In 1998, Trey Anastasio co-opted the Higher Grounds opening week celebration, using the opportunity to debut a handful of new songs along with the band Eight Foot Florescent Tubes. In addition to unveiling a handful of new compositions, including First Tube and Gotta Jiboo, Anastasio laid the groundwork for his first solo band, which featured bassist Tony Markellis and drummer Russ Lawton. Seven years later, Anastasio returned to the Higher Ground once again, testing out his new band 70 Volt Parade before an equally intimate audience. The band breezed through a handful of numbers off of Anastasios major label debut—-including Night Speaks to a Woman and Push on ‘till the Day—-before dipping into his extensive Phish canon. While Anastasio consciously avoided the bulk of his Phish material during his previous solo tours, this time around the guitarist offered one of his most complex numbers, _ Rifts _ Its Ice, as well as _ Round Rooms _ 46 Days. A longtime Beatles fan, Anastasio used the opportunity to also work in a reworked version of I am the Walrus.

A departure from his more horn-driven sound, Anastasios new group reportedly contains a solid rock-foundation, anchored by drummer Skeeto Valdez and bassist Peter Chwazik. Featuring two-keyboardists, Les Hall and Ray Paczkowski, 70 Volt Parade is featured on Anastasios forthcoming album, culled from recent recordings sessions in the Barn and Atlanta. Anastasio reportedly scrapped his previous work with Tony Levin and Jerry Marotta in favor of his new project. Debuts included Low, Whats Done, Come as Melody and 18 Steps. Anastasio also reworked two semi-acoustic numbers first played at Februarys Tibet House benefit for a full-band setting: Love is Freedom and Bar 17. The evening concluded with a pre-recorded version of the eponymous 70 Volt Parade. Anastasio will kickoff his official tour April 26 in Richmond, VA. Until then, check-out Anastasios first post-Phish interview over at Relix.com