After having a ball with Cher at Love Rocks NYC on Thursday, Trey Anastasio kicked off his first solo acoustic tour in six years in Springfield, MA on Saturday and felt inspired to debut Sonny & Cher‘s “I Got You Babe” in honor of the pair’s budding friendship.
Like most Trey solo shows, the setlist consisted largely of Phish songs, with a few from his solo albums, and just one from the Trey Anastasio Band catalog. That would all be considered original material, but one of the highlights of the tour opener was the night’s lone cover.
After starting off with Phish favorite “Sample in a Jar”, “Lost in the Pack” from his 2020 album Lonely Trip, Phish’s “Free”, and a second song from Lonely Trip, “Evolve”, Anastasio bore a cheeky grin as he announced, “This has definitely been a fun year,” just over a week into March. The room erupted and his smile grew wider as he sang the opening line, “They say our love won’t pay the rent.” He even stopped momentarily to tell the crowd, “Stop, stop, stop, stop,” blushing slightly as if the audience was purposely trying to make him laugh.
He continued on with Sonny & Cher’s 1965 hit “I Got You Babe”—seemingly figuring it out as he went—to the crowd’s enthusiastic approval. It was apparent that at least most of the room was in on the joke without needing any explanation—one of the upsides of having such a passionate fanbase. The audience joined in when the song’s titular lyric approached, belting out the pre-chorus, “Baby, I got you,” and singing loudly along to the chorus itself.
Later, Anastasio humorously admitted, “I have to figure out this piece actually,” before altering the lyrics to, “I’ve got you at Love Rocks,” finally making a direct reference to his adorable onstage interaction with Cher.
Another highlight of the show was the first acoustic rendition of “Petrichor”—an ambitious composition debuted by Anastasio in 2014 with the Oregon Symphony Orchestra—which featured Jeff Tanski on piano. The sit-in was especially notable given Trey’s solo acoustic shows rarely feature guests, with Jovi’s breakout debut being a rare exception. Tanski stuck around to help finish the set with a trio of Phish tunes, “Secret Smile”, “Pebbles and Marbles”, and “Stash”.
Anastasio returned for a three-song encore, starting with the contemplative “Strange Design” and a rocking “Possum” before welcoming Tanski back for “Harry Hood”.
Click below to check out videos from Saturday’s show as well as a clip of the Trey/Cher interaction from Thursday night referenced during “I Got You Babe”. scroll down to view the full setlist. The Trey Anastasio solo acoustic tour continues with shows around the Northeast, Midwest, and South. Find a full list of upcoming tour dates and tickets here.
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Trey Anastasio – “Wolfman’s Brother” – 2/8/25
[Video: Patrick Garvey]
Trey Anastasio With Jeff Tanski – “Petrichor” – 2/8/25
[Video: Charlie Francis]
Setlist: Trey Anastasio | Symphony Hall | Springfield, MA | 3/8/25
Set: Sample in a Jar (Phish), Lost in the Pack, Free (Phish), Evolve, I Got You Babe (Sonny & Cher) (Live debut by Trey), Mountains in the Mist (Phish), Sigma Oasis (Phish), Wolfman’s Brother (Phish) (With The Howling quotes), The Inlaw Josie Wales (Phish), Water in the Sky (Phish), Everything’s Right (Phish), Heavy Things (Phish), Driver (Phish), Limb by Limb (Phish), Snowflakes in the Sand (Trey Anastasio Band), Sunset Days, Twist (Phish), Backwards Down the Number Line (Phish), Petrichor (Phish) (With Jeff Tanski on piano) (First time played solo acoustic by Trey), Secret Smile (Phish) (With Jeff Tanski on piano), Pebbles and Marbles (Phish) (With Jeff Tanski on piano), Stash (Phish) (With Jeff Tanski on piano)
Encore: Strange Design (Phish), Possum (Phish), Harry Hood (Phish) (With Jeff Tanski on piano)
