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Trey Anastasio, photo by Dave Vann

Trey Anastasio returned to the stage last night to set off his highly anticipated November tour with the Trey Anastasio Band. To begin their first tour since 2023, the iconic Phish frontman and his six-piece backing band of Russ Lawton, Ray Paczkowski, Dezron Douglas, Cyro Baptista, Natalie Cressman and Jennifer Hartswick offered two sets of reimagined Phish classics and the bandleader’s solo originals – including live debuts for two previously unheard songs.

TAB stepped into the spotlight for the first of two nights at Denver’s Mission Ballroom with Phish’s A Picture of Nectar essential “Stash,” performed by the septet for the first time since December 2006. After toggling to Anastasio’s solo material with “In Rounds,” drawn from his 2015 album Paper Wheels, and the two-decade essential “Alive Again,” the band began to bounce back and forth between the catalogs. Between Phish fan-favorites like “Ocelot” and “Blaze On,” the group shared Trey’s independent cuts, including “Mozambique,” “Drifting” and a set-closer of “What’s Going Through Your Mind.”

A clear highlight within the era-spanning mix of hits that populated the first frame was “Real You,” a fresh original that rang out as a celebration of a new era for TAB. The band built on this re-introduction with “Mindless Mood,” a second debut following the second set opening sequence of “Shine,” “Wolfman’s Brother” and “First Tube.” Anastasio and his band brought on ebullient, baroque renditions of “The Moma Dance,” “Love Is What We Are,” “Sand” and “Valentine,” then closed out the frame with an experimental high note of “No Men In No Man’s Land.” The frontman returned to the stage alone for an encore of the 2020 Lonely Trip entry “Lost in the Pack,” then called up his collaborators for a last radiant full-band blast of “Everything’s Right.”

The Trey Anastasio Band will perform at the Mission Ballroom again tonight, then head out for seven further dates through Nov. 5. From Nov. 28-30, Anastasio will return to New York’s Beacon Theatre to celebrate the fifth anniversary of his unforgettable Beacon Jams with a special three-night run. In keeping with the collaborative and experimental spirit of the peak pandemic livestream series, the artist will perform in a variety of formations, including TAB and the return of The Rescue Squad Strings. Proceeds from the residency will support the multifaceted charitable efforts of the Divided Sky Foundation. Find tickets and more information at trey.com.

Stream Friday’s show at livephish.com.