Full Show Video: Trey Anastasio Kicks Off Solo Acoustic Run In Northampton

Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio began a series of solo acoustic performances with a fully unplugged show at the Academy Of Music Theatre in Northampton, Massachusetts on Wednesday night. Trey mixed rare material and fan-favorites over the course of the 105-minute performance which consisted of one long set and a three-song encore.

Anastasio was in full storyteller form throughout the evening as he told tales of many of the tunes he’s performed in Northampton. At one point he explained that he started with a master list of approximately 100 songs and he had a hard time slashing tunes off that list. On Wednesday he made it through 26 different original compositions from various eras of his illustrious career.

Trey kicked off his first ever fully acoustic show with “Discern,” a song he debuted with TAB in 2002 that had been missing in action since shortly after it was first played. Next up were “Farmhouse” and “Brian & Robert,” which were the only tunes he had played often unplugged in the past that made the main set. Later, the guitarist dusted off “Walfredo” in honor of Santana percussionist Raul Rekow who passed away last year. “Walfredo” was one of many songs that began and ended with an explanation from Trey as he told the story behind some of the tune’s lyrics about touring with Santana.

The guitarist kept it fairly bare bones throughout the set, but at points he did use some sort of looping pedal to allow him to solo over chords on songs such as “Frost” and “Stealing Time From The Faulty Plan.” Anastasio had issues remembering a lyric to “Steam,” so he called upon lyricist Tom Marshall who was sitting in the audience yet couldn’t provide much help. Trey bailed on “Steam” and began “Heavy Things” ahead of a “Summer Of ’89” dedicated to his wife Sue. Towards the end of the set, Anastasio performed “Tree” off his Blue Ash & Other Suburbs EP which was the first time he played the song in any format. After ending the set with “Cavern,” “Backwards Down The Number Line” and “More,” Trey returned for a three-song encore of Phish classics “Sample In A Jar,” “Wilson” and “Bouncing Around The Room.” The brief run continues on Friday night in Troy, New York.

Full Show Video Playlist (Captured by Aerofan2007)

Setlist (via Phish.net)

Set: Discern [1], Farmhouse [2], Brian and Robert [2], Theme From the Bottom [2], The Horse [2] > Silent in the Morning [2], Frost [2], Anything But Me [2], Limb By Limb [2], Walfredo [1], Stealing Time From the Faulty Plan [2], All of These Dreams [1], Winterqueen [1], Steam [1], Heavy Things [2], Summer of ’89 [2], Miss You [1], Architect [2], Tree [3], Water in the Sky [2], Cavern [2] > Backwards Down the Number Line [2], More [1]

Encore: Sample in a Jar [2], Wilson [2], Bouncing Around the Room [2]

• [1] Trey solo acoustic; first acoustic performance by Trey.
• [2] Trey solo acoustic.
• [3] Debut; Trey solo acoustic.

This entire show was performed by Trey solo acoustic. This show featured the debut of “Tree” and the first Trey acoustic performances of “Discern,” “Walfredo,” “All of These Dreams,” “Winterqueen,” “Steam,” “Miss You,” and “More.” “Walfredo” was dedicated to Raul Rekow and “Summer of ’89” was dedicated to Trey’s wife, Sue.