Many many thanks to The Dead for the free shows and
thanks to both The Dead and Philzone for the free tix tonight!

I'm seriously stoked! What a treat!

Wahoo in NYC ready to rock! Can't wait...

How did they sound earlier in the day?
What's the buzz on the streets?

Just talked to a friend who was at show two, he said the boys were on, Billy was having loads of fun, Bobby was very animated, the sound mix was great, he was on the rail, they are heading over to the Roseland now!!

Sounds good so far! Free tix, you are all stoked, enjoy!!!!

im soooooooooo bummmed I did not make it. I hope someone got my tickets. Until Philly .....That will be the show, May 2nd, to say goodbye to The Spectrum.

And now the Live Stream is full too Ohh Well

I won't get them all but here's a few:

- althea
- cassidy
- eyes
- st stephen
- dark star (fck, almost forgot that one!!)
- not fade away

it was a REAL good time!

highlights - Althea, Sugar Mags > SSDD. Slowest Eyes ever. Bobby is a liability.

come on now, weir was fine at roseland, in fact he was good...eyes was quite nice

What the FU$# are you talking about bro? Liability???. Eyes is beautiful at crawl speed. Get over yourself. "Weir is a liability" (jeeeze...)

The only "liability" is the abscence of Jerry. Thats it.....

The set was lovely..stop with the over analizing...

You left out UJB.

and sugar mags

Here is the Althea.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaDvJY2YXEc
Here is the Eyes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odM7vUPevY8
I had a real good time! Enjoy!

Bobby a liability>Unbelievable

I saw yesterday somewhere here that someone felt it was "Jerry's band"

I don't get it

After Jerry checked out I didn't listen to the band for a long time

I saw Ratdog shows and Phil & Friends as well

But I often would get depressed

It climaxed with Joan Osborne singing

I think seeing Phil reach 69 years of age has sucked me back in again

And this time around I'm not so critical

I can deal with Phil singing

I can deal with Bob becoming Jerry (hence my handle)

Looks like he's even doing the weight thing now

I'm just happy to hear the music from the brothers who originally channeled it to us

They won't be here forever

If you don't like their take on it

If you don't like Bobby's talking instead of singing

If Bobby fucking up words bothers you

You obviously don't recall that was a given at almost every Grateful Dead show

It was funny

We would laugh

Bobby would usually laugh

The imperfection is what made the band what it was

You never knew what to expect

It may be a little more polished now with setlists beforehand and music stands for the sheet music

But I'll take it

When I die bury me deep
Put two sneakers on my feet
Put two earphones on my head
And always play the Grateful Dead

Peace,

Bob becoming jerry

Bob Is Jerry - That was very well said. As one of the resident seniors here (my 1st show was August 5th 1974 here in PHIL-adelphia), I often wonder how the music we all love and the player who play it get so heavily criticized and "trashed" on this board. It's really nice to see someone basically saying "Take A Step Back" and take it easy!! Enjoy the shows - I'll be at at least five of them myself. Anyone who wants to talk about the good ol' days - let's hook up in the Spectrum (around here known as "The Rectum") lot before the May 2nd show.

Were there tapers at these shows???

Grundt!

yes, there were numerous tapers.

Weir's problem is that he thinks he is the new Jerry. Or that is what his hardcore fan base believes. Phil's voice has always been acceptable IMO. He should stick to his songs and give all the other Jerry tunes that he attempts to Warren and Phil. And keep chimenti on backup vocals, ONLY. I guess bobby can sing tennessee jed and west la, maybe the direwolf. Otherwise he is much better served(as we are as well) to leave the ballads, other than his own ballads(ll rain, etc) to Phil and or Warren.
And to all the fanatical Weir fans, this doesn't mean I am bashing him, to say he isn't the new Jerry. I think bobby is great. I still wish he would stick to his own tunes, it would make him more humble and better. He has a huge list of songs to choose from before even thinking about singing a jerry song. That said, he is great! Maybe he should try singing them like he used to do as well, the way Jackie sang bob weir tunes with PHil and friends.

If you would rather Phil sing all the Jerry tunes then...PASS THE CRAK PIPE! Phils voice is horrible, we all know that but we love him anyway. Leave it alone and either, go and enjoy or dont go at all.

I'm also a little bummed that i missed Roseland--I was a lucky winner, but my guest couldn't make it, and according to the e-mail, one had to show up with the guest to receive the tickets, no exceptions.

Did Bucky go? I wanna read his review, if so....

You guys are idiots, do you always obsessively need to rag on one of the best shows I've ever seen and I have seen over 350 Dead shows. Bobby flubbed words but his guitar was way H O T! The band was happy, acid funky jazzy, Phil smiling like a Cheshire cat, drums in amazing synchronicity as usual, Warren looser than with the ALLman's last week, funky, emotional, Jeff aggressively driving the music...
Magic is more than back...

A wonderful start. I got home at 4:00 am. The crowd was in great spirts and was more settled than you would expect in NYC, just a great all around vibe.Everyone was happy to be there and very social. Met a cool guy named Tom from Nor Cal who flew in and when you heard they left everyone in from the street,that was very cool.When they came on stage the electricty was in the air, but it was not as rowdy as I would have thought. I will leave that to Albany and then when Phil turned his lights on his fret board everyone gave a big cheer. They eased into things with Althea and it went from there.Warren's tone has some more body and alittle wah wah on it and it worked very well. Cassidy was when things really took off. Everyone was singing their hearts out it was very special. They kept the faster tempo and Bobby shined on this one. They built up the jam twice, yes they still had some tweaks, and ended it very strongly.Yes we are back! Jeff really added some depth to this version. He did not have his full stage set up so I am sure he will sound better comes Greensboro. Phil was ready to play and really sounded great too.For me to have Billy and Mickey there was awesome and as the night progressed they really got it going. UJB was very appropiate and after a minor lyrical flub from Bobby they nailed it.The harmonies were good and they sang it with passion. The end jam was very strong and then into a short jam that showed some potential.Warren played very well during this point. The following jam a trainwreck? I didn't think so.One of my favorite things at a Dead concert is to hear that first hint of the the next song to come and when I heard the Eyes I was like awesome, it was a slower paced reading and had a nice majestic vibe to it. It was the best song so far and Phil along with the drummers laid down a great flow to it. Phil, Bobby and Warren traded off verses and it really got happening.I believe Warren missed a verse cue but no big deal he played a sweet solo. Jeff played his best solo of the night which was long and he built it up to a stunning peak. To seque way into St. Stephen was another big smile moment, a preview of different structured set lists to come? The crowd erupted into joyous ecstasy and it was clear everyone wanted to hear this and gleefully sang along. A very cool thing occurred when Phil got to the Lady finger verse he actually stopped singing during it and cupped his right ear to the crowd, who were singing so loudly,and smiled broadly and then finished it off. They really played out the end jam before the final verse, yes they definitely hinted at The Eleven. I thought I heard maybe a possible China Cat and Phil was definelty playing the Old Good Lovin' rift the way they used to play with Pig Pen too. This version was loose at times but when they finally made there way back to the final verse they blew the room away. Then some light drifting and into Dark Star. You have to give them credit for even busting this one out, it shows this band will take chances.My only criticsm of some of my fellow brother's and sister's, and these would be the younger ones, was the talking that erupted during DS. I was to the left of the sound board and the chatter was incestant and louder than than the music at a couple points.Many of these folks missed some cool stuff.These kids have to understand that when you check out it affects the music and the vibe.GD 101 always be listening. Billy and Mickey really added a wonderul depth, I would suggest a 1969 influence, and Phil was really having fun and his playing was some of his best of the night. He lead some interesting themes too. I look forward to listening to it again.To break out Sugar Magnolia was big, I had not seen Bobby or Phil sing it since '95 and this version rocked!!!!Phil dropped the loudest bomb I have heard since 3/27/94 Jack Straw, it was rightous. The place was in perfect sync and everyone was bustin' a move. The singing was heartfelt from Bobby and the SSDD was very powerful with us all singing along.Perfect. Was it just a dream?
They all just went to the side of the stage and conversed, thought we might get Box of Rain, but no song says it louder to the faitful.They roared into NFA and it was a stellar reading and was a blast. They ended it in a cool way instead of us just sing the chorus after they left the stage, they brought it down quietly it was sweet. To have our guys come together on the stage and embrace at the end was very special. It was clear they are back with a vengence and you know our love will not fade away!
If you are on the fence it time to jump off, it is clear some good shows are ahead of us.
Thanks again to the Zone for scoring me my ticket and The Band for creating a special night for us all.

Great review

Any chance of using paragraphs..??..

It makes reading a portion of review and returning to it to continue reading a helluva lot easier

Thanks

G.Dad

But if thats your style cool dance with the one who brung ya

Certainly not "one of the best shows I've ever seen", but it was better than I thought it would be, and the set had a really nice flow to it. If they improve as they play together more, this could be a very good tour. I'm not expecting the good old days, but hopefully it will be more like '03 than '04.

Sam L.

Doh! You got G. Dad. I will make sure when I do my Albany review

I am glad that the boys are playing good music for nice folks, but holy sheepshit, what are you folks dropping? Bob is Jerry? WTF??!!

Let's please "take a step back" into reality and agree that: Bob is not Jerry, Bob is not becoming Jerry, Bob will never be Jerry. Bob is Bob, Bob is becoming an older Bob Weir, Bob will always be Bob. For better and for worse.

The guy whose vocals sounds most like Jerry these days is David Nelson, dude can channel Garcia in many ways for sure, but even David aint becoming Jerry. Jerome J. Garcia is resting now. Peace.

Thanks guys for an incredible night and thanks to all who were lucky enough to attend - for those who couldn't be there, we missed ya...but we'll "share the women and we can share the wine" on the road over the next couple of months.

Made some nice friends last night as well - cya on the road Al and Frankie.

Here is the Sugar Magnolia
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_b_HFvtaq-g
and the Not Fade Away.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wK9yva6kzXs

did you all think it looked like Warren was having any fun?

Althea is an odd (but cool!) show opener.

Warren was concentrating real hard. I've seen that look on his face before, usually when he's playing for the first time with a new lineup; the last time I saw that look was at Mountain Jam in '07.

Bobby was clearly "driving the bus", and he did it very well. It seemed that Phil was deliberately stepping back and allowing Bobby to run the show: Phil wasn't using the monitors to "call out signals" to the band, and I'm not even sure he had the equipment set up to do that. His playing was spot-on but less dominating than it is with his own bands; closer to the role he played in the 70s and 80s with the GD.

My take on the show was pretty close to Ted's. It was much better than I expected. As a general rule, I've been disappointed by the various post-Jerry attempts to "raise the Dead". Last night was the first time since late 1993 that I felt like was listening to el primo Grateful Dead, albeit with Warren Haynes, not Jerry Garcia.

Warren played pretty much the way I expected him to. His leads alternated between Garcia-esque phrasings using the Mutron filter and a Fender amp and his own trademark throatier, bluesier (and occasionally jazzier -- I heard echoes of Coltrane more than once)sound run through a separate amp (I couldn't see whether it was a Marshall or something else). When he played fills, he favored the Leslie organ swell sound we all remember from his tenure with the Q. He chops a pretty straight rhythm; harder than Garcia's, and a good foil for Bobby's sonic explorations, but less subtle. As his guitar tech, Brian Farmer, had indicated he would, Warren used the red Gibson 335 exclusively. No SG, no Les Paul, and no sign of whatever it was he used last fall at Penn State (a narrow hollow body Gibson that sounded vaguely like a Fender).

As for Bobby, I haven't heard him play that well in ANY setting since the early 90s. He has much better chemistry with Warren than he did with Jimmy Herring, that's for sure, and while I loved Warren and Jimmy with the Q, I thought Warren and Jimmy plus Bobby and TWO drummers in 2004 was overkill and stopped working midway through that tour. Last night they all seemed to be listening to one another intently and working together closely.

Quiet kudos to Jeff Chimenti, who seems to be an encyclopedia of every keyboard style ever associated with the Grateful Dead, and who provided deft accompaniments, strong leads, and some nice harmony singing as well.

Yes, there were a couple of flubs (Phil sang the wrong verse during UJB, causing Bobby to rear back, startled, and give an obvious "oh no" look), but in general I thought they played and sang very well.

I also noticed real changes in the way Kreutzmann and Hart played together. Billy was THE drummer, period. Hart functioned exclusively as a percussionist; as far as I could see and hear (and I was in back, behind the soundboard, in taperland), he did not have a bass (kick) drum, snare or hi hat. Just lots of toms (various sizes), congas, and a few cymbals. The result was a strong, streamlined sound that was polyrhymic but not cluttered.

We can only hope that whatever vibe the band has rekindled stays alive throughout the coming tour. As I walked out, I heard someone say the show reminded them of the "Make Believe Ballroom show" -- the 1975 GAMH show that intro'd the Blues for Allah" LP and marked the rebirth of the Grateful Dead. (Now famous as "One from the Vault"). Indeed it did.

I heard a little extra emphasis given to the "while we can" lyric in Dark Star. The simple truth is that "while we can" is by definition contingent and, given the ages of the principals, can't last a whole lot longer. So let's appreciate it while we can.

BTW

First show 4.23.84

120 through 6.22.95

Adam, you clearly have years on me since you saw them first in 1974

Must have some great memories

I don't know what the hell people are thinking...I watched the View live and was quite frankly blown away

I thought the 3 of them singing in harmony was spine tingling

And Bobby's flub...I loved it! It brought me back to so many shows where he did the same damn thing!

And the additional verse by Phil...I know there will be a day when I will be looking back and WISHING I could hear Phil sing again! He's 69, people!

This change of heart for me back into the scene really started with Sirius in my car last year. Then last year at Mountain Jam when Ratdog played the ENTIRE Terrapin Suite. I had always wanted to hear it. I thought Bobby did a superb job.

I can't ignore the fact that these guys are an integral part of my life. Their music altered the course of my life and led me straight down the road into creativity. The band is my muse, in a way. To say it was ONLY Jerry is, well, sad. These folks truly miss what it's all about.

excellent review W T, thanks!

and yeah, it looked to me that they were all having fun! althea was a wonderful opener... the perfect lead-in for what was a powerhouse set...

last night was a tremendous blast, and a gift... last friday who knew that the dead would be in town last night and that some of us would be there to particpate (for free!)?

a heartfelt thanks to the dead, philzone, & gdtstoo for making this all happen... i'm still cart wheelin'!

what a wonderful way to kick off what's sure to be a kick ass tour! an excellent vibe that's sure to continue...

too bad tennesse jed you didn't come down (even without your guest)... i'm willing to bet you still would've gotten in.

Please elaborate on the 'Star.

Thank You!


XXXOOO

Check out my review (and mp3 download) of the Roseland set here: http://welcometonow.wordpress.com

The entire evening was a blast. This was a big party that The Dead had for their fans. They had to pay quite a bit to rent out the venues, pay all the workers involved throughout the day, etc. All free for the fans. Very cool!!!

Musically, there were high points and definitely some rust (which noone could ever complain about, the tickets wee free). At times, it seemed like we were all part of a dress rehearsal for them to work out some of the kinks before the tour. However, most of the evening was great. There were moments when they really got going. Nice energy. Totally psyched now for the tour.

Also, unlike the earlier years when they had Joan, 2 guitarists, 2 keyboardists, here I think is a good example of less is more. Even though there was a lot of talent on the stage with the earlier configuration of The Dead, I felt like they were not giving the 2 guitarists and 2 keyboardists much room to play. Too many musicians on the stage. At the Roseland, the Core Four were giving Chimenti and Haynes as much room as they wanted and it sounded great. Maybe Bob and Phil have also put aside some of their egos. Bob was giving Chimenti more space to let it out than he does with Ratdog. It was great to hear him bang on those keys. Lifted the energy of the music quite a bit. Smart decision on the part of The Boys to give him room to play. Bobby also seemed to be enjoying himself. He actually showed some enthusiasm that I haven't seen in years from him with Ratdog. Phil is Phil. He was clearly enjoying himself and kept the music pumping. Same with Bill and Micky. Great to hear the duo drumming together again.


Also was a great venue. Sound was pretty good. Reminded me of the days when I saw shows in the 70s. Similar size venues. Broome County Arena, Cornell, etc. The Dead took me back once again.

What a long strange trip it's been...

"As his guitar tech, Brian Farmer, had indicated he would, Warren used the red Gibson 335 exclusively"

he did have three others up in the rack, however...one with the classic gibson headstock, another with what looked like a firebird headstock, and something else...I guess one might have been weir's...I loved the twin ES-335 vibe last night!


good photos here:

http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2009/03/the_ dead_played_1.html#more

>>>excellent review W T, thanks!

Indeed.

I can't wait for Albany! Glad to hear good times were had.

thank you soooo much Philzone & the dead...i had a great time...wonderful mini-week break

I've listened up through Eyes so far. They sound a lot tighter than before, which is good.

They still sound very tentative to me though - the Eyes in particular is nice and chill and probably pretty good if I am baked, but I keep waiting for Warren to do something and take the band off into the stratosphere. Never happens.

I hope they can get to the point of just ripping it up on this tour, instead of listening so hard to each other that everybody is afraid to make a move.

YMMV

Off to listen to the rest of the show...

awesome reviews and insight.

thanks a bunch.

What a wonderful Monday it was. Thank you PhilZone!

The free show ran as smooth as I could imagine w/out the slightest bit of hassle. The Roseland was great and the staff let you do as you please as long as you were chill, and everyone was chill.

The crowd was a little subdued, probably because it was 11:00 on a Monday night and for the most part the tour goods hadn't been distributed yet. The crowd was kind, totally into it, but the crowd/band give and take is a little different when there aren't as many drenched minds.

As a whole I thought the band was fantastic. Were they perfect? Absolutely not, and do we ever want them to be? They took chances and tried to take the music somewhere. They were successful for the most part. The key point I felt, which is promising, is that the band listened and worked together. Everyone stepped back and didn't try to lead to much. I didn't feel any tension between Phil and Bob fighting to lead the band. The drummers were tight and on par. I feel they have the right extra players in the band and like the 5 piece line-up. Jeff really stepped out last night and let it fly. He took the reins numerous times and didn't play a fill in roll. Warren was a little subdued during some parts, but played well. I liked his wah effects and thought he sang the best by far. I heard and read some people complain about him looking at sheet music/lyrics, come on!!!!!! Who cares. The gut plays about 1,000 songs a year and the band supposedly is rehearsing 100 tunes. I personally think Warren should sing most of the Jerry tunes or at least the soulful ones.

The Set:

Althea- odd opener for any set, but got the crowd moving and had some great jams especially Warren's Wah/mutron type effects and Jeff's solo was sweet. I prefer Warren take all the lyrics on this one. I didn't like Bob's phrasing.

Cassidy- was really smokin at some points. Bobby shined and it sounded like old times. The last jam got out there (I thought they were gonna segue), but they brought it back in rockin fashion with a kickin climax.

Uncle Johns Band- this tune was pretty tight through the verses which isn't easy to do. It's a simple song, but it is tough for everyone to find the groove. It was a great sing along and as with most tunes Monday, it got jammed out, fell slightly flat and then realed back in successfully.

Eyes of the World- slowed down in a nice way. Had some good jams from Warren/Jeff, and Phil was dropping spine jiggling bass notes throughout. The singing was a little sloppy, off cue, odd phrasing ect. but it was a fun jam and fairly well played.

St. Stephen- I had to sneak out to piss as Eyes melted down and got to listen to the St. Stephen intro at the urinal. I shook it quick and rushed back to the crowd to shake my bones. It wasn't an epic version, but very fun to hear. They really tried hard to get into the Eleven, but couldn't quite turn the corner. The drummers sounded like they caughtit at one point and the others were a step off, then they lost it and the guitars and piano caught the wave. Just missed the big one. I also heard some Other One teases and even thought I heard a quick Gimme Some Lovin Intro at one time a quick shout out...or maybe that was in:

Dark Star- I thought it was a little lacklaster, but come on its Dark Star. Especially when its supposed to be an hour show and at about the one hour mark you here the opening notes of Dark Star. The crowd lost interest after one of the jams, not as a whole, but there was obvious chatter in the deep space of Dark Star. The singing was sub par on this one (Warren was the best again)and didn't really dig the "nightfall of diamonds" portion. Once again it's Dark Star, they were going for it. They didn't hit warp speed, but got into orbit and floated around for awhile and landed on top of:

Sugar Magnolia: I thought it was rockin. I was dead tired, but danced my ass off. It hit some super highs and was a rocking set closer. Bobby was great and took charge of one of his old favorites. Bob tunes were really kicking at this show and I hope he sticks to a lot of his old classics.

NFA- I thought it was good. I nice encore, with a great vibe, but was just standard. Nothing earth shattering. Ended w/ some hugs and a bow to an ever Grateful and Thankful crowd.

Great night of music, great vibe, and an all around great experience. Thanks to the band and the Philzone for allowing me to participate in this memorable evening. Peace.

>>>and got to listen to the St. Stephen intro at the urinal. I shook it quick and rushed back to the crowd to shake my bones.


whole lotta shakin' going on

Many thanks to the PhilZone for the opportunity to get to the Roseland show. I can't say I'm impartial — the various incarnations of Phil & Friends are always a personal favorite for me — but I've had great times seeing Ratdog and the Rhythm Devils as well. Can't wait unitl 4/25...

BNICE said: "had to sneak out to piss as Eyes melted down and got to listen to the St. Stephen intro at the urinal. I shook it quick and rushed back to the crowd"

This is what is known as TMI (too much information!)

Nice review. Wish I was there....to see you shake it out (yeah, right!)

Great show!! Cant wait for more!! I got alot on my plate this tour..Keep on practicing tho guys, I dont mean to sound too cynical, but the band needs to practice more and tighten it up a bit.

Anybody know where to d/l or at least stream the 3/30/09 shows?
Thanks, Ted

Here is Muletaper's of Roseland. Very sweet sounding
http://www.archive.org/details/gd1994-03-30.sbd.la rson.3621.shnf

Interesting stuff people!!
Thanks for all the detailed reviews. Just makes me all the more excited for the Denver and L.A. shows. Unfortunately that's all we're doing, but two is better than none!!

Sounds to me like the band is really starting to gel, and MAJOR kudo's to Phil for letting Bobby be the leader. Bottom line is either is more than qualified, but it doesn't work when they're both competing for it. Also, kudo's to Bob for letting Jeff get into the action more than he has been in Ratdog.

So, a question for those of you that have seen these guys together.
Do you think the band being simplified (no Hornsby, Herring, etc.) has made them BETTER, because it puts the emphasis on Bob and Phil to carry the load?
I wasn't sure when I heard it was gonna be just Warren and Jeff, but it sounds like it's really WORKING, and in part because there is less competition for solo's and it forces each member to step out more.

Whaddya think Zoners?

Less is more in my opinion, time will tell but they can do it.I look forward to it

Althea sucked. Why can't Warren play the signature riffs to these songs? There's a big gaping whole where the lead guitar should be. I've always thought he was over-rated. Bring it man!

i liked this show . they played well and the crowd energy was really good too. i have to say the same for the blender/gramercy show. albeit, would like to have heard some other song choices, but it is what it is.
its not the grateful dead , nor do i expect it to be.
maybe thats why they decided to call it "the dead"

i also would like to thank philzone again for the tix...

Sorry I was 15 years off lol
http://bt.etree.org/details.php?id=523853

I agree with the lack of signature lead lines through most of the tunes from Warren- he got about the first 4 notes of ULB riff and then blew the rest every time, etc- That's where Jimmy Herring came in handy. I also really miss Jerry's clean tones (that Herring honored nicely) with a touch of reverb- and his long seamless lead runs- Warren's stop/start stuff gets a bit irritating and interrupts the flow. I'm not very psyched to fork out the big bucks to hear them do "the best Dead show the Allman Bros never played" and wish they would've brought Herring out for this tour too.

I also think Bobby needs a kick in the ass as far as his singing is concerned- where did his "estimated" attitude go? He speaks/mumbles most of his lyrics and is a bummer- just let Warren sing the Jerry tunes...

Phil was on and Jeff is awesome on the keys, nice to hear Billy having an opportunity to get back to 1973 single drummer form with Mickey on extra percussion, although I couldn't really hear WTF he was doing back there... and I hope Billy steps up and nails it like the old days- I do miss Molo... and some high harmonies- I dug Joan for that one tour- vocals haven't been the same since Brent...

Why dont you people who think things "sucked" and "miss Jerry's clean tones" just stay home. Bobby needs a kick in the ass? You need a kick in the teeth...STAY HOME!!

Agreed John...Why can't the Dead go out there, and be unafraid to take chances, as in the old trips festival days...You perfectionists who demand that every word, every song be F987n great ruin that vibe. In the old days sometimes they sucked for a few songs, Jerry would forget to play, etc...and then they would launch into an amazing whatever...Don't impose perfectionist standards on a band that always defied definition, limitation and categorizing. Perfection KILLS spontaneity!!!

I agree with BEW for us that were there the thing you can't hear is the vibe and energy created by audience.When everyone broke out singing Cassidy, perfectly I might add, with Bob that was pretty darn amazing. He did only sing two songs and both wee highlights of the show. I think that the X factor is afoot and this band will surprise us and do the GD song book justice.Just be here now, it is all we got so let's make the best of it.Plus I am sure we are going to hear some sick jams too. That one at the end of St. Stephen was happening.

I felt strongly that the X-factor was missing, but I was only there for the Gramercy show. Sure, the floor was hoppin' up front, but in the back, folks were mostly just standing (and chatting, damn them). And in the seats, other than those forced to stand in the aisles,almost everyone was sitting down! This for a one-hour show! The crowd was acting their age, as much as the geriatrics on stage. And aside from the sweet smells in the air, I didn't see much chemistry present; Bobby barely even looked at Warren. I'm not sure why Phil stood back on stage left, rather than his more usual position stage right, where the other guitar players could see him. And he (wisely) didn't use the headset he often does to direct the band. Is Phil ceding band leadership to Bobby!!! I agree with the pinman's comments about Warren's phrasing - I sure miss Jimmy's fluid noodle. But I have no doubt Warren will step up for the tour, as he always does. The most fun I had was watching the drummers interact - they were having a blast with the stripped down setup. If they and Phil mesh, it'll be a fun tour. Especially if Bobby takes the advice he used to always give us at the old GA shows; "take a step back! And another step back" (And invest in a decent teleprompter).

And a big thanks for the opportunity to see the band in such an intimate setting - it was pretty cool

X factor DEFINITELY NOT MISSING from Roseland show...I do know that almost everyone who was there will agree..Such total magic between the crowd and the band....Everyone singing along on Cassidy and several others to the point that Phil cupped his hand to his ear listening and grinning...Playing prowess and the magic are back, best I've heard the band in 15 years, Jerry or NO Jerry. Period.

Like they say "MISERY LOVES COMPANY" if your miserable at the show, you tend to look around and "think" that everybody's agreeing with you. And PLEASE people...WAKE UP! Jerry Garcia SADLY passed away in 1995...HELLO? Stop comparing! If you didnt like it, thats fine, nobody says you have to, either try it again or stay home. Oh yeah...Bob does need a teleprompter.

The recordings sound great - thanks to all!

Regardless of the suggested "kick in the teeth" from John above, it is my opinion that for an upcoming tour of a dinosaur rock band at $100 a pop that they could get a guitarist to play the signature lines from the classic tunes. You don't have to like my opinion, but this is America and I can voice my opinion- but for you to threaten me with a kick in the teeth for doing so is not cool.

One of the really fun things about listening to the Dead is the way the various player's lines have interwoven with each other through a lot of their tunes. When one line is missing that the others depend on then it deflates the gestalt to the level of a "bar band" (again- MY opinion).

"I" didnt threaten to kick you in the teeth dude..You said that Bobby needs a kick in the ass..that doesnt mean "your literally" gonna kick him in the ass..."Im literally" NOT going to be kicking anybody either...I can handle different opinions, but I thought that you went a little bit too far when you said that Warren "blew"..."the best Dead show the Allmans never played"..."Bobby needs a kick in the ass"...you "miss Molo"(do you want to throw Billy out of the band?)...and "the vocals havent been the same since Brent"(do you want to dig up Brent?) I dont know, but to me, it was a little bit more of just an opinion.

Can't we RESPECT different points of view?? There's nothing informative to me if everyone just nods their heads in agreement to one particular review, and an opposing reviewer is hung out to dry. This music is very dear to all of us, just learn to disagree without being disagreeable. Peace.

http://www.archive.org/details/TheDead

ALL the DEAD shows from 3/30 are here and so will the upcoming tour!

Sounded like an opinion to me. Didn't sound like a question and it didn't sound like a well-formed and detailed argument; it sounded like an opinion.

Speaking of what things "sound like", it sounds like some people don't understand that this is the "REVIEW" thread, and not the "let's fawn all over everything the Dead do, regardless how they do it" thread.