mmmmm Eyes...

That would be alright by me.I can't wait to hear this new lineup.

I can't wait to hear the new line up as well!

songs that are probable

Eyes
Mr. Charlie
Help>Slip>Frank
Althea
Gimme Shelter
Hide Your Love Away
St. Steven
Hard to Handle

limited song repertoire, but what I have heard sounds good!
no Unbroken Chain & only 1 PAF song (No More Do I)
interesting...

The Zoner Show In Honor Of ((( FRITZ ))) !

Hey, do not dismiss NO MORE DO I; to me it had one of the best jams of the night at NJPAC. Check out the recording; this one has definitely been cranked up a few notches. As was said, this is probably Phil's BEST post-GD tune.

I meant they hadn't played Unbroken Chain and only played a paf original once, I love No More Do I. I wish that would play more songs off There & Back Again. The Real Thing would be cool (Chris can handle it)

Where are zoners hanging before/after the show tonight?

Dark Star>the Eleven.Be good to see you all.

just a fair warning to you all - this venue is harsh! saw panic there in april, and i vowed to NEVER go back there for anything ever again.

they do the full body search on the way in (top of head to ankles, look inside the cigarette pack, etc.), and there is no smoking of any kind inside the facility. not a problem for me, but there are some who may want to light up inside the venue...my advice: don't do it! security uses the skyboxes to conduct surveillance of the crowd. as soon as they see the flash of a lighter from above, they radio the meatheads along the perimeter, who then swoop in and nab unsuspecting people in the crowd.

as a matter of principle, i will never, ever go back there. its not that i want to do anything illegal there, because i really don't...i just hate being treated like a criminal when attending an event that i paid good money for, and also having the spectre of big-brother-like security watching me the whole time that i am trying to enjoy the show. having my groove interrupted by the scuffle of security goons constantly hauling out other concertgoers really gets in the way of a good time.

see you all in albany this sunday!

Maybe it was a panic thing, but at Wilco this summer there was barely a pat down and no one got tossed for smoking that I saw. Granted, I didn't see anyone smoking.

Overall, Agannis is a very new, very clean, good sounding place, with great sightlines.

Enjoy!

BTW: they stop selling beer there EARLY, like 9pm, so get it while it's hot.

Boston University harsh..??..WHat happened to this world..??..

I was at BU 68-70..that freshman year saw the GD for first time at The Ark..I made Deans List..not for academics acheivement tho..Ha...

Have a good show people...

((((( Frtiz )))))

>I was at BU 68-70..that freshman year saw the GD for first time at The Ark..I made Deans List..not for academics acheivement tho..Ha... <


No doubt you were a handful back then. Glad to see you are no longer that rebel type and conformity is your middle name.





Oh yes.....I do believe in my heart that Phil will pull a song out of the hat and dedicate it to Fritz. Probably after doner rap in to encore.

tonight's predictions

alligator>
half-step>
friend of the devil>
pride of cucamunga>
willin'>
next time you see me>
sugaree>
us blues

scarlet begonias>
china cat> jam>
wheel> jam
he's gone>
truckin'>
smokestack> jam
boomer's story>
hard to handle>
good love

E. box

Uncle John's Band

PERFECT!

The magic is happening..

{{{FRITZ}}}

Great opening.......if it was Uncle J's?

Just can not get on the chat. Am bumming big time.

Taperrob....glad to see you back in the saddle!

No offense to g.dad (as he did a great job coming off the bench) but you were sorely missed!

it's a tad easier when you can post updates from the show...GDad had to depend on phone calls.

no doubt rastacruz and like I said...he did a great job!

I'm bummed I can't get into chat

UJB, nice!!

enter thru the fritz folder...it does not always work off mainpage....

(((((Uncle John)))))

jam>ujb>the dolphins>senor, long black veil, next time you see me, hard 2 handle, cosmic charlie

not positive about the >'s

the dolphins?

is that the FREDDIE NEIL tune??

I think the dolphins is the Tim Buckley song

The Dolphins

Lyrics: Fred Neil
Music: Fred Neil

Played by Chris Robinson with Phil Lesh & Friends on 19 December 2004.

Sometimes I think about Saturday's child
And all about the times when we were running wild

I've been a-searchin' for the dolphins in the sea
Ah, but sometimes I wonder, do you ever think of me

This old world will never change the way it's been
And all our ways of war can't change it back again

I've been a-searchin' for the dolphin in the sea
Ah, but sometimes I wonder, do you ever think of me

Lord, I'm not the one to tell this old world how to get along
I only know that peace will come when all our hate is gone

I've been a-searchin' for the dolphin in the sea
Ah, but sometimes I wonder, do you ever think of me

This old world will never change
This old world will never change
This old world will never change


*gotten from the Clearlight site

is that the FREDDIE NEIL tune??



Yup!!!!

PLF, Agganis Arena
Boston, MA 12/1/05

Set 1:
Jam>
Uncle John's Band>
The Dolphins>
Senor
Long Black Veil
Next Time You See Me
Hard To Handle
Cosmic Charlie

Tim Buckley song

I think Tim was the first artist to cover it. On the Dream Letter double cd.
His has to be the definative version.

Yes, Freddie Neil did write the song. Tim Buckley released it on at least two of his albums, with an excellent live version found on "Dream Letter: Live in London 1968".

Also on the Sefronia CD, Tim Buckley

Uncle Johns opener? Nice!

Yeah, very sweet.

And thanks for keeping us informed, TRob

rob...curious to know if there will be a stream?

its streaming now

think brokedown just ended just caught the end

http://www.live365.com/stations/2012_live

sounded like Brokedown then changed into Dolphins

streaming first set right now

NO Brokedown....yet.

Richie Havens did the song The Dolphns at Woodstock.

Jefferson Airplane also did it.

I highly recomend checking out Fred Neil's "The Complete Fred Neil" with the original version of 'The Dolphins.' Great tune and great disc.

Cosmic ~ True Gentleman,thanks for all your efforts.It paid off my brotha.Pure Magic happening in Boston.Your efforts emailing Ruby made the difference,and that is why the ZONE is the best place on EARTH,filled with the best FOLKS ON EARTH.

anyone else
smilin ???

PLF, Agganis Arena
Boston, MA 12/1/05

Set 2:
Truckin'>
Jam>
Cats Under The Stars>
Jam>
New Speedway Boogie>
Jam>
Dark Star(v1)>
Comes A Time>
Unbroken Chain>
St Stephen
Gimme Shelter

* Donor Rap/Song Dedicated to John Fritz

E: Brokedown Palace


* Phil did not leave stage after Gimme Shelter

Per Taperrob at show as he posted in chat room..

thanks to Cosmic for taking action - so many were and will be moved beyond belief by the result

and thanks to those who helped it along

and thanks to Phil! who brought it all home, again

WOW!

Very very cool.

awesome awesome, cant wait to get this show.

Set 1 streaming now set 2 real soon..

http://www.live365.com/stations/2012_live

Just got home...set 2 looks killer. Just read the Encore dedication to Fritz and it feels wonderful. Am Buzzing and hairs standing on end...even the litle I still have on my head. Phil is the best.

John Fritz is smiling down on us all!

Goosebumps...

the chat room during Brokedown was above and beyond - someone should get a copy of that to Phil

thank you Phil!!!!!

The dark star comes a time was sick sick sick and yes Frizty got his Brokedown Place.... Cats under stars, gimmer shelter just a great time. Lots of fun to tired, must sleep

WOW! I didn't think it was possible, but I've gained an even deeper respect for Phil Lesh and for this community.

Fritz, I never knew you, but I can see you were truly a good man. RIP brother.

if you haven't read this thread, do so!

../7267/24824 7.html?1133506033

{{{{{fritz}}}}}

THAT is what makes it all worth it.

the dedication and encore playing on the homepage

beautiful stuff

The show was simply incredible....CR adds so much to the band, and if my memory is correct, he sang lead on every song except Unbroken Chain. Between that, Brokedown and Comes a Time I think I cried for 1/2 an hour.

Glad this one was so moving, but I keep hearing that the gigs are severely missing a Herring.

I give this show a C-. the songs they knew they played well. Chris Robinson has no right being on stage with Phil. sloppy vocals & wearing his wifes pants.

the shame is on paper this show lookd killer, but mediocre at best.

highlights for me Hard to Handle & they jammed all over Truckin'.

the only thing that saved the show was the good psychadelics we ate.

worst, sloppiest Dark Star ever.

i liked barry's jerry -- some of the jams were way good but then they would miss the crescendo -- molo is the man -- mookie was perfect -- chris robinson seems a little out of place, stiff -- enjoyed it overall

No disrespect but Headband runs rings around Mookie and Larry Campbell shows Barry each and every nite just why he is The Man! Barry is a great pedal steel player..I'll give him that...but in this contex he is clearly out of his league.

And to say that CR is a little out of his place..Pleaze...Chris Robinson is a fantastic vocalist and front man in this band. I hope that he comes back with another incarnation of Phil Lesh & Friends in the future.

and can I be the first to say that Larry's backup vocals are often fabulous

listen to the SBD of Long Black Veil or the most recent Hurricane - fabulous!

and CR is great - and I wasn't a fan before this tour

naysayers need to try a bit harder or change the channel please

> No disrespect but Headband runs rings around Mookie and Larry Campbell shows Barry each and every nite just why he is The Man! Barry is a great pedal steel player..I'll give him that...but in this contex he is clearly out of his league.

And to say that CR is a little out of his place..Pleaze...Chris Robinson is a fantastic vocalist and front man in this band. I hope that he comes back with another incarnation of Phil Lesh & Friends in the future. <


lazybones - no disrespect, but i know what i saw and heard. thanks, though

OK my 2 cents - Having seen the 1st 3 of tour and absolutely loved those shows, then liked the setlist to the first night of Chicago (Cucamonga, Viola Lee, H-S-Franklin's), then the next 3 show's setlists to me looked like a bummer - repeats upon repeats, no real "big" tunes in the 2nd set - so went to this show with a little bit of mixed feelings - and the first set was to bear this out - first couple of songs were really WEAK - altho the jams in between were decent - I mean the Uncle John's was just pathetic, down there amongst the worst I'd ever seen (Shoreline 92, Shoreline 95, Worcester 4/8/88), certainly the worst by Phil (criticize Ryan Adams all you want but the Uncle John's at Red Rocks was DA BOMB!!!!!). Yeah I know it was for Fritz but that made it all that much sadder - the Newark version was nailed after Robinson blew the first verse - this version was sloppy all the way thru and the jam was shorter than the album version - the first tune to exhibit any spunk was Long Black Veil - from then on much better but it was all simple blues stuff - nothing challenging - then the 2nd set - wow a different band showed up!!!!! the jams in between tunes harkened back to the "Q" - great versions of Cats and New Speedway was for me the absolute highlight of the show - then a lackluster Dark Star - again down there with Phila Sept 93 in terms of weakness - oh well - then Comes A Time - nice but Robinson on lead? Rather have Warren, even Joan preferred, sorry, just an asswipe's opinion, then, oh, wait, lemme say something POSITIVE - the BIGGEST DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THIS SHOW AND THE FIRST THREE WAS BARRY BEING WAY MORE AGGRESSIVE ON LEAD - MAN THAT IS A VAST IMPROVEMENT - OK then Unbroken, FINALLY a breakout! - nice to hear Barry's Jerry-like leads rather than Warren's wanks, but the end was a little strained, hmm, maybe next version will be nailed - St Stephen harkens back to 1st set, Rockin' but goin' thru the motions, then Gimme Shelter - was @ this point happy to be merely thankful it wasn't US Blues - then the rushed encore/Fritz tribute - these curfews are the bane of touring - soooo many great shows ruined by this - did they really have to wait until 7:57 to start a 7:30 show? Yeah I know it's Boston and everyone's still poundin' em down @ the bar @ 7:40, but F-em if they can't make it to the show! And yes I INSULTED this dude's girlfriend (not a zoner) 'cause I wouldn't have a drink with them as I met them leaving the bar @ 7:25 - yeah and she'da been even MORE insulted if she knew I didn't smoke cig's! Oh well guess it's always the way when you go to too many shows you get jaded really quickly - during setbreak I hung out w/zoners but didn't really talk to anyone 'cause I didn't want to be a buzzkill especially considering it was the Fritz tribute show - highlight of the night for me was being next to some FOB tapers (12th row center) and having the opportunity to make several snotty comments in between songs during the first set (hey he was running ORTF - not my fault anything I said would be right into his mic) - amongst which was "c'mon Phil bust somethin' out - not somthin' you've done 3 goddamned times already!". Ah, fun, fun, fun . . .

>>>Maybe it was a panic thing...<<<

Yeah, my first and only Panic show ('97 I think)in my hometown was exactly the same. I've never seen so many fans get busted in one show. And on top of that, the band failed to bring the goods. To me, they played the most anticlimactic show I've ever heard anywhere. Needless to say, I will never go see the Panic again.

Can't wait for the Professor's return to the Bay for NYE!!! I have tix for the 30th and 31st. It'll be nice to finally see Headband back in the lineup! I've seen him in several different settings (NEM, Guilty Pleasures, sitting in with DSO) since the Q disbanded and he never fails to amaze. I've been reading Searching For The Sound and listening to my Fillmore West recordings and getting totally amped for my next show.

See you soon Phil!!!

* Donor Rap/Song Dedicated to John Fritz

E: Brokedown Palace
(((((WOW)))))

I'm gonna listen
to the river
sing sweet songs
to rock
((Fritz')) soul

This was a top notch show. I would give it an A-. I like this band MUCH better than the Rob Barraco, Jimmy Herring, Warren Haynes version of the band. There is no doubt the center of the band is Phil, John, Chris and Barry. Barry was the biggest surprise, he is a FINE player - he had great tone, and played with more empathy for the Dead’s songs than any other guitarist I’ve seen yet, and really understood how to lay structure into the songs. He really gave Jerry a run for his money on “Unbroken Chain”. Warren and Jimmy always felt like side players a little – Phil and Barry have true chemistry. Phil also has made the very wise decision of hiring a good vocalist for the tours, and he couldn’t do much better than Chris Robinson from the Black Crowes. In addition to really giving the songs their vocal due, he’s fairly helpful at adding acoustic guitar and bits of percussion here and there. Mookie Siegel is a much less obtrusive player than Rob Barraco – if anything his playing was a bit too polite – and sometimes he was mixed a little low, but he got the closest sound to a Hammond B52 Organ I have heard in a while. The only slight disappointment was Larry – who in fairness is new – but lacks the same chemistry with Phil that Barry has. He is more reactionary and tends to play more “at” the music. I’m also not thrilled with the tone of his telecaster. Phil even had to tell him to tone it down a couple of times – maybe he will get better with time. Molo’s drumming and Phil’s bass playing were GREAT throughout – and Phil has this new trick where he can whisper key and tempo changes into his mic which keeps the band much tighter during long transitional jams. Not the same organic empathy as the Dead, but it works.

The set list was nothing short of astonishing – they literally played right til the last min – not even going off for Phil’s donor speech or the encore, Uncle John’s Band was a GREAT opener – although a little tentative and lacking in the tight groove that would develop later in the show. You will note that with few exceptions, most of the songs are pre-1972. The first set had a folky first half, featuring pedal steel and mandolin in places, with the band really hitting its stride with Long Black Veil. The 3 blues numbers that closed the first set really played to Chris’s strengths, especially “Hard to Handle” which both the Black Crowes and the Dead share in their oeuvre. The people next to me didn’t like Cosmic Charley as a closer, but I thought it was great.

The second set started with a very good Truckin’, but not quite at the level of the old days – no real bass bombs – things would only pick up from there. New Speedway Boogie really got the crowd (and the band) going. I was naturally hoping for a Dark Star, but this one was mildly disappointing. Dark Star really requires a true Band mentality to play well as it has very little structure – but this one was too meandering and they never really got the group-think psychedelia going. However every song that followed just completely ripped – Comes A Time was sung beautifully, and the close of Unbroken Chain-->St. Stephen—>Gimmee Shelter had me in hysterics – I was hoping for 1 of these 3 and I got all 3 in a row. And A Brokedown Palace with Barry on Pedal Steel to cap it off. It is amazing to see Phil pull this kind of shit off in his 60s...

The most pleasant surprise of the night was seeing the show at a college – lots of kids – but lots of old people too – a VERY relaxed environment -no cops, and people could pretty much do as they please – the only drag was they limited you to ONE beer at a time – still it reminded me wistfully of seeing the Dead during my college years – a lot of Fun!!

>>>>And A Brokedown Palace with Barry on Pedal Steel to cap it off.

3:20, just got home after a long drive, this is gonna' be short, more in the morning.




















Wow!

Warren and Jimmy always felt like side players a little – <<

Laughable. I'd refute in detail, but there are all those recordings that do it better than I could.

he couldn’t do much better than Chris Robinson from the Black Crowes<<

sure he could, and has.

Rob 'obtrusive'? Whatever.

Q: Have the vocal harmonies improved vs. the first 3 shows?

This was the first time I have seen Phil this year..

Thanks, I NEEDED that !

vocals? UJB had everyone singing, end of Cosmic was sweet blending, as was Brokendown (but minus doot doot).

MOLO was on fire All Night,
Barry was cooking impossible impluses explictedly.

The Unbroken Chain was a step beyond, LarryC got a turn to burn and it next cooled briefly before several more swirls built it up and all of them went jammin, and extended jammin, for more uplifting outta there intensity .... when ya know this song ended with a soft senstive landing.

New Speedway was Blue Funk... oh it's a "Boogie".

The ol' version of The Dophins that I love is on the live Youngbloods album (Ride The Wind). What we needed in the middle of set1 was a Phil vocal to break up too many short CR singers- can we have Phil sing Half Step for Albany?

end of Cosmic was sweet blending<<

cool. cuz CR was kinda overbearing @ NWK (think Bobby's psycho raveup @ the end of Candyman)

nuf said, poz...

Brian -

I have not seen the first three shows - so cannot comment on the vocal blending for those shows. I agree with Larry-o that the most impressive vocal bit was the Cosmic Charley tag which was obviously well rehearsed. Some of the a cappella bits during St. Stephen were pretty good too. Everybody sang a little at times, but I don't think they were shooting for a CSN-like vocal performance. Vocally, my favorite UJB is the one that closes DP8, and while the vocals certainly didn't reach that level last night, I've seen worse.

I also agree with Larry that Larry C turned in a nice solo during Unbroken Chain, some of his better playing of the night.

Ok, coffee's flowing, I'm slowly coming back to life, and I'm ready to talk.

Haven't read a stitch of what's been written yet, as I have some observations and perceptions and don't want to be clouded by what anyone else has said.

First, the arena: very cool place. I read Bobby T's comments about people getting tossed right and left for smoking at Panic, but last night was fantastic. There was probably a higher security-to-hippie ratio than I've ever seen at a show, but after a while we noticed that they didn't seem to actually do anything. So you stand in an aisle, 2 guys walk by with lights, but as soon as they're about 3 bodies away you fire up with no problems. The back of the floor was nice an open and was an awesome dancing spot with all the room you could need.

My seats were way at the back of the floor, which was perfect as I knew I'd spend most of my time dancing in the back anyway. First tune was Uncle John's, and it seemed to me that CR again had a hard time figuring out when to sing. It didn't matter much, but I couldn't believe after flailing in NJ that they hadn't taken the time to figure the tune out. The sound was really bad and muddy in back at that point, and I found Uncle John's to be pretty underwhelming. It got up to a good jam near the end, but all in all wasn't a particularly special opener, and I was really concerned about the sound, and the weakness of the vocals. Although the vocals were decent most of the night, I thought the really weak part was on the big vocal climaxes - stuff like "god Damn well I declare" or "sometimes the light's all shinin' on me" - those moments when everyone bursts out. There just wasn't enough power in it, and it fell a bit flat, especially during this opener.

Next up was The Dolphins, a nice sounding mellow CR tune that I had never heard. It was good, and like everything all night had some great interplay w/ the musicians, but it didn't grab me at all. Then Senor, a tune I never much cared for when Jerry played it, and this didn't inspire me either, but it gave me a chance to head for the very long beer line at the back of the floor. Great touch being able to get decent beer - Red Hook ESB on tap - right on the floor, but only 1 per person so the lines were brutal all night. But you're right there in the show while in line, so it's not too bad.

Next up Long Black Veil, one of the tunes I came down hoping to see. But by this time, they'd already played 3 pretty mellow tunes in a row, and this just didn't help. I headed back to my seat and my buddy I was with agreed that so far this was kinda' boring. I still kept my spirits up and assumed they'd pull out of it, but it was as weak a start to a first set as I've probably ever seen. All 4 of those tunes on their own likely would have been very enjoyable, but all in a row it was like the same basic tempo for the first 45 minutes, and I thought it was pretty beat. Plus the sound was still pretty bad, but getting better.


So after 4 tunes my main impression is that the sound is bad, vocals aren't very good, and the songs are a boring. The first thoughts of "is it worth the hassle of going to Wallingford next week?" crept into my mind, but I knew this was probably a slow start and things would come around.

Little did I know...

The Brokedown Encore is now streaming on Philzone.com!

okay, let's talk. first the overview.
THIS BAND IS AMAZING.
what an important chapter in Phil and FRIENDS.

but I wasn't quite sure about that until set TWO....

so set one.

JAM
right of course.
a good jam, long enough to be something but not drawn out.
UNCA. nice, thanks, warm vibe for all the peeps gathered.
But I see Chris hanging HARD on the prompter. He doesn't know Uncle John's BAND?? REALLY?
then his dolphins song.
already my perception from the boards had been that my immediate DOWNSIDE would be CR. His range is limited...he does bluesy Pig stuff...he does dylan GREAT (he has the twang)
SO senor was good.
hearfelt delviery.
I hear Barry. He's awesome.
Long Black Veil...Death...Fritz. Campbell breaks out the mandolin. That sounds nice.
Wrong Doin - ROCKED HARD and LOTS O FUN - but right that's Chris' range - PIG.
Hard to Handle. Well again.
Good rendition but wow it's proving my fears true a bit.
Cosmic saved my ass, though. RIGHT COSMIC.
But again Chris with the words.
HMMMMM.

Okay setbreak - to the people later - NOW THE MUSIC....
set two fuckin changed it ALL UP

TRUCKIN WAS OFF THE MAP.
not GD style.
PHILCO STYLE.

THIS Philco.
I was floooooooorrrred.
The musicianship onstage was ASTOUNDING.

Cats. Nice treat.
Was I the only person who thought of Fritz the cat?

My section got crowded. I wandered for space.
I sat.
The Jam here was again ALL THAT. (ran into poz and gave him a water and told him I was floored by the music.)
SPEEDWAY.
GREAT! and I'm a stickler.
One way or another? the crowd, now sick of Chris not GETTING IT, pre-empts him. ONE WAAAAY
it was good and led to a nice end.
DS V1.
Okay now it gets off the chart. Phil gettin ALL IN IT. FAR OUT. centerpiece Phil. Like a basically bass solo on stage. Like 73 Centerpiece Attraction Phil shit. I'm jaw drop.
Comes a Time. weeping. can't comment. songs floors me. whole thing fucked me up.
UNBROKEN - like basically a PERFECT UNBROKEN CHAIN, and that's hard to do. and again I'm a stickler for chain.
there was a millenium jam....
the stephen WHOA WHOA -
I had rrrrruuuunnn to the bathroom and rrrrannnn back out I mean what the fuck now STEPHEN?
Gimme Shelter - the answer to the answer and the only NON dead tune in the second set SEEEMED to be nod to CR contributing SOMETHING there (rock star ego and singer insecurities YA KNOW) and it was a nice dancey vibe to end on but imo not necessary. Something else better - not sure what but maybe not a rushed Stones tune.

cried my eyes out during Brokedown.
It was what it was....a tribute.

so there's the music.

I am honored to be seeing 7 more shows of this band. If it improves I'm in for stratospheric WTF meltdowns. Maybe I need it.

It's what Phil and Friends is ALL ABOUT.

CHRIS LEARN THE WORDS DOOD!

So things started off pretty rough, but thankfully the first 4 songs of the night were the worst 4 songs of the night - things gathered stream from here.

Next Time You See Me was another I was hoping to see, along with most any Pig tunes CR might do. We had decided to move a bit, trying to shake things up, find some better sound, whatever. We went over to the back of the soundboard and found a great spot on the railing on the back side of the board. Sound was louder and clearer - both because we were closer and they were dialing things in - and there was lots of room to move. This was rockin' and finally got the place really shaking.

Then came the highlight of the first set for sure, an absolutely blistering Hard to Handle! It was really long, played out, just absolutely smoked. It finally got me moving enough to take my long sleeve shirt off, exposing Team Phil #925, and within about 2 minutes someone tapped me on the shoulder and said "who are you?" and although I don't think I've ever seen a picture, I knew instantly from the energy coming from her that it was Daydream. Hugs and smiles and she brought me back to meet Dan-O, Rev. Buddy Greene, and a possibly couple other folks who escape my mushy brain at the moment. Met so many zoners it was definitely hard to keep track.

Anyway, everyone was shakin' their bones, having a great time, and the game was on! Next up was Cosmic Charlie, which we'd been expecting. Really fun version, although I don't specifically remember it being particularly earth-shattering. As it came near the end I was speculating on what the closer would be, and mentioned to Dan-O it felt like a Casey Jones would be up. And Cosmic wound down to a close very quietly and then...it stopped. They took off their instruments. D'oh. It seemed like everyone assumed there's be one more tune to wrap it up, but they just stopped. Very little applause, not because it wasn't hot, but just because it's a mellow ending and I think everyone was waiting for some blasting final tune that didn't come. So a set that started really weak then picked up great steam came to a pretty anti-climatic finish, and left me feeling a tad flat, but far happier than earlier in the night.

Most everyone I talked to between sets seemed to feel about the same. "How'd you like the set?"

"eh"

"it ended well anyway"

"I bet 2nd set will be way better..."

etc.



Went up to the zoner meeting spot between sets and it seemed like just about everyone showed. It was great getting to meet more of the New England crew, and we all hung in the hallway for quite a while. Creek made the hilarious comment that the hall seemed to be the safest place to smoke, as we never saw a security shirt there the whole time. At this point I still hadn't realized how easy it was to smoke on the floor, but thankfully that changed as soon as set 2 started.


Holy crap, did I just say "set 2"?



As we say in Maine, it was Wicked Decent...

I give this show a C-. the songs they knew they played well. Chris Robinson has no right being on stage with Phil. sloppy vocals & wearing his wifes pants.

the shame is on paper this show lookd killer, but mediocre at best.

highlights for me Hard to Handle & they jammed all over Truckin'.

the only thing that saved the show was the good psychadelics we ate.

worst, sloppiest Dark Star ever.

So as the 2nd set starts, one impression I have is of a review I read last week, where someone mentioned there's no lead guitar. I completely agree, although there were moments in the 2nd set where Larry stepped to the forefront. But for most of the night, I found myself hearing 2 really, really, really good guitarists playing extremely well, but always within the overall band sound. More like jazz, which I love. But I hardly ever had the urge to bust out the air guitar like I normally do at a rock 'n roll show. There weren't enough moments where the guitar is clearly the main lead instrument, just taking you away for a while. I think the first time I noticed anyone really stepping up (I think it was Larry but I could be wrong) was during New Speedway, one of the highlights of the show.

Molo is an animal, so nice to hear him again.

Mookie did nothing for me. We couldn't figure out if it's because he's not loud enough, or just lays low so much of the time. There were a few rippin' solos here and there, but most of the time he just seemed so much in the background - more like a side guy, not an equal wailing member of the band. When I could hear him it seemed like good stuff, but not once was I like "those keyboards are SICK" during the whole night.

I love CR and he was awesome on many tunes, but some just don't fit. They really need someone else to fill in some harmonies and take some leads to break it up. Rob Baracco comes to mind. I think if they swapped him for Mookie this band would be completely off the hook. Even the Jerry girls singing would have added a needed touch to many tunes. But something is definitely lacking vocally.

One other thing that was missing for me on several tunes, similar to the lack of vocal punch at the big climaxes, was - for want of a better term - the big "power chords" you hear during some of the jam climaxes. For instance in Truckin, when they do the buildup duh duh duh duh duh, "sometimes the lights all shining..." it seemed like there just wasn't much PUNCH, like they weren't all bearing down quite hard enough. More of a flowy, jazzy sound. Also noticed this during St. Stephen in a big way - they did an amazing job of building up the tension, easing back into a jam, building it back up again, but I felt like they left me hanging and I couldn't quite get off, which got a little frustrating.

So there's some thoughts on the overall sound. Some notes on the songs after I get some, ummmm, work done.

2nd set:

Truckin' opens. First thought "eh". Hard to get super fired up about truckin'.

Well that thought went out the window pretty quickly! Absolutely smokin' version, can't remember the last time I really enjoyed truckin that much. My only complaint as mentioned above, is that they never really crunched into the climax of it and exploded (sorry for the visuals). But the jamming and interplay was fantastic, and things were clearly looking up.

I'd completely forgotten about Cats, but it was one of the tunes I really wanted to see. I thought it was really hot, but the vocals were very weak - some of the weakest of the night for me. Music was awesome, it had a really funky beat, and I really did love it, but couldn't stop thinking how much some high-end backing vocals would add to it. As it wound into a jam, I kept thinking I heard New Speedway, but was sure they played it in the first set (I was confusing it w/ Next Time you See Me for some reason). Then they did drop into it, and I couldn't believe they went BACK into it, until I realized I was on crack and they hadn't done it yet. Anyway, for me this was one of the major highlights of the night, and this was clearly a whole new ballgame.

Then came the Dark Star. I'm not a big fan of the tune, but I was really psyched to get a big one and see what all the fuss is about. Well this wasn't the one to see what all the fuss is about. It went to some pretty cool spaces early on, but wasn't very long and petered out to just about nothing after a while. I remember turning to my buddy Pete and asking what the hell it is about this tune that gets people off so much. We're just standing there listening to them noodle around, waiting for them to play something interesting. Maybe the tapes will tell a different tale, but it was definitely the low point of the 2nd set for me, although still was fun.

But then it went into what I think was probably the best tune of the night, and one of the best fits for CR's vocals without a doubt - Comes a Time. Just absolutely blew me away. I'd love to hear him on more of the Jerry ballads, if this one is any indication they will be fantastic. So much emotion in his voice, the music was just exactly perfect, and by this point there was no question in my mind this had turned into a very hot show.

And then what? Unbroken? Are you shitting me?! This is getting out of hand. Blistering version. Unfortunatley I really had to piss and had to bite the bullet and make the quick trip up, knowing it's a long enough tune I'll still catch most of it. On my way I called gunner - not sure if I got through as it was really loud, but I left a message anyway. First time I've ever made a call from in a show. This was another highlight of the night and really jammed out. Just loved it.

And then St. Fucking Stephen! On paper, we're getting to the point of silliness this looks so good. It was a decent Stephen, but nothing too earth shattering. And is it just me (and the guys in my car who agreed) or did they blow off the whole big ending jam? It seems like they went off into some really cool jamming and I kept waiting for them to pull it back into the big final crescendo, but I don't think it ever happened. And while driving home, we also thought back and didn't remember Truckin' ever playing all the way out, and clearly Dark Star didn't either.

So was it just my imagination, or did they leave a bunch of big tunes unfinished? Is someone going to catch a Stephen finale -> Dark Star V2 at the next show perhaps? In any case, the Stephen never hit that big climax for me, and probably would have been a letdown except by this point I was just loving the show so much it didn't really matter.

I'd mentioned a little earlier that we hadn't had a big cover tune yet, and it seems like Phil likes to do at least one of those a night. Gimme' Shelter was just exactly perfect as a closer. It was another one that really was lacking some backing vocals though. I loved the music, but the "it's just a shot away" was pretty weak in the back. I really think either adding Rob or having Joan instead of CR, and this band would be jaw-dropping.


Brokedown - not much to say. We knew it was coming, and it was very sweet, and a perfect way to end the night.


Needless to say, after that 2nd set I'm definitely not selling my Wallingford tickets, but I do think this show also left plenty of room for the next one to be even bigger.

I'd give first set about a C- at best, 2nd set was top notch, gotta' be an A. Hard to imagine these guys getting much better than that.

It ain't no Q, but it's a damn good time and was clearly way better than the few pre-Q shows I saw (Boston Orpheum '99), Augusta ME '99, etc.


Chris Robinson has great pipes and was fantastic on many of the tunes he sang, but having him do nearly one didn't quite cut it, although that's way better than Phil stepping up. But to have some balance - someone besides those 2 to take lead vocals every couple tunes for variety, as well as backing harmonies, would make these guys a million times better. As much as I loved Warren and Jimmy, the guitars weren't what was missing from the Q, it was definitely those amazing harmonies. Oh well, this is still some damn fine music.

Poz - I generally agree with your insights - and wish I was young enough to go on tour - It is interesting to hear so much divergence of opinion on Chris, although everybody seems to agree the ensemble singing is one area that could be improved a lot. In fairness, this band plays a WIDE repertoire of songs to which no one vocalist can do justice - but Chris is definitely the best thing to happen to the Pig tunes, since, well Pig himself. Unfortunately, when hiring, Phil probably feels he needs to look at playing skills first and singing second, unless he wants 10 people up there. (If you want to see great singing, check out Brian Wilson's 18 piece touring band.)

In regards to unfinished songs, I actually thought they were headed back into DS when they broke out Stephen, and after that DS, I was frankly relieved. Even a Good Stephen is better than a great version of almost anything else. The William Tell Bridge has always been optional on that one, and as mentioned, I wouldn't be surprised if it shows up with the second half of DS at the next show. Truckin is a great song - but I think it works better as a set closer than a set opener precisely because the band needs to be warmed up to really build that last jam - but I can accept the fact that it was more of a "jazzy interpretation"

Another reason that songs may have felt prematurely ended was that Phil was fighting the clock - it was pretty clear by the end that BU wanted them off by 11:30 and they started pretty late.

In closing - I just want to remark that I don't think the beginning of the first set was quite as bad as you all think. Although the UJB was far from the best, - it is still a great song because it really sets a nice tone for the show and helps reinforce the sense of community. Phil and Jerry both love folk music and Phil was just giving us a little love with the next few songs. Dolphins is actually an old old hippie folk song done by Fred Neil from the 60s, and yes is probably a little dated. I love most any Dylan, and while Senor is not a Grade A Dylan song, it still has very interesting lyrics, and is certainly very relevant for today's world. Unfortunately, these folky songs need to be sung very well to be effective, and as others have mentioned, some one else may have done it better than Chris - but very few would have been unable to surpass his Hard to Handle.

Nice chatting with you all...

Chris Robinson is by far the STAR OF THE SHOW. Without him I have no idea where this band would be. His soulful singing is hypnotizing. I can't believe Chris is getting so much smack around here. He is by far the best singer Phil has had. Anyone who is comparing Chris and Phil as singers are out of their mind. The whole band spent the first set just trying to catch up with Chris. Open your ears people..you are witnessing one of the best singers of this generation.

Chris is tops, no doubt, but Mark, he is missing his cue's and he does not know the music well enough. I have listened to the tapes, and there is no doubt. I am a huge Chris fan, saw the NYC run, caught them as Mr. Crowes Garden in march, so them this summer, so no bagging on him, but the band is not trying to catch up with him, its him trying to get his timing down. It takes time, he needs practice, there are a lot of tunes to know. No one is compairing Phil to Chris...come on man. Makes me a bit worried about Buff and Albany with Sco joining. 40 minute darkstar or what?

Interesting reviews, seems like the 1st set was lukewarm at best, and the second set was just plain smokin.

Have any of the east coast dates sold out?

Last night was a pretty big crowd in a relatively big arena - 6,500 I think - but it wasn't sold out. Perfect sized crowd actually.

Dark Star was 15 - 20 min tops - hard to know where jam out of NSB officially ended and Dark Star started.

for me, once they hit next time you see me it was all over... into the vortex i went.

but senor did have that archive mess all over it

Both NJPAC shows were sold out and the Saturday A/C is sold out.

neither NJPAC was sold out

Thanks for your insights, people.
I wish I was in Beantown last night.

OK, first, I read the 2 substantial reviews here & as much of Huck's as I could bare.......

I think if Huck saw Ratdag, she'd be pining for the next 7 shows.
Good for her - Happy, happy, happy.

Me, I don't think I could take seeing this band 7 times in my life, let alone in the next few weeks. I felt I'd probably seen as good as this band can get this tour & believe me, it was no match for 'The Q'. Anyone who thinks so, never heard or saw live 2000-2001.
Barry Sless & Warren Haynes, you might have something there.

Now as Huck's done her review, that's her opinion, & God bless her for it. Here comes mine (NO fighting will be accepted), with a few observations first:

I've heard it said how intelligent New York sports fans are compared to the rest of the country & boy, did I see that in action last night.........
I wore a Mets shirt, saying 'Wright' on the back, as in 'David'. So, the Sox fans are all calling me 'Jarrett', like the pitcher on the Yankees.....
Manny & Ortiz aren't on steroids but skinny Mike Piazza is.
No rational thinking - even Yankee hater Keyshawn loves Derek Jeter as a player, the Red Sox fans were just idiotic, robotic, unthinking bashing.......

It was odd seeing GD music played for the first time in 40 years (Phil now carries the torch IMHO) played with a single front man - is CR sexy ladies?
I was thinking maybe that's part of it.......

I bought tickets the day before & we ended up in the front row of the first section closest to the stage, maybe 40 feet away; nice.

Mookie Wilson should've played keys, we would've got more sound. His back was to us & I swore it was Vince Welnick by his looks & (lack of) playing........
I thought at first he might be low in the mix, but I heard him fine on a couple solos near the end of the first set & all 2nd set. Plus, I could see his fingers.........
et's say he was no Rob Barraco & if you're old enough to recall, Billy Payne.

Larry Campbell played about 10 leads ALL night.
Oh well, I guess that's forced Barry Sless out into playing lead & he IS damn good.

>>>>>> like this band MUCH better than the Rob Barraco, Jimmy Herring, Warren Haynes version of the band.

That musta been some GREAT acid you took........

If you ain't heard some of the great Fall 2000, Spring, Summer 2001 shows, drop me a line or go download:

5-27-00
4-20-01
2-18-01
4-30-01
7-7-01
7-11-01
7-21-01

And THEN repeat that statement. If you can't download, e-mail me at Buckyrhino@yahoo.com & I'll show you the truth.......

One more thing, then the review:

Sorry I missed you Zoners.
I recently had rotator cuff surgery & the thought of pushing through the crowd during the break, getting my shoulder banged into was too much.

Look for the white Dodge Caravan in the HC lot at Oakdale before the show if you'd like......

You know, we've done in many a show......

Oh, one more thing:

Someone claims here that Jimmy (absurd) & Warren (Definitely) were playing slide similar to pedal steel for these many years & was strongly rebuked.
I guess I just gave you MY opinion...........

Now onto the Boston show.

UJB was a happy way to start a show with some jammin and sing-along too. And isn't this a Top 10 GD Tune? (or Top 20?)

Senor had 2 places where LarryC did guitar solo immediately followed by BarryS guitar solo- and the last Barry solo being highly jerry flavored really soared!

What we needed midset1 was vocal variety, and here I have hope maybe LarryC will soon be doing 1 song per night lead vocal?

Truckin had been a song not to be heard without BobW.... until this tour???

Cats (as I believe some post about Reading said) was a BarryS Lead Guitar piece, and he was in charge even without singing, and we didn't wonder what he was playing since he was not background- his playing was out front! Phil got more into this JGB song toward the end, so we know it is not JGB but a P&F version.

Perhaps LarryC is not (will not?) be ready for Dark Star, it was short last night (their Blue Funk was wayout jammin for a different NSB), but I noticed in the Barry led St.S we got a very fine midsong LarryC guitar solo, plus the grittin Unbroken solo mentioned ... he is finding a spot in these song gems, and so will continue to add sparkles, and more. Besides his generally solid playing and full flame-on in Next Time, Handle and Truckin.

Comes A Time was nice, actually really good. But I could only enjoy it more if I would forget hearing Jerry solos and voice in this song I first got in 1971, then not oft played thru the decades. Not there yet for that song, probably would be after hearing a recording of last night.

I was ready for an Eleven after St.S, as I am always ready for my personal favorite The Eleven anytime. Not sad though, Gimme Shelter came soon for some different but powerful beats.

As mentioned, they did not walk offstage before encore... time factor I bet, but let me also note that oddly the way to walk on/off that stage was by walking out front on the (from aud) right side stage-edge, like around a railing, and then back (to back stage?). It was a hockey basketball place I guess, and sound was muddy too often. Please book Boston Orpheum again.

Phil did an Organ talk, but NO BAND INTROS, then he did the Fritz Deadication to the encore.... which they did not rush to end just before 11:30.

While there are lights up on stage, there is not really a light show. Dark Star had no lighting alterations (not that this was the main missing ingredient).

Clearly heard piano in Truckin, but the nice "organ" sound in so many other songs (and for keybrd lead/solos) was not mixed loud enough, IMHO. Maybe Dark Star needs more louder organ?

Again MOLO did hold it all together, kept things rolling but centered and also added flair and umph.

Great to hear and feel Phil again...

First Set:

They opened with a jam, pretty generic, about 5-7 minutes, it really went nowhere, no teases, no themes, then dropped into Uncle John's Band.
An interesting thought popped into my mind that the first time I came to Boston & Fritz had given me a ticket, I was sitting next to him when TOO's opened with UJB.......
This version was about the good average but energenic version where Phil has pulled the plug on the big build-up at the end since 11-10-99 for whatever reason he has.
I was pleased when the band didn't stop after UJB but continued & hit a series of 'teases' immediately: Playin', followed by Terrapin, then Comes A Time for a second before settling into that Dolphin song, which had the deadhead next to me happier than a Wookie without soap. He kept telling me before the show "I'm chill', then every once in a while, out of the silence, he'd let out a blood curdling "WOOOOOOOO!!!!!"

Anyways, the Dolphins song was decent, fairly well jammed, they kept going & played 'senor' & I was thinking 'Good, get them all out of the way now'....

This was the one with a small Spanishy jam, right?
Either way, They were both good enough & a decent start as the band came to a stop.

Then, the band sat around & played some song that had Larry on Mandolin, Sless on peddle steel, Robinson sitting near Larry & Phil. It was decent, but if this song was a highlight to you, you go to P&F for a different reason than I do or Phil intends in the end.
What the main idea is is: ELECTRIC BLOWOUT,i.e. EARGASM.
And, you don't get them on acoustic ditties, as well played as they are.......

Then came the highlight of the set, the blues portion.
Next time You See Me was transformed from a throw away 5 minute Pigpen tune into a monster blues/rocker with 3 instrumentals where everyone got a chance to step out & tear it up (even Mookie) & must have clocked in at 10+ minutes.

Followed by Hard to Handle, which jammed out nicely before beginning to wander a bit, giving me a thought the song was over, & just then, bam! right back into it.

As for Cosmic Charlie, pretty standard, a nice little 2-3 minute jam at the end was nice, and a note to Poz: Read the setlists......
This band seems to always end the first set with Cosmic Charlie - I knew it as soon as they started it & hardly look more than once at the setlist, so I suspect your disappointment in not having another song tacked on the end was self induced........
(Me, I was personally hoping for a Viola, what with the 'blues theme', but dream on....)

All in all, it was a pretty good set, but you folks (should) know me. I'm a 2nd set guy.
That's where shows are made or ruined, not by playing acoustic ditties in the middle of the 1st Set.

Set 2 coming.......

OK, set 2.........

Truckin, Poz, I wonder how you couldn't get excited. Have you seen too many 'Dead' shows & not enough P&F's?

Probably as I don't recall your name prior to the imfamous Alpine Reunion in 2002........

Having seen Phil for over 6 years, I've NEVER heard him play Truckin'......

While not The Eleven, it wasn't some crummy acoustic CR either you know.

This version was decent in vocals if you judge shows by such trivial things, as many of you apparently seem to. Was CR singing Bob's parts only? It's been so long since I heard the record, I have no clue.....

They came out of Trucking singing & left the song like in '72, no 'Jerry build-up' we've all come to know & love. About 3 minutes out, I was shocked by a vocal reprise of Truckin (told ya', I haven't seen alot of 'Dead' shows the past couple of years to my good sense, so I forget how TD did it). They jammed on, a touch of The Other One, then I heard the 'Jerry Build-up' coming.

About half way up the 'peak', Barry purposely cut it early, much to my despair. As soon as the band 'exploded', they started tearing up the build-up again & ripped it into a climax that was just, well, one for the ages & the best I've ever heard live & yes, I've heard the GD end a show with Truckin (10-31-79).
Just explosive.

Coming out, we found ourselves in a song it took me a while to recognize. Then, I caught the lyrics: "Oh". Cats, not bad, a jam sorta like Eyes, nothing great (like Big Railroad for example), but not bad.

A deep space for 2-3 minutes, then......

Into the best New Speedway I've seen P&F do, big climax, but both Mrs B & I thought oddly similar to Truckin in it's jam.........

Melting down, not as deep as before, Dark Star teases, then DS started proper.

A short opening instrumental left me a bit worried as it was basically the DS theme played over & over for a couple minutes before singing.

Would they save it?
Sless did as ripples of bubbling rain seemed to come off his guitar as they headed out of Dark Star in one of the prettiest passages I've heard in a long time. They went on, headed into space, nothing a deep a before, maybe 12 minutes until I heard the Comes A Time coming that I'd heard in the soundcheck.

Comes A Time appeared about 30 seconds after it's first tease, was well sung, one mess up by Chris, nice jam coming out, but no match for the versions I've seen with Warren jamming out.

Unbroken, very, very long middle instrumental where everyone got a chance to step out, then the jam out, which by doing it, forced comparisons with Warren's monster jam out. Unfortunately, by doing it, it forces comparison & Warren's is better, but this one is still very good.

St Stephen, only my 20th, counting the GD, was weird. The instrumentals were much shorter than 'The Q' & the guitar kinda sounded weak & 'spidery' if you know what I mean.
BUT, what makes a St Stephen killer?
The end. And, this one kicked some major ass. No Allman-esque sound ala Warren & Jimmy, it built up a long way, more much more Dead-like, more, push it, push it boys, come on & crash, "Saint Stephen will remain"
Definitely one of the best St Stephens I've heard in a long time.

Gimme Shelter, good rocker to end.
After all these years of Beatles tunes, now it's Stones.
Can The Who be far behind?

As I stated in the 'Fritz' folder, the slower Brokedown the band soundchecked was much more mournful & gut wretching, but the band played version B, the faster, more upbeat one as Mrs B & I held each other thinking of our fallen friend, Fritz.

Oh, BTW, the rythym section is playing really loud & hard...........

>>> Having seen Phil for over 6 years, I've NEVER heard him play Truckin'......

Well maybe you should follow the setlists more closely, as you'd realize it's part of this tour's rotation



>>> mMe, I don't think I could take seeing this band 7 times in my life, let alone in the next few weeks.


You still in for Wallingford?


>>>> I felt I'd probably seen as good as this band can get this tour & believe me, it was no match for 'The Q'. Anyone who thinks so, never heard or saw live 2000-2001.

Agreed.



>>> so I suspect your disappointment in not having another song tacked on the end was self induced.

Self-induced for sure, but based more on my gut than what was on paper. The set just took so long to get going and finally had a little momentum that I thought for sure they'd close with one more - probably short - rockin' tune, just to keep the momentum. Guess not.



Great review, as always Bucky.

I thought a golden road was coming to close down the 1st set

bucky - your review is juvenile

Then, the band sat around & played some song

it's called Long Black Veil and it's a beautiful version that they played

what show were you at?

I hate people who if they don't get the exact show they wanted played in the exact way they expected, they have to have a hissy fit

every show has been awesome this tour - I suppose it helps if you know the repertoire

OPEN YOUR MIND

What the main idea is is: ELECTRIC BLOWOUT,i.e. EARGASM.

no - that's your idea Bucky

I guess you weren't at NJPAC for that mind blowing CAUTION EARGASM

sheesh

listen to the sbd from NJPAC 11/22...sweet, you can really hear what this band is doing...

Thanks for the reviews.....

>>> every show has been awesome this tour ... OPEN YOUR MIND


Pretty hard to take a review seriously if you think every show is amazing. Some of us would say you should open your mind to the fact that some nights and parts of nights are much better than others, and sometimes they're just not that good at all. Thankfully not very often, but it happens.

well, maybe you'd take it a bit more seriously if you knew I used to write for Relix, first saw the Dead in 1981, have seen Phil in 1999,2000, 2001, 2003 - and have enjoyed each rendition - especially New Haven 99, Beacon 03

I also appreciate a wide range of music including Dylan, roots music, so perhaps people with more diverse musical taste and experience will appreciate these shows more, I don't know

maybe it also helps that I was at NJPAC first night and it was as good as New Haven 99 and that takes some doing - that Caution was without question as good as the gold old Dead could do it - this band is jamming at times as good as PLQ ever has - and the Dead used to screw up all the time - have we lost our ability to tolerate that? onward to finding the new!

that's my opinion, anyway - I realize others will differ

Cary and Poz - no reason to get personal, is there? I would be curious to hear the Caution you speak of - based on the New Speedway we saw, I am not surprised they would blow that one out. I believe these blues-groove based numbers play best to Larry's and Chris' strengths. It's funny, but I believe this is as close to pre 1970 dead many of us will come.

>>> well, maybe you'd take it a bit more seriously if you knew I used to write for Relix

Nope.


>>> first saw the Dead in 1981

Nah.


>>> have seen Phil in 1999,2000, 2001, 2003

Doesn't seem to be helping


>>> so perhaps people with more diverse musical taste and experience will appreciate these shows more

More diverse than what? I didn't list any "credentials" to compare to did I? And Dylan and "roots" doesn't exactly seem like a huge variety anyway...


I'm just bustin' on ya' - it's all just our opinions, and they're all the right ones. But my assertion that it's hard to give much weight to a review when the reviewer basically says they like it all still stands. If someone's seen 1,000 shows and thought every one was great, that gives them less credibility in my book, not more.

>>> Cary and Poz - no reason to get personal, is there?

Definitely not. One of the constants of Philshow reviews is that someone will say negative things about a show, someone else will say it's all amazing, and then one will say the negative one is ungrateful, then the harsh critic will say the other one is just a pixie dust fairy with no ability to listen with a critical ear, etc. etc. etc.

It's all good.












Well, that first set kinda' sucked, but the rest of it was real good.

Enjoyed myself thoroughly in Boston Thursday. I absolutely agree with everything Andrew Miller wrote. And many thanks to Cary to setting whoever it was straight on Long Black Veil. I thought it was great. Guess he never heard David Nelson cover it with the New Riders. I absolutely loved The Dolphins. I know it's a Fred Neil song, but I always connect it with the Younbloods. Leave it to Phil to bring it out of nowhere.

SAW IN SETLIST A FRITZ DEDICATION MENTIONED. BUT HAVENT READ ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
WHAT WAS THIS? DID PHIL SAY SOMETHING?
ANYONE?

BWAHAHAHAH NOW COMET O PAPA. 9~

Eternal -

You can hear the dedication if you listen to the Brokedown that's streaming on Philzone.com

My first GD related show since 94, my how things change. I'd like to see Phil solo just jamming for an hour, I think CR should have spent more time preparing for this tour, he can sing okay but not knowing the words, he's out of place on stage with Phil.

UJB - good song choice. Dolphins was better. Senor, love Dylan. LBV - just a great tune. NTYSM - liked it too. Hard to Handle, classic, not my favorite. Cosmic Charlie - wow!

Truckin - they jammed out in it, nothing great but worth catching - here's a minute of it -

http://kyguidepost.com/PhilTruckinjam.wmv

- Cats - miss you Jerry! Dark Star - flashes. Comes A Time - one of my favorite songs. Unbroken Chain - thanks Phil. St Stephen - can't dislike that. Gimme Shelter - it's the Stones. Brokedown - called early.

It was an honor to see Phil Lesh again and I respect the man as a musician and as a pioneer in experimentation. I believe he can hold his own no matter who he choices to surround himself with on stage.

>>>>>>>> every show has been awesome this tour ... OPEN YOUR MIND

OPEN YOURS!!!!!!!!!!

Never has happened that a tour had EVERY great show since 1965 & anyone who thinks so has NO clue - go ask Phil.........

I've talked with a member of P&F numerous times & he told both he & Phil agree that certain nights have it while others don't & every now & then, it all clicks & the 'eargasm' is on......


PS, POZ: I was talking about PREVIOUS SIX YEARS of P&F as far as Truckin. Any moron can see that they've been playing it this tour by checking a setlist. That however, doesn't change MY live experience, now does it?

WHO SANG LEAD ON BROKEDOWN?

NOW COME TO PAPA. 9~