Let it RIP!

does anybody else have a feeling tonight is going to be off the hook?!

It was

Since this ship has sailed, perhaps someone will recap for those of us less fortunate...

I'd give you all my real opinion but can't for fear of being banned...

>>>I'd give you all my real opinion but can't for fear of being banned...

C'mon frank lets hear it.

Sigh!

Always with the negative waves Moriarty!

I had crowd issues at the Filmore that distracted heavily from the music. Set two was pretty good, but not great... killer St Stephen and NFA.

Random thought: God, I am sooooooo sold on Barry as a guitar God after his China Doll solo.

a beautiful moment in time

The Phil segment of this show was excellent. The sound from the speaker system was great. Beautiful and cool vocal innovations on dark star v.2. - especially from Joan. She has really found her voice in this group of musicians; I love watching and listening to this comfortable Joan who totally rocks out or sways and swoons between delivering the vocals on many of the songs rather than the strutting, sexual-innuendoing bluesy Joan who, when doing that, seemed too derivative of Pigpen rather than expressing her complex uniquity. it seems like she has finally stepped into her shoes and taken some confident, cool and unique steps in the ensemble. i TOTALLY love joan - Master of Voice.
The whole of set 2 was one long flowing, powerful jam of sometimes delicate, sometimes playful and often thunderous weaves. First time seeing Larry Campbell, who impressed the hell out of me. He has a real graceful presence and it comes through in his playing. I really like the originality of his tones and sound in general. I thought Ryan was an incredible asset guitarwise, and when his vocals were on, they were crisp and soulful. I also really dig his songs.

The show ended around 2:40 am, which sucked for a couple of reasons. 1) Thursday night - had to work Friday. 2)John Mayer. They got started late, played at least 45 minutes and then encored. His stage presence annoyed me to no end. Clearly this person has technical ability with his instrument. It could actually go somewhere original and innovative if he diverted the energy he puts into acting like a rock or blues star on stage into being present to the music. Which happened at some moments, so I can see the potential in his work. But the ego's gotta come come way down. Or maybe, his confidence in his own unique expression needs to come way up? His drummer, however, was amazing. He had great technique and feel, really diverse in his rythmic patterns. Regardless, not worth an additional 2 hours on my feet/back, which totaled roughly 8 hours for this particular event.

The last three songs of the night were really, really good - when RA left the stage. The rest of the night was Ryan Adams and Phil playing together and the rest of the band trying to get a note in edgewise, and not get cut off in the musical conversation by Ryan. Never did like punk sounding music, nothing personal Ryan, I'm sure you're a swell guy. My expectations when I see a Phil and Friends show is to see an ensemble that works together, and I didn't hear that.

Nanc...have you listened to the tapes of 12-29..??..

I don't remember it being so one sided..

Osha.if you only heard John Mayer for 45 minutes you missed the first hour of his set..

It worked. I was amazed and I am terribly blessed. (thank you Saint Alison (my wife)for letting me free for all three ) After I left I kept wondering if anyone else loved Friday,s show as much as I. ( I kept looking for posts several times a day - thanks Phil/ zone for the explanation - people can get off color, but there is also a lot of love and insight here ) Joan was both soaring and tender, Ryan was (is) inspired,and helps phil Phil Phull of Joy. The twists and turns titillate, the artists fit like a glove, then rubbed a litle bit, both lurching and soaring. The Grand Dame Philmore did not feel at all crowded, the front was easily available. What can I say but - another GREAT night at church - Thanks to all of you - life is good. "And keep it on"

Music and Art can be interpreted in many ways. Some people may "get it" and really dig it, others may not. Can we stop the blame game and allow people to give honest reviews? And if the "artist" cannot handle some criticism then they don't belong showcasing their work in public. For those of you who love the shows with RA, more power to you, but trying to convince me that I should like it as much as you is a waste of your energy and insulting to the artist. I had a great night in "Church" I just couldn't relate to the sermon ~

I personally hated the fillmore show.

I left early--something I've never even dreamed possible when phil is on stage.

Unfortunately, I left before it got good.



The pre-game was where it's at...I'm sure I can't remember everyone...but I'll try!

Nancy and Pearce, Lisa and Canyon, Tore_Up, Doogels, Wino, Woodsie, Spacehed, walstib, Guy, Rev Buddy, GDad, Big Bill

And people I was just meeting for the first time--Sapp, Cachesoul, Rasta...and a whole lot more!



Into to the show...it was odd, didn't really feel like a phil show. I had Johnny Cash on the brain all day.

John Mayer opened with exactly the set we feared...he'd do something great, then he'd do a pop tune, then he'd do something great, then he'd do a pop tune. and it went on like that for waaaaaay too long. Also...worth noting, he played mostly the same stuff all three nights, there was a Ray Charles tune (I Got a Woman), a Hendrix tune (Wait Until Tomorrow) and some other really great bluesy stuff, definitely had the stevie ray vibe happening. But until he stops being metrosexual and loses that damn scarf, I'm not into it.

Then came what we were all waiting for Phil! Yay! Except, It didn't turn out so well. Here's the set list.

Set 1: Shakedown Street, Friend of the Devil, Dire Wolf, If I am a Stranger, He's Gone, House on the Hill, Bertha

Set 2: Darkstar > Wharf Rat > The Other One > Nobody Girl, Darkstar > China Doll, St. Stephen > Not Fade Away, E: The Wheel



I don't really care about the fucked up lyrics, it's unprofessional, but hell, bob still can't get the lyrics to truckin' and we love him (sometimes!)

My problem with He-who-shall-not-be-named is that he sucks the energy right out of the room. At the Fillmore show, the first set ended to crickets chirping. Bertha should have been rocking along...but it was dead. We just stood there as the purple chandaliers faded on and stared around in amazement going 'is that it?'

There was no flood of applause, there was no screaming, cat calling, whistling, yelling...nothing. The room was dead. It was awful.

I actually left the show early?? WTF? I've never even dreamed of leaving a phil show early. It's the worst phil show I've ever seen--or better yet--the only bad phil show I've ever seen.

I remember seeing shows that were so amazing, I felt so much joy I couldn't contain it...I had to hoot and holler, express it. Big happy jubilees!!

Not the fillmore...I completely disliked the music I heard. and I blame he-who-shall-not-be-named.


Oh well, it was only one show. There's always another in this town...

so does that mean wineo made it in?

if so, nice job

Wino made it in.

OK, folks, bear with me on this one...

Emily (and Nancy),

As much as I hate to say it, I largely agree with you - and I know how hard each of us worked to get tickets to this show (to the tune of 2 eBay Warfield tickets for me - $160). I stuck it out to the very end but, yes, I've never seen a Phil show with an audience that seemed so dumbstruck. Least amount of energy I think I've ever witnessed from a Phil audience, though I'd blame that in part to the over-long Mayer set (1.5 hrs. for a guy who repeats his material three nights in a row?). Sure, he's a talented guitar player, but he's basically just a clone of Stevie Ray Vaughn when he's playing the blues (and with a non-bluesman kind of voice, and his playing isn't nearly as good, at that). Plus, the crowd of young girls who'd probably never even heard of Phil Lesh at the front of the floor snapping endless camera-phone shots of their gorgeous dream man was hard to deal with. Who really thought that this guy would make a good pairing with Phil Lesh? As a friend mentioned to me at some point during the run, "couldn't Phil easily sell out the Fillmore and Warfield without having an opening act of John Mayer?" The clash of audience types was a little rough to deal with - I mean, there's something about 18-to-20-year-old, female pop-star fans that didn't mesh with the Phil crowd (call me an old fart, or whatever). Then, at the Fillmore, it took the stage crew almost an hour to get the stage ready for Phil - we're talking STARTING the first set at 10:45-11:00. Hey, I'm as much of a late-night person as anyone, but this really put a drain on the energy level - having to stand through an additional 2.5 - 3 hrs. for a guy who I wouldn't go see on his own, anyway. Still, this wasn't the only, or major, problem, as I saw it.

As for the show, I agree with Francis Sinatra that I'm almost reluctant to say exactly what I felt about this show for fear of censorship/ostracism or complete slamming from others, but I've got to be honest. Having read Phil's statement, I now (hope I) understand what Phil's stated desire is, but I still don't totally believe he's being utterly honest with his fans - should I also say himself? And, believe me, I'm a Phil fan to the end, with or without Ryan. I get the fact that Phil says he likes Ryan for being able to change things up and keep the band on its toes, allowing them to make abrupt turns at a moment's notice, but I didn't see that being the case at this show, or at the NYE show either. I saw a young (and, taking Phil at his word) and talented, interesting musician attempting to lead a group of musicians who are more competent and in command at improvising within a song's given structure, both musical and lyrical. Honestly, I think there's plenty of space between the verses and the choruses of the songs (both the Dead's and others) to improvise and create new arrangements, but when your lead singer drops complete chunks of the lyrics (FOTD, Dire Wolf, Bertha, He's Gone (UGH!), Wharf Rat, etc.) or just doesn't bother to step up to the mic for a particular verse or chorus of a song, it seems to throw a major wrench into the whole cohesiveness of the band. Sure, if the desire is to break things down and put them back together, then I stand corrected. But, seriously, what's the point of having the verses, choruses and bridges if one is going to ignore their basic order and structure and just restructure them in any given way? I don't mind Ryan changing a few words here of there, or adding a new vocal inflection or tone, but I didn't see this as being the case. The guy looked completely confused and overwhelmed to me. As far as I could see - being about 20 feet from the stage - Phil seemed to be distracted, embarrassed and annoyed at some of the miscues and vocal gaffes. Was the little huddle after a rather ragged Dire Wolf to tell Ryan to continue to just go with this sort of improvisational method, or was it to try to get him to follow the actual lyrics and structure of the song more closely? I just don't see a song like Dire Wolf or Friend of the Devil in need of a total reworking. Did Jerry or Bob ever just abandon the lyrical structure of a tune such as this for the sake of improvisation? Not that I've heard - I think they felt free to improvise within the general structure of the song, but they almost always seemed to come back to a point in the song that the rest of the musicians knew was coming. If that's what Phil really wants to do, then, yes, maybe I need to ask myself if this is what I want to be paying to see.

Basically, my feeling is if Phil wants his "friends" to get back to a more improvisatory type of music, then why even bother with the basics of song structure? How about just jam on a theme? Perhaps throw in some vocals here or there? If that's what I'm supposed to expect, well, then at least I'll know it going into the show. I won't have expectations of hearing a song basically as I recognize it. Hey, if he can get Branford or David Murray into the mix, I'm all for that. I guess I'm saying if improvisation is going to be given a greater emphasis (and I already felt the Q and his other P&F outfits had plenty of improvisation), I'd personally like to see him play with musicians who have a real track record for improvisatory exploration - I don't believe that means RA.

I think Phil statement about Ryan being "a little gem that cries out 'polish me'" is revealing. Perhaps he is this little gem, but I'd like him to become a little more polished before he shows up to play such a highly anticipated run of shows. Perhaps my sense of anticipation and expectations need to be lowered - perhaps I shouldn't put any musicians on such a lofty pedestal? That seems reasonable, no?

Finally (and I know I can go on forever), I think I'd just like to know in advance whom Phil will be (or intends to be) playing with before I buy tickets for a given show. As much as I love Phil (and did the Grateful Dead), I think it's reasonable to be given this information in advance so that one can decide whether to make the effort to attend a show, or not. I would've been 'interested' to see the "announced" pairing of Mayer and Phil at midnight at NYE, but that didn't even happen (well, actually, I'm not too upset about that).

Anyway, the St. Stephen -> NFA was rocking!

Phil - despite all the criticism contained in this message, I still love your music and your uncompromising boldness to go where most musicians wouldn't dare. I just think you've made some questionable personnel decision(s) recently that are clearly yours to make. It's up to us, your fans, to decide what we think of these and deal with it accordingly.

I'll still see you in New York in February (and at the Learning Annex).

well said alex. I didn't make it to the Fillmore but I had/have similar thoughts comparing the next two nights with the different line-ups. After reading Phil's statement I feel that I need to go back to the tapes and scour for the "little gems" and planned deconstructing of songs. I may have missed the boat on NYE. I percieved limited knowledge, not fearless exploration. I'm not a musician I just like to play one at shows. So I'll suspend some judgement until after I do some more homework.

Yes, well said Alex!

From Phil's Note: "I will also say with no hesitation that Jerry would have loved Ryan...I feel Jerry close to me whenever I am around Ryan."


Snagged From Spacements review of NYE: "Did no one else notice Ryan steal the Stella right out from Joan? Joan approached the mic at the start of the Stella and Ryan jumped right in and started singing it. Joan turned around and walked off stage. At that point I was ready to leave the building and did not too soon after. Joan came to Phil's side in a pinch when Ryan couldn't get his act together in October. So nice of Phil to return the favor by giving her 1 song to sing at the NYE show. I'm sure Joan had better things to do that night than watch Ryan sing."


No doubt Jerry would the almost out of control over the edge approach he-who-shall-not-be-named has, but I don't think Jerry would appreciate the willingness to shut out other talented musicians from contributing.

That was a beautifully written review Alex. Glad you had the courage to post it. Yes, the guy looked 'completely confused and overwhelmed' to me as well. A diamond in the rough, perhaps, but I'm not willing to hang around while he's getting polished.

The Fillmore is a most hallowed hall of our time.I went up stairs and had an apple.I staggered around staring at the walls,covered to the ceiling with posters of historic days.Saw Wavy Gravy make his way up to the upper level bar.I found a spot to see what Mayer was about...went around and checked out some more wall treatments.
I too had highly anticipated these shows.Having seen The Joint and 5 in the East,including the Fox where the band was really hauling ass as a well oiled machine,how could I not.
The energy was strange.There was a tension,real or imagined,that was thick in the air.I wonder where it came from,the crowd,the band,both maybe but it was apparent to me.Met some cool folks to hang out with before the show started and I was surprised to see Ryan out there.His guitar playing aside,I found it a real shame to see Joan,of who I am fond,having to take a back seat vocally to him.Joan knows these songs and how she interprets them always suits me fine.Things picked up though and I was glad that the songs Played had mostly been played in this place before on other daze....I had a great time and the coat check girl was busting my ass for being the last one to pick up my coat.Hey I got a little side tracked looking at the walls and freaks and stuff.I gotta tell you though thar be spirits in that house,I could feel 'em. Couldn't figure out who,But possibly a collective ghost of past performers and promoter,just checkin in to visit the old haunt,Kinda far out.

I don't have a review per se. I landed at San Francisco airport about 12:30pm on the 29th. I got to the Fillmore about 3:00 in the afternoon. I talked to a few people on line to see what the ticket situation was like and I realized that the first hundred people on line were there to see John Mayer. Not only were there no tickets to be had, but apparently a third of the tickets were purchased by John Mayer fans. Please explain to me why Phil needs to book the Fillmore, which is one of the smallest venues he played in this year, with John Mayer when he can easily sell the place out on his own.

There were so many people looking for tickets. People who would have exuded far more positive energy for the music Phil creates than many of the people who actually attended. I spoke to several people between John Mayer and Phil's set and many of the people I spoke to had no interest in seeing Phil and were actually leaving before Phil even took the stage. I couldn't even get a ticket stub and the security at the door wouldn't even let me in for the last few songs and this is after half the place cleared out. I even offered to give them a hundred bucks to let me in. I flew all the way from the East Coast and untill that point hadn't missed a single West Coast Phil show and I was completely shut out for the first time. I looked for a ticket from 3:00 in the afternoon till 2:30 in the morning and I never got into the building.

To add insult to injury, it was raining outside, I gave some dude twenty bucks for a laminate and he never produced it and got away with my money, I talked to a bunch of girls who were there for Mayer and wouldn't even let me copy their handstamp or give me a ticketstub so I could get in even though they weren't staying for the rest of the show, all my friends were inside and I had an opportunity to go see Kimock but passed it up in hopes of seeing Phil at Fillmore for the first time. I felt like shit. I felt a little better about it after I heard the reviews of the show but all in all, it was a pretty miserable night for me.

The Warfield was excellent. NYE was a lot of fun but Ryan is really hit or miss. I still would have loved to have made it inside the Fillmore but I guess it wasn't meant to be. The Warfield made up for it. Phil, next time you play the Fillmore or a venue like it in terms of capacity, please don't book an opener, especially one as popular as John Mayer. All it did was keep loyal fans like myself, who fly all over the country to see you, outside the show while people who didn't even care to see your band got to get in. That's bullshit. On a positive note, some people were paying between three and five hundred dollars for tickets and after hearing the reviews, I'm sure glad I wasn't those folks. Don't mean to be negative, but the Fillmore sucked for me and I never even made it inside the building.

I just finished my second thorough listening to this show and I think it is very very good. Yes there are a few missed cues, but Ryans singing and playing are very inspired. Dark Star through China Doll are great. The vocals on FOTD are great.
I've been to many a show where the tension in the venue is so thick you could cut it with a knife. Sometimes listening to a show again afterwords can shed a whole new perspective when approached with an open mind.
It seems that many are putting expectations on the performance(s) that are unrealistic for a band that has barely played together. Others are looking for reasons to knitpick because Ryan brings an agressive enthusiastic approach to the music that is striking and different. Some people don't like change, especially when this change moves away from charachteristics that were cherished. (Jimmy, Warren etc...)
I want to commend Ryan for getting up there and letting it rip. It most have felt like being the QB of a visiting team playing in a sold out playoff game. People actually rooting against you. I think heads should re-listen to these shows and hear and feel the beauty and potential, and in the future as you hand over your ticket leave the negativety at the door. Phryan Lesh & Friends have laid the seeds can grow into something very special if we give it Sun and Water. If you just plant ice, you're going to harvest wind.

Whoa...hadn't seen the boards until today and kinda shocked by the tenor of the reviews. This show, IMO, Kicked ASS!! I'm only going on memory here, what's left of it, but it was one of the most interesting, original, psychedellic nights of PLF this boardmember's had since the height of the Q's Odyssey. RA is a somewhat radical change, but if you've read Phil's book then you might see how he's similar in musical approach and style to the GD & Phil of 35-40 years ago. The music at the Fillmore demanded your attention, flew without a net, was sometimes frustrating, but in the end rewarded Heads with sublime beauty. That was the best Dark Star I've seen in recent memory for its unique vocals alone, to say nothing of the awesome musical dynamics.

Anyone who left early and missed it, well, I'm sorry you didn't get it. When the show ended at nearly 3 A.M., any lack of enthusiasm from the crowd was a result of sapped energy from dancing the night away and a too-long Mayer set.

Leaving the show, we knew not everyone would be as blown away. Phil with RA might not be for the hard-core GD traditionalists, lyrics and licks weren't always where we expected them, but then aren't improvisation and some new ideas what it's all about?

Hey Now Alex, I just wanted to tell you that I think you are spot on with your take. Too bad we couldn't discuss this at the time of the show online but mediocrity sometimes seeks to be hidden.

The disrespect shown Phil's hired guns was very sad-what a waste of talent. Joan had to be annoyed????

What about the dis of John Mayer-like him or not-how can Phil bill the NYE show as with John and then completely blow him off.

It is obvious that Phil is enamoured with RA to the detriment of the art, the musicians and the fans.

Sorry to the Ryan apologists but the man can't improvise any more than a five year old on a toy instrument.

Really painful to think this is now the GD legacy.

Worst of all-the best part of P&F is hearing golden oldies kicking ass-fro this run and the Red Rocks run-no Caution (Phil picked up Big Brown and immediately put it down at the Fillmore),Doin That Rag, Eleven, Hurts Me Too, Mr. Charlie, Rosemary, What's Become Of The Baby, Alligator, New Potatoe,........

And for our enjoyment we got to hear Ryan butcher two Wharf Rats, two Fades and two Uncle John's in three nights.

Sorry Phil but this is how one of your most ardent phans feels.

I liked Ryan at this show... not as much at NYE (but not terrible as some would describe it). If Phil sees something in him, I am willing to give him a chance for a while. He is definately a master songwriter though.... with time, I could see him reaching Hunteresque levels with his lyrics (Magnolia Mountain already qualifies IMHO)

>>>>> had crowd issues at the Filmore

I would of too, if I didn't do what I always do: find a spot where you can't see the stage but still has good sound.

So from your left, as you walk in, is a bar along the wall. At the back of the bar are cocktail tables and chairs. You really can't see much of the stage, but the sound is ok. So I had a real chair and a table for my drinks. In that area is a big open space where you can't see at all, and there was great dancing there.

PS: I really like that Mayall guy's band, or whatever his name is. Not the more bluesy songs,but the more pop sounding ones. They are really fun to dance to. I didn't even care that he played the same set for 3 nights. Those pop songs of his are "on the train" -- great fun to dance to.

>>>find a spot where you can't see the stage but still has good sound.>>>>

Yeah, that is what I ended up doing fr the 2nd set. I ended up near the taper section... not a lot oof talking there. Being a musician, i like to watch what they do, but I much prefer not being able to see to not being ablle to hear.

"I just finished my second thorough listening to this show and I think it is very very good. Yes there are a few missed cues, but Ryans singing and playing are very inspired. Dark Star through China Doll are great. The vocals on FOTD are great.
I've been to many a show where the tension in the venue is so thick you could cut it with a knife. Sometimes listening to a show again afterwords can shed a whole new perspective when approached with an open mind.
It seems that many are putting expectations on the performance(s) that are unrealistic for a band that has barely played together. Others are looking for reasons to knitpick because Ryan brings an agressive enthusiastic approach to the music that is striking and different. Some people don't like change, especially when this change moves away from charachteristics that were cherished. (Jimmy, Warren etc...)
I want to commend Ryan for getting up there and letting it rip. It most have felt like being the QB of a visiting team playing in a sold out playoff game. People actually rooting against you. I think heads should re-listen to these shows and hear and feel the beauty and potential, and in the future as you hand over your ticket leave the negativety at the door. Phryan Lesh & Friends have laid the seeds can grow into something very special if we give it Sun and Water. If you just plant ice, you're going to harvest wind."

no one entered with negativity.....me and my friends had never heard RA before but had seen 7 concerts of the recent east coast tour and the band had grown tremendously since the first east coast concerts so the expectations were realistic......the chemistry is totally different, RA dominates everything, larry,barry,rob and joan hardly contibute.....it was clear to me that phil was having a good time and it should have been just as plain that most of the audience wasn't---not much dancing and not much whooping or clapping....the length of john mayers set had nothing to do with it( that was another waste of time )......for those of you who enjoyed RA i hope you get to see him many times without PHIL AND FRIENDS and for those of us who's musical experience was greatly diminished by RA, let's hope phil announces his being a "friend" in advance so we can show our unhappiness by not buying tickets....that's all we can do as consumers of live music.....

We were Pete's friends who also tried to get him in to the Filmore. As people left i tried to bribe the doorman with a 50 and he didn't bite saying it wasn't the old days. We worked so hard to get into all 3 shows believing in the zone and it wasn't until the night before the filmore that a friend got us tickets as his mail order came through .........2 days before the show.

I miss jerry and always will. I was listening today to his beautiful style and soul singing Mission in the Rain. I wait for it to happen again. Gotta just take it as it comes because jerry himself admits that it isn't always together. China doll was worth the show. Zeus not getting in was a sad moment.

Thanks for the attempt Uncle John. It was great meeting you out there. Actually, it's always worth the trip out there even if the only redeeming quality are the good folks who make this scene what it is. I always have a great time meeting all the wonderful people that make it out to the shows. You folks make it all worthwhile.

On the plus side, the 30th was excellent. It was up there with the best shows of the year musically. New Years was a lot of fun too. Not nearly as tight as the 30th but it was still chock full o fun. Ryan is a wildcard. He can make a show or break it. As long as you focus on what Phil is doing he can steer you through any bullshit that might be happening on or off the stage.

The thing I've noticed about Ryan, and I say this having seen three Phil and Friends shows with him, is that he doesn't give the other people on the stage enough room to do what they do best. If he shared the stage a bit more, the show wouldn't be his to make or break. It would be more collaborative. In a scenario like that, if the show is a clunker, blame could be placed on the band as a whole. The same holds true for the other scenario. If the show is smoking, it is because the band was firing on all cylinders.

I think that because Ryan is used to being the center of attention with all of his other bands, it puts him at a bit of a disadvantage in this context because he has to learn how to play in an ensemble setting, where every player is contributing to some degree at all times. The Phil lineups that have included him thus far have always had him as the center of attention. This puts a lot of pressure on him to be on the ball at all times with material that he is not entirely in command of.

It also changes the dynamic and chemistry of what Phil and Friends has always strived for in the past, and that is the group mind coming together to create some beautiful music. We as the audience also play a role in that group mind, so it can also be viewed that if a guy like Ryan is hindering the group mind from reaching the peaks we all know it is capable of reaching, it becomes even harder to reach those peaks because now a good portion of the audience is turned off to it.

I don't hate Ryan Adams. I believe the kid has potential. He has a good voice and his guitar playing is adequate. Not mind blowing, but adequate. I like that he takes chances but I don't like that Phil has put so much responsibility on his shoulders.

I also generally don't care for three guitars in the mix. It becomes a bit too cluttered. The only time that really worked well was at Bimbo's and that's because David Nelson is a master and can play on stage with anybody and not clutter the mix. Ryan has a long way to go before he is capable of pulling that off. I believe there is still potential there but I don't know if it's fair to have to pay prime concert bucks to wait for it to happen.

If Phil used Ryan as another conduit for the music to play through, as opposed to the centerpiece of the band, I think it could work a lot better. It would take some of the focus off of Ryan, reduce the pressure that he may be feeling while he is on stage and it would also reduce our expectations of what he should be capable of.

I love what Joan brings to the table but it seems like she was cut off by Ryan on a couple of occasions during NYE. I love what Barry brings to the guitar and pedal steel but aside from the first set NYE, I felt like he had difficulty cutting through with everyone following Ryan's lead. Larry was almost inaudible and I have grown to appreciate what he brings to the table after seeing him play with the Shadow of the Moon lineup. Rob's vocals were a no-show on NYE. It's a shame, because that band could have put on a smoking NYE show. The show was fun, but that was in large part due to the crew I was hanging out with. The 1st set showed a glimpse of what that band could do if Ryan shared the stage with the other members of the band.

One last thing. If you look at Phil's band as a football team, where every member of the band has an important role and the only way the team can succeed is if every member is given the room and respect they need to do what they do best, then it becomes obvious why the New Years run didn't reach the highs we've come to enjoy from Phil's bands. Ryan is a rookie on this team. He may have come from a very accomplished background but in the end, he is the new guy on stage. Phil should have played him as the rookie that he is. A few minutes here and a few minutes there untill he gets comfortable with his role on the new team. This would have also given the audience a chance to warm up to him instead of having him forced on us for the duration of the show. Phil, for better or worse, has given Ryan a trial by fire. I would give the kid another chance, but not at the expense of being able to hear Barry tear it up on the guitar, because in the end, I travel to see Phil, fellow freaks, and in this past year, Barry Sless.

2005 was a great year besides some personal set backs that occured, but you have to take the good with the bad. I managed to do a lot of traveling, met a lot of great people, saw a lot of excellent shows, and got one step closer to my degree. I've been lucky that my favorite bass player got together with my favorite guitar player and they have been making magic together. Shadows of the Moon band was one for the ages. The Warfield band with Joan but without Ryan was right up there. NYE band has a long way to go, but they showed glimpses of magic here and there. I haven't given up on Ryan yet, but I see the limitations and the potential, and I hope Phil uses him in a slightly different capacity in the future. Sorry for the rant. Thanks for reading if you actually made it this far and I hope you all have a very Happy New Year.

I couldn't (and didn't) have said it better, Pete. Sorry 'bout the whole Fillmore thing, anyway.

It's cool. I got over it. In hindsight, I guess I just wasn't meant to be there. Maybe next time.

the best thing about the Filmore was the Filmore. I didn't know I had left my body when i phell over.

I just hope Phil read this thread.