Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio began a three-night stand at Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Saratoga Springs, New York on Friday by playing his first in-person concert since Phish’s destination event in Mexico in February 2020.
Anastasio played acoustic guitar throughout the evening.
Tanski and the Rescue Squad Strings then came out for “Stash,” marking Trey’s first acoustic offering of the Phish favorite.
The guests stuck around for “Water in the Sky” but left before the Lonely Trip track “Lost In The Pack.” After mentioning that the song was written while quarantining during the COVID-19 pandemic, Anastasio asked “is this really happening right now?” and explained he was a “plague veteran” having survived the black plague that passed through Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Colorado a few years ago.
Tanski reemerged to accompany Trey on the guitarist’s first acoustic performance of “Split Open And Melt.” Anastasio recently shared the original sheet music he wrote for the Phish classic, which Tanski played from on the first episode of Osiris Media’s new limited series podcast Alive Again.
The Rescue Squad Strings then joined the pair to close out the set with “Joy” and “Harry Hood.” Trey was solo for the start of the encore that began with “More.” The show and finale ended with Trey’s first acoustic performance of “First Tube.” Tanski and the strings were on stage for “First Tube,” which was introduced by Trey “with deepest love” likely in reference to Trey Anastasio Band bassist Tony Markellis, who died in April at age 69 and co-wrote “First Tube,” along with several other songs with Anastasio.
Everything’s Right was started and stopped with Trey getting up and acting like he was going to walk off stage before sitting down and playing the song in full.