A Trey full of surprises at Lehigh November 6, 2002 - Times Leader by Gareth Peard Trey Anastasio recently completed a nine-date tour spanning the East Coast with the same troupe that accompanied him on the previous Spring 2002 tour. Those who had a chance to check it out may have witnessed the last time this specific gang of musicians performed together. Substantially, this tour marked the first time the band appeared in Maine, Kentucky and Florida. Anastasio's cast of supporters consists of a slew of proficient artists who have previously recorded or performed with the likes of Sting, Herbie Hancock, Medeski Martin & Wood, Hieroglyphics Ensemble and the eccentric quartet dubbed Phish. At last Saturday's show at Lehigh University"s Stabler Arena, the band exhibited a looseness that has been more common in recent performances. The band appeared more comfortable with each other than on their previous tour. The show was mostly slotted with songs off of the April release "Trey Anastasio," his first studio album with the band, as well as some newbies rehearsed for the tour and one or two more obscure Anastasio tunes. Opening up with "Last Tube," one of the more embraced numbers from the April release, the band set right into an intensity which would eventually become the theme of this and many other Trey shows. "Ether Sunday" was second, also following "Tube" on the album. "Night Speaks To A Woman" included the first heavy improvisation of the night. Anastasio locked eyes early on with trumpeter Jen Hartswick as they combined for a radiant chorus harmony. A technical problem with Anastasio's guitar led him to conduct and direct the horn section while bopping and dancing in place. The guitar soon returned and brought with it a lengthy jam of profound intensity. The band shied away from the album for the next four songs, beginning with the reggae-like instrumental "Noodle Rave Daddio" that has been present in Anastasio's concert repertoire since his tours in 2001. Having not been played since it was used sparingly in the spring tour, "Sweet Dreams Melinda" was reborn at this show. The hefty bass and jazz progression of "Forro For All" followed, a new song written by Brazilian percussionist Cyro Baptista. It concluded with a shrilling solo by Baptista that served as a transition into an even more rapid paced jam known as "At the Barbeque," which appeared on AnastasioÕs 1998 album "One Man's Trash." The first set ended with "Alive Again," the anecdotal opening song of "Trey Anastasio." Bassist Tony Markellis opted for a thumping stand-up bass to open the second set with a another new tune titled "Curluse Call." With a pseudo-Latin repetitive chorus, this song eventually ended up in an all out percussive jam. Anastasio tapped what could have been a cow bell, or just as easily a cakepan, which he held up to his microphone while Baptista was heavily assisted behind his arrangement of bongos, gongs and over 20 more percussion instruments. Saxophonists Peter Apfelbaum, Dave Grippo and Russell Remington had made their way over to Baptista's cubby and the four participated in a chaotic drum circle. Following was a slightly slower and mellower version of "Cayman Review" than was featured on the album. During the ensuing extension, it was Baptista's turn to journey the stage and he did so while stroking a washboard hanging from his neck, provoking audience roars in different sections of the arena. A duel between Hartswick's trumpet and Grippo's sax was the highlight of "Sidewalks of San Francisco." The entire horn section provided heavenly melodies in the following song from the album, "Drifting." A balloon drifting across the stage and deflated by the head of Anastasio's guitar, served as the prelude to "Sand," a song from Phish's 2000 studio release "Farmhouse." The song evolved into what was, by far, the most intense trance of the night. The rapid orchestration engaged the audience in a dramatic glowstick war, filling the air above with soaring steaks of illumination. Anastasio once again conducted the horn section, controlling their pitch between gradual and sudden movements of his right arm. A flute solo by Remington followed before the song's climatic ending. Organist Ray Paczkowski introduced "Travelling Song," slowing the pace with a short, sensuous keyboard solo before Anastasio came in with explicit blues riffs, followed by more angelic horns. All members, except for Baptista, who remained to the side rapping one of his drums, abandoned Anastasio on the stage for the set's finale, as he strummed the harmonious "The Inlaw Josie Wales" on an acoustic guitar. An unearthly howl from the audience and eerie stomps of approval preceded the encore of "Push On 'til the Day." The song included even more fierce jamming and some of the finest guitar playing of the night from Anastasio. It seemed almost unrealistic that the sound from his custom semi-hollow Languedoc matched the shredding resonance of him nuzzling up and down the fret-board. He continued to display this talent for minutes until giving it back to the band. Before the conclusion he removed his hands, letting the band take over as he introduced each member. © 2002 Times Leader