Imagine being in a band with your best friends for over 40 years, and each night you step on stage you get to play one more show. That’s exactly what guitarist Trey Anastasio and his bandmates in Phish think about right before every sold-out arena or amphitheater show. “We're all hyper aware now, every night,” mentions Anastasio. “I mean, we just love it so much. It's like, I can't wait for the tour to start.” Anastasio’s energy and passion is infectious, even when he isn’t talking about music. Bring up hockey, 6L6-based amps, or even his generationally deep Iowa roots and watch as his eyebrows raise.

We had to do something special for the 100th episode of Wong Notes. We caught up with Trey while he was preparing for a November tour with his solo band. In part one, Cory Wong brings Anastasio in with some hockey talk before diving straight into his current full-circle journey with his rig, and he reveals a bit of an epiphany that all true gearheads know, but sometimes are afraid to admit.

Get 30% off your first year of DistroKid by going here: http://distrokid.com/vip/corywong

Visit Trey Anastasio: http://trey.com

Hit us up: wongnotes@premierguitar.com

Visit Cory: https://www.corywongmusic.com

Visit Premier Guitar: http://premierguitar.com

IG: https://www.instagram.com/wongnotespod

Produced by Jason Shadrick and Cory Wong

Presented by DistroKid

This go around, Cory Wong is joined by Pino Palladino and Blake Mills. Palladino, a Grammy-winning bassist, has collaborated with everyone from Erykah Badu and Keith Richards to John Mayer and the late, great D’Angelo. Mills’ resumé includes work with Bob Dylan, Fiona Apple, and Joni Mitchell. The duo has been around the block.

Wong probes all corners of their creative processes, from the purpose of the music they make, to dealing with “unnatural” elements of the creative process, to layering parts on a record, to different approaches to melody. As you read, Palladino and Mills have worked with some of the greatest musicians and writers of the past century. They’ve got a lot of wisdom to share.

Tune in to learn from some of the best in the biz.

Get 30% off your first year of DistroKid by going here: http://distrokid.com/vip/corywong

Visit Blake Mills: https://www.blakemillsonline.com/

Visit Pino Palladino: https://pinopalladinoblakemills.komi.io/

Hit us up: wongnotes@premierguitar.com

Visit Cory: https://www.corywongmusic.com

Visit Premier Guitar: http://premierguitar.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/wongnotespod

IG: https://www.instagram.com/wongnotespod

Produced by Jason Shadrick and Cory Wong

Presented by DistroKid

Welcome back for a special episode of Wong Notes! If you couldn’t make it to Cory’s Syncopated Summer Camp, this one’s for you: It features Wong and his Flyers bandmates—Nate Smith on drums, Joe Dart on bass, and Mark Lettieri on guitar—in a live masterclass recording from this summer, as they jam and break down an original composition.

The group starts off with a rowdy rip through the tune (which, apparently, didn’t go so well when they played it in Italy) before slowing down its constituent parts and highlighting Lettieri’s thoughtful arrangements. Each member of the band takes a turn explaining their approach to jamming and improvising—and how to know when trouble is coming. (For Smith, it’s when one player tries to “force an agenda.”)

The most important instrument for a successful jam and songwriting session? Your ears: It all comes back to listening. So listen in and learn with the best on this exclusive instalment.

Recorded LIVE at the Syncopated Summer Camp presented by Dreamcatcher Events: http://dreamcatcher-events.com

Listen to the full episode here: https://bit.ly/WongNotes

Get 30% off your first year of DistroKid by going here: http://distrokid.com/vip/corywong

Hit us up: wongnotes@premierguitar.com

Visit Cory: https://www.corywongmusic.com

Visit Premier Guitar: http://premierguitar.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/wongnotespod

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