Trey Anastasio and Classic TAB

19 February 2010

Riviera Theatre

Chicago, Ill.

Trey Anastasio and Classic TAB came to Chicago’s Riviera Theatre on Friday February 19, 2010. The guitarist and lead singer of the jam band Phish has been touring with one of his many side projects in between Phish tours. A seemingly timid Anastasio walked on the stage grinning as he looked up to the crowd from behind his round glasses and shaggy red hair, as he waved to the crowd he flashed a smile that may not have left his face all night. All signs of timidness left as he slung his signature Paul Languedoc guitar around his neck and led the septet through the first few jams of a night of music lasting more than 3 hours. The seven members progressed through different songs by Trey while including a heavy dose of classic phish songs, many that began as TAB creations before being adopted by Phish.

Trey Anastasio 2010 eight one seven photography

Trey spent much of the evening orchestrating the band and the crowd. He used a number of hand signals, head nods or even just a smile to conduct the band and relied on his guitar to keep the audience moving. During Alive Again as he belted out the lyrics, “The time has come for you to be alive again!” and the sold out Riviera came alive. The audience screamed as they sang along, cheering and dancing in every corner of the theatre. At the end of the first set the other six members of the band left the stage and Trey treated the crowd to a four song acoustic set. It quickly turned in to a giant sing along as he played the Phish songs, Brian & Robert, Driver, Sample in a Jar and ending with the entire theatre screaming back and forth ‘Wilson’ as Trey played the song with the same name as their chant. (more…)