Trey Anastasio Plays Final Show Of SPAC Run

Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio returned to Saratoga Springs Performing Arts Center (SPAC) on Sunday for the third and final show of his run at the Saratoga Springs, New York venue. While none of his Phish bandmates sat-in, Anastasio was once again joined by the Rescue Squad Strings and pianist Jeff Tanski.

The single-set show began with “Carini.” After the song was over, Trey recognized the lyrical tie-in to Father’s Day (“he went across the street and he called his dad”) and dedicated the song to the fathers in the crowd. “Stealing Time From The Faulty Plan,” with Trey looping his guitar, and “Free” followed the opener. Anastasio was then joined by Tanski, for the former’s first acoustic performance of “Reba” — delivered without the whistled ending.

Trey told a story about Jeff “saving his life” during the second half of the pandemic by joining him for four to five-hour jam sessions that resembled the “Reba.” Anastasio then turned to Father’s Day, mentioning his two daughters and stating that he wrote “Strange Design” just before becoming a dad for the first time. The string section — violinists Katie Kresek and Maxim Moston, violist Rachel Golub cellist and Anja Wood — came out while Trey talked, accompanying him and Tanski on “Strange Design” and the trailing “Drift While You’re Sleeping,” which was the first acoustic offering of the Ghosts Of The Forest song.

The guests left Trey alone for solo takes on “Ghost” and “Farmhouse.” Tanski was brought back for “Ghosts Of The Forest” and the Rescue Squad was back to join the pair on “Light.” Trey went solo again on “Bathtub Gin” that included audience participation and “NICU,” but brought Tanski back for “Dirt” and “Miss You.”

The strings reemerged as the full ensemble performed “Till We Meet Again,” an instrumental Anastasio wrote in January 2018 at the bedside of his childhood friend Chris Cottrell, whose subsequent death inspired the Ghosts Of The Forest project. A solo “Tube” preceded the guests coming back for “The Lizards” and “Slave to the Traffic Light.” Trey was again the only one on stage for “Possum.”

After responding to urging from a person in the front row to play what makes him happy, Trey said he intended to play a “little ditty that makes me happy.” With Tanski and the strings flanking him, Anastasio then counted off “You Enjoy Myself.” The performance of the Phish classic featured the strings and Trey syncing up on a jam on Herbie Hancock’s “Chameleon” and Trey modifying the typical “vocal jam” ending, standing up to sing while the audience clapped along.

The run at SPAC wrapped with an encore consisting of “A Life Beyond The Dream” and Trey’s first acoustic “Tweezer Reprise,” both of which were augmented by Tanski and the Rescue Squad Strings. Trey Anastasio returns to The Beacon Theatre in New York City for a two-night stand beginning tomorrow, Tuesday, June 22.

Watch audience-shot video footage from Sunday at SPAC below:

Setlist (via Phish.net)

Set: Carini[1], Stealing Time From the Faulty Plan[1], Free[1], Reba[2], Strange Design[3], Drift While You’re Sleeping[4], Ghost[1], Farmhouse[1], Ghosts of the Forest[5], Light[3], Bathtub Gin[1], NICU[1], Dirt[5], Miss You[5], Till We Meet Again[3], Tube[1], The Lizards[3], Slave to the Traffic Light[3], Possum[1], You Enjoy Myself[4]

Encore: A Life Beyond The Dream[3], Tweezer Reprise[4]

Notes:

• [1] Trey on acoustic guitar.
• [2] Trey on acoustic guitar; with Jeff Tanski on piano. First acoustic performance. No whistling.
• [3] Trey on acoustic guitar; with the Rescue Squad Strings and Jeff Tanski on piano.
• [4] Trey on acoustic guitar; with the Rescue Squad Strings and Jeff Tanski on piano. First acoustic performance.
• [5] Trey on acoustic guitar; with Jeff Tanski on piano.

This show featured Trey on acoustic guitar and the first acoustic performances of Reba, Drift While You’re Sleeping, You Enjoy Myself, and Tweezer Reprise. Strange Design, Drift While You’re Sleeping, Light, Till We Meet Again, The Lizards, Slave to the Traffic Light, You Enjoy Myself, A Life Beyond the Dream, and Tweezer Reprise featured the Rescue Squad Strings (Katie Kresek and Maxim Moston on violin, Rachel Golub on viola, and Anja Wood on cello) and Jeff Tanski on piano. Jeff also appeared on Reba, Ghosts of the Forest, Dirt, and Miss You. Reba did not contain the whistling ending. The Rescue Squad Strings and Trey teased Chameleon in YEM.