RICHMOND, Va. -- Phish co-founder Trey Anastasio enjoyed a day off from tour in Richmond, Virginia on Thursday.
Anastasio, 56, was photographed by several fans while he walked around the city with his wife Sue.
Phish fan Mike Cyr could not believe his eyes when the acclaimed guitarist crossed the street right in front of him while he and a friend were stopped at a red light.
"I was awestruck but I managed to thank him for the stellar show and told him I loved him," Cyr wrote in a text. "He said it back, lmao. I’m still in shock."
Anastasio's other band, the Trey Anastasio Band (TAB), performed the night before up the road at Ting Pavilion in Charlottesville.
Thursday was a day off before the band's show on Friday night in Wilmington, North Carolina.
Anastasio told fan Eileen Mellon, who stopped and asked him for a photo, that he was passing through on his way to Wilmington.
"My boyfriend’s sister texted me a pic of her friend who spotted him near the 7-Eleven at Madison!" Mellon, referring to the store near the Jefferson Hotel, said. "Minutes later I was driving near Monroe Park and see him crossing the street and legit scream out my window and erratically park my car and run up to him."
Perhaps Anastasio was compelled to stop in Richmond after speaking with fellow Phish member Mike Gordon.
Before the band's 2018 stint at both band- and fan-favorite Hampton Coliseum, the Phish bassist also strolled the streets of Richmond while heaping praise on the capital city.
"It's just so freaking gorgeous here in Richmond, Virginia," Gordon said mid-stride in a 2018 video posted on his Twitter and Instagram. "I'm experiencing all these neighborhoods with cobblestone streets and culture that's kind of old fashion, but then reaches toward innovation."
👋🏼 from tour pic.twitter.com/NEUeB8tXLA
— Mike Gordon (@mike_gordon) October 18, 2018
Gordon also shouted out some examples of the places he noticed in Richmond.
"Art institute, coffee shops, instrument shops, and I start to feel like every step I'm taking, is being at home," the New England native continued. "I feel elated and liberated and just so thankful that it's so beautiful and that I get to be here right now [in] Richmond, Virginia."
Anastasio may have also been drawn to Richmond by his stomach.
Richmond-based burrito delivery service Sous Casa founder Jim Hamilton is the chef for Phish when the band is on the road. He recently filled band members' bellies on Phish's 22-date Summer Tour. So it's possible Anastasio could not wait until Fall Tour begins October 15 to taste Hamilton's cooking again.
RELATED: Feeding Phish: How Richmond man became chef to the stars
Most likely, though, Richmond represented a comfortable place to rest and take in the sights while on the road with TAB.
Whatever his reasoning, photos of Anastatio crossing the street and flashing a peace sign in front of the 7-Eleven on Belvidere Street had Phish memers working overtime on what should have been an off day.
"It’s like finding a diamond in the rough," Phish memer David "jonfishmeme" said over an Instagram chat. "Mike always posts when on tour so that makes creating content super easy. The other three members are more allusive. When these pictures come up, it’s definitely my Super Bowl moment."
Phish fans hope Trey Anastasio had a good time in town. Perhaps such a nice visit that he'll bring Phish back to Richmond -- a city the band has not played since 1994.
Did you see Trey in Richmond? Tell us about it email newstips@wtvr.com to send a tip.
