Photo: Bill Kelly

Last night, Tuesday, March 18, Trey Anastasio continued his solo acoustic tour by stopping at Chicago’s Orchestra Hall. During the 21-song single set performance and four-track encore, the musician delivered stripped-down, raw renditions of originals from his independent albums 2020’s Lonely Trip and 2022’s Mercy, as well as a hefty offering of Phish material.

Like his show on Friday, March 14, in Columbus, Anastasio opened up the concert with a solo acoustic take on “More” before shifting into alternative territory with the arrival of the Farmhouse cut “Twist.” Referencing his independent material, the guitarist strummed through “Lost in the Pack” before expressive run-throughs of “Theme From the Bottom” and “Mountains in the Mist.” 

The Windy City audience was treated to the lyrical tale conveyed via “Bathtub Gin. ” This was followed by another dose of late 90s-era nostalgia on “Wolfman’s Brother” and “Snowflakes in the Sand,” which hammered home the musician’s consistency in pulling in material from the aforementioned decade. “Waste” kept the motif going before Anastasio elected to cull in songs from the last decade, “Turtle in the Clouds” and “Sigma Oasis.”

“Possum” took the room back to another era, before another bout of time travel and subsequent arrival on the Mercy contribution, “6 1/2 Minutes.” Reflecting on the turn of the century, Anastasio pulled in “Brian and Robert” and “Ghost” prior to “A Life Beyond the Dream.” Next, the musician welcomed accompaniment from pianist Jeff Tanski, who joined his host for a series of songs, “The Divided Sky,” through set ender, “Harry Hood.” 

During the night’s encore, Anastasio worked in “Mercy,” “Wilson,” and “Carini” before Tanski turned up once more for the concert’s final piece, “You Enjoy Myself.”

Anastasio’s solo acoustic tour continues tonight in Kansas City. The concert is sold out.

Trey Anastasio 

Orchestra Hall – Chicago 

March 18, 2025

Set I: More, Twist, Lost in the Pack, Theme From the Bottom, Mountains in the Mist, Bathtub Gin, Wolfman’s Brother, Snowflakes in the Sand, Waste, Turtle in the Clouds, Sigma Oasis, Possum, 6 ½ Minutes, Brian and Robert, Ghost, A Life Beyond the Dream, The Divided Sky, Bouncing Around the Room, Stash, Shade, Harry Hood 

Enc.: Mercy, Wilson, Carini, You Enjoy Myself