Trey Anastasio Honors James Casey With ‘Touch’ing Tribute & Unearths Acoustic Rarities In Rochester

Trey Anastasio continued his most extensive solo acoustic tour yet last night in Rochester. The Phish guitarist started the concert at Eastman Theatre’s Kodak Hall on the campus of the Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester with a public premiere dedicated to his late TAB bandmate James Casey and fit an acoustic debut and breakouts into the setlist.

Anastasio opened with “Just A Touch,” a song he first sang with James Casey, Jennifer Hartswick and Natalie Cressman to kick off his final Beacon Jams concert in 2020 and hadn’t played since. The guitarist dedicated the second-ever performance of the tune he co-wrote with Phish lyricist Tom Marshall to Casey, who tragically died in 2023 of colon cancer.

Trey moved forward with “NICU” to begin a run of career-spanning Phish originals. Anastasio spoke about his history of past performances in the region, including Phish’s Rochester debut at Douglass Dining Center in 1991. It was “one of my favorite gigs,” Trey explained. “People were walking by with their trays of food. Like ‘who the hell are those guys? What’s that guy in the dress over there? I’m trying to eat my pudding or jello. Put some clothes on you hairy drummer.'”

He also discussed Phish’s summer 1992 performance with Santana at the nearby Finger Lakes Performing Arts Cetner. Anastasio said he’d forever be thankful to Carlos Santana for his kindness. Trey recalled Carlos inviting him up to jam multiple times that summer and how Phish drummer Jon Fishman asked Santana if he could play vacuum cleaner during his set. Carlos said yes but wound up regretting it as Anastasio remembered, telling the crowd last night:

“I was standing next to Carlos in the back and for a second he was accepting this. Then, I watched his face go from [makes sullen face] to complete horror. And then from horror it shifted into anger and from anger to livid like ‘get this jerk off my stage.’ Then, he’s sitting on the drum riser with his arms crossed and Fish just keeps going [makes vacuum sounds]. That happened right near here. We did put it in a song but I’m not going to play it because I don’t know how to play it. That’s why I love Jon Fishman so much, by the way. ‘Fish played the vacuum and ruined your set.’ That’s from ‘Walfredo.'”

Later in the set, Anastasio took a request from a fan for “It’s Ice.” He brought out keyboardist Jeff Tanski for his first acoustic performance of the Phish classic since 2011. Tanski stuck around to accompany Trey on “Bug,” also played by request, along with “Frost,” the acoustic debut of “Flying Blind,” “What’s The Use?” and the set-closing “Drift While You’re Sleeping.” Anastasio premiered “Flying Blind” during his June 2023 Trey Anastasio Trio run with Fishman and bassist Dezron Douglas and hadn’t played the song since.

Trey Anastasio went alone on “Mercy” to get his encore underway. The guitarist then dusted off “Never” for the first time in over a decade. Anastasio performed the original arrangement of the song on Wednesday, which was last played on November 8, 2005. After rolling through solo versions of “Sleep” and “All Of These Dreams,” Tanski returned for “You Enjoy Myself” and “Wilson” to end the night.

Watch audience-captured video of Trey Anastasio’s full acoustic show in Rochester below:

Anastasio resumes his solo acoustic tour on Friday night in Columbus. The trek continues through early April. Phish kicks off their spring tour on April 18 in Seattle. Scroll below for all dates.

Setlist (via Phish.net)

Set: Just A Touch [1], NICU [2], Evening Song[2], Brian and Robert[2], Back on the Train[2], Farmhouse[2], I Never Needed You Like This Before[2], Backwards Down the Number Line[2], Wolfman’s Brother[2], Winterqueen[2], Evolve[2], Gumbo[2], AC/DC Bag[2] > Chalk Dust Torture[2], Limb By Limb[2], It’s Ice [3], Bug[3], Frost[3], Flying Blind [4], Happy Birthday to You[2], What’s the Use?[3], Drift While You’re Sleeping[3]

Encore: Mercy[2], Never[2], Sleep[2], All of These Dreams[2], You Enjoy Myself[3], Wilson[3]

• [1] Trey solo acoustic; first public and first acoustic Trey performance.
• [2] Trey solo acoustic.
• [3] Trey acoustic and Jeff Tanksi on piano.
• [4] Trey acoustic and Jeff Tanksi on piano; first acoustic Trey performance.

This entire show was performed by Trey solo acoustic except for What’s the Use?, Drift While You’re Sleeping, You Enjoy Myself, and Wilson (all of which featured Jeff Tanski on piano). This show marked the first public and first acoustic Trey performance of Just A Touch (which Trey dedicated to James Casey) and the first Trey acoustic performance of Flying Blind. Wafredo was quoted before Farmhouse. Never was performed for the first time since December 7, 2014 and in its original arrangement (and as an acoustic song) for the first time since November 8, 2005.