New here so not sure if this is right place to post these tips. If you want to avoid delays over the Grand Island bridges on the I-190. Take the I-290 Youngmann to Delaware or Elmwood Ave. exit, take Knoche Road west to Route 265 (Military Road) to River Road. You can get into Niagara Falls this way and then pick up the I-190 or Robert Moses to Lewiston. You're avoiding this: http://www.buffalonews.com/2010/07/01/1100332/trou bled-bridge-over-water.html

More travel tips. It's going to be a scorcher so if you have the time on your way through Niagara Falls you may want to visit the state park on Goat Island and bask in the energy and cool off at Terrapin Point. A little history here and I'll attempt to post some recent shots. http://www.niagarafrontier.com/terrapin.html
For those with more time, there's swimming and a beach at Beaver Island State Park on Grand Island. I'll be chillin in the zone for this one.

stay cool the music is HOT !

thank you very much for the tips!!!! Very kind of you

I got rusted in Rochester but am still Trucking up to Buffalo and so all I want to say is please, please, please play a little Fennario, and then a Reuben and a Loser; cuz I got lost in Rachacha and ended up at the State Police Station, was busted, but then I flew out in the morning to New Orleans and stood on Bourbon Street with my sweet lady wondering who kicked the friggin door in...all the time like a movie in my mind playing over and over again...what the shizit, and why me, but then I heard a Dark Star crash in Herkimer after bashing little crystals out of a stone from my tears came the loveliest Terrapin Station and a night full of stars and Venus shining brightly, and still by my side, a lovely lady I met at Maryland in 1983 as Uncle John’s Band played during the Grateful Drench, and They Loved Each Other that Wharf Rat and his little Cerise. Peace and Love My Friends. The Rat and His Little Cerise will be there and I hope yawl be there too. BE Kind and Love Each Other,

HUH?

get there quick there are 2 parking lots at this venue the ONLY 1 with any sort of SHADE is the lower parking lot!! Its gonna cost ya 10 bones to park but if ya want its just a little walk for free parking !All you all should try the bakery in town its world class!! this could be another herkimer so plan your time!

Looking for a Lazy Lightning to go with the anticipated thunderstorms... Brother Esau would be fine as well, and ending with an epic Dew please?

They'll repeat a Truckin' and you might get some oldies, reminiscent of:
03-17-70 Kleinhans Music Hall, Buffalo, N.Y. (Tue)
Dark Star> Drums*, Lovelight
*with Lynn Harbold Buffalo Philharmonic benefit -The Dead jammed on stage with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra
This was an epic event in Buffalo, as it was a sort of an acid test with so many people being turned on to the Dead on acid that night
and all those later War Memorial shows....

Sailor -> Saint for the Niagara Gorge ...

pinman--i like your thoughts on the lazy lightnin...i heard that phil said they'd rehearse it, and i heard a supplication tease during UJB in brooklyn, so we know its coming, unless they're savin it for out west, which is fine with me! w

buffalo is actually my hometown so im super excited for tonight, their stop here on the winter tour was HOT...lots of breakouts and lots of jamming

have a great show tonight zoners!!!

They skipped by Truckin last fall at Sheas in Buffalo. May do so again. Hoping for that darkstar jam. As for the Lukas Foss/Dead/Road performance in March '70, myself and friends who were there like to discuss that show. Funny how we all have different memories of it. And it wasn't taped. Later this summer the Buffalo Philharmonic is going to play a concert of Dead music. Gotta love the orchestra (and they're doing Pink Floyd in Niagara Falls soon).

pinman - i like your Brother Esau call. Highly underated tune imho. Don't know if anyone will get that one though. I also heard that lazy lightening was coming back sometime this tour possibly.

stream tonight?

yo

love esau as well would love to hear it

from deadheadland on facebook:

operator
crazy fingers>
jam

Operator! Nice. I love that they're breaking out new tunes.

Sittin' on Top
operator
Crazy Fingers >
West LA
TLEO
Big River




thanks tons...

Sittin' on Top
operator
Crazy Fingers >
West LA
TLEO
Big River
Women R

Bird song

Sittin' on Top
operator
Crazy Fingers >
West LA
TLEO
Big River
Women R
Birdsong

This is sick!

Totally cool to be able to keep up with this in anticipation of the Phila show.

I hope we got some kind tapers up there!

I think the whole first set was comprised of tunes played for the first time this summer. Never fear. Big RR in Philly!

Looking like another cool setlist

I'm hearing ashes & glass and cosmic charlie for the 2nd set so far via Deadheadland.

hearing doin' that rag > hard to handle > deal. Can anyone confirm?

ashes and glass
cosmic chuck
Doin' That Rag
hard 2 handle >
deal
?dear prudence?

according to a "other stuff" thread

Ah. guess no one liked my commentary. I'll just be a spectator.

deal, dear prudence, cryptical envelopment

Confirmed.

Verified by friend at show

Confirmed.

Verified by friend at show

dark star

TOO

king solomon's marbles

Mason's Children

interesting second set. still lots of first run stuff for this tour.

SOTOTW
Operator
CrazyFingers>
West LA
TLEO
BigRiver
Women
BirdSong

Ashes&Glass
CosmicCharlie
Doin'ThatRag
Hard to Handle>
Deal
Dear Prudence
Cryptical>
Dark Star>
OtherOne>
KingSolomon's>
Mason's

Encore?

jb goode

I was worried they were getting into a rut of playing the same few thing on this tour. Good to see them mix it up a bit. Dark Star and TOO getting a lot of play, which is never a bad thing for me. Is this the first Ratdog bomb that's been dropped this tour?

no, TwoDjinn in columbus, they did it in radio city and hampton in feb. also

they did ashes & glass in ithaca in feb.

thanks for the updates tonight. if your going to allgood, be careful. i've seen some crazy shit go down in those WVa mountains. Can't wait till Saturday.

Crazy setlist!

Yeah I was at Ithaca and RCMH. I meant this tour.

Well, the local and park police certainly did a number on the crowd tonight. Vending was a complete hassle. I have vended quality merchandise for years and have never seen a hassle like this evening. Lewiston was a total disappointment for me. Instead of going after the undesirables that unfortunately always gravitate to the scene, the police completely shut down Shakedown. Although the police were polite, their Nazi patrols of the parking lot were ridiculous.

Just got home. Great evening! Got off to an uneven start through most of the first set but with only a couple of exceptions the show rocked hard from Birdsong through the encore. Nice to hear some breakout tunes too.

Overall impressions: Russo was an absolute monster tonight, and the core rhythm section of Russo, Phil & Bob was on fire tonight. Chimenti was subdued overall except for the monster jam in the second set around Darkstar, and John seemed to be trying to keep up with the old dudes most of the night, although he did shine several times.

Standing On Top Of The World was a fun opener and set an upbeat tone right off the bat. Out on the lawn the sound was at ¼ of the volume it would end at- which made it hard to really connect with the music through most of the first set.

The seated area was under a big three-sided shed with just a small opening to the lawn area- like SPAC but smaller. They only had two little speaker stacks flown outside for the entire lawn area- each stack had 8 little speakers no bigger than my home stereo and no subwoofers. When the sound finally got cranked up it sounded good, until some speakers in the left stack where I was blew and then that sound sucked the rest of the night- so I migrated to the right stack and it was crystal clear and loud over there.

It was hard to hear Phil in the first set, just a low rumble from deep inside the shed to let you know he was actually playing. Second set the mains were loud enough that we could hear him clearly even with no subs on the lawn. I went inside for a moment at one point and it was really boomy and hot in there.

Anyway, technical issues aside, first set highlights for me were Crazy Fingers, which was pretty darn tight, and Birdsong- which had a really sweet and spacy jam where they had the group mind going. I had my eyes closed and was really getting into it until some idiot repeatedly asks me for a light. People were talking loudly throughout the first set. WTF?!

Ashes & Glass is a great tune to hear live and they rocked it hard- John was huge and they really did it nicely. They were in rock god mode through the entire second set.

Cosmic Charlie was loose, ragged and it was a real party they threw down for us. Still don’t know why they banish the backup singers for this tune- they could really use the help! Then another tune with a ragged a capella ending- and what a delight to hear them absolutely tear up Doin That Rag. It was big and meaty and loud and a hint of the tight, precision playing which was to come in a big way.

Hard To Handle was super funky and had everyone dancing hard- you couldn’t resist- Jeff had some nice tight old school funk keys going and Bobby was right there on the rhythm guitar. I was expecting Phil to start popping and slapping at any minute. He was super tight.

Deal seemed misplaced and never really hit the stratospheric levels we’ve come to enjoy during the lead solo sections- John wasn’t quite able to put it over the top and the groove felt a bit stilted at times.

The guys behind me had mentioned they had sound-checked Prudence so it wasn’t a surprise, and they did a pretty good job of it, although they had a few arrangement issues here and there, but did a fairly solid reading of the Jerry band version for the most part.

Cryptical was most welcome, albeit a bit ragged, but I knew we’d get the meat and potatoes sooner or later and I was not wrong.

The turn into Darkstar was a bit unexpected but those first few notes of the lead line Phil laid down sent electricity through the entire crowd- we knew what was coming- and it didn’t let us down- a super version of DS- it was even ok that we only got the first verse- the jam that followed was the best I’ve heard these guys play together- it was like some of the more random noodling jams from ’72 and ’74 where they each had their own thing going on and would just magically melt together playing hide & seek and chase and blind man’s bluff all at the same time- you’ve got to listen to this particular jam section- I don’t have words to describe the playfulness and beauty of it. All of them were channeling the pure stuff with the aperture wide open.

The Other One was a rock solid, loud, gutsy version with Phil’s familiar lead-in run and all cannons firing in synch. It was sick n’ twisted and it would only get better as Russo was a man possessed- and the sequence into King Solomon’s was outrageous. Russo was driving the spaceship on warp 9 careening around the universe and jaws were dropping. Amazed we didn’t hit any freakin stars out there.

And the coup de gras was Mason’s- holy shit- I danced my ass off- shit was flying everywhere! I still have the song stuck in my head. They really rocked hard and are one of the best bands on the road right now. Run, don’t walk, to see these guys if you haven’t yet.

Great! Thanks for posting!!

Still not done complaining. With the National Parks system being in the shape they are financially it would have been the right idea to collect permit fees from the vendors and let them make their money which would have been cycled into the local economy. None of that happened tonight. The band should look into the whole situation as most of the vendors are many years long dedicated fans who are being screwed. The show tonight was completely lackluster as they are half of the time lately. Let the new guy take over if it is too much for the old guys. Sorry, you know it's the truth.

Sitting On Top Of The World
Operator
Crazy Fingers
West LA Fade Away
They Love Each Other
Big River
Women Are Smarter
Bird Song

Ashes & Glass
Cosmic Charlie
Doin' That Rag
Hard to Handle
Deal
Dear Prudence
Cryptical Envelopment>
Dark Star V1>
Jam>
The Other One>
King Solomon's Marbles>
Mason's Children

Donor Rap
Johnny B Goode

This show had none of the odd, often forced little jams they try to use to segue between tunes. It was refreshing to have breaks in between a lot of tunes tonight.

>>>>>> Run, don’t walk, to see these guys if you haven’t yet.

Come now.....

When did you see your first show?

2007?

I mean, these guys are, to quote Keyshawn, fun for 'some shits and giggles', but that's about it.
Serious business it ain't - let's keep things in perspective a little for once around here.

Nope, 1977. September 3rd.

I think it is seriously fun.

I've been going to shows with these boys for 30 years now- this line-up is WAY better than "the dead" were the past few tours. I'm not saying the entire show was off the hook- it wasn't- but the nuggets are still pure gold and are there if you let them in. The original Grateful Dead were a 50/50 proposition at best- let go of your expectations, my man. I am very grateful to still be able to get my brain scrubbed by this music live now and then

Sorry- just noticed the poster was the infamous Bucky- should've just let that one slide by without comment... you never did seem to have an open mind in your old posts from years gone by. Your loss. Have you even been to a show this tour or are you just an armchair sailor?

Mason's!!

They could play the same Primal set every night, and I'd be there with newborn enthusiasm every night, right there along with them.

Cryptical Envelopment>
Dark Star V1>
Jam>
The Other One>

any gig that offers these gems is an amazing gift....
Be Grateful for what you have....

Go Ride the Music!

XXXOOO

>>>>> Have you even been to a show this tour or are you just an armchair sailor?

Yes, I've been to several.
The first night in Brooklyn and Herkomir (breezed in AND out - imagine what arriving at 2:30 can do for car problems?)

After 5 shows since December, I've seen enough - and that's with 4 Dark Stars, lol.

I wasn't saying that in '99-'00 = and that was BEFORE the imfamous Q you people like to shove down my throat as the only band that was any good, lol.

Furthur is fun at times, but, hardly consistently great - especially for 3 hours straight, whereas P&F was (99-03) and TOO's were too (2002).

That's why I said "Run, don't walk to see this band" is a bit of an over-hype, that's all.

If you can say 'That's my opinion and I'm sticking to it", well, so am I, no big deal.

But, after 10 years, seeing the latest incarnation raved over as the greatest thing since sliced Jerry triplets - well the more things change, the more they stay the same....


Like night after night:

'LOOKS like a killer setlist, man'

BUT say a show looks bad on paper and......

'You can't tell if a show is good by looking at a setlist if you weren't there to hear the music, dude.'

Something wrong with this picture?
No, it's just the nature of the Philzone, i.e., intolerance unless one agrees with the masses.

It would have been interesting as to opinions now if Furthur had been the first band that Phil did after his transplant 11 years ago.

Perspective indeed.

>>>but, hardly consistently great - especially for 3 hours straight, whereas P&F was (99-03) and TOO's were too (2002)<<<

That would have been a spit-take on my computer if I'd been drinking anything while I read that.

>>>the police completely shut down Shakedown<<<

About time. Too bad they didn't do that 30 years ago.

And pretty funny that you're expecting the body you feed off of to "look into the whole situation" and protect you so you can continue to feed off them.

It's a concert for people who have tickets, not a culture, not a community meeting or a free-for-all flea market. Just a concert. Buy a ticket and go on in. Don't buy a ticket and do something else. SomeWHERE else. Things in general would go SO MUCH more smoothly if that's the way it worked.

I imagine you're a fine person Chris Smirth, and having the venue charge vendors to do their work INSIDE the gates is fine with me, but selling ANYTHING in the lots just creates the ratty problems that ruined the band 20 years ago and that has devolved to a breaking point now.

Nice review BTW pinman. Thanks for the effort.

this is the"greatest thing since sliced Jerry triplets"

Finally Bob weir plays like Bob Weir again, not since Jerry's death has Bob even tried to play in the complimentary way he did with Jerry,
Now Finally with John he's back to be the intuitive reactive rhythm player I love and find endlessly interesting.
Terry

Bucky your an old fart,Stay home and complain on the internets.It amazes me how your always 1st to bring down somebody who had a GREAT time,Just STFU

Nice review Pinman, I awlays appreciate it when someone takes the time to write an actual review (hint: "It was really great!!!" isn't a review). Glad you had a good time. The second half of the second set looks fantastic.

But your own review does kind of justify what Bucky said, especially given that the sound by your own assessment was poor for the first set. I know that folks like to rag on Buck but just because you don't like his delivery doesn't mean that he isn't making some good points at times. I do think that consistency, both between and within shows, is a problem with this lineup and that they certainly aren't delivering the show-to-show power that we got from some of Phil's lineups earlier this decade. For instance, the first set at Neteva was pretty unexciting standard fare. Cumberland was arguably the high point and I just watched a video of the Grateful Dead doing it at a a sound check in '88 that blew that version away. On the other hand, the second set was great (even with some songs included that I don't particularly care for) and had some perfectly sublime moments. I've heard enough of this lineup by this point to see that as a pattern. But when they do hit a groove they do it really well and have their own unique sound. I would have loved to have heard that second set from DS on, I bet that it encapsulated everything that this line up does well and that it was beautiful and powerful.

As for:

"The original Grateful Dead were a 50/50 proposition at best"

well, I just don't think that holds up. There were a lot of so-so shows in the last five years, but no band that only delivered half the time would have ever ascended to the heights that the Grateful Dead did. Having Jerry Garcia on stage up through 1993 was a lot more then a 50-50 proposition.

I read these reviews constantly, post on occasions, and have always enjoyed Bucky's comments, agree or not. This is an open forum and everybody has a right to post something relevant. Having seen over 400 shows since the late 60's (Grateful Dead and spins)it is always interesting to see everyones take....."killer set lists" seen and not heard is hard to justify....."run don't walk to see this band" is slightly over used....."best band since Legions of Mary or whomever" always makes me wonder how far back someone goes.....all I know is value Bucky's statements as we all should value each others....that does not necessarily mean agreement either....

>>>I mean, these guys are, to quote Keyshawn, fun for 'some shits and giggles', but that's about it.
Serious business it ain't - let's keep things in perspective a little for once around here.<<<

I think a lot of people would say the same could be said of the Grateful Dead.

im with pinman on this one.....bucky i dont know what to say to you so i wont...but i will say this...ive seen every possible lineup configured since `1979....dead jgb solo jerry w/kahn.....weir wasserman...first further in 96 ratdog every further grateful dead other ones ...basically every possible configuration at least 5 times w/350 jerry dead shows...with jimmy herring whom i personally dont like playing with weir or phil...warren haynes? your joking right....thank christ they abandanded the allman brothers tunnelvision rotating guitar players...if you wanted to have an allman brother play jerry the fucking obvious choice to me would have been dickey betts and not only that...holy shit what would it have been like to see dark star into blue sky or ramblin man...jon imo is clearly the best since jerry died and if nobody can see this i dont know what to say...except maybe stay at home and listen to phil and friends with jeff pevar shit that was fucking great not.....jackie greene? please....larry campbell...all those musicians are geat in their own way and band not with bob weir and phil...the energy they put out right now astonishes me and i look at their faces..they are having fun...i do agree that they look a little tired some nights...but in case you havent looked at a calender they have played like 12 of the last 15 nights with travel almost every night....i go every night with an open mind and the best part is i havent been to one that was bad like giants stadium 94 when jerry basically went into a complete mental coma and turned his back on the crowd for 15 during half step cause he forgot how to play it....93-94-95 dead was a 50/50 crapshoot at best...usually 1 good set ....these guys consistently evry night pull out the nuggets...i dont know what more you want them to do....coney island and i was there blues for allah all of terrapin...even if it wasnt up to your standards the critics in here it was so fun for me...thank god i wasnt standing next to you...ive been to 15 since december 2009 and everybody im around all love it....i guess ill have to find the zoner section at nokia soyou can actually tell me your criticisms to my face but ill will also point the good parts and in my opinion there are more good parts so that makes it better than a 50/50 prop for me and probably 1950 out of the other 2000....my vote is with the majority and im going til it ends and loving it thank god...it took 14 years but they finally did the right thing

ill probably end up in philly tomorrow but lets make a zoner date at nokis...lets pick a place where we can meet and lets listen to the music and i will personally be the first one to point out when they miss a chord or foget the words...but when they nail it i expect some kind words to be heard from the critics....you can all email me at bil2anto @ aol

One more for me on Sunday night. I do agree that the twelve shows in two weeks is really a tough load, and I am sure it was not their preference, but it is what it is.

For me, Furthur is a ride home. "Seems like I've been here before........" When I went to the Oakdale show I had read what Bob and Phil said of this band, which was essentially that The Dead tour rekindled a connection between them and there
was joy and discovery to evolve in that chemistry.
(something not shared w the drummers) When Phil said, "We can still conjure up that old time feeling.", he gave me a clue what this band would be about; investigating the changes in scenery on the so many roads round the wheel leading home. There's still gambling, weird detours, scary isolate spaces and, yes boring get thru it stretches. But these guys always bring me home. (and I gotta say the Q did not do for me. that was high level jazzesque jamming which was more intense, but felt rather cold and was def. closely directed by phil) After over 40 years of poking around w these guys I am very very grateful for this ride. I never thought I'd be on it again.

"It's a concert for people who have tickets, not a culture, not a community meeting or a free-for-all flea market. Just a concert. Buy a ticket and go on in. Don't buy a ticket and do something else. SomeWHERE else. Things in general would go SO MUCH more smoothly if that's the way it worked."

AMEN.

William, well stated. Having only listened and not seen (due to work) to about 7 or 8 shows I would have to say there is great potential with this new line up. I will also have to say that from the first tour of last year to now there has been marked improvement. So the opportunity is there. Hearing old nuggets is fun, new approaches and combinations is a pleasant change. Second set, first day from Queens really stands out. What I hope is some new material that forms and takes shape and adds to this morphing group of musicians....to me that will be the test. I am hoping that they tour again and I can catch several shows live....I could use a boost right now.

I owe the board and Bucky an amends- late night/tired= easy ego reaction- and that's not what this forum is for, so my apologies.

I do agree with comments (and said as much in my review above) that the performance through an entire show is generally pretty uneven with this band. My "run, don't walk" comment was about going to the mine to get the gold nuggets these guys are making for us- those jams and tunes that may bring us to that higher place for 5-30 minutes, maybe even an entire set if we're lucky. You don't get that with many other bands. If you've been sitting on the fence, not making the effort to get to a show, you're missing out on some high times. I say that knowing you gotta wade through some compost on the way to heaven. But it was always like that with the Grateful Dead- no matter the era, not just the late '90's. Give this lineup more time together and their statistics will increase for more "on" time each show. I'm not saying they are equaling the '72 tours, I'm just happy to witness the group mind in action and be lifted up for a while in the music I love. I got to experience that at both of the shows I attended this tour. So I figure I'm batting 1000, even with some ragged first set stuff here and there.

Too bad the sound was kind of awful on the lawn for the first set. We were inside (man it was hot) but the sound was great and it was a very good first set. Wonderful West LA fadaway, smokin big river, even man smart was good and I dont even like that song. Very strong first set!!

I applaud what Gratefulbillnj said...


and agree 100%.


I'm lovin it all...I'm soooo over critiquing every note (not that I ever did) I am just rejoicing in the fact Bobby and Phil are playing (ESP Phil) and having FUN and not charging exorbitant prices for their shows, and are playing (mostly) at non-corporate (aka NON LIVE NATION) venues, and are making it possible once again to spend a night or two experiencing sheer bliss...


sorry for those who it ain't like that for. (OMG WORST sentence composition EVER) lol

thanks for the setlists!!

Thank you for those who have the take of:

I'm soooo over critiquing every note (not that I ever did) I am just rejoicing in the fact Bobby and Phil are playing (ESP Phil) and having FUN and not charging exorbitant prices for their shows, and are playing (mostly) at non-corporate (aka NON LIVE NATION) venues, and are making it possible once again to spend a night or two experiencing sheer bliss...

I love it when I'm quoted...

thanks for agreeing...there's lots of us out there...

The Grateful Dead were a 50/50 band after Keith, for sure. The 80's and 90's definitely were inconsistent and imho not comparable to earlier live periods.(Although, I did enjoy those coke shows from the early 80's in which the band played some of the catalogue at double tempo). 1966-78 is probably 80/20.

Take what you can get.

We all wish Jimmy Herring and Rob Barraco were still playing with Phil, but this new installation is pretty sweet.

They've been playing small venues and charging reasonable prices for tickets. That's better than most large jam tours.

And as for this Grateful Dead decline after Keith, well, i have dozens of shows that might make you think otherwise.

hey alex rubin - i agree with your assessment


And I also agree with whoever said earlier that THIS LINEUP is better than the Grateful Dead of 93-95 - I think that is a true statement, even though most people refuse to make critical statement about jerry, he just wasnt that great in the 93-95 period.

I even like this version of the band better than The Dead lineup with Mickey and Billy - although nothing tops the Drums segments with those two.
But JK adds more than Warren did.

> i have dozens of shows that might make you think otherwise.


point me to one that tops shows from the Europe 72 tour.

im not looking for attention or to hurt someones feelings but i do pray that tomorrow night im surrounded by people like areukind and rhutze...these people go with an open mind and get it...and whatever happened to going to a show and barbequing and hanging out with old friends and having a great time and then listening to some great music...for me it was always about the whole experience including driving...traffic...exhorbitant parking fees ...idiotic parking schemes ..dense employees...bob flubbing the words ...and then mind blowing jams....every night is different..thats what has attracted me for 31 years...you never know what your going to get...if they played the same set list every night like the stones you would bitch about that...sometimes you have to take 2 steps back to go 2 steps further...hello people......looking forward to seeing my brothers and sisters in philly tomorrow night...so many roads but only 1 to take us home

and they always play great in philly would be surprised to go to a clunker and even then im going with a dear old friend ...i personally dont care if they play mary had a little lamb....dont let it bring you down its only castles burning so find someone thats turning and you will come around

grubby and rob right on...thumbs up

this lineup totally blows away 1 year ago with warren......if you want to see warren go to govt mule or the allman bros cause thats what he is

Feeling pretty exhilarated today after the sounds and the sauna last night. I will only attend any show these days if I have a good seat where I can see and hear every nuance. That is, except when of course the eyes are closed. Last night did not disappoint. The sights and sound where I sat--I mean stood -- were never better. Joe was a monster I agree and Jeff's keyboarding was on the money. JK was channeling Jerry I swear. Bobby was on and vocals better than I've heard in a while. Phil was in the groove and laying down the shit. And speaking of vocals, finally could hear everyone's parts and loved the high harmonies. I heard so many musical genres, and the jazzing was mighty fine. Beyond overanalyzing here, just get loose and let the music take you where it may. Feeling so damn lucky to be able to still be thoroughly entertained by the guys and gal. No complaints here. I love this ensemble. Blast off and smooth landing.

Well, Well, Well, I went to three shows in the past two weeks and I swear I have never seen the boys and girl have this much fun in so long. I sat back during Sitting on Top of the World and waited for the sound to come up to levels and then Phil segued into a very nice rendition of Operator. The sound at this point was awesome and being inside the sweat box I had a very different experience than Pinman. I thought the sound was very clean and even, unlike the Herkimer first set where the sound guy could not get the levels set until the 2nd set. Crazy Fingers popped and this was a good sign that a very spacey show was about to occur. By the way CF was incredible and inspiring, and then a song I kind of asked for from heaven They Loved Each Other with all of the band members driving home the line “You gotta try and see a little further.” JK especially picking up the beat on that line and driving it home, it brought chills welling up from deep inside. Not missing a beat they sang an ode to old man Niagara with the Big River and then a rousing and rocking version of Man Smart Woman Smarter. The birdsong was again jazzy and spacey and left everyone with a sense of wanting more… and more came with the band during the second set and I agree with Pinman on this one acting out in Rock God Mode, nice call Pinman. Ashes and Glass was awe inspiring and then a Cosmic Charlie albeit kind of lackluster compared to the Rochester show but always a nice song and it used to be oh so rarefied air. Doing That Rag was the song of the night IMHO an JK sang and played his heart out on this very telling song, everyone was in full trip mode by now and “Old like a rum drinking demon at tea” At this point I want to comment on the Shakedown scene just a little and use the words of the song of the night my Phriends,
“Hipsters, tripsters,
real cool chicks, sir,
everyone's doin' that rag
You needn't gild the lily, offer jewels to the sunset
No one is watching or standing in your shoes
Wash your lonely feet in the river in the morning
Everything promised is delivered to you
Don't neglect to pick up what your share is
All the winter birds are winging home now
Hey Love, go and look around you
Nothing out there you haven't seen before now
This Police type of stuff is completely out of the hands of the band …I have been going to Rock and Roll concerts for 35 years and by far and away more shizit gets done at a Dead gathering than anywhere else, be cool children there is always another day, to sell your wares. Besides I know and you know that most of you have no tickets anyway…and are panhandling for a miracle.
Moving on now into the set Bobby blows the roof off with an awesome vocal rendition of Hard To Handle, and then a cautionary Deal to warn everyone that all is not wild and to Watch each card you play and play it slow…again I agree with Pinman and JK did not quite transcend this song and there seemed to be a little disconnect between Bob, Phil, and JK, although the Keys and Drums were rock steady.
Dear Prudence was very well played and oh so sweet just like Jerry used to play except of course that Bobby was singing, but I must say he did do an emotional rendition and I was impressed. Then after this was the bomb of a Spaced out Crytical Dark Star , That’s iT for the Other, and then the Marble Transition to Masons cautionary tale although again a deeper meaning was laid out tonight folks and that was …
Be Careful, Be Cautious, Love Each Other, and by all means have fun but don’t tread to hard on the uninitiated. Get it good; see you in the fall, Zip Zip Zip Aroo

right on zippy! i loved this show! great high energy, and the sound INSIDE the shell was fantastic. doin that rag, cosmic charlie, and women R were totally rockin. it wasn't a trippy spacy show...i liked rochester for that variety of mood, but it was so upbeat and fun fun fun! I am so happy to hear those good ol' dead tunes played live with such life and new energy. That's the last show for me this tour and i will miss you excellent dead heads until then. oh, and i support anyone's right to a critical review. they can't ALL be stellar shows.

Sounded great inside...alot of fun again...

Great discussion but how about more reviews. I have been asking for a review of the STAR but no one has chimed in...(my post from iphone is not here); its been since the early 2001 era since I have actively been on this board...I hate negativity which is why I stayed away from these threads. Lets not get caught up in too much bashing and let me say this: this is the best dead 'cover band' (I say cover reluctantly with all due respect to BOb and Phil)we will ever see. One observation of myself when I have been at shows: I am older now, and not new to concerts of this scene by any means. I was 25 when Jerry died. I saw 99 dead shows (most in CA) and had a great time. Simply put, I think we are critical because we are generalizing our own feelings of 'been there done that'. Its tough to stay high on the band all the time when Jerry is not there. The anticipation of what would be played (the Stephen) is not there and the youthful kindred spirit I once or perhaps others have is just not there-fuck I am in a suit in the puittsburgh airport!. If you go to the shows looking for consistency well that is silly, unless you have been to all of the previous shows...can we just accept it for what it is...BUcky is not wrong, I think just mis articulated his own feelings of the fact that we all miss Jerry...I know ole timers who stopped seeing shows in '73!! because Pig was gone I mean its all relative. See ya in Philly! Please review the darkstar its my favorite tune. Looking for scarlet fire in Philly on sat. Final thought: had the chance to meet and greet back stage with bob a couple years ago and he is a hell of a nice guy who realy loves the music like we do! Everyone is doing there best!

Wow. I feel I may get sappy, but here I go.... We each have a point of view, each valid all its own. Phil was awesome this night, and not that night. Bobby's voice was terrific that night and raspy this night. So and so didn't look at so and so and so on and so forth... The more I read these reviews, the more I realize how great this band is and how amazing this audience is and how much more I still love and appreciate this music - more and more. I can't think of any other band (in any lineup) or group of True American Troubadours in my life that can conjure up this much love, criticism, Americana, tears, debates, opinions, joy, commentary, reviews, details, excitement, attitude and many more adjectives and adverbs that I'll let you fill in. My point is that I really feel that something importantly powerful is taking place, and has - dare I say - returned to remind us of what it was we lost or left so many days ago. "Come back to the healing waters and let them wash your wounds and woes before venturing back into the wild world of life". It's only a concert in the end, and you can't take it with you. But what you remember and share is what it becomes and what a great sacrament that is to bestow! I like to think that the muse still resides in the halls of all these shows: watching and listening .... feeling around the corner for those lucky few who looked right into the 'strangest of places' when they least expected it and found a new sensation coming from their heart! Just like (Scurve) stated - I too never thought I'd get to ride these grooves this high again. They are no replacement for rides gone by, they are just different rides: still trying to find that same joy that can take us all a bit higher in our humanity = Our love of music, life and adventure. Our sense of camaraderie when we see a SYF or hear that oh so familiar guitar-lick in the wind. Or whatever it is that hits you. This phenom will probably not happen again with such power, interest, love, and all the things that make it what it is again in ours or our childrens' lifetimes. We are the luckiest of fools! All of us!

I love the bus!


-- and in the End, the Love you take is equal to the Love you make --


Quadrivium Medicament

http://www.archive.org/details/Furthur2010-07-08.A KG481

>> >>>>>I love it when I'm quoted...

I actually hate it, lol......

Can't take the tension anymore. Period.

I knew I'd spark interest here though, dbl lol......

Since I'm off on my way to something you should REALLY run not walk to - revival meetings right here in CT (and not the stereotype you see in the old movies from the 50's or Pentecostal 'revival meetings but the REAL presence of God manifesting - but lest we get off on a tangent, let's stay on topic.......

When I return, 1,2,3 AM, next week, whenever the Glory lifts and I get peeled off the floor (if that happens), I will give you a SHORT (LOL) show by show synopsis of what I've seen and how I've come to my conclusions.....

But think of this:

If I wasn't enjoying myself, would I have gone to shows on 3 seprate tours?

I went to see The Ham N Eggers once and said "Never Again" and stuck to that, didn't I?

That says something right there..........

thank you tapers!^^^^^

enjoying very much the show I didn't get to :-(

Paragraphs are your friend.

Oh man. I just listened to the West LA and man oh man did Bobby rub me the wrong way...nails on a chalkboard. It was like a perfect storm of the things that annoy me about the current Bob. I don't even want to talk about it.

I still love this band and Bob. I had a blast in Brooklyn. I can't wait for tomorrow and Sun in Philly and then the Nokia's.

This is just the place for reviews and I'm just sayin'...

Sometimes I just need to vent.

Sorry for the negativity of course.

>>>We all wish Jimmy Herring and Rob Barraco were still playing with Phil<<<

Not all of us.

Every incarnation to date had pretty much run its course when they decided to change it up.

Hoping this group has some legs.

"We all wish..."

speak for yourself, because you aren't speaking for me.

Just Don't Boo when God's presence doesn't manifest o.k. Bucky

As a lover of the good ol' Grateful Dead, we are so lucky to have this still happening with vitality in 2010. It was so hot last night and yet the band keeps playing on!

Great venue selection this tour with all its bumps in the road. Really cool!

Thanks for making western New York a tour stop again Phil!

>>>>>>Just Don't Boo when God's presence doesn't manifest o.k. Bucky

LOL......

Don't even compare sinful man with a Holy God.....

ROTFLMAO.

God ALWAYS shows up. Or, is always with me and present when I look to Him.

Some 'organized gatherings', the leadership can sure put the damper on the Holy Spirit moving though.

Not here, not tonight though - I even got to minister, that's how free it was.
And tomorrow, down to the inner city to evangelize with them - it's so good when God is left free to be, uh, God.

Too bad it's so rare.


Anyhow, let's get onto the topic because I don't want to hijack the thread (really) but keep the focus.


Well, here's my story.......

Furthur started back in Sept or whatever.
I heard the shows live, or what I could stand - if you remember, the quality was just awful.

I heard a better copy of the middle show, listened to the opener, the night they did TOO (first night perhaps) and the final night.

It was good enough that I decided to go to Oakdale, 30 minutes from my house, in December.

Going in, I figured it would be good, considering Oakdale's track record and the way the tour was set up. After the way the band was almost unanimously killed following the two shows in NYC to open the 'tour', Key and I were positive they'd kick ass (if possible) in Oakdale to silence the critics. We were correct.

What we heard was high energy from the start, except for Bob crushing the energy on the closing instrumental of MNS by yelling repeatedly "Never stop, never stop." in the middle of the jam.....

Second set, was very good, even my first Born Cross Eyed with it's 17 second Spanish Jam instrumental (big deal). The jam afterwards with the 11 tease was nice though, as was the 22 minute Dark Star, which seemed like a real Jerry rip-off at times and not as improvisational as most I've seen in the past.
The St Stephen was long, a good jam, but, just as always, no big climax - nobody's done one since The Q broke up. And don't say the climax was a Q thing because Herring/Pevar, Haynes/Trucks & Haynes/Jorma all did it too.

All & all, I felt it was a solid show, as good as Furthur could do at the time, but not loose at all with room for improvement as the band played more shows together.

Well, two tours later, I've seen some better playing, but not a better show.

In Feb, I went to Amhurst on the spur of the moment. This show really wasn't clicking on all cylinders to start, after an Aiko (circa 1977) teased NFA that went into Althea. The first set seemed to warm up during the instrumental in BEW & was fine from there through a fine Cassidy & Casey Jones to end the set.

Second set started with a Dark Star tease into my 40th Lost Sailor > Saint of Circumstance.
Try as I might with an open mind to enjoy it, it still bored the hell out of me - seen one, seen 'em all due to the lack of improv this 'suite' has. New Speedway was no big shakes and I was patiently waiting for my 7th Dark Star in 8 shows, when things took off during King Solomon's Marbles, which is hardly one of my favorites (too structured). But this one was muy caliente and this sudden catching on fire continued through a smoking Caution (also my first unless you count the GD 5/6/81). It was loaded with double time that quickly melted into ANOTHER 22 minute full version of Dark Star. This one had virtually no opening instrumental, and therefore much more jamming between verses than Oakdale.
I recall 3 distinct jams before melting into a space that was quite scary and JK even touched on the first half of The Tiger. Just when I heard Stella teasing, Phil rolled the band back into Dark Star at breakneck speed, like it was 1968, which led to a very humorous moment when Bob tried singing "Laaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyy-Dee in velvet" while the band refused to slow down, lol. A solid TOO and excellent Let It Grow followed before going back into NFA.

This hour of music was definitely the best I've seen this band play and encouraged me that they were making progress.
Yet, ONE hour out of three, unlike the glory days.

The following week, I went to Mohegan Sun - I simply hate that place, but that's where they were.
And, my Dark Star streak got broken. In the last 17 shows I've been to, I've seen DS 13 times. Out of the 4 times I've missed it, 1 was a night after a DS I saw and the other 2 were at Mohegan Sun....

But, this night, I got 15 minutes of The Other One instead - and I mean 15 minutes of ACTUAL Other One, not just jamming around TOO. 15 minutes of TOO riffs split into 2 halves. Counting the 'jams, it would be 21 minutes, a good length these days for a Dark Star, lol.
The opener was Jam (Bluesy > He's Gone) > TOO (8 minutes) > Alligator & just smoking. After that, things settled down considerably into one song after another with a gambling line or theme (except Deal thank God the way they play it so slow - do they still?). The only exception was a Pride of Cucamunga with a TOO tease.
Second set had a very average Bertha (only 7 "anymores") into a fine Good Lovin with a closing jam I got totally lost in.
After that, He's Gone teased TOO 2 more times, followed by Halfstep (more gambling lines).
An oddly placed SOTM led into a SEVEN minute TOO reprise/Verse II, followed by The 11 > Sugar Mag.

So, we had a solid show, not great, yet very satisfying (and about a 90 minute first set) but with a great opening and closing to it.


Then, we have this tour......

Mrs B and I (which means me because if she never saw another show she wouldn't mind) decided The Castle (which nobody mentioned is in ruins).

Then Keyshawn told me he was taking his son to Brooklyn. I decided to take my 2 daughters, ages 20 & 16.
Key decided to go to Sat.
I had 'inside information' that Sunday would be better, but whatever, that's how much I care these days.

So, as you know, they opened with China > Rider two weeks ago on Sat in Brooklyn. Solid but not greast.
The rest of the first set until Throwing Stones was time killer filler.

Second set opened promising with a decent Shakedown, but a pretty lame Caution followed - no double-time like Amherst, like JK just couldn't get it up. The singing by Bob was better (who cares) and Phil was dropping bombs, but the best part of the song was missing, or more precisely, missing and/or when played, played poorly.

They did a long Playin' (15 minutes) followed by a short Dark Star (6-7 minutes), but I don't recall either being that great - good, yes, very good, no. Great - forget it.
St Stephen, the usual.
The 11 - no problem 'hooking it in' as many reported. That was The Millenium Jam, lol. It was solid.
The best part of the show was the Dark Star reprise into the full Terrapin with the horn player.

This probably ranks as one of the most mediocre shows I've seen with this type of setlist. Plus the first set was a snoozefest.

Then back on the road to Gelston Castle.

First, a word on the traffic......

By now, we have all been going to shows for quite a while. Me, 31 years.
Some of you, 20, 10, whatever.

It certainly didn't take me 10, 20, 31 or even 2 years to figure out that you need to get to an outdoor venue 3-4 even 5 hours early or you WILL get stuck in traffic.
Anybody blaming the promotors ought to take a look in the mirror first.
This isn't rocket science people.

Anyhow, the show.......

Certainly better played than Brooklyn, but all these folks gushing that it was 'the show of the tour' up until that point?

If so, all I can say is "Wow!"

Basically, it was a hot first set (minus a dirge-like Truckin with 2 mini-build-ups) with a 1967-68 theme and a nice 4 song 2nd set (Sugar Mag through Terrapin
Suite). I mean, what did we get in the 2nd set?
Sage and Spirit?
OK, if you say so.......
I haven't heard it since 10/31/80 (that show wasn't worth getting the tape of even if available back then). All it sounded like to me was a bunch of tuning with 2 major Lost Sailor teases that scared me half to death, lol.
Instead of Lost > St, I get some new song that goes on forever into the sugary sweet Magnolia Mountain, which has no jamming in it - waste of valuable time. Sugar Mag was high energy, but as Keyshawn says "Nobody can play the climax of that song since Jerry died except Warren." (paraphrase) Agreed.
Nobody's Fault or No More Do I (whatever, lol) was a surprise, but Dark Star straight out of Sugar Mag would've had much more impact.

I basically decided to put my old skills to the test as soon as No More ended the lyrics and focused on 'bending' the band to my will and they immediately fell towards oblivion and melted into a jam that headed towards DS (I got a kick out of that, lol). Instead, they melted down into a serious space of about 5 minutes, followed by a jam, which I started timing as 'Dark Star'. Sure enough, within a minute or two at the most, JK was playing DS riffs, while Phil was rolling away towards TOO about a moment later. Then JK 'reminded' Phil rather forcefully that they were doing DS, not TOO and pulled Phil out of TOO. This took several more minutes, and at the 5 minute mark, verse I of DS started. I knew that they weren't going to space out of this DS, having already done the space and that made for a nice long jam between verses that was all DS riffs and no space or generic jamming.

Terrapin again. But it was good. Since they didn't end the show, it wasn't as built-up at the end as Brooklyn, but great none-the-less.
Then, since they'd spared me Lost > St, they played Stella Blew.
No matter, because I was about to pee my pants. Up, up, up the hill & I got to listen to the nice ending to Stella while releiving myself, lol.
And the show wasn't over - UJB.
The way every band has played UJB since 2000, why bother?
What is the deal with no big climax at the end?
And, it CAN be done - check out my first P&F show, 11/10/99. It's the best UJB ever played, GD included. The build-up at the end is insane. I have no clue why, but after that tour, Phil stopped doing big build-ups at the end of the song. Sad.
Sat Night > SSDD was fun, but hardly earth shattering.


So, what's my point?

I certainly haven't seen any improvement between this tour & last, which, to me, would indicate the band has reached it's peak.

The majority of the shows have some moments that are enjoyable or great, but also quite a few forgettable moments too.

The jamming is almost exclusively in the songs and there is no free-form open music being made.
Too compartmentalized.

I've been to 5 shows and saw a song for the first time at THREE of them (Born Crosseyed, Caution & Cream Puff War). Oh, I guess you can count the full Terrapin too. That's pretty tough at this stage of my life.
This means absolutely nothing to me in itself if the material is average and not jammable (although I realize it means so much to most of you just being a song you never saw.) Gee, maybe they can break out Monkey and the Engineer, lol......
I'd rather see another 15 minute TOO or Dark Star again, although I'll take another Caution if they play it right, lol.

5 shows and I've seen 4 shows with Dark Star and the 5th with a TOO as long as a Dark Star, which is as good as I could hope for......

And I couldn't care less if I ever see these guys again.
And, don't plan to.
If this were 1999-2003, I'd be at both nights of the Nokia.

Then, there's the 'JK creepout factor'.....
You know what I'm talking about here?
You're getting lost in the music/song and then JK sings or hits a certain riff and it's just like Garcia is up there.
And I'm not talking about goosebumpy newage "Jerry was there."
I'm talking about being rudely awakened and it's not pleasant.
I mean the guy's been ripping off Garcia so long that he sounds so much like him that it's just plain creepy when you're lost in The Zone & he nails it.

I guess this JK/Jerry thing depends on where you are......

If you are still here posting 'I Miss Jerry" 15 years after this stranger you only knew through his music, JK is probably the answer to your prayers.

If, on the other hand, you, like me, have gotten past Garcia's death and in fact enjoyed seeing Phil take the music in a new direction, breathe new life into it, get past the shadow of the GD, then JK can only be seen as a step back towards a GD show nostalgia trip.....

If that's what you want, you got it.

Give me some Southern Fried Dead.

And for that, I got plenty of CD's.

Actually, even that's not true.....

I like listening to all my shows - everything I saw live (including Furthur) is always better to me (you must remember the vast majority of my listening time and time in general is spent being consumed by The Living God, not a dead one and therefore listening to secular music is not that important to me and indeed can be not only a detriment but an idol).

But, I did listen to nothing but Upstate NY shows last week to & at Herkimer. Among them was GOTV 7/5/02. Anyone who can listen to THAT and tell me this band (Furthur) is in the same league as The Q is hearing something I'm not hearing.

OK, another Q show to check out.

Damn fine review Bucky, that's the type of thing I come here for.

And thanks for keeping it to your point of view, and not belittling/disparaging others'.

bucky brother....the 3 you went to in february amazingly i wasnt at....i was at both hammersteins and admittedly they were getting the kinks out like every other band but i could tell it would get better and made plans for february....i went to asheville which was great fun and a good show...iwent to charlotte which in my opinion was a klunker ...actually worst of 10 ive been to...then hampton which brought back old memories and some fine moments....then i went both nights radio city at which 2nd night i sat in 2nd row orch pit....sorry bucky but that show was great...best for me up to that point....then i went to both coney island and put up with all the bullshit traffic and parking nightmares etc and still i had a great time...sure some songs were slow and everybody can live without a 15 miute plyin but still solid imo..then it was penns peak.....so 3 nights in a row no repeats and yes it was the 80% bob show....but they had to play those songs at some point...i could have predicted half the show just by looking at previous setlists but so what...i was with good friends and a great time....i was at herkimer and again all promotor parking issues aside i thought a great show and again good times with good friends...im going tonight again with good friends and expecting a great time....why with you does it only come down to the actual song list and how long they plated this song for and what you saw 3x in 3 weeks....i read you took your girls i have 2 myself...im curious as to what they thought before they heard your opinion..i like you have been going for 31 years...i probably have bumped into you somewhere at least once my first show was 9-5-79 msg....i was with you am over jerrys passing along time ago...for you and i or at least for me the best was 79-90 w/ brent...thats when i went the most...also i was single ...had a good job and traveled often to vegas shoreline arizona etc to see may shows red rocks and that will always be the best in my mind ....butttttttttttt....im loving this right now...this is something i never thought i would get to go to again and for me its like being back in high school and college except with 2 kids and a mortgage...all my friends that were with me 31 years ago have been with me this year and we all love it...if i had to sit down and critique every note of every show and notate it yes i could find slippups...but ive seen jerry screw up 200x and bob probably 500x..i guess im just not as critical of the music as i am the chance to go see my music idols rocking out in smaller venues with less people...i dong long for msg and 20000 people anymore....and if there not 100% every night its 100 % ok with me...at least they are trying ...but the fact is and unless im deaf dumb and blind or fat drunk and stupid is that some nights they do nail it and nail it hard......looking forward to having beer with you at a show if you decide to go again...im already looking forward to nokia and tonight...later bill...and i did read every word of your posts...and i agree with some it...maybe some people just look at it through a diffeent light

Maybe it was the spectacular venue, acoustically near perfect for those of us lucky enough to be deep inside. Or maybe the theater’s location - Artpark hovering over the awe inspiring beauty of the Niagara Gorge. Maybe it was the friendly spirits, those ancient ghosts around the Hopewell Burial Mound 100 yards northeast of the stage, perhaps chatting it up with Jerry while he stopped by for a visit. Maybe it was the great buzz I had rolling, added to the light-headed euphoria that the sights, smells, sounds and HEAT generated. IT WAS HOT - SMOKIN’ HOT!! Or maybe all of that. Or none of that. It doesn’t matter. What matters is that THE GANG PUT ON A SPECTACULAR SHOW!!

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

I’ll take this opportunity to retract some earlier remarks I wrote about Phil and Bobby singing and leading. (Everyone has a bad voice day now and then.) Those gracefully aging yet ageless gentlemen sang their hearts out, played with authority, and appeared to truly enjoy themselves while they steered their ship and the crowd through an amazing musical journey. They were in charge! Phil is 70? Naw… He acted 30 as he pushed the others if they started to fade. Bobby was ON FIRE, truly inspired. OK, so the show got off to a slowish start with Sittin on Top Of the World. The sound guys tweaked the system since the heat and humidity from 2,000 dancers inside rearranged their sound check. When they rolled into Pigpen’s Operator we knew things were gonna be just fine. Great sound and great sightlines from our perch about 20 rows back, near-left section near the right aisle. Great to hear Pig.

For the sake of brevity I’ll mention what for me were the highlights, and also suggest that THERE WERE NO LOWLIGHTS. Artpark was my third and last show of the tour. I saw Highland Bowl and Gelston Castle, the former incredible, the latter decent but not amazing. So what? Pickers can‘t be choosers. Anyway, the Artpark setlists where superb, despite my palpable but unfulfilled yearning for Eyes of The World and Help/Slipknot/Franklin’s. The latter part of the first set, They Love Each Other all the way through Birdsong was, IMOHO, one of the finest part-sets I have heard in a while. Big River! Big thank you! Women Are Smarter! Perhaps - the jury‘s still out on that one, but the boys nailed it on all fronts. Sing it Bobby!! I managed to sneak down to within 40 feet of the stage for Birdsong and I was rewarded with sheer pleasure. By then I was soaked with sweat so the lyrics had me wanting to tell it all… “Tell me all that you know and I’ll show you…..snow and rain” It was as good as it gets, and we are all fortunate that these guys are still at it.

The scene during break was fine, indeed. I walked through the tunnel to exit and it seemed like I walked out to another world. It wasn’t the way I came in from the parking lot, and I found myself on a busy sidewalk in Paris. Magnificent architecture, sculpture, and grounds greeted people milling about or at patio tables, enjoying a warm summer’s eve with friends and drink. Such a nice venue with great concessions. They didn’t open the beer cans at the concessions so you could take a couple into the theater without them dumping on the floor. Brilliant!!

Second set was at least as good as the first, maybe better. The sound notched up a good bit. Ashes and Glass> Cosmic Charlie very nice, Rag a fine throwback, Handle >Deal were really good fun. Dear Prudence likewise. John sang soulfully. They’ve been doing Darkstar a lot on this tour so I think they’ve got it down. Superb jam. Nice to hear it between CE and The Other One. (Some day I’ll get on that bus and I won’t step off…) Mason’s Children was tight and smokin’ hot. By then my face hurt from all the smiling. Johnnie B. Goode was better than good. What a show!! What a pleasant scene. Furthur WILL return to Artpark.

As a final note, I’d like to thank the two lovely girls dancing away right in front of us. (I was the guy spinning the towel over our heads, making a breeze for you. Easy Wind.) You gals rock! You made the night even better. You made me even hotter. I felt 25 again and I really wished I was. Next morning my bones reminded me otherwise…

otis my man...you get it...having fun is what its all about and im glad the music isnt the only thing or reason why you go....i enjoyed reading your review...its refreshing to see that someone doesnt critique every song and enjoys the day whether the boys were 100% or not...thumbs up

it may not be 100% the setlist you wrote up on the blackboard or the trick play you ran in practice...ITS THE EFFORT THESE GUYS PUT OUT AT THEIR AGE AND THE FUN....

thanks for the reviews !!

fun show, sweet venue, great vibes (besides the cops in the lot)

doin that rag hd vid:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6Ay_yLtRoo

mshot..thanks for the video

Otis My Man...you are Dead Right and I am with you my Brother...it was awesome...my wife and I can't wait for the next East Coast Tour. Please Come Back and take us Furthur.

>>>>>>maybe some people just look at it through a diffeent light

I think that with me that's a slight understatement.....

LOL

Tonight, I was in the inner city preaching the gospel in a neighborhood I wouldn't be caught dead in normally - best time I had in the past three Saturdays......

Why fight what I was made for?

Not that I haven't enjoyed EVERY minute - good and bad of the long, strange trip (and sundry other bands).

It's just set up perfect to end:

Roger Waters doing the Wall this Fall to fill in the one gaping hole in my concert resume, with both my wife and daughters (they really do like Pink Floyd too).

Problem is, I've retired more times than The Who, lol, so never say never again.


OH, BTW: Somebody asked what my kids thought of Brooklyn before I started giving my opinion:

I didn't give one; I listened.

My older daughter, 20, thought it was "good".
My younger, 16, was more caught up in taking photos of the Wookies and freaks (she's very good at that type of artsy stuff). But she said she liked it too.
I'll get the CD and I'm sure they will each burn a copy of their very own Dead show - because whatever label you put on them, it's STILL The Dead. Argue if you want, but it's the original members (however many I don't care) playing the music, the scene following the band, etc. That's a Dead show to me, culturally and musically.
Are the Stones still the Stones despite 4 different guitar players and a drummer or bass player retiring? (I'm no Stones fan). Sure they are......
Me, after the show, I hadn't slept good for two nights and was dead tired to the point of falling down backwards like a drunk (due to my nerve disease this happens to my balance when that overtired). We somehow made it to Chinatown and Wo Hop before the drive back to CT though, lol.

Some great inputs Buck. I row on a rowing machine for about 55min a day then go to a stationary bike for another 25 min...my efforts to control weight and it does wonders for my mental state in the middle of a work day. Through this time I put on my IPod and listen away. Lately I have been listening to old Further shows and some of the newer ones. It is a great way to really listen. I have to agree with Bucky on several points....there are moments of brilliance...where you expect it to continue for a couple of hours.....but then something happens and they kind of go through the motions. JK is very spooky at times, you close your eyes and ...well you know the rest. I remember a friend told me that DSO was EVEN BETTER than the Grateful Dead. Where I reminded him that DSO copied and had something to listen to while the Dead were creating on the spot....big difference. Sometimes I think this band is doing the same thing....copy....and not creating. Especially during some of the low points. All of that being said I do think this band has improved...especially the drumming. I felt the early shows were very "thin" in this area. I also feel Weir still does not get the true respect he deserves playing rhythm. When this band is clicking, Weir and Lesh are both on top of their game thus driving Russo and Jeff....and JK. When I saw the Grateful Dead, the best shows followed this pattern. Again the potential is there. What we need to wait for is how this band goes from here....if they become more creative (signs of new tunes) etc.. I will go and see them....well as long as work allows...but will continue to buy and listen. One last note....I loved the "Q" but my favorite was still the first Other Ones configuration....all I remember saying was it was amazing and sad to realize how much Jerry dragged the band down his last year or so.

Some great inputs Buck. I row on a rowing machine for about 55min a day then go to a stationary bike for another 25 min...my efforts to control weight and it does wonders for my mental state in the middle of a work day. Through this time I put on my IPod and listen away. Lately I have been listening to old Further shows and some of the newer ones. It is a great way to really listen. I have to agree with Bucky on several points....there are moments of brilliance...where you expect it to continue for a couple of hours.....but then something happens and they kind of go through the motions. JK is very spooky at times, you close your eyes and ...well you know the rest. I remember a friend told me that DSO was EVEN BETTER than the Grateful Dead. Where I reminded him that DSO copied and had something to listen to while the Dead were creating on the spot....big difference. Sometimes I think this band is doing the same thing....copy....and not creating. Especially during some of the low points. All of that being said I do think this band has improved...especially the drumming. I felt the early shows were very "thin" in this area. I also feel Weir still does not get the true respect he deserves playing rhythm. When this band is clicking, Weir and Lesh are both on top of their game thus driving Russo and Jeff....and JK. When I saw the Grateful Dead, the best shows followed this pattern. Again the potential is there. What we need to wait for is how this band goes from here....if they become more creative (signs of new tunes) etc.. I will go and see them....well as long as work allows...but will continue to buy and listen. One last note....I loved the "Q" but my favorite was still the first Other Ones configuration....all I remember saying was it was amazing and sad to realize how much Jerry dragged the band down his last year or so.