“I just found this out. I’m not the sharpest tool in the shed,” Trey Anastasio explained after wrapping up a gorgeous “Waste” during the final show of his solo acoustic tour at the Classic Center in Athens, Georgia, on Sunday night. “But did you know the atmosphere is a fluid?”

It’s unlikely that many people expected to get a science lesson out of their trip to the Classic Center last night but, then again, being a Phish fan has always been about embracing the unpredictable. “I was thinking, if the atmosphere is a fluid and the ocean is a fluid, then two fluids rubbing together creates friction, which is waves,” Anastasio continued, eliciting cheers from a crowd that assumed the Round Room offering “Waves” was now on deck.

“That’s not what I was getting at,” the guitarist added with a laugh, though he was certainly heading somewhere. Specifically, Anastasio was headed for a self-described “horrible tangent” about the reasons why the beach sounds so good. You see, it had something to do with the confluence of water, earth, and air, which are all fluids that sound can travel through. It also served as a fun setup for another water- and air-related song from the Phish repertoire—“Water In The Sky”.

Anastasio’s tangents have become quite the crowd-pleasers over the course his current acoustic tour, and last night was no different. In addition to the science lesson, fans were treated to a story about the origins of “Strange Design,” a track that he wrote while sitting on a floor about three days before his daughter was born in 1995.

Of course, Anastasio’s stop in Athens was about more than just story time. There were plenty of songs too, and more than a few highlights among them. Notable numbers included a lovely “Fee,” a “Ghost” that demonstrated Anastasio’s impressive ability to turn Phish’s jam vehicles into captivating acoustic arrangements, a delightful “Lizards,” and an absolutely stunning “Slave to the Traffic Light” that closed out the set and was arguably the night’s peak. The encore also had its moments, including a “Character Zero” that wrapped up the night as spectacularly, as it often does with the full band.

“Fee”

[Video: Michael Fortson]

“Slave To The Traffic Light”

[Video: Michael Fortson]

Last night may have marked the end of Anastasio’s latest solo acoustic tour, but the Phish guitarist will back on the road with his Trey Anastasio Band in April. Most stops on the upcoming run are already sold out, but you can still score tickets to a couple of the dates. You can also download a recording of Sunday night’s Athens show via bt.etree.org, and check out photos courtesy of Benjamin Adams Photography.

Setlist: Trey Anastasio | The Classic Center | Athens, GA | 2/18/18 

Heavy Things, Farmhouse, Dog Face, More, NICU, Miss You, Fee, Ghost, Waste, Water In The Sky, Sand, Brian And Robert, Bouncin’ Around The Room, Theme From The Bottom, Strange Design, The Lizards, Blaze On, Slave To The Traffic Light

Encore: The Inlaw Josie Wales, The Wedge, Character Zero