this is going to be the best show I ever missed

god damn my brakepads!!!


stranded in gunnison, CO

SHIT, bro....

Start thumbing!!!

Brakes are over rated anyway. You still have time!

AAARRRROOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
HAIL TO THE CHEIF OF ADVENTURE NATION

Mule 11/15/03:

John The Revelator
Rockin' Horse
Key To The Highway
Banks Of The Deep End
Devil Likes It Slow (w/ Rob and Jimmy)
Fallen Down> The Other One> Fallen Down
32-20 Blues (w/Paul Stacey)
Got To Hide Your Love Away
??
Blind Man In The Dark

thanks Dewit and the Atlanta crew

PLQ Philmore, Denver, CO. 11/15/03

Set 1:
Jam>
Scarlet Begonias> Jam>
Keep On Growing
Uncle John's Band> Jam>
All Along The Watchtower>
Hard To Handle (Chris Robinson vocals)>
Passenger

thanks Dewit

PLQ 11/15/03 Denver Philmore

Set 1:
Jam>
Scarlet Begonias>
Jam>
Keep On Growing,
Uncle John's Band>
Jam>
All Along The Watchtower>
Hard To Handle (Chris Robinson vocals)> Passenger

Set 2:
Shakedown>
Masons>
The Real Thing>
Wharf Rat> Viola (All 3 Verses)>
Bertha>
I Know You Rider

Donor Rap
E: Patchwork Quilt



*THANKS TO FRANKL, DEWIT AND TAPERROB FOR SETLISTS*

thats a serious looking second set

I suspect they weren't kiddin' around during the first set...

Keep on Growin' was AWESOME.

Shag, lets rock the Casbah, errr the tower

Keep on Growing was just smoking! Warren cooked Watchtower. Just a great show. Phil before the donor rap says " So you like "Wish I was a headlight" me too, it's my favorite line in the song!" Thought that was cool. Ready for 1 more tommorrow.

Fat Watchtower, yes....

I better get my beauty rest...

One last thing-- I think in a few months, if you throw this show in the player, you will be shocked by the energy. I don't know why exactly, but it's one of those shows-- kind of like acid...it's going to take a while to get hip to the full impact it delivered.

dossman, will we be up at 4:23 after the Tower shows;?) ouch.
bring it on!

Phil's gettin' kind of corny with the empathetic "Headlight" plugs, dontcha think...?

yeah, it's terrible him talking and expressing himself to the audience, it's almost like weir
all human. not hummus. next thing ya know he'll
be making music, charging us for tickets and
calling themselves a band. whats this world
coming to.

>>>>>this is going to be the best show I ever missed

god damn my brakepads!!! <<<<<<<

fred flinstone wouldn't let some brake pads get between him, dino and the show.

This looks like "The Shit". Always love 'Keep on Growin'. I cannot find a low point in the show, jugging from the setlist. Was it as good as it looks?

setlist looks great!
i can't wait for the boys to swing on in to
the beacon!

lottsa Clapton in Denver this w/end..

can't wait to hear these sets!!

Clapton is God

Was I that f#*@%d up I thought there a lose lucy last night.

there was in the 2nd set. that's a first set song all the way. what's going on here ?

This show ROCKED!!!! 10x better than friday night. The energy level in the Fillmore was UNREAL!!! The Mule show was terrific and just when we thought it couldn't get better PLQ put on one of the best performances that i've seen.

What a blast!!!

Captain Trips ----
I MISS YOU SOOOOOOOOOOOO BAD------------

Mule 11/15/03

Fallen Down> The Other One> Fallen Down

Rob – I am assuming that this was an instrumental Other One. Is that correct or did Warren sing it?

OOOOOO La La One question, though, I do not recall the song "Keep on Growing". Please give some insight, thanks.

Damn you lucky bastards! KEep On Growin! Ive been waiting for that ever since I first found out they played it in 2001. I Love That song, especially how PLQ does it.

>>I am assuming that this was an instrumental Other One. Is that correct or did Warren sing it?<<
Instrumental and it was smokin.

OK, this must be the tune (hopefully):

Keep On Growing
I was laughing, playing in the streets, I wasn't moving, I didn't know my fate
Playing the game of life was never really showing, I thought love would wait
I was a young man and I was sure to go astray
You walked right into my life and told me "Love would find a way"
Got to keep on growing, Keep on going, keep on flowing, yeah, yeah, yeah

I was standing looking in the face of one who loved me, feeling so ashamed
Hoping and praying, Lord, that she could understand me,
but I didn't know her name
She took my little hand in hers and she told me I was wrong
She said "You're gonna be all right boy, whoa, gonna take so long"
Got to keep on growing, Keep on going, keep on flowing, yeah, yeah, yeah

Baby, someday Baby, who knows where or when girl, just you wait and see
We'll be walking hand in hand alone as lovers, honest as can be
Time is gonna change us, Lord, I know it's true
Our love is gonna keep on growing and growing is all we're gonna do
All we're gonna do is
Keep on growing, Keep on going, keep on flowing, yeah, yeah, yeah
Keep on growing, Keep on knowing, keep on flowing, yeah, yeah, yeah

>>Hard To Handle (Chris Robinson vocals)>
Now that must of been cool!!
This show looks great on paper..

There was a loose lucy in the 2nd set near wharf rat...best show since red rocks last year. Phil and his amigos were on fire last night.

One Set:
John The Revelator
Rocking Horse
Thelonius Beck
King's Highway
Banks Of The Deep End
(w/ Rob Barraco, organ; Danny, piano)
Devil Likes It Slow
(w/Jimmy Herring, guitar; Rob, piano; Danny, organ)
Fallen Down> The Other One> Fallen Down
32/20 Blues
(w/ Paul Stacey, guitar, George Laks, keys)
Hide Your Love Away
Trouble Comin Every Day
PT>Blind Man In The Dark

Holy shite sounds like it was a doosey!

The Keep On Growin' was so hot, I've loved that tune since I saw the Dead bust it out at The Greek in '85. Also caught the first Phil & Freinds version at The Fillmore on 2/10/01, just one of the high points of the evening. Personally, I would have preferred Warren singing Hard To Handle, but in the grand scheme of things, who cares. I'd rather hear Chris sing it than not hear it at all. Man, that was a great show last night.

Cant wait till Chicago all though my Atlanta crew is in Denver..

thanks LT.. sorry for the misinformation on that Mule setlist..

How was the Viola Lee Blues? Does it miss not being bookends?

One of the cleanest purest P&F shows in a year and a half. Not one repeated transition jams...all tight, and just when Mule had me giving them #1 kudos, this band just did it. First jam after first verse of Viola is a record book keeper. A really fun show all around and some marvelous music. A keeper.

The second set had a very "first set" feel after Shakedown (which, by the way, had the whole place moving like mad!!!)

Loose Lucy, Bertha, et al... I was waiting for them to drift into the spacey-calm of a second set Dark Star-ish/MOTM deal...it seemed like Phil was playing the intro MOTM line a lot, although I may be hallucinating that (I still hallucinate at shows after 9.5 years of sobriety).

Both nights, so far, have fuckin-A delivered the GOODS.

I envy you Beacon people..... WHOO WOO!!! Here come da TWAIN!!

Here's another cool thing... my wife was with me last night, she supports my Phil habit, but isn't really that into the scene. I'm right behind her on the rail, Warren side, going out of my mind during Mason's Children. She's just standing there. Phil is looking RIGHT AT HER. She smiles, and he gives her this big wink. As if to say,

"You're a trooper!"

That was awesome.

>>I was waiting for them to drift into the spacey-calm of a second set Dark Star-ish/MOTM<<
I was thinking the same thing last night.But they just keep busting out the jams.Very nice show the loose lucy was hot.I was never much of a fan of this song but DAMN.
I want to thank you for a real good time.

Don't often feel this need...but..

When can I get a copy of this show..??..

Good energy is out there and all you have to do is embrace it..

Whooooooooa, Nelly!

Right on Dewit...cleanest, purest, funnest,tighest, jamminest balls to the wall show in 1.5 years. Not one lull in the action all night.Highest energy since the 01 tour...except for the jamming was all controlled and precise and sizzling.

Been to 28 PLQ's and in many ways this is the ONE I've been waiting for.I can die a happy man now. I like the thinkin mans show, too Terrapin, Dark Star Unbroken (tonight?) but c'mon this was pure ass shakin Rock and Roll.

Warren was a ferocious insatiable bully. Took the fist solo on nearly every song, including a big slide solo in Patchwork.(unusual?) (Even that song got the epic treatment) This was Warren's show. Tore Jimmy up all night(respectfully)and sang his heart out.

Uncle John's was huge encore style 20 minutes....and we knew it was gonna be one of those shows.

Phils vocals on Scarlet were the best I've ever heard him sing. Super trippy psychadelia at the end or middle? of Scarlet said it's gonna be one of THOSE nights....strap yourself in.

Hard to Handle turned it up yet another notch...not unlike red rocks last summer in that regard. Robinson couldn't believe what he was hearing, shakin his head and crackin up.

Loose Lucy came after a gut wrenching and passionate Real Thing. What a brilliant design....you could feel the shift in energy and tone change the audience.Love all the emotional swings...this is what the other jam bands still cant touch. The redemptive tragedy of Wharf...into the comic tragedy of Violla.

Phil kept everyone on task all night....a the end of wharf it started to drift into space and he snapped em all out of it and into Violla.

I could go on and on...but you get the idea.

keep on growing!

This was really a great show, much better than last night IMHO. The jams had a lot more direction, Warren played a lot more lead, and Jimmy's solos were more compact and meaningful, less notes which I appreciated. The boys were really on.

The Mule set was, once again, fuc%ing awesome. The Fallen Down>TOO was just absolutely killer, the whole mule set waws really high energy, and for me, this was the high point. But from start to finish it was a great set.

In fact, this whole show, the Mule and PLQ, was absolutely great from start to finish. Not a low point anywhere.

The first PLQ set: Scarlet to start it off, I knew it was gonna be a good show, into Keep On Growin', an awesome song and an awesome version, everyone was really happy they played this, including me. The Uncle John's was really long with good jamming throughout, into a blazing All Along the Watchtower, Warren on fire, and then they bring out CR for the vocals on Hard to Handle, and go into Passenger.

The second PLQ set: Fuc*kin' awesome!! The boys get things started with a nice Shakedown, get people dancin' and happy and having a great time. Then into Mason's children, not my favorite but once again the jamming was great, super tight, high energy. Loose Lucy Somewhere around here, was for me one of the high points of this set, a REALLY great version IMHO, awesome jamming on this song. Next, The Real Thing, great song, good juxtaposition with the fun of loose lucy. Wharf Rat, one of my favorite songs, great vocals by Warren as always. AND THEN, Viola Lee> Bertha, WOW, PHIL WAS ON!! especially during Bertha, laying down some phat lines. Bertha was the highlight of this entire show, such an awesome version, the whole band was totally on, especially phil, one of the best versions I've ever heard. And then into I Know You Rider,- with "the cool colorado rain." Nice way to end this stellar set. Patchwork quilt was a nice way to end the show, The Mule played it to open these shows yesterday.

Overall, a really great show, on par with Hartford '01, which I also attended and has been one of my favorite shows. The energy was great throughout, and the second set was just absolutely killer.

peace to all,
joe

does anyone have any pictures from the show or know where i could check them out?

I could be mistaken but wasn't it "Instrumental Illness" that Jimmy played with Mule on Sat. night??

AWESOME photo of the mule onstage LessThan!

The Scarlet was just as good as Warfield. The Keep on Growing was easily the best i've seen or heard - you won't believe it when you hear it. There was some serious shit going on up there Sat. night. Everything sounded perfect. Saw Kate Hudson in the back when hubby went on - just like in Philly on 10/10. The Passenger was also the best i've seen. Not a huge Mason's fan but even this one was smokin'!

Jimmy ruled the evening - he's so damn good. I'd love to see him w/ Gov't Mule full time or at least more often. Between Jimmy and Warren I thought Phil's head was going to explode standing in between all of that friggin' electricity. It was madness. I swear lightning was coming out of those guitars.

Gov't Mule is so damn good. If you somehow are not on the bus yet you are nuts!! Warren is spectacular with both bands - but he's like legendary runnin' the Mule show!!!! Dew - (sorry I missed ya) - I had the same thoughts about Mule - and they still might be #1 - but Phil left noooooooo doubts after yesterday!!

Rock on!! and on!! and on! Best part is....only two weeks to Philly madness!

oops - was Devil not illness

Reading these reviews you know this band, these bands are on fire. Some reviews state Warren dominates, others cite Jimmy... ye haw! It must be fun!

Several mentions of "Patchwork Quilt"... I heard several versions, it seems like this has matured nicely. Warren's acoustic version on the EP is simply beautiful. I'll be surprised if this tune is relegated to the encore position. I think it has some more room to grow.

You gotta love Govt Mule! Some of those songs are off the hook. Fallen Down > TOO > Fallen Down chemically effects/affects DNA.

Thanks for the reviews folks. Some of these opinions are putting shivers down my spine.

Saw all 3 nights at the Philmore, right on the rail right in front of Warren all 3 nights. PLQ was amazing all 3 nights (can't wait for Mule NYE at the Beacon). Both PLQ sets Saturday were the best music I have ever seen out of 33 years of GD shows and everything else, ever, ever, with Sunday 2nd set next greatest and then Friday second set. First set PLQ Friday, they were feeling their way a bit, Warren looking ever so serious at the music stand and trying to get it perfect. First set Sunday had brilliant moments, but was strangely disjointed at times. Watchtower on Saturday may have been one of the greatest combinations of Warren on guitar AND voice that I have ever seen. Where does he get all the passion??! His first solo channeled Jimi. But when he came back in on vocal for the third time after the jam, people were crying! It was so intense. And the guitar work between Jimmy and Warren on Keep on Growing and everything else was without equal anywhere. Through it all, Jimmy and Phil looked so happy that I couldn't believe they wouldn't want to do this every night forever and forget that silly little "Dead" band. But I guess Warren is too busy to devote everything to PLQ, and can you blame him after hearing the Mule sets? In fact, why can't Warren play in every band there is? All I can say is don't miss this tour - but please Phil, convince Warren he has to do at least one or 2 PLQ tours every year. There is nothing like this magic.

((((((((Phil and Friends)))))))

It hard for me to write a review for this night because a review is by nature about catagorizing and measuring. The music from this night however is beyond words and really beyond concepts. I know that sounds chessy but I really mean it. Nothing I could say could really do it justice.

Sometimes music is just fun. Sometimes music is something more. All I know is that something important happened on this night.

Its going to be a sad day when phil is no longer with us to keep this flame going.

I couldn't agree more. I have been obsessively thinking about this night since the second the encore was finished. From the opening note of Scarlet the show took off and never came down. Every jam was tight, cohesive and very different in nature. The transitions were flawless and the boys were on fire. It was really loud and upbeat all night long which lended to the extraordinary amount of energy in the PHILmore. I haven't heard that much pandamonium since 12/30 and 12/31/01. They slayed the entire auditorium and knew it. I have seen a lot of Phil shows in my day. This one will go down in my mind as one of the best PLQ shows EVER, and that is no exagerration. If you were there you know what I mean. If not, get these discs ASAP! LONG LIVE THE QUINTET!!!!!!!!!!!

THE QUINTET RULES!!!!!

Ok, here's my opinionated "review" of the two shows I saw at the Fillmore, Friday the 14th and Saturday the 15th. No need for song by song breakdown, just an overview.

First, it did rock. No question. The boys were tight, the tunes were hot and the crowd was crazy in the best way.

Fillmore: The venue was one of the best I've ever attended for an indoor venue. Good sound most everywhere in the place, great atmosphere with photos of the GD, Bill Graham, et al lining the walls. There was also an art exhibit of Stanley Mouse's concert posters upstairs. Nice that people had options for fun in the place, not just the great tunes. On the downside, the venue (like most) had too little bathroom space for the crowd, charged $5.25 for a tiny glass of beer (like most, although I drank a few mixed drinks that were stronger and HALF that price!) and the venue was oversold for sure. I heard it's supposed to hold 3,500, but I'd say there were nearly 4,500 or even 5,000 inside. It was packed badly, but dancing room was available if you poked around!

Mule: I'd never seen Mule before, and I think they're great but not all that and a bag of chips. They've got great blues chops and can even make me like When Doves Cry despite the fact that I've never gotten into Prince (or squiggle, or whatever his damn name is these days). Yet, they don't have good improv skills, sorry to say. They're tight beyond belief, but they don't stretch the music past it's foreseeable barriers. Thus, I found some of their tunes to be on the light side of life rather than the dark and meaty-bone jams I'd expected. Regardless, I enjoyed seeing two Mule shows so I could get a sense for what they do. Highlight of Mule: Jimmy on stage the first night.

Phil & Friends: I agree with most others, good shows, perhaps some of the best. Yet, they didn't compare to the 2001 tour IMO. I hadn't seen Phil's band since the Fox theater Nov. 9, 01, and was a bit surprised because they seemed less together rather than more. Before you flame, realize that I was sober except for drink and smoke, and that I was in a good head space and wasn't looking for a bad show, I just wasn't blown away. And you know what it was?? Too much Warren. There, I said it. With two nights of Mule AND Phil, I finally reached the point of having my fill of his style. He rocks, he sings great, but his style is a bit predictable in the worst way (not that all artists don't become predictable, just that Warren has ceased to surprise me musically).

Phil, on the other hand, was a raging beast with nothing to hide! He grinned, he beamed, he laughed, he jammed harder than I could ever imagine a 63-year-old dude could play. I was proud to see Pride and Alligator, but they've gotta cut that Alligator back to 33 speed from 78 rpm. Too fast and the meat gets lost in the process. (although there's something to be said for the faster we go, the rounder we get)

I will definitely see Phil again at the Fillmore. Worth the trip from Kansas, fo shizzle.

Sad Side Note: I had an unpleasant encounter with a Zoner that I must recount because it left me with a horrible taste in my mouth. When Jimmy joined Mule on Friday night, I'd never seen him so animated. He was so full of life, trading riffs back and forth with Warren and the Mule keyboard player, that I expected Jimmy to do a Chuck Berry duck walk across the stage. I turned to a nearby Zoner whom I recognized from their profile, leaned close with a smile and said, "I don't believe I've ever seen Jimmy so animated." The Zoner in question turned to me and said snidely, "You need to look harder." What a crappy way to communicate with other Phans. I've seen these cats since their inception, and was merely trying to share the experience with a fellow Zoner whom I'd never met but wanted to make a connection with. Instead, I got nothing but attitude. There's nothing I hate more than elitist Heads who've seen it all, done it all and can't be bothered with trivial things like kindness.

Thanks Phil, and keep the love coming!

JBH

Jason - read your review. You need to give Mule another chance when they are the main act and play two full sets. I commented to my friends at the show that they hardly did any noodling/jamming because of the time restraints. Remember - they only had 90 min. and played a good amount of songs. Look at the length of the songs played -- they are easily two to three minutes shorter (and in some cases five to six munutes shorter) than at full on Mule two-setters. That is where you will find the improv. and Warren delving into the rare air that you missed. It's there brother -- believe me it's there!!! I don't enjoy one setters for this very reason.

Jason- evan11 is right. It sounds like you didn't see what the Mule had to offer. One of the best mule shows I saw was when Chuck Levell (probably misspelled that) and Dave Schools were playing with them. The show was 3+ hours and crackling with energy- tons of good jamming. A different flavor than PLQ, but very tasty as well. Later yall

.....here I am back home, with pneunomia, exactly one week to the night after the show.....and I am still reeeling in this expereince. I'll never forget these shows.

Sometimes music is just music......other times it is much much larger.

How cool is it that I am listening to Keep On Growing right now, when I am too sick to hold my head up.... this has to be the quintisential PLQ first set. Thanks taperrob, or whoever put this on 365.

A perfectly delicious work of art.

Evan11 and Guitardaddy: I agree. I need a better glimpse of the full-on Mule to make an accurate decision. However, I do aliken my feeling of seeing too much Warren to what could've happened (maybe?) if the Jerry Band opened for the Dead each night. That would've been a bit too much Jerry, but maybe that's fucked.

I ain't throwin' the baby out with the bathwater just yet...

Keep on keepin' on...


JBH

>>Yet, they didn't compare to the 2001 tour IMO.

Jason, that's a REALLY high standard to surpass! Fall 01 had some of the finest Phil shows going, IMHO. I wish I'd been hip enough to catch some of those shows, esp. 11/9 and 11/23/01...

For sheer quality of play, I really felt the Q burning it up. Their play, and interplay, to a man, SMOKED.

With the benefit of one week's perspective, it seems like the boyz haven't had the time/space needed to build their repertoire to where it was during 01-02 when they'd been touring together consistently. This may explain some of the "repeats" people have talked about in the Chicago run... but still and all, the POWER is SO THERE. I really am in awe, and thought that this run will stand up with the best of them.

BUt then again, I've been accused of Phil-worshipping.