3 find world's their oyster October 26, 2001 - The Denver Post By G. Brown In the months since Phish went on indefinite hiatus, guitarist Trey Anastasio hasn't wasted any time - he's mounted his own new projects, writing everything from tunes for his touring band to orchestral scores. Most interesting is Oysterhead, a trio featuring Anastasio, bassist Les Claypool (on leave from Primus) and drummer Stewart Copeland (formerly of the Police). 'The two other guys have similar lives, to a degree,' Anastasio told The Post recently. 'That's the glue that holds us together, this interest in taking music as far as it can go I always thought music was enormous, and I want to have as many opportunities as possible to play with different people and try new stuff. That's the whole thrill. 'It's curiosity, if nothing else. I sit around reading books about music. It's a quest to get to music that resonates. Part of that is challenging yourself and finding out who you really are.' Oysterhead formed in April, when Claypool was invited to put together a band for the Superjam series in New Orleans. He knew Anastasio from sitting in with Phish on occasion. For their dream drummer, Anastasio suggested Copeland, who had produced a track on Primus' 'Antipop' album. The three musicians convened, wrote seven songs in three days, then played a one-off show in a 3,000-seat Crescent City theater. But the vibe was too strong - Oysterhead has evolved into a full-fledged band and hit the road on a 20-date tour, including a visit to the Fillmore Auditorium on Tuesday and Wednesday. Both shows are sold out. The outing comes on the heels of the release of 'The Grand Pecking Order,' an album of original material recorded in Anastasio's Vermont studio, the Barn. There were a few conflicts at first, since all three members were used to running things their own way. But the songs sound remarkably fresh, melding their talents and checking the all-star excesses. And it's not as jammy as Phish. 'For years, I wanted to write a lot of new music that was up to date, what I was feeling. It became harder and harder to do in the context of Phish, for a lot of reasons, none of which had to do with the other three guys. All of us needed to break the cycle for a minute,' Anastasio said. 'This was a fun album to make because we had no idea what we were going to do. From the first day, we just came in, set up the gear and started making sounds. We knew we had exactly a month, so it became an expression of the three of us at that time.' On tour, Anastasio is still experiencing the thrill of collaboration. 'I'm playing with these two people that I respect so much, and they're pushing me in different ways. And I have to answer to that musically like I haven't in years. It's exciting - there's this sense of discovery every night. 'I've been lucky enough to have had these experiences - and plenty of them in Colorado - of being onstage and having this connection happen with the band and the audience. It's a powerful feeling, so going around trying to have it again becomes an obsession. Risk is a big part of it - that's something we talked about a lot in Phish. It's not unlike falling in love. It's chemistry. It's there or it's not.' Anastasio knows that Phish fans will represent for Oysterhead's shows. What lies ahead? 'I have a solo album that's virtually done - it's going to come out in the spring. And then there's really nothing planned, and it could go in any direction at that point. I'm talking to the guys in Phish every couple of days. Jon (Fishman) is on tour (and will perform Saturday at the Gothic and Sunday at the Aggie in Fort Collins with Jazz Mandolin Project). Mike (Gordon) is making a movie, and Page (McConnell) is doing his own album. We're seeing how we all feel. Everybody's doing really well.' Oysterhead with Drums & Tuba: 7 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, Fillmore Auditorium, sold out, Ticketmaster