Trey Anastasio with the National Symphony Orchestra
Kennedy Center Concert Hall
Washington, D.C.
May 22

It was an evening of class and elegance. Fans of all ages came together as Trey Anastasio graced the Kennedy Center with the National Symphony Orchestra for his 2013 debut orchestral performance.

Upon entering the grand foyer of the building the scent of expensive perfume and the subtle sounds of banter and laughter were carried through the air. It was evident that people not only were excited in good spirits, but also that most fans took the time to really dress up and enjoy the festivities with grace. It just goes to show that even hippies can clean up well.

The Kennedy Center naturally has pristine acoustics and it wasn’t until entering the concert hall did it really hit me when the NSO did their final tuning. This silenced the crowd just before Anastasio casually walked out on stage, which ignited an eruption of applause from the house. He picked up one of his beloved Languedoc guitars (not the “Ocedoc” ) before gently playing the opening notes of “First Tube.” The symphony was in full swing adding beautiful music to wrap around the composition we all know so well.

Anastasio then dipped into some of his material from his most recent studio effort, Traveler, when he played “Frost” for the first time with a symphony. Already being one track that stands out from his most recent live shows with the Trey Anastasio Band, it was refreshing to see him consider this number for a symphony show. This particular version was very well executed leaving the crowd on the edge of their seats.

“Divided Sky” surfaced next and while this song has been frequent in past symphony set lists, it never goes stale and the endowed strings section held this particular version high to musical peaks. “Let Me Lie > Goodbye Head” bounced quite well off one another, keeping the soft ballad theme consistent. Anastasio went on to tell the crowd the story of how he wrote “Goodbye Head” with his daughter (Eliza) when she was nine years old.

The music shifted gears when Anastasio picked up his beloved acoustic Martin guitar and went into the opening notes of “My Friend, My Friend” > “Guyute” > “My Friend, My Friend.” Anastasio switched back to his electric Languedoc guitar for the “Guyute” portion of this musical sandwich. Hitting the same musical peaks one can expect to hear at a Phish show.

Things took a strange turn when a fan walked up to the stage trying to get Trey’s attention to either look at something on her cell phone or get a picture with the guitar guru. The staff was trying to calmly ask her to report back to her seat when she tried to climb up on stage. Anastasio handled the situation like a true professional asking the crowd to give her a round of applause because she had “a lot of enthusiasm.” Big Red went on to say that the group still had two more songs left and he would dedicate the next song to her if she would please take her seat. The renegade fan did return back to her seat right before Anastasio and company went into “Water in the Sky,” a truly beautiful song that fits perfectly with a symphony backing Trey’s tender lyrics. “Stash” closed out the first set leaving the intimate room more than satisfied. The crowd of course kept the theme of synchronized clapping alive during the appropriate times.

After a quick intermission Anastasio returned and opened up the second set with “Time Turns Elastic,” a song that received mixed reviews among the Phish community when it made its debut in 2009. However, this song sheds a different light in this context. The highly composed tune (clocking in at over 13 minutes in the studio) was written for a symphony performance. It was very nice to see this number be delivered with such passion in the setting where it was supposed to be heard.

Anastasio went on to explain to the crowd that all of the songs previously played, with the exception of “Goodbye Head,” were written with long time friend and lyricist Tom Marshall (who was in attendance) in the Farmhouse, in Vermont. Anastasio dedicated “Brian and Robert” to Marshall explaining that it was one of his favorites from those sessions.

Anastasio closed out the second set with a stunning version of “You Enjoy Myself.” The orchestra really flexed their range on this number as the percussionists incorporated maracas, a cowbell and the horn section provided rich authoritative fills timed perfectly. It was truly nothing short of magical. During the “vocal jam” portion of this song, Anastasio walked up to the skirt of the stage and sang a melody sans microphone. It was amazing to see the symphony backing his a cappella vocals.

Before the encore, Anastasio recognized Don Hart on stage as the mastermind behind the symphony projects. Anastasio also paid homage to the symphony and thanked them several times before taking a seat on stage with his acoustic guitar and playing a gentle version of “The Inlaw Josie Wales” to close out a wonderful night.