Relive Trey Anastasio & Billy Strings’ Collaborations As Phish Returns To Grand Rapids

Tonight, Phish continues summer tour with their first performance in Grand Rapids, Michigan since 1998. The band made their debut in the city on August 11, 1993 at the Eastbrook Theatre, moved up to DeVos Hall the following year and played the much larger Van Andel Arena on November 11, 1996 and November 11, 1998 before returning over 25 years later for a two-night stand that begins this evening.

Grand Rapids played a pivotal role in Billy Strings‘ musical and personal journey. The city is located less than an hour’s drive from the small town of Muir, where the artist born William Apostol grew up. Strings spent several years living in Grand Rapids after starting his career but before reaching superstardom and performed regularly at various venues and events in the city and the surrounding area.

Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio has become good friends with and a mentor of sorts to Billy Strings in recent years. Apostol invited Anastasio to attend and perform at his wedding last fall.

In honor of Phish kicking off a two-night stand at Grand Rapids’ Van Andel Arena, let’s look back at Trey Anastasio’s musical collaborations with Billy Strings:

Trey Anastasio Joins Billy Strings In New York City

Billy Strings brought his band to Trey Anastasio’s current hometown of New York City on June 29, 2022 for a concert at The Rooftop at Pier 17. Anastasio joined Strings for the final six songs of the night. Trey played a mix of Phish songs, choice covers and a Strings original with Billy.

The pair’s first collaboration saw Billy share a touching tribute to Trey with the crowd. “Your music has done a lot for a lot of people, and we love and appreciate you,” Strings said of Anastasio.

Watch high-quality, fan-shot video of Trey Anastasio’s guest appearance with Billy Strings below:

---

Trey Anastasio Band, Goose & Billy Strings Torch Fairfax

Billy Strings returned the favor less than five months later when Anastasio and the Trey Anastasio Band played a co-headlining show with Goose at EagleBank Arena in Fairfax, Virginia on November 17, 2022. Strings was between stops on his own tour when he sat-in with TAB in Fairfax.

The Trey Anastasio Band welcomed Billy for the final three songs of their set. Strings stuck around to add to the evening’s four-song encore. Billy Strings emerged late in the frame to lead TAB through his own “Meet Me At The Creek.” He then let it rip and provided backing vocals on Phish classics “Possum,” “The Moma Dance” and “Gotta Jibboo” to close the set. The last two also featured Rick Mitarotonda and Peter Anspach of Goose.

Billy Strings and Trey Anastasio returned for the encore on acoustics to duet on “Love & Regret” and “Water In The Sky.” The rest of TAB, Anspach and Mitarotonda also contributed to the ensuing “Back On The Train.” The rest of Goose joined the fray for the show-closing “Carini.”

See Billy Strings join TAB in Fairfax, Virginia via a mix of official and fan-captured footage:

---

Billy Strings Jams At Wedding With Trey Anastasio, Les Claypool, Bob Weir & More

Billy Strings married his longtime partner Ally Dale on September 9, 2023 at Coyote Crossing Resort in Cadillac, Michigan. Strings and Dale asked Anastasio to attend and Trey accepted. The Phish guitarist also sat-in during the reception as part of a jaw-dropping all-star band.

Trey Anastasio and an ensemble that included Grateful Dead guitarist Bob Weir, Primus bassist Les Claypool and Leftover Salmon drummer Alwyn Robinson serended the couple with a cover of Bob Dylan‘s “When I Paint My Masterpiece.” Anastasio played a Fender Stratocaster after he turned his prized Languedoc over to Strings for a Weir-led take on “Wille And The Hand Jive.”

Check out clips from Strings’ wedding below:

---

Billy Strings wrapped the first portion of his summer tour this past weekend. Strings is currently off the road until he makes his debut at The Gorge in Washington state on Saturday, August 10 as part of Willie Nelson‘s Outlaw Music Festival tour.

Phish’s shows in Grand Rapids come after the band closed a three-night stand in Noblesville, Indiana on Sunday. Watch Phish return to Grand Rapids via LivePhish.com livestreams.