Only the most dedicated and creative musicians can continue to impress and raise the bar across the decades. And for about 40 years now, Trey Anastasio has been blowing the minds of those who’ve gone out of their way to see him play guitar and hear him sing.

As the longtime leader of Phish, the anomalous improvisational rock band formed at the University of Vermont back in 1983, Trey’s guided the group through good times and bad to its place as one of the most important and cherished acts of all time.

Concurrent to that, he’s carved his own successful solo route, which has rewarded followers in the form of a dozen studio albums showing off Anastasio’s songwriting talents, featuring varied instrumentation and utilizing different recording approaches along the way.

Trey and his longtime, evolving squad known as Trey Anastasio Band packed Baltimore’s Pier VI Pavilion on July 6 and turned a sultry, steamy evening into a bash for the ages.

Performing an ambitious blend of his own material and what many would consider to be Phish essentials, Trey was all smiles and wide-eyed before the sweaty but enthusiastic audience gathered under the massive tent of the waterfront venue.

He and his colleagues weaved in and out of tunes with vigor and enthusiasm, and while he didn’t pull from all his solo records, the July 6 presentation included two tracks from his 2022 purely solitary effort, Mercy, plus a pair from 2020’s Lonely Trip, an album created with longtime Phish drummer Jon Fishman.

Anastasio was backed in Baltimore by a cast of the very best to join him since he began the “TAB” project in the late 90s, several of whom hail from Vermont or cut their teeth there as musicians. Fans grooved all night as the setlist ventured as far back as Trey’s 2002’s self-titled release that featured four members of his current outfit.

Listen to Trey Anastasio’s 2022 studio album, Mercy, via Spotify:

Russ Lawton, who played with Trey at his first ever solo TAB gig, was on drums at the pavilion, while Jennifer Hartswick, who began touring with the group in 2000, was on trumpet and backup vocals.

Ray Paczkowski, who’s been in the group since 2001, played keys (Lawton and Paczkowski will join trey this fall for shows billed as “Classic TAB”) and percussion guru Cyro Baptista, who joined Trey for several of his early solo albums, was surrounded by all the gadgets and noisemakers in the Charm City.

Natalie Cressman, whose father, Jeff, was in the band before she joined it in 2008, played the trombone and added vocals as she and Hartswick formed a potent brass duo on the Pier VI stage.

Newer to the fold, acclaimed jazz bassist Dezron Douglas — who joined TAB after the untimely passing of Tony Markelis and teamed up with Trey and Jon Fishman last month for a series of “Trey Anastasio Trio” shows — rounded out the large crew currently on tour with Anastasio to make it one of the most impressive he’s ever assembled.

And though he’s had to sit out shows for the past couple years while battling colon cancer and was offstage for most of Thursday night, saxophonist James Casey joined the group for an encore performance of the Five Stairsteps classic “O-o-h Child,” drawing an emotional response from Trey and rounds of respectful cheers from the many on hand aware of what Casey is up against.

Like most successful musicians of his kind, Anastasio himself has faced his share of challenges in his day. But, seemingly living his best life since finding his stride in sobriety, he’s now clearly focused on what has been the source of so much of his joy: bringing people together through music.

Listen to Trey Anastasio’s 2020 studio album, Lonely Trip, featuring his longtime pal and bandmate Jon Fishman via Spotify:

And as if the continued success of Phish isn’t proof enough, two lengthy and colorful sets this past Thursday night in Baltimore provided ample additional evidence that any night hosted by Trey is indeed cause for celebration.

Setlist

Set One
Everything’s Right (Phish)
Camel Walk (Phish)
Blaze On (Phish)
Mercy
Hey Stranger
Back On The Train (Phish)
Set Your Soul Free (Phish)
Pigtail
Sand (Phish)

Set Two
A Wave of Hope
Cayman Review
Undermind (Phish)
Sweet Dreams Melinda
… And Flew Away
Gotta Jibboo (Phish)
About to Run
The Moma Dance (Phish)
Push On ‘Til The Day

Encore
O-o-h Child (Five Stairsteps)

Here are 35mm home-developed images of Trey Anastasio Band performing at Pier VI Pavilion in Baltimore the evening of July 6, 2023. All photos copyright and courtesy of Casey Vock.