Trey Anastasio
2/5/14
Pabst Theatre
Milwaukee, WI
I: Traveler, Valentine, Alive Again, Drifting, Magilla, Ooh Child, Cayman Review, Burlap Sack and Pumps, Dark and Down, Small Axe, 1977, Money Love and Change, First Tube
II: Corona, Night Speaks to a Woman, Alaska, Pigtail, Sometime After Sunset, Last Tube, Architect, Gotta Jibboo, Scabbard, Clint Eastwood, Push On 'Til the Day
E: Sand, Black Dog
A week ago I had a horrible fever and we'd received yet another dumping of snow. I slept most of the day sweating off as much as I could. I used the snowblower to clear the driveway. I left about 4 pm so as to minimalize the amount of waiting pre-show. It started snowing when I was on I-39. There was some SRV on the radio near East Troy which was appropriate. I parked in my usual garage next to the Marriot. I'm a creature of habit. This was my first visit to the Pabst Theatre. I liked the venue but felt the sound guy, Garry Brown, had Trey specifically turned up too loud. I felt better after taking some cold medicine and by the time the show started I glad I'd made the journey.
It was good to be a Traveler on the road again. I like the Tom Marshall lyric about "even if you're standing still you're still traveling too". The first five songs were all repeats from St. Louis. The choice of Ooh Child made the first set for me. I always associate that song with Boyz in the Hood. Cayman Review and Burlap Sack and Pumps really got the crowd moving. Dark and Down once again showcased the blues rock that Trey plays so well at this point of his career. The instrumental version of Bob Marley's Small Axe was a good call. Natalie shined again on the 1977 cover. MLC and First Tube rounded out a generous first set of music.
I'm glad Trey ditched the Fender for his new song, Corona. Night Speaks to a Woman was particularly strong on this occasion. I was not pleased with the choice of Alaska. Pigtail got the energy going again. It was nice to see some new material. Trey's solo at the end of Sometime After Sunset was particularly inspired. Last Tube was another song I hadn't heard in STL so that was fun. The rest of the set was more or less about the same as what I'd seen previously including Push On 'Til the Day. On this evening they played Sand in the encore paired with Black Dog to close out the show. If you thought contemporary Phish was fairly predictable this TAB Tour was downright formulaic. I liked the increased rock emphasis but its a pop vehicle compared to the 01-03 Afro-Cuban groove machine that was TAB. I made it home around 3:45 after crushing some Taco Bell at the Pilot in Beloit, WI.
Trey Anastasio
2/1/14
Pageant Theatre
St. Louis, MO
I: Drifting, Caymen Review, Magilla, Money Love and Change, Valentine, Frost, Burlap Sack and Pumps, Dark and Down, Simple Twist Up Dave, 1977, Devil Went Down to Georgia, First Tube
II: Alive Again, Gotta Jibboo, Pigtail, Night Speaks to a Woman, Architect, Sand, Clint Eastwood, Traveler, Push On 'Til the Day
E: Tuesday, Black Dog
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Last Saturday I started my live music calendar year of 2014 with my friend Doc. I drove to Decatur after snowblowing the driveway. We'd received several inches of snow overnight. By 10 am the crews had the roads in decent condition. Around B-N the snow turned to rain and my concern became ice. I stopped for lunch at Steak 'N Shake and made it to Doc's house without incident. The weather was miserable and rainy for the entire drive to STL. We ate dinner at Pappy's which I really enjoyed. The Halo Bar was at capacity so we chose to wait down the street at the bowling alley instead of standing in the cold rain. We met up with Eric Leander and Jason Osborn and still watched the show from our traditional spot on the right of the floor.
The show began with Drifting. I hadn't seen a show since November so it was good to be back on the road. Ray shined on keys during the funky Caymen Review. I'm not a huge fan of the reworking of Magilla for TAB. MLC isn't the huge jam piece it once was. Valentine showcased the female vocals. I was frustrated by fans talking during the slower ballad Frost. Burlap Sack and Pumps and Simple Twist Up Dave continue to be TAB warhorses. These songs sandwiched the bluesy Dark and Down. I was delighted to hear Natalie do the Spanish rapping in 1977. This song was featured in Breaking Bad. I'd heard the Charlie Daniels cover recently on the radio at my new job so that one was appropriate. On this tour it seems Trey is enjoying using First Tube as a first set closer. I miss some of the textures he used on that song back in 99/00.
He had a strict curfew and perhaps that played a role in this being a fairly concise second set. Alive Again worked well as an opener. Jibboo was a nice choice in the showcase slot. I don't mind Pigtail. It seemed it got a little extra treatment this time around. Night Speaks to a Woman was another highlight of the set. Architect is a little cheesy with its overt religious lyrics. Sand got the crowd moving again before Hartswick's rapping during The Gorillaz cover. Traveler isn't a bad song. At very least I like its sentiment. Push On 'Til the Day is being used as the second set closer on this tour. Tuesday is a fairly pedestrian rocker. Jen Hartswick did a great job with Black Dog. Trey loves Led Zeppelin and it showed in his aggressive playing during the finale. This was a fun experience to kick off my year despite the dreadful weather.
