Full Show Audio: Trey Anastasio Plays Sixth & I Historic Synagogue In Washington D.C.

The longest Trey Anastasio solo acoustic tour yet is heading south. Last night, the Phish guitarist played the gorgeous Sixth & I Historic Synagogue in Washington, D.C. One of the most intriguing aspects of the tour as compared to shows from Trey’s other projects are the venues picked to host each concert. Sixth & I Historic Synagogue was opened in 1908, making it one of the oldest synagogues in the city. The historic room hosts concerts, lectures, exhibitions as well as religious services for various Jewish denominations. Anastasio treated the audience to songs and stories over the course of the two-plus hour performance.

Trey opened with “AC/DC Bag” and then tipped his hat to the room’s roots with a pairing of “The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday” > “Avenu Malkenu.” Anastasio talked about Phish bassist Mike Gordon teaching the band the meaning behind the Hebrew lyrics of “Avenu Malkenu.” Trey said, “I’m Catholic, so I spend most of my time wondering if the body of Christ is gluten-free.” From there, the show rolled on with “Water In The Sky,” “Theme From The Bottom” and “Wolfman’s Brother.” The guitarist discussed the origins of “Wolfman’s Brother” and how it was written about Phish drummer Jon Fishman. Anastasio recalled Fish being the Best Man at his wedding and how he immediately hit if off with Jon the moment they met. Trey also told the story of the band getting into a fight while dressed as cavemen during a photo shoot for the cover of Rolling Stone.

Story time was followed by “Everything’s Right,” “Miss You,” “Back On The Train” and “The Inlaw Josie Wales.” Trey then talked about writing “Strange Design” and dedicated it to his wife Sue, who was in attendence. “Blaze On” was one of the longest songs of the evening, as Anastasio showed off his looping skills. He then took the pace down a bit with “Tide Turns” before treating fans to a pairing of “Sand” and “The Curtain” and stringing together “Farmhouse,” “Pigtail” and “Bathtub Gin.”

After “Bathtub,” Trey talked about his days “burgling” with Mike Gordon as the pair tried to steal a ramp for their box truck. Anastasio and Gordon weren’t successful. The final story of the evening was about Page making Fish cry, as the drummer would often be late for rehearsals and bus calls and the like. One time McConnell just had enough of Jon’s antics and let him have it leading the drummer to cry.

A run of “Waste,” “Show Of Life” and “Wilson” ended the main set. Trey returned to the stage for an encore of “Brian & Robert,” “Bouncing Around The Room” and “More.” A disturbing moment followed Anastasio’s departure, as fans were urged by a staff member to use certain exits as the staff was dealing with a medical emergency in the balcony. The tour continues with a pair of shows in North Carolina before Anastasio ends the run in Athens.

Listen to the full show recorded by Alex Leary and shared by Jam.Buzz:

Watch the encore captured by Goatslop/vwmule:

Setlist

Set: AC/DC Bag, The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday > Avenu Malkenu, Water In The Sky, Theme From The Bottom, Wolfman’s Brother, Everything’s Right, Miss You, Back On The Train, The Inlaw Josie Wales, Strange Design, Blaze On, Tide Turns, Sand > The Curtain, Farmhouse > Pigtail > Bathtub Gin, Waste, Show Of Life, Wilson

Encore: Brian & Robert, Bouncing Around The Room, More