While his Phish bandmate Trey Anastasio was on the other side of the country resurrecting the Grateful Dead, bassist Mike Gordon took the stage of the much more intimate Capitol Theatre in Port Chester with his solo band, featuring a new line up for his 2015 tour. Watching Gordon perform with this group of top notch musicians, it’s easy to see why he needs this creative outlet. It’s not ‘Phish-light’, it’s not a victory lap while the other guys are doing other things – it’s a stage for Mike to be Mike outside of the familiar confines of Phish.

The first noticeable thing is the unique stage set up, with three large black screens directly behind the band displaying projections that compliment the light rig above the stage. The lighting wasn’t the only experimentation on stage, as Gordon gave a few of his songs some extended treatments. ‘Yarmouth Road’ in particular featured an incredible bass-led jam that really brought the song into the next level. Other songs that were familiar to Phish fans was a first set ‘Spock’s Brain’, which hasn’t been played by Phish since 2003, and ‘Sugar Shack’ as the encore.

The unsung hero of the show was Robert Walter, the B3 Organ maestro and founding member of The Greyboy Allstars. The New Orleans regular shined whenever he got a chance, getting a few howls from the crowd after each solo. Gordon’s bass meshes perfectly with Walter’s organ, and the interplay between the two seemed extremely natural. I’d hope to see Walter maintain the keys on future Gordon tours – he earned his place.

Gordon’s new material that he’s been debuting has also been excellent. ‘Take It As It Comes’ feels like a big song; it’s funky and upbeat with a great jam section. ‘How Many People Are You?’ is a Talking Heads-esque dance party that was one of the most fun numbers of the night. These songs are excellent additions to Gordon’s solo song book.

Throughout this tour, Gordon’s been performing a solid cover of ‘How Do I Know’ by Brooklyn based indie band Here We Go Magic. For this rendition, the band was joined by the song’s actual singer, Luke Temple, much to the delight of Gordon. Temple came back out for the encore for another Here We Go Magic song, ‘Make Up Your Mind’. Despite the crowd not being familiar with the material, Gordon seemed ecstatic to share the stage with a musician he clearly admired.

That’s really what these solo dates are about, allowing Gordon the freedom to do what he wants, to experiment with new sounds, new songs, and new friends, and allow some of his biggest fans a closer look into what’s going on in his head.

Setlist: Mike Gordon @ Capitol Theatre, Port Chester, NY – 6/27/15

Set 1: Long Black Line, Andelmans’ Yard, Spock’s Brain, Sleep to Dream, Horizon Line, Are You a Hypnotist??, Take It As It Comes

Set 2: Surface > How Many People Are You? > Yarmouth Road > Looking for Clues, Ether, Say Something, How Do I Know[1], Face

Encore: Make Up Your Mind[2], Sugar Shack

[1] Luke Temple on guitar and vocals.
[2] Luke Temple on guitar and vocals; Mike Gordon debut.

Notes: Luke Temple of Here We Go Magic sat in on songs he composed, “How Do I Know” and the Mike Gordon debut of “Make Up Your Mind.”