Trey Anastasio Plays Solo Acoustic Slow ‘Maze’ In Cincinnati

Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio brought his brief solo acoustic run to Cincinnati’s The Andrew J Brady Center on Sunday for a concert. Anastasio showed off the unplugged slow version of “Maze” during last night’s main set as a call back to Phish unveiling slow “Maze” in Noblesville earlier this month.

Trey delivered a singalong “Bathtub Gin” to open in Cincinnati. “Okay, we’re all warmed up now,” Anastasio told the crowd. “That was your warmup song. Get your voice warmed up.” The guitarist went on to thank the audience and warned he never knows exactly what he’ll play as a lead-in to “Water In The Sky.”

Anastasio’s performance last night came on Father’s Day and he made multiple references to the occasion. Trey noted his guitar tech, Justin Stabler, has a nine-month-old child and wished him a happy first father’s day. “I was telling Justin this morning, the way they just gaze at you at nine months old and love you unconditionally every single second, it just stays like that the whole time,” the guitarist joked after “The Inlaw Josie Wales” and added, “When she’s 14 … 15 … it’ll be the same thing.”

Trey followed the instrumental with the ballad “Joy” and then connected “Turtle In The Clouds” and “Free.” Later in the lone set, Anastasio performed “Possum” and noted the song was written by “my old buddy and roommate from 18 years old, Jeff Holdsworth.” Trey sent his love to Jeff “wherever you are” and then returned to the Father’s Day theme by explaining he penned “Strange Design” at 2 a.m. on his bedroom floor while his wife, Sue, was nine months pregnant just before his daughter was born. “It was really about riding that razor’s edge, like ‘oh my god, in a couple of days I’m going to become a parent,” Trey said before performing the song.

Extended versions of “Prince Caspian” and “Twist” followed before the guitarist played “Back On The Train.” Anastasio then recalled working on the soundtrack for the Hands On A Hardbody musical and the process that led to its debut on Broadway. He spoke about crying with the cast and the rest of the musical’s team when the musical closed. “In the middle of that moment, I had this profound experience,” Trey explained. “I’m standing in a theater. My play is closing, it bombed and there was some philosophy lesson in that. I thought ‘this is the greatest thing that ever happened, complete failure!’ Or something like that. It was sort of the best part of the whole thing,” Anastasio told the crowd. Trey went on to play “My Problem Right There” from Hands On A Hardbody.

After “My Problem Right There,” Anastasio said he wanted to change the pace and while he’s still working on fast “Lawn Boy,” he’d play a slow “Maze.” The version wasn’t too different from the solo acoustic version debuted on March 11, 2017 yet was a bit slower. Trey went on to finish the set with one Phish classic after another including “Waste,” “Backwards Down The Number Line” and a “Chalk Dust Torture” featuring a portion of “Harry Hood” within.

Trey kicked off his five-song encore in Cincinnati with “Miss You.” Anastasio then treated fans to “Driver” and a rare “Sunset Days” before capping the evening with “Sleeping Monkey” and “Say It To Me S.A.N.T.O.S.”

Watch fan-shot video from last night’s concert below:

Setlist (via Phish.net)

Set: Bathtub Gin [1], Water in the Sky[1], Sigma Oasis[1], The Inlaw Josie Wales[1], Joy[1], Turtle in the Clouds[1], Free[1], If I Could[1], Snowflakes in the Sand[1], Possum[1], Strange Design[1] > Prince Caspian[1] > Twist[1], Back on the Train[1], My Problem Right There[1], Maze[1], Waste[1], Backwards Down the Number Line[1] > Wilson[1] > Chalk Dust Torture[1] -> Harry Hood[1] > Chalk Dust Torture[1]

Encore: Miss You[1], Driver[1], Sunset Days[1], Sleeping Monkey[1] > Say It To Me S.A.N.T.O.S.[1]

[1] Trey solo acoustic.