Start it up

My boy Evan is back. And I know a lot of you are benefitting from that. A serious dose of positive energy is back on the scene. And I am very happy about it. We'll be in Maine next weekend looking to share a positive experience with you.

Some real kind food and folks at Shakedown Street in the parking lot between the venue and the Ringling Bros. circus tents. By Surf Ave. and W19th Street, between Surf Ave. and the boardwalk. Support the scene and have a kind grilled cheese and a burrito.

Martha, wake up the kids, we're going to Coney Island to see the show of shows.

Here is a message to the band:

Thank you so much for continuing to provide this wonderful music for us. You truly push the musical limits further and you more than live up to your name (Furthur). I love you more than words can tell.

Headin up from Md. First show since Va shows in spring

Great show last night. The Terrapin Suite was a treat.

Btw, seems the bowl (seats) are the way to go at this venue. Floor didn't seem to have much room, even way out on the wings.

Get in early -- even by 6:45 you'll be fine. Stake out a spot on the floor. It never got crowded at all. Plenty of space dead center 15 rows back.

Everyone was cool and mellow around me.

See you at the Shakedown and the show! we are BBQing today then to the beach for the waves...and spray with about 500 other deadheads! Cyclone, Wonder-wheel then see you at the show! Good ol' Brooklyn!

Come on down to the greatest recreational site in the history of mankind. Brooklyn rocks!!

Hoping to hear Stella Blue with Furthur tonight Either way its an open book. Foolish Heart maybe even Big RR Blues?

Expect an Other One and a Dew
Maybe a ScarletFire
and a Ripple encore

XXXOOO

I have an extra GA field ticket I am looking to sell for tonight...

Hi Frank

I'm looking to buy a field tix for tonight.

Im in from LA so please call my brother's cell:

917-589-1277

or my email:

davidelewis@earthlink.net

Show started at 7:15 last night, so don't lollygag. Have fun.

for you field level tix holders....I was 25 feet back from the stage (JK side) and the sound quality was outstanding....also, in between the first and second set JK walked to the fence separating the 'field' from the outfield and I got to meet him and shake hands....a truly humble and friendly person

yo
FURTHUR LIVE IN CONCERT
The latest musical endeavor of Phil Lesh and Bob Weir is Furthur! On Tuesday, June 29 at 7 pm ET, they play the smallest venue of their latest tour: Penns Peak in Jim Thorpe, PA. The show is completely sold out so the Grateful Dead Channel does what no one else can and brings it to you live as it happens. Plus, Tales from the Golden Road co-host Gary Lambert will chair the pre and post show segments as well as take your phone calls during intermission to discuss the music with Dead Heads from around North America!

Who/how can I hook up with one of those cool Further/Coney Island yellow stickers?
I'm no scrounge mooch (wook) I'll do what it takes to obtain.

MCU Park, Coney Island, Brooklyn, NY 6/27/10 Set 1: Golden Road

Golden Road

MCU Park, Coney Island, Brooklyn, NY 6/27/10 Set 1: Golden Road> Good Lovin'

Thanks for the updates...

live feed? taperrob thank you again!

MCU Park, Coney Island, Brooklyn, NY 6/27/10 Set 1: Golden Road> Good Lovin', The Music Never Stopped

Music Never Stopped

MCU Park, Coney Island, Brooklyn, NY 6/27/10 Set 1: Golden Road> Good Lovin', The Music Never Stopped Sugar Mag

MCU Park, Coney Island, Brooklyn, NY 6/27/10 Set 1: Golden Road> Good Lovin', The Music Never Stopped, Sugar Magnolia> Dear Mr Fantasy

MCU Park, Coney Island, Brooklyn, NY 6/27/10 Set 1: Golden Road> Good Lovin', The Music Never Stopped, Sugar Mag> Dear Mr. Fantasy

Nice...

MCU Park, Coney Island, Brooklyn, NY 6/27/10 Set 1: Golden Road> Good Lovin', The Music Never Stopped, Sugar Magnolia> Dear Mr Fantasy> Scarlet Begonias

Stream ??

very nice

thats fun so far
come on John K!!!!
A china doll would be sweet

not john k's call to make...

MCU Park, Coney Island, Brooklyn, NY 6/27/10 Set 1: Golden Road> Good Lovin', The Music Never Stopped, Sugar Magnolia> Dear Mr Fantasy> Scarlet Begonias Magnolia Mtn

MCU Park, Coney Island, Brooklyn, NY 6/27/10 Set 1: Golden Road> Good Lovin', The Music Never Stopped, Sugar Magnolia> Dear Mr Fantasy> Scarlet Begonias> Magnolia Mountain> Uncle John's Band

know that it's bob's and phil's call but let the boy sing the jerry tunes con

Man, this looks like a smoker right out the gate.

bob and phil don't call it either, unfortunately. try jill or matt (bob's tour manager)

well, they make up the setlists. prolly is phil & bobby who get to decide what john sings. a friend of mine @ mtn. aire saw him and told him that same thing, and he replied: "i love when those guys sing those songs!" diplomatic skills equalling his guitar skills. ;}

ya think so huh?!
either way let the songs be sung and not always by bobby

Looks like Jill and Matt have been doing a good job lately!

agreed! JAYBEE

MCU Park
Coney Island
Brooklyn, NY 6/27/10

Set 1:
Golden Road>
Good Lovin'
The Music Never Stopped
Sugar Magnolia>
Dear Mr Fantasy>
Scarlet Begonias>
Magnolia Mountain>
Uncle John's Band


end of set

wow...i have to admit that after last nights show I couldn't imagine how this band could outdo themselves...yet each night they keep taking it Furthur....truly outstanding stuff!!

ya streamin rob?

Love the ending...

Sugar Magnolia>Dear Mr Fantasy>Scarlet Begonias>Magnolia Mountain>Uncle John's Band

Double Magnolia Honey. Furst set stream? Sampson 2nd opener? Love it!

Rob....thanks for everything!!
Any streamin' 2night?

Wow first set looks good. Gonna be hard to top last nights set two!

Taper Rob,

I've seen you on here for a few years, and if I never said it before, thanks for the trouble you go to regarding the set lists and the honest streams.

You've made many a dull night in isolation more enjoyable and connected.

Set 2: Unbroken Chain

Set 2: Unbroken Chain

Set 2: Unbroken Chain, Let It Grow

Set 2: Unbroken Chain, Let It Grow, Fire On the Mountain

moon rise time

during the fire on the mountain, chick doing the signing dancing during the jam

Would love to listen live, email to: lotus108@live.com, PLEASE! (And thanks TR for the updates, once again) ...Peace...

taperrob .. pw plz! scottengstrom@gmail.com

thanks guys, looking like picked 2 hell of good shows to miss.

http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/7944857

1st set

http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/7944857

Set 2: Unbroken Chain, Let It Grow, Fire On the Mountain> The Other One> Cryptical Envelopment> Blues For Allah, Morning Dew

Wohooo Blues for allah and Morning Dew!

Morning Dew

what a list
sound nice rob?

Dew....................this is a not to miss one,,,,,DANG!

you listening to the 1st set Drea?

Yes, Mike, thrilled ............ wish I was listening to live set 2 though.

great muzac

..........GREAT.............. Want more JK, but still THRILLED!!!!!!!!!!

at least JK

i hear ya honey
Mr John K

Set 2: Unbroken Chain, Let It Grow, Fire On the Mountain> The Other One> Cryptical Envelopment> Blues For Allah, Morning Dew, Eyes Of The World..., Help On The Way

Taper Rob, I think we are all eternally GRATEFUL to you...Peace...

Jill goes yard!

Set 2: Unbroken Chain, Let It Grow, Fire On the Mountain> The Other One> Cryptical Envelopment> Blues For Allah, Morning Dew, Eyes Of The World..., Help On The Way> Slipknot!

Sounds like geriatric dead

^^ I think last night's show "might" be better, we'll see though, set 2, can't wait......peace...

Sounds like good f'ing Dead

moon rising over the top of the stage


Franklin's Tower

gloria

Set 2: Unbroken Chain, Let It Grow, Fire On the Mountain> The Other One> Cryptical Envelopment> Blues For Allah, Morning Dew, Eyes Of The World..., Help On The Way> Slipknot!> Franklin's Tower, Donor Rap, encore: Box Of Rain> fireworks

Wow, thanks brother! That moon is friggin killer!

Ahhhhhhh!!!!!!!! ;-)

moon isnt up yet in chicago

Photo gave me chills Taperrob. Thank you for your kindness brother.

Thank you Taper Rob, here's set 2

http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/7947158

wow!
Hope the O1 was killer

And its just a box of rain or a ribbon for your hair. Such a long long time to be gone and a short time to be there.

Thanks again Taper Rob! (((hugs)))

OK, Cryptical to Blues. Hard to really comment on set 2, but this is the best I've heard in sooo long. IMAO.

the fireworks

Just got in from the show - this night clicked. I loved that they mixed it up with SMag in the middle of the 1st set and Magnolia Mt fit in well. When you listen to the feed/dat's, check out Bobby teasing Supplication in UJB. (Hints of things to come?) The first set of the previous night was disjointed in comparison.

Set 2 - The Core. Whoever came up with this setlist threw in the whole kitchen sink. Let it Grow was the highlight for me. Everyone in the band was soloing and meshing well. Blues for Allah was a welcome surprise. The Other 1 was played in fits. At one point JK was playing the lead from 8 Miles High. (Was playing Cryptical AFTER the Other 1 a typo on the setlist? Bobby keeps bending over to read what is next.)

Anyway, a phenomenal show! Based on the progress from night 2 of tour to night 3 - you guys downstream are in for a great ride.

Note: At setbreak, I watched a young man get CPR for 20m, to the right of stage, which hopefully saved his life. He was taken away in an ambulance and I saw minimal signs of life. The temperature was in the 90s for most of the show. I spoke to his friend afterwards and he said this was likely an OD.

I would just like to "caution all, though I still might warn a few"
to slow down. This is the first time in 28 yrs of seeing these GD where I really saw someone about to die. Please keep hydrated and stay in control. Don't waste your life.

Just got in. A MONSTER of a show tonight. This was my 3rd show in 3 days and tonight takes the cake. Second set was a beast. The Let It Grow was insane, the only thing that didn't gel for me was fire, but man... unreal. This band keeps getting better and better. Can't wait for Nokia!

just got back to nj and i totally agree with post above me....offf the hook from start to finish....they dont look good but they still can play.....i thought better than last night.....ARABIAN WIND ....CRAZY SHIT...HELP > SLIP WAS KILLER.....MUSIC NEVER STOPPED INTO SUGAR MAGNOLIA IN THE MIDLLE OF FIRST SET...IM TIRED AND I GOT TO GO TO BED....OH YEAH....UNBROKEN TO STAT 2ND AND BOX ENCORE....IT WASNT KILLER...IT WAS GREAT...ANYBODY WHO BITCHED ABOUT HAVING TO BUY SUNDAY MCU TO GET NOKIA....WELL ILL BET THESE 2 SHOWS BLOW AWAY BOTH NOKIAS...MY PERSONAL OPINION .....IM GOING TUESDAY AND IN MY OPINION THERES NO WAY IT CAN BE BETTER THAN THE PAST 2 NIGHTS...I HOPE IT IS BUT NO WAY...OFF THE HOOK...LET IT GROW WAS SICK....RISE AND FALL...GOODNIGHT PEOPLE AND NOTHING LEFT TO DO BUT SMILE SMILE SMILE

AND IM A LOSER ....I HAVE TO GIVE CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE...MR JOHN KADLECIK...KILLER FUCKING MORNING DEW....CRAZY OUT OF CONTROL SHIT....BLUES FOR ALLAH WHERE I WAS STANDING DOWN 3RD BASE GAVE ME CHILLS AND A FULL MOON...I FELT LIKE I WAS IN EGYPT BUT I WASNT AND HAVE NEVER BEEN...BUT I WAS 2 NITE

ONCE AGAIN NY GETS ST STEPHEN BROKEDOWN AND THE DEW AND THE BOMB SHOW TONIGHT...LAST NIGHTS SET LIST LOOKS BETTER BUT TONIGHT WAS MAGIC....BEST SINCE JERRYS BEEN GONE...WEIR EVEN LOOKED UP AT HE SKY DURONG SCARLET WHEN THE SKY WAS YELLOW AND THE SUN WAS BLUE....IT WAS PHIL ALL THE WAY TONIGHT AND JOHN ...EVERYBODY ACTUALLY...DURING SLIPKNOT MR RUSSO WHO IS FUCKING GREAT WAS MIND BLOWING....ADDITION BY SUBTRACTION WITH JAY BEING GONE...SORRY JAY....

^^ ZUI

WHAT IS ZUI?

WHERE ARE ALL OF YOU WESTCOASTERS?......EATING SUSHI AND VEGGIE BURRITOS.......NY GOT THE BOMB........IM STILL GETTING CHILLS....AND I DONT EVEN WANT TO WATCH THE VIDEO OR HEAR THE TAPE...I DONT HAVE TO I WAS THERE....IT JUST GOT BETTER AND BETTER AND BETTER AND THE ONLY BUMMER WAS IT HAD TO END...I THINK IF THEY COULD HAVE THEY WOULD HAVE PLAYED FOR ANOTHER HOUR.....TO ADD TO MY POST CRYPTICAL WAS KILLER OUT OF THE OTHER 1 AND THEY NAILED IT....BEST FRANKLINS IN A LONG TIME....ANYBODY WHO DIDNT GO MISSED OUT...TIX WERE GOING FOR 10 BUCKS OUTSIDE...I ACTUALLY PAID MORE TO PARK THAN MY TICKET

The band thought they played better last night (they were a little tired possibly; I think you can find a photo on FB of Russo riding the Cyclone about 1:30AM), though it was close and I think to follow up Sat with as solid a show as this one is a heck of a thing. Blues for Allah! This band is not afraid of playing any song at anytime. That Caution last night and the whole Terrapin Suite (my personal highlight of the weekend) and then tonight's second set was just another beauty opening with UBC and including TOO, Dew (and they keep doing it justice), Eyes (Chimenti going nuts on his solo), HSF!. It was John's B-Day at midnight; he turned 41 and got a rousing version of HB from about 20 people in the dressing room. I am glad I have 6 more shows to see over the next month.

I did enjoy some fabulous sushi while I was listening to the Max Weinberg Big Band at Yoshi's in SF.

Glad NY got a good couple of shows.

Wow!! Looks like an unbelievable weekend in Brooklyn!! Wish I'd been back there to see it, as it sounds (and looks) like an amazing weekend. I don't remember a tour looking quite this good on paper (and from all the rave reviews) after just 3 shows! These guys always seem to pull out all the stops for NY -- why the hell not?!!

BTW - what are those red rings above the stadium? Is that just some decorative shit on the venue, or are those Coney Island rides in the background?

Nice pics, TaperRob and others!

The rings in the background are part of the MCU lights.

Jill was on fire last night
next up...lowel

and it looks like the triple players got their money's worth ;)

well im up and still raving...ive been to yoshis ...the round things in the background are the stadium lights...and yes the people who bitched about the triple play and didnt sell their tix and went got the first 2 outs of the triple play...everybody complained and afterwards at least 8people walking out that i heard all said best show theve seen since jery was gone and we all went here ye here ye here ye

Best show hands down since Jerry gone...Chimenti taking the band to new heights...don't ever leave John!!! Crowd super phriendly/mellow...very trippy show...selections and venue...which offered weird trippy day glo giant colored rings surrounding the stadium...and the backdrop of Coney island...Best part after show was tons of Heads running around in Coney Island, Nathans, etc... What place better suits the Further Festival than the old Coney Island of the Mind?? Freaks,lights,ocean salt breezes, chili dogs n totally mellow police one of whom definitely was a Deadhead and agreed that last night's show was the better of the two! Jerry wouldabin proud!

Coney Island has always been about magic and fantasy, as the setlist goes. Jill Rocks!

This band is on FIRE!

thanks for the setlists and reviews !!

Hey Everyone, Georgie here checking in after a long absence. Just finished posting all this video and I see a lot of people are also. I am somewhat humbled by OneWayOut's footage (you can find it if you poke around) but this one is kind of fun....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAPdX7JMXwg

To see more from last night, click my page. (Also threw some some recent Van M if anyone is interested...but that'll have to be taken down soon

Thoughts: First show with this lineup and it's pretty impressive. While recent setlists have been killer, last night I saw all my favorites with a Blues For Allah thrown in. I'm fine with one drummer, Chimenti is key, like a 2nd lead (though he looks like a backstage musician stuck way over on the left) and Phil and Bbob are pumped! Sometimes John and the boys seem a little slow during verses/choruses, but then take of during the solos/jams. That's probably because there's a lot of material and they're still getting comfortable. I think they'll keep getting better and looking forward to further shows...

Hey now ya'll,
This show had it's moments, but I have to say John was under achieving most of the night. He never really ever opened it up. His volume was way to low for both sets, Phil was to soft in the first and it seemed at points the band was not gelling as well as they were in the winter.

They opened with a really strong duo of Golden Road> Good Lovin'. The Music had a Bobby alittle off trying to begin it, but it came together nicely. I have to say the Scarlet> Magnolia> Mountain> Uncle Johns Band was the hight light for me, really played well and they sounded sweet, although the Scarlet just kinda petered out.

Set two started off with a wonderful surprise of Unbroken Chain, John was not attacking his leads and Phil and Jeff really had to add the extra umph to get it going, the ending was nice but not nearly as dramatic as the versions played in Utica and Ithaca. Good but not great. I was totally psyched for Let it Grow, the tempo was good,and Bobby did real well on it, but again John did not blow the roof on it. He seemed to prefer these lower octave runs, sort of reminiscent of mid '70's Jerry but he did not string together a great solo and was hesitant at times.
This set Phil also was doing more active directing through the headsets as well.

I think Fire really exemplified this struggle,ok maybe that is too strong but it was quite obvious to my ears, as it just unraveled for me. I mean Bobby did this screeching solo because John could not get it going. Maybe the worst Fire I have seen from this band.

I had high hopes for he Other One and it started off very strongly, Phil was on fire, but John, when he soloed it just fell flat on its face. I mean he was not taking command when he should have, it was weird and Phil had to bring them back to the second verse, and he spoke through the headset and when they came back the energy was where it needed to be. I wonder if Cryptical was part of the original set lists or if that was Phil taking control of the ship?

This is where the second set IMHO took a complete turn around for the better.We heard them sound checking Blues for Allah at 6:00 pm, so we knew it was coming. It was good more focused on the lyrics rather than getting really spacey like the record version and it was quite good.

Then to drop down into Morning Dew was a wonderful choice, it was solid, and much shorter than I would have liked, but a much better performance from John. Not nearly as epic or emotional as the one they played Ithaca.

You might think I am being alittle harsh here but John's playing was simply not moving me emotionally like it did on the Winter tour.

Things juts kept getting better with a rollicking and melodic Eyes which was great, Jeff took a wicked long solo, longer than John actually. The vibe off of stage right was great , with some of the best dancers I have been a part off. The vibe was very cool.
Then a late set Help> Slip Franklin's was the charm, although it was far from off the track and Slipknot! was not nearly as aggressive as other versions this band has played but the crowd loved it. Franklin's proved once again that Phil is the heart and soul of this band.
The Box of Rain once again had Phil shining and was a perfect ending to a very full night of music.

I guess a second listening will confirm my observations of John, this show clearly reminded me of the one they played in Manchester.John simply can not be an ensemble player, he needs to be with Phil every step of the way and more often than not he needs to surprise Phil more by being more active and creative.

I did get some good shots. So see ya Wednesday

haven't done a real review in a while, but feel moved.

First off, god bless mass transit! Left the apartment at 6:20, was walking in the stadium, unhassled by lines/security at 7:05!

I'd thought Saturday night got off to an uneven start (though I really liked it over all) but Sunday there was no hesitancy, they rocked from the start of golden road & good lovin, grooved through Music Never Stopped, properly bouncy Sugar Mag, went deep into Dear Mr Fantasy. Magnolia Mountain had a sweet feel to it, nice little break. I thought UJB had a 70s out-there feel to it.

As with Sat was up in the seats, happy to rest my legs at the break. This show technically may not have been sold out but it was pretty damn packed in there. A couple times I wandered around the top of the stadium, down to where a ramp connected to the boardwalk. As a Brooklyn boy, marvelling at the sight of Nathans and the Cyclone as the backdrop to the boys... Was able to enjoy a sweet breeze coming in off the ocean as the sun set. At one point during the first set, somebody was walking behind the sound board where home plate is (i think her friend was being helped out - nothing serious) and she broke into a run and slid into home - twice! got some nice cheers...

As UBC started I thought, lessee how this goes. I find this song can sometimes not quite jell, but they knocked it out of the park. The jam towards the end was simply massive. At the end of the song, we looked at each other and said - wow - was that the FIRST song of the set? Let It Grow was powerful.

Fire was good, but the chills moment came from mother nature when in the middle of the song, the fire-red moon appeared behind the stage. Synchronicity!

From there it just kept building. Blues For Allah was unexpected, and very very cool to see live. And frankly it gave me a few mins to rest my legs and collect my brain. Well before the end of Morning Dew I was back on my feet, drawn into the song as far as you can go.

Eyes. Wow. The music played the band. No other way to describe it.

Here's how mind-boggled I was after Eyes - I used Help-slip as a bathroom break. Took my time, enjoyed the sights. Franklin kicked ass and they went past curfew to do Box.

After the fireworks, hopped on the subway, and walked in the door at midnight, big-ass smile on my face...

P.S. I read the fine review above and I agree with it. John does seem to be an ensemble player at times and could be more assertive/aggressive. He almost shares the leads with Chimenti. I didn't see the winter tour, and lord knows he's played these tunes enough - maybe he's a little awed up there??

He does use some different tones though. A couple of times, can't remember exactly when, I thought it was Bobby actually trying to take a lead until I took a closer look. It was cool, slightly different than any of Jerry's tones.

Arrangement-wise,two things that were new to me were the ending jams in Good Lovin' (before they go back into the "old" riffs") and Unbroken. I hadn't heard those before and enjoyed them.

And of course enjoyed the venue & the Cyclone too!!

Thank you for a real good time !

2nd set was a definite chopper 5 star special

Ted...

did you honestly feel John didn't open up?!?!?!?

Every solo John took last night was amazing... I've been seeing him play for a while now, before Furthur, and I've seen major progression in his playing.

He did not hold back at all last night and it was not the Phil and Bobby show. It was the band playing as ONE.

John was amazing yesterday. Screaming loud where I was for the first set, a little less so in the second set. I took a buddy to his first show and all he could talk about was how amazing the lead guitar player was. Different strokes, I guess. I thought JK killed it last night.

JK did kill, people need to make sure they don't let where there mind set is influence what they think is coming out of John... cause last night... it was intense!

I'd agree with the feeling that JK was holding back Sat (reminded me of the first night at RCMH. does he get nervous on stage?) but not last night... but to each his own.

Vincent compared to what I have seen Furthur do, and that is eight shows so far, that is how I felt and I am trying to be objective. In my reviews I can be overly positive, so I am just trying to tell it like it was for my perspective.

I was with my son, who is 12 and it was his first Furthur show, granted he was not having the time of his life. We were listening to Eminem's new disc Recovery on the way down lol, the over all night was great night for me and I think he will have more fun in Lowell.

I will listen to the show again and see how it sounds, but I stand by the review. I mean John never really blew the roof off during that second set.
I mean have you hard that Dew from Ithaca? John's emotion and phrasing was on a totally different level than last nights version.Plus the Unbroken chain was just so much sicker that night as well.

I have much higher expectations, oh I hate that word lol, for Wednesday on his energy level. He needs to tear it up

>>>
I mean John never really blew the roof off during that second set.

I have much higher expectations<<<<

If I want to see someone blow the roof off (as an individual) I go see someone like Jeff Beck.

What I always liked about the Grateful Dead and what made them fairly unique was the interplay between the players (which is why I drifted away from going to shows after about 1983). I heard plenty of that interplay last night ... imo some of the best such stuff I've heard since the glory days of the Grateful Dead.

So you must have pretty high expectations, the way I see it.
I don't know about the comparison with UBC or Morning Dew, but that stuff in The Other One > Cryptical > Blues for Allah was just what I wanted to hear ... even if it did (or maybe because it did) almost fall apart ... that's improv for ya and what makes it magic for me.

and yeah, I was right up front which might have helped

Loved last night. Thought it was a good bit tighter than 6/26.

I think one of the unspoken things people are referring to about John's guitar playing, or what they're missing when comparing him to Jerry, has to do with how you define "Lead Guitar."

There's a difference between playing tasty lead guitar licks (which JK does beautifully) and assertively directing the music in different directions according to your personal muse and having the other band members follow along to support you on your quest (or disagree and try to move the music differently).

So yes, as was touched on previously, he's taking more of an ensemble approach to his soloing at this time, rather than a "damn-the-torpedos, full speed ahead, follow my lead or I'll leave you in the dust" approach. Is it due to personal taste, lack of skill, personality, deference, fear of being fired, etc? Who knows what goes into his artistic decision making? This is how he is choosing to define his role right now and it could be a lot worse. Personally, I love what he is doing now, but in thinking about what I miss about Jerry and how John could make this band better than it already is I offer the following.

I don't think the potential of this band will start to be fully realized until John really puts himself out there musically, to push and shape the flow of the music according to HIS vision (not how he thinks the other members want the music to be shaped). Playing lead guitar in this sense means that the other members need to follow him down these new paths he will try to blaze. They certainly will. He just needs to step forward and LEAD the way. I have always thought that Phil and Bob make their best music when they are following and supporting and playing with (or against) a strong lead guitar "voice." Certainly, the more energy Phil spends "conducting" the less "dancing" he does in and around the lead guitar.

So, here's to hoping for some "damn-the-torpedos" attitude from John in the future. If he does this, will he fall on his face and make a miserable wreck of things sometimes? Probably. Will they have musical disagreements as they each try to find their own authentic ways to the truth at the heart of each song? I hope so. That's the way is was in the Dead. But ultimately, I think that their musical conversations will become richer as a result of John trying to lead more and play along with less.

There's an old skiers axiom, "if you're not falling, you're not challenging yourself." There's a difference between playing it safe and giving it your all.

It will be interesting to see how things develop.

I was marvelling at the positive energy, loving vibe at the stadium and on the boards....but the reality of posting had to come through...

IMHO this is the best there will ever be...jump on the bus or get out of the way..I want to thank the thousands of brothers and sisters sharing love of GD music and each other.

I started in '71 and John is great. He is a valuable member of this band...equal to all and unafraid to play WHAT HE WANTS and Bob and Phil obviously approve because they haven't sounded better in 20 years. Jeff and Joe are soooo solid...Jeff is really growing into the most versatile and powerful keyboard player.

I'm not going to give you my critical review of each song or each set...they were jewels that need to be savored over and over to really appreciate the magic we were lucky enough to be a part of. Their imperfections make the facets of brillance shine brighter

TaperRob...I have to thank you again for selflessly sharing the music with hundreds who couldn;t be there.,..you are the eyes (and ears) of the world.

Reiki love to all
Myles

Andrew is was cool running into you again!

Ken and Kathy
Tracey and Greg
awesome meeting you all

Smoke as usual you are NUTS

Ted, thank you for this honest review....something is wrong if every show was the "greatest". it's OK ...you can still Love the band and give your honest opinion on a show. I have been listening to the shows this tour & not one has had the intensity of the winter tour yet, but the best is yet to come my brothers & sisters!!

Score yourself a coney dog and
Go Furthur.

Zensea we were right behind you last night, maybe 7 or 8 ft
Nice contribution WLP. I just listened to Utica again today and John was leading that night lol
It was only the third show of the tour and don't worry I LOVE this band

i am baffled by the jon bashing...im a guitar player and im not deaf....he was totally on and where i was by 3rd base we were commenting on how loud it was ...especially jon....people who kill it maybe are juat expecting too much....its not going to get any better than with jon....going tonight...ciao penns peak here w come

John was Great!
I loved both nights

I urge all to see DSO with Zens Jeff Mattson on lead, who in my opinion, is the best Jerry interpreter. Even in DSO, Jeff holds back a little as Rob Eaton is clesrly the "leader" of the band.

This IS the Phil and Bob show and John performs excellently as their "supporting" lead player.
Rumor has it that Jeff sounded TOO much like Jerry when he played with them earlier on.

AS we all know, Jerry was the Leader of the band (up until he was too strung out) and they all accepted his role as Leader.

It is not John's role to be the "Leader" of the band and I think he is quite comfortable in his role as a "supporting lead".

Trying to figure out going to the Castle, but otherwise see you all at Nokia.

Peace, Safety, and Best of Health to you ALL!

XXXOOO

Zensea we were right behind you last night, maybe 7 or 8 ft <<<

Well, damn!
Should have known there were some zoners nearby.
I was there the whole second set.

RE: John K.

We saw Friday through Sunday. Sunday was as up front and open as John was throughout the three nights. He was really held back and reserved Friday and Saturday, but I think he loosened up some by Sunday.

Not John bashing here I just want the music to be the best it can be when it happens and John is now a major part of it.
I will be in Lowell tomorrow and Herkimer on Saturday so more reviews will follow.

Sorry, folks, but this band is a pale imitation of the legendary Grateful Dead. If that's the best John can do, I'll pass. That Morning Dew was weak. That song should be retired in Jerry's honor. Jeff, however, has improved tremendously in the last five years or so. Phil is still Phil, and Bobby is still Bobby (good & bad), but if John can't cut loose better than that . . . I'll give them until the end of July (Nokia and Vibes) to raise the energy level.

Sorry, folks, but this band is a pale imitation of the legendary Grateful Dead. <<<

That's not really news.

So were the Grateful Dead after about 1983

but they were still worth seeing and hearing.

i was at both shows at coney - vibe was cool

sat i was on the field was nice but sunday i was happy to
have a bowl seat - although i danced the entire show- the bowl was much more reserved then the field crowd

anyway i liked the sat show but i loved sunday more
just wish the help slip frank was the opener for 2nd as i was tired as hell but still managed to dance

anyway i am looking forward to philly and nokia

will be in row d orch a for sat nite and row j orch a
on sunday so i will post some shots i take

enjoy and don't bash John

also i have 2 for sat philly for $45 EACH
ORCH C CENTER ROW L SEATS 121 & 128
MGOLDSTEIN9@HOTMAIL.COM IF INTERESTED I AM IN NYC

Another year and the overriding theme remains "never had a good time.". Thankyou now for 30 years of a ride meant to last a lifetime a certain death do us part. Well that being said, pulled into the around 2pm, commenting to the attendant about the high rent of 35 dollars, his reply"you didn't have to clean up after these folks... These folks just ain't right."well enough said except God Bless the Grateful Dead and of course all of us besides.
I' d rather be with you.
Next the Mann, both nights

I think they're worth seeing and hearing, but these posts make it sound much better than it actually is. It's always a treat to see Phil, and, really, how much longer can he keep up this pace? I just don't see travelling 4 or more hours to see these guys. I'm only going to cool venues (like MCU Park on Coney Island) within a couple hours of home. With Phil & Friends, I was willing to make a bigger commitment, because those shows had more energy and better musicianship than this particular ensemble. Maybe they'll take it up a notch, but if this is all you've seen of the legendary Grateful Dead, IMHO you're getting a pale imitation. It's more of a nostalgia trip than anything, and just can't compare. And I thought the Dead had some great moments after 1983, although certainly the consistency was lacking. Just my opinion, don't let me step on your buzz. Enjoy!

Very pleased with this show as well as Sat. 1st set was much better than Sat's. Interesting collection of stuff usually set-ending or 2nd set. Dig the Ryan Adams songs sung by John. Not much in the way of transitions in either set, but many intra-song jams were great - PHIL on Let It Grow - wow!!!! The Other One had a short but unique mid-verse meander. They seemed to have sung the Cryptical Part 1 verses after the Part 2 verse. Blues for Allah had some teases of semi-famous jazz pieces - I couldn't quite place them, definitely something vaguely familiar but hard to place - appropriate given the Brooklyn locale. I have to listen carefully to the stream to ID them. Slipknot was short but very unique - never heard it played this way - then they shuffled the tempo going into Franklins. Sound was great both nights - the calm humid air helped a lot, also being in the sweet spot behind the pitcher's mound. I do agree with the last poster that this certainly isn't the "over the top" greatness of the classic Phil lineups of '99 thru '03 (or even the fall '05/Feb '06 lineups), but it is what is is, they are good enough for me to relax and enjoy, I don't feel pressured to see a ton of shows; so far the few shows I've seen in both Feb and this run have been great (and seeminly better than some of the shows I woulda had to drive hours to see/ take time off from work for/ burn & stress myself out for), so, yes, things have a way of working themselves out . . .

A funny moment: During Morning Dew these loud jabbering wooks behind us turned several heads - so I said: "Hey Man, Give Fake Jerry Some Fuckin' Respect" - it shut them up and drew some chuckles . . .

"So were the Grateful Dead after about 1983"
I believe you missed some great shows then my friend.
I remember my brother telling me that the Dead were done after 1985 when I was seeing great shows in 1989 - 1990 brent years.
It is all a matter of when you got started...the 60's heads didn't like the band without Pig. The 70's heads missed Keith when Brent joined. I missed Brent when Vinny joined and Hornsby left...who really cares??
It's all Dead and each generation was blessed with this music and we still have it.
Go Furthur?

The 2 versions of "Visions of Johanna" I saw in - yes - 1995 - were the amongst the 2 best Jerry performances I ever saw . . . altho I seem to be fairly alone in this opinion, but Phil kinda agrees - ref his liner notes on the "Fallout from the Phil Zone" cd . . .

Jerry was *meant* to sing that song, a pinnacle indeed.

TO TED AND CLOUDY KNIGHT.....YES YOU ARE ENTITLED TO YOUR OPINIONS......BUT LAST TIME I CHECKED I WASNT PAYING 39.50 TO SEE YOU AT CONEY ISLAND....JON IS IN AN IMPOSSIBLE SPOT...IF HE SOUNDS TOO MUCH IKE JERRY YOU BASH HIM...IF HE DOESNT SOUND ENOUGH LIKE WHOMEVER YOU WANT HIM TO SOUND LIKE YOU BASH HIM....IF THEY OFFERED YOU THE JOB WOULD YOU SAy no?...I DONT KNOW WHAT MORE YOU WANT THE GUY TO DO...AND IM NOT HIS FRIEND IM NOT RELATED TO HIM AND HONESTLY I NEVER HAVE EVEN SEEN DARK STAR ORCH AND I COULD CARE LESS....SO HERES MY OPINION...BASH HIM ALL YOU WANT AND ITS YOUR RIGHT BUT SHOW A LITTLE COMPASSION AND JUST FOR THE RECORD I WENT TO 350 W/ JERRY FROM 79-95 SO I DO KNOW A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE BAND AND IN MY OPINION I WENT TO 50 SHOWS FROM 90-95 THAT DEFINATELY WERE HORRIBLE IF NOT BRUTAL WITH THE MAN.....SO IN MY OPINION YOUR EXPECTING TOO MUCH AND BASICALLY BEING IMPOSSIBLE TO PLEASE....BUT I COULD BE WRONG...DO EITHER ONE OF YOU HAVE A DEGREE IN MUSIC FROM ANYWHERE/ OR MAYBE GIVE GUITAR LESSONS?...IM TIRED OF THE JOHN BASHING....IF YOU DONT LIKE IT FINE PAY YOUR MONEY AND GO BUT ITS KIND OF FUNNY THAT 133 OUT OF 135 REVIEWS DONT AGREE WITH YOU...AND YES I DO PLAY GUITAR....HAPPY TRAILS

William I think you took my review way to personally and where do I " bash" John?
I don't dislike John's tone at all, my goodness brother.

As for the following show in Lowell John did blow the roof at times, check out that Deal and the jam in Doin' that Rag.
Just for the record I saw 127 Dead shows, excluding JGB, from '80-'95 and I totally agree with Sideshow about that "Visons of Johanna". I listen to it quite often.
Here is an excellent video of it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKhM-Ed8R8k

" we're all sitting here stranded doing our best to get by"