As hordes of fans filtered through the ornate lobby of Washington D.C’s historic Warner Theatre on April 4th, the sense of anticipation in the air was palpable. After all, it’s not every day that they get to experience Trey Anastasio, the beloved Phish frontman usually relegated to performing in cavernous arenas and amphitheaters at an intimate 100-year-old theater.
As has been the case throughout Anastasio’s month-long acoustic run of theatres and concert halls, the guitarist sauntered onto the stage shortly after 8 pm armed only with a pair of acoustic guitars and an elementary school chair and immediately set the tone with a raw and emotive performance of “More” from Phish’s 2016 LP, Big Boat.
A tender rendition of “Lost in the Pack” preceded the first of several wildly entertaining stories from Anastasio, with this one covering his affinity for some now defunct D.C-area venues Phish used to frequent (The Bayou & The Roxy) as well as a hilarious anecdote about his dog Marley devouring an entire ten-pound deli tray backstage while the band was performing.
An upbeat take on a newer Anastasio composition, “What’s Going Through Your Mind”, one that was inspired by an online request from an 8-year-old fan, preceded poignant versions of Phish classics “Theme From the Bottom” as well as a goosebump-inducing take on “Brian & Robert”.
“Oblivion” saw the first of several surreal instances of the crowd supplying background vocals, as well as Trey’s masterful work with a looper pedal, which allowed him to stretch out the closing instrumental jam for several minutes. Another chorus of crowd-supplied vocals bolstered a raucous “Limb by Limb” before Anastasio slowed things down for one of the evening’s many highlights, a haunting version of the relatively rare ballad “Mountains in the Mist”, which the audience greeted with pin-drop silence.
More impressive guitar looping was found in “Evolve” and “Blaze On” before the guitarist led the audience in a full-throated sing-along of the Phish staple “Sample in a Jar.” A tear-jerking rendition of “Strange Design”, with Anastasio doing a fine job of recreating Phish keyboardist Page McConnell’s typically angelic vocals, gave way to the Evolve track “Monsters” before settling on the second request of the evening from Trey’s newest pre-adolescent fan, the solo debut of “Walls of the Cave.”
The remainder of the solo portion of the set was rounded out with a bevy of some of Phish’s most well-known material, including “Waste,” “Possum” and “Wilson”, the latter of which featured a room-shaking “WILSON!” chant from the audience, as well as another rarity, “Snowflakes in the Sand.”
Following a similar format as he has throughout this tour, Anastasio brought out his Broadway-informed musical cohort, pianist Jeff Tanski to round out the remainder of the set with some well-placed keyboard accompaniment. After another entertaining story about confusing Old Yeller for Lassie, Anastasio & Tanski immediately became locked in and delivered memorable versions of “Pebbles and Marbles,” “Petrichor,” and “In Long Lines,” with the two musicians displaying tremendous interplay and a profound sense of musical patience.
The set wrapped up on a triumphant note with a trio of bona fide Phish classics: “Bouncing Around the Room,” “Split Open and Melt,” and a breathtaking “Harry Hood.” The latter featured a beautifully crafted instrumental segment that closed things out. Not to be outdone, the pair returned to the stage for a relatively brief encore appearance of two more fan favorites, “The Squirming Coil” and “You Enjoy Myself”.
The tireless musician wraps up the remainder of his solo acoustic run this weekend with a pair of shows in Red Bank, NJ before returning to the road less than two weeks later for a brief ten-date Spring tour along the West Coast.
Trey Anastasio – 4/4/25 – The Warner Theatre – Washington, D.C.
More, Lost in the Pack, What’s Going Through Your Mind, Theme From The Bottom, Brian & Robert, Oblivion, Limb by Limb, Mountains in the Mist, Evolve, Blaze On, Sample in a Jar, Strange Design, Monsters, Walls of the Cave, Snowflakes in the Sand, Waste, Possum, Wilson, Pebbles & Marbles*, Petrichor*, In Long Lines*, Bouncing Around the Room*, Spilt Open and Melt*, Harry Hood*
E: The Squirming Coil*, You Enjoy Myself*
* – with Jeff Tanski on piano
