Photo Credit: Rick Fury

Last night, Trey Anastasio took his current solo acoustic tour to the Sunshine State for the first of two regional concerts. Wednesday’s gig occurred at the Walt Disney Theater in Orlando, Fla., ahead of a Friday follow-up in Clearwater. During the Phish guitarist’s latest performance, he commenced the night with a solo acoustic debut of “If I Could See the World.”

The starting point of last night’s concert originally appeared on Anastasio’s COVID-era album Lonely Trips, which was released in 2020. After introducing the track to his listeners via social media, the guitarist percolated live deliveries of the number into select concert formats, beginning with his Oct. 9, 2020, Beacon Theatre performance.

The musician kept the number in his arsenal until June 10, 2023, when the Trey Anastasio Trio performed the tune during a gig at Denver’s Mission Ballroom. “If I Could See the World” also received plays by classic TAB during concerts on Sept. 21, 2023, at The Georgia Theatre in Athens and Montréal’s M Telus on May 19, 2024.

During last night’s kick-off, Anastasio went so far as to address the rarity with his audience. Despite past run-throughs in Trio and classic TAB form, the guitarist commented, “That first song I sang, I’ve never played that song live, but I like that song.” He added context and touched on the nature of its arrival, “It was written during the pandemic, and a couple of people asked me if I’d play it, so I appreciate the request.” 

Anastasio’s pre-“Roll Like a River” story also added to the night’s lore. The guitarist offered a tale about thinking his favorite music teacher was dead, telling the crowd: “I was very sad. This happened like six years ago… [Laughs.] This is all a true story. About six years ago, I heard that this one music teacher I [had] a really close relationship with, and I heard that he had passed away. It was very heartbreaking; he was my middle school music teacher.”

He continues, “I had probably done six or seven of these acoustic tours, and I was on one of these tours and I heard this news and I said some really kind words about him and eulogized him from the stage. I finished the tour and got home and the phone rang and it was him! ‘I’m not dead! I’m living in the Finger Lakes in upstate New York.’ I was like, ‘Sorry, dude.” 

He went on to giggle and express, “And he’s still alive and well today. He’s not dead,” to the audience’s elation, which erupted in cheers. Watch below.