Derek Trucks Talks Recent ‘Better Than Expected’ Sit-In With Phish

Derek Trucks‘ talked to Relix about his recent “better than expected” sit-in with Phish at SPAC. Trucks also discussed the upcoming Garden Party concerts with Tedeschi Trucks Band featuring special guests, including Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio.

Trucks’ sat in with Phish on August 26, which was the second show of a two-night run in Saratoga Springs, New York that raised over $3.5 million for flood relief efforts in Vermont and Upstate New York. The guest guitarist came out in the middle of the second set for a cover of TV On The Radio’s “Golden Age.”

The lengthy collaboration lasted the remainder of the concert as Trucks accompanied Phish on “Everything’s Right,” “A Life Beyond The Dream,” “First Tube” and a “Possum” encore. Regarding the SPAC sit-in, Relix’s Dean Budnick asked Trucks about the “precursor to Trey’s upcoming guest appearance,” which prompted Trucks to respond:

“I was excited to go up there and do that. It was a benefit they were doing for Vermont, and I was excited going into it, but it even went better than expected. I knew it would be fun, but it was an amazing connection and the tunes were fun to learn. We had a tiny bit of rehearsal in the dressing room before the gig, and if there was any stress of how it was going to go, it started falling away. But until you hit the stage, you don’t know what it’s going to sound like or feel like.

“They seemed locked in and their chemistry together is really special and unique. They’re on the same wavelength and from the first few notes, it felt really comfortable and conversational.

“When you sit in with a band that has that much chemistry and a lot of improvisation, one of the things I think about is that sometimes when we have guests sit in, they will interrupt the flow. What they’re playing is great, but maybe they’re not listening as hard as they could. I didn’t want to be that guy, so I’d listen and try to feel it out.

“There were some great really magical moments where it connected. That’s when I looked around the stage and had a sense of ‘I think everyone’s enjoying this. Good, I’m not fucking this thing up.’ [Laughs.] There were moments where I could feel that we were all going together and it was a really great energy. I was excited to do it and I had a feeling it would be fun, but it felt beyond that.

“Every once in a while you have those sit-ins and moments where for whatever reason, everything lines up and it goes. That felt like one of those. It’s funny, the few times I’ve played with Trey lately, it’s been that way. The Layla thing was certainly that way where you have high expectations for it, but it certainly exceeded it. So that was exciting and it definitely made me more excited about the sit-in at the Garden.”

Anastasio, who made his TTB debut at The Beacon in 2017 and went on to team with the group at the 2019 LOCKN' festival for a near-complete performance of Derek & The Dominos’ iconic Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs album, will perform at The Garden Party held at Madison Square Garden in New York City on September 29. Singer-songwriter Norah Jones will participate in the MSG concert.

Trucks’ former The Allman Brothers Band bandmate Warren Haynes will join the Tedeschi Trucks Band during The Garden Party at TD Garden in Boston on September 27. Lukas Nelson + POTR will open both shows.

Visit Relix to read Trucks’ full interview that includes discussion about The Garden Party concerts, TTB’s recently released studio album, I Am The Moon and more.