Divided Sky - Trey Anastasio & The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
5.21.09 -  Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, Baltimore, MD

Set I: The Divided Sky (electric guitar,strings), Brian and Robert (vocal, electric guitar, strings), The Inlaw Josie Wales (acoustic guitar, oboe, strings), Water In The Sky*, Pebbles and Marbles (electric guitar, orchestra), First Tube** (electric guitar, orchestra)

Set II: Time Turns Elastic (vocal, electric guitar, orchestra), Let Me Lie (vocal, electric guitar, strings), Guyute (electric guitar, orchestra)

E: If I Could (vocal, electric guitar, harp, strings)

Notes: *In Memory of Kristy Manning, dedicated to her surviving son Jason, **First time played

Last night Trey Anastasio performed his first public show since Phish’s triumphant return the first weekend of March and his first gig since the loss of his sister.  It can only be described as an incredibly moving and beautiful performance of a variety of Trey’s work as a composer and songwriter.

Picking up not only his acoustic guitar, Big Red tastefully used a comparatively subdued Languedoc to guide some of the most soaring moments of the evening, including this Divided Sky, First Tube, A My Friend/Guyute suite, and the East Coast debut of his composition, “Time Turns Elastic.”

Over the course of the night, Anastasio received five standing ovations, including at the end of the encore, which was surprisingly “If I Could,” a song that hasn’t been played since Phish’s 6.28.00 Holmdel, NJ show. However, the highlight of the night may have been a very touching version of Water In The Sky, dedicated to his sister, Kristy.  She passed away after a long battle with cancer, and her son Jason was in the audience.  Songs like Brian and Robert, Pebbles and Marbles, and Let Me Lie took on extra meaning.

The orchestra was on point all evening, playing some incredibly complex orchestral arrangements and following Trey’s lead when he went off on some exploratory tangents (especially on a powerful Pebbles & Marbles and First Tube).  Yet, this Divided Sky clocks in at over 15 minutes of purely composed music, every note maticulously chosen.

The night highlighted the new and invigorated Trey that we caught glimpses of at Hampton.  Emotional, concentrated, yet laid back and sharing the experience with his friends and family, Anastasio gave us a taste of what’s to come this summer: discipline to his craft, attention to detail, and only kindness and good intentions flowing from both his guitar and heart. This Divided Sky captures the essence of Anastasio’s talent, and almost tells his own story in a way he has yet to do, a theme that looks like it will continue to evolve over the summer.

Download The Entire Show: Part I | Part II