Trey Anastasio Unveils New Songs, Dusts Off Phish Favorites in Brooklyn

Sure, Trey Anastasio unveiled a couple of new songs and dusted off a couple of old Phish favorites ("Gotta Jiboo," "Sand" and "Bug") at last night's comeback show with his Trey Anastasio Band at the tiny Williamsburg Music Hall in Brooklyn, New York. But the highlight of his show came during the mellowest point of the night. During the breezy ballad "Drifting," Anastasio crooned, "I've been drifting for years at sea/ But now you've come along to rescue me." Never has that sentiment rang truer: after getting arrested for drug possession in upstate New York in 2006 and subsequently entering court-ordered rehab, Anastasio looked happy and healthy last night as he delivered a lively two-and-a-half hour set to hundreds of adoring fans (including one dude who sported a hockey jersey emblazoned with Anastasio's name on the back).

Anastasio's fret-playing skills have also seemed to improve as a result of his time off: "Drifting" featured a watery, almost-lyrical guitar solo. Later, Anastasio unleashed the killer new cut, "Valentine." Powered by a Beatles-esque bassline from "Come Together," Anastasio let loose with drone-y, slow-dripping funk licks, which he shaded with masterfully controlled feedback. Predictably, the venue was packed to capacity — and there were ticketless fans who hung outside during the show — so most people had a tough time getting a clear sightline. Still, Anastasio came armed with a nice lighting rig to entertain anyone stuck in the back. As one woman cried while showing off her hippie-shake dance moves, "You can see the lights!"

Set List:
"Alaska"
"Gotta Jibboo"
"Peggy"
"Sweet Dreams Melinda"
"Sand"
"Cayman Review"
"Gone"
"Windora Bug"
"Night Speaks To A Woman"
"Tuesday"
"Drifting"
"Backwards Down The Number Line"
"Spin"
"Valentine"
"Greyhound Rising"
"The Way I Feel"
"Mr. Completely"
"Light"
"First Tube"

Encore:
"Heavy Things"
"Bug"

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Song Stories

“Smells Like Teen Spirit”

Nirvana | 1991

"Smells Like Teen Spirit," named after a brand of deodorant marketed to girls, was Kurt Cobain's attempt to "write the ultimate pop song," he said, using the soft-loud dynamic of his favorite band, the Pixies. Cobain "had that dichotomy of punk rage and alienation," the song’s producer, Butch Vig, told Rolling Stone, "but also this vulnerable pop sensibility. In 'Teen Spirit,' a lot of that vulnerability is in the tone of his voice." Sadly, by the time of Nirvana's last U.S. tour, in late '93, Cobain was tortured by the obligation to play "Teen Spirit" every night. "There are many other songs that I have written that are as good, if not better," he claimed.

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