As Pink Talking Fish wrap up their Winter 2019tour, any concerns about the chops of new guitarist Cal Kehoe should bealleviated. Kehoe joined the group in mid-March and their explosive show atTeragram Ballroom in Los Angeles on March 30, 2019 did not pull any punches.The band has not lost a thing with Kehoe in tow. In fact, they seem to haveadded a dynamic new element - Kehoe’s legit connection to Phish. He hasrecorded and performed with his old friend, Phish lyricist Tom Marshall, aswell as playing on side stages at Phish festival performances.
Kehoe’s stellar guitar playing on the PinkFloyd and Talking Heads songs was spot on. But it was on the Phish songs thathe really stood out, channeling Trey’s technique so closely that if you closedyour eyes, it seemed like it wasn’t a tribute, but the real thing. Kehoe was aguitar wizard all night and truly impressed with how smoothly he melded intothe band’s unique ability to transition between the iconic songs of the threelegendary acts.
Phish’s “Tube” segued into Talking Heads’“Psycho Killer” which created a festive sing-along by the crowd before swingingback to “Tube.” Pink Floyd’s “Fearless” featured beautiful keyboard work byRichard James, who also starred on lead vocals. After teasing “Hunger Strike”by Temple of the Dog, “Fearless” smoothly segued into Phish’s “Prince Caspian.”The whole featured crowd favorites for about three hours.
In the second set, Phish’s “Piper” showcasedquality harmonies between James, Kehoe and bassist Eric Gould. Kehoe and Jamesplayed incredible solos during the extended jam. For Pink Floyd’s “Pigs (ThreeDifferent Ones),” James and Gould did a sweet duet and James broke out his talkbox for a trippy keyboard solo.
After excellent versions of “Slippery People”and “Say It To Me S.A.N.T.O.S.” inspired more sing-alongs, the band surprised everyonewith the James Gang classic “Walk Away.” Kehoe was all smiles as the quartetplayed and he even teased Derek and The Dominos “Layla” in the middle of hissolo. “Walk Away” flawlessly transitioned back to “Say It To Me S.A.N.T.O.S.”
As the show was winding down, they did a killerversion of Pink Floyd’s “Mother” as James played the haunting keyboard riff andsang the dramatic vocals. Gould and Kehoe joined in with beautiful harmoniesand Kehoe’s guitar solo would have made David Gilmour proud. The pace picked upfor Talking Heads’ “Take Me To The River” with Gould’s base line causing thehouse to pulsate as all three vocalists were joined by the audience for thechorus.
The pace became frenetic as the band launchedinto Phish’s “Chalk Dust Torture” to close the show. Kehoe took over on vocals,played the distinctive guitar riff and blasted the solo. The crowd’s seeminglyendless energy peaked as many bounced to the throughout the ballroom. It was aperfect song to end the set and cement Kehoe’s position with the band.
The encore was another surprise as the bandselected The Beastie Boys’ “Sabotage” to close things out. Kehoe exuberantlyscreamed the vocals and the band played the volatile song with kinetic energy.After it ended, all four musicians and the crowd were spent. The band warmlyembraced at the front of the stage, took a few bows and finally walked off to loudcheers from the ecstatic crowd.
