Perseid

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History

“Perseid” is likely named after an annual meteor shower (the Perseids) caused by a comet that appears in earth’s neighborhood only about once every 133 years. Unless something changes, the song appears to be on roughly the same trajectory. If that holds, it would be disappointing because “Perseid” is an epic vehicle, capable of being a set centerpiece and with the potential of producing the same kind of celestial fireworks as the annual meteor shower it gets its name from.

An expanded version of the lyrics and altered, sprawling arrangement for “Perseid” first appeared publicly as the song “Forward People,” which was the last of the Rubber Jungle home recordings Anastasio released during the pandemic when the world was on a lockdown. Whereas most of those songs (including “Evolve,” “Wave of Hope,” and “If I Could See the World“) debuted on Instagram, “Forward People” was presented on YouTube—without any video component—likely due to its 14:35 length. 

“Forward People” featured a large list of unnamed musical contributors because Trey kept inviting musicians, stuck at home during the shutdown, to record parts for it. The result was a large-scale collaboration that could feel a bit unfocused or inconsistent despite enormous potential.

Some of the lyrics were a bit too on the nose for some listeners, reminding them that even during enforced social distancing, they were never alone and that everything and everyone is connected; still, it never quite connected with a lot of the fanbase. But it may have served another purpose that didn’t rely on an audience (since it has never been performed in front of one) — keeping the musicians themselves working during quarantine.

With a message of moving onwards into tomorrow, after it was posted to YouTube, “Forward People” was seen as a potential contender for the New Year’s Eve gag, but then NYE came and went and came and went.

In the summer of 2023, Trey Anastasio performed three shows as a trio at Denver’s Mission Ballroom, with drummer Jon Fishman and bassist Dezron Douglas, using the run to test-drive new material in front of a live audience. “Perseid” was one of these — and it remains the only time the song was ever performed live.

According to Anastasio’s stage banter, “Perseid” existed first, then “Forward People” expanded on it, alongside a growing list of contributors. Perhaps sensing that something was lost in the renovation, Anastasio made new revisions and returned the song back to its original title.

The reworked composition still faced adversity and setbacks, even on its debut night — “Perseid” was actually, technically, played one and three quarter times. It was slotted to close the first set of the first night of the run, 6/9/23, but technical challenges forced Anastasio to abandon the song before its conclusion. Voicing his frustration, he called for an early set break. The band then nailed it, in full, to close the second set.

Just like the comet whose debris field gives us the annual meteor shower, this version of “Perseid" was worth waiting for. Anastasio shaved off the problematic lyrics, editing them to where they sound less pandemic-specific and where their call to action gains power over sentimentality: “Love! Now! Move forward people, we are all one people!” Only assholes would have an issue with that message, even if some would still prefer that Anastasio stuck to “Boy, Man, God, Shit.”

“Perseid” still clocks in at epic length, at twelve and a half minutes — just two minutes shy of its “Forward People” offspring. But, now, the first seven and a half of those minutes are a symphonic instrumental, closer in spirit to “My Friend, My Friend” and Anastasio’s classical-composition days than it is to his solo-acoustic-minded quarantine sessions.

Phish fans can also delight in the jam section—yes, there’s a jam section already clearly mapped out, in the only live version —that could easily double the song’s length and push it past the 20 minute mark. The potential is there. Loud and clear. 

If you see a shooting star from the Perseids this summer, you know what to wish for. “We’re done waiting for it.”

Last significant update: 3/12/26

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