Trey Anastasio, Roseland Ballroom February 23, 2001 - Musictoday.com by Ian D'Giff As the Roseland Ballroom house lights faded to black, Trey Anastasio emerged from the darkness to the maddening roar of a sell-out crowd. Bathed in a purple haze and flanked by a three-piece horn section, drummer, and bass player, Anastasio grabbed his electric guitar and gave his fans a knowing wave. With a wink and nod, he quickly led his band into the global rhythms of "Mozambique," causing one concertgoer to let loose with a jubilant, "finally!" After the show's start was delayed by nearly an hour, one could have easily mistaken the shout for one of disgusted relief, yet the shouter's freely flowing tears told another story. Nearly six months into his main band's open-ended hiatus, Anastasio's solo gigs will likely be the closest thing to a Phish show in 2001 and his legions of devotees know it. Throughout the evening's two sets of intense jamming, the bearded guitarist wove a brilliant tapestry of original compositions, popular cover tunes, and favorites from the Phish songbook. Despite looking thin and ragged, dressed in baggy jeans and a long-sleeved blue shirt, Anastasio's playing was robust, focused, and complex. The first set was marked by some incredible contributions from the horn section (saxophonist Dave Grippo, trombonist Andy Moroz, and trumpeter Jennifer Hartswick), particularly during "Gotta Jiboo," a song from Phish's most recent album, Farmhouse. Thanks to the impeccable time-keeping of drummer Russ Lawton and bassist Tony Markellis, Anastasio shifted effortlessly between backwoods rhythm and groove, dirty funk, and space-aged jams. As the first set came to a close, the band left the stage to let Anastasio render an impressive solo version of "Back on the Train." The evening's grandest moments, though, all emerged during the 90-plus-minute second set, which yielded many surprises and one very welcomed guest. About midway through the set, Anastasio thrilled many in attendance by launching into a version of Bob Dylan's "Rainy Day Women # 12 & 35." Even the security staff joined in to sing the uproarious chorus: "Everybody must get stoned." A cover of the Five Stairsteps' "Ooh Child" followed. It included the most stunning guitar solo of the evening, which left countless mouths agape. After a brief silence, the crowd erupted once more. Phish keyboardist Page McConnell suddenly appeared on stage to add his funky textures to "First Tube"—a recent Grammy Award nominee for "Best Rock Instrumental"—capping off the second set. Five minutes later, the band, plus McConnell, all reemerged to turn in a two-song encore that featured the infectiously funky "Noodle Rave Daddio" and a cover of Billy Preston's "Will It Go Round In Circles." Though Phish's return to the stage remains a mystery, Phanatics and jam-heads still have Anastasio's shows and upcoming studio work to relish. Immediately after his tour, Anastasio will enter the studio with Primus bassist Les Claypool and ex-Police drummer Stewart Copeland to begin work on the first Oysterhead album.