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Though we had purchased tickets for the Geneva, New York stop on Trey Anastasio’s solo acoustic tour long before we started planning our wedding, the fact that the show fell on October 15th, 2019 and hence a mere three days after our remarkably awesome Big Day encouraged m’lady and I to treat the run-of-one as a mini-Honeymoon.
So we cancelled our long-booked single night at the Geneva EconoLodge and booked instead a pair of consecutive nights at the prestigious (and quite possibly over-rated) Belhurst Castle on the Geneva shoreline. It’s a legit castle with turrets and everything and further, it is encompassed by a vineyard. As a result, there was a free-pouring wine spout in the hallway which paired quite well with the cheese board and roses that I had pre-ordered and were waiting for us in our room (the Music Room of course).
Oh we lived like a king and queen all right, even dining in the high-end restaurant downstairs, after which we discovered that our Rochester friends Rachel and Nick had secretly called ahead and covered our tab, an extremely classy move if there ever was one. Then we relaxed on our private terrace with more spout-wine before retiring in the massive king (and queen)-sized bed.
In the morning we woke up in a castle with a solo Trey show on the schedule, which was pretty freakin’ awesome.
After some serious sitting around we decided to drive into town to meet our local-ish friend Freeman and her friend Stephen for lunch. Along the way we passed the Smith Opera House and noticed a tour bus parked out back, which we figured must be Trey’s. When we met up with our friend and new friend we decided lunch could easily wait and the four of us strolled behind the theatre to see if we could meet Trey.
There was a couple of security guys back there and nobody else. We soon learned that this was not in fact Trey’s tour bus but he would be along soon enough for soundcheck. We looked up at the shining sun and decided to just bask in the pleasant weather and hang out there…why not? Otherwise we would no doubt find our way to the closest bar and end up drinking all afternoon, which didn’t seem to be very apropos ahead of a solo acoustic show. A Phish show? Sure, point me the way, but in the case of a sit-down chill-vibe concert like we were about to experience I was happy for the diversion.
Anyway, after an hour or so five or six other phans found their way back there too, and another half-hour later Trey’s bus pulled in. Nice ride. After about ten minutes he got out and b-lined it straight to our little crowd* and moreover right up to me. I seized the moment by running off at the mouth about the many Phish elements that were part of our wedding (the bridal walk song and having Fishman doughnuts instead of cake, not to mention Phish lyrics peppered through the ceremony). He was warm and attentive and gave me a genuine feeling of niceness, which made (and makes) me feel good.
Trey likewise spent plenty of time with m’lady and our friends and all the rest of the patient and faithful before thanking us en masse and going into the theatre for his soundcheck. Solid dude, that Trey, and I’m happy to continually give my money to him.
With enough hours behind us to make it safe, the four of us finally hit that bar and enjoyed a late lunch before going back to the castle together for some pre-show shenanigoats.
At the show I joined the merch line and snagged the last foil-edition poster of the evening (which a guy behind me offered $150 for as I was rolling it up**) and we took our seats on the floor, stage left. Soon enough Trey came out and wedged us into a two-hour stripped-down Phish-a-thon that started with Back on the Train, ended with Say It to Me S.A.N.T.O.S.***, and featured too many tasty nuggets in between to even think about listing here.
The songs were played cut-to-the-chase, free from pesky keyboard solos or extended grooves, so even with extensive edge-of-your-seat stories in between most numbers Trey still managed to squeeze nearly thirty songs into the evening. It was pretty much all strummed with very few solos and even fewer clever arrangements, but overall it was great to see one of my favourite players play the music of one of my favourite bands in a setup that I had never seen before.
Would I go on Trey solo acoustic tour? Given the chance, probably. Would I enjoy going on Phish tour more? Again, probably.
The bottom line is there is only one way to find out.
*I once found myself standing in a small crowd near the side entrance to the Ed Sullivan Theatre when Sylvester Stallone arrived for his appearance on the Letterman show. He gave us a wave from about fifteen feet away before turning away and scurrying through the steel door into the building. Dude could have taken three minutes out of his day to meet with the very people who have propagated his fame but nope, Sly had bigger fish to fry. Stay down, Rock.
**I kept it. It was our Honeymoon after all, plus flipping posters whilst essentially still in the poster line is a bit much.
***Since moving out-of-province I’ve discovered that the guy in the mail-room at the National Arts Centre is named Santos, so whenever I receive an email telling me that he has dropped my scores in the mail I spend the next few days walking around the house singing, “Send it to me Santos…”
Todd Man Out 