Philzone.org - Philzone Phansite Community Discussion Board: Setlists and Reviews: Non GD Related Reviews: Archive: Tea Leaf Green - Fillmore, SF - 4/20/07

So last week was my spring break from school and I was staying in town going to ballgames & shows and generally whooping it up. I chose this show over Railroad Earth mainly because the sound man for TLG is a casual friend of mine and it's always good to see him.

I have seen the band twice before and I must say that I stayed through the entire show both times, which is saying something for me given the "jam band" nature of this group. While I have always desparately loved the Grateful Dead, came to love Phish in the 90's, have often really enjoyed Phil & Friends and LOVE improvisational music in general, I just can't hang with most of the jam bands of the day (String Cheese, Moe. Umphry's McGee, New Monsoon, etc.) Tea Leaf Green reminds me of these various bands but I liked the vibe and the guitar player & keyboard player when I saw them before.

I arrived at the Fillmore around 11:00pm after enjoying another Giants victory and walked into a sold out show, which was surprising but nice to see a local band making good. But when I looked over at the soundboard I was shocked to discover that my friend Steve wasn't at the dials, IT WAS FUCKING DAN HEALY!! (Or at least it sure looked like Healy, I didn't ask)

I got a double Jack & Coke, wedged my way into a corner of the floor with all the spinning youngins' and listened for about half an hour. Once again I was very impressed with the keyboard player; he played with touch and style, not overdoing anything and not playing "expected" notes or runs either; very groovy. The guitar player was rocking away, but unfortunately on this night it was all just a lot of "weedelee, weedelee, wee" to me.

The drummer & bass player were fine, tight with the songs and not in the way but nothing really unique was happening with them. Acutally the overall group sound was better than I remembered (they've been touring non-stop for a few years now & they look and sound very tight) but after a while I discovered something about my relationship with TLG...... I liked 'em WAY better when I knew the guy who did their sound and was rooting for him! Without my buddy Steve there I just couldn't get into it AT ALL!

The dready, drunken young revelers and the ongoing weedelee wee drove me to the poster room and I hung out with some friends for a while, had another drink and then guess what?

I walked.

The guitar player, Josh (I think), sat in with Moe last tuesday, that was one of the highlights of the show for me. I've never been big into TLG...but after seeing that sit in, I'll probably give them another listen...I've heard they keep getting better.

Interesting review, Lance! I tried TLG at the Fox Theatre last year and found them very repetitious and boring; not to mention their guitarist playing far too one-dimentional and predictible...to the point I left after an hour.

Tea Leaf Green is a club act and a boring one at that. I've seen them twice and never could quite get the hubbub on them...

No suprise about Healy being there. He needs a gig..any gig. And Justin Kreutzman did their recent video. While it's obvious that Tea Leaf Green is trying to tap into the Grateful Dead mystic...they fall short.

I think TLG is a great band. They have the chops but more importantly, they have the songs. Listen to their tunes - they are quite good.

Yes, Dan Healy is now TLG's soundman.