post

opener?

Just got a text from Red Rocks-
Cold Rain & Snow
FOTD
?? - Ryan song
spacey jam
Bertha
Candyman
Scarlet->Fire

That's all I know

Phil & Friends
Red Rocks 7/16/05

Set 1:
Spacy Jam>
Cold Rain & Snow>
Friend Of The Devil
*Easy Plateau> Spacy Jam>
Bertha
Candyman
Scarlet Begonias>
Fire On The Mountain

* 1st time played - Ryan Adams song

is it rainin yet?

Dark Star opener?

Why no posts?

Second set went something like this:
Jam >
Dark Star
Sugar Magnolia/SSDD
??Ryan song
UJB
Jam
??Ryan song?
Terrapin Station
Dark Star

Don't know the encore

Phil & Friends
Red Rocks 7/16/05

Set 1:
Spacy Jam>
Cold Rain & Snow>
Friend Of The Devil
*Easy Plateau> Spacy Jam>
Bertha
Candyman
Scarlet Begonias>
Fire On The Mountain

Gonna need help filling in the blanks for set 2:


Set 2:
Jam>
Dark Star(v1)>
Sugar Magnolia/SSDD
??
Uncle John's Band> Jam>
???
Life Is Beautiful
Terrapin Station>
Dark Star(v2)>
The Other One>
Stella Blue
China Cat Sunflower>
I Know You Rider>
??

Donor Rap/Intros

enc:
Wharf Rat

* 1st time played - Ryan Adams song

It is late so all I shall say for now is that words will do no justice explaining the experience, you really needed to be there.

Good lord, that was one of the best Dead shows I've ever seen.

The version of Bertha is now officially the best version of Bertha ever performed on the planet.


JA

Last night = No UMPH...... Tonight UMPH!!!!!!!

UMPH!

OK I am still awake and pumped..... I will second the Bertha nomination. The Terrapin was insane, the new arrangement to UJB was phenominal, the Dark Star new arrangement, The accapella UJB reprise after the Rider beautiful. The other one pumped, Sugar Mag outta Dark Star..... It was all top shelf. I wonder if Phil is gonna send Bobby a copy of the board tape. After seeing tonight they can just stick a fork in the Dead because they are done. This was as good as 1973 GD. The space was nice and drippy the sound was awesome and I feel so priviledged to have been able to be there. Phil(and the rest of his band) Fucking Rules!

The defining event of Phil's storied career. A multisensory orchaestral feast for all those fortunate to have been in
attendance. A 20+ act play. Most of it music, but some of it play acted. I'm speechless - well, almost....

Sully

Beyond the Grateful Dead, beyond music, beyond life, beyond......

Sully

Both nights were UGHLY!! IM a very disappointed Phil phan right now..

One thing going for the weekend was I got to spend it with someone very special!!

You had to be down in the lower third of Red Rocks to have the sound be perfect. I wandered around a bit and the WIND was blowing the sound around...weirdest thing. Vocals and mixes were AFU after you got above the half way mark.

Beautiful night.

The Crowning Jewel in Phil's crown.

Some versions performed tonight will be the definitive versions of those songs for me. What was done by the Dead has been surpased.

<<<What was done by the Dead has been surpased.

PLEASE Tell me you mean the DEAD and NOT the GRATEFUL Dead.

Glad it rocked for ya. I'd be a big fat liar if I said I wasn't completely green with envy!

OH BOY...MY goodness.

>>This was as good as 1973 GD. The space was nice and drippy the sound was awesome and I feel so priviledged to have been able to be there.

Thanks for the review!

>This was as good as 1973 GD.

c'mon bill, I'm sure it was great and you enjoyed yourself...but...how many hits did you eat last night?

<<<but...how many hits did you eat last night?

seven.



j/k Glad ya loved it!

crownin jewel...best ever...'73...yesterday i was ready to cancel my membership, this mornin i'm ready to quit my job luv you guys, bring on the recordings and bring on phall

*** updated ***

Phil & Friends
Red Rocks 7/16/05

Set 1:
Spacy Jam>
Cold Rain & Snow>
Friend Of The Devil
*Easy Plateau> Spacy Jam>
Bertha
Candyman
Scarlet Begonias>
Fire On The Mountain



Gonna need help filling in the blanks for set 2:


Set 2:
Jam>
Dark Star(v1)>
Sugar Magnolia/SSDD
??
Uncle John's Band> Jam>
???
Life Is Beautiful
Terrapin Station>
Dark Star(v2)>
The Other One>
Stella Blue
China Cat Sunflower>
I Know You Rider>
UJB (reprise - a cappella)

Donor Rap/Intros

enc:
Wharf Rat

* 1st time played - Ryan Adams song

*** updated *** i think i got it all now

Phil & Friends
Red Rocks 7/16/05

Set 1:
Spacy Jam>
Cold Rain & Snow>
Friend Of The Devil
*Easy Plateau> Spacy Jam>
Bertha
Candyman
Scarlet Begonias>
Fire On The Mountain

Set 2:
Jam>
Dark Star(v1)>
Sugar Magnolia/SSDD
Magnolia Mountain
Uncle John's Band> Jam>
*Life Is Beautiful
Terrapin Station>
Dark Star(v2)>
The Other One>
Stella Blue
China Cat Sunflower>
I Know You Rider>
UJB (reprise - a cappella)

Donor Rap/Intros

enc:
Wharf Rat

* 1st time played - Ryan Adams song

"Some versions performed tonight will be the definitive versions of those songs for me. What was done by the Dead has been surpased."

Come on now...I know this is the PHILzone, but there is no way anything he is doing today on one week practice, at retirement age, with a pop star in his band, can come close to what the Dead accomplished on a nightly basis for 30 years. I've seen some great Phil shows, but you can't say Phil + Ryan Adams is better than '73 Dead. Maybe you are just caught up in the moment...

This was the closest thing to the GRATEFUL DEAD I have seen since JERRY Passed. We don't need a show to celebrate 40 years we got the celebration of Jerry's life at RED ROCKS last night. I went drug free because they were so bad at the Filmore, and I think it was the best music I have seen in years...... The Terrapin was the best since Jerry so was Bertha amd Ryan Adams was great!!!!! It felt like Phil took Ryan by the hand and said come w/ me take a lesson on how it should be done and take it with you. I am going to intoduce to the X- Factor. Which was in great abundance at the rocks last night. If you missed it or it went over your head I feel sorry for you!!!! Ryans songs fit in perfectly I would go on tour to see these guy again. I would go to twenty shows just with the hope I would see that again. PEACE David

Taperrob, Magnolia Mountain should have an asterisk next to it as well, since it was the first time it was played as well. Everyone seems to think that the Ryan song played at the Fillmore was Magnolia Mountain, but it was a slowed down version of another Ryan song, "Let It Ride"

Phil last night during a mid set ramble commented on " this is how the Grateful Dead used to do it , just get up on stage and do what feels good, Exploration is GOOD"

So that's what happens when you apply 40+ years of musical experience to a group of talented musicians and perform in a place such as Red Rocks. Such creativity, such spirit, such power. The muse descended and blessed us all with an unforgettable night of music. Thank you Phil. Thank you all.

What was done by the Dead has been surpased.

In one night? I'm sure it was a great show, but please, get real. Did you ever see the grateful dead before vince?

Glad people had a good time and that Phil pulled off a nice show. Looking forward to the fall tour.

it'll be interesting to hear, as with previous shows there are some wild claims goin on here

Red Rocks rocked!!! This show was a magnificent musical magical mystery tour, on an incredibly beautiful night, in the most psychedelic venue on the planet! By far, this was the most fun I've had since at least 7-7-01, another magical Red Rocks show. I was hoping it would never end! Thank you Phil & Friends!

Wow. These reviews are making me greeeen... Sounds like the X-factor reared it's head again!!

Gettin a bit sick of door knob zoners like Ethan & ianni, who find it to hard to believe & are so quick to discount the magic that happened. If you were not there, shut up. Let the energy & positive vibes that are reverberating flow.


>>>Come on now...I know this is the PHILzone, but there is no way anything he is doing today on one week practice, at retirement age, with a pop star in his band, can come close to what the Dead accomplished on a nightly basis for 30 years<<

WTF?!?! You, Ethan, OBVIOUSLY have NO CLUE what the X-factor is & what the power of music can unleash at ANYTIME. Practice?? Retirement Age??? Pop Star??? Dood, you've just labeled yourself a COMPLETE knucklehead. Jesus H Christ!

I wasn't there, but have no doubt magic took place. Especially hearing they rearranged many songs. Something Jerry would TOTALLY get off on up there. It's so great to hear it wasn't just business as usual. That they took chances & it obviously paid off IN GOLD! No pain no gain! They hung their necks out there & TRAVELED!!

Tapers, get this stuff on the archive ASAP!!!!!!

I wasn't there, but with Phil, Jeff, and Jimmy, it had to be super sick. Can't wait for the recordings. Free soundboard, Phil? Pretty pleeeaaase????

was the x factor that they turned barry up cause 5/13 f'in rocked? also does anyone know if this is the line up they plan for fall? i love the addition of GJ and JL and would be stoked if these ladies came along.

NEW ARRANGEMENTS = IT'S ABOUT TIME, THANK GOD!

i've been bored

i'll listen as they come in, heard the Shakedown, and dug the groove it had, and then they ended the last verse with some edginess/quasi-angst. cool.

thanks for change Phil. THANK YOU!

keep it up.

<<<<<<c'mon>>>>

None, tunes are my drugs. As far as my 1973 GD statement..... Phil has 32 years more bass playing under his belt, what he isn't any better because of it? It is not possible to get better with age, practice, study etc...It is closed minded to keep the GD on a personal pedastal. He is re-working the arrangements to keep timeless music vital. Jerry was great but what Phil has going is insane. Jimmy is such a sick guitarist. With Ryan he has youthful enthusiasm added to the mix. I am not dissing Jerry's memory or mastery with my statements I just don't have my life/soul attachted so dearly to ancient memories and bygone days. The music last night was religion on a deep cosmic level.

As for anyone bashing Ryan blowing the lyrics, anyone remember 1984? Or how about Red Rocks last year with the Dupree's or the Foolish Heart, those were embarassing. This kid is probably scared shitless and will get over it.

Rock on Phil

>>>I just don't have my life/soul attachted so dearly to ancient memories and bygone days.


WORD!!!

Here's to tomorrow. Here's to topping what the Grateful Dead did? IS GD as good as it will get or got? Fuck no! Let's go FURTHUR!!!!!!!

Those who think Jerry cannot be topped should retire to their livingroom stereos & tape collection to masturbate with the past. I, for one, am more that ready to move on & get HIGHER There are higher plains, bigger peaks & boundless uncharted territory!! I know for a fact, Phil is with me!!!! The bus engine is reving. Get on or stay home!!!!!

My feelings exactly Bill. Red Rocks was a church last night. And God was there

BTW what I said was as good as 73 GD ( my favorite year) not better. As far as the Dead it has now become pointless to even bother anymore because Phil is defining the tunes. His musical knowledge is amazing and Phil has a place in my soul forever. Looking back to 1989 when I quit seeing the GD and thinking forward to the possibility of last night I would have laughed. For Phil to be busting out this level of music is truly a gift to the few of us who know. I was looking out over Denver during the second set and mentionted to Sideshow there are a million people out there who don't get it. Thank God though because the tickets are easy to come by.

Oh wait they sucked, the music sucked, the jams go nowhere. All of you should just quit seeing Phil and not waste your time

in hotel after the show, a groggy THC morning and YES the band was dripping with improv, oozing joy. This shit was no joke. The space between easy palteau and into bertha was absolutely fucking phenominal. Ryan Adams is just simply awesome.

>>Red Rocks was a church last night. And God was there

Jerry was probably there too and i would think they were sitting next to each other.....

nice Rob.

The whole weekend was just spectacular. Best weekend of Phil and Friends yet.

They just kept playing last night, one masterpiece after another. Ryan Adam was on fire last night. When the guy takes the lead on a song he really takes it. His lead last night was a little angst ridden, indie rock style but it worked, that's what he felt and that's what he played.

Awesome weekend.

WOOOO!

To anyone who was disappointed with the Fillmore and skipped Red Rocks, I'm so sorry! My friends and I thought, after the Fillmore show (where we had a lot of fun, btw, in spite of the sweltering heat) that there was tremendous potential (we especially enjoyed Ryan's vocal range) but I don't think any of us expected it to be realized overnight! Still, you people need to have more faith in Phil! If you recall, Phil told us (7-7-01) that Red Rocks is his favorite place to play outdoors in the country! And, last night, the sound was perhaps the best I've ever heard it at Red Rocks, and the magic was quite overwhelming! I was in row 23, DEAD center, and it was stunning! I don't think they wanted to stop playing! Damn those curfews!

Who made the killer FOB recording???? May we please have it? Thanks & peace!

last Night's first set was good, Pretty damn good.

Second Set? Bad versions of Great songs.

this is if we are judgeing it on the music alone.

It was a Magical night at the rocks for sure. just wished the Band could of rose more to the occassion. Ryan is great BUT he holds them back IMO.

The Terrapin was very weak musically. Vocally I enjoyed Ryans take.

I really liked Ryans solo songs.

I am sorry but Phil can you please Hold out on the Dark Star's till you know your band.

thses are a couple of the complaints I have.

but like I said. THe first set I thought was great. Great for Phil. Nothing comparable to the worst GD or JGB though, of course, right? and it was gorgeous out last night! and it was undersold!!!! and it was good to be around so many familiar people again.

They acually went over the curvew!!!! It was 1:15am when they ended.Curvew at the rocks is 12 or 12:30.
FANTASTIC show!!!!

>>>>>>>As far as the Dead it has now become pointless to even bother anymore because Phil is defining the tunes.

from what was played this weekend? WOW. and I hope your talking "the Dead". these shows were to be honest OK at best. not a tape I would prolly ever listen to more than once.

But of course this is all my opinion.

I enjoy reading everybody's different takes. so PLEASE keep them coming.

Jamie....>>..Ryan Adams is just simply awesome.


His playing..his singing..which one or both.?.

Ryan Adams - Cold Roses is a great album, i love it and have had it for only 3 days.

you cant expect this to sound like the grateful dead, you cant compare it to the grateful dead. This is Phils concept, they are the same songs, but its the idea that different people bring different aspects to the sound, and thats what its all about, you never know were there could be some reall magic, and it sounds like ryan adams sweetens it up, thats what the recordings have sounded like to me. Good stuff.

I totally agree, but when they are playing the same melodies I kinda expext the same punch!

and i wasnt the one who started the comparisons. i read someone say this was as good as 73 GD.

BAWAWAWAWAWAHAWAWAHAWAWAH!

I know I know, Stella Blue is sacred, but man, he laid it down. Full on convicton in his voice during "dust off those rusty strings" jeez.
Phil always seems to take it there for me. And he did again last night.

yeah his voice did sound good on Stella BUT the "Dust off those Rusty strings" part lacked musical punch like it should. I know i know, Im gonna get shit for saying like it should. That part in Stella has to be powerful IMO and they just couldnt connect where they needed to.

My take on last night's show. It was like night and day compared to the Fillmore. Last night was one of the best Phil shows I've ever seen. The biggest difference between the Rocks and the Fillmore? BARRY SLESS!!!! He was all over it last night. Scarlet>Fire was like a dream come true for me. The second set was amazing between DarkStar, Terrapin, China Rider etc. etc. I didn't take any drugs last night because I was really dissapointed by Friday's show and I still thought the music last night was spectacular. It was great to be back at the Rocks . The venue and the sound was excellent. Let me reiterate, if you're going to have a band with Barry Sless in it, it is in your best interest to use him. He is the reason that last night was as incredible as it was as far as jamming is concerned. Jimmy and Ryan all seemed to be playing off of him instead of the other way around which was more akin to Friday's show. Barry had a lot more room to maneuver last night and it showed. Excellent show. I feel very lucky to have been a part of it. Peace.

I read several posts from the Fillmore show including this gem, "Ryan did not have ANY working knowledge of the material, and it showed: His performance as far as I am concerned was truly unprofessional, especially given that he had plenty of time to prepare." Needless to say, I was a bit concerned that the new Friends line-up may not be entirely gelled yet. But I have two words for this poster, blow-it-out-your ass!

Red Rocks rocked! The band was dancing all night. I would welcome any revisit with this line up for another show. Jimmy played with elegance and energy. Phil was psyched and it showed in his playing. Ryan, well what can I say, he blew me away. Not just in his rendition of Bertha, but the way he played Sugar Mags as if Bobby had been right behind him telling him, "Ok, now let it rock!" His songs were heartfelt and powerful. Barry added a great edge with the pedal steel. The band was hot!

There were moments I didn't really want to cheer after a song in an attempt to not miss a note or some of the cool banter that happened on stage. A truly magical night on the Rocks. Come back soon Phil and bring your new friends!

I agree 100% Zeus with the Barry factor. To me also Red Rocks was alot better than the Fillmore.

Just got back to Boston from a fun weekend in the Rockies. My buddy and I landed 1am Thur/Fri and stayed at the Denver West... Friday went to Boulder and Mt. Evans and then to the Philmore had front row againts the rail in front of Jimmy and Barry. 1st set was great ( I thought ) 2nd Set sucked! I have seen P&F 40+ times now and that 2nd set just didn't do it for me...
Saturday went to Vail via Rt 6 and then 70 E on the way back took tons of photos and met some really nice people in Colorado... Onto RedRocks... 1st time there what an experience I enjoyed myself as did my buddy... Musically I thought it was the worst show I have seen, I was there and I was not under the influence of anything, haven't been for almost 4 years and I have seen my share of Phil Shows and my buddy and I actually left late in the 2nd set and got back to our hotel to wake up at 4:30am to catch a 7am flight out of Denver this morning...
I loved Colorado and will be back hopefully next summer via road trip but the music performed had it's moments but they were few and far between... I have to give Ryan credit for taking a huge task on but I think my expectations were high on Phil and Friends with all the amazing shows I've seen... I should know better when you put expectations on a person place or thing your usually setting your self up for dissapointment. Peace to all and I hope the fall tour there is a little more rehearsing going on and maybe Ryan doesn't do as much as what ever he was doing... if he is still in the picture

>>>IS GD as good as it will get or got? Fuck no! Let's go FURTHUR!!!!!!!

sadly ...no not sadly, just plain yes

>>>I, for one, am more that ready to move on & get HIGHER There are higher plains, bigger peaks & boundless uncharted territory!!

none higher than the ones jerry took us to...don't get me wrong , the music plays the band but jerry was IT and when phil was on the band was on...sounds like last night phil was on

ryan adams

www.answeringbell.com

Fuck an A!!!! What a magical night. My soul is philled up again! Thank you, boys.

A couple of "GRATE" shows from Phil and the boys so far, no doubt about it! But alot of you people gotta take it easy. Lets not make this current ensemble the greatest band that ever stepped on the planet. Ive seen alot of "Q" shows before that were better.

>>> This was as good as 1973 GD <<<


So Sayeth Brah Marley !!!

Jimmy and the Wolf
http://www.jimmyherring.net/gallery.htm

I'm still reveling in the magic of last night. Here's a link to some photos.

http://sullyshots.smugmug.com/gallery/665202/1/286 73891

thanks for sharing the pics. much appreciated.

I really really enjoyed these shows. The Fillmore show was a little sloppy; and Ryan did kind of cross the line with the cigarette in the mouth while singing Ramble on Rose. But Phil seemed to take him by the hand and is showing him the way. I really liked the energy of the Fillmore show and there were lots of disconnected periods of time where everything gelled and gave glimpses of the potential of these friends.
The Red Rocks show rocked. I had a perfect show. I loved every second that I was there. We were on row 23 and 24 DEAD center. The place is awesome, the people are awesome. God is within all of us; Phil reminds us of that and shows us how to be joyful. Phil obviously loves loves loves what he is doing and is sharing his love with us. The magic was tremendous! Thank you Phil (and friends).
This Phil and Friends is in an early stage that is a little raw. But I hope to be included in further "EXPLORATION" of the musical universe.
This was a very special show I am so glad I was there.

Nice Pics Sully

i don't care if the kid looks like rod stewart...jerry was singing out through Ryan Adam's heart and soul with young blood. stella blue and everything. i'm still vibrating from it and my sleep was full of dreams of flying. the spirit was in the house!!!! amen

Hey Finnster,how about a review from you?? I know you had good seats for last nite,would really like your take on it.....

edit

Wow! After perusing the last two night's reviews, what Sly Stone once said is still true-"different strokes for different folks..."

I don't care if it's Phil, Bobby, Mickey or Billy, I'll go [fairly nearby] and find something to enjoy about it, and be all smiles to see 'em perform.
Any of those guy's walking onto a stage at this point in their lives and not putting out some quality music? Come on.

I do find it phun to read, though.
Only in America... throw your two cents in, baby!<><

how bout a review from canyon or dan?...doogels...did u make it out?

I am also green with envy...sounds like a magical time full of undiscovered territory!

Oops! i made a mistake it wasnt Ramble on Rose when Ryan had the cigarette. It was Must have been...maybe it was ...could of been... maybe he was the roses... We all make mistakes thats is how we grow.
Just want to add that Barry Sless is fantastic. Love him!!!I was blown away by him at the Warfield shows in Dec '04. I was disapointed not to hear more from him at the Filmore. I wanted more of him at Red Rocks he's got the groove.
I love Phil and all his friends. Keep on growing!
Love and Peace

Obviously Spidermite and PromontoryRider were seeing their first shows ever if they think this lineup could even be roadies for any of the previous lineups, much less the Dead.

Let me be clear that live music gets the vibes pumping no matter but this show is not worth downloading.

Ryan's vocals were good, especially on his own tunes and he did a great job on Stella, an endearing rendition. The first set seemed like it was sung in 1/2 time. We were wondering what Ryan "ingested" on the break to get ready for the 2nd set but I heard numerous requests for Jimmy to slap him in the head to bring him around. I would love to hear the conversation between Jimmy and Warren regarding playing with the "pup". He is well short of the presence and vocals Warren brings to the stage. The band was NOT tight, not even close, no segue's, lots of dead space. How come Rob didn't sing more?

Of course, any show on a beautiful summer night at Red Rocks is a blessing to be appreciated. Especially shared with friends and lovers...

>>>>>>The band was NOT tight, not even close, no segue's, lots of dead space.

Bingo, not one segue, well not any good ones

>>>>>Of course, any show on a beautiful summer night at Red Rocks is a blessing to be appreciated. Especially shared with friends and lovers...

Yep!

I truly don't comprehend the need to call one incarnation of the band "better" than another. They are different and should be appreciated and enjoyed as such. Who would expect a band that just started playing together to be as "tight" as a band that played together for 5 years, much less one that played for 30? It seemed to me from observing the band at these shows that Phil really likes Ryan and sees great potential in him, and I see no reason to doubt him! I personally thought they were pretty damned "tight" at Red Rocks, especially for a band that had performed together exactly once! But maybe it's just me...

I do concur with those who wish for more Rob and/or Phil lead vocals though!

Where the hell are ya Finnster??

i was in colarado before when something like this happened . the first night on paper was as solid a set list as any ( DT even sat in) but the show basically sucked ( well maybe sucked is a strong word, but it was low energy and filled with lotsa uninspired noodleing). then the second night they brought it hard...however the set list looked average.

now while last nights set looked and apparently was better it goes to show how no matter what the line up two back to back shows can be night and day and as we all know from past tours this happens all the time...hence our mantra in phil we trust

i've provided the set list to qualify my example

04/04/02 (eh not so grate)
PHILmore Auditorium
Denver, CO
set 1: Jam> Mason's Children> Bird Song, Midnight Train > Sittin' on Top of the World> Tastes Like Wine> Here Comes Sunshine
Set 2: *Jam> *Cryptical Envelopment> *Wharf Rat> *Other One> *St. Stephen> *Darkstar> *The Eleven> *Darkstar> *Jam> *Stella Blue
E: *Celebration
*with Derek Trucks


next night (GRATE)
Set 1: Shakedown Street, Doin' That Rag> Rock -n- Roll Blues> Low Spark of High Heeled Boys> Rider Jam> Again and Again > I Know You Rider

Set 2: Jam> ^Foolish Heart> The Real Thing > Good Lovin'> Jam> Unbroken Chain> Jam> Night of 1000 Stars> Help on the Way> Slipknot!> Franklin's Tower
E: Soulshine> $Attics of My Life
^last Foolish 2.15.01
$ last Attics 10.25.00

it was also funny/sad to see so many people split during soulshine and miss a chance to see the first attics in a while

So, here goes my first ever Philzone comment about shows. Be gentle.

Things were rough and played very loose, part of which stems from a lack of experience (or recent experience) playing together. Many people I know have voiced complaints about Ryan messing up lyrics, but a lot of that was him changing the phrasing and owning the song rather than just repeating it the way it sounds on albums. I give him credit for that. Some of his renditions were very emotional and I had more than one magical moment.

But then again, the overall weekend left me with the feeling that I had just been an audience member for the shooting of the video "Ryan Adams Sings the Grateful Dead's Greatest Hits." While I guess that doesn't have to be a bad thing, for some reason it detracted from my experience.

Anyway, there's my 5 cents worth. (Inflation, yanno.)

I hope everyone had safe travels home.

First Torrent is up!!!!!!

http://bt.etree.org/details.php?id=16285

From RELIX.COM........about the Thursday Night gig, i'm postin it cuz i feel like it.


Ryan Adams and Phil Lesh Get Friendly 2005-07-15 14:35:36
For the past few days, Phil Lesh and his friends have been rehearsing at the Fillmore in Denver for their upcoming shows, tonight at the venue and tomorrow at Red Rocks. Lesh’s marquee friend this round is Ryan Adams, the singer/songwriter whom Lesh first collaborated with at The Jammys awards this past spring. Rounding out the band is drummer Jeff Sipe, keyboardist Rob Barracco, guitarist Jimmy Herring and pedal steel player Barry Sless.
Wednesday saw a seven hours worth of rehearsal while yesterday saw a shorter rehearsal for a stripped down band as Herring and Barraco had a gig in Boulder with their other outfit The Dragonflys. What followed after a short rehearsal, in part because of Boulder’s rolling brown out energy conversation program, is the stuff of legend.

Adams and Lesh went across the street to Deadhead haven Sancho’s Broken Arrow to shoot some film with photographer Danny Clinch amongst the establishment’s vast amount of Grateful Dead memorabilia for Clinch’s ongoing Adams’ documentary. As the two walked in, the Dead played over the speakers and a stunned crowd couldn’t believe their eyes. The two shot pool for about an hour, hanging out with fans and taking pictures, and generally having a good time. The vibe was so good that Lesh and Adams decided to play an impromptu set a couple doors down at Dulcinea’s.

The crowd shuffled down and assembled in front of the small stage to watch Adams, hair recently dyed orange and donning a cowboy hat, and Lesh in typical t-shirt and jeans, play as a duo for roughly 90 minutes (12:45am-2:15 a.m.). Also of note was the fact that Adams was playing Jerry Garcia’s Wolf, the white guitar made by Doug Irwin that Garcia played throughout the ‘70s. This is the first known time that someone else other than Garcia has played the guitar publicly.

The duo opened the first set with “He’s Gone” and closed it with crowd-pleasing “Ripple” and encored with “Friend of the Devil.” Other songs included a stellar version of “St. Stephen,” “Dark Star,” "Shakedown Street," “Terrapin Station,” “Franklin’s Tower” and a gut-wrenching “Stella Blue.” This is the first time in roughly 30 years that Lesh has played a free, impromptu show. Lesh commented that he had wanted to do something like this for many, many years but the opportunity had never presented itself. It seems that last night for Lesh, Adams and about a 100 people, the timing was just right. As told to Josh Baron by Tim Donnelly

>>>>>>>>>>But then again, the overall weekend left me with the feeling that I had just been an audience member for the shooting of the video "Ryan Adams Sings the Grateful Dead's Greatest Hits."

------
from what i hear thru ryan fans.

two folks, guy/girl, been following ryan around for about 9 months capturin' everything, doin' interviews with fans. etc etc

they havva a few months left.

so some of this past weekends meeting may find its way into a Ryan documentary.

later.

howdy everybody, this is the first time i've really checked this site out, i just had to after catching the red rocks show to hear what other people had to say. i was really surprised to hear so many people raving about the show, i had a bit of a different experience.
i first want to say that i totally dig ryan adams. i was not at all familiar with him until a friend lent me his "gold" album a week or so ago so i could check it out before the show. i love his voice and the way he uses i to pour out the emotion of the lyrics. in some of the sweeter tunes last night it was as pure and emotive as a Jerry lick. with the band, he had a powerful stage presence and raw energy that took the tunes places they had never been before.
that said, he also dampened the hell out of my night. here's the thing - the dream i would never dare to dream - beng handed Jerry's guitar to walk out onto the red rocks stage with Phil and friends. i don't know if he didn't get it, didn't care, or was too fucked up, but i just felt like he had a major lack of respect for his situation. forgetting and fumbling through lyrics, jumping in on jimmy's leads, flipping through the old notebook for sugar mag and - what comes after china cat again? now i was far enough back that i couldn't always catch the stage antics, but it seemed like some drama up there at times, and so much down time, and i'm sorry but a little lazy noodling in the transitions. ryan adams is a sweet addition to the line-up, with his vocals and his energy - but not his jamming. he just can't hang with these guys on the guitar, and no big deal, i just think that being the case, he should have had a little more respect and laid low at times. he just let it flow and rocked out all night - cool, but he never realized how he cramped the rest of the band.
anyway, the show still blew my mind overall, it was my first red rocks show. the bottom line is Phil picked out ryan and believed in him and believed they could play a killer show together. and they sure as hell did, Phil doesn't let us down.

i think jerry would have dug the chaos and the discord that this has seemed to created. people are getting too hung up on the worshipping of the idol and not getting the now out of all of this.

First and foremost, if it's cool with Phil, it's cool with us. If Ryan was going to be overbearing, inadequate, or generally not up to speed, do you think Phil and the other guys would waste their time? The vibe was awesome and the band seemed to be having a great time. At times we had to just sit back and let it flow - we were floored...crazy chaotic shit. We weren't dancing, but our minds were being blown away. We agree with those who have said that Jerry would be proud...Good stuff!

>Gettin a bit sick of door knob zoners like Ethan & ianni, who find it to hard to believe & are so quick to discount the magic that happened. If you were not there, shut up. Let the energy & positive vibes that are reverberating flow.

Dude, I made one comment regarding the ridiculous "better than '73 GD" assertion (along with about 20 other people)...if you read my post you'll read that I also said I'm sure it was great/magical/etc...

I bet you wear panties.

First off, I love Phil and am tolerant of all his unusual musical choices, friends selections, etc. But if you think that last night's show was "historic", "magical" or "one of the best Phil shows ever" than you either haven't heard much of the Q, or need to have your ears checked.

After attending the Fillmore show, I was concerned that Red Rocks was going to be another rough rider, but hoped that Phil would change things around-maybe have Adams sing less and maybe jam more and it would be alright. But when they bumbled their way through Cold Rain and Snow opener I felt like "Here we go again." During the Friend of the Devil, Adams sang a line that sounded like he'd made it up on the spot.

Highlights-Scarlet>Fire, jam>Dark Star and the accapella Uncle John's reprise (which was very heavy, they sang the line "He's come to take his children home" vocal-jam style with psychedelic effects.)

The pauses between songs were interminable, which actually led to some funny stage banter. Adams seemed drunk in the second set, whole verses were forgotten and sung twice (by Phil as well) during UJB and the Other One. NO Phil bombs whatsoever, and the highlight of the Terrapin Station was the drunk guys behind us singing louder than the band. Nearly every single song that Adams sang was out of time. Occasionally, they would find that special groove, but that never lasted for longer than 15 to 90 seconds at a stretch, then people would start looking at each other wondering where things were headed. I felt bad for Jimmy and Barry. Yes, it was THAT bad.

Ryan Adams is a rock star, not an ensemble musician. I don't know his solo material, maybe it's fine. But to stand on stage in front of an audience that knows this material intimately (and cares about it intimately) and basically play the way you want ignoring the rest of the more talented musicians sharing the stage with you was just insulting to me. Closing the weekend with a repeat of Wharf Rat was about par for the course.

During the organ donor rap at the end, Phil thanked the audience for "indulging us" which I interpreted as practically an apology.
I hate to insult a musician I have tremendous respect for (Phil), but the fans deserved better. I hope that this wasn't Phil's swan song at Red Rocks, because it's not the way he should leave that hallowed venue.

i have been hangin back readin all this hoopla around these shows and laughin', laugin’.

its so fuckin prankster, then the fact that there was audible/sensory enjoyment to boot.

jer is everywhere in spirit b/c jer is in everyone of us. dig.

then mix in a jerry guitar, now there's physicality.

so,
whatever,
we're gettin cosmic

...fate leading wolf into the hands of ryan adams, himself a pranskter many times over, to play a show on a whim for about 100 fools on with his bud Phil at joint in downtown denver.

wolf also made his way around to jimmy herring (born in Fayetteville, NC) the next night and then back to ryan(born in Jacksonville, NC) on saturday. different generations if ya didn’t notice. and all the while i sense (from y’alls post and from listening and hearing phil, jer, and ryan stories) that there was “an air” about. Possibly existing since phil met ryan. I hear there was tons of stage banter. I like being around people talking. Performing can get pooring, we all know this, now talking. I want to hear Jer talk right now, hold on…..

I digress.

….whatever WE spew about the meeting of these two is pointless, they’ve met. its on.

both this board and the ryan board got jacked for a bit. cross pollination at its best.

yeah, yeah, yeah, I hang out at the bobby brown board also mothafucka. so what.

it stirred shit up. that’s prankter.

that’s all.

and that in itself is what its all about.

jer is grinnin’, phil is grinnin’, ryan’sa grinnin’, jimmys got a great grin.

did I mention that TWO Carolina boys got to play the Wolf.

I’m sittin at home, and I feel like I played the Wolf.

FUCK YEAH! I LOVE THE SOUTH!

its late, cheers.

What a spectacular show! Still recovering the satellites.
It was the P&F lineup that has the most potential of all the ones I've had the pleasure of seeing.
Was it '73 Dead? Not even close. Was it '94 Dead? Nope, not even scratching the surface.
It was 2005 Dead, warts and all. My fave songs being played by some of my fave musicians.
What a beautiful night. Red Rocks never ceases to amaze and swaying with the cool wind in yer face listening to Stella Blue is a memory that is etched into my template forever. Thanks Ryan AND
Thank you Phil for keeping the spirit alive and passing the torch.
Seems some poor soul got his buzz killed bad and needs to write all about it under different aliases.
Somebody must've peed in his shroomies.

>>During the Friend of the Devil, Adams sang a line that sounded like he'd made it up on the spot.<<<

Cool! Jerry woulda loved that!

>>>the highlight of the Terrapin Station was the drunk guys behind us singing louder than the band<<<

Yay! Always love the frat boy factor! Sheece..

>>>Ryan Adams is a rock star, not an ensemble musician. I don't know his solo material, maybe it's fine. But to stand on stage in front of an audience that knows this material intimately (and cares about it intimately) and basically play the way you want<<<

WTF!?!?!? How dare he give the music HIS stamp. If it ain't noodling like Jerry it's B.S.! WTF!?!?! DER!

Yet another "fan" looking for Jerry clones. I hope they gave the cliche hippie jamband sound a good kick in the ass. As for Ryan. I hope he took over!! Phil chose him. Phil's entire philosphy is to leave "the box". Sounds like Ryan had the guts to hop outta the box & give it good kick! BRAVO!!! I just listened to Set 1. Love it! Sounds like nothing i've heard from a "Dead show". Jerry's smilin'! Honestly, some of ya need to live with your tape collection. If you are that "intimate" with the music, don't go see people play it live. It'll just bum you out. Miles Davis is rolling in his grave with some of these comments about your beloved "IMPROVISED" music.....

Phil_side_4ever,

You took the words right out of my mouth. Great review!!

Go Phil!!

Thanks for the great reviews!
I love hearing the different takes on the night.

HI Folks...

Just got home after driving all day from Denver to Phoenix. Still buzzed over the Red Rocks Miracle.

I am utterly amazed at how they could have sounded so bad Friday and so good Saturday.

Anyway, I thought I was nuts when I thought the Bertha was as good as anything Dead before, Grateful or "otherwise", but I guess I am not Alone.

Both nights Ryan was swimming hard to keep up. When he was, he was amazing. Vocals on Terrapin, Cold Rain, Candyman, and yes, Robert Hunter's new verse from Friend of the Devil. ( Ryan didn’t make it up...sorry)

Ryan’s best comment Friday was "I guess I’m gonna need to grow a couple of extra fingers to play in this band."

After listening to his singing, and his playing, which while not technically proficient as the "Southern Shredder", as Rob called Jimmy Thursday night, he is soulful, and right on in his choices.

I found myself thinking, "Damn, this is the bastard grandson of Jerry Garcia" without him sounding or playing like JG at all.

I found it real hard to complain about anything at RedRocks, but of course, rarely do. The sound was fine halfway up, and after sweating out the Fillmore on Friday ( damn that place is hot) the breeze upstairs was great.

Speaking of upstairs....

JG: Hey God, how ya doing.... You ever learn that change in China Cat?

God: Hi Jer, no problem with the change, I am God after all, but I can never remember which verse comes after "Silk Kimono"

JG: So God, there's this show tonight at Red Rocks we gotta go see. Phil has found this punk country guy to sing Dead songs and play lead guitar.

God: Aw come on Jer, you know it hasn’t been the same after the PLQ. That Jimmy Herring sure can shred! And what does Ryan Adams know from Toby Keith anyway?

JG: How'd you know it was Ryan Adams?

God: I'm God remember? Who do you think put the idea into Phil's Wonderful and Cosmic Head, as Mr. Adams will describe it tonight.

JG: Aw, god, what fun is it if you already know how the concert is gonna work out.

God: I want to see the looks on Jimmy's face when he hears the stuff coming out of Ryan's amp again. It's gonna be priceless. Jimmy actually emotes once or twice. You might call it a miracle.

JG:, Well , I guess we all need a miracle every day...

God: Sure, and besides, why do you think I created Red Rocks anyway....for the sweetest sound this side of heaven?

JG: Oh yeah I forgot.....

God: Maybe we should ask Pig along. I haven't seen him for eons...

JG: He's only been dead for 32 years. Besides, you know it's impossible to separate him and Janis.

GOD: Right I forgot, the last time I tried, I had a hangover for 6 days.

JG: Yeah, yeah, I know, and on the seventh day you rested. You tell that one too much, man. I mean , God.

MR BILL: Now, IF I could only figure out how to find that "Lady from Show Low" I met at Sancho's Friday.....God????

how did wolf sound??????? any different than jimmys prs--- obviously different axes but sometimes using the same amp rig things it sound doesnt change 'much' between guitars
wish i was there to see it all. magnolia mountain is one of my fav new songs and im sure it worked with jimmy and barry-hopefully on pedal steele
adams should not be flubbing words to any songs,,when your put in the position you better shine like a frickin star
did barracco sing??? or was he relegated to just playing keys???

>>>During the Friend of the Devil, Adams sang a line that sounded like he'd made it up on the spot.

The extra verse Ryan Adams sang was originally included in Robert Hunter's song. For some reason, Garcia always chose not to sing it. Several Dead songs have "lost verses" like this:

You can borrow from the Devil
You can borrow from a friend
But the Devil will give you twenty
When your friend got only ten.

I had a blast at both shows. Friday did not touch the Red Rocks show. Even if there were some miscues that show rocked for me and everyone around me. Lots of folks still standing staring at the stage after the show. I heard a few people saying Ryan would be fine for the fall tour.I think he would be also. I will need to hear the disc's because after I was picked up by a tornado and was being spun high over the Rocks during the Terrepin things got a little crazy!


Peace to all you who danced your asses off. K

I think the fact that the boys were all bowing to each other on stage after the show means they thought it was pretty good.

That band was no-where near as tight as the earlier Phil lineups.

Sorry, but Ryan Adams tried to bite off far more than he could chew. He should have sang on a few tunes per show maximum, making it far more likely that he'd actually remember the words. Why they let him keep butchering songs while people who actually know the tunes (Phil or Barraco) are standing idly by is beyond me. What some people choose to call "personal interpretations" and "putting his own stamp on the music" I call "forgetting the words" and "not knowing the melody." Watching him blow such a high profile gig like Red Rocks was embarrassing. Seeing him through his arms up in self-deprecating desperation during UJB "how does the song go", which could have been quite an endearing gesture had he only boffed a couple of lines throughout the night, was instead sad.

If he plays with Phil & Crew again, I hope it’s more of a “sit in for a tune or two” type gig, as opposed to a “Ryan Adams & Friends” concert.

I'd have rather heard phil and rob sing the tunes, and clear up more guitar space for Herring & Sless.

Jeff Sipe on drums was a great addition. Q258 is the man!

Sir Les is on the right track. Phil definitely centered the band around young Ryan and young Ryan definitely did not know the material. Any pause by Ryan on Friday brought even Phil, Rob, and Jimmy to a groove-killing impasse several times. (Musician's lesson: Phil had fun Friday even while bombing badly.)

That said, the trainwreck Friday was absolved with a grooving Red Rocks show, where mistakes and miscues were brushed aside by the groove. Phil definitely put too much on Ryan and Ryan, as pointed out, can jam, but is not the experienced, ensemble jammer needed for the heavy lifting.

Fall tour? Bring the professionals. Ryan would be inappropriate. Phil I believe already planned this as a two-off. The tour requires hard-core professionals and I believe we'll get them.

i thought that if molo would have been there, he would have muscled them through the rough patches. seemed like sipe wasn't that versed with the material either.

>>>seemed like sipe wasn't that versed with the material either.

I've seen him play all the heavy ones with Jazz is Dead.

Red Rocks was excellent, while the Fillmore had a lot of great moments...and sloppy ones too. Besides Warren Haynes, Ryan Adams is the best singer PLF has had to date....the guy took the shows to the next level. I haven't heard a vocalist with that haunting sound in his voice since Garcia. I'd love to see Phil take a real talent like Ryan Adams out on a full tour.

Thanks for a stellar night on the Rocks, Phil!

All you Ryan bashers will be happy to know that Ryan has his own career to attend to and will likely not be in the regular line-up come November.

I was at both shows and they both ripped. Friday was the throw down (yes, warts and all). Saturday was the mind melt.

Listen to the recordings. Phil was on fire friday night.

As for Ryan, he brought a breath of freah air to the stage. I saw nothing but smiles and laughter from Phil, Jimmy, etc all through both shows and I was up front to see. I think the "banter" between songs was fun. There was NO tension. In fact, Ryan was more humble than I expected.

It was a fun, GRATE weekend. I am sorry some of you didn't enjoy it as much as we did.

(Side note: I think all you cynics have a closet full of Government Mule Cds and will slam anyone but Warren in the lead slot...just an opinion. Anyone care to listen to the first two shows Warren did with Phil? Was it the Summer Sessions tour? I was at the Red Rocks show that summer and Warren botched the lyrics on a few tunes. Give the kid some slack....)

Jeff Sipe was great!
Ryan Adams was pure soul. What a voice and his own songs fit in perfectly. Some great sentiments in the lyrics. Magnolia Mountain..."I wanna sing to the roses in the garden...Life is Beautiful..."I believe in You".
His Stella Blue was exquisite! And, Sless' steel was chilling. In fact, I was surprised that he never slipped on a guitar but his playing was superb throughout. It gave the band a very full sound. He wailed on the Dark Star>Other took it out to the cosmos.
Speaking of deep space, Herring and Phil were stunning. The Star>Other One is just a thing of beauty especially the intra-song jam. Phill was blasting bombs all night.
The tapes don't lie:

paf2005-07-16_mc012_cards.flac16.torrent

I was a tad disappointed in the China>Rider as it never really caught fire.

Were there some rough patches? You betcha.
Were there some miscues? Uhm, yeah.
Good thing that never happened to the GDead and the Q.
Phil even made reference to his first band taking a long time between songs.
Thank you, Ryan. Gutsy moves, dude.
Your love and respect for the songs was obvious and your enthusiastic exhuberance must've been contagious 'cause I caught more than one band member grinning from ear-to-ear.
Thanx, Phil. You're a musical genius and us heads love the fact that yer passing the torch ensuring that Grateful Dead songs will be played for years to come.

I had such a blast.
What could be finer that swaying in the cool Colorado breeze with frissons of joy running up and down my spine, with my lover, my friends, 9,000 souls in communion and Red Rocks.

What a night!

I for one can't wit to hear the show from the Rocks. I was blown away by Ryan Adams performance at the Jammy's and have grabbed some of his recent boards from Archive.org. As his versions of Rat and B-Song with his band The Cardinals have different arrangements (including vocals), I don't see why we shouldn't expect similar liberties as he provides his takes on the songs. (For that matter, how many times did Garcia blow off the last verse of Scarlet over the Years?) Remember how new songs sounded when they were introduced by the GD live when they played together for years? Of course it was going to have rough edges. Adams has been on tour continually with his band.

Bottom line for me is Ryan Adams is an amazing talent, and I am thrilled he is jamming with Phil and can only hope he is in force in November going where the music takes him and not worried where others think it should go.

Finally, Cold Roses is an amazing release, and those of you who have Universal HD channel should keep an eye out for Ryan Adams in Jamaica on the Music in High Places series. Great Stuff.

http://bt.etree.org/details.php?id=16285

Thanks, Mike B. for a great recording and getting the show up so quickly.
Gawd bless the tapers!

I think there's some sort of left coast conspiracy going on here. Everytime Phil brings a new lineup out, its suddenly the best ever. And yet we've yet to see any of them on the east coast. What are you hiding Phil? Let's see the goods. Prove to us the lefties aren't just gushing endlessly about anything Phil does, or is the real deal? Let the more objective ears and eyes in on the "secret."

I had a great time at the shows this weekend as well. But I'm surprised that I'm the only one that was royally pissed that they played Wharf Rat twice in a row. I was a pouty girl when they encored at RR on Saturday. I really enjoyed the way Ryan sang it on Friday night and couldn't believe they'd spoil it by playing it again.

Besides that, it was really refreshing to hear all the songs we know and love with a twist. Dark Star and UJB reprise come to mind. And although Friday night was mellow (you knew it was going to be an off night when they started with a slowed-down version of Shakedown), the chemistry between the members of the band was incredible. Seeing Jimmy laugh like that makes my heart soar.

OK, first time posting here, so bear with me please. Long post ahead. I understand and respect what I have read so far, and realize everyone sees things differently. Thanks to my old friend Bob Ulius for dragging me back to a show again after I had given up for several years out of disappointment and sadness for what no longer was. For what it is worth, this is my take on the evening.....

Wow!

Thank you Phil & Friends! Can we do that again?
Soon? Please?
With the very same line up?

I'll start saving my sheckels now, and will be with you wherever and whenever you want to start rolling the bus again. And yes, to answer your question Phil, I DO like your band!

I felt like I was witnessing the birth of something old into something new, vital, and alive, all over again. And this new baby has wings of gold to go with their collective hearts, and is dead to the core. I admit it, I got on the bus late, and don't know everything. I never saw the wall of sound, or 5-8-77, let alone 73 dead. But at 52 years of age, and after seeing over 50 Grateful Dead shows, plus a bunch of P&F and RatDog shows, and after giving up chasing after what I thought was gone, convinced I would never see the magic I saw before again, all I can say is Wow! Somehow, somewhere, a new key was forged that fit the lock just right, not perfectly mind you, it slips in a few places, and sometimes gets stuck, but in the end it was just right, IT worked, cracked the door open, and the good 'ol GD was back, right on time in 2005. My dear mate turned to me and said..."the music has color again". I couldn't have agreed more. Well loved tunes worn like comfortable old shoes found along the road, sliding onto new feet for the next mile, kicked into a new dance with an old refrain letting the muse show them where to go.

The wheel is turning for sure. I felt absolutely blessed to be able to see what I saw in Denver the last few nights. I never thought I'd see it again, but there it was. New faces. Old faces. Same magic. Nowhere near exactly the same, this was new but nonetheless, I saw a GD show on this July weekend in 2005. I know that may sound like blasphemy to many, but I recognized the sweet refrain (re-frame?). For those of you not there, there is nothing I can say to let you know, other than to urge you to listen to the tale of the tapes, and go the next chance you get. Since they were shooting it for RA, I sincerely hope they release a DVD of the evening. I'd snag one in a heartbeat!

The look on Phil's face through the evening(s), the surprise even at the Filmore when Ryan blew a line and turned it around in an unexpected direction, shocking even Phil (in a very good way) till he was shaking with laugter, was a miracle to see. The band was having fun, on both nights, and it showed. And it showed in the sound. To a wee extent, it was a bit like the "wall of sound" version of the GD (in the Phil Spector sense, not the PA system) at times, but even then, the subtelty was there showing the promise of what could come with time and the experience of playing togther. But I can attest that IMHO, this was the best show I have seen by any members of the GD family since 1995. Period.

There is a deep magic at Red Rocks that honors the hearts of those who come willing to leave it all out on the stage. It played along with the band once again like an old friend, and I have no doubts a broken angel was smiling somewhere. I was down just in front of the sound board center, looking up at the crowd after the long rehersal/sound check, and saw a lightning bolt split the hazy sky dead center to the the west of the venue. No thunder, just light, right as the rehearsal finished, followed by a cooling breeze and a few rain drops. 'Nuff said!

The show that followed was absolutely amazing. Not letter perfect, but who cares? If you want to hear a recreation of what was, go listen to tapes or be happy with those that try to perfectly recreate a song per song show from long ago. Give me a new turn of the phrase, improvisation, a surpise, the music lifting and rising, played from the heart, a shared laugh between musicians, or even a sheepish grin and reassuring smile from Phil that came with a
f**k up and a turn of the hands upwards from RA when asked "how does the song go". Lets make up the rules as we go. I'd rather see great musicians playing off of each other into a new place they didn't even know they could get to,
(at least just yet), and the audience rolling it right back off the rocks to the band. The afterburner kicked in this summer night in Colorado, and lift off was achieved once more!

For crying out loud people, be kind, and cut the kid (RA) some slack! They worked their collective asses off getting ready for the show, to try and not let the audience down. This kid Ryan has heart, incredible talent, loves and
respects the music and fellow players, and played his heart out. Not as some Jerry clone (in fact his extensive careful feedback underneath Barry and Jimmy's soloing evoked Hendrix more than Garcia), but he FELT the music, and lent it his voice to carry it, and tread as gently as he could while still being who he is. The songs he lent fit like a glove, right in place. For my taste, far more than any Vince song ever did. Did he step on things once in a while, sure. But again, so what? He sure brought stage presence, and new life, plus IMHO, a new dimension musically to the ensemble, and as it went on, it polished up into a fine gem. It even injected a little bit of (dare I say it)
a kind of weir-dness (without being a clone of Bobby in any way), and without that tension and little bit of uncertainty to keep it from sameness, the music lacked something before. It had it last night.

What more could we ask for? Which of us could have done better?

I agree with the other posters, that there is a damn good reason Phil has chosen the people he has included in this band, and keeps bringing back. Barry Sless is absolutely and utterly amazing. He sat back at the Filmore supplying a
base the others could fly from (instead of being out front like an ego maniac), playing the right notes at the right time and adding sweet fills and just the right touch. I just wish he had been up more in the PA. Really had to struggle to hear him until Ripple. At Red rocks, I could not believe what I was hearing in his playing, it blew me away. Besides his unbelievable musicianship, he has a humility and gentleness of spirit in his playing, and a laughter and sweetness that the music has been sorely missing for a long time untill he came along. I have no doubts Rob Barracco is the best keboardist since Brent hands down. Jimmy Herring's fluid runs fit perfectly and worked sweetly through the whole night, with just the right bite when needed. His contribution is amzing, and with Barry, the combination is unbeatable. The southern shreder indeed! Jeff Sipe provided the power, and was tight, and strong. Not with the swing of Kruetzman or all the colors of Hart, or even the finesse of a John Molo, but how on earth could we expect one person to fill both rolls so early on? He did a great job, and I haven't heard anyone tap the cymbals like that for a long time. He was incredibly musical while supplying the drive. Good job! The vocals & harmonies were absolutely amazing and sweet. The acapella ending to UJB brought tears to me eyes, as did the jam into it, and the oh so sweet Stella. I never thought I could ever hear anyone do justice to that song again, but guess what? It shined! The Terrapin was amazing! So a few vocal lines were missed here and there. Have we all
forgotten teleprompters? Is this realy news? LOL. So a few lines and solos were stepped on musically. Like Bobby never did that, only to get stared down by Jerry? I mean come on. We are all just human, and they were trying to play some of the most demanding music ever to the most finicky crowd on the planet! I say, well done friends! Bravo! Bravo! Encore! Encore!

What my overly critical brothers and sisters need to remember is that with time, what can this band become? If it sounds this amazing after only a few days, what could years of playing together mean? As for RA playing Wolf,
remember his guitar broke during the first set, and the crew got out Wolf for him to use, and it was strapped around his neck to his surprise! The night before, Jimmy played it (Barry's turn next?). It is a guitar, a musical instrument, not an untouchable holy icon or sacred relic. Jerry would gag at the thought! Without hands searching for the sound on it, it is just a hunk of dead wood meant for a museum. Jerry would have been proud at what we witnessed this weekend. He would have jammed along with a wry grin and well placed stares at time, but I think he would have loved it. We should do no less.

It also amazed me to talk to all of the newbies at the show, who had no other frame of reference regarding "the dead", the GD, or the past. I talked to two young girls who were RA fans at the Fillmore, who had come for him, but had
gone back to listen to WD & AB albums prior to the show, to understand why RA was so pumped about playing these shows with Phil. I saw them afterwards, and they were in shock, and said "how they never knew a concert could be
like this, they couldn't wait till tomorrow night, and how had they missed this before?" And this was the Filmore show, not Red Rocks! It may have been labeled Phil & Friends, but this was their first GD show, and in spite of the flaws and shortcomings, they got IT! To many, many people, this is the only version of the GD experience they will ever know face to face. May we in kindness welcome them to the dance, bring 'em up right to be kind good neo-hippies, and share in whatever the future holds.

One final note, is the incredible sense of family I saw at the shows. Musicians hanging about on stage talking to friends and family between rehearsal/soundcheck and begining of the show, not hiding in dressing rooms. A local
medicine man smudging everyone on stage with sage. The vibe in the crowd (OK, the lot could have been better). It was the most family like show I have seen in years. Our community owes a huge debt to not only Phil, but to Jill,
Kathy Sunderland, Robbie Taylor, and everyone else, for all they have done to keep the dance and the music alive.

Well done, one and all. Thank you!

I now know that the wheel is turning again, and won't stop! The music is living on, the kids are dancing and shaking their bones (even if some of us are many decades into the dance and no longer kids), and the future, at least as we saw it from Red Rocks looks bright. Regardless of who plays the tunes, they will live on with a life of their own. Thank you Phil for bringing up a new generation in the form of an ensemble orchestra of many players!At Jerry's memorial celebration, Micky Hart told the audience that they were now the GD, and the question was, what where they going to do with it? Last night proved it isn't over, and that those words are true both as metaphor, an extended family, and as a musical group with many faces.

Where do we meet again next? Dust off those rusty strings just one more time...gonna make 'em shine!

Happy Happy Joy Joy! Till the next show...

My post show assessment was that it was "incredible and really bad at the same
time." I can actually see where Sully came from, although I don't
necessarily agree with him. There were definitely some incredibly
transcendent moments, some of the most spacey improvisational pieces I've
ever heard. The opening jam was so good, and Ryan fit really well in some
of those feedback loops, taking a minimalist approach but hitting the right
notes. Also, whereas most GD offshoots over the last 10 years have focused
on the melodies and improvisational aspects of GD music, this was probably
the best representation of the VOCAL side on certain songs--that emotional,
fragile, tender side of Jerry. I heard bits and pieces with Joan Osborne on
some of the pretty ballads and blues numbers, but Ryan was the first singer
to really evoke that "down and out, BROKEN DOWN, yet soulful" side of Jerry,
on tunes like Stella Blue or Wharf Rat.

Now, this was REALLY expanded by the fact that Ryan Adams seemed to be in a
VERY precarious emotional state throughout the show. You could tell that
there was a ton of pressure being put on him, that he wasn't totally
comfortable with his position in the band, and I think he realized that he
had really big shoes to fill, and was obviously compensating with a lot of
bumps backstage (pure conjecture, but, well....). I could tell during one
of the jams that he felt really out of place, and after the song was over,
he said to the crowd, "It wasn't my idea." I think a lot of people missed
that, but i knew exactly what he was saying, and it was a very awkward
moment. Phil said something like "What??" and Ryan compensated by making
some pot reference..."I smell something coming down the side of the
mountain... sounds like someone's baking apple pie." BUT, like I said, it
was an emotional rollercoaster throughout, and I think it was almost needed
in order to reach the emotional state necessary to truly evoke the majesty
of some of those highly emotional songs.

Another point: I recently read an article in Rolling Stone about Trixie
Garcia, Jerry's daughter, and she mentioned something to the effect of "It's
ironic that the GD were these black-humored, cynical, shit-talking guys, and
they were being followed by granola-eating, lovey dovey hippies." It's that
total pransker spirit, which I define as the inability to be pigeon-holed,
or controlled, or to embrace the chaotic, which is implicit not only in the
band's music, but also in their individual attitudes. And in that respect,
Ryan fit in perfectly. I felt this weird dichotomy, like he was sometimes
making fun of all of us, yet still totally IN the right role, acknowledging
the beauty of the music and words he was singing. And unlike most of the
guys that Phil has adopted over the years, you could tell that Ryan wasn't
going to allow himself to be Phil's pet. He did it HIS way, and he was
creating a kind of tension with phil throughout the whole show. And just as
everything would be on the verge of blowing up, he would say something
funny, or act really good humored. I think that's really reflected in the
individual personalities in the GD--that tension. There were definitely
many "strange, yet familiar" forces at play in that geological vortex.

Anyway, that's how I interpret the "20 part opera" statement from Sully. And
as far as the "magnum opus" statement, I guess I can see how, at least in
the conceptual sense, it was one of the most creative performances Phil has
ever orchestrated. It was an incredibly creative dynamic at play, with the
band and with the setlist. I felt like i was in such uncertain waters, and
it certainly CHALLENGED all my perceptions, which is what the best art does.
And if, to paraphrase Bobby, "It's fun to piss off deadheads who think
that their music has to be played in a certain way," then they certainly
acheived that. I know that Phil was at a Ryan Adam's show where he pretty
much said to the crowd "your town sucks," so I know that Phil knew exactly
what he was getting in to.

On the other hand, I can't agree totally with the "magnum opus" statement,
because most of the songs in the 2nd set were absolute train wrecks (1st set
was pretty solid all the way through). Again, the SINGING was
beautiful...and some of the jamming truly reached "GD 1973" stature (or
even 72' stature :-P), but the *tempo, timing, and flow* to the actual SONGS
and MELODIES were absolutely terrible. Ryan botched so many lyrics, or he
came in at the wrong time, which messed up jimmy, which messed up barry,
etc. Also, PHIL screwed up some lyrics in a major way. The musicians did a
great job of recovering, but a lot was still lost in the constant shuffling.
So in that regard, it was the WORST musical experience I've encountered in
any GD incarnation. The train wrecks in the 2nd set were about 5 times
worse than even the worst mistake made during the 3 nights of the so-called
"crapfest" I experienced last year (which were few). Pretty unfortunate
considering that I heard AWESOME versions of some of these same songs on the
radio and internet during rehearsals just a few days prior.

Anyway, there was more to the experience than just songs, and, again, the
jamming and crazy forces definitely contributed to a unique experience. It
was great.... but only for that one time.

Red Rocks was one of the absolute best shows I've had the privilege of attending. And yes - I saw Jerry 50+ times.

Ryan Adams just blew me away. That kid's got heart! A true force of nature. Beautifully expressed such a wide range of emotions at Red Rocks - from the most sublime bliss to the darkest pain. And the emotion wasn't comprised of layer upon layer of intensity. There was a certain simplicity. They broke down songs to their most basic elements. Spare, lilting, haunting, even desperate at times. Frighteningly good. I found the whole experience cathartic.

It was an incredibly bold performance. Adams, a gifted singer and guitar player, truly threw caution to the wind. He actually took chances with new arrangements of songs like Dark Star, Uncle John's Band, Terrapin, and Wharf Rat. There was this great sense of risk. He just ripped apart some of the best GD songs and put them back together. Sure - he screwed up here and there. But bashing the show based on these mistakes is certainly a sign of small-mindedness. His own songs were some of the highlights for me (listen to Cold Roses a few times, and there's no going back). Ragged and glorious.

The rest of the band, including Phil, clearly recognized that they had a unique talent on stage. Phil stepped back and let him lead the way. At the Fillmore, he was almost too restrained. But at Red Rocks, he was right there with Adams, absolutely loving it.

There were so many perfect moments at Red Rocks. The music brought me laughter and tears (and yes - I was sober for the most part). It was sacred and playful. And Ryan Adams - in my opinion - remained humble and respectful throughout. Wasn't Jerry about expressing his own unique voice??? Adams played him the greatest tribute by doing the same.

Regarding those who hated it - I find it sad that some are filled with such negativity and fear of change, but I realize it's a reflection of the intense love they had for Jerry and the GD. In my mind, though, wherever he is, Jerry is grinning ear to ear.

Thank you so much, Phil and Ryan and company. You guys are truly an inspiration.

People who disagree with you are "small-minded"?

ok, buddy.

Who's the negative one?


Ryan sounded great on his own tunes. His interpretations *cough* *cough* *hesitations* *mistakes* *cough* *fumbling with sheet music he should have memorized long ago* *cough* grew tiresome. It's Phil's band, and he'll have whoever he wants in it. And I'll either like 'em or not. I'm not hating on Ryan, I'm just stating that I preferred other incarnations of this band, and that Mr. Adams sounds best when doing songs he knows intimately. (i.e., his own tunes)

Just got back from red rocks, the show was fucking awesome.

Even FOTD and UJB were really fat and we all have seen some bad UJB's.

Bertha was great, Phil really screwed alot of lyrics up but as soon as the instrumentals kicked in it was pure MAGIC!!!!

definately way better than dead 04 or Ratdog.

Jimmy was great, so great. This night had lots of spacy jams but plenty of rockin action too...

my only complaints are the length of setbreak, and the late start. With the time change Phil did not go on until 11 PM EST. This really fucked me up bcuzz by the end of 2nd set it was almost 3 AM on my bodies clock, and the elevation really tweaked me out. One more day to acclimate next time I think will do the trick.

The show was so fucking grate, and the lot was sweet. I saw only one arrest and that dude was wasted off his ass and trying to fight the cops (all 2 of them). There were tons of nice herbs everywhere. Bubbleberry X Diesel was one that stood out...

did I mention the show was awesome. I was behind the board and Phil's bass was humping phat bombs ALLLLLL NIGHT!!!!

what a fucking show...blew away Boston 1st night 04, best show I have seen since Shoreline 94.

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

FALL TOUR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ryan adams can sing but he hosed Candyman...overall he was good though.


WAAAAAAAAAAAAAY better than Warren.

after seeing this show, yep its confirmed, Warren was even crappier than BOB in 04, No Warren I go, Warren in, HELL NO!

Warren vocals were OK but his solos....BARF!!!!

Jimmy,Ryan was a really good mix!!! Very Grateful Deadesque, not Jerry, but pretty damn good.

>>If it sounds this amazing after only a few days, what could years of playing together mean?

Dude, you are on crack. It didn't sound amazing. It sounded like two bad nights for Phil because his hand-picked boy FAILED to deliver.

He didn't know the words. He left out ENTIRE verses to songs, MANY SONGS!

He botched the jams.

He prevented REAL talent from flowing as fully as possible from the others.

Ryan was a mistake.

Phil will hopefully realize that and it will be one of many experiments left by the roadside as this crazy carnival continues.

But saying this show was amazing...yikes. Must've been the DOSES? (yeah, not MAYBE, as Ryan sang. MUST'VE!)

JBH

"the *tempo, timing, and flow* to the actual SONGS
and MELODIES were absolutely terrible. Ryan botched so many lyrics, or he came in at the wrong time, which messed up jimmy, which messed up barry, etc. Also, PHIL screwed up some lyrics in a major way. The musicians did agreat job of recovering, but a lot was still lost in the constant shuffling. So in that regard, it was the WORST musical experience I've encountered in any GD incarnation."

100 percent agree, and it's not because I'm "full of negativity and fear change." I've enjoyed nearly every lineup Phil has put together since 1999, and accept that different musicians bring different things to the table.

"Yet another "fan" looking for Jerry clones."

The furthest thing from the truth. When I see Phil and whoever his band is, I'm looking for performers who play well TOGETHER, regardless of the sound. What I heard at Red Rocks didn't sound like a band playing together, but perhaps your ears told you differently.

"There was a certain simplicity. They broke down songs to their most basic elements. Spare, lilting, haunting, even desperate at times. Frighteningly good."

I suppose that's one way to look at it. The way my ears interepreted it was that the band was barely hanging on to the rhythm NUMEROUS times. The music would speed up and slow down, no one knew which direction anything would go, or which verse was even going to be sung. There were some great musicians on that stage besides Phil and Ryan Adams, and I think their hands were tied too many times during the performance because of Adams' "loose interpretations." The Terrapin and Uncle John's were painfully bad to my ears, regardless of what unique take Adams was attempting to put on those songs.

I'm open to change, I like new ideas and new energy, but I think this lineup just did not work. I still love and respect Phil for having the guts to mix it up, but the results didn't do the music justice, in my opinion.

Some of you people really just AMAZE me. If you like Ryan Adams, then fine, but WAKE UP, it was NOT the greatest show on earth. He messed up a HELL of alot of tunes. In my opinion, BRING BACK THE QUINTET!!!!

Terrible is all I can say. I am happy that Phil decided to play his only shows in my hometown, but the lineup was wrong, wrong, wrong. The kid should nbever have been allowed to touch the Wolf, let alone play it. The best guitar player on the stage was stuck in the corner with his slide guitar, which by the way he used to cover many a screwup by Mr Adams. The Warfield lineup was far superior to what we saw this weekend. There was no excuse for what took place on Saturday night at Red Rocks, it was plain wrong. I love Phil, I will support his efforts until he hangs it up, but this was a mistake.

some rise.

The tapes are out there now. Judge for your self. I think that this has turned into Troll Central or something.
The music was great. The first set of the Fillmore and the entire Red Rocks show were simply stellar.
However, The most wonderful part of the weekend was the sense of community. Sitting in a bar with Phil and Ryan playing pool and then those guys playing for hours. Back in the day this was an impossibility.
We sat a Red Rocks in the Ampitheatre for over an hour listening to the sound check. Rob was hugging people and signing autographs, Phil was joking around with us. The stage banter during the show was unheard of during those halcyon days of the Grateful Dead. The most we ever got was Bobby's "We will be back in just a little bit." at the end of the first set. It was nice to hear Phil and Ryan talking to the crowd during the show.
The music is changing, we all are changing. To expect the music to be frozen in some idealistic space in time is ridiculous.
Who ever went to a Grateful Dead show where some lyrics weren't flubbed or a show went down hill. Anyone remember the Brokedown Palace encore from Telluride '87 or the Blackbird from Alpine Valley '88. Come on! There's really too many flubs to list and no show was unscathed.
Ryan Adams is awesome. After the Fillmore show I went out and bought his "Cold Roses". I think he is obviously a Deadhead. The inner cover has two Dancing Bears with one handing a Rose to a small child. The album is spectacular. During the Fillmore show he commented on what an honor it was to sing "Songs that I grew up with and loved."
Phil is obviously enamored with Ryan. Seeing the on stage communication and Phil and Ryan leaning up against that Giant Red Rock in a very animated conversation was wonderful. It's so disappointing to me to see Ryan trashed on this board for all of the wrong reasons.
Ryan BROTHER, WELCOME TO THE FAMILY. YOU WERE AWESOME AND DEEPLY APPRECIATED!
PHIL THANKS FOR INTRODUCING SOME OF US TO A NEW FRIEND!!

listened to most of both shows now - Great Job
tapers and posters!!!!! Thank you!

this is not epic show quality stuff by any stretch of the imagination. Now, ingestibles, that's entirely different.

nice change of pace
not as polished as the Q - but that's ok, that's ok... This incarnation may sound a bit deeper, mellower, more - ANALOG

botched verses, changes, seques, yep, by the dozen
It's only their 2nd official show people - painful at times, pretty interesting at other times

lots of potential in a 16 date tour or so... RA has a nice vocal approach and fits fine in both is vocals, songs he brings with, and his guitar playing - although I have yet to really identify it in the recordings. Herring is pretty easy to pick out, and Sless on the pedal, but Ryan seems to blend in - but from more of a traditional rock point of view as compared to Weir - I always thought of the Q as two leads battling it out...

this kid, Adams, he's a babe being thrown into the frothy whirlpools of the cosmos - I'd expect them to sound green... Why all the emphasis on perfection?
drmz

I am now listening to the 2nd set from the Rocks and so far it sounds pretty fuckin good. What strikes me about the show and the other posters is the lack of mention of Barraco anhd Sipe. The first thing I noticed was not Ryan but the difference in drumming. I think I probably prefer Molo but Sipe gave the whole thing a different feel. Barraco back in the band revives the heavy piano grooves of the Q, a welcome sound to these ears. As far as Ryan goes, he sounds pretty good. I can't tell from the tapes who is doing what on guitar but I like Ryan's voice and he doesn't sound nervous or overwhelmed to me. His singing is relaxed, tuneful and on key. The jams so far have been interesting but nothing to write home about. It is pretty damn good for a second show.

A couple more songs went by and I am forced to add that Ryan's song 'life is beautiful' sounded pretty lame.

I think it's time for some folks to hang up the tie dyes and stay home. If you weren't impressed with this weekend then there's something wrong with you

I've seen every Phil and Friends show that has come through Colorado plus countless others in various cities. Saturday was one of if not if my favorite Phil show I've seen to date. Ryan Adams is amazingly talented. I've never been a huge Warren fan but Ryan blew him out of the water. So much more soul in his singing and true feel in his playing. Warrens power chords and man ballads just grew old for me.

Did he miss some lyrics and transitions? Yes. He tried to practice 20 some songs in a week. Other band members miss lyrics after 35 years.

Proton..great 1st set at Fillmore..here, here, I titally agree that that was an amazin' set. Hugh..where have yuo found the Fillmore show? Thanks & Peace!

I think it's time for some folks to hang up the tie dyes and stay home. If you weren't impressed with this weekend then there's something wrong with you

I've seen every Phil and Friends show that has come through Colorado plus countless others in various cities. Saturday was one of if not if my favorite Phil show I've seen to date.


Right the fuck on, Philo.
I've seen every Phil band that's come through Colorado even that jam he did with SCI at da rox.
These guys with Ryan rocked. Listen to the stream.

I think the nay sayers need to stay home and put a '91 show on their deck or hell even a Q show and raaaaaaaaawwwwwkkkkk out.
Have two hits of a skinny ass joint and just groove man.
I don't need to sit through Beautifully fuckinbroken again or Welcome to the Underground or even soulshine again. Warren's a one trick pony and deserves his own band where da muuuuuleheads can rock out to Little Toy Brain and do the thorazine shuffle for 2.5 hrs.

Jim Hart what da fuck are you talking about. Of course Ryan should play da wolf as should any other musician that Phil's given his stamp of approval.
Jerry would like to see his guitar played and not in a friggin museum.
I agree, troll central this has become.
Did you guys notice that almost all the trolls have only 2-3 posts. I've got a hunch it's one or two people using a bunch of aliases.

Well, I can't wait for more Phil shows with this line-up. I'll be there dancin'.

Right on Dyer! I much rather see a GD-like set list and a performance full of energy and enthusiasm as Ryan brought to the table than a bunch of cover tunes by whomever. I do love the Quintet with Warren but we can't expect him to drop everything else he is doing and play with Phil 3 tours a year. I would love to see Ryan with the band during the November run. Peace..

YEEEEEEEEEAAAH

For the forces of positivity. Already posted my review. Just glad I'm not alone.

The Fillmore rocked. Red Rocks was sublime - nearly perfect (mistakes and all).

Jeff Sipe is better for my ears than Molo.

Rob sounded great all weekend.

Barry sounded wonderful at RR.

Adams can sing but cant play with these boys. he holds them back big time.

OK...

Anyone who thinks this is better than what the GRATEFUL DEAD did is mistaken. Keep in mind this is a JAM SESSION with musicians who have played together for a few days. The Dead were a BAND who accomplished an incredible amount of exploration in 30 years. No - I'm sorry Jimmy and Ryan will never top Jerry, but that's OK.

Yeah, I know I haven't seen the Dead for ten years, either, and let's admit it - our memory is probably slightly impaired. However, YES this was a GREAT SHOW. It was nice to actually hear Barry tonight. He was incredible on FOTD.

Ryan sang well this night and the music was solid - not to mention this venue. After the night before I thought Ryan Adams would never be invited back. My thoughts have changed - not everyone can sing a Stella Blue. He did a great job. This was truley a magical show and I look forward to more.

>>>power chords and man ballads

Sounds like the title of a Spinal Tap album. Funny stuff....

Alright. I've been reading all this stuff, including the RA bashing, and then I paid a visit to Phil's website. He's planning to become a music teacher, more or less, and give classes this fall for the eager and inspired but un-schooled in how to go about playing Grateful Dead Music--i.e. "they're not the best at what they do, but they're the only ones who do what they do." (And NO: "jam bands" aren't doing what the Grateful Dead did either. Their jams are marketing strategies. Nothing more.) Well, it sounds like Phil wants to change that now, and I think it's a great idea.

I think it's also fair to say that Ryan Adams was Phil's first pupil. He didn't pass every test (who does?!?), but he had his moments: Scarlet > Fire, Bertha!!!, Stella Blue. Garcia once said that the great thing about Deadheads was that they were open to failure when reaching for something beyond anyone's usual grasp--that that was to their credit. Of course he also said that when GD ticket prices were less than $20. That's one of the things that sucks about capitalism: you always want to get what you pay for--and then some--but sometimes less(h) actually does become more. I think that's what happened last weekend, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Peace.

THANK YOU PILGRIM!!! - i was front and center both nights and there were nothing but smiles coming from the stage and phil was bopping around like a teenager....and before we go on a ryan adams bashing spree let's consider that he's just a couple years older than me, i've been playing guitar, bass, and keys (respectively) for 10 years (since i was about 13)and i would be scared shitless if i was out there playing with those guys. i've heard a few people talk about ryan not connecting with the band as much as he should have been but he's not used to playing improvisational music.....i'm sure those same people would whole heartedly defend jerry even though he spent more time staring straight down at the stage than connecting for more than a few YEARS, and he'd been playing the songs almost as long as ryan has been alive.....

ryan was swimming with sharks and he knew it; not to mention that he, on more than one occasion, fully acknowledged that fact....the second set of the fillmore show was the 'worst' of the four but both shows were SMOLDERING!!! - in my humble opinion...people said the same things about bruce hornsby that i'm hearing about ryan when the dead took him in, just because you play popular or 'pop' music dosen't mean you can't play and play well.....the dead have always been about exploration, experimentation, and open to change... it's too bad some of the 'fans' don't feel the same...i had 3000 miles (about 44 hours)or driving invested in getting there and back, plus the money i invested, and it was worth every cent and every mile. I KNOW MY LOVE WILL NOT FADE AWAY!!!KEEP IT UP BOYS!!!

Alright, i've said my piece.....now i'm prepared to be crucified...and if a man among you has no sin upon his hands let him cast the stone at ryan for playin' in the band

"For those who understand, no explanation is necessary; for those who don't understand, no explanation is possible."

Come on Dyer, you know me, you know what I beluieve in. I was upset at Saturday nights show, I was impressed with the first set and parts of the second set on Friday. What I was frustrated by is how little involvement Barry was given and his stature as a guitar player. I was with you on Friday night and expressed how good that 1st set was. Saturday was a disaster on my part. I am not a troll, I go to every show with you and I tell it like I see it. Always..... I love you Dyer, and I love Phil.... Bring back Barry on the guitar.....

Why do you care if ryan plays Wolf, Jim?
Didja ever see Jerry play wolf?
It's a beautful instrument that needs to be played by anyone that Phil deems as worthy, imo.
My hunch is that Garcia would want it to be played.
Rosebud's in Cleveland for fuck's sake under glass.

Good point Dyer, but I would have rather seen Barry play it, and I loved it when Jimmy cranked it up on Friday. I think that is why I enjoyed Friday nights show. The consensus on this board seems to be that I am full of shit, and that fridays show was shit. I am disagreeing, I want to see Wolf played, and I wantto see it played by someone who gets it. I think you are missing my point.

Hey Zoners!

Had to jump in here at one point. While it's true that this line-up was not PLQ, and did lack the technical mastery that we have come to enjoy from PLQ, it was nonetheless GD music with Phil and Friends and I was really glad to be a part of it.

I was on the rail at the Philmore Friday night directly in front of Ryan and he was struggling a bit, but so what? First live gig with Phil? Let it roll.

One of the big differences btw Fri & Sat was on Friday they continued to jam while they were waiting on Ryan. Phil & Jimmy were looking at each other constantly saying "whenever he's ready, we are". Ryan was flipping music sheets and noodling with his pedal after each song. On Saturday night, they just abruptly stopped and waited for Ryan. I would have preferred the jam, but ok. At one point on Sat night (I was row 6 Jimmy side), Jimmy actually squatted down to take a break while waiting for Ryan; rested his guitar on his lap and seemed a bit frustrated. In a word, weird. This is a jam band so it was strange to witness all the "Phil Air" in Sat's show.

I've seen every Phil & Friends show in CO since the first in 98 at the Rocks, and I will continue to go see Phil regardless of the line-up just to hear our good friend Phil play Dead.

Phil is like Dr. Experiment. He loves to mix it up, etc... so the phans should all know this. Yeah, we got pretty damned spoiled with the Q, but as others have shared, that was getting old for a few folks also... So I'll just roll with Phil listen to the music play whenever he's back, which hopefully will be this Fall!

now imagine youself crawling out of your skin,
that dead air seemed like a life time.

Back in the 70's, in the first set you could go to the bathroom for a number two, go to the concessions and get a beer and make it back to your seat in between songs...easily!

Okay..just listened to this show fully and loud. Ryan Adams has "it"! He has the voice, soul, chops and charisma that brings the chills back. Sure it was rough at moments, but I could only imagine what if would be like if he played with this band extensively. He's also got an attitude... funny, witty, cranky and tough. IMHO required to continue to be succesful with this kind of endeavor and fandom.
Imagine some subtle key changes and vocal arrangements to fit his style and voice. The guy is such a talent and I'm not easily won over.
A couple of his boards and Cold Roses have me groveling to see him be on the Novemeber trek.
The Scarlet->Fire jam was great.
I do wonder if the clutter mid-range with 3 guitars and keyboards impinges on his ability to stretch his voice.
Nothinkg against Warren but...

both shows can be found at

bt.etree.org

drmz

I just got these shows in hte mail yesterday and I'm not sure what the Ryan bashers are on about. I didn't hear that many missed lyrics (no more than Bob or Jerry ever committed)and the band sounded pretty fucking good. Ryan is not Jerry or even Warren when it comes to guitar playing, but he holds his own. I hope this collaboration continues for a while, at least long enough for them to hit my neck of the woods. And if they want to bring along The Dragonflys, I'll be there for that too.

Hey ,as Deadheadwho wishes he could have been there to witness it in person...I listened to the auds of this show( not hypercritically ,mind you) and was pleasantly suprised how much i enjoyed the music being played....there is some definite passion and fire in there....so what if there were some mistakes made, so jam-style tunes have to be technically perfect? what do you want a finely polished piece of non-substance? To be honest, I have been a fan of Ryan Adams for the last five years or so....the guy is an amazing songwriter of world class...any fan of fine song craftsmanship should do themselves a favor and check out his work with Whiskeytown or his first two solo lps...but I was skeptical to to see how he meshed with P&F .First of all I never considered his guitar playing as anything more than adequate , but felt he added a little element of danger ....and was shocked to hear some nicely played parts that fit and blended in with the mix....as far as forgetting lyrics , its not like this guy spent his whole life trying to play GD tunes....in fact hes spent his time writing his own tunes......hundreds of them. So for him to try and learn an extensive library of music comprised of Dead classics in a short time, cut the guy a little slack I mean he proabably knew a few tunes before this opportunity e wharfrat which hes been playing for years,but I dare anyone to learn the lyrics and changes to a catalog of that magnitude in a YEARStime. Its not like he needs to play with Phil to make a name for himself..hes doing it out of respect and love he has for the music and i'm sure hes honored as shit to be there,sees it as an opportunity to reach a different audience..but so what if he blows some lyrics...Bobby or Jerry never did? The guy adds a great voice and some adequate guitar playing...i mean between sless and herring you think we need another monster player in there?
But as a dead head first and foremost Id have to say I dont want to see the music "butchered" and I dont think it is in this case...the GD were always about taking chances, playing dangerously,thats the only way you can get to the magical stuff, play it too safe and youre done as an artist..so why would you expect anything less from Phil and his rotating line-up....thats all Im saying....hey if you dont like the line-up, wait till next tour...of course a good majority will find someone new to pick on...i mean if its not Vince, or Joan, or Warren or Jimmy, or Baraco ,and now Ryan....when is it Phils turn? Why are we Deadheads the most critical of music "lovers" its just astounding to me how close minded we , of all people,can be at times, jeez.......
,

I think Ryan "gets it;" just guessing here but the October shows should be better rehearsed and his phrasing/timing will improve. for the most part it was possible for me to hear the music as a whole and loose track of who was singing. That's a good thing.

These shows rocked my soul, mission accomplished.

ATTENTION PHIL: If you continue with these ATROCIOUS line ups that you have show-cased since the break up of the "Q" then it is surely OVER! If you think ticket sales are lagging now, then come out east with Ryan Adams and watch ticket sales really PLUMMET!

ATTENTION PHIL: If you continue with these ATROCIOUS line ups that you have show-cased since the break up of the "Q" then it is surely OVER! If you think ticket sales are lagging now, then come out east with Ryan Adams and watch ticket sales really PLUMMET!

ATTENTION PHIL: If you continue with these ATROCIOUS line ups that you have show-cased since the break up of the "Q" then it is surely OVER! If you think ticket sales are lagging now, then come out east with Ryan Adams and watch ticket sales really PLUMMET!

After reading this thread, I have a question:

How is it that Ryan Adams is being absolved by many of you for multiple screw ups even with weeks or many hours of practice and a show or two under his belt under the guise of "He's new", yet Derek Trucks stepped onstage with Phil to replace Steve Kimock in less than 24 hours and kicked MAJOR ass in Fall 1999?

What does THAT say?

... THAT says Bucky just might know what he's talking about, damn near most of the time. Interesting comments, thoughtful suggestions, opinionated recommendations and some great questions regarding Phil's decisions as of late.

But, one questions for you- Bucky: Do you NOW refer to that previous line-up as the "Q" or are you still hanging onto "PLF"?

>>>>>But, one questions for you- Bucky: Do you NOW refer to that previous line-up as the "Q" or are you still hanging onto "PLF"?

Warren/Derek
Jimmy/Pevar
Jimmy/Pevar/Derek (albeit one show, but IMHO, PLF's best EVER)
Warren/Jimmy
Warren/Jimmy/Derek

I liked all those combos

As for now, I heard the earlier stuff (12-04), eh, just wondering about now & I'm not impressed by the reviews.

Makes me wonder if it would be worth sending in for multiple shows at 90+ dollars for a couple per night.......
Then, thrown in a babysitter, the drain & pain & maybe one show's plenty?

>>What does THAT say?

I could not agree with you more, Bucky. And I did five shows from that great Fall '99 Phil & Dylan tour...

The only show I know that has been announced is the one in Vegas...

Derek did not sing...

"ATTENTION PHIL: If you continue with these ATROCIOUS line ups that you have show-cased since the break up of the "Q" then it is surely OVER! If you think ticket sales are lagging now, then come out east with Ryan Adams and watch ticket sales really PLUMMET!"

Gawd you are such an asshole

That show was the worst concert ive ever been to in my entire life.

And I pride myself on being 'Phil Defender of the Universe"
NEVER do I bad mouth phil EVER, but something has squelched his judgement.
Ive see about 100 phill shows give or take a few and
THAT show was EMBARASSINGLY AWKWARD.
Phil was coaching that Ryan thru the lyrics live on stage by mumbling the first syllable of each lyric so that he could cluelessly fumble his way through even the most popular of dead songs.It was like he tricked phil into letting him on stage by telling him
"Yeah Phil I know the lyrics to these songs for sure "

I honestly thought the crowd wasnt going to let him leave Red Rocks alive.
I was laughing hysterically AT the music during the show,
something ive never done before .
And after the show I thought we as a collective audience
were going to bum rush the stage...

Ill never go to see Phil again because of that experience...

there is a gawd
http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/_/id/760537 4/ryanadams?pageid=rs.NewsArchive&pageregion=mainR egion&rnd=1127156940566&has-player=true

I have to wonder if we were at the same show. I loved the Red Rocks show and see incredible potential in Ryan Adams with Phil. It seemed to me that the crowd was wildly enthusiastic and Phil was definitely having a ball with Adams. I am looking forward to the Chris Robinson tour but am really hoping for a tour with Ryan Adams and Phil. As I mentioned in other posts I saw Ryan and Phil having dinner together a couple of weeks ago in SoHo and they sure seemed to dig each others company.
I have to wonder at your venom two months after the show. If a concert gets you that uptight I would seriously think twice about seeing Phil again. If anyone has a ticket to Ryan and Phil at the Joint I am still looking for one.

Josh , you are a deaf moron.

POTENTIAL??? If by this you mean it SUCKED , well then yea it has potential to get worse.

Having Dinner together?
What the fuck do you think this is a TEA PARTY??

This is about music! Not about a kissy faced dinner you publess twerp

Go suck off ryan adams you clueless shithead.

I wonder if John J Wood, John Belushi and John Toriglio are the same person. They all seem to have an oddly distorted hatred for all line ups that don't involve Warren Haynes. Maybe they should hang out on the Govt Mule board because if I was Phil I sure wouldn't listen to mean spirited, obsessive fans like those three. One of the things I love about Phil is that he doesn't seem
to have any problem taking risks on all levels including line ups. No one is forcing you to buy tickets or hang out on his site trying to bully him while hiding behind the skirts of a web site.

No , were not all the same person. My hatred is not distorted, I was LISTENING TO THE MUSIC AND IT SUCKS WITH RYAN.

I happen to LOVE Phil very much, but if you truly think the MUSIC is GOOD you are DEAF AND DUMB.
This is really important to us as a collective audience going to see live music, because thats whats at stake here you mindless drone- THE MUSIC.

Not some stupid messageboard where clueless dip shits like you try to psychoanalize a review.

Obviously no one is forcing me to buy tickets , where did thatstatement come from???

I went to 3 show with Ryan to TRY to give it a chance .

Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice I must be a fucking idiot.

Fool me 3 times and I must love Phil a whole hell of alot to put up with the musical bullshit that dripped from Ryan Adams ass.

Taking risks??? What the hell do you think this is Fear Factor? Its a rock concert for christs sake.

Im not hiding bro, far from it. I LOVED going to see Phil and traveled great distances to see him
over 100 times.

So dont give me this pathetic high horse bullshit about being mean spirited. Were doing what Phils REAL friends would do - BE HONEST with him. Not be a spineless YES MAN and simply apease the situation .

Im calling a spade a spade and so are the rest of the folk who agree with me.

Is it so hard to believe that people would speak their minds honestly instead of fluffing every drop of musical jizz that spews from phils ass?

Taks a step back and yet another step back...

Stop eating molly and smoking dope long enough actually LISTEN to the music.

Get it together man...

Josh...as mr. belushi already verified, that answer is no. Get a clue, son!

*crickets churping*

"Its a rock concert for christs sake."

Well sort of. Don't think Phil would describe the spirit as "christ" but whatever. Have you been reading Phil's book, "Searching for the Sound" You seem to know alot about what this "music" scene is really about?

I'd be curious to find out if there is an age to "hated this show" ratio. I'm 47, saw my first GD show in '76 and about 200 after that. I thought this was a great night of music. Period. All of my "old" friends felt the same.

Right the fuck on, Jonah!
I'm 55, saw my first GD show in '68 and loved both Red Rocks shows. I'll never forget swaying in the breeze, hugging my wife and listening to Ryan mellifluously singing Stella Blue.
Was it Jerry, uhm no. Was it close enough to pretend, damn right.
Am I amped about seeing Phil in Vegas in ~55 hours from now without Ryan, you betcha.

Too bad that Phil was not fully aware of Ryan's substance abuse problems. I'm sure Garcia's having a quiet chuckle to himself over Phil's choice.

Good point, 44 here and I thought they were great along with my friends who are similar in age. I note the most vocal critics of the Ryan shows are 20-30 somethings.

38, here, w/ my 42 year bud -- we both loved the Rocks show. I dug 'em both, Bob was a l'il critical of the Fillmore show. These young whipper snappers --what the hell do they know?!?!! :-)!

We know some stuff.
I thought the Dark Star>Sugar Mags was one of the best pairings I've seen from PLF.
It's cool to hear some good Bobby tunes at a Phil show every once and a while!
Also loved the a-cappella UJB.
Never seen that done before.
In fact, I don't think it's ever been done before.
Any of you old guys know if the GD ever did an a-cappella Uncle John's?

Right the fuck on! I too thought these shows rocked...a little disorganized at Red Rocks yes, but many glimmers of magic in the second set when Ryan told the crowd there was something sweet drifting in from the clouds and over the rocks like apple pie and PHIL answered "must be California homegrown"

This Redrocks show was excellent! I was there and I have listened to the tapes just to make sure what I didn't halucinate the whole thing. If you weren't there then don't believe what you read online. Go out and get a copy and listen for yourself and judge. I mean for Gods sake they opened up with 5 minutes of Space into Cold Rain and Snow!! I could clearly see Jill Lesh shaking it on the side of the stage from where I sat. It was a magical night with a unique combination of musicians who really brought justice to the Grateful Deads musical catalog with a spinkling of Ryan Adams songs in for good messure. From where I was sitting down front everyone onstage was smiling most of the show. Everyone I talked to during and after the show thought it was fantastic.

Ryans vocals were clear and well done. I felt his vocals fit the music very well and he was not afraid to explore it and add his own style. Considering the size and often complexity of the Grateful Deads catalog he did a fine job. He did kind of remind of a young Bobby with a bit of Johnny Depp mixed in. No doubt this kid was a big part of this show which means he'll suffer the brunt of unjust deadhead critism.

As for the rest of the band well what can I say. All excellent musicians who played well together. Phil was center stage and beaming. He did a great job with harmony and back up vocals as usual. Of course his Base playing is always excellent and I could hear what he was doing clearly in the mix. There was no doubt he was leading everything from behind the scenes. I think he deivated from the set list a few times and sent everyone scrambling through thier sheet music. Jimmy blows me away everytime I see him. He just looks like a nice guy and plays like a well studied musician. Jimmy and Phil in my opinion are the backbone of the Phil's band and the Dead. I wish I could have heard more of Sless and his peddle steel. Sless was often too buried in the mix to hear for me. I had the same problem with Barracco. These guys textures were mostly subtle. Jeff Sipe also did an excellent job. I really like some of the things he did during some of the spacey music with the wind chime like bells and other percusion effects.

Sonically I thought the sound for this show was excellent up the middle however along the edge seats the sound was rough. It sounded like over amplified heavy distorted guitar. Luckly the tapes I have listened to so far have not picked this up. For me the highlight of this show was all the psycodelic and spacey jams throughout the show. Especially in the first set. Some of the highlights for me as far as song combos were "Easy platue > Jam > Bertha," and the epic "Terrapin > Dark Star > The Other One > Stella Blue." The Other One moved mountians for me! The all vocal Uncle John's Band reprise at the end of the second set was really unqiue.

Overall I have to say it was a great show, and a great night. I thought it was better than the Dead show (6/19/04) I caught last year at Red Rocks, which I felt was also a good show.