All we need is music, sweet music (sweet, sweet music)
And there'll be music everywhere everywhere...................
There'll be laughing, singing and music swinging
And dancing in the street................
It doesn't matter what you wear,
(Just as) long as you are there...........
C'mon every guy, grab a girl,
Everywhere around the world....
And there'll be dancing,
Dancing in the street.
I'mready,areyou?
Getsneakyplaydead!

what time will they start Frday? 8:30?

my ticket says 6:30. im presuming thats what time doors open.

yeah. doors open at 6:30. GA. I haven't been to the Beacon shows, but they seem to be starting at 8:30 or so. Don't want to have to cool my heels for too long

anyone else going to the midnight afterparty jam at bb king's? def gonna be hitting up greys papaya on the way over

Oh it sounds so sweet,
I gotta take me a chance.
Rose out of my seat,
Just had to dance.
Started movin' my feet,
Well a-clappin' my hands.

They say the joint was rockin',
Goin' round and round,
Yeah reelin' and a-rockin',
What a crazy sound!

And they never stopped rockin',
Till the moon went down!

I'mready,areyou?
Getsneakyplaydead!

Getting pretty excited right now.Can't wait to head into the city tomorrow.

The Beacon shows were so good! I can't wait to head back up tomorrow.

My ten and seven year old have sold my wife and me on taking them to the Friday show.

already got lots of earplugs, lol.

Ready to dance, sing and zing.

0 y the way, is it truw that Barry may be unavailable for one or more of thesw shows?

Chris Robison was seen in NYC last night. Perhaps he will be hanging with Phil this weekend.

Billy Kreutzman on sirius talking about serialpod with Trey and Mike Gordon, also spotted again in NYC, i bet he'll play with Phil at the Hammerstein!

I hear from a solid source that Serialpod will appear RATHER than Phil & Friends tomorrow night!

Since Chris lives in NYC, that isn't a stretch...Serialpod is though...

TIME OUT magazine NY says CR sitting in tomorrow

They're a band beyond descriptionm
Like Jehovah's favourite choir.
People joining hand in hand,
While the music plays the band,
Lord they're setting us on fire!

I'mready,areyou?
Getsneakyandplaydead!

What is the selist for the 16th? Anyone? Buller? ANyone, anyone?

where crob show up or not, time out has old info...they had the same listing for thebeacon

beacon titix x said 8:00
hammer say 6:30

I'm thinking 7:30 showtime...could be different unions etc.

can anyone confirm

Doors 6:30 Show 8:00

Prolly start 8:20-8:30 or so my guess.

Where's the zoner meet-up bar?

I so need this show after being snow-locked for last Sunday's show. Bring it, Phil & Friends (whoever you may be tonight!)

i will be at hammerstein tonite and am totally psyched for another great show and great fun...is there a pre show hang out preferred by zoners be interesting to put faces to names ......see ya there gonna be a blast

WOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!Heading up now.

If it's CR, my kids will be psyched. They like his singing on the BCs, especially early BCs. they have good taste(7yo and 10yo), as evidenced by their insistence on making this their first PLF show.

Say, it might have been a fiddle,
or it could have been the wind.
But there seems to be a beat now,
I can feel it in my feet now,
listen here it comes again.

There's a band out on the highway,
they're high-stepping into town.
It's a rainbow full of sound,
it's fireworks, calliopes and clowns......
And everybody's dancing.............


Getsneakyandplaydead!

what do you expect phil to play tonight that he hasnt played yet?

see main page for start time thoughts...could by 8:00 PM

half step
deal
mts. of the moon
wheels on fire
reuben and cherise
cold rain
brown eyed women

Feb. 17-19
Hammerstein Ballroom
311 West 34th St.
New York, NY
Doors @ 6:30 PM / Show @ 8:00 PM
Directions Capacity: ~3,000 - General Admission - Seating Chart
Box Office: (212) 777-1224

Getsneakyandplaydead!

Really hoping for BE Women or Eyes one these nights, regardless I can't wait. Leaving shortly for the Hammer!!!

hamma time babeeeee

Is sombody opening for Phil?
A guy at my office said 8:00 pm opening band is coming on .
Anybody here anything about it?

nah

Billy K. is in S.F. tonoght w/ the Merl Saunders, leftbehinds, like me. out at the GAMH. looking for bill k. tonight in N>Y>?? no way!

SUGAREE

does anyone know where the ballroom is in relation to penn station? i know its close but not exactley. hopin for warren tonight. anyone know if hes around?

Hammerstein is on 34th north of Penn just off 8th Ave

It's general admission tonight...doors open at 6:30....anybody got any guesses as to how early to show up? I don't want to cool my heels inside for 2 hours, but I don't want to be in the back either.....anybody got any wisdom to share?

Getting ready to head to NYC. Man, I need this show bad.

Hammerstein is right around the corner from Penn Station on 34th Street between 8th & 9th Ave.

i dont know about tonight.. a lot of people saying warren will only do one night, and for chris- he's good but I think Joan fits in better on this tour.

dylan is recording in nyc this week

tonight's predictions

jam>
scarlet begonias
westla
pride of cucamonga
althea
let it rock
watchin the river flow
broken arrow
high time
deal

jam>
tomorrow never knows>
mountains of the moon> jam
wheel> blue sky> jam
unbroken chain
ruben and cherise>
fire on the mountain>
help> slip> love-light>
franklin's tower

box

Phil had the Beacon house until 1:00 each night.
Probably the same here. Got to be all out by 1:00 AM. So he pays the house more from 11:00 on. Phil makes sure there is ample time to JAM.

Midnight Hour->

(from PZ chat via too board...)

Midnight Hour-> Jam -> Sugaree

looks good...any idea who's in the band?

Do we have a chance in losin' tonight?

ummmm.... Hello?

Is everyone there? The Zoner reunion?? Am I alone?? Oh yeh it is Friday night...rage on zoners!!!

For those who's waiting for the update on the setlists - fuhgitaboutit! Hammerstein is nowhere as loose as the Beacon! The Beacon Theatre rocks!! Hammerstein is an uptight, patted down, power-tripping security place whereas the Beacon's cool security allow fans to have a good time. I never understood why Phil chose to play at Hammerstein.

With this said, we'll be very lucky if taperrob (if he is there) will be able to take any pictures, let alone send an update on the setlists!

Oh, I forgot, The Grateful Dead used to play at this venue back in the late 60's, formerly known as the "Manhattan Centre".

Can't wait for the next two nights!!

i'm showing my age but i was at that wonderful three night manhattan center run. we got there early every night and parked right in front of garcia. first night, he is fng around on the steel pedal and lights up a cigarette. i motion to him to give me a cigarette. he stops, walks over (no shit) and gives me camel and asks if i want a light. i say no and put it reverently in my pocket. next day i check it: dust. the next two nights he laughs at me when he sees me.

updates

Bill, that's a great story!!

Midnight Hour-> Jam -> Sugaree -> Jam -> Oh My Sweet Carolina, Pride of Cucamunga, Tenn. Jed, Trains ->Jam -> Cumberland Blues

Thank you Rich! Nice first set! Oh My Sweet Carolina is a RA tune. Saw that song at the Halloween's show in Las Vegas. Great song!

Who's in the band?!?!?!?!?

Trains is also a RA song. And one of my favorites.

Rob Barraco - Keys, Vocal
Jeff Sipe - Drums
Barry Sless - Guitar
Larry Campbell - Guitar
Joan Osbourne - Vocal

please update, my java/laptop are screwed.
PT be me

6/4/99 Midnight HOur kicks so much ass...

set 2

jam
playin
jam
ujb
watchtower
wheel

any complete setlists w/ out Trob????

Phil Lesh and Friends Hammerstein Ballroom New York,

New York February 17, 2006 - Set1: Midnight Hour>

JAM> Sugaree> JAM> Oh My Sweet Carolina, Pride Of

Cucamonga, Tenessee Jed, Trains> JAM> Cumberland

Blues

Set2: JAM> Playin In The Band> JAM> Unbroken Chain>

JAM> All Along the Watchtower> Wheel> JAM> Turn

Around> The Other One> Space> Feedback> Space>

Caution> Space> Fire On The Mountian

Donor Rap
Band Intros

Encore: Revolution

Rocks off!!!

Thanks Phil!!!

xoxo r

Just git home right now... what a looooooooong night .. i was supposed to go whith a friend but he bailed so i took the train over to the city to see the show. Got there very early and got good seats on the mez. section. It was wierd seeing a show alone but i met some very nice people including a guy who hooked me up with a mule show!!
Now to the music. i thought the show was OK, but not nearly as good as last fridays. The first set was good highlighted by Midnight hour opener and the cumberland. Very long setbreak that led up to what i thought was a boring second set. The songs were played well, but honeslty i think theres entirely to much jamming. I love a good jam but it doesnt even seem they are focused on the song. After the wheel, they jammed for a while and went into a not so good whiskeytown song. They then went in to a very drawn out other one which i thought was the weakest part of the show. Then they went into space, which i thought was pretty cool. Phil got big brown out and was rubbing it on his amp to make some cool feedback. It lasted to long though. Caution was decent, i thought the one with crob was better i saw at the njpac. Next, Fire on the Mountain. SO HOT, definatly the highlight of the show. Very sweet. I snuck out before the encore, and although i like revolution, i dont think i missed much
All in all i had a good time met some cool people but just was a tad disappointed with the music. Ill be there tomorrow with a few friends and i look foward to having a good time
Sorry my review couldnt be a little more possitive, but it is what it is . Good Night!!!!!!!!!

Decent show, Other One really cooked, Phil seemed unaware that there was major static coming out of Big Brown over the house PA. Fire on the Mountain was highlight for me, Phil was all over it, turned way up in the mix, and just threw down that chunky line throughout the song. Really dug Train->Cumberland.

Hammerstein was WAY overcrowded, at least on the floor. I was hanging with my fellow Wharf Rats by the table behind the soundboard and we were packed in there like sardines. That place is ridiculous... makes me appreciate the Beacon that much more!

horrible show.

Larry played acoustic guitar for the 1st time tonight. Intense fiddle on The Other One.

Big Brown in full effect, Phil was attacking the stacks, my entire body was vibrating, crazy feedback and a new static buzzing noise that he was playing with, it will be "clearly" audible on the tapes...

Joan had headphones on the entire night, sounded great

Sipe solid, Barry super fluid and way up in the upper register on a few runs, ridiculous, Rob great on keys and vocals, plenty of Hammond tonight....

Beacon is a WAY better venue, though...you're f*cked if you have to use the bathroom...but it was OK, sound was good

1:00 AM end

"Phil seemed unaware that there was major static coming out of Big Brown over the house PA."

from where I was, it looked like he knew all about it and was making it more and less intense on purpose

place definitely oversold, promoter should be taken to task

and there you go....two reviews, back to back...

>>> They then went in to a very drawn out other one which i thought was the weakest part of the show.

>>>Other One really cooked,

I happened to think the the Other One was great. Cumberland and The Wheel also stood out for me. I'm not much of a critic though, I kinda love all of Phil's shows. I don't see him enough to get too picky.

As with all of these shows, all of Jerry's shows, all of the Grateful Dead's shows - as you just saw above. It's subjective.

I thought larry was great tonight, as was Barry. Joan, of course, stepped up during Sugaree. And what's with Joan's headphones or are they some sort of noise protectors? I wasn't at and didn't read reviews of the Sunday-etc Beacon shows, but Joan was wearing some sort of headphones tonight and I thought if you slapped a flourescent vest on her that she might stear in a taxi-ing airplane or something.

Rob was as strong as usual - Pride was great to hear - as was UBC - and lest we forget - Phil is quite a fucking bass player, eh?

I really liked tonight's show.

Never too crazy about the hammerstein. There was a line to get in, didn't encounter that at the Beacon. Got frisked coming in. Got lifted off of my feet in an intermission mosh pit by the bathroom stairs. Lots of people smoking though.

saw a house security guy grab someone outside (for what I don't know) and drag him to the police. saw a house security guy at one point bolt through the crowd but didn't see the outcome. - definitely not the beacon though, venue wise. but phil mentioned at the end that he liked it, and kinda joked about how it seemed familiar to him.

Hmmmmm... it didn't occur to me that Phil might have been causing the static intentionally. It seemed like it was there the whole time he was playing Big Brown, even into the Caution jam, although it was harder to hear because the rest of the band was playing as well. I was standing right by the sound guy who seemed frantic as soon as it was audible. I was watching him adjust all sorts of levels trying to pinpoint it, and what you describe as Phil experimenting I'm pretty sure was the sound guy's doing. But who knows, I could be wrong.

Agree about the promoter. And Saturday, which was sold out as of a few days ago, is now available on Ticketmaster. Go figure.

i'm still amazed that anyone could come on and say "horrible show".

so what shows have you been seeing that have been so fuckingamazingunvelieveable that makes any p&f show a "horrible show"?

just curious

As for Joan's headphones... she seemed to be having a hard time with the in-ear monitors at the Beacon. It looked like she kept playing with them... maybe they were falling out or didn't fit, or were too loud. I assume the headphones were an alternate monitor to the in-ear ones that the rest of the band uses... there are no standard floor monitors that I saw.

hey, I think the static was an unplanned addition tonight (technical problem) but Phil was aware and ran with it...I could see him actually move in and out a few times towards the speakers controlling the static...and he looked like he was having fun...I could be wrong, though

I'm actually thinking of emailing Phil's management or site or whatever about how crowded it was...maybe GDTOOS

<<<<i'm showing my age but i was at that wonderful three night manhattan center run. we got there early every night and parked right in front of garcia. first night, he is fng around on the steel pedal and lights up a cigarette. i motion to him to give me a cigarette. he stops, walks over (no shit) and gives me camel and asks if i want a light. i say no and put it reverently in my pocket. next day i check it: dust. the next two nights he laughs at me when he sees me.


GREAT STORY!!!! ((((JERRY))))
Funny, I have this photo of Jer taken by a good friend (back in the day o/c) probably around 71-72 (Pegpen was still alive). A close-up, taken when my friend was walking around a corner of some NYC venue (not sure which one) and came face-to-face w/Jerry who, (ironically) had a smoke but was looking for a light. My friend, (o/c) whipped out his lighter & took Jerry's pic. A REAL close-up of Jerry lighting his cig w/my friend's lighter...

Any info about when to line up at Hammer for a good spot? Its going to be cold. Anyplace to put coats for GA floor tickets?

>>>>Anyplace to put coats for GA floor tickets?

There is a coat check at the venue

Thanks. Will I get screwed out of a good spot if I check my coat?

This was a great show....First time ive been to the hammerstien though, didnt really care for it. I was in pain after working all day and than having to stand on the concrete floor...

Also, the place was WAY overcrowded...

What time did the show start? end?

show started just after 830 and ended 1am.

Show-very well played, a and look at that setlist! UBC TOO Caution and Scarlet, allin one set!!!

venue- sound somehow good, security tough(though watch out for Tower in Philly, a£most impossible), CROWD was GREAT as it was overcrowded, but no one pushing, etc. we had our 7 and 10 yr old with us, and they were able to have a great time, in great part due to the cool crowd. Thanks guys.

Phil-where do you get this energy? Steroids?! I can hardly keep up. By the late 2nd set I am deadlegged, lol.

Looking forward to more shows. thinling about possible road trip to Provdence.

In other words, I am lovin' this band.

Will try to send setlist updates tonight, but I , not the best typist.

torrent for this show here:

http://bt.etree.org/details.php?id=22843

torrents have sounded good!!!

"Turn Around"

So i guess phil is now doing tunes glorified forever by the film Old School

I am soooo psyched!

Two at the Beacon and the next two at Hammerstein. No guests!!!

Just let this amazing musicians become an incredible BAND

love and light to all...see you there tonight!!!!

I'll be the happy one with the dazed look...oh wait WE ALL LOOK LIKE THAT!!!!!

Myles

simple equation: RA songs + songs being repeated too often + venue + bad song selection = horrible show

the second set's caution and TOO were throw-aways, not performed well at all, i.e. they were just building up to FOTM, i.e. it took them 45 minutes of "filler" to get to that spot.

yes, harsh call i know- but all the other shows (i've been to all of them expect Trey's, unfortunately) so far this tour have been *much* better. even the first show, which was until last night the weakest of them all.

i just hope phil comes back tonight to really rock the house. otherwise, i'll just keep the memories and stop going to his shows anymore. last night was a waste of my time.

wow - you ARE the Big Boss Man

Dude that 45 minutes was psychadelic bliss!

Take some acid ya twit

new ones comin, as the old ones go
everyting's movin here,
but much too slowly...

People start lining up at 5:30 for the 6:30ish doors, but there's no point in that really. If you show up at 7:00 you can walk right in and make it as close as you want without any hassle.

saturday nights gonna rock, sundays gonna rock even harder! Sundays really a second saturday since it's presidents day on Monday- Maybe a US BLUES closer?!?!?

ouch

That place was f'n crowded. First set was fun. Second set was out there. Those guys flipped me out a few times. Psycho delic.

"Drunk as hell but no throwing up
Half way home and my pager still blowing up
Today I didn't even have to use my A.K.

I got to say it was a good day."

I am gettin a Wild West vibe here...

Howdy,
Well I've been reading these posts for quite some time now, and finally I've decided to post a thought or two of my own. Having been at the show last night I can personally say that I thought it rocked! Not neccesarilly the best show I've seen but certainly not the worst.

As to comments and questions made by others:
First, Hammerstein is always overbooked.
Second, it is rather easy to move around (yes countering first comment) IF YOU ARE POLITE!
Third, that "static" intentional or unintentional doesn't matter Phil knows how to work with it. Listen to early shows circa 67-69, Feedback is called such for a reason.

Fourth, well dunno what to say other than I can't wait for tonight.


Ciao

Oh one last one, that country theme in the first set was sick!
I'd love to hear a Big River like there was no tomorrow.


Let the spirit of the Man In Black roll on!

>>>"static" intentional or unintentional doesn't matter Phil knows how to work with it

big brown busts loose

we showed up between 7:30 and 7:45 and got right in no hassle were in 1st balcony/mezzanine and had great seats ..floor was light at time and you can work your way anywhere youwanted. problem withthis venue is the floor is way too packed..if youmake way to front may never see back again til intermission....upstairs where we were seating you could find a good seat but the rows and th eway the seats were laid out was a lil tight but you could find a seat all over or youcan stand and dance in back getting a drink and going to the bathroom was no problem..and if yougot too spaced youcoud just chill. whichw edid a few times. sound was great up there didn't notice the static everyone is talking about up there....may be the difference between those who enjoyed the show and those who did not like bossman . i thought it was hot cookin fun and we marveled also at phil who is 65 i believe and looks friggin mahvelous.....i think the key is sneaking upstairs causethe floor was way overpacked and did not look lik efun but we were relaxed had our space and enjoyed the show immensely!

Lots to say.

Okay...the Hammy SUCKS oversold, hard to find ANY SPACE AT ALL. That bites and can really affect the music, actually.

But we all knew that crit was coming.

SO - the music.

First of all - ROB BARRACO. I loved the Shadow tour. Mookie's cool and all. But in my criteria re: good, better, best....ROB IS BETTER. There's something key about having a Q member up there...that POWER. It isn't the weight PHIL CONJURES...no way....but it is powerful. I saw it at the Trey show. Yes, trey, LISTEN TO PHIL who drives the bus....but Rob could also anchor the tunes and provide needed contour lines. It's Rob, too, who knows the music so well...he's ABOUT IT. And it's SO COOL to HAVE HIM BACK.

Joan.
So much better fittin in Philco than the Dead. Her strut requires healthy ego....something Bob seemed to take issue with occasionally. ("hey - I'm the rock star CHICKIE") Or was it that it fought with Mickey's ego filled shenanigans...or perhaps even with the spectre of the core 4 - the GD - that an additional player could be crucial threatened the natural order somehow. But in THIS band, she fits. AND SHE'S BETTER than 03...more nuance. Feels it more.

Sipe. I'm getting it. He did COOL THINGS LAST NIGHT. held it together. I'm diggin it. And the band is gellin too - that helps.

LARRY. WOW WTF. Why wasn't I hearing ALL THIS on the Shadow tour? These transcendent cool rock solos? Bc....Chris was too big to let him shine well? It's all I can think of....it's the only real change up.

Barry - we all love him. He's AWESOME COOL WITH IT ALL. LOVE IT.

and PHIL - MEESTAH BUS DRIVER GENIUS BASS WOW GUY.

SO this all leads to an observation:
a friend said to me last night that this was the only incarnation of Philco that didn't sound crowded.
RIGHT.
These musicians understand SPACE as well as JAM.

I think it could be the best PHILCO EVER.

and now the show....give me a sec here...

hey now robc, thanks for the torrent!!!

Really great time last nite. The band is SMOKING hot right now, jams are going places, building to great cresciendo (sp?)...2nd set was fantastic!!! the hammy Unbroken, blew away the Beacon Unbroken...yes the place gets VERY crowded, especially during the set break, way cold in the city last nite, lots of ppl waiting outside to get in, my advise is to find a nice warm bar and head into the venue by 7:30 - 7:45 no wait, get a quick pat down and your in...i personally did not notice any problems with the man down on the floor....

Have fun to everyone going these next 2 nites, be safe!

Okay...I get in. It's packed...the music has not started yet, though. When the first note hits it's sardines. Lord H and I find some space....not much but some.
(we found more in time.)

First Set I Deem: LET THE WILD RUMPUS BEGIN!!!!

full of energy....Friday Night/weekend rush? Who cares!?!??!? SOLID FUN. Midnight. Love it (spesh since I walked out before it at the Trey show - WHOOPS)....and then a jam that turns tender BIG - Days Btwn? But Phil is the teasemeister this tour. He orchestrates the changes into the ear monitors but ALSO has the opportunity to orchestrate heavy tease...funny man. BUT NO IT'S - - - SUGAREE!! A Joan Showcase, Do it up, girl!! She does. FINE.
Some Ryan song. As my ex says - MANCRUSH!!! ha ha. own it, Philip....
PRIDE. love Phil doing phil and it was good fun dance groove.
Another who knows # - this was the countryfied one? Joan is so versatile...does country and nails hunter/garcia AND MORE! I know Susan has a die hard fan club. Yes, I like Susan. However, I FIND JOAN MORE VERSATILE. ME LIKE.
JED. DANCER. MY DOG!! yes.
CUMBERLAND!!! and what beats a PHILCO Cumby?
Right.
Nothing.

LOVED THE FIRST SET.

Then set 2.
Yummy Playin. Girl next to me wants BIGGER JOAN. SURE....but there is more of playin, girl...let it build! Wunderbar playin, big jam, ala early 70s. BIG JAM. (did they finish the playin? I think not....)
into - CHAIN. good solid chain. Nailed, AGAIN. GREAT. Vibe feels very 73-74....not a bad vibe to have! JAM-IFIC.
Watchtower. SUPER!!! Joan did the first & last verses again at the end....because -
OKAY - LISTEN, PHIL. The voice is an instrument that needs to chew and build like any other. If joan is WAILING SPOT ON....don't make her have to redo verses...PULL OUT ANOTHER SONG WITH VOCALS. GIVE HER THE MEAT TO CHEW ON. I know you "musicians" are biased against the singing. But Phil...let her have the momentum she's creating.
like with a...
BIG BEAUTIFUL WHEEL. Great song, great sentiment, SUPERB when it's not some filler loop jam consequence. THIS WAS SOLID. LOVED IT.
Then some other - Ryan Adams? - song?!?!?? AY.
I went to the restroom, by the coatcheck. Almost midnight. I get my coat to avoid what I imagine will be a hassle at the true end.

As I walk back through the crowd I hear the Other One building. I say out loud to strangers...THERE'S NO TIME FOR THIS!

Au contraire, Huckle.
Now the GRRRRR here is MAINLY MY FAULT. My fogged glasses.
I mis-timed curfew. Figured it would be midnight for sure. But after a full and GOOD O One...then a huge jam. Almost....an aimless jam. Lacking a great deal of momentum. Cool, yes, but I thought we were leaving. JOAN WAS OFF STAGE FOR HALF AN HOUR.
Did you need to prove it's not Joanco, boys? Okay, well, you did. The band jams.
BUT HAVE MOMENTUM.
Great spacey stuff...but not at 12:15, please!!! Phil gets whacky with the feedback...he's loving it. But it verged on self-indulgent. Rather, it's the flipside...he's exploiting the cool SPACE this band creates.
Caution...Joan struts everywhere....but that had no oomph either imo. When it ended I thought the bus had absolutely RUN OUT OF GAS.
Fire - okay - right I love this and it was good. SAVED YR ASS, BAND!!
Good fire, great ba boom ba BA end. Tight.

Revolution fine encore. I went outside. I needed fresh air.

so in summary - one moment plueeeeeeze....

First off, the Hammer sucks. Way oversold and too many drunken as*holes pushing their way around. Is it so hard to say excuse me? I'm so tempted to sell my Sunday tix. Now onto the show:

1st set--Sugaree and Cumberland were real nice. First time I ever heard Pride of Cuckamonga, so that was pretty cool albeit a bit sloppy. Keep in mind, that I was way back by the Whart Rat table b/c my wife couldn't deal in the front. That obviously factors into the experience. Overall a solid B.

2nd set--started a bit slow. I didn't think the Playin' really went anywhere. UCB is always great to hear since I only saw the Dead do it once-Charlotte '95. The Wheel was tasty..this song is tailor made for Sless to shread on the steel. Campbell tore up the O1 with the fiddle..really nice to hear some different textures on that classic. Caution-->feedback was sweet...Phil was having the best time making all those noises (thick air) with big brown..he dropped some super low notes that rattled the floor. For me the highlight of the set came next..Fire was outstanding..def best version post Jerry I've heard. They tore it up, plus the floor was only 70% packed by then.

Anyway enjoy tonight and Sunday. Peace.

AND WHAT WAS WITH THE BUZZING SPEAKERS DURING THE SECOND SET??????

FIX IT.



NOW.

THIS IS NEW YORK CITY; WE ARE PROFESSIONALS.

NO BUZZING.





NOT ALLOWED.

First set was very good. Sweet opener and a killer feel throughout the set. The place was rockin', people were stompin' and yelling with delight. That 'Cumberland' easily took the night. Fantastic IMO.

Second set overall...not good...Nice start, 'Playin'' was cool but it was downhill from there. The set needed that 'Wheel' badly, but it fizzled after a great start.
By the time they hit 'Fire'...it was too late. There was no way to save it.

This weekend will be great I'm sure, but they could not get shit off the ground for the 2nd last night. The buzzing sound from Phil's bass/amp did not help one bit.

buzz was from big brown, I just rolled with it, as did Phil...I mean, it was during "feedback", you know?

Having been to the Hammerstein quite a few times, but always on the floor, I discovered something last night... The mezzanine is where it's at! I was like 5 or 6 rows back in the 1st mezz., dead center... The sound was great, I had space on both sides of me to be able to dance, and getting a drink was not at all a hassle... I'm quite sure next time I go there to see anyone, I will actively try to get 1st mezz. tickets as opposed to floor!

As far as the show goes, I thought it was terrific! While I could understand people losing interest in a few of the jams if you're not in the right mindspace for it, for me they were inspired and electrifying...great energy and some real great interplay between all the musicians... Barry and Larry f*ing ROCK!

Of particular note, the Cumberland was super, super hot! The Unbroken could have been the best one I've heard live, with the exception of the sheer emotion we felt at the Spectrum for the first one on 3/19/95! The Fire was soooo sweet too, although I was hoping for some more shredding during the song itself. I think they ended up being up against the clock, not to mention all the phenomenal jamming before probably sapped their energy a bit....

Oh, one more thing... I posted last weekend asking what the necssity is of playing RA songs when he's not even in the lineup... and now I'm going to change my tune! I think his songs, especially once they mature even a little more, lend themselves perfectly to this ensemble. Each one has the ability to get opened up and taken new places, and I do look forward to what some of these tunes grow into as time goes on. To those that responded to my initial post with something to the effect of "keep an open mind and listen" - advice has been well taken, and I have certainly begun to see the light...

I can't imagine how Phil, pushing 66, can blow me away like that night after night, and still have the energy to keep doing it. I'm 33, and I'm still spent from last night... Thanks for keeping the bus rolling boys!

Some of you are to critical.Something special is happening hear with this group of players sure you can find fault with some selections but ask another person and they will say they loved what you did not like, folks its music played from the soul of players that feel it that way. So close your eyes some times and listen to the conversation, take what you like and leave the rest.
PS. I was standing by the board and the buzz during Phil's feed back was not upsetting the sound engineers so Phil and big brown must have owned it.

>>i think theres entirely to much jamming.


????????? Is that possible? It's Phil Lesh for Christ's sake... The jam is the thing!

"Something special is happening hear with this group of players"

That about sums it up for me too.
I haven't seen Lesh since 1990, so it's fresh for me.
Caught them Tuesday at the Beacon and Friday at Hammerstein.
Might not sound precisely like it, but this incarnation reminds me quite a bit of the ensemble playing of 77 and 78 when I first saw the Grateful Dead.
Sets from this fall reminded me quite a bit of 69.
Sounds to me like now the band is really tightening down,(which is one of the reasons that although I'd love to see a special guest or two, I'm not bothered that I haven't). Campbell is starting to really stretch out. Just from what I sense he's growing into the spot. Remember he played with Dylan for years which was a completely different kind of process on the guitar than this stuff is.
I think Phil's briinging this particular group into that ineffable something else. Sure there are missteps, but I'm getting a real sense of something that is more than a particular show with this band. That's a good thing.
Looking forward to Sunday night.

Brian, I agree with you on your comment about the RA tunes..I was pretty neutral going in to this tour about them having never heard the guy before...

Last night I was blown away by "Oh My Sweet Carolina", if there was ever tune written for Garcia to sing this one is it...

To the people who complaing about there being too much jamming...HELLO!!!! THIS IS PHIL LESH FROM THE GRATEFUL DEAD!!!!

Where are comments about the 2/17 (but after midnite) BB Kings "Phil+TC" and Friends set (Paul K and Jeff Starship show was to be followed by Phil+TC)??

I will be glad to come south for Phil in Rhode Island and a HOT time, esp since it will go below zero here soon. Gully Boys doing a Grateful Dead Dance Party tonight at Middle Earth in Bradford VT.

Thanx for all the Beacon and other reviews to keep my mind unfrozen.

by the way, to the people who keep stealing my lighters after I share my smoke with them....stop it.

not the beacon, but a more party atmosphere, rock and roll feel...i feel people are too critical, its rough sometimes with improvisational music, a rowdy place... but i like the chances, the trials and errors, the screw ups with the band...the buzz didn't bother Phil too much, he actually played off it for a while with big brown, you have to roll with things, like talkers or drunks, i just usually find another spot...the jams were long last night, but really exploritory, Joan was so comfortable, so much better than her time with the Dead...and all the RA tunes i've heard, i went to 2/12 and 2/17, are really good, you can't deny that.

">>i think theres entirely to much jamming.

????????? Is that possible? It's Phil Lesh for Christ's sake... The jam is the thing!"


The jam is the thing! man does that sum it up! good call.

Larry, hope to see a fellow Vermonter in RI. I will be hitting the Wed show. Say hi to the guy with the red beard.

I have to agree with Francisco...possibly because those are the very things he and I were talking about on the way to BB King's after the show...

Anyway, I thought the first set moved me in a way that no Post-Dead experience ('03 at Meadows, '04-Nomar-trade day at Great Woods, and Ratdog last summer at gathering of the vibes) has so far.

At those shows the band often seemed to be going back and forth between a family-reunion type atmosphere and hesitant, very cluttered jamming in somewhat indecisive directions.

Last night's first set was awesome in a Dead-y way, without sounding like the Dead. The same feeling seemed to be there, manifesting itself in new ways, with a new sound. Hard to describe, but about halfway through a ripping! Cumberland Blues, I felt like if this was about fifteen years earlier and I wasn't a Dad with responsibilities, I could probably tour with this band.

Then came the second set. Ups and Downs, Highs (Playin', Unbroken Chain, The Wheel) and Lows (that awful long stretch where the soloing started to almost sound like Winger or something). I was not terribly bothered by the buzzing, but the whole thing just seemed to dissolve and the intuitive musical communication of the first set seemed to become a self-indulgent free-for-all. It was like seeing my Sox blow a game in the ninth inning-sure the game was fun for awhile but you sure wish it ended differently. And in the same analogy, the Fire would be the rally in the bottom of the ninth that ends with bases loaded and a weak grounder up ther middle-too little too late.

All in all, I think this lineup definitely has potential, (although, to me Larry seems to rockstar guitar-ish) but maybe if they have more time as a unit (maybe less special guests, and more time to gel and work through bad directions) they can consistently become the band they were in the first set. I know, for one thing, Joan was way better of a fit than she was when I saw her with The Dead in '03.

Sorry about the long post, and Francisco...keep pluggin m'brutha.

I have to agree with Francisco...possibly because those are the very things he and I were talking about on the way to BB King's after the show...

Anyway, I thought the first set moved me in a way that no Post-Dead experience ('03 at Meadows, '04-Nomar-trade day at Great Woods, and Ratdog last summer at gathering of the vibes) has so far.

At those shows the band often seemed to be going back and forth between a family-reunion type atmosphere and hesitant, very cluttered jamming in somewhat indecisive directions.

Last night's first set was awesome in a Dead-y way, without sounding like the Dead. The same feeling seemed to be there, manifesting itself in new ways, with a new sound. Hard to describe, but about halfway through a ripping! Cumberland Blues, I felt like if this was about fifteen years earlier and I wasn't a Dad with responsibilities, I could probably tour with this band.

Then came the second set. Ups and Downs, Highs (Playin', Unbroken Chain, The Wheel) and Lows (that awful long stretch where the soloing started to almost sound like Winger or something). I was not terribly bothered by the buzzing, but the whole thing just seemed to dissolve and the intuitive musical communication of the first set seemed to become a self-indulgent free-for-all. It was like seeing my Sox blow a game in the ninth inning-sure the game was fun for awhile but you sure wish it ended differently. And in the same analogy, the Fire would be the rally in the bottom of the ninth that ends with bases loaded and a weak grounder up the middle-too little too late.

All in all, I think this lineup definitely has potential, (although, to me Larry seems a little too slick and rockstar guitar-ish) but maybe if they have more time as a unit (maybe less special guests, and more time to gel and work through bad times) they can consistently become the band they were in the first set. I know, for one thing, Joan was way better of a fit than she was when I saw her with The Dead in '03.

Sorry about the long post, and Francisco...keep pluggin m'brutha.

Sorry...I think I edited my post incorrectly and ended up with two posts.

Man, what a schrizophrenic show. A great country, twangy first set that reminded me of the rootsy '71 sound and a really out there second set with that really loooooooooooong space/jam/whatever else you want to call it. I thought they could've cut that down and just gone right into Fire, saving some momentum. Oh well, not complaining.

Show Review:
Set 1

OK...now I'm not sure if you all know that I hated the Boston show with close to the same lineup. If could have been the sound where I was, but I honestly think this band has come a long LONG way since this fall.

The Midnight Hour was a pretty sweet opener, and totally unexpected for me. It sounded really nice, and they jammed it pretty extensively.

Sugaree was one of the songs I knew I would hear, but I'm really sick of it. I love Joans voice and I like the song, but every time it comes on, I'm like "oh no, not ANOTHER Sugaree!". By the end of the song I was groovin' though. Between this song and Midnight Hour, I think the show was about 30-45 min. in! LONG tunes.

Oh My Sweet Carolina was a RA tune that I recognized right away. Seemed to kill the buzz of a lot of the crowd. I liked the song, but it looked like a lot of folks used that time for a beer or bathroom break, or just sat down.

Then, the first highlight of set 1 for me, PRIDE!! Love this tune, and last heard it in the pit at The Joint with Jimmy just shredding. I thought they did a great job with it this night, and Phil seemed very happy with everything.

Second highlight for me, Tennessee Jed! I love this tune, and I thought they really stretched it out, but kept very true to the form of the song, If was one of the tunes I felt that the band was not doing too much reinterpretations of the original song structure.

Trains was another RA tune. I liked it OK, but not as much as the first RA tune. Again, seemed like a lot of folks sat or went for a beer.

...and then it transitioned into a fairly crazy Cumberland that Larry and Barry just totally ripped up. Rob was also really strong on this tune, and Jeff was a whirling dervish on the drums. The only problem I had was that Larry and Barry were bringing the jam to this amazing height, and Phil just stopped it with a wave of his hand, and brought it back to earth rather abruptly. Then they ended the song and ended set 1.

Set 2

Playin' In The Band came on, and I was pretty suprised. Nice little nod to Mr.Weir I thought. They played it really nicely, but did not jam it out for too long.

Unbroken Chain was an absolute smoker. The best part of the Unbroken for me was that Larry led most of the tune, but when the tune was about to end, (what I consider the back-side of Unbroken) Barry picked it up and the band tore back into the song for about 10 minutes with Barry just absolutely killing it. Easily the best Unbroken I've seen post-Jimmy.

All Along The Watchtower seemed like it was meant for Joan to sing. She did a great job, and Larry really stepped up and showed that he was been playing this tune for a LONG time.

The Wheel was really nice. I've heard it so much, but its such a nice tune with such beautiful lyrics that always remind me why I go to the shows.

*Turn Around was another RA tune with beautiful lyrics. Joan sang most of it, and I began to kinda get why Phil likes his tunes so much. I also began to laugh at how many people it pissed off and how close minded myself and others have been about Phil trying to expose us to new music.

The Other One was just awesome with Larry on the electric fiddle. Very Very hot, but near the end, the problem of the show began, and it was:

$Feedback> $Caution. As soon as TOO ended, a LOUD "buzz" could be heard through the sound. It was Big Brown somehow causing not just feedback, but this weird "buzz" that the band kept jamming louder to try and cover up. Phil was taking Big Brown and feing with it and jamming with it for 35 minutes and also played Caution. It would have been great, but the buzz was an absolute pain in my brain.

Finally, Phil put Big Brown down, and the buzz stopped,

The band went into a really cool Fire on the Mountain sung by Joan! AWESOME!! Joan was strutting he stuff and dancing sexy all night. She's hot IMHO.

Encored with a stunning Revolution that got everybody cheering. What a good show.

Players Review:
I thought Larry Campbell was good. He's obviously really talented, and while I do think his Rock & Roll style can clash a little with this type of music, I think he has gotten a much better feel for what the music is supposed to sound like. I do not mean conforming to what Jerry did, just to encompass the necessary licks, but stay true to his style. I like it.

Barry is just great. He is definitely under-utilized, and I have no clue why he is not louder in the mix. His tone is really nice, although it can get easily overshadowed by Larry's really loud tone. His guitar work on Unbroken gave me a whole new respect for the man.

Joan has one of the most beautiful voice out there. I love it! And she can dance, and she's sexy. I'm all about her being in that band.

Rob was a monster all night on the keys and vocals. He's getting a lot more chances to sing and be a bigger part of this band.

Sipe is just amazing. He's not like Molo, but his finesse and subtlety are to be admired.

Phil was great..sounded great. This band had really figured out how to make a really full sound and keep a groove going. The first three songs took an entire hour, so I think is version was less about the song and more about the jam.

OVerall, I thought the shows were very solid and I had a great time! Thanks to dcf, wes, kenny rodgers, Paul, daisy, Jay and John for a good old time.

I'm no critic...and I havent' seen P&F in a few years - although I LOVE Phil and what he does, I just ran out of time...full time job, 3 kids, one income...but enough about me.
I've had the pleasure and privelege to share a stage with BOTH Rob Barraco and Mookie Siegal. As talented a player as Rob is, Mookie is better. More tasty moments, less running around the keyboard, more room to breathe. Less is more, as Lesh is more. That's my 2 cents.

2nd Set= EPIC


Munson and I RRRRRRRRRRRRROCKED A MUTHAFUCKIN' PARRRRRRRRRRRRTY!!

Smiles all around!

the key is NOT being on the floor, so much better up top, could smoke, dance, etc...sound was fine too...great Unbroken Chain and Fire!