**Jambands.com launched on September 15, 1998. As part of our Jambands 25 series, in which we look back over the past 25 years (!!), we are revisiting this interview with Trey Anastasio from 2002. Since many of the questions were submitted by the site’s readers, this seemed like the ideal feature to mark the occasion.***What led you to do that?Laughs.“You recently expanded the band to ten players. Why did you add a percussionist to the mix?”- Megan Richards, Dave Franks“Have you ever thought about adding another guitarist?”- Ed Chance, Steve Rollins, Kevin SandersLaughs.
Laughs.“It seems like you’re constantly adding musicians. How difficult has the transition been when you’ve brought in new players? Do you keep rearranging your music?” Steve Gallup, Joe A.Even to the very end?“While on stage have you found that your leadership responsibilities ever impact significantly on your playing?” Kat Nicholas, Jeff BrigenLaughs.Laughs.“I’ve heard you compare this band to King Sunny Ade but to me, I also hear some early 70s Miles Davis as well. Do you see a continuum between these two groups and your current music?”- Mike Beatty
“What is the significant link between Tube,’ First Tube’ and Last Tube,’ other than the word tube?”- Melissa Epperson, Joe Hamilton, Steve T., Chris MyersonLaughs.“The lyrics to some of the songs on the album differ from those when you first performed them on tour. Can you talk about the process of those transformations?” Grace Winters, Bill SuttonLaughs.Laughs.“Does Tom ever come back to you after you’ve finished a song and said, That’s not how I heard it?’- Phil Stitch, Stu H.“Do you currently write any music that doesn’t quite fit with your current band and you’ve set aside for either Oysterhead or Phish?” Ken Machins
But when all was said and done you held nothing back and everything’s going to come out with this band?“Will you be rearranging any Phish songs for the current band?”- Dozens of readers“The first two songs on the album contain the word review’ while the last two mention ether.’ What was your intention in framing it that way?” Lynn PhillipsLaughs.Laughs.“One thing that disappointed me with your Oysterhead shows and last solo tour was the similarity of setlists from night to night. Will you mix things up a bit more this summer?”- Many readersLaughs.“To what extent do you take general criticism to heart and to what extent do you feel the need just to work from within?”- Dan G.
“I began to see Trey is Wilson’ shirts appearing in the lots last year. What is your response to this perception of the hiatus?”- Lee EndersLaughs.Laughs.Laughs.Maybe you receive that information differently when you’re thirty-six and you’ve done your share of tour than when you’re in your teens or mid-twenties and just gotten started.As I’m sure you recognize, some of those younger people feel as if something was taken away from them that they were starting to experience, that the rug has been pulled out from under them.Laughs.
“On your current tour it seems as though there will be plenty of opportunities for guest musicians to join the band. You don’t have to give us the specifics, if you don’t want, but do you have anything planned?”- Bruce EganDo you consider Oysterhead to be a one off project or something you would like to revisit again?- Jen Bloom, Gregg MichaelsonDo you have any concrete plans?Laughs.Can you talk a bit more about the frustration of touring with so few songs? A number of our readers had questions about that.Laughs.Speaking of Oysterhead songs, what led you to record that version of “Ray Dawn Balloon” on your new disc?- Sam Peters, Jim Heller, Jo FernandezLaughs.
When that first came out it was called “Waves?”Laughs.Laughs.Bonnaroo 2002 (A few weeks after this interview took place)So when you write music are you just working on the process organically or you thinking about a particular band where it might fit?- Carrie ThompsonJumping topics, here’s one that people phrased in a number of different ways- was playing at Jason Colton’s wedding emotional for you or purely fun?Laughs.
I think things ended a little differently for his other band.You mentioned earlier that you moved from the alpha dog setting with Oysterhead to your solo project. Can you talk a bit about the process of moving from that democratic process to a situation where it was YOUR band. What were the challenges there and how did you approach it?- Kay RileyLaughs.Although in terms of Phish I think one could argue that on a number of levels the majesty has been in the journey.Laughs.To me, quite a bit of the reason that people still feel so engaged in the music and wear those “Trey is Wilson” shirts is that they felt that they were part of that collective journey. It adds another element, and transforms the whole experience of receiving music. To use an example from basketball, this past year the Boston Celtics were in the conference finals and if you were a fan who had been following the team’s rebuilding process from the point prior to adding Antoine Walker when they really sucked, then it really has an additional layer to it. It’s like Rick Pitino said when he took over as coach, “It’s all about the journey.” Of course he wasn’t there for the end of it, but I think it holds true and I think a lot of people feel that way about Phish.
