Bad Blogger, No Cookie!!

First off, I have to apologize for being an awful blogger. I have been in the presence of lots of lights no eye can see lately, but managed to leave my camera at home every time. It doesn't matter that much - now I realize that no matter how many megapixels my digital camera may be, the pictures that I want require a proper lens. And those things are expensive. But I promise y'all that I'll get one soon. And I'll try to stop enjoying myself enough to actually take it into the show. Explode onto the rock 'n roll photography scene if you will.

Since we last spoke, I've seen a ton of music. And, much to my surprise, lots of it has been really good. Some notables off the top of my head - New Mastersounds/Trombone Shorty (fun), Yonder Mountain String Band (meh), Elephant Revival (good), Explosions in the Sky (loud). Here is a review of three of the bigger shows I've been lucky enough to see recently:

Akron/Family 2009-04-10
On April 10, I noticed that Akron/Family was playing a $5 gig with a bunch of other bands (MC Chris, Dan Deacon) at Lewis & Clark College in Portland. Hell yes. I had never been to Lewis & Clark before, and it reminded me of a summer camp I used to go to as a kid - really weird can't imagine going to school there. It is just south of P-Town tucked back in a wooded area with one road in and one road out. When I got there, I realized that on a Saturday night in a college campus such as this, most people over the age of 21 live and drink elsewhere. What is left is all the young-ins that live on campus. The show was in a dining room (I think) and was literally filled with probably 300 young, loud, drunk, insane, crowd surfing, mosh pitting kids that were ready to Par-Tay!!

After getting thrown around in the mosh pit for a minute, I noticed a platform about 15 feet back that I could get out of the madness on. This left me with a killer view of the room and the band. Akron/Family did not dissappoint. At one point, they had every single hand in the air moving in unison to the music - I'm talking EVERY SINGLE one. It was insane - not sure when the last time I saw a room totally locked in like that. I was kicking myself for not having my camera. The band opened with River and played an incredible set from start to finish. To me, they sound like some kind of noisy post-folk movement that creates within a 21st century tribal, shamanic, unified community full of love. Once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right.

They brought out two guest percussionists for an amazing, jammy Ed is a Portal to add to the power trio (bass, guitar, drums). They also have some type of sampler which produces everything from beautiful acoustic Middle Eastern music to dirty beats. Most of the other songs I didn't recognize (new album?), but they were all awesome! The band tapped in to the fact that it was a room full of 18-19 year olds going totally nuts, and played as hard and tight and with as much energy as I've ever seen them. Hopefully, I'll get to do it again soon.

Mark Knopfler 2009-04-11
The very next day, Mark Knopfler had the unenviable task of attempting to bring me back to the musical high I experienced the night before with Akron/Family. The show was at the Hult Center in Eugene, which was way cooler than I remember it - very interesting looking room with great sound. After enjoying some Pliny the Elder, I was feeling good, and I managed to scam a scalper outside. I ended up with a dead center seat directly in front of Knopfler 6th row. I love the small markets where they (scalpers) will take a loss as opposed to the big ones where they'd rather eat the ticket than sell for less than face. Scalper scum!!

Though not that exciting, it was a pleasure to see Mark Knopfler of course. The band was the same or very similar to the last time I saw him. Richard Bennett was great of course. And I was surprised to see Tim O'Brien there. He played everything from mandolin to banjo to fiddle to probably tons of other stuff too - very cool and definitely added to the Celtic feel of the evening. Knopfler's solo stuff is OK, imo. There are a couple really good ones, but most of it is flute-y folk drivel. Though I can see why he went in that direction after Brothers in Arms, which I thought was one of the clear highlights of the night. Marbletown was another highlight. Between Bennett and Tim O'Brien, I bet they can play almost every stringed instrument known to man. Surpisingly, at some point during the show, the curtain behind the band lifted to reveal a screen that had cool psychedelic design - way more production than he had two summers ago. Of the Dire Straits songs he played, I remember Romeo & Juliet, Sultans of Swing, Telegraph Road (set closer). The three song encore kicked off with the aforementioned Brothers in Arms and included Shangri-La (can't remember the third song).

Knopfler's distinct guitar tone was prevalent for much of the show, and the band as a whole was INCREDIBLY tight. It did rock out at times, and at times there were beautiful, amazing moments. Though, on the whole, the flute-y style of music was a little boring for me. And the crowd didn't help either - no one standing up as far as my eye could see (limited by the 6th row seat). Mostly older, seemingly rich people ($90 ticket prices help with that I suppose) translate to a nice sit-down affair rather than a rock 'n roll show. It's all water under the bridge though, and I'm sure I'll check him out again the next time I get the chance to.

Yeasayer 2010-04-19
Which brings me to the Yeasayer show I saw last night (4/19) at the sold out Wonder Ballroom in Portland. I learned the venue does NOT serve Caldera IPA in a can anymore, which makes me much less inclined to go back there. And they replace it with Bridgeport IPA?!?!?! Sometimes people make stupid mistakes, I guess. Anyway, I wasn't sure what to expect going in.

I love the new album Odd Blood but had no idea how it would translate into the live setting. As it turns out, Yeasayer is friggin' awesome!! The three part vocal harmonies are outstanding, and both the main vocalists have great voices. There are two percussionists, and it seems like there were a total of four keyboards on stage with a laptop, guitar, and a bass guitar (which had a sick flute solo at some point - idkwtf?).

They opened with The Children, as does their newest album. They made it even darker and more awesome than it is on the album. The vocals were put through a filter to sound very low and deep. I believe they played every song off Odd Blood and a good chunk of the songs from All Hour Cymbals. Every single song was good, and the energy from the stage gradually rubbed off on the Portland crowd. My personal highlight of the set was "I Remember," - sounded very tight and powerful. Chris Keating's voice has amazing capabilities - the way he hit the highs in this song was amazing. Once the crowd got into it, there were sing a longs and pockets of dance party breaking out. Everyone was having a blast. They closed the set with Ambling Alp "Now the world can be an unfair place at times, but your lows will have their complement of highs."

Yeasayer (and the crowd) reminded me of what it would be like if MGMT had a full band and could sing well - just an amazing dance party with some great music. The production was tasteful but still interesting (row of smaller screens behind the band with colored lights being inoffensively and unobtrusively blended on them). This band does not need lots of flashy LED bars or intense video screen, because they are entertaining enough to watch. I was a little concerned about the sound mix, but it was dialed in at the Wonder, which always sounds good. The thing I like about Yeasayer (and lots of other indie-electro pop bands) is that they are combining elements from the raves/clubs/parties with actual songs with structure and meaning. And it feels great to see a unifying force in music rather than dividing these days. All in all, if you get a chance, definitely check out this band.

I'm so blessed
To have spent the time
With my family
And the friends I love
In my short life
I have had so many people I deeply care for.

Happy Birthday Phil!!!!!!

Furthur & Friends 2010-03-12
A Celebration of Phil Lesh's 70th Birthday
Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
San Francisco, CA

Wow. After a couple good shows, it's always hard to collect my thoughts and separate the memories from each other. But I'm going to try. Where to start? I guess I'll start with the weather. My trip down to the Bay Area was blessed with gorgeous weather - clear blue skies and temperatures hovering around 70 degrees. EXCEPT, of course, during Friday for Phil's 70th Birthday show, when it rained ALL day. Man was it wet outside, but the rain couldn't stop me from having a good time in line. Spirits seemed to be good, despite the massive number of ticketless people.

SET I
Ripple
Lazy River Road
Peggy-O
Two Souls in Communion
Brokedown Palace
A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall
They Love Each Other
Mountains of the Moon
Attics of My Life

Once inside, you could feel the energy building as the room became more and more full. A little over half an hour after the published showtime, the band took the stage. It was Furthur minus Joe Russo with Jay Lane taking solo duty on the drum set plus Chris Robinson (of Black Crowes fame) and Jackie Greene. Phil had the Ritter out, and everyone else was on acoustic instruments. Steve Molitz joined Jeff Chimenti on keys. Jay's drumming was unobtrusive and fit nicely with the acoustic set. This first set is what dreams are made of. I can't remember if I've ever seen a show open with Ripple, and doing so flipped me upside down. "Let there be songs, to fill the air."

Lazy River Road was short and sweet, and Peggy-O was awesome. I prefer to have Phil sing this one, but Chris Robinson did a great job imo. Next up was my personal highlight of the entire show - Two Souls in Communion. Man, oh, man did Chris Robinson NAIL this one. Such a great voice with so much soul. "Fly on those wings of love, fly up, fly home!" Next, Jackie did his typically superb rendition of Brokedown Palace. At this point, Phil and the boys are just hitting us with emotion left and right. It is like Church on the rail... Next up was Dylan's Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall. The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan was the first Dylan album I got, so those songs always have a special place in my heart. This particular version was good, not great. They Love Each Other ... wompy love song ... next (sorry to all you romantics).

Mountains of the Moon has always been one of my favorites to hear Phil play. This one was no different. JK switched to electric guitar here, and Phil played his heart out. "It's time to matter. The earth will see you on through this time." And then...Attics of my Life. OMG - always always a highlight. This one had seven part vocal harmonies I believe (JK, Bob, Phil, Jackie Greene, Chris Robinson, Sunshine, and Zoe) - just stunning. And...I got the whole thing on video so yall can see it too. Set break took a little digesting. The crowd started to get more schwilly where I was and it was tough to keep my personal space. After about 45 mins, the band came out for an electric set.

SET II
Scarlet Begonias
Minglewood Blues
Easy Wind >
New Speedway Boogie
Viola Lee Blues V1 >
High Time >
Viola Lee Blues V2 >
Hard To Handle >
Viola Lee Blues V3 >
Like A Rolling Stone >
Sugaree

The second set as a whole was a straight up rock show. The energy level remained high throughout, and there were not really any cool-down songs (save for High Time I suppose - hard to catch your breath during that one though). Phil strapped on the Modulus, and it was go time. Joe Russo was the only drummer during this set, and his playing was strong. Scarlet opener was good and felt very similar to the Portland second set opener, except Jackie sang it (Yes!). Minglewood was its average thing, oozing sexual energy - "Going to San Francisco, if I have to crawl." CR nailed Easy Wind, which is not an easy one to sing. His voice was lower than I've ever heard him sing, and he almost growled some of the lyrics. It segued nicely into New Speedway Boogie, which Jackie owned as usual. That is where the meat of the second set started imo.

Viola Lee Blues->High Time->Viola Lee Blues->Hard to Handle->Viola Lee Blues was as good as it looks. The transitions were a little sloppy, but Chris did a great job with the vocals in High Time. And, of course, he nailed Hard to Handle (Black Crowes are who turned me on to this song when I was a wee lad before I knew about Otis Redding). The third verse of Viola Lee jammed into Like a Rolling Stone. I had not seen Phil do this song since MCI Center, Washington DC Other Ones in November 02, and did not realize what I was missing. It was so good!! "How does it feel? To be out on your own?" Bob flubbed the beginning somehow and let out a few choice curse words. I remember when he would just play right on through - lately, he seemingly is being really hard on himself for even small mistakes. Lighten up Bob we love you! I couldn't believe the set hadn't ended yet when they segued into Sugaree. But...Chris Robinson sings it? Did not make much sense to me at all considering Jackie's reading of this song. I felt like Jackie got kind of snubbed, so I went into setbreak with a bad attitude, despite the fact that an hour and twenty minutes of an hour and a half long second set were spectacular.

SET III

Not Fade Away Jam (w/parade and balloon drop) >
Happy Birthday Phil! >
Not Fade Away Jam
short break
Playin in the Band >
St. Stephen >
Other One >
Elevator >
Unbroken Chain
Comes a Time >
Cream Puff War >
Franklin's Tower

Encore
Donor Rap
Johnny B. Goode

This set break was not as long as the first - seemingly only around 30 minutes. When the band returned to the stage (more Modulus), they kicked into Not Fade Away. Finally, the Lion King, the White Cloud, the God John Molo made his first appearance with Phil since NYE '08. Good to see you again Molo - you were definitely missed. They jammed the song out while the Birthday parade started. There were three big floats (Birthday present, Heart, and Stickman holding a cardboard cut-out custom Ritter) with people throwing goodies into the crowd. The skull from New Years Eve was stage left and menacing the crowd. We all sang Happy Birthday to Phil, and there was a balloon drop. No words to Not Fade Away were forthcoming, and the band seemed content to just jam on the Bo Diddley beat - with Phil THUMPING away. A short break (5 minutes? weird) followed before they came back out for Playing in the Band.

Playing was not as long or spacy as it can be and was quickly jammed into St. Stephen. St. Stephen was awesome (short Mountain Jam tease in the middle), but they did not do the William Tell ending (short Eleven-ish jam before finishing the song). Before starting into St. Stephen it sounded like they were jamming into the Other One, but they saved it and dropped it afterwards instead. I know I'm going to take a lot of flack for this, but I do not like the Other One. If you see Phil and Bob both multiple times each year, you will see multiple Other Ones. Needless to say, seeing a song too much can wear on my nerves. This version was average - I couldn't tell the difference between it and all the other ones (no pun intended) I have to sit through.

Molitz came out on stage during the jam out of the Other One, and I thought 'Sweet - he's about to add his electronic space to Unbroken Chain.' Unfortunately, they played the Particle song Elevator instead. I never really liked the song when Phil & Friends played it, and it did not really seem to have the desired effect of pumping the crowd up. Joe Russo was making funny faces during the song as if he was embarassed to play it. If that was the case, 'look dude - you play in the duo. nuff said.' Unbroken Chain is always a highlight of the show for me, but this one seemed a little off - certainly not as strong as the one I caught in January at the Throckmorton. The subtle transitions between the jams in the song were not that tight and it didn't switch directions the way a powerful Unbroken Chain does.

After Unbroken Chain, Chris Robinson sang Comes a Time. Again, amazing song and probably the highlight of the set. Although he did not have the emotion in his voice the way JK did when I caught it in Mill Valley a couple months ago, it was still Comes a Time - "ONLY LOVE CAN PHIL!!" Comes a Time made way for Cream Puff War, complete with go-go dancers (a la Warfield 08). These girls didn't seem as slutty as the last ones (@ the Warfield), and I think some of the effect might have been lost. They looked pretty young, and, at first, I thought they might be Bob's daughters! Probably not what they were going for... A quick segue into a short and very sweet Franklin's Tower and we get to bask in the glory of Phil's voice (split duties with Jackie was nice) for really only the third or fourth time of the night (what gives?). "In another time's forgotten space..."

Heartfelt Donor Rap and Johnny B. Goode encore sent us out in the streets at about 2AM. The show started shortly after 8, and by my estimate of about an hour and fifteen minutes of set break time, there was almost five hours of Grateful Dead music played. Even without standing in line all day, I think I still would have been pooped after that. And I was.

The theme of the show seemed to be: 1st set acoustic gooey heart soul love fest, 2nd set rock n' roll show, and 3rd set psychedelic melt down. I thought the first two sets worked marvelously, but the 3rd set fell a little flat. Still, despite not finishing as strong as we would have liked, I wouldn't have missed this show for the world. We are so incredibly lucky to have our lives cross paths with Phil's. Thank you for searching for the sound - I will never take it for granted. Love you PHIL!!!


OTHER THOUGHTS

JK was definitely to be seen but not heard. He didn't have many killer guitar solos that I remember. The acoustic guitar from him and Jackie was great though. Speaking of him and Jackie, seemingly Jackie did not interact or look at him much even though they were standing right next to each other. It kind of reminded me of the treatment Mark Karan gave Jackie at the Deadheads for Obama show - "Show me what you got, kid." Bob was also noticeably quiet, but was Bob at his finest at times. Phil was awesome all night long - he was more animated than I ever remember him - we got the smile face, the closed eyes face, the laughing face, the concentrating face, and, of course, the ROCK FACE!! Chris Robinson sang too much, though Sugaree is the only song where it really got on my nerves. Also, the fact that he was seemingly reading every line from his music stand before he sang it was a little weak. Who doesn't know these songs?

Jackie was massively underutilized, and I melt every time he sings - it's crazy what two years in Phil's band will do to my opinion of you. I guess the positive side of light JK and Jackie was no train wreck of too many musicians that is commonly found in a guest fest. Molo was awesome even though he was not centered behind Phil where we all know and love him. He seemed genuinely impressed with Russo's playing, and the two of them locked into a groove a couple times (NFA and Franklin's come to mind). I can only imagine what they'd sound like if they'd just finished a tour together. Though I'm still of the belief that Molo is obviously the man for the job, Russo is very good. The sound was not as tight as Furthur on Monday night in Portland, but was far from sloppy. In the end, I guess that makes me super excited for...

Not sure what comes next... Furthur Festival got announced, and I'm sure they will be tearing up stages all over this summer - though I'm not sure who will be in the band. Seemingly the ladies are out (bittersweet - thought as a whole they were very tasteful and added lots to the harmonies). And rumors abound regarding Jay Lane's future. Regardless of what happens, in Phil I trust.

"Going to plant a weeping willow.
On the banks green edge, it will grow, grow, grow"

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.

Furthur Rehearsals Part II (1/7-1/9)

THURSDAY (1/7)

Thursday was fire from the opening note. Phil turned his bass lights on to let us know he was for real. The shows had been starting around 8:20 or so, but they didn't come on until almost 9 this night. Cumberland and Doin That Rag seemed very tight, jammed out, and psychedelic. The Wheel -> No More Do I -> He's Gone was probably the best jamming I saw all week. Seamless segues, and big jams in between verses ended with some sweet vocal stylings at the end of He's Gone - 'nothing's gonna bring him back,' - again complete silence in the room (something you don't hear very often in SF or anywhere else in this scene for that matter).

Built to Last was good, but JK had trouble with the vocals of Peaceful Valley - can't really handle them imo. But it was followed by a thick jam that led into ... probably the musical highlight of the shows I saw ... Morning Dew. This Dew, sung by JK, was as good as it gets - with JK really shining at the end. The place went BANANAS!! And let me just say that I HATE Satisfaction, like more than any other song, but was so amped by the show and the Dew that I was full on into it: "I can't GET NO!!! I can't GET NO!!!" Definitely the most fun I have EVER had with that song. Encore GDTRFB segued into Bid You Goodnight. I had been meandering through the crowd and ending up directly in front of Phil for the ends of these shows. We Bid You Goodnight on the lip of the stage was as peaceful a moment as I can remember - so so blessed. Extended ending with JK and Bob trading lines and the ladies really filling in the spaces.

Wow. Just wow. Luckiest guy on the planet...

Thursday ended just before 11, with the band blowing off curfew for a full hour. Phil came out before the encore and said, "If you are patient enough, good things will happen," referencing the late start time (and maybe the disjointed playing on Wed?).

Words to live by from Master Phil...

Thursday at the Throck

Cumberland
Doin that Rag
Tennessee Jed
Wheel->
No More Do I->
He's Gone
Built to Last
Peaceful Valley
Other one Jam
Morning Dew
Satisfaction

Donor rap
GDTRFB
And We Bid You Goodnight

FRIDAY (1/8)

After the initial disbelief that I was able to score tickets to see this shit on the weekend, I was pumped for Friday night and hoped for two sets due to the extended curfew. The band really seemed to jell on Thursday and I was hoping for more. Though the band was pretty jelled on Friday, the shortness of the show really took away from everyone's good time. They started at 7:40, about a full half hour earlier than they had started yet, and the room was literally only half full. The energy started high with a short Midnight Hour that got the place moving, and a surprisingly ripping Just a Little Light. There had been a cardboard cut-out of Elvis in one of the balcony suites all week and I wondered if they'd pay homage to him tonight b/c it was his birthday. Around and Around was as close to Elvis-style rock and roll that they got, and I quietly wished the King a happy birthday.

Phil left the stage briefly (bass issues or piss, I couldn't tell) while Bob told a joke: "What is the difference b/w a duck? It has two legs both the same." Said "Jer taught me that." Then he told a confused version of the duck in the bar with the nails. I think he switched up the words on purpose to mess with us - classic Bob. Days Between was powerful by the ending - similar to the Gorge version last May but not as long. Queen Jane sounded like Ratdog's version. No More Do I again? I'll take it cause I love the song, but it's now the third time they've played it in the rehearsals. I guess we'll be seeing a lot of it on the winter tour. Not as good as Thursday's, but still a good song. After US Blues, Phil said they were ending so he could go check out his son's band play in Fairfax, and he invited us along. I decided to cruise over to see if Phil would play. Alas he did not, and I found my home for a little while at a Grateful Dead cover band next door at 19 Broadway.

As a fan, I was a little pissed for like one minute that he would short change us. Then, seeing Phil sitting in the bar with his family, I realized he was prioritizing his time. After all, these are just rehearsals, and he wants to go see his SON play MUSIC in FAIRFAX. Makes sense to me, and I commend Phil on being a great dad.

2010-01-08, Friday
7:40 - 9:05 pm

In the Midnight Hour
Just a Little Light
Round and Round
Duprees
Come Together
Jam
Days Between
Queen Jane Approximately
No More Do I

E: US Blues

SATURDAY (1/9)

For Saturday, I scored probably the best spot I had the whole run and kept it the whole show - b/w JK and BW one person off from the rail - great view of the whole band, including, most importantly, Phil and Bob. Ripping Alligator opener - great energy in the place. Pride of Cucamonga is a personal favorite and it had been a LONG time since I heard it - stoked. "Since I came down from Oregon, there's a lesson or two I've learned...So I think I'll drift for old where it's at." JK had great energy during Death Don't Have No Mercy. Anther Magnolia Mountain (this time Phil beaming like he just won the lottery during the Scars to our children part) and a solid UJB led us into Good Lovin. It really is all you need...

Set Break - finally! Second set was short though - more of an extended encore. 20+ minutes of Dark Star before the first verse was sang segued VERY nicely into Let It Grow, which was awesome. Dark Star v2 and...then...Attics. Something was wrong with Phil's ear monitors and it really detracted from the song, but it was still a very very special moment. Thank you so much Phil, Bobby, Jeff, Jay, John, and Joe (lots of J's!), Zoe, and Sunshine for allowing us to watch the 'rehearsals,' it was certainly five days that I will never ever forget.

Lights no eye can see...


Saturday (1/9)

8:24 pm

Alligator
Next Time You See Me
Pride of Cucamonga
Money for Gasoline
Hurricane
Death Don't Have No Mercy
Silvio
Magnolia Mtn.
UJB
Good Lovin

setbreak 9:56pm

10:07pm - 10:50pm

Dark Star! V1>
Jam>
Let it Grow>
Dark Star v2
Attics of My Life


The Band: A Comparative Approach - Not to take anything away from the soul shaking time I had this week or anyone else's great time at the shows...

Furthur sounds like the good ole GD. For the Dead tunes, JK really fills out the sound and gets the crowd grooving. However, that sweet sacred psychedelic space where all time stops and there is nothing but pure beauty is going to be a little tougher to come by than in the Phil bands (yes, even including the Jackie band).

They do not seem to have the tempo issues that plague Ratdog and the Dead last spring, which is good. But the guitar sound is too tinny to really give the solos any balls. And the drums to me are too cymbal-ly (again, no balls). For me, personally, (and I'm very selfish with what I want musically) I don't see any reason that John Molo is not replacing both these jokers on the drums and MK isn't ripping it up in place of JK.

This band instead has JK and the ladies' vocals and JK's guitar which make for an experience that sounds much closer to Grateful Dead music than Phil's interpretations of the past decade. More like a DSO, except with Phil and Bobby. They will have no trouble making these venues very happy this winter, but will not be able to sustain any kind of extended jamming which makes heads melt, imo. So go if you love the Grateful Dead music, you will not be as disappointed as you were with the Dead Spring 09 tour.

Furthur Rehearsals Part I (1/5-1/6)

Wow. Where to begin? I guess I'll begin with regretting not staying for Sunday, as the show looked awesome:

Throckmorton Theatre
Mill Valley, CA
1-10-10

Here Comes Sunshine
Jack Straw
Till The Morning Comes
The Wheel >
Althea
Throwing Stones

St. Stephen>
The Eleven>
Drumz
King Solomons Marbles
Unbroken Chain
Wharf Rat
Touch of Grey

I heard Phil had his bass lights on again - made for a SICK show on Thursday...

I guess I simply ran out of money and energy but felt strangely content leaving knowing that I could have stayed for more. Whereas they would have had to drag me out of Marin County by my feet to get me to leave on Saturday...


Tuesday

The whole run was just simply awesome for me. First and foremost, the Bay Area continues to amaze me - just world class in every sense. I am head over heals in love with the place - the people, the food, the places, the magic, the scenes, all of it...

If you've never been to the Throckmorton before, it is an intimate theatre in Mill Valley (300 capacity) with great sound. The artwork is beautiful with murals all over the walls. The ceiling is a blue sky scene with clouds and angels looking down over the crowd from the sides. For these shows, they had the balcony closed off (for VIPs presumably) as there was never really more than 10-15 people up there.

After passing on Sunday and Monday for silly reasons, I told myself Wed was the day and I was going no matter what. As it turns out, Tuesday became the day, and I'm glad it did. I left Eugene Tuesday morning and arrived at the Throckmorton just in time to grab a drink before showtime. I was laughing all week that 'you know you make the drive too much when you can drive from your house to the venue with perfect timing.'

I had been feeling a little like my cup was half empty, but Tuesday filled my heart until it was overflowing. The show started out choppy, but started rocking with Greatest Story. Probably my favorite part of the ENTIRE RUN: seeing Phil sing along with the part in Magnolia Mountain "We burned the cotton fields down in the valley and ended up with nothing but scars. The scars became the lessons that we gave to our children after the war." If you don't like this song in the Dead context, I don't know what is wrong with you... Comes a Time was breathtaking. This band has really been nailing the ballads. The entire room was silent. Unbroken Chain drove it home for me (always always does), and when Bob false started Masterpiece and started fiddling with his guitar, Phil said "Since this is a rehearsal, we're going to let Bob change his battery. ::short pause:: The battery on his guitar, that is..." Love it!! To finish off, they somehow turned Ship of Fools into a rocker - not slow and building, but rocking from note one - very very fast tempo. And the Lovelight brought the house down, which was already very high due to the second half of the show.

Wednesday

Wednesday I returned feeling very fresh. Seemingly, a little of the novelty of seeing these guys with 250 other people had worn off a little already, and I found myself with crossed arms this night. Looks Like Rain was great - probably the only time other than Dear Mr. Fantasy when the band 'got there.' Welcome to the Dance is about as bad as I thought it would be - luckily there is a good heavy jam at the end that might make sitting through the song worth while. Really not that much more to say about Wed...

Hello in there?

I've been reviewing live music on various internet message boards for years and decided my voice could better be heard through a blog (hey, everyone's doing it). I don't have a digital camera yet but plan on getting one soon, so the quality of the substance should improve when that happens. Until then, enjoy some black letter words. Enjoy and please leave comments or sign the guestbook or do whatever it is you do with a blog...