In a new interview published in the most recent edition of Relix Magazine, Trey Anastasio talks extensively about his experience with the Grateful Dead members during the “Fare Thee Well” run. Anastasio performed with Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, and Phil Lesh, the “Core Four” surviving members of the Dead, for five nights in late June through early July.
He spoke about the experience in-depth, saying about the music: “I love to jam… I love to jam long. But even for me, the time would come when I’d think, ‘This is too noodle-y. Let’s play the next song.’ I would do something, a lick, that gently alluded to it. Then Phil would look over at me and put his hand up, like, ‘What’s your rush, dude?'”
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Speaking about stepping into the Jerry Garcia role, Anastasio said “All I wanted was for them to be happy. It was terrifying for me in that nobody can stand where he stood. But I was there in order for everyone to be together again, one more time, singing these songs.”
“I just loved it, absolutely loved it. It was the Grateful Dead. It was amazing. I was freaking out. I loved it.”
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On Bob Weir: “He is patient, comfortable — no rush. Sometimes I’d be like, ‘You really want to play this song that slow?'”
On Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann: “Together [they] are one heart… There has never been a great rock band that hasn’t been built around an irreplaceable drummer.”
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Anastasio also said that he spoke to John Mayer, who will be performing in the same role with three of the four Dead members. Anastasio commented about that, saying, “This thing he’s doing with them, it will go on for however long it’s gonna go on… What I was saying was: ‘You and I, this is not our band.'”
Meanwhile, Anastasio is gearing up for an exciting fall tour with his solo band, in support of their forthcoming album Paper Wheels. You can listen to the most recent song released from it, “Lever Boy”, right here.