I went over to a friend's house yesterday afternoon to check out a new video game called Guitar Hero that he'd been ranting and raving about.
Guitar Hero is an interactive Playstation game where you literally strap on a Guitar-like controller (no strings) and strum along to classic rock songs in tune with the beat. You simply hold down the buttons corresponding to the notes when they appear on the screen and then strum a knob on the instrument at the right moment. It takes a minute to get used to, but once you get the hang of it you're rocking out like a true rock star, concert and all.
Not only was this one of the most fun video game experiences I've had since crushing a 400 yard drive as Tiger Woods, it also served as an extremely educational experience about the nature of playing in a rock and roll band, especially for a guitarist. What I found to be the biggest trick of the game in order to hit the notes at the perfect time and score the most points was to simply listen to the drummer. If I was in the drummer's zone, I'd nail the progression like a pro. The drummer is without question the most critical instrument for a guitarist. If the guitarist and drummer aren't in sync, the song doesn't go where you want it to go. While it is likely common musical knowledge to most fans out there, I hadn't quite fully appreciated the true critical importance of this interconnected musical dependency until last night.
Now that I'd be armed with this knowledge going into the evening (plus the added value of getting pumped up to rock out!), I was very excited to go back down to the Warfield and see Trey's band for a second time. He had recently replaced drummer Skeeto Valdez with Raymond Weber and I had not really gotten a chance to enjoy the Skeeto-backed band nor was any explanation for his departure given.
The second time around would prove to be a high energy Saturday night party show, as early on each song stretched out with confidence and reached a positive peak to buzz the senses. Even the slower songs had an intensity which I hadn't heard out of modern Trey in past gigs. He was on. It was a good show. It may not have been as controversial or historically legendary as the night before, but what we got was a straight ahead rock show, fast paced, exploratory and feel good.
Half-way through the night Trey donned his acoustic guitar as he's done on each show of the tour, and tonight was greeted by loving fans who threw a bouquet of flowers on stage as he sat down. That was nice. He treated us to a beautiful rendition of Pebbles and Marbles and a secret dedication of the Phish classic Fast Enough For You. It's moments like this that make me really remember the feeling of being out on the lawn at Deer Creek, looking up at the night sky reflecting on where I'd come from, how much I'd gone though to get there and reaching that beautiful moment of perfect perspective.
After a delicate Inlaw Josie Wales and solid Sample in a Jar, Trey pulled out the big guns and dropped the Bathtub Gin which prompted a theatre wide sing-a-long. That was fun, even though it was a bit (gasp) nostalgic. Did it make me miss Phish? Sure. Bathtub Gins were typically followed by a jam for the ages, and this one ended quickly. I'm not quite sure if the audience could have really pulled off up a 'running through the woods at light speed' hum session, but it was fun while it lasted and I took it all at face value for the moment.
The second half of the show started with a guest appearance by guitarist Jerry Harrison who Trey introduced as having been in two of the most important bands all of time - the Talking Heads & The Modern Lovers. They rocked out a Modern Lovers tune, Road Runner, that served to emphasize the progressive yet classic rock vibe of the night.
Trey closed out the set with a barrage of original rockers including a well placed Jiboo and appreciated Mr. Completely. Two covers graces the encore. Come Together by the Beatles (one of the other most important band of all time) and I Want to Take You Higher by Sly and the Family Stone.
As the show ended, Trey turned around to once again give drummer Raymond Weber a handshake of appreciation. As much as I was fully appreciating Ray's New Orleans soul-funk pocket work with animated bassist Tony Hall, I could tell Trey was enjoying it a hell of a lot more.
Trey has clearly found his stride, and was able to give his new material time and space to grow and come together. He's having fun, and they're a tight group. One of my favorite moments of the show was early on when Trey took a back seat, allowing each of his fellow musicians a chance to shine in their own spotlight including a great piano duel, trumpet solo and one of the best flute performance I've ever seen.
Not only do they all have great chop on their own, when the band is locked together they have the ability to create some great moments on stage. While they may not have a certain depth or full on sonic assault sound just yet, I can appreciate that those kinds of deeper magic moments happen over time.
In the past, I was a bit confused as to why Trey would take out a new band and play high priced theatres without really giving things a chance to evolve. It should hopefully be clear by now that this band is worthy of another listen. They are an ensemble that not only gives Trey a chance to explore his own ethos, but they listen to each other and create a vibe that allows for a real honest to goodness quality night of fun music.
Trey is going to be Trey, whether you like it or not. He's so Trey. Treyest ever.
For whatever many reasons Trey has for moving beyond Phish, I think it's clear to me now more than ever that this is the best thing for him, and likely an opportunity for all of us to learn how to appreciate things for what they are, not what we think they aren't anymore.
Guitar Hero rocks!
Ahhh, another year...another chance to reflect.
