that crucial time in the group’s development.

[Photo by Scott Harris]

Phish honored their oldest member on July 19, 2003 at Alpine Valley in East Troy, WI with a string of three songs featuring piano solos kicked off by guitarist Trey Anastasio calling out the keyboardist with a shout of “Play it, Leo!” Leo is one of the many nicknames given to Page and on that fateful night at Alpine the Vermonters presented those three songs -“NICU,” “Ya Mar” and “Rocky Top” -in succession for the first time ever. Anastasio took note of the occasion by announcing the songs as the “Leo Trio.” The band then turns the spotlight over to McConnell once more for Page to sing “Lawn Boy.”

Pro-shot footage of the entire show circulates and is well worth the watch not only for the “Leo Trio,” but for the jam-filled, five-song second set. Take a look:

Set 1: Sample in a Jar, Reba, Wilson, Scents and Subtle Sounds, Maze, Driver, NICU > Ya Mar, Rocky Top, Lawn Boy, Julius`

Set 2: Piper > Rock and Roll -> Seven Below -> Prince Caspian > You Enjoy Myself`

Encore: Wading in the Velvet Sea`