Photography by Brad Hodge
The resurgence of Trey
Anastasio has many of the dedicated fans of his music and former band,
Phish, excited. After a bout of personal issues that kept him away from
performing, the guitar virtuoso resurfaced this past July with his first
official performance at the inaugural Rothbury Festival. Despite a high demand
for his  presence, Anastasio has chosen to slowly resurface in a seemingly
healthy manner. Revisiting the groundbreaking experience he debuted at 2004’s Bonnaroo
Music Festival, Anastasio recruited his friends Orchestra Nashville for a special birthday performance (he turns 43
on Sept. 30) and a night of firsts, as the Ryman Auditorium became home to the
world premiere of his “Time Turns Elastic.”
Acknowledged by Orchestra Nashville musical director Paul Gambill as the most diverse
audience in the orchestra’s history, the crowd ranged from seasoned orchestra
supporters to the dirtiest of “pigpen lot kids.” Yet everyone got along just
fine, putting forth their best efforts to behave, minus the occasional “We love
you, Trey” outburst. The night began with the orchestra performing composer J.
Mark Scearce’s movement “XL,” after which Anastasio joined in for Phish’s
“Divided Sky.” This may have marked the first time there has been a sing-along
at an orchestra show.
Composer Don Hart’s
“Concertino” was the next piece performed, with Italian mandolin player Carlo Aonzo and mutli-instrumentalist Matt Flinner (who also plays banjo in
Leftover Salmon) on traditional mandolin joining Anastasio and the orchestra. As
Anastasio, Flinner and Aonzo took turns offering the varying sounds of strings
alongside the orchestra, the crowd showed its first signs of restlessness. The
beautiful and moving arrangement slowed and those who came just to see Trey had
to look hard to find him seated at the back of the stage. A few movements
later, intermission moved the party outside, where another first may have
occurred: an orchestra performance accompanied by nitrous vending.
The second half of the night was devoted to the premiere of
“Time Turns Elastic.” Hart orchestrated the Anastasio-penned music, and the
performance seemed flawless. Part one (“Magnets and Revolutions,” “Ruby Shaded
Sea”) found Anastasio out
in front of the orchestra, confident and joyous, many times gushing with a
childlike smile and blush. The second movement included vocals and thus seemed
more accessible to the majority of the audience. Like much of Phish’s lyrics,
things are left to the imagination in this new body of work. Beautiful
arrangements accompanied lyrics such as:
“These silver sounds are raining down on me
Here on the wheel, the rhythm turning all around
Up above the darkened sky is bleeding
I feel the world turning upside down.”
And
“These are the reasons that we lay on the ground
Drawn through a funnel, all the colors run together
Turning brown.”
The evening was altogether an impressive showing. Anastasio
seemed both healthy and happy, his musical vision sharp and more diverse than
many may have thought. It was also a great exercise in socializing: People from
distinct walks of life came together in music and sang, as one, “Happy
Birthday” to Trey.
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