Mike Gordon Premieres Dual Keyboard Lineup In Washington D.C.

Mike Gordon's solo tour rolled into Washington D.C. on Tuesday for a concert at the Lincoln Theatre. The show was the Phish bassist’s first of two dual-keys gigs as Robert Walter and Eli Winderman shared keyboard duties.

Gordon called upon former Dopapod keyboardist Eli Winderman to fill in for Walter at the past four shows of the run in Charlotte, Nashville, Atlanta and Charleston. Robert Walter returned and Winderman stuck around last night and the pair will also take the stage with Gordon, drummer John Morgan Kimock and guitarists Bob Wagner and Xavier Lynn on Thursday at Brooklyn Bowl. Walter be the lone keyboardist for the final four shows of the three-week tour.

The dual-keys shows were over a year in the making as Mike Gordon brought up the configuration last spring during an interview with Live For Live Music. “Honestly, I wanted to double the keyboards, too, because I’ve been playing with [Dopapod keyboardist] Eli Winderman and loving his contributions,” Gordon told L4LM’s Andrew O’Brien.

The original plan was for Winderman to join the five-piece for Gordon’s lone solo show of 2025 last May in New Orleans but scheduling prevented that. “[Eli’s] been singing, and he’s also very rhythmic and, you know, bubbly keyboard-playing that makes the groove propel, and he’s got a really open, joyous attitude. And Robert Walter liked that idea, [Eli] just wasn’t available [for this gig]. We were thinking of doubling both the keyboards and the guitars, or maybe another time we would do it and use one guitar and two keyboards,” Gordon added.

Mike Gordon has been keeping his repertoire tight this tour. Every song played in Washington D.C. had previously been performed at least three times prior on the tour with the exception of Inside In cut “Exit Wound.” Gordon gave his bandmates chances to showcase material from their own projects as Xavier Lynn led the group through his songs “Convince Me” and “Louisiana Lady,” Bob Wagner helmed “Universe Is Calling” and Robert Walter shined on “Happy Friends” from his Greyboy Allstars project.

There was also plenty of standouts from Mike’s solo albums including “Tilting,” “Mull,” “Guilty Pleasures,” “Crazy Sometimes” and “Tiny Little World.” The sextet threw a few covers into the mix, namely takes on Jon Cleary’s “Got To Be More Careful,” Bill Withers’ “Kissing My Love” and JJ Cale’s “Call Me The Breeze.” The evening’s lone Phish original, “Carini,” served as the encore complete with “Iron Man” and “Crazy Train” teases.

Watch fan-captured video from Mike Gordon’s dual-keys show in Washington D.C. below:

Setlists (via Phish.net)

Set One: Tilting, Mull, Universe is Calling > Happy Friends, Got To Be More Careful, Convince Me, Guilty Pleasures

Set Two: Crazy Sometimes, Kissing My Love, Exit Wound, Louisiana Lady, Call Me the Breeze, Tiny Little World

Encore: Carini

Carini contained Iron Man and Crazy Train teases.