Hey All , Can't wait for the Beacon run of shows.
Do you think they will play any Hendrix - His birthday is Nov.27th -?? Watchtower ?? Maybe they'll break out Voodoo Chile - wouldn't that
be sweet ????? They would KILL on that song .
See ya in NYC

Hey all , Can't wait for the Beacon run . Maybe they'll play some Jimi Hendrix ( Nov.27th Birthday) . Watchtower ?? Maybe they bust out Voodoo Chile ??? That would be sweetness .

Yeah...i was thinking the same about Hendrix...but watchtower is a dylan song..and i heard it in Stabler..so im hoping maybe a little purple haze....would love to hear warren rip that up :-)

Hey now!
I have an extra for fri night Nov 30th. Orchestra seat. I want to trade for a monday Dec 3rd ticket. let me know if you want to trade. First come first served.
Call me 516 850-9106 or post a message back of how we meet to trade.
Keith

I am so psyched for these shows!!!!!!!!!!!!!Lets all have a great time and dance dance dance. How about a music never stopped or a big phat jack straw!!

okay...lottery prediction. (excuse my absurdness, I know, I know, but it seems I did pretty okay last night so Im just going to try.) If I had looked here and realized the Hendrix bday was tonight I would have saved that Watchtower from yesterday...but here goes...

I Box>Eyes>Tastes Like Wine RocknRoll Blues> Tom Thumb's Blues>Revolution

II Jam>Dear Mr. Fantasy> Playin> Sunshine of Your Love> Spanish Castle Magic> Tomorrow Never Knows> Watchtower> Playin Jam> Dew

enc: Loose Lucy

God, I must be insane, right? Okay, see you in the aisles....

I think your set (which is a pretty damn good guess) is missing some Rob vocals on a Jerry tune in set I. Maybe Brown Eyed Women, Ramblin Rose, Crazy Fingers, Casey Jones, Dire Wolf or the like. Also, I sense a Scarlet coming. I'm thinking Golden Road, too.

I, personally, would welcome a hot Brown Eyed Woman tonight, or any night, the way Jimmy plays those leads. Looking for Deal, Arcadian Driftwood, and maybe The Weight. Sugaree cannot be so far behind, where is that Sympathy for the Devil.

Break time, where is everyone hooking up?

OK-I've had all I can take and I can't take it no more. The name of the tune is "RAMBLE ON ROSE" not "RAMBLIN' ROSE". Do we all have that clear? As you were...

One thing I been noticing about PLQ sets is that there does not seem to be "first set" tunes and "second set" tunes, like that other band. Seems like any song could turn up in either set. Or has anyone noticed a pattern I am missing? Discuss...

...true. Many of the songs from last nite's 1st set sound like former 2nd set occupants (11,UBC,Comes A Time...) while set 2 opens up with "Shakedown"... Keeps things interesting I think.

Heading to the show tomorrow night and hopefully more this weekend. Anyone have any suggestions for good bars by the beacon to hang out in before the show?

Setlist?????????????????

set one:
here comes sunshine>
jam>
pride of cucamonga,
beautifully broken>
blue sky>
banks of the deep end>
lovelight

from a friend on the inside. dont castrate me if its a little off.

and the second set???????????????

easy with the question marks, buddy. thats alls i know.

question marks just stand for anticipation level and not directed at you in any way what soever..

just pretend as if they are a drumroll!!!!!!!!!

well, your pleas have been answered...

set two:
playin jam>
lady w a fan>
morning dew>
rider,
masons>
watchtower>
terrapin>
playin tease>
scarlet

e: built 2 last

same anti-castration disclaimer still applies

Tonight was better. I need a cigarette.

I am at a loss for words
but the groove was so deep i fell into it twice and hurt my knee.

Why?
The level of playing or the song selection?

Playin jam to open 2nd set definitely had Santana's "Oye Como Va" thrown in all over the place. I think Warren returned to that theme about three times...

welll now....Oye Como Va No DOUBT....the groove was def there but I was a little tired to get into it, HOWEVER....loved the second set Masons....and the jam that led out of it, and back into it....and DEW....(the first GD tune I put on after 9/11 to help heal me....and it does do That....)...Terrapin sandwich, stunning Watchtower (I find the last verse of this incredibly eerie now, anyone else? "two riders were approaching, and the wind began to howwwwwwwl"...and I like Pride (had a taste of that from the soundcheck wafting through the night air as well), but man it was a little....um....halting? Lovelight to close the first set...a rager. the Scarlet, superior, a nice sweet pastry just when ya thought you were done. Built To Last, not really my fave, left me a little cold. But YES it was a good groove....Now for sleep sleep sleep...zzzzzzzzzzz get energy to spin out tomorrow...;)

OH MY GOD!

Lordy that looks dank

Ah to be a New Yorker seeing Phil in NYC. What a great feeling to go to the show and afterwards, hungry and thirsty, wander across the street for bagels and nova at Fairway (still open after the shows folks!) This is what I'm doing last night, noodling my way back to the car, thinking about how W79th street is like one of the great boulevards of Paris. Look up and holy fuck THEY'RE TOWING MY CAR!!! But, there's a happy ending. The nypd tow-guy couldn't have been kinder and when he saw my sheer panic at the prospect of wandering around the city alone trying to get up to White Plains at 2 in the morning, he took pity on me and released the car there and then. I munched my fairway snacks on the way home. This city IS fucking paradise!

Wonder if that would have happened pre 9/11? Glad to hear you weren't stranded.

oh hill!
what a nightmare 30 sec panic attack you must have went through.

lucky you

btw when are we going to hook up I want to see your smiling face. And tell L that I ran into the crew from the bus ride between raliegh and char.

Bri

Sounds like another hot one. Built to last is one of my favs. Did Warren sing it (read it off the sheet in front of him..not that I care.) I love the spin his voice puts on this with Phil and Rob adding backing vocals with the "built to last" in the background (fox st. Louis show this tour). Besides that, it seems poigniant again.

Again..not there but seems that the WTC type of theme was there again..songs of mourning, astonishment, reality, and recovery? Again, just a hunch. I would love to be backstage before the show, and see how they come up with the setlists.

Great show last night. I thought I heard Low Spark about 6 or 7 times over the course of the show. The second set was terrific. I still think Jimmy was too low in the mix and I did not hear him until Lovelight where he absolutely shredded it. Only complaint is no excuse for mix being off on second night. Love the two Warren songs and the Terrapin sandwich was excellent.

I was really at a loss after the show to write a review. Last night had some sizzling highs and the lows were barely noticeable. I found the music to be very fluid and smooth. Easy to find the groove and slip into the pocket. Much more of a feely show than last night for this humble reporter. Just like I like it. Group Hug everyone! [I don’t know who that is but get your hand off my ass]
What follows is my notes to the PHILZONE LIVE CHAT room. Sent via two way pager in realtime. I felt this was the best way to describe how the show went for me last night.
[editor notes in brackets]

Sitting in the Westside brewing co looking for Zoners I only know by name. Pnf on stereo playing help on the way. Beer mmmmmmm.

Ok this may be trouble I am now in my seat 3rd row dead center. Sorry one seat east of center
Meltdown imminent, Check phaser power, Cool the flux capacitors
Unbelievable! Crowd holding up let jimmy sing signs to the band!
Band on stage two way transmission at a minimum, Maintain radio silence [two way pager]

Right into Here comes sunshine!
Beautiful backlighting, Candace with revolving Splintered sunlight.
Picture a soap bubble castle on the head of pin. That how delicate it is [the music was just so tender]

Just got pushed over one seat west
Jam is wrapping up and going to pride of Cucamonga

Guy next me has seed in his joint and it stinks [hey I don’t smoke anything anymore but I got no problem with you smokers firing up really, but man can you smell how bad your pot is? People for me.... do me a favor, everyone with the ‘kind’ connection hook one stranger up. That should eliminate half of the swag from the aud.]

Beautifully broken. Here I go again She's so Here I go again Here I go again the dangerous ones

Just the most Spiritual Blue sky! Sickness! [this was very very moving for me. Gushing with pure emotion and so totally danceable]

On the banks of the deep end [I went to the men’s room during this and I fear that was a big mistake.]
Lovelight
That was f*cking hot
Total tent revival lovelight [really really powerful chorus. Back up vocals “Little bit higher little bit higher” to just “higher” sounded like there was a gospel choir on stage singing backup. Huge visuals of warren as an evangelist in a white suit and a choir in robes off the side. With the congregation writhing in bliss and speaking in tongues. ]

Set break

Set break

Strong evidence Of marshmallow fighting As I return to my seat. Spent ammo all over the ground. No casualties though. What an amazing First set. They were really on fire and enjoying it. A couple of times I left my body behind. Very Mr. bubble [as I sat there trying to think up an appropriate adjective for ten minutes the guy in the front row turned around with this huge smile on his face and a Mr. Bubble bath soap T-shirt on. It was perfect]

Band on stage What is going to happen now?

The turtle
Morning dew
I know you rider
Phil is dancing! Total body English! Feel the bomb coming. Bass so thick you could cut it with A knife. [Phil was really into this one, lots of facial contortions and body English to put that extra something into certain notes or passages. One of the true benefits of scoring a close seat. Thanks Ruby]
Total stop with Crowd clapping nfa. Purest rider I have heard

Masons children
They didn't pull the Trigger on this one. First non-full-on tune of second set, In my humble opinion [maybe it was just me but I felt they held back on this one. I sensed several times in the show moments were they were bringing it back down to prolong the experience. (see encore note) but I love this song and always want to dance my till my brain is on the floor. ‘uh excuse me’ tap tap tap ‘is that your brain lying on the floor’ “why yes. Yes it is”

Watchtower [warren put a little extra lox on this bagel for obvious reasons]
Inspiration Egyptian images on backdrop. [really really want this band to tour Europe. I was discretely told that given the state of world affairs this might not be the best time to be thinking about that and I understand. Still that would be magical]

Scazarlet begoniaz. Refined and still delivers the product!

Band off Waiting for encore I Would love a Baby blue

Built to last----Fits for me

[all in all the playing was stellar but I really don’t think that it was bad last night just that tonight it jelled [red] very quickly. I really think these guys just know what the hell they are doing. And do it very humbly. Consummate professionals. Truly dedicated to the craft. I kept thinking they should just project a huge Eisenhower head on the circle behind the band cause they can turn on a dime. Yeah I know….wingnut.

I saw them last night how they would have played at Lincon Center during Scarlet B’s.

Other notes:
When the band noticed the LET JIMMY SING signs Phil doubled over with laughter and said “oh no a fate worse than death!” very funny.

Phil dedicated the show to a member of the NYFD who was a guitarist. I think they did put a lot into watchtower tonight.
Great show lots of blown away people at set break very nice time]

Im sure someone will review this show more completely than I can/could...yes, I was wiped out from 11/26, and I heard several things I had caught in lewiston, no prob, different versions, INDEED...and hard to judge them against each other. A note or 2...I thought Warren's up front presence singing during the first set might have been a funny allusion to the Zone's confusion over his being there the first night. How silly.
Dew just makes me cry. Where have all the people gone, my honey? So, so, so about a day and a place and a city I love, and I always WAS a Dew junkie. agggghh, welling up again. I like the way they are splitting up Terrapin, and for those who have not seen Philco do it, the T Station part is furious and wild...with these minor chords chugging along, it is very "train pulling into station"...and not that triumphant stuff, really, that I used to hear, let the flags unfurl and stuff...this terrapin is more convoluted...like arriving there might be beautiful but somehow complicated. Niiiiiiice. And that Terrapin Station ended at 1130, I thought for sure we were done, but the Scarlet was pretty damn cool. Again, Ill just say I was really hoping for something other than the BTL encore, but, hey, if YOU are digging it then ignore me, eh?

Upper West Side. No restaurants...(thanks for trying, Miss Ruby Foo), but YES to Fairway, and Zabars, and Citarella and H&H....best prepared food in the city all in several blocks. (You pay dearly, oc, oc.) Yesterday I went to the the Museum of Natural History, saw the whale, and those great campy 50s painted background dioramas, and the space show at the Planetarium...highly recommended...I mean, it's rudimentary, but the black hole is WHOA...and it IS The Transitive Nightfall of Diamonds! Today maybe I'l catch Waking Life at Lincoln Plaza cinemas...so, thanks for getting me away from my work, kids, and out on the town.
Hilary, glad yr car wasnt towed. Oh, I could tell you stories....Damn That Sheriff. Though there is some pride in being branded a scofflaw in the Gooliani Era...hee hee hee Read the parking signs! carefully....
K...nuf madness. Back at that Freak House tonight....aka the Beacon...truly a shining light in the proverbial darkness...

Miracles happen in this city everyday. Not just after 9.11. Nobody wanted to hear how awesome it was until after then. I like your bagel story, I grabbed mine, and was munching on Route 3.

Bucky, maybe you would not have liked this show better, or maybe like those of us who did see it, like Less Than, the grooves just beg you to ride. The last couple of shows, Boston, Beacon opener, last night, all completely different in tone, theme, jamming style, all very very superb.

To begin with, the vibe last night was "mellow", people just saying hello, no crush at the doors, lobby sort of empty, very cool. We go inside, and are hanging, we have 4th and 6th rows, right behind eachother, so major thanks to Ruby, it makes hooking up really easy. People mulling about, and then Farmer, my hero, starts passing out flyers...what is he up to? Cool beans, he has passed out about 50 flyers that say Let Jimmy Sing. Well, Mr. Herring sees this and coyly hides his head, pretending he didn't see, then finally we get Phil's attention, and he doubles over in laughter. At the end of the show, while introing the band, he looks at Jimmy and says to us, hey, its just like it used to be, more like Make Jimmy Sing, and the crowd went nuts. Alot of laughter at this show.

Highlights from last night, the entire first set, which was explosively fun. HCSS nice opener, this is when groove began to be cut into Pride, where the groove was so grooved you were in it. Beautifully Broken is so damn awesome-the Blue Sky was almighty, much like tearing down the house that Ruth built, the next time ABB shows up, Do Not Embarress Yourselves by playing this tune in the Beacon. Banks of the Deep End is going to be one of the great Warren tunes, and it is aging like wine. The Lovelight? Indescribable. You have to hear it. Needless to say, hot setlist, HUGE execution. Joy factor at 100%.

I confess, I was in the hall "chatting" through opening jam and most of the Terrapin...but I ran into people that I wanted to be with, and so...friendship is more important. The jam into the Dew was heavy, forming a new groove. Contrary to popular opinion the Dew is not my favorite tune, but last night was beautiful, nice solo work, and the vocals were great--so in completely typical P&F style, Phil finds a way to go from the still and serenity of Dew and wind it into Rider...okay, gotcha. The Masons was long, retro and very "groovy" and thundered its way into Watchtower, which, well, speechless-the wind began to howl, and the place was still standing. Back to Terrapin and a very nice Scarlet to close the set. Only song I called all night, Built to Last encore. Apropos, killer, and a nice note to send the New Yorkers back home.

Two notes: If you haven't seen this band in New York, you should, because it is their home-the fans here are absolute, and the amazing strength, power and energy that goes between them and the band is palpable.

Since Jerry died, and there was no more Fall tour, many of the guys I went to shows with for over 10 years disappeared from my life. Very weird to share such intense shit with people for so long, and then not see them. I had the honor to finally see the reaction on their faces after the first set...when I handed them tix out on "our" corner, Rich looked at me and said thanks. I told him outright, you may not be thanking me, this could really screw up your life as you know it...it did, they are coming back tonight. Walking across Broadway at 74th, see two others from the past, one had actually become a Phishhead. A grown man, the horror of it all. Very nice to see him at another show, he isn't fully commited, and pleasing him is much like being married to a princess, but I caught the groove grin.

The weather is unreal, New York is sparkling, and the vibe is all about love, and finding your spiritually, and gleening as much joy from life as possible. What an awesome vehicle we have been provided with to do just that.

Phil should be a standup comic....."One night only at the funny bone...dropping bombs on your ass....PHIL LESH!!!!"

Theme music (bouncy Sesame Street Version of Box of Rain) as he strolls to the stage holding an unlit cig. wearing miami vice jacket (sleeves rolled up) trademark wristband, and a lithuania basketball td t-shirt underneath.....

"Thank you..thank you.....

So how many deadheads does it take to screw in a lightbulb??"

can anyone tell me what the standing room only tiks are like ? I/m an ol head who went to Stabler ( live in the Poconos ) and was BLOWN AWAY....had to see at least one more show...going Wed Night ? Any good places to park ? I can't handle being towed.....

and yes the Blue Sky was fabulous...and imagine the set ending on those bouncy final notes of Scarlet...
ba da da dum da dum da DA!
good fun.
and how bout that extended chromatic thing at the end of the first set, with the Lovelight...someone explain to the poor people what I mean...YOU KNOW....

Park in a garage, if you can't understand the signage. Over there it is very weird hourly. Garages are cheaper west of Broadway, (towards Hudson River), Standing room tickets, don't worry, there are lots of corners of space around. Have fun!!

Dewitt, great comment about how seeing this band could change your life if you're an old head. After it became apparent that these guys were going to tour on a regular basis the wife of a friend of mine said "So, I guess it's back to three times a year again?" All he could say was "Yep". A friend of mine from my San Francisco days in the mid to late 70's stopped seeing the Dead in 1982, he said Brent just didn't do it for him. Someone took him to one of the Denver Fillmore shows last fall and two thirds of the way through the first set he said his head was about to explode from all the music he was taking in. Needless to say he's back in action.

Let me start by saying that this is the first time that I have seen Phil since last year (Not that it makes any difference). We get to the show a little early tonight to beat the crowds witnessed from the first night. No problem getting in, very smooth. I actually remarked on the way in.."this is a bad sign, last night was so good that people did not bother to come"...Actually I missed the first night but after reading the setlist at 2:00AM I thought to myself.."why bother going Tuesday because it is going to suck"..well I went, but as it turns out I should have stuck with my guns and stayed at home. I know what you are thinking, and yes it does get better...not much....but it does get better. So here it goes.....The show opened with Here Come Sunshine..great song but very
poorly played in my opinion. The band did not sound very together and the crowd was not really responding to it. In parts, it was almost
there, but did not quite make it. Oh well. Next, they went into a jam that sounded like it would have been better off in the second set of a
mediocre Dead show from the early nineties. It was OK but the motivation was not there. Next was pride of Cucamonga, not really one of my
favorites but it was played OK...if it had been performed better maybe I would have been a fan but not this time. People seem psyched to hear it
too, but I just did not really get into it. A few of the guys in front of me seemed to transcend into a higher spiritual place leaving me wondering if I was at the same show. The next three songs (beautifully broken> blue sky> banks of the deep end) I am not really going to touch because I either don't really know them(beautifully broken and banks of the deep end) or don't really like them(blue sky). Blue Sky was played very well, just not what I was looking for. OK now on to Lovelight...I feel that the show started to pick up a bit during this song, and for the first time the crowd seemed to get into it. The vocals were awful but the jamming was pretty good. .I thought.....thank god that set is over...lets
hope number 2 is better........ I never thought I would be begging for the Bobby singing/screaming ("hey now...oohhhh woww") but after Phil's first
set singing I am psyched for Bobby Monday.

Ok here we go with set #2...I guess it was a playin jam into Lady With A Fan .. It sounded Ok to me but it was not really able to get me out of
the funk I was put in by the first set. Lady With A Fan did start to get me out of it....except for the fact that there was a sweaty guy spinning in circles next to me that kept rubbing his sweat covered arms on me...BTW
I am glad you decided to bolt you were driving me nuts!!!!! Ok, back to the show. Morning Dew..always a crowd favorite and Phil did an ok job with the vocals, not Jerry but hey...it was PRETTY DAMN GOOD. Next up was I Know You Rider....Good job guys you finally got things moving - the crowd screaming the lyrics drowned out Phil and created a nice vibe.
Unfortuantely things pretty much stopped with Masons Children...Whatever....., this is an okay song at best..right? I mean I doubt that anyone really goes home and jams out to this song...It was well played..I can not take that away from it. Next..Happy Birthday Hendrix Watchtower was for you...again not one of my favorites.....but it sure would have been good to hear Bob Weir (I can't believe I said that) on this one because the vocals sucked.....well maybe that is to harsh...lets just say that it could have been better....Now lets get on with THE GOOD PART OF THE SHOW -- TERRAPIN >>SCARLET!!. They did a great job coming back with Terrapin--- INSPIRATION - MOVES ME BRIGHTLY!!!! Now this was
worth the whole show IMO. The boys were together, the feeling was there, the sound was great...this is what the whole show should have felt like!!!!!!! Good stuff. Right? Thank you!!!!

The Encore was Built To Last...I am a fan of this song, but I was half way home by the second verse......I hate to be so negative but I have seen greatness from these guys and that is what expect....This was not. I did meet many great and friendly people tonight and I am thankful for that! Well I will be back on Dec 3 and I am looking for Bob to turn it up a bit...Thanks for listening.. (btw - when did the non-stop clapping start at Phil shows? It felt like NFA during every song....Also, have people stopped bathing in NYC and/or stopped using patchouli? The body odor was horrendous.)

Well, I have to agree on some points, thought I was just tired, but, IMO, I have heard better HCSunshine...and I too was pumped for II after the energetic Lovelight.
But...just one point, really. To settle yr doubts...I am indeed one person who goes home and jams out to Mason's Kids. I think it is much better than okay...to ME, it is of the Boston Tea Party 60s gig...All his Children ran and hid...they never hid so well be-fooooore....;)....
Mason was a MIGHTY man! (a mighty man was heeee...) sorry, getting carried away. Anyway, here's a girl who likes it. MORE MASONS!
and sounds like you were in a bad place with the sweat and BO, not so in my area. Better luck on Dec 3, esp with Bob, I seriously doubt he can keep up with Philco. But I bet they'll bust out that Lovelight again fer ya...;)

I like to jam out to Mason's Children at home...

I really like Beautifully Broken. My favorite of the new tunes. Well, BB and 1000 stars is good too. Did anyone else think that BB and Banks or the Deep End sound too similar to play on the same night let alone the same set. Liked Banks well enough but after BB I couldn't concentrate on Banks without hearing BB in my head.

Dewitt>

Thanks for the info, I was at 1 of last years Beacon, ran late and paid DEARLY for parking next to the Beacon ( this will be weird as I lost my friend that i went with last year in WTC2 on 9/11...he WILL/IS listening though ). Good to hear standing room will be fine...like it ever mattered in the past- if yer in, yer in.

I'm hoping for a Stella, Cumberland and maybe another Passenger ( Stabler Passenger had lots of PUNCH ! )Would love the Dk Star or Walrus, cosmis Chas....
How about any good watering holes to hang before the show ??

Here is to hoping that the rest of the shows have that ease of entrance mellow vibe of familiarity that was around last night.
makes me think of how it must have felt during the famous warfield/radio city run.

Masons children is a damn fine tune. I listen to it all the time at home. Phil and the boys are bringing back the lost but entirely not forgotten groupmind that the Dead had.

And JP11.........they sure as hell do not need bobby. End of story.

IN PHIL WE TRUST

Go to New Year's

You'll get your Bobby fix then.

Finiculi

If you don't mind me chiming in, my favorite watering hole in the area is Dublin House. 79th St. between Broadway and Amsterdam -- closer to Broadway north side of 79th. You can't miss it. Giant neon Harp over door. Cool old bar for serious drinkers. Drinks are cheaper than most places in the area which is a bonus.

For quantity over quality, I would head to Jake's Dilema. Best happy hour in NYC. 1/2 price drinks before 8pm on the entire bar (before 7pm Fri and Sat). If you're into top shelf liquor, how does $2.50 a drink grab you? The place is kind of shitty -- a frat bar basically but early on Wednesday there will be few idiots there.

Jake's is on Amsterdam between 80th and 81st on the west side of the street. Across the street from there is McAleer's, a much better pub but they don't have the great drink specials.

Have fun.

I think Phils vocals are awesome. And the harmonies these guys get are great. But then again I am a huge Dylan fan and happen to appreciate unique vocals. Keep singing Phil. Long live the PLQ.


(Weirs voice always has and always will annoy me)

Pinman, How do you get the groovin' penguin in your message?

Very cool....no pun intended.

Thanks

Anyone who is interested I MAY have any extra Standing Tik...I paid $50 thru the net...call me AFTER 5:00PM at 570 977 3039

Whitman mayo>

Thanks for the info....Dublin House sound great....I like the sound of it. I've finally reached the stage where quantity doesn't matter as much as "a real good time"

Have a great show everyone....my call is a SCREAMING Hard to handle ( it will be ! ) Whaddya' Think ?

Nevermind, I looked in the formatting help section and found how. My only question now is where do you get files like that?

Thanks.

How are the seats i the upper balcony?

>>Thanks for the info....Dublin House sound great....I like the sound of it. I've finally reached the stage where quantity doesn't matter as much as "a real good time"

You won't be disappointed by the Dublin House. It's the real McCoy.

Hey there---can anyone out there tell me if the Monday Comes A Time was a first-time-performed for P+F? Also, Banks of the Deep End- is this a new Hunter/Lesh tune? When was it played before?
I had 2 wonderful NY nights-and alas, I am through for the Fall..caught Stabler too...seems like these guys are getting better every night...that, my friends, is too scary! At what point do our hearts burst through our chests from the joy we feel within, and the soul shattering bass,drums, and keys rhythm section. Not to mention the twin guitar leads and Warrens effects that he hammers us with - Somethimes, I feel like WH's notes are like the sparkle-reflections that bounce off of a well-lit diamond ring, or as intense of shards of scraping glass. He squeezes out the wah-wah notes that completely squash your ears and cave in your head. Then there are the intoxicating riffs that float in and out like a figure-eight in your head...or a mobius strip...and when the projections match,especially the kaleidescopes, spin-art effects, and fractals- SHEESH! It's all too much, yet we need more after we leave the theater. A fine addiction, if ever there was one!

You all have gone completely batty if you thought any parts of the Phil first 2 nights were weak..... these shows were absolute bliss! I hope everyone come back the rest of the week and gets their Phil goove on... this band sounds better than many of the 90's Dead shows I've attended..

How are the seats in the upper balcony?

Good, cheap mexican: Gabriela's:
Amesterdam and 75th

Lord you know you make me high...

Denny- "Comes a Time" was 1st played by this band at NY's in Oakland last year, I believe. "Banks of the Deep End" is a new Gov't Mule song written by Warren - Mike Gordon plays bass on the album vers. Boston last week was the 1st vers. by PLQ.

thats an eerie picture accompanying the setlist...

the Empire standing tall i/f/o the still smoldering towers...

damn

Brad - Thanks so much for the quick response. The trivia is so important...to me, at least! I will try to find the lyrics in a Govt. Mule sight. Seems like GM is toning it down a bit...perhaps I should see them again next tour. Also, PLQ is how I define these guys as well..I think Phil was quoted as feeling the same way, and we may see an official name change yet. But the familarity of Phil and Friends has become such a household word. And if they change to a more main stream sounding name, we could be in for new fans hopping on board. Then the band will be forced to play hockey rinks. UGH!

Rock On, Phil fans everywhere!

On the name thing, Phil referred to the "Usual Suspects" all three nights in Boston. More work seems to be needed here.

Glad to see people going back and forth on the merits of a given show. For that matter I'm glad to see it in the band's body language as the come off stage. When this group first came together the I got such a strong "Damn, we got us a band this good again" feeling that I would have left with a perma-grin after a 45 minute Day Job as they were doing a group hug on stage. Being a tad pickier now is a good thing.

Enjoy the rest of the run you lucky dogs and keep the reviews, setlists and tales coming to the rest of us.

A little late, but a few more thoughts:

1. Finally met some of you folks, and can put a face with a screen name. Very much enjoyed hanging out, thanks!

2. Doc Tommy finally got his Pride o Cucamonga, and he was very psyched, and I was happy for him.

3. Lovelight was incredible...Definitely heard the Santana jams in the set 2 intro jam...thought the Lady with a Fan got muddled at the end, only to come through with Morning Dew, WOW...Watchtower was pretty rockin...like Built to Last, just question it as an encore...

4. Thought that Banks of the Deep End sounded like a Neil Young jam at first, at which point I would have probably given up my Sunday ticket, as they could not have topped that...

5. Jill's little secret hideaway is the place to hang...

6. Actually met a few other SI phans...this borough's getting better every day! Did you guys make it home safe?

7. Overall, thought Monday was better. Probably for the same reason that LessThan stated- last night was a little more feely than Monday, and maybe I just wasn't ready for that transition so soon after the craziness that was Monday. To each his/her own...

8. Got my photos back from Monday, and of course about 4 came out good...guess that's why I'm a safety engineer.

9. First night I picked the second set opener, last night I picked the second song. By process of elimination my pick for Sunday should be a winner. Get ready Brick.

Enjoy the rest of the week, see ya on the weekend,

SI

Wow like I told Phil after the show when I ran into him outside, "Warren's slide playing on Pride"...all Phil said was "I know!" Warren really showed his beauty in that tune. He was inspired and tonally on. His slide work was weaving in and around Phil's vocal lines beautifully and supportfully. Did anyone notice all of the tunes with a light theme in it? Here comes sunshine, Blue Sky, Lovelight, Terrapin (light the song, spiral light) Scarlet(shown the light). And the baby theme: Dew, Rider, Mason's children, Watchtower(little children). I know I'm just reading too much into it...

Any extras?

Phil called em the usual suspects monday night too

Glad you all like On the Banks of the Deep End, Gordon played that with Gov't Mule in New York (Roseland) a month ago. Also Beautifully Borken and Banks are both on the new Mule c.d. and for all you bass fans out there check out the list of bassist on that album.
Okay enough of a commercial
About all those Santana hints, are you sure they weren't Sco-Mule teases? Thats a song on the new mule album also, played with John Scofield which sounds a little similar to oyo como va. Just a thouhgt.

>>>I think Phils vocals are awesome.

Time for a hearing aid.

But, who cares, 'Just Jam, Baby'.

>Then the band will be forced to play hockey rinks. UGH!

...UGH?!?! man I play hockey at least 3 nights a week...it would almost be like Phil playing at my house...keep the boards and glass up for livelier acoustics...

...lyrics to Banks Of The Deep End can be found in liner notes of Gov't Mule's latest CD...

I believe it is pointless by now to say, "Last Night's Phil Lesh & Friends show was great." I mean, how do you even know if they have an off night-- you're only blown away a little?

Tuesday's show was quite different from Monday's. Monday opened with a jam, and neither set had a stoppage of play; whereas last night they opened right up not with a jam, but with "Here Comes Sunshine", and they came to two full stops in the first set, one in the second. It was a more song-oriented show-- in a jam-you-within-an-inch-of-your-life sort of way.

The first set had an almost Allmans feel to it, I thought (especially if you think of Gov't Mule in the Allmans orbit). As I say, right out with "Here Comes Sunshine", a lovely opener. I noticed immediately that something was different about Jimmy's guitar sound; his tone was exceptionally clear and dry (even for him!), almost as if you were hearing the strings unamplified. At times throughout the show he sounded like he was plucking an acoustic (which he wasn't), and getting a Spanish guitar kind of feel. It was a nice addition to the band's tonal pallate. I must confess that at first I thought it was a mistake, and that he wasn't loud enough. He certainly was nowhere as dominant in the mix as Warren. But as the show progressed, it became apparent that while Warren blew you back with his solos, Jimmy-- quieter, but no less present, it turned out-- made you lean forward, the way a wise but soft-spoken sage might, as you know you want to hear every word (or every note.) It made for an effective contrast. Also, often during the show you'd hear Jimmy picking away on a counter-solo instead of chording, sort of "underneath" Warren's lead soloing. It created a neat effect; these two players are so symbiotic that, even though one was loud, one was softer, they still sounded... as one.

"Sunshine" gave way quickly to a jam that grew dissonant, then flipped over to an eastern vibe, from which Warren emerged dripping with slide, and the band was off into "Pride of Cucamonga." As I say, Warren really "slid" it up. Then suddenly, they are in the middle of a heavy blues jam, the riff best recognized as "Mannish Boy" or "I'm A Man." It wasn't a segue, it wasn't a slow-sown-and-change-directions; no, it was as if someone had suddenly turned a reversible glove inside out, and there on the flipside was this blues jam. An unbelievably seamless transition. Warren, of course, held sway; he is the consummate blues guitarist. The changeover was so sudden, so smooth, that I thought it was another song-- until the glove is reversed again, and "Pride" is brought to a finish, and a full stop.

Next up is "Beautifully Broken", one of two songs from the recent Mule album. And it fits this band like that reversible glove, Warren's soulful singing broken, indeed, just beautifully. Jimmy took a sweet, sweet solo, which Warren totally dug; then, of course, Warren shredded.

One of the things about this band is that it exists around a core reportoire, essentially comprised of songs the Dead did. As I listened to "Beautifully Broken", I realized that it was as if Warren had managed to write a new Dead song. In other words, this song is enough of a piece with songs like "Stella Blue" or "Comes a Time" that it is as if Warren is actually adding gems to that reportoire.

"Broken" gives way to "Blue Sky." It is one of the sunniest, most perfect versions of the song I have ever heard (and as a hard-core Allmans fan, I've heard my share). Warren sings the first verse, Rob the second, then all the vocalists sing the chorus. And now, it is off to the races. Jimmy takes the first solo, and so I am leaning forward, I am in his thrall, and it is exquisite, taking us to that "place" that the best Dickey Betts versions of this song manage to find. HIs solo is, I think, the best of the three. Then he and Warren do the familiar transitional riff like an old friend, and next up is Rob's solo-- also right in that happy pocket. There is a joyfulness in Rob's playing that is sheer delight. Next up is Warren. I cannot help but flash back on all the times I had seen him, in the Allman Brothers, play this very song in this very room. Warren's solo drives the song back to its glorious conclusion, and Phil steps up to sing the final verse, then all sing the chorus again, and the song is brought beautifully, lovingly, expertly to its end. "Blue Sky" is a highlight, no two ways about it. I notice that I have chills on my arms; maybe someone opened a side door... In 5 years, when two peeople meet and connect that they were both at this show, I believe they will point at each other and simultaneously say, "Blue Sky!"

For all the agitation over the past few years, I hope that Dickey Betts knows how well this band performs this song, what a loving tribute it is.

Next up, the second of the "Deep End" tunes, "Banks of the Deep End." After the exhuberant "Blue Sky", this changed up the mood, and began to space out toward the end... when suddenly, and absolutely just right, they rolled over into "Lovelight." Of course! They rock through it, half way, then off into space; then into that frisky upbeat major key rollick they do, which Warren accentuates with the slide licks that always remind me of Jessica. Then, seamlessly, "Get a little lonely," and it's "Lovelight" again, balls out till the end. Close of set. A set which begins with "Here Comes Sunshine", ends with "Let it shine, let it shine..."

Point taken.

continued...

continued from set 1 post...

The second set begins with a jam that is tease-filled-- Warren, the guy sitting next to me says, is such a tease-- but mostly teasing Santana's "Oye Como Va"-- so much so that I thought they might actually play it. But then, like a warm bath after a long hard day, Phil throws some invisible switch and the "Lady With a Fan" section of Terrapin washes over us. I always feel like this song creates a space, a mood, a warm soft place to sit and chill. Which is the case, until, of course, the band is off into some sort of "turnover" jam. You can hear the tinkling space; at one point two guys sitting near me seem to hear "The Wheel", but eventually the turnover resolves itself into a truly exquisite "Morning Dew." I notice that some of the songs in the Dead canon that crossed eras seemed to slow down over time-- this one, "Friend of the Devil," for instance. This band tends to play the harder-hitting, punchier early arrangements. But "Dew" was resplendent, thick with gooey resiny dew, and they wring every drop out of it. A triumph.

Then, drifting away from the song, jamming, speeding up, until they are in the pocket of a raucous, jump-out-of-your-seat-and-dance, "I Know You Rider." Both guitarists tear it up. Then, because this song simply must do so, a full stop.

Next up is "Mason's Children", a song which should sound dated, but into which this fivesome breathes new life. The song provides a departure point for several jams, before one of them becomes the familiar three-chord riff of "All Along the Watchtower." A simple song, but powerful, blow-your-hair-back, played with furor and conviction. Then suddenly, as if the last half hour or so had been a daydream, we are inexplicably but firmly back where we left off, in the middle of "Terrapin." Finally the melody comes around to the part where Phil steps to the mic and sings, "Inspiration...", and the place goes nuts.

Terrapin finishes up, and some intense jamming ensues; the music gets to a point where I can't figure out if its the end or the beginning. Eventually it proves to be the beginning, of Scarlet Begonias. Stronger, more assertive than the Dead versions, because this isn't leading into "Fire", it is closing the set-- which it does, on that familiar riff, with an exclamation point.

The encore, "Built to Last", is a poignant and fitting capper to another-- yes, yet another-- great show.

I am drained after two nights, too old for this, but glowing. But now I'm off till the Monday show, unless plans change. To those of you going to the shows in the interim, enjoy. Forget whatever squabbles might be in your head, let loose, sit back, jump up, but mostly soak it all up like the sponges that you are. Because it really stays with a fella.

This sure was a good night to have seats right in front of Warren...

First of all, as mentioned, Brian Farmer hands us some "Let Jimmy Sing!" signs and tells us to wait until the band comes on to hold them up..Jimmy was busy messing with his gear, the pre-show prep, may have seen the signs, may not have, at first. But after Barracco nudged him when we had the signs up in full force, Jimmy took a good look, his face flushed bright red, and he lost it in laughter, as did the whole band...great moment..Rob and Phil even pointed to Jimmy and then their mics to urge him on...

Watchtower: This came later in the show, but right way I should comment on the note-for-note solo Warren took that was EXACTLY the same as the Hendrix version. exactly. I've never heard Warren do this, you knew it was Jimi's BDay. Check out the tape-cd, its a definite tip of the hat to Hendrix, gave me huge goosebumps when i realized what Warren was up to....

I can't comment on HCS, because from our seats we couldn't really hear Jimmy too well during this..

The sound started to improve during the jam, Jimmy becoming audible, which was a relief. There was a definite Arabic jam for a minute or so in there..

*Warren's slide work on Pride was masterful, he adds a ton of personality to this song with such expressive sliding...

*Blue Sky was about as uplifting and perfect as you can imagine, the solo sections all jawdroppers

*Even though I had heard the Banks of the Deep End in Boston i thought again , for a brief moment, this was "Ohio" as they launched into it...This song reminds me of some of Jerry's later ballads, and some Jerry-inspired Hornsby tunes, kind of an old Irish folk story ballad feel to it..

*Lovelight was a powerhouse, Warren pouring heart and soul into this one...as Huck said, this had the several modal ending, much like the Allmans do, but with big fat notes that shook everything..

2nd set:
*Definite Playin hints in the opening, and Santana guitar licks of Oye Como Va...

*Morning Dew>I Know you Rider...heavy combo, considering the situation, the Dew played with a very quiet respectful, tone and then the Rider as the much needed resolution and fitting tribute...

*Mason's Children...a great choice to match the rocking tone of Rider and then bridge things into another territory...

*I believe it was at the end of Masons that they did a nice little reggae style jam

*The end jam of Terrapin appeared and unfolded naturally and was right on the money, rolling with the momentum...

One more thing...Phil dedicated this show to the memory of a NYC firefighter, a deadhead, which resulted in such a huge ovation that i missed his name. I did hear Phil say that he played piccolo, though..

Has anyone ever had the experience that someone removed their posting from this list? Wow, that was weird. Something I wrote about having seen the setlist for the show this night has been erased - weird.

Anyway, a great two shows at the Beacon. got to see a lot of old friends from my NYC days.

First time seeing this band and hadn't seen the Dead since 95 or so. So, what a nice reunion.

woza!

I can totally relate to Josh's review of Blue Sky above. I wasn't at this show but they played it in Burlington and it completely blew me away !!! I have also seen the Allmans a few times and this version seemed to top them all !!!!

New York Tuesday 11/27/01: Length: 71’/109’ Rating: 9.1 We are staying at another internet special, Expedia or Travelocity, for $35/night. Called the Hotel Alladin, on 45th St just west of 8th Ave. The next block east is the Theatre District. Cleaner than I expected. The other guests are mostly mid-‘20’s European tourists. The room is no more than a bed, a table, a chair. Shared baths. Just like a youth hostel. Certainly not worth hanging around in, but beats 2-1/2 hours back and forth every day. Cheapest parking is at USS Intrepid 3 crosstown (long) blocks away for $25/day. I figure the tour panhandlers are probably staying at the Hiatt Regency. So are the X and Soapium dealers. People, how stupid are you? The only thing that stuff will do for you is give you lung cancer! If you ever smoked REAL opium, brother, you would know it immediately! Had killer French Onion soup at the Fairway upstairs café across the street. Made with veal, not chicken stock. Scary and un-PC. Walked down 75th St., heard the Cucamonga soundcheck. Finally! Buoyed by this, I once again breeze into the Beacon. Better seats tonight – front row Loge! The show starts as most do, 15’ after official showtime, tuning up with the lights on. They bust immediately into Here Comes Sunshine. The sound tonight is very low and muddy, not nearly as good as last night. The jam after Sunshine hints the Cucamonga strongly, I’m hoping they save it for later when the sound improves, but there’s no stopping this train. At least they are jamming into it. OK, I’m going to dig this only version of the tour. They hit every peak note and lyric, the blues break being as good as usual. I recall that all the east coast versions have been in NY state (Roseland, Canadaigua, tonight, twice last Oct). Upon returning to the main theme after the blues, they are way off-kilter, not hitting on the same beat, classic GD style. They try to recover as they go back to the last verse, but it never gells. Phil is unsure where to come back with the verse, and barely mumbles the words. This confused ending mars the only version of this song all tour. That is really too bad. After a pause is an Ok version of Beautifully Broken, right into Blue Sky, on the verge of being overplayed this tour. Another pause leads to Banks of the Deep End directly into a disappointing Lovelight, disappointing because I was so spoiled by the St Louis jammy version. This set is similar to Albany in that there’s no jams between songs after the first 2 songs, but played much much better. The sound has improved by the end of the set. After an uneventful set break, the second set starts with some spirited jamming, this is more like it. The beefy jam eventually gradually transitions to an early Terrapin. Much better than Maine’s. The middle jam extends very far, dissolves to space, then a slow, stately jam. I am hoping for a threepeat of the split Terrapin, and am elated with the first notes of the first Morning Dew of the tour. Phil’s Dew is not the powerhouse Jerry made it into, but nice nonetheless, with beautiful jams between the verses. I am expecting the Terrapin part 2, but the jam rocks into I Know You Rider hints for awhile. They wind into the Rider, I am pissed at first, being the most overplayed song of the tour, and being that the last 3 were so rushed through. But this version is really good, nice and slow, laid back, powerful. It seems they knew they were having tempo problems, and worked on this one. One of the better PLQ versions. Also sets up the possibility of a stand-alone China Cat! They stop after the Rider. This sets a new precedent for breaking up Terrapin over more than 1 song! YES! Then, Mason’s Children, OK, I’ll take it, good placement in the set, great version, good power, jammy, the sound is finally all the way there. This sets up another awesome exploratory jam segue, my kind of set so far. Watchtower ensues, a rockin’ rather than laid-back version. Only 8 minutes, never deviates into space that much. Well sung by Warren. Found our later it’s Hendrix’ birthday, but this is a Dylan song! Out of the Watchtower more jamming, not sure if Watchtower is over, gradually transitions to Scarlet. At this point the set is over 90’, so even if they attach the Fire, it will only make the set that much longer! After some jamming, Scarlet ends the set, still long at 100+ minutes. Built to Last caps off a very fine second set. Coupled with getting the Cucamonga in the first, another gem of a show.