Trey Anastasio Band began its tour with a show on Friday at Thompson’s Point in Portland, ME. The concert notably saw the debut of new bassist Dezron Douglas, as well as the recently-announced substitute saxophone player Cochemea Gastelum. Dlouglas’ addition to TAB was announced earlier this summer following the death of founding bassist Tony Markellis, while Gastelum’s addition was revealed just earlier this week when James Casey announced he would miss the summer tour as he undergoes chemotherapy for colon cancer.
Friday night started off with a bang with the opening “First Tube”, a tune that’s high intensity is now matched by an emotional gravity it served as the emotional climax to Trey’s eight-week Beacon Jams during quarantine. A therapeutic “Alive Again” came next before a funky little “Camel Walk” as Trey stuck his hand into the Phish catalog for an “Ocelot” to follow.
The emotional highs of a TAB show persisted with “Love Is What We Are” ahead of “Olivia” and a cathartic “Set Your Soul Free”. The mood shifted a bit lower with “Dark and Down” prior to “Mozambique” and the set-closing “Rise/Come Together”.
Returning to the stage, Trey and the ensemble let loose on an “Everything’s Right” that served as the improvisational highlight of the show. This rolled into the bouncy Phish original “Gotta Jibboo” and ultimately “Curlew’s Call”. The ensemble took a collective breather with “Ether Sunday” before kicking right back into gear with “Burlap Sack and Pumps” before Ray “Grabs-The-Skunk-By-The-Tail” Paczkowski hit the Clavinet for “Moma Dance”.
The Lonely Trip rocker “I Never Needed You Like This Before” would have been a satisfying conclusion to set two, but TAB went the extra mile by going deep one more time with “Twist”. Returning to the stage, Trey went straight for the heartstrings of Thompson’s Point with “A Life Beyond A Dream” before closing out with “Tuesday”.
Trey Anastasio Band is off to Leader Bank Pavillion in Boston, MA tonight, September 18th, for the next show. For tickets and a full list of tour dates click here.
Setlist: Trey Anastasio Band | Thompson’s Point | Portland, ME | 9/17/21
Set One: First Tube, Alive Again, Camel Walk, Ocelot, Love Is What We Are, Olivia, Set Your Soul Free, Dark and Down, Mozambique, Rise/Come Together
Set Two: Everything’s Right > Gotta Jibboo > Curlew’s Call, Ether Sunday, Burlap Sack and Pumps, The Moma Dance, I Never Needed You Like This Before, Twist
Encore: A Life Beyond The Dream > Tuesday