And Happy 16th Anniversary to my wife.
We'll be at the show. See you there.

damn, f'd up the subject. will get admin to take a look....

Im on my way from Louisville, c everyonbe there, and we are getting Terrapin tonight, and H>S>F's




keep on truckin' yall

anyone gonna hook up pre-show??

will have herb, in need of large glass tube for philer-up sitch. %)

anyone got a setlist yet?

Just heard Uncle Johns on the phone..

Well, well well!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What s show. Totally different from last night. Tight transitions and tunes. JG rocked on guitar, and the whole band was in sync.

schoolgirl
pride of cucamonga
wheels on fire
scarlet
wild and free
althea
tell me baby
bertha

playin
uncle johns
birdsong
loan me a diamond
dark star
new speedway
fire
dark star
viola

e: alabama getaway

A tale of two shows... what a dicotomy.

Are you kidding me, JG screwed up Althea and Bertha. Phil had to give him a talking to and kept having Larry take over the solos. JG was completely derailed Althea and caused them to completely stop and then restart with a slower tempo. Jackie went up and hugged Phil at the end of 1st set as if to offer apology.

We, along with many others left the show at set break. We had a buddy get hasseled hard from security and wasn't allowed in, it was miserably hot and overcrowded due to counterfeit ticket producers having a hadyday with the ticket tearin' protocol at the door, no scanners being used on the bar codes. JG was stumbling on solos and then trys to recover by getting all vince neil on the vocals. The only time his screaming was appropriate was when they all stepped up to the mic on the Althea verse "you know this space is getting hot!" which brought a big applause from the sweaty sauna of people.

Friday night rocked but 1st set of Saturday didn't even measure up.

Yep, they really had IT tonight. Great jamming from everyone, but Larry especially made me a believer tonight.

First set had Scarlet->Wild and Free. Second looked like: Playin->UJB->Birdsong, Loan Me a Dime, Star->Speedway->Fire->Star->Viola.

Yes, there was a trainwreck in Althea going into the bridge and they nearly stopped, but made what I thought was a graceful recovery, given the situation. They took another turn through the verse pattern pretty quietly before going into the bridge.

I didn't hear that they screwed up in Bertha. In fact, I thought the first set was very strong. Pride was fantastic, as was Scarlet.

But they came out with a purpose in the second set. The jam out of Playin' was phenomenal, and UJB very good too. Speedway was also great. This set clocked in at about 2 hours.

Also, Phil confirmed after the encore that they will be doing an acoustic set Sunday.

the first set was a little slow. pride of cucamonga was strong. There were a few vocal flubs but nothing as bad as Trey's flub of row jimmy at vegoose last year. the second set was a total monster. if you left after the first set you missed the best set of the weekend so far by a long shot. The jam out of playin' was amazing. From the jam that kicked off Dark star through the end was totally mind blowing. it was like a different band. sure it was hot as hell in there, but I think most of the heat was coming from the stage.

Didn't hear the supposed mess-up during Althea, but I thought the tempo was off throughout the whole song.

Almost bailed during set 2 because of the heat, but glad I stayed for the Speedway and Fire. Awesome!

nice set list!

did Larry play pedal steel on POC?

yes he did and it was GOOD.
The inside of the theatre was dangerously hot.............

I wonder if Phil could request for the AC to be turned on ?

IF the AC worked, im sure it would have been on, the temp in the theatre was a nightmare, i suggest they tear down the rivi and dont think twice about it, the staff was horrible. The Show was good if you could allow yourself to enjoy it over all the distractions, as much as I love the band, I would not suggest anyone go to Sun nites show, simply due to there not being any kind of airflow, im suprised half the people there didnt suffer some sort of stroke from heat exhaustion, surely phil was unaware of what a piece o sh!t building he booked his performance in, still love ya phil, great setlist.

The Riv does not have AC. That is why it is closed in the summer. No one expects temps in the 90s in Chicago in October.

Yeah, I was going to say that shows at the Riv always seemed to be non-existent during the summer, so this has to be due to the crazy temps Chicago has seen. The place is hardly the best venue in the world, but I've never had any issues in the dozen or so shows that I've been to there.

Sounds like some bad elements (fake tix/heat) created a bit of a sweaty stew for you all.

As always (formerly as a lurker), appreciative of the reviews!!

OK. I understand the complaints about the heat. However, since there is nothing that can be done about the climate in the Riviera...GET OVER IT!
I guess I am insane because I knowingly went back for last night and will be back tonight. In fact, we sat upstairs last night, knowing that heat rises, but we were beat from standing by the soundboard first night.
The heat was higher upstairs, but the sound was excellent, and a nice view of the whole show.

Look, if Phil and the band are willing to play in this heat I will be there, whatever the challenges.

I suggest sitting upstairs. It's hot, but you have room to dance at your seat, the sound is great and I have a place to sit my 45 year old fat ass now and then.

I do wish those disappointed had had a better time as this band is interesting a developing nicely.

Take it easy. See you there tonight.

First set was a trainwreck. Too bad if people left early, because that second set was on of THE BEST Phil sets I have seen since 99/2000. Pure magic. Went in with no expectations, as many Phil shows don't do it for me, but left riding high..GREAT NIGHT!!

I must say that I'm always amazed when folks leave a "Dead" show early. It's not uncommon for the second set to be vastly better then the first, anyone who's seen a fair number of shows should know that. Part of the fun is seeing them turn a so-so night into a stellar one, all it takes is one moment in synch to make the switch. You're already there, stick around at least until half way through the second set and see what happens. If it hasn't changed by then it probably won't, but it most likely will. More often then not it gets better.

The Riviera is a complete dump. I expect to deal with crappy venues when I'm paying $12 to see a long bill of punk bands (been a long time), but...

The upstair staff was obsessed with the VIP section. They gave this one female staff the brightest mini-flashlight I've ever seen, and she used it every chance she had and was a big distraction throughout the show. I know it wasn't just me, because I heard other people yelling down at her to knock it off. Add her inconsiderate behavior to the fact that people were more concerned with drinking beer than watching the band, the hassles were plenty. The bars should be closed while the band is playing. It's disrespectful to the band AND to all the other paying customers. Sell water, but nothing else. I like how the price of a bottle of water went from $3 on Friday to $4 on Saturday. Should be illegal for ANY venue like that to not have water fountains. Selling water for $4/bottle in a place that might have been 125 degrees = scumbaggish.

Now to the music...the 1st set was such a mess that I seriously considered leaving and not coming back, not even for Sunday's rumored acoustic set. PoC was nice, but it wasn't enough to salvage the rest of the wreck. Glad I stayed, because the 2nd set was so good that I literally forgot how boiler-hot it was in the upstairs area. I could've made it another hour, and I got the feeling Phil wanted to play longer. I bet if they had more songs under their belt and if the rest of the band could handle it. Really nice to see Phil with that much energy and passion.

About Jackie...he seems like a really nice kid, at least as much as you can tell by a person's behavior on stage. I don't think he has the mind for this kind of music. If I wanted to see trite, by-the-numbers blues, I'd seek it out. I know he's new to this musical point of view, but I don't see his musical mind ever working in this capacity. I can understand why people would enjoy watching the band learn and grow...in theory. But in practice, I'm honestly not interested in watching on-the-job training. It's particularly messy when it almost seems like everyone has been directed to let Jackie take the lead, which would be fine if he didn't seem so lost a lot of the time. It just makes for a lot of messy moments that leave the rest of the band disoriented and with nowhere for the music to go.

If it was reserved seating, I'd skip the first sets and just show up during the break. Sorry to seem so negative. My disappointments are big, and I can't just gloss them over. Nevertheless, the 2nd sets have me smiling and glad to be there. We still have those 2nd sets...

Four words...Loan Me A Dime

If you considered that trite and by the numbers...you ain't got no soul...

I'm surprised to see so many folks disappointed with the first set. I thought Pride (wow!), Wheel's on Fire, Scarlet and Bertha were all really well played.

I agree the Jackie does not have the chops to carry the lead on the jams yet and he did slow the band down at times. But on the other hand he also stepped up in a major way in Fire and did some nice work.

All in all I thought the first set was very good, and the first part of the second set was also excellent. I'm not sure Dark Star is a great song choice for this band at this point, as it's just too open for Larry and Jackie's styles. They absolutely tore Speedway apart though, and the Viola got pretty out there as well. Alabama was kind of a let down as an encore though. It just didn't seem to fit the mood of the show.

Highlights: Pride, jam out of Playin', Speedway.

Lookin' forward to tonight. Hopefully they'll keep the energy going!

Oh yeah, they had the sound dialed in much better last night, at least from the front balcony. Better balance all around, and the highs were not so tinny. Much mellower tone for Larry particularly. But they still need to turn Phil up up up!

And yes, the Riv sucks and it's hot as hell. Solution: drink water only, close your eyes and dance. The distractions melt away.

I used to bartend at the Riv. There is no air. That's why there's no shows there during the summer.

I got fired for pouring 8 dollar drinks too strong. They have undercovers that pose as drinkers and see if you're giving too much away. It's ridiculous. It doesn't surprise me that water went to 4 dollars yesterday for some people. Might want to go with tap. They only charge a dollar for a big glass of tap water, which doesn't taste bad in chicago.

The place was hot, but the music was great. I don't mind the learning process if there's a rewards. The rewards were there last night.

Very hot venue, but it was still a blast. Thanks Phil!

Great show, but it was often hard to concentrate on the music, thanks to the substandard venue.

It was so hot my wife nearly fainted, and we had to go out to sit in the lobby. Then they charged us money for water ! I know the bar girl had no choice, but not to have some free water available for those suffering from heat stroke was thoughtless.

Plus, it stinks like a locker room in there, and for some reason they turned a blind eye to smoking in there (illegal in Chicago) which robbed the room what oxygen was left. For some it was no big deal, but for this asthma sufferer, it was taxing.

But the show !!! It seems like Jackie is there as an understudy, and was placed right where Phil could keep a strong eye on him, but he did fairly well, but couldn't contribute much in Dark Star.At one point Phil was yelling at him to get his attention, and the rest of the band were all looking at him so that he would wake up and they could move on. But J ripped in the first half of the show, giving that agressive sound that Phil seems to be looking for in his guitar players. He even upstaged Larry, and Larry was getting pretty annoyed. But in the second half, they had a great interaction with J on piano and Larry soloing over it.

Free h2o woulda' been the decent thing to do as far as the venue is concerned. Maybe they'll see this and do so? Who knows

no way but wishful thinking. they don't see the liability, just the chance to sell more & make $$$$.

I love all the BS I've read so far about Phil yelling at jackie, jackie apologizing to phil, larry being annoyed at jackie, etc...

you guys must be watching a different show. I see a lot of smiling from everyone on stage, and hugs after the set ends. I think these guys are having a freaking blast.

The only problem I"ve had with Phil is that they "Friends" don't get a lot of practice time with Phil. SEems like its kinda hurried and as much as I love Phil and what he's doing I dont like to see bands practice on stage too much. I feel that Phil should allow more practice time for the band before taking it on the road. There is NO WAY that anyone is going to be able to step into a band like Phils and just gell after 3-4 practices. Which according to a Jackie interview thats pretty much all they had. But I got my tix for Charlottesville and by that time they should be gelled! Nice to hear that there are some moments though!

The whole show was one glorious, moving moment. Splendid and grand, PLF sounded phenomenal. As I fade back in I recall buying a cup of ice water last night for one dollar. Not bottled, a cup. I was surprised she wanted a dollar, I recall, but I needed that.

Looking forward to buffalo.

>I love all the BS I've read so far about Phil yelling at jackie, jackie apologizing to phil, larry being annoyed at jackie, etc...

>you guys must be watching a different show. I see a lot of smiling from everyone on stage, and hugs after the set ends. I think these guys are having a freaking blast.

well said

I saw a lot of smiling on stage. Jackie hugged Phil out of happiness. Not in any way apologetic. There were flubs in the 1st set, but nothing that would have ruined the show for anyone. The 2nd set was all smiles. I focused on Phil for a period during the 2nd set just because he was so into it. Eyes closed, grooving slowly, and smiling from ear to ear while thumping away.

actually listening...agree 110%!!!!

Also, how about that ?Jackie tune with Phil as the ONLY guitar, JG on keys and LC on violin? That was killer!!!

Also, when Phil is trying to 'reel them in' that just means the guys are losing themselves in a joyful noise!!!!!!

Horrible venue, AGREED!

How about all of one bathroom for the whole venue...in the basement!

decend wet stairs.. get in and out quick.

Did anyone notice when Jackie playfully bumped Phil, ala hip swing. I think it was in the 1st set. Had me laughing. What I saw on stage all night was the band having a hell of a lot o fun.

I thought the show was rockin~ I reallly needed it as I came from indianapolis area, it was hot, I took off my shirt, as i read everyones complaints of the heat, I didnt see anyother shedding clothing, that would have got everyones mind off the heat and onto teh show and maybe eachother 00 Dance Naked and get you Boogie out!
Grateful from Indy
p.s. Jackie, I really enjoyed your music and look forward to hearing you again. ALso Phil, it was good to see your Beautiful wife and lovely dogs enjoyin the show backstage, it really brought an extra =) to me!

> I love all the BS I've read so far about Phil yelling at jackie, jackie apologizing to phil, larry being annoyed at jackie, etc...

ding ding ding!!!

as designated driver and lactatin' lassy, I am the reality correspondent At no time was there any scolding or apologizing. First set was solid. Yes, a few divits, but those happened with the Q and Dead, too. Or have ya' forgotten out of nostalgia?

Second set was amazing. New Speedway was a highlight for me...simply rippin'!

As for the heat...if ya' can't stand it, get out o' the kitchen. The bathrooms have got to be the worst in Chicago, or maybe Metro's as bad, but just not as well-lit! When the smoking ban actually kicks in, it will be interesting to see if a place like the Riv gives a damn and enforces it or not.

Pleasure meeting both Richard and Tennessee Chris!

btw, skinny, are you NOT skinny? There was a guy by us that took off his shirt and was enjoying the show a lot...

good lovin
mexican girl
candyman
let it ride
sugaree
casey jones

ripple
sweet somewhere bound
freind of the devil
larry jam
brokedown

wheel
cryptical
watchtower
other one
help
slipknot
franklins
lovelight

e: lovelight

Rusty were you at the show?

I reall can't imagine anyone complaining about this show. I told my buddy if you can't get into this you should stay home and listen to cd's. Cause that second set was as good as anything I've seen in years.

I enjoyed that show more then the Vegas marathon.

lol im definatley skinny, but glad to hear i really wasnt alone, as I believe we never really are;)

Phil & Friends
10/06/07
Riviera Theater
Chicago, IL

Set One:

Good Morning Little Schoolgirl
Pride Of Cucamonga
This Wheel's On Fire
Scarlet Begonias
Spots Of Time
Althea
Tell Me, Mama
Bertha

Set Two:

Playin' In The Band ->
Uncle John's Band ->
Bird Song
Loan Me A Dime ->
Jam ->
Dark Star ->
New Speedway Boogie ->
Fire On The Mountain ->
Dark Star ->
Viola Lee Blues

e:

Organ donor speech / into's band
alabama getaway

>>Pleasure meeting both Richard and Tennessee Chris! >>

Glad as pie to meet u too Lactatin' lassy! I cant remember any body's name,like in who's who, but believe me when I say thanks to all in the immediate vicinity at this show. I loved that show.

And the ice on the neck... ... Zowwee, thanks for that!

hey Criss nice meeting you sorry I had to sit the whole show and didn't get back there w/you...............

We also left the saturday night show early. (half way through the second set, just before darkstar.)

The security was terribly rude. Reminded us of a bunch of ex-cons. And I'm guessing that's not far off. Between the excessive heat, nazi security (I had my stash confiscatd at the door) and over-sold venue, this gig was the least fun of any we've been to and we've seen a ton of phil shows.

We won't be back to the riviera. The venue sucked and the crowd was full of casual fans that spent more time with their noses in cell phones and chatting with their buddies than listening to the grooves.

ps: I talked to molo before the show and the band wasn't happy with the conditions either.

lw

"I talked to molo before the show and the band wasn't happy with the conditions either. "

That's REALLY good to hear. It should be part of their contract rider that FREE water be supplied. Ridiculous that it even needs to be considered, but there we were. It matters not whether The Riviera doesn't operate in the summer. I don't care what time of year it is. It's a health issue, and for paying customers, it's basic decency.

Anyone else think Jackie's prime for Death Don't have No Mercy? I think it is right in this band's wheelhouse.

Howdy kamloops...

Being a Chicago native, I've learned to expect this sort of thing from the Riviera. It's a no holds bar venue. It's not pretty, it's over sold, it's hot, and the staff can be ruthless. It's a rock house.

Come hydrated, ready to drink, and ready for your space to be violated.

Although I do like the intimacy the place offers. It always has a small theater feel, and you can't get that at the Aragon or Chicago Theater. I've always caught great shows there and you feel so much closer to the band.

"btw, skinny, are you NOT skinny? There was a guy by us that took off his shirt and was enjoying the show a lot..."

I'm not skinny, I took off my shirt and enjoyed the show a lot - but I don't think I was the only one...

I think the intamacy of the riviera was nice, but they should have a water fountain. I am super short and I could find places to see the whole show. And I thought everybody looked great. And if the band can play in the heat under lights the fans can definatly handle the heat. to many complainers in the world today. Also I loved Jackie Green. Obviously Phil picked him for a reason. Smokin New speed way.

Wow...
I'm just coming down from the Chicago adventure. I flew in from Portland, OR on Saturday afternoon and met my tight posse. We were out in the Lombard suburbs at a Westin, having steaks and crabcakes et. then launched into the most out of control hour long cab ride I've ever been on...truly an adventure full of broken laws and nearly killed citizens. We showed up at the Riv mid Wheel's on Fire. This was hilarious to me as the Bethel version from '06 had been stuck in my head all week. As we entered "the Sauna" I was intimidated by the sound and the fury. We found some space up in the back and blam right into Scarlet. Holy shit, I was immediately blown away by the band. Our foursome flew into Chicago with a bit of low expectations. We were excited to live it up and have a nice vacation, but Phil's new incarnation was a definite wild card. Spots of time I missed and had renamed in my mind "Go get some Vodka jam". Althea was next up and despite all I've read about flubs, I didn't get those, instead Phil singing Althea just made me smile. Bertha exploded as a set closer, just magic.

By setbreak I was literally soaking wet. I was trying really hard not to let that ruin my attitude and lets just say I did it! I accepted that this was going to be a toxin releasing sweatlodge. The bathrooms down in the basement were definitely of a Turkish prison quality, but hand it to Chicago to have a bar set up in the toilet!

Set two was uhhhh kaboom. Playin'-> Uncle John's a classic pairing not marred by Phil's usual array of cat scratch fever guitar slicing. I was very skeptical of Larry as a lead axe grinder, but instead he blew me away with his tone and phrasing. This is probably also a good time to approach an idea about the strength of this band. Our little group firmly agreed that Phil has assembled a line up of true professionals who have nothing to compete for. The generosity that I witnessed on stage was remarkable. I felt at no time was there a battle of egos or top dogs. Instead there was a truly supportive matrix that was able to listen to itself and grow together. I did not expect Phil's band to be reaching such incredible heights together.

I'm comfortable saying that I'm done with needing to hear Darkstar anymore. It has taken the place in my mind of an excuse to be aimless. Chicago proved this notion to be completely ridiculous. The band refracted light to a new degree and the mirror shattered into a new universe of hope and power.

Now NSB is a jam that is essential in these times. This band brought it forward as an anthem. The Fire that followed helped me to realize the urgency of these times ( I spent a little time on the mountain, and the mountain is on FIRE). The mountain also seemed to reflect our spot in the balcony and the fire was the second bardo we were plunging through.

Viola! I love this tune when it remains in tact. The 21st century blues hyper funk is alive an well. Yes folks you've got a friend somewhere!

The only way to leave me is to just get up and walk away...I thought I had already left Phil, but you just keep pulling me in!

fabulous review ! keep going with the next nite please :-)

>he 21st century blues hyper funk is alive an well. Yes folks you've got a friend somewhere! >>

>ur little group firmly agreed that Phil has assembled a line up of true professionals who have nothing to compete for. The generosity that I witnessed on stage was remarkable. >>


Hell yes! Well said jras.

the night of the fake tix...way crowded, dangerous even. But the fumes kept me going from the hundreds of spliffs burning...security was basically one aggro middle aged lady, who gave people like 5 chances before ejection.

The show was a little light on bombs, maybe the mix is tricky in this venue. First set was a little slow. Second set did not dissapoint, although some fed kept trying to hook me up with large amounts of drugs that I was not interested in. Pesky bastards.

Fire was a highlight for me and for some reason Alabama Getaway was well placed in its reverse spot. There was a time when the GD seemed to play the hell out of Alabama, I got a lil sick o it, but this version was sweet...I seem to always catch Philster on BOb nights and this was no exception, Playin was good, but i would have rather heard a jerry cherry///

It was a good show, not great, the venue was pretty crazy, the shakedown was huge, raging and cop free, overall it was a flashback to 82 tour when people just showed up at a small venue and hung for 5 days, no fanfare, no frat masters, just good ole american depravity, that wave, as HST would say, has had its crest long ago, but this was a time for all, including the ubiquitous dave and his steal your face pints alongside other back to back chickenshack venders...overhead the trains of chi-town rumble.