Let the good times roll...

I fly out of Atlanta at 8:30 am tomorrow and should be at the Greek for my first time somewhere around noon. WOO WHOO!!!!

Man. I sure wish I was at that show. Unfortunely this head has classes all summer long. But, I wait with anticipation the date August 2, 2001. I'm looking for a special show, since we all know August 1 is Jerrys birthday. I'm sure Phil & Friends have a special treat for those who are going to be at Virginia Beach, Va August, 2. I'm jonsin. I got to catch Phil when he came down to Richmond. And man oh man. That was my first Phil show and I was totally blown away. He had the audience singing along with Terrapin. The audience would go, we would go TERREPIN, and you know the story from there. Can't wait see all ya'll heads out there. And someone please resond and tell me how the Shakedown Street was, including Wharf Rat and Franklin's Tower. Muchos Garcias. Love and Peace. From Kellen Payne, Richmond, Va. "Let the good times Roll"

Another Atlanta fan is headed to the Greek too.

I'm headed out tonight, and staying in Mill Valley right next to the Sweetwater. Can't wait!!! :)

And, in another month, Phil with the Allman's in Atlanta...how sick does it get?

LESHHEADS UNITE!!!

Pete meet by the soundboard between sets along with anyone else that is going.

Phil has mentioned that the set lists are constructed to tell a story. I think the theme was definitley "embarking on and adventure". Lots of road music, and the interesting places and people you see. It may have been a precursor to the tour itself or the inevitable journey we all go on druing each show and tour. Definitely heard teases of Going Down the Road and Rider in the first set jams. Blues for Allah and Golden Road sum up the sentiment prety well.
Seen lots and lots of shows. This band is so tight it is amazing. I left last night a little confused. So much jamming ans seemingly few songs. The set list definitely does not tell the whole story here. I will be trying to pull out the "stories" Phil is telling in the shows. Anyone else looking into this? Phil also mentioned 7 "special shows" on the tour. Can't wait. Think things will really take off in Berkeley.
Looking forward to the Greek and General Admission seats. Security did way too good a job last night.

Jay, im flyin out of jersey tomorrow at 2:00pm, big time psyched! I dont land till 6-cali time tomorrow but i'll definetly be at the sat-sunday show! see ya there!
"straddled that greyhound....."

Right on Greg more easterners heading west. Look for the orange blanket and the red eyes.7 hrs till my plane takes off. I guess that is when I will sleep. See you there!

I wish my plane took off in 7 hours! (*jelous*)
I've got 12 days to wait.(will be anxiously reading reviews until then!)

Hey Dedicatiedmamma are you going to be touring on the east. I loved to meet you. I'll be catching the Virginia Beach Show August 2. Have fun. "Nothing left to do but smile, smile, smile."

i may have a tik avail, looks like my wife may not be able to make it tonight due to bar exams (we're all going on sun though, the whole family). Anyway, may be looking to trade for something to make me smile, smile, smile ;-/. E-mail me and we'll work it out.

Hey there Kellen, I'm headin out to Somerset, Alpine,(& Deer Creek, if I play my cards right)
Wish I could do the NE leg of tour(hell, the whole tour for that matter!) Visiting Family for a month. Let's meet up if you're doin those shows.
Hope Phil drops a bomb at Alpine! :*)

(countin the days!!)

Calling tonight's setlist (Greek 6/29). In no particular order:
St. Stephen, Eleven, GDTRFB, Walrus, Little Light, Uncle John's, Bertha, Terrapin, Passenger, Foolish Heart, HC Sunshine

Building on that last one...add Viola -> Midnite Hour

Odyssey 2001: Phil Lesh & Friends at the Greek Theater
Part I of a series
By Shannon Snead

It's difficult to describe an evening with Phil Lesh and Friends at the Hearst Greek Theater. It's like a musical manifestation of 'How Berkeley Can You Be' and the Haight-Ashbury, and Telegraph Avenue all in one. Colorful Tie-dyes, psychedelic tee shirts, Guatemalan clothing and Indian skirts gyrate in a whirling dervish of movement. Aromatic herbs sweeten the air.

You have entered The Phil Zone. Anything is possible. Musical order rises from the chaos of sound. Dancers of all ages prance while others sit quietly and listen. Some fans are there for the first time, others are on tour following the band while on summer break from classes, while still others have been tracking the music of Phil Lesh for more than 30 years. Many fan travel into town in brightly painted buses, shedding the suit and tie for the tie-dye.

It doesn't mater how many shows you've seen; what matters is an enjoyment of the moment about to transpire. Some musical moments are hushed with the subtlety of hearing a pin drop while other moments ascend into frenzied heights which leave the crowd either breathless or cheering. The band constantly shifts. It's a Jazz Quartet, then Blues band, then boogie- Rock-N-Roll. It's quiet and striking ballad which crescendos to a massive intensity. It's music that launches consciousness to the cosmos and beyond. Strap yourself in, and prepare for liftoff. Phil Lesh & Friends (P&F) is about to return to the Greek Theater. Eat your heart out, Dennis Tito.

Summer returns, and so does Lesh. Announcement of the Greek shows has been met with excitement by fans nationwide. If you decide to go, be warned: it's not for the faint of heart. You can expect serious jamming with all its intense fury, a collective dialogue that will never be repeated. Some songs take a while to build while others take you on a wild ride from the start. The entire show process is a journey of discovery. The songs average about 7 minutes and may last beyond 30 minutes. Songs are often bridged with several minutes of improvisational jamming. Much like watching our beloved bears in action, the band likes to take the ball and run with it. And, sometimes they drop the ball. When that happens, they are usually quick to pick it up again and move on with it. The dropped balls are merely moments that validate the realness of being in the moment. You can literally see how a song might start out sluggish and, as it continuously is being played, begins to reinvent its music with energy.

In Retrospect
Phil Lesh was born in Berkeley 61 years ago. He was a student at Berkeley High and is a member of their Hall of Fame. He transferred into Cal, and then he switched from trumpet to bass. He is best known for his having played bass guitar in the Grateful Dead since 1965 and is a member of the Rock Hall of Fame. He helped define bass guitar playing and helped create innovated speaker technology with 'The Wall of Sound'. He wrote the original music score never heard by the public for Allen Ginsberg's 'Howl'. He has guest conducted the Berkeley Symphony Orchestra (BSO) in a 1994 event that featured several guest conductors including the Cal Basketball coach. Lesh, who was formally trained in classical music, took the moment seriously. A fan commented, `` Phil was real groovy. He was dressed in a tuxedo and looked real sharp. Jerry, who showed up to watch his partner, on the other hand, was wearing bright turquoise pants. Hysterical." Lesh has been a part of shows that shared a Guinness record for largest show attendance, played at numerous fundraisers, and played at the only rock show held at the Great Pyramids of Egypt. Those were but some the times of the Grateful Dead.

In the wake of Jerry Garcia's passing, Lesh took time off to reflect. After a two year hiatus from the stage, he made his return to playing live music in 1997. His current band is called Phil Lesh and Friends and has been playing regularly in The Bay Area as well as touring the U.S. since 1998. Although Lesh plays less often with his former band-mates from The Dead, the music being created by Phil & Friends stands as a collective champion for psychedelic music. More than just an icon of the 60s era of Woodstock, The Human Be-In, and flower power, Lesh is a performer who continues to help define Bay Area culture.

Lesh claims that the fans were central to his recovery through "5 minutes for Phil;" fans collectively beamed Lesh positive vibes. Lesh has donated his time and autographs while on tour to encourage fans to give blood. The result has been a success for blood banks in several cities. In Denver last February, fans broke the record for blood donations-exceeding the publicity stop made by the Broncos. Lesh is a champion of goodwill who has lent his time and energy to support many causes. The awareness and funds he has raised sets the standard for celebrity activism. This shouldn't be too surprising. This is a guy, who is known to tell an audience, ``You might as well help someone out on the way out."

From Guest Star to the Other Ones
Ultimately, it is the music that brings so many people together. In order to appreciate the upcoming shows at the Greek Theater, let's examine some of the he shows he has played in The Area since his return to the stage. On September 21, 1997, He returned to the stage in Berkeley at the Ashkenaz to join David Gans and the Broken Angels for a show. Gans used to play every Tuesday night at Blake's on Telegraph. Gans is the radio host of 'Dead To The World' at Berkeley's free speech radio station KPFA. Lesh is credited as a station programmer and part of Lesh's early friendship to Jerry Garcia was a result of Lesh wanting to play Jerry's music on the air.

In addition to music, Lesh has remained generous in his support of worthy causes like the Berkeley based SEVA Foundation founded in part by activist Wavy Gravy. Lesh likes to play concerts as fundraisers for various non-profits. Much like the music, the goodwill expressed through music and fundraisers persists to this day. It's not unlike the Grateful Dead parable. The charity events are not limited to Bay Area non-profits. Lesh, who underwent a liver transplant 2 years ago, has consistently encouraged his fans to become organ and blood donors.

While in the Grateful Dead, Lesh often abandoned setlists as the band chose their songs during their performance. Occasionally, the musicians may diverge from a structured set-list. Often, the adventure lies within the improvisational jams before, during, and between songs. In effect, each performance is a moment in time that is never to be repeated. During the music's greatest heights of ecstasy, the fans and musicians are taken to a state of euphoria that parallels dancing, sporting events, and, some say, sex. Of course, altered states of consciousness through sound are nothing new to any culture since the dawn of existence. The moment, when "it" is happening is often called primal. Attempts to describe such sensations may become fleeting in that the experience of chaos and order parallels life. Understanding the dynamics of the performance begins to sound like hyperbole. Fortunately, there are tapes of the shows in circulation. In fact, Lesh has been offering many of his performances for free download on his website at http://www.thephilzone.com/and on fan websites such at http://www.philzone.com/

Phil Lesh & Friends is Born
Phil's first onstage appearance outside California was when he joined the revised incarnation of the Grateful Dead known as the Other Ones in the summer of 1998. That tour lead to Phil forming his own group called Phil Lesh & Friends (P&F). The friends were to be a rotating cast of musicians that would possibly be chosen from the well of talented musicians that Phil knows. Some of his friends were at times, of course, members of the Grateful Dead as was the case with the legendary P&F shows at the Fillmore in August of 1998. Since that time, Lesh started playing regularly with Steve Kimock and John Molo. P&F became a core trio with 2 extra slots for rotating members in a 5-member band. Some of the rotating members and guests from '98 to '99 have been Bruce Hornsby, Branford Marsalis, Bill Payne (Little Feat), Paul Barrere (Little Feat), Jorma Kaukonen (Hot Tuna), and Pete Sears (Hot Tuna) to name a few. The first 2 years of Phil's return were performances held near exclusively in The Bay Area. As has been the case for many years, fans traveled from around the nation to be at his shows. Phil took a break from the stage in order to recover from a successful liver transplant in 1999. To celebrate his new lease on life, Phil made a triumphant return to the stage at the Warfield Theater in San Francisco in April '99 with members of Phish (Trey Anastasio and Page McConnell). From those shows onward, Phil has urged the audience to become organ and blood donors. It's just another way he expresses gratitude for being alive.

The Show Takes the Road
The summer of 1999 had Phil embarking on his first music tour outside of The Bay
Area as P&F. Under the name "Summer Sessions" P&F headlined a music festival for several West Coast shows. The bands touring in the festival included popular and upcoming "jam bands" such as String Cheese Incident, Moe., Gov't Mule, and Galactic. P&F consisted of the trio while 2 members from the other bands would take turns sitting in every other night. Some of you may remember the 2 nights he headlined at the Greek Theater in August of 1999. It was the first time Lesh took that stage in 10 years. He used to do it nearly every summer! The shows he played there are arguably better than anything he and The Dead played at Woodstock in '69. The shows in '99 were no exception.

By the fall of 1999, P&F took the show on the road for its first national tour. The tour was co-headlined with Bob Dylan and had scheduled stops in cities throughout the Midwest and Northeast. During tour, Lesh changed lineups at various venues. Some of the friends that filled on for the tour were Derek Trucks (Allman Brothers) and Warren Haynes (Allman Brothers, Gov't Mule). As a result, Warren and Derek would become regular friends at shows down the road.

The Return of the Boomerang
By the time Lesh was able to finish the tour and regroup for another Bay Area performance, he enlisted the playing of Robben Ford, Bill Payne, and Paul Barrere, and Molo to join him. This particular lineup made its debut at the Henry J. Kaiser Auditorium (HJK) in celebration of Phil's 60th birthday in March 15, 2000. Production costs were kept low due to many volunteers. The sold out event was used as a fundraiser for Bay Area non-profits specializing in Hepatitis research and awareness. According to the experts at that show, The Bay Area is the population with the highest rate of Hepatitis infection in the United States, but few people are aware that they are infected.
In regards to the music, the show at HJK was entertaining. However, the acoustics were slightly boomy. Phil has since acknowledged that the band could noticeably hear the difference in HJK than the small studio they had been rehearsing in. Overall, the show was a success, and the same lineup became the band known as P&F from the spring to the summer of 2000. The Summer P&F Tour co-headlined with Bob Dylan for a tour of both coasts in the US. Dylan made a comeback with his 1997 CD "Time Out of Mind."

Last Summer
The first show of the summer 2000 tour for the Bay Area was June 23, 2000 at the Chronicle Pavilion in Concord. The venue is BART accessible, and the facility is a great place to see a show. Dylan opened the show with an acoustic set. 'Masters of War' as did the harmonicaless version of 'Tangled Up In Blue. After a few songs, Bob went electric. His one and only harmonica solo during 'I Don't Believe You' sent the crowd into a frenzy. Bob played a few encore songs, and the road-crew then prepared the stage for the next act.

Lesh opened the show with a spacey jam that set the tone for the night. Nearly every song was bridged by an improvisational jam of the spacey kind. 'Dark Star' wove like a tapestry theme in and out of various songs played. The night featured a climatic version of 'Sugaree' and a very upbeat version of 'I Know You Rider.' All said and done, the Concord show was very entertaining.

The following show was held June 24, 2000 at the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View. Dylan opened with the same acoustic format from the night before. The song variation was enough to keep the show interesting. Highlights were 'It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)' and a rousing version of 'Tangled Up In Blue' complete with a harmonica solo. The crowd was elated with a second harmonica solo during 'Drifter's Escape.' The better portion of the electric segment was 'Forever Young.' 'Rainy Day Women #12 & #35'came next to bring the house rocking again and conclude the set. There were hopes of Dylan and Lesh joining each other for a song or two as they had done for a rare few gigs before. The crew made a few adjustments. It looked like it might happen. Then, all hopes were dashed. The master showman remained onstage for a brief pause as is band members left the stage. Dylan put on his hat, and strutted off the stage. He didn't look back.

Phil Lesh and Friends entered the stage and proceeded to start with free form improvisation before starting into the 60s classic 'Viola Lee Blues.' Every song of the set had a segueway into the next with a tone of jazz. 'Friend of the Devil' and 'Eyes of the World' were popular items. Lesh handled most of the vocal arrangements for his set.

Both bands are worth checking out any chance you get. Dylan has written some of the best known songs in Rock. Lesh helped define how the instrument is played. They are American legends whose work represents more than hippie-ness or an era. They help define our culture. Music gives itself a consciousness to the people. And with these guys, it keeps getting better through the years not unlike the refined dialogue one develops with family, friends, and lovers. Any disappointment of the two not having played together in the Bay Area is overshadowed by their individual performances. Fads come and go, as do White House Administrations. These performers remain the legends of the stage. Moreover, the significance of their musical contributions is usually forgotten when in the moment of the show itself. Unlike the final year of the Grateful Dead, these bands are on fire.

Lesh Roams the West
Although Phil Lesh & Friends is a new band with a new twist, the feel of the music harkens to the earliest (and best) era of The Dead. Peace and Love will never die. Fortunately, the dancing at these shows is an all age family affair. There's room for all sorts of different sounds. And the sound of P&F can be described as nothing less than groovy. For example, the run of shows last February 15, 16, 17, and 18 at the Maritime Hall proved to be a happening. The line between audience and stage can become blurred due to the sounds of the music, sight of the dancers, and lights of the stage. Lesh is shifted away from changing lineups to make this group a more permanent band. He will sometimes make guest appearances with other bands, but the lineup for P&F stays. The cohesion adds to the depth of the musical dynamics.

The currently popular lineup of P&F consists of Rob Barraco on keyboards, Jimmy Herring and Warren Haynes playing the guitars and John Molo on the drums. The four-night run of show gave way to many crowd favorites. The obvious highlight being the return of 'Caution Jam' into the repertoire. The crowd went wild. Also, Beatles tunes like 'Strawberry Fields Forever' and 'I am the Walrus' were well received. Some songs have a traditional format of causality so that many fans expect the pattern to persist. In other words, one can predict the next song based on the previous song. Or so it used to be. Lesh has rearranged the setlists to keep them guessing. The nights are full of surprise with each song in itself being open to re-interpretation. Old fans or new fans, it really doesn't matter because nobody knows what is going to happen next. For example, the band brought out the rarely played song, 'Blues for Allah.' Rare songs from the later era of The Dead in addition to newly written songs of Robert Hunter will fill the air. It's possible that Bob Weir, a former Grateful Dead band mate, will be a special guest at one of the upcoming Greek shows. On June 10, the two reunited to play together for the first time in two years while playing a surprise show under the band name Crusader Rabbit. The show saw the return -- if not the premier of a rarely played song called 'Masons Children.' The tone of the evening was about reconciling differences. On June 12, a private show was played nearby for KFOG. Lesh used the event to fundraise for charity. The concert was without Weir and featured the song 'Hard to Handle.' The station on Wednesday the 20th will broadcast the show.

The Odyssey Begins
It isn't necessary to attend each night to appreciate the moment; yet, there are certain themes to the multiple performances that can be appreciated by going to multiple nights. Each night is a moment never to be repeated. When the band is at its best, it is not unlike witnessing creation while it unfolds. In the collective consciousness of the musical dialogue, relativity is more easily understood. The music parallels life. Despite some of the familiar terrain, you never know where it's going. It's an adventure. For some fans, the adventure begins with the tour kick off in Los Angeles, comes to the Greek, and finds its course across the nation.

According to Lesh's official website, the theme of the Spring Tour that came to a close this last April was the Sun. The theme will carry into the Summer Tour. Lesh will be reading excerpts of "The Odyssey: A Modern Sequel" by Nikos Kazantzakis. Lesh notes, `` You may notice progressive themes in these shows - or you might not notice anything at all - but hope on some level the shows are transformative." And, Lesh continues to encourage fans to volunteer for a good cause. Lesh feels that ``part of the importance of each 'G.D.' experience is the renewal of the community."

The upcoming shows at the Greek will become a milestone in history. Lesh stands to surpass Jerry Garcia's record as the person having played the most shows at the Greek Theater. The only record that surpasses him would be the number of Cal Marching Band gigs for the Big Game Rallies. Since the Summer of Love to the Summer of 2001, the new record will be set at 34 shows. Lesh not only represents an era, he continues to define Berkeley and national culture.

Phil Lesh will be playing the Greek Theater on June 29th, 30th, and July 1st. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Unbroken Chain Foundation. The Disco Biscuits and Les Claypool's Frog Brigade will alternate as show openers.

To Be Continued...

Damn.

You really did your homework...

Holy Hanna, War and Peace revisited.
Enjoy the show!

Wow. Very nice. Damn. WHo ARe You? Great Creative writing Shannon. You are definitely a gifted writer. Thanks. I enjoyed that very much. It's people like you who make people like me, keep the spirit alive with fire. Have a great show all. And to all a good night. Have fun Deadicated Mama. I'm sure wiil run into each other sometime out on the road. "on the road again"

6/29/01 Greek Theatre, Berkeley, CA

First report from the Greek, Berkeley, CA: No opener tonight, A new zodiac looking sign is in the circle behind/above the stage. Some flowing banners are on the sides of the stage. Slightly different setup from the LA Greek - more elaborate, etc. Rumour that Weir is to show is so-far unsubstantiated.

Set 1: Jam > Just A Little Light (!! from all reports) > Half Step > Mtn. Jam > (with hints of "The Same Thing" and "Millenium Jam") Acadian Driftwood, Mason's Children > New Speedway > Jam > Cosmic Charlie ...

More Later... LT

Set 2: Jam > Eyes of the World > Fire On The Mtn > Days Between...

Sounds goo so far...

6/29/01 Greek Theatre, Berkeley, CA Set 1: Jam > Just A Little Light > Half Step > Mtn. Jam > Acadian Driftwood, Mason's Children > New Speedway > Jam > Cosmic Charlie Set 2: Jam > Eyes of the World > Fire On The Mtn > Days Between > Jam > St Stephen > Patchwork Quilt > St Stephen > The Eleven > Midnight Hour E: Tom Thumb

I just got home from the show. Weather was great. Sunny with high cirrus clouds with nice rose tones for sunset. Crowd had lots of room to "picnic" inside before the show. Looked like people were re-uniting from Dead shows past and generally enjoying themselves before the show.

As soon as the show started I was presently shocked by how EXCELLENT the sound was. Phil's bass was very clear and nicely amplified. Maybe Rob a bit low. Tapes should sound great. I estimate that tapeing section was located at a distance of maybe 3-4 times the PA speaker separation and almost at same level. No echo's anywhere so where I sat the music sounded FOB.

The music: In all honesty this was the least interesting show I've heard in 2001 live or on cdr and I've heard them all in one form or the other. IMO, the setlist included many songs that I personally wouldn't rank as favorites. In addition, the show lacked the typical Phil continuity. First set had many significant stops between songs. Second set had strange pace changes. For example, Patchwork Quilt was sandwiched between St. Stephen at the point where you're expecting the 11 to bust out. All songs individually were played well (although there were a few places where someone sounded like they hit and sustained a wrong chord). Highlights: Cosmic Charlie was paced well and closed the 1st set nicely. Eyes was strong on the 2nd set. Of course, one wonders if it was just me, but my sense of the audience around me was that they were not energized as well. I'll be interested in other comments. (For an example of show I would rate highly for great continuity listen to 4/27/01 Set 2).

The curfew made the encore perfunctory. No guest artists appeared on stage with the quintet.

I'm looking forward to tomorrow and Sunday. Most people around me were coming to all shows so there should be some familiar faces in the audience.

I almost forgot. I brought along 9 shows to give away. I handed these out to the people around me, asking them if they have heard Phil's recent music and getting to know them a bit. Some people first thought I was selling them. So when I said that they were a gift they were really surprised. I was offered all kinds of smoke and vino and one person was hugging me for about a minute. You would think I was giving them the winning lottery ticket! I asked one person what show they would want and he said, "Have anything from Carolina?" and I happened to have the 4/20/01 show with Tapecat's covers. He was incredulous that like Santa, I could pull out of my sack a show that fit his request. And when he saw the cover his mouth opened and he couldn't believe that this level of artwork was available off the net for free. And he cracked up on the Charlotte's Web take off. After this everyone in the section around me was feeling that the weekend got started off on a good note, began talking to each other and having a bit of a party among some "strangers"...

hello to all, was that an unbelievable show tonight? i wish i was there, but looking at the setlist, this show was absolutely, and without ? killer,masons>speedway>cosmic charlie, is this 2001 or the late sixties or early seventies, not to mention st. stephen>11>midnight hr. phil is the man.
peace

barry

WOW! Sweet setlist! How was "Just A Little Light"?They are pullin out some oldies this tour eh! It looks as if the story Phil trying to tell this tour is that of *death & rebirth*. Any other ideas?
I'm hoping they bust out *To Lay Me Down* around Jerry's birthday!!!! :*)

Oh yeah, and thanks Matthew Vernon for your *Random Act of Kindness*!People like you Do make a difference!!!!

can we hear some word on these Mountain Jams? how
long are they?

and this Zodiac sign...hmmmm...verrrrry
interesting..some description, perhaps?

nice, honest review of the music, Matthew, thanks.
and those Greek Theatre sunsets are the best, its
the only place i know of that the band would
schedule 3 different starting times, earlier with
each show which makes for 3 completely different
moods..

Re: Mountain Jam
I was was at the L.A. Greek and was surprised to
see Mountain Jam on the set list. I listen to the
Eat a Peach version on a weekly basis so I think I
would have picked up on a mtn. jam tease. There
was one point where it sounded like gdtrfb was in
the works (another reviewer suggested Rider) and
maybe it is these type of grooves that are getting
the mtn. jam label. If they are teasing it, it is
very subtle and not a full exploration.

I don't know about the '7 special shows' but I know 5 of them are going to be something to behold. When I saw the picture posted of Bobby and Phil playing together it brought tears to my eyes, words can't describe how elated I am to see these guys reuniting on stage. For me it's all about the music and the community, you guys are my Phamily. Being on the road and at as many shows as I can be at is my home. Since the New Years fiasco there has been a spilt in the Phamily. I think it's very important that these guys decided to kiss and make up (if there ever was any tension between the two is speculative, but it seemed so) for the community and for the emotional energy and content of the Grateful Dead music scene as a whole. I'm so very excited and looking forward to the Ratdog/P+F shows. These shows will be climactic, and Bobby's positive cowboy energy will be the perfect final edition to this incarnation of the Grateful Dead consciousness. When those two are up on stage together and those of us who are fortunate enough to be at these shows we will know the music truly never stopped. I'm counting on hearing Bobby sing this tune :-)! Well I'm going to catch up with tour at Deercreek. I'm straddling a Greyhound out of New Orleans and I'm going to the closest stop near the venue which is Westfield, IN. Westfield is about 10 miles away from The Creek.
So.....if any of you guys see a taller guy with dark hair a black backpack and a red tent strapped to the back please be Phriendly and give a brother a ride. I will be hitching from the bus station to the venue....Peace!!!!!!!!!!

yeah, the Mt. Jam was more of a tease than full blown if ya ask me.

In the beginning of the first set, and somewhere near the start of the second, they teased Dancin' in the Streets for a longer period of time.

Re 'Just a Little Light'...frankly, it creeps me out how much like Brent Warren's voice can sound. The guitar wailed, and was one of my more washed in nostolgia for Jerry momements.

Hey, i thought it was an EXCELLENT show, and will be surprized if they top it. I peaked at the Greek!!!!

The show last night was certainly not as energetic as some that I have seen thus far. As mentioned earlier the crowd seemed a little layed back and perhaps the boys played on that or did they just set the tone that way as some of us are getting older. Nevertheless I truly enjoyed the pace. There were two Dark Star teases as well. One very long one and one not so long. Both were in the first set (I can't recall exactly when, maybe someone else can). The Mountain Jam was long enough to really enjoy, that's all I can say on that. Just A Little Light was a very nice gift, played very well and perhaps that was the tune that set the mood. My favorite tune of the night had to be New Speedway Boogie and boogie I did. I went alone and must say that by the time I left I had met a lot of great people, looking forward to seeing y'all on Sunday. It was also the first time for me at the Greek and boy do I wish I had seen the Dead there, it must have been awesome.

the show was very moon in scorpio: intense, dark, SERIOUS. They did many songs they haven't done in awhile, like TOM THUMBS~i mean, you don't have to be from the east to enjoy this, do you? (as in: perfunctory???)
Mason's Children is clearly far & away my high light. the seriousness of the show is all i can reiterate.
The theme of last night was definitely about maintaining hope in darkness~New Speedway is the obvious piece in that puzzle, but even the Patchwork Quilt in the St Stephen was so *meaningful*. Every song is chosen to be woven into the tapestry of the nights' journey.
As far as times & stats, i am not the go-to girl! Mountain Jam was pretty brief, the Millenium jam was MUCH longer & really went places it didn't at say, NYE.
The Zodiacal symbol, as I love that description~was an owl in the centre of other symbols. I will check it out more carefully, but the owl is sort of Greek~ruin-esque looking. Definitely the owl i want tattooed on me...

Phil rocks my little world so hard it's crazy scary sick righteous magical PHUN.

Tons of ganja treats & just enuff vending to make it interesting... For 10 bux my dinner/dessert last night was this gawgous gal's *sampler pack* A strwaberry banana cake, crumb cake, & p-nut butter cup~each more dank than the last...

and, of course, the majesty of the Greek itself: now imagine it aswirl with the artistry of Ms Candace's one-woman Lighting Extravaganza!!!
i love you all~

amen on that one! Candace Brightman is still at the top of her awesome powers!

Let me tell you a little something...last nite's show and this band was anything BUT ordinary or perfunctory.

Do you wanna know why this band kicks ass EVERY time I see them?

Because they don't suck. Plain and simple.

With the Dead, especially in the later years, you had a 70% chance of the show sucking so hard, you'd rather be at your proctologist.

Phil's band can do ANYTHING. I don't care what they play, or when they play it, because I know that it will ROCK HARD. I swear to god Molo has 5 arms.

Did anyone else hear the 3 riff teases from "Tears of a Clown" last nite?

I think I choose the wrong word - I should not have said perfunctory. What happened (apparently) was that there is a curfew of around 11pm. After the 2nd set ended, and maybe a minute or 2 of audience clapping for the band to encore, Phil comes out and says something like "because of the curfew I'm going to have to make this quick". He does the donor rap in about 3 sentences speaking rapidly, the band comes out and everyone is scrambling a bit to strap on guitars and get in place and they play the song. Because of the time limit I got the feeling that it was constrained to fit the time slot and they couldn't open it up or follow with another song.

Another thing I remember is that Phil at several times stopped playing to flip the music sheets on his stand. No one else in the band did this. I interpreted this as restricting Phil's ability to go with the flow (he was thinking too much about what he wanted to do next) so this supported my feeling that the sets didn't flow like they normally do. Again my 2 cents. I had a great time by the way and would have gone even if Phil spent 4 hours giving us the mother-of-all donor raps.

Thanks to "therealib" for identifying the 3 riff teases. The music sounded familiar but I couldn't place it. The question is, "What was Phil trying to communicate with these teases?" He obviously put some thought into the sets, and this is the Odyssey tour so all you Greek scholars out there, educate me.

About the Mtn Jam tease. It lasted maybe a minute at most. Several clear repeats of the theme, then maybe 15-30 seconds of jamming off that (at the time I thought they might be setting up to do a real Mtn. Jam of 10 minutes or so because Herring and Warren were looking at each other, obviously paying attention to what the other one was doing, all the body language of that 2 interleaved guitar thing) but then it melted away into the next theme.

Another fun thing. The theater has these cement steps that form a semi-circle where everyone normally sits. It wasn't sold out so at extreme side parts of the semi-circle these areas were vacant. During the first set with the sun out there was this women dressed in white robes with white scarf covering her hair (Moslem-esque?) and she was really dancing in that Dead way obviously enjoying herself. It was fun to watch her dance because she was isolated, and the white really stood out and you could sense that she was really enjoying herself - and that joy was infectious for people watching her like me.

Many thanks "therealib" for pointing out Tears of a Clown. I've been racking my brain or what's left of it since last night on that one.

yeah, i was racking my brain too...on the ride home to Menlo Park last nite I kept humming that riff over and over...jesus, what IS that? I know I've heard that before...and then Smokey Robinson's voice was echoing in my brain.

I got home last night and i was asking my wife...da,da,da, tada dat,dat,dat,dat,da...what is that???? urghhhh. Over and over, she thought I was nuts. She couldn't make it last night but we'll all be back on Sun. Thanks again

Oh My Goodness! I've been waiting for them to break out Mason's Children- and then into Speedway & Charlie? YeeHaw! Save some for Snoqualmie guys... :)

words on the mountain jam muchly appreciated...kind of what i thought..

looking at that setlist i just immediately think "jerry". of course i think that alot anyway, but somehow the seriousness mentioned seems to drive that home as well as "quilt" and "days"..and so does the "tears" tease...

one of my favorite pics of jer is from the greek, early 80's. he looks like a psychelelic superman with that giant tiedye backdrop behind him (they had a new one every time they played the greek) and a huge, loving grin...

how did Days Between sound?

I would also like to applaud Shannon's tour of the wonderful life of Mr. Phillip Lesh....good stuff. It got me thinking about the way the Dead have been represented in print since Jerry's passing. IMO the only thing I've read that has truly done the Dead justice, ever, is the essay by Eric Pooley in the linernotes of the "So Many Roads" boxset. When I first read it, I cried....honestly, I did. It was an emotional piece of work, but also thoughtful. His references to American culture and tradition reminded me of Greil Marcus' work on Elvis and Dylan (highly recommended....check out "Mystery Train" and "The Invisible Republic"). Anyway, cudos to Shannon for reserving Phil's rightful place in music history and thanks to Eric Pooley for expressing something I once thought was beyond words....the GRATENESS of the DEAD!

Fridays' show was only sub-par for Phil (from what I've seen and heard). The man himself sounded terrific, and Molo is ungodly, but...I'm sorry, but Warren Haynes just doesn't cut it in this band. Those Allmanesque slide riffs and bluesy tone just don't fit into transportational music - period. Herring was really nailing it for the most part, he's a much better fit than Warren, but he's not strong enough to carry the show -- too much technique, not enough soul. Man, this band needs Kimock bad! It's funny, I don't really dig Kimock's band or his tunes, but he's a perfect fit for Phil's band. And Phil's stuff just gets boring and monotonous with that Allman-ish approach. Barraco's okay, I can take him or leave him. In fact, I dig the whole band, but Warren is just not creative enough to sustain three hours of improv.
I saw this band at New Years, and had a great time. Maybe they really rose to the ocassion, but Friday's shows was just...boring, except for the drive of the rhythm section.
Phil's singing has greatly improved, the Mason's Children was a blast, the Eyes was nice, and the jam that opened the second set was sweet. The rest just went nowhere.

Hey Steve
wasn't at the show you spoke of but I share alot of the same feelings

In a real sense , I think Phil is becoming a victim of his own success. His shows have been so good and his timing could not have been better ( we NEEDED this stuff at this time ), but as a result, he has set the bar so high, we want him to take it even higher (is that possible? )

I think you would agree, though, its by far the best game in town these days

Viva la Phil!
brick

I'm a big Herring fan....I also like Warren and think he works great with Phil and Herring, plus he has been working his ASS off this year....but I'm finding myself more drawn toward Herring the more I hear. Someone played the Crusader Rabbit show this weekend, and although I would've said I prefer P&F to any incarnation with Bob substituted for one of these guys on a regular basis, that show sounded really really really nice (of course, that also describes the state I was in).

Query...when they did Crusader Rabbit, why Herring and Weir instead of Warren and Weir?

As for the "sub-par" show at the Greek...improv music inevitably has its shows that are better than others...which is why we all want to go to as many shows as possible.

BOTB-
It probably woulda been Warren, Jimmy, & Bob....Warren's plane got him there late, just in time for the Encore.

warren was stuck at the salad bar
not!

Anyone ever read any of the Crusader Rabbit comics?

Warren's not a good fit with Phil for me either, even though i like govt mule a lot. some of the shows with Kimock or Ford are so beautiful they make me cry, but for some reason i hardly ever feel that way with this band. i'm still diggin it, but i really hope Phil will start trying new combos again soon.

brick, i wanted to send you 7/28/00 but it never materialized as promised. if it doesn't come tomorrow i'll substitute another p&f show (phil&ford, that is) and ship thursday.

Well, My alternator worked well, I showed up a
little late paked the Twotone primer VW on
telegraph. The place was buzzing from
beginning to end, I though I saw Chelsea
Clinton. I was dancing the whole night I yelled
out really loud during the whole show and
during bird song, The music stopped and you
can hear was me! And Phil says "all I know is
like a bird within HIM sang" referring to me
and was looking right at me with a BIG SMILE"
and the crusader rabbit looking soo happy
chillin there on stage, If I had carck I would
have smoked it too... only some happier-ness
KIND to hit rewind on that show... It was the
baddest rider passenger, the wheel, I had a
GREAT time thanks Phil... You are the
jamminest... next stop Rat-DOg in Chula Vista!

LOL!!HAHAHAHEHEHEHAHAHAHEHEEH, You crack me up!!
HAHAHAHEHEHE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :*)

Shannon Snead is a student at Berkeley... she was mentioned and thanked during the Phil Lesh Day announcement between sets on Sunday. A good article, despite some inaccuracies, odd gaps, and inconsistency. Not bagging on it, just some minor criticism.

This show felt very much like a Jerry tribute to me, though "tribute" isn't the right word.
The second set was more obviously so, what with Days Between and Patchwork Quilt, and of course Saint Stephen... but the first set had its share of nods in that direction. Perhaps death and rebirth, a good strong theme for Phil and this music... Mason's Children anyone?

Death and a transforming Ressurection... Jerry is dead but his music is not; Phil's return from near death since the liver transplant (let's hear it for modern medicine!); the end of the Dead and the coming of PnF. Things end, but something new takes their place, oddly similar but definitely different.

Maybe I'm just talking out of my ass. Heck, I didn't even notice the "mountain jam" tease everyone is talking about.

I thought the show was awesome.

The so called zodiac sign was really the athenian owl surrounded by greek figures holding shields and spears