Furthur 2010-03-08 Memorial Coliseum, Portland, OR

Until now, I haven't posted again since I decided to start this blog. Not because I haven't seen any music, but just because I haven't really seen anything worth writing about. Except for Jim Page, singer/songwriter formerly of Seattle town residence of course, who I managed to catch a couple times. I'm not usually a fan of singer/songwriters, because, to me, any old schmuck can pick up an acoustic guitar and sing a song. That said, some singer/songwriters transcend the typically cliche genre and produce true art. Anyway, if you've never heard Jim Page, do yourself a favor and check out his stuff at his myspace or his website.

The past couple months I also caught Dave Rawlings Machine (great), Richard Thompson (ok), Medeski, Martin, & Wood (average), Blue Turtle Seduction (good), and others that didn't entertain (or stick enough in my memory) to mention.

Last night, I saw Furthur in Portland where they closed their first extended tour as a band. After hearing glowing reviews and seeing the setlists from Chicago and Denver, I was excited to see what the boys had in store for the peristently Dead starved Pacific Northwest market.



Furthur
March 8, 2010
Portland Memorial Coliseum
Portland, OR

SET I:

Picasso Moon
Dupree's Diamond Blues
Friend of the Devil->
Mama Tried
Built to Last
Black- Throated Wind
Peaceful Valley
Passenger

The band took the stage at almost 8:00, about 30 minutes after showtime. The minor league hockey arena and former home of the Portland Trailblazers seemed to be about 65-70% full. Picasso Moon opener - probably my single least favorite Dead tune that is still played. Ugh. But I was happy to be there so I didn't complain too much. Dupree's was well played with JK taking the lyrics. Friend of the Devil was nice as always, but to my disappointment, they did not do the extra verse Phil has been singing the past couple years

You can borrow from the devil
You can borrow from a friend
Devil's got a twenty dollar bill
And your friend's only got ten.

Friend of the Devil segued very nicely into Mama Tried which was well received. Built to Last was poignent, but Black Throated Wind was easily my highlight of the first set. Someone told me it was the only time it was played this tour, and Bobby let it rip at the end. Peaceful Valley is a great tune, but I kind of feel like JK struggles with the vocal range. Still I was glad to hear it (though wished it was Magnolia Mountain). A rocking Passenger closed the first set. At the end of the song the band seemed to really start to jam and get out there. All in all the first set started slow, but the crowd seemed to be feeling good at set break.


SET II:

Scarlet Begonias->
Fire on the Mountain
Hell In a Bucket
West LA Fadeaway
Reuben and Cherise
Days Between
China Cat Sunflower >
I Know You Rider

Encore:

Donor Rap
Knocking on Heavens Door
Touch of Grey

Second set started with a short jam that led into Scarlet->Fire. To me, this was probably the highlight of the show. Thick grooves and the crowd loving it. Phil closing his eyes and thumping away at the familiar bass melodies. I turned around and noticed Bill Walton standing 5 feet behind me with a huge grin on his face. Once that was over, you knew it was Bobby time. Hell in a Bucket was really good - again classic Bobby at the end "at least I'm enjoyin' the ride!" They had a quick reggae breakdown in the middle of the song that I hadn't heard before. It worked ok I thought - not great, not bad. West LA was definitely a groove, but it was a SLOW groove that I thought had things going downhill.

Ruben & Cherise is always a treat and seemed to have the energy heading back up until the jam led straight into the brick wall of Days Between. I was devastated. But, then I decided just to record the song instead of complaining. In the end, I thought it was probably the best one of them that I've seen out of 3 in the past 10 months (Dead Gorge, Furthur Throck). The crowd, at least around me, agreed Bob is getting better and better at singing this one - and it gets downright powerful. Plus I got a SWEET 10 minute video of it.

China Cat->Rider to close the set definitely had the energy level back up to Scarlet->Fire levels by the end. The transition between the two songs was really well played, and I Know You Rider gets better and better every time I see these guys play it. Right before the end guitar part, JK had issues with his rig, and the band had to keep the energy level up (Chimenti and Russo in particular did a great job here) until it got fixed. When it did, JK just let loose - completely ripped it up and they let him have a few more rounds for his patience I think. At the end of all this, Phil lets out the BOMBS - awesome. He made us wait the whole show, but good things come to those who wait. Wish I was a headlight, on a northbound train...

Encore was a throwaway imo, but the Donor Rap seemed more heartfelt than usual (if that's possible?). At the end Phil and Bobby embraced and Phil hugged every member of the band, and they all huddled up together before the bow. Phil was beaming.

OTHER THOUGHTS

It snowed outside briefly before the show. WWE Monday Night Raw was at the Rose Garden right next door. The band seemed tighter than they did in January. And JK's playing was more aggresive, and he seemed more comfortable. Sunshine and Zoe are awesome and really help the band vocally. Phil's Modulus is finally back, and it felt so good to be able to hear every note with such clarity again. The show as a whole was up and down energetically and musically but the energy from the stage (especially from Phil) was awesome. Phil didn't sing a song all night - saving them all for the Birthday Bash on Friday. I can't wait and will assuredly have a bunch of thoughts about that one too.