“I’ve had some premieres in my life but this really takes the cake,” Between Me and My Mind director Steven Cantor said at the Beacon Theatre on April 26, before the film’s sold-out world premiere as part of the Tribeca Film Festival.

The Emmy-winning director praised Trey Anastasio’s “creativity, warmth and excitement” through every step of the process, qualities that were reflected in the documentary itself.

Between Me and My Mind opens with Anastasio making coffee at 6:15 a.m. at his New York City apartment, simultaneously preparing for the Baker’s Dozen, New Year’s Eve 2017-2018 and his recent Ghosts of the Forest LP.

Between these events, Anastasio sits down with those closest to him – his mother, his father, his daughters and all three of his Phish bandmates – to discuss his life and his music. One moment that sticks out is Anastasio’s mother recalling Phish’s first headlining gig at Madison Square Garden. Taking in the full scale of the Phish phenomenon for the first time, she recalls being “scared to death” of the magnitude of it all.

The late Chris Cottrell also makes an appearance in Between Me and My Mind. Fighting a dire cancer diagnosis, he laughs with Anastasio about their salad days in Europe. Cottrell, of course, was the main inspiration behind Anastasio’s Ghosts of the Forest project.

The Tribeca Film Festival audience at the Beacon mainly consisted of Phish fans, as evidenced by the hooting and hollering throughout the film. A big cheer came as Anastasio discussed the Baker’s Dozen, and how he was surprised to receive a commemorative banner from the venue. Reflecting on his youth as a hockey player, Anastasio said the Baker’s Dozen helped realize “the dream of having [his] name up in the rafters of Madison Square Garden.”

After the movie, Trey Anastasio Band played their first gig since January 2018. The band opened with “First Tube” and offered a highly-danceable “Everything’s Right”> “Mozambique” jam. Later, Anastasio performed a solo acoustic version of “More” before closing the show with a pair of Phish tunes, “Heavy Things” and “Blaze On.” The final two tunes also included keyboardist Page McConnel, who embraced Anastasio after the performance and the two musicians left the stage arm in arm.

Check out the TAB setlist below:

Trey Anastasio Band
April 26, 2019
Beacon Theatre

First Tube, Everything’s Right > Mozambique, Cayman Review, Curlew’s Call, Dark and Down, Money, Love and Change, Sand

Enc: More^, Heavy Things *> Blaze On*

Notes:
^ Trey solo acoustic.
* Page on keys.