Yesterday we reported that Trey Anastasio had revealed some information regarding Phish’s upcoming summer tour in a recent interview with Rolling Stone. Now it looks like there’s a lot more information in the same piece, though most of it is related to Anastasio’s participation in the “Fare Thee Well” 50th anniversary.

The article, which appears in February 26 edition of Rolling Stone, states that Phil Lesh asked Anastasio to participate in the reunion shows via a email on January 5. The guitarist notes that the request was “a thrill and an honor,” adding that, “Phil said all four of them thought it was the right thing.” Additionally, he mentions that Phil “seemed pretty definitive” when he said this was the last time that reunion shows would be happening.

Anastasio also went into detail about his preparations for Fare Thee Well. After discussing his appreciation for the Grateful Dead in the early 80s, Anastasio states that, “The flow of the whole thing is in my DNA” before admitting, “I never sat down and studied what Jerry played until the last two weeks.” He then adds, “A couple of weeks ago, I started listening to ‘The Wheel.’ There’s a line he plays after the first verse – it slides all the way from the bottom of the neck to the top. I learned it exactly, note for note. Then what I do, since I don’t want to go out there and just copy Jerry – I play it in all 12 keys, so that I get it into my body…The thing is, there is a lot more intent in those lines than people might think.”

Anastasio also notes that he’s been taking cues from some of the people that influenced Garcia, particularly country acts like the legendary Buck Owens and his guitarist Don Rich, saying “That’s what I’ve been doing, listening to Don Rich to get to Jerry.” The piece also mentions that Anastasio and Bob Weir have traded lists of 60 songs that each would like to play. Evidently, the pair intends to meet up in a few weeks to “play a few things together and connect” before the full band convenes for rehearsals in June.

The Rolling Stone piece includes a few more notable details about Fare Thee Well. Promoter and )Relix/Jambands.com_ publisher Peter Shapiro tells the magazine that he and co-promoters Madison House Presents are “looking at going 360” so they can open up the seats behind the stage. He says that the field will likely be general admission “to accommodate more people and have more of a vibe” and that there will be a taper’s section, special commemorative tickets and a “safe, energetic lot scene.” Shapiro also told Rolling Stone that he is looking into simulcasting the event around the country, and that he is already holding the dates at his venues.

As previously reported, Anastasio will team up with the core four surviving members of the Grateful – Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart – as well as keyboardist Jeff Chimenti and pianist Bruce Hornsby for three “Fare Thee Well” shows. The concerts are scheduled to take place July 3-5 at Chicago’s Soldier Field, the site of the Grateful Dead’s final show.