Trey Anastasio at McCarter Theater, Princeton
Trey Anastasio's abilty to improvise over odd time signatures over quirky chord changes has earned the man adoration by guitarists and audiophiles alike. Over the years he has given birth to a multitude of bands: Phish, Surrender to the Air, 40 Foot Flourescent Tubes, Oysterhead, Trey Anastasio Band, and now 70 Volt Parade. Of all his projects, the lattest is the lamest.
70 Volt Parade exhibits Trey's ability to songwrite solo, words and music. Typically he has collaborated with longtime friend Tom Marshall of the Amfibian fame. Unfortunately the result sounds watered down. The lyrics are decent as songs go, chords are alright. The problem exists in the selection of bandmates. When compared to the musicians in previous projects, these guys seem bland. Now I'm sure that they all sound great, but comming away from such stellar performances, it seems like a huge step down.
I wonder if part of his success with the new band is riding on the fame from previous bands, namely Phish. It is no wonder that phans will slam him in comparrison. This leaves me to wonder what new fans he has gained with the new sound. Certainly he has appeal to a general 88.5 WXPN crowd, but will soon be forgotton in the long scheme of things.
Who would have thought that Mike Gordon would have the more successful post-Phish career. Maybe it is because he truly has his heart into his craft, much like Phil Lesh.
70 Volt Parade exhibits Trey's ability to songwrite solo, words and music. Typically he has collaborated with longtime friend Tom Marshall of the Amfibian fame. Unfortunately the result sounds watered down. The lyrics are decent as songs go, chords are alright. The problem exists in the selection of bandmates. When compared to the musicians in previous projects, these guys seem bland. Now I'm sure that they all sound great, but comming away from such stellar performances, it seems like a huge step down.
I wonder if part of his success with the new band is riding on the fame from previous bands, namely Phish. It is no wonder that phans will slam him in comparrison. This leaves me to wonder what new fans he has gained with the new sound. Certainly he has appeal to a general 88.5 WXPN crowd, but will soon be forgotton in the long scheme of things.
Who would have thought that Mike Gordon would have the more successful post-Phish career. Maybe it is because he truly has his heart into his craft, much like Phil Lesh.
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