Trey Anastasio busted

Gentle Giant · December-15th-2006, 11:02 PM

Yeah, I know, hard to believe: the guitarist from Phish does drugs.

At least Scott's not around to talk about how awesome Trey is.

What a maroon. And not only that, check out his real name.

Anastasio charged with drugged driving
December 15, 2006

WHITEHALL, N.Y. --Guitarist Trey Anastasio was accused of driving under the influence of drugs in an upstate New York town near the Vermont border early Friday.

The former Phish frontman was pulled over by an officer who saw his car failing to keep to right side of the road at about 3:30 a.m., Whitehall village police said.

A search turned up quantities of the painkillers hydrocodone and Percocet, as well as the anti-anxiety drug Xanax, that had been prescribed for someone else, police said.

Anastasio, who was driving with a suspended New York license, was charged with third-degree aggravated unlicensed operation, seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and driving while intoxicated-drugs, police said. He was released and scheduled for a court appearance at a later date.

"I feel terrible about what happened last night, and I am deeply sorry for any embarrassment I have caused my friends, family and fans," Anastasio said in a written statement.

Anastasio lives in Vermont and has been performing solo since Phish broke up in 2004.
© Copyright 2006 The New York Times Company

Cem · December-16th-2006, 01:04 AM

fuckin' rich hippies!

MRS · December-16th-2006, 03:30 AM

. . .reminds me of maybe the only funny thing Adam Carolla ever said, in an auto parts shop, in line, asks some greasy hoosier in front of him what kind of car he drives. "Chevy Celebrity". Carolla comes right back: "You know it's kind of funny how no celebrity would ever drive a Celebrity".

Percs, what a hoot. Where's the toot? 3:30am and Xanax aren't exactly bacon and eggs.

Gary Sisco · December-16th-2006, 09:10 AM

Hey, he *is* a Vermonster after all. I'll be damned.

Root Doctor · December-16th-2006, 12:02 PM

He should be arrested for musical offenses.

PHILLYQ · December-16th-2006, 02:31 PM

Wow! A musician that's high! What's next- movie stars with political pronouncements?

John P. Cooper · December-16th-2006, 02:31 PM

Oh, no!

Hahahaha!!

Lenny D.Guitarist · December-16th-2006, 05:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Root Doctor

He should be arrested for musical offenses.

Root,
I will defend to the death your right to express your opinion, although I disagree with your assessment of Mr. Anastasio's virtuosity. He can walk the walk, even if he plays in a genre that some may not like. Have a good weekend.

Gary Sisco · December-16th-2006, 06:37 PM

I didn't care much for Phish, musically, either -- wrong generation, probably -- I was long done with rock by the time they came around -- but they're nice enough guys, everyday people. Some lucky Vermont hippies was my take on the band, musically. There wasn't any way to live in Burlington and not run across them in your runnings. Fishman especially was often out and about, often at the club where I used to work.

Anastasio now, I'm afraid, is going to find out what difference a few miles makes late at night. Another six miles or so and he'd have been in Vt. I'm intimately familiar with the route he was on; it's the same one I've taken to Albany and points and west or south from there, countless times. That time of night on that stretch in Vermont, he'd have had a cop-free cruise home. And even if not, he'd have got off a lot lighter than what he'll probably see having been busted across the line in New York. Phish has done a lot of community good over the years. That would count for something in a VT court. Unlikely in New York, though.

Monte Smith · December-16th-2006, 08:15 PM

Too little, too late, if you ask me. But at least someone is paying the price for the 30 minute vacuum cleaner solo I was subjected to at an ampitheater in Richmond in 91 or 92. Now maybe my healing can begin.

Tom Storer · December-17th-2006, 03:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Monte Smith

the 30 minute vacuum cleaner solo I was subjected to at an ampitheater in Richmond in 91 or 92

I saw a very amusing cartoon years ago that related to the 1970's but could perhaps also apply to Phish. In it, we see a couple of adolescent boys in a huge stadium. Far away we can make out a rock band with a goateed guitarist in cowboy boots (as I recall it looked vaguely like Dicky Betts). One guy turns to the other and says, "He's kept this solo going for forty-five minutes!" The other replies, "What a master!"

Gary Sisco · December-17th-2006, 07:35 AM

I had a long ago girlfriend who had a live Dead tape that included a Harley idling on the stage while the drummers improvised with it.

Like I said, a long ago girlfriend...

My brother rode to work for years with a guy who was one of those who have a couple of hundred Dead shows on cassette. One morning my brother looks over at him and says, "You know, this music really sucks." His friends says, "I know, but it was such a great show!"

I was living in Burlington when Phish was still a bar band, playing Nectar's. Even then the kids had already started with the adulation business that was to so annoy me eventually. They played there so much I used to tease the workers there by asking if anyone else played there anymore. But actually, the strange part for me, and to show how much luck has to do with such things, at the time there were two other local bands that were virtually indistinguishable from them. Phish lasted. Garcia died. End of story.

Root Doctor · December-17th-2006, 07:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lenny D.Guitarist

Root,
I will defend to the death your right to express your opinion, although I disagree with your assessment of Mr. Anastasio's virtuosity. He can walk the walk, even if he plays in a genre that some may not like. Have a good weekend.

Virtuosity is no substitute for having something to say. If you've ever heard Anastasio's version of "It Makes No Difference" you'd be calling for the death penalty.

Gary Sisco · December-17th-2006, 08:20 AM

Bronwyn and I went to see Stevie Winwood once. He had a huge band with him and it was quite an enjoyable show, actually. Needless to say the encore was ... "I'm A Man." It's Burlington, remember, so who walks on the stage to play it with them but ... "Trey." It's Burlington, remember, so of course that drew the hugest, longest applause.

Who can account. I was playing that (as were thousands of kids) in my high school band before Anastasio was born.

Still, nice enough guys if you have to have rock stars with absolutist worshippers living in your town. Which I hope you don't.

rollhead · December-17th-2006, 11:33 AM

We can only hope that his son, Quatro, stays out of trouble.

steve(thelil) · December-17th-2006, 12:32 PM

As Rollhead points out, the nickname "Trey" represents his being 3rd in a line of Anastasios. Interestingly, the Anastasio men's nicknames not only reflect their place in the family tree, they reveal how many drugs the name holder prefers in their drug cocktail of choice. Trey got so christened because his is hydrocodone, Percocet, and Xanax.

(His father , "Deuce" was also called "Speedball.")

Monte Smith · December-17th-2006, 12:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom Storer

I saw a very amusing cartoon years ago that related to the 1970's but could perhaps also apply to Phish. In it, we see a couple of adolescent boys in a huge stadium. Far away we can make out a rock band with a goateed guitarist in cowboy boots (as I recall it looked vaguely like Dicky Betts). One guy turns to the other and says, "He's kept this solo going for forty-five minutes!" The other replies, "What a master!"

I don't know if many people can pinpoint the exact moment that they stopped caring about rock and roll, but for me it was that 30 minute vacuum cleaner solo. A couple of days later, because I promised, I drove a group of friends a couple hundred miles up to RFK stadium for a Dead show. "We've got you a ticket, Monte...." "Nope. I don't need a miracle." "What are you going to do?" "I think I'll check out the National Cathedral."

Dr Dave · December-17th-2006, 09:16 PM

Ernest Anastasio. How about that.

You know, I don't think I've ever knowingly heard Phish. The only "jam band" I could ever tolerate was the Allman Brothers, and I bailed after their live album. Nobody, I mean nobody, should be allowed to solo on an electric guitar for 20 minutes. Wes Montgomery never played no damn 20-minute solos, and he had a lot more to say than most.

LennyH · December-17th-2006, 09:55 PM

I had never really heard Phish until I saw a PBS documentary on them a year or two ago.

I was shocked at how lame they are. Nothing there.

Lenny D.Guitarist · December-18th-2006, 07:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Root Doctor

Virtuosity is no substitute for having something to say. If you've ever heard Anastasio's version of "It Makes No Difference" you'd be calling for the death penalty.

Roots,
You're the best.

Gary Sisco · December-18th-2006, 08:06 AM

No argument out of me. I don't believe I've ever listened to one their records. Certainly not a show. I heard them when they were still a bar band and heard all I need to hear then.

cookie · December-18th-2006, 09:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lenny D.Guitarist

Root,
I will defend to the death your right to express your opinion, although I disagree with your assessment of Mr. Anastasio's virtuosity. He can walk the walk, even if he plays in a genre that some may not like. Have a good weekend.

Umm...that's not what I heard from a friend of mine who worked with him for a while. He told me that the cat really isn't much of a musician (though he certainly can do what he does just fine). Now the cat who told me is an *excellent* musician and I respect his opinion. He spent several months with Trey, but in the end it didn't work out. My friend said that while he missed the money, he really didn't miss the music or Anastasio who he said was basically a a jerk.

Gary Sisco · December-18th-2006, 09:55 AM

Lucky hippies. They just happened to be positioned just right when professional tour trash lost "Gerry" to follow around. So they switched allegiance without missing a beat.

cookie · December-18th-2006, 12:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gary Sisco

Lucky hippies. They just happened to be positioned just right when professional tour trash lost "Gerry" to follow around. So they switched allegiance without missing a beat.

Bingo!!!

Root Doctor · December-18th-2006, 12:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lenny D.Guitarist

Roots,
You're the best.

You're the first guy to ever say that to me, Lenny.

stonemonkts · December-18th-2006, 01:16 PM

I've never heard of the band, or this guy before reading this thread.

Based on the posts, I'm fortunate.

Sand · December-18th-2006, 01:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stonemonkts

I've never heard of the band, or this guy before reading this thread.

Based on the posts, I'm fortunate.

Me thinks you are very ignorant. I've heard about Trey Anastasio. I have one of his recordings. Someone sent it to me. I never succeded listening to more than a track, though it may be my own fault.
Phish? I have seen the name. That's all. And I had fish for dinner on saturday and on Sunday. Wonderful stuff.