Last night, Oct. 5, Mike Gordon surprised folks at Nashville, Tenn., honky tonk spot known as Robert’s Western World, where he sat in with local mainstays Timbo. The appearance arrived before Phish’s Bridgestone Arena run, which commences this evening, with nightly performances till Sunday, Oct. 8. 

During the Thursday evening set, Gordon sat in on bass for the initial song of the night prior to lending his vocals on ensuing renditions of the Hank Williams Jr. original, “Old Habits” and the Merle Haggard classic “The Bottle Let Me Down.” Memorably, Gordon played the 1980 release Williams number with Leo Kottke and Trey Anastasio during Phish’s break between 2004 and 2009. 

The aforementioned performance leaned towards Gordon’s Ramble Dove days, the supergroup known for weekly jam sessions at Radio Bean in Burlington, Vt., and digging into honky-tonk and vintage country material. Notably, in the summer of 2006, the group performed at Bonnaroo Music Festival. 

Tickets remain on sale for Phish’s Nashville run, to learn more, visit their official website.

For show notes, follow this link.