Last night, Trey Anastasio Band and Goose’s ongoing joint tour stopped by Eaglebank Arena at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va. Over the course of the day leading up to the show, many fans speculated bluegrass star Billy Strings may sit in due to his collaboration with the Phish guitarist over the summer at New York’s Pier 17 and his two-night run in neighboring Washington D.C. over the weekend; during Trey Anastasio Band’s frame, the crowd’s expectations were exceeded with the ensemble debuting Strings’ originals with the 30-year-old and encore with an acoustic solo with Anastasio and Strings along with the debut collaboration between Goose and Strings.

The show began following a pattern that has been seen throughout the tour: Goose showcasing their sound, with Anastasio joining the Connecticut jamband towards the tail end of the set and encore. They started with “Arrow,” an ocean-sprayed cut off their 2022 LP Dripfield. Next came “Seekers on the Ridge Pt. 1,” which naturally flowed into “Seekers on the Ridge Pt. 2.” They continued with their most recent release, “Thatch,” a funk-fueled track lush with bass by Trevor Weekz, before moving into fan favorite “Arcadia.” They rounded out the opening set with “Hungersite,” during which Anastasio joined trading licks with Rick Mitarotonda and Pete Anspach. After a brief break and lingering excitement about Strings’ possible appearance, Goose returned to the stage with Anastasio to perform a Vasudo original from 2012 “Tumble.”

After a short intermission, Trey Anastasio Band took to the stage for their set and opened with “First Tube.” They continued with Phish favorites and cuts from Anastasio’s solo discography, expertly jamming on “Curlew’s Call,” “Set Your Soul Free,” “Magilla,” “Everything’s Right” into “Simple Twist Up Dave” and more. After the pairing, to the extreme elation of the crowd and viewers watching the set from their homes, Strings stepped on the stage and greeted Anastasio like an old friend. Backed by the virtuosic band, Anastasio and Strings, ripped into the latter’s beloved 2017 song “Meet Me at the Creek,” with both guitarists on acoustics while Strings handled vocal duties. Next came many’s favorite Phish song, “Possum,” with Strings on guitar and adding some southern drawl to “I come from atop the mountain baby/ Where the people come to pray/ There ain’t no truth in action/ ‘Less you believe it anyway.” Next, Mitarotonda and Anspach joined on guitar and keys, respectively, to join in rigging, taking in the sail, minding the skipper and bringing out the wine on “The Moma Dance.” Trey Anastasio Band closed the frame with the Goose members and Strings on “Gotta Jibboo,” with the latter joining Anastasio on vocals.

The extreme hype didn’t simmer during the time between the set and the encore, and as Anastasio and Strings returned to the stage equipped with acoustic guitars, the crowd went wild. They opened the encore with “Love and Regret,” a highlight from Strings’ critically acclaimed 2021 LP Renewal, during the song Strings sang the song while the Phish guitarist added to the fretboard fireworks. From there, the two dipped into Phish’s catalog with “Water in the Sky” before Mitarotonda and Anspach rejoined along with the full Trey Anastasio Band ensemble for “Back on the Train.” The song saw Strings and Mitarotonda sharing vocal duties for the first time. After a night absolutely flush with highlights and energy at an all-time high, the rest of Goose took to the stage with Weekz on bass and Ben Atkind and Jeff Arevalo on percussion to bring the house down with “Carini.” During the track, which was a culmination of all the hype and more, the stage was doused in red light, and all the musicians came together for an immaculate rendition of the Phish favorite.

Be sure to catch and enjoy the final shows with Trey Anastasio Band and Goose tonight at nugs.net, along with Billy Strings’ performances in Washington, D.C., here.

Goose
Eaglebank Arena, George Mason University – Fairfax, Va.
Nov. 17, 2022

Set: Arrow, Seekers On The Ridge Pt. 1 > Seekers On The Ridge Pt. 2, Thatch, Arcadia, Hungersite ^[1]

Enc.: Tumble ^[1]

[1] With Trey Anastasio

Trey Anastasio Band
Eaglebank Arena, George Mason University – Fairfax, Va.
Nov. 17, 2022

Set: First Tube, Set Your Soul Free, Twist, Curlew’s Call, About to Run, Magilla, Everything’s Right > Simple Twist Up Dave, Meet Me at the Creek ^[1], Possum ^[2], The Moma Dance ^[3], Gotta Jibboo ^[4]

Enc.: Love and Regret ^[5], Water in the Sky ^[6], Back on the Train ^[7], Carini ^[8]

[1] TAB debut; Trey and Billy Strings on acoustics. Billy on vocals.
[2] Billy Strings on guitar and additional vocals.
[3] Billy Strings and Rick Mitarotonda on guitars and Peter Anspach on keys.
[4] Billy Strings and Rick Mitarotonda on guitars and Peter Anspach on keys. Billy also on vocals.
[5] TAB debut; Just Trey and Billy Strings on acoustic guitars. Billy on vocals.
[6] Just Trey and Billy Strings on acoustic guitars.
[7] Billy Strings and Rick Mitarotonda on guitars and vocals and Peter Anspach on keys.
[8] Billy Strings and Rick Mitarotonda on guitars, Peter Anspach on keys and vocals, Trevor Weekz on bass, and Jeff Arevalo and Ben Atkind on percussion.