Phil Lesh & Friends Welcomes Trey Anastasio On This Date In 2007

Phil Lesh & Friends rolled into Glens Falls, New York to play a concert at Glens Falls Civic Center on October 20, 2007. The night was particularly noteworthy for the inclusion of Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio during the show held at the same site his band famously covered The Beatles The White Album in 1994. Here’s a look back at the evening when Anastasio fully returned to the stage after an extended absence following his arrest the year before and head here for our original coverage of the show.

At the time Anastasio was living in nearby Saratoga Springs after being arrested for drug possession and driving while under the influence in December 2006. Prior to the October 20, 2007 Phil & Friends show Trey had stayed away from the live stage outside of a one-song sit-in with Dave Matthews Band at Saratoga Performing Arts Center on August 14, 2007 and two TAB performances in Florida. Anastasio’s guest spot with the Grateful Dead bassist, guitarists Jackie Greene and Larry Campbell, drummer John Molo and keyboardist Steve Molitz was a much more extensive collaboration, as the guitarist sat-in with the ensemble for the duration of the two set performance.

Phil Lesh had been named the honorary mayor of Glens Falls and unofficially pardoned Trey. The first set opened with “Alabama Getaway” and the rest of the first half’s song selection continued often with sly references to Anastasio’s recent legal woes. Lesh’s “Pride Of Cucamonga” and it’s “done some time” lyrics followed, with “Friend of the Devil” coming in next with noteworthy verses such as, “second one is prison baby, the sheriff’s on my trail, and if he catches up with me, I’ll spend my life in jail.” The ensemble had their “$20 ready when the policeman comes” in the subsequent “Deep Elem Blues” and “Deal” provided a look at the costs of losing. After “Bird Song,” Anastasio drew an eruption from the audience as he sang the “test me, test me, why don’t you arrest me?” lyric in the set closing take on “Bertha.”

Set two began with the P&F debut of Anastasio’s solo cut “Shine” with the help of vocalist Christina Durfee. She returned later in the set to help out on the group’s debut of Trey’s song “Plasma” which came after a sequence that wove back-and-forth between “Viola Lee Blues” and “Cumberland Blues.” Lesh’s “Unbroken Chain,” a version of “Dark Star” featuring an Anastasio-sung “Wharf Rat” within, and “Help On The Way” > “Slipknot!” > “Franklin’s Tower” rounded out the second set. The redemptive “Box Of Rain” filled the encore slot that evening nine years ago today, stream audio of the show taped by Muletaper below:

Videos

Setlist (via Philzone)

Set One: Alabama Getaway, Pride of Cucamonga, Friend of the Devil, Deep Elem Blues, Deal, Bird Song, Bertha

Set Two: *@Shine, Viola Lee Blues> Cumberland Blues> Viola Lee Blues> Cumberland Blues> Viola Lee Blues, @Plasma, Unbroken Chain, Dark Star> Wharf Rat> Dark Star> Help on the Way> Slipknot!> Franklin’s Tower

Encore: Donor Rap / Intros, Box Of Rain

• Entire show with With Trey Anastasio
• * 1st time played
• @ With Christina Durfee

[Originally Published: October 20, 2016]