and on and on.......

see what happens after a couple of nights rest

....the days between....

and days beside...

advice for shoreline first timer?

^ get there early and enjoy the whole scene

My first west coast show was 12/30/8? 88 or 89 I have to go and look up.
Anyways long flight from east to west landed 3pm or so made my way (pulic trans) to Oakland collosium met some heads in the parking lot selling brownies out of some old medal Grateful Dead lunchboxes. (only time I have seen lunch boxes like with Jerry on them)
First off I was not ignorant to the fact that there was herbs of some sort in them, But I am also a sucker for brownies. I love brownies even to this day you can't put a tray in the kitchen without me taking one or two within a few mins. Make them warm and gooey (Holy Shit)
By the time showtime rolled around, and 2 or 3 brownies in my gut, a couple of imports, and jet lag from east to west. I remember opening with Bertha, Good lovin and slowing down and fadding out to sugaree.......
Next I remember someone kicking/shaking/bitchin at me to wake up from under the seats. I was coverd with beer,soda and other sticky shit.
I passed out for 3/4 of a dead show.
Never before and never since then this has ever happened. To this day I have not listened or chased down much info for this show. A very low time in this deadheads life.
Sooooo my advice to Bob
DON'T EAT THE FUCKIN BROWNIES FROM THE CUTE CHICK WITH THE G.D. LUNCHBOX!

Bob... A couple things about Shoreline.

If you have seats in the upper 200s... Many times the sound is much better in the lawn. They have massive speakers up there that are very clear!

So if the sound isn't working for you, head up to the lawn and check it out - you can always head back to your original seats.

If your in the 100s... Well then soundwise, your dialed.

Parking can be a hassle in the lots. We always park in the parking lots at the various business down the street or on those (side streets). It's a fairly short walk and when you are ready to leave after the show - you won't regret having made that decision.

The parking lot "scene" is traditionally great! However this being a weeknight - It may not be in full swing.

As far as the venue itself - there is lots to see, purchase, many concessions, plenty of bathrooms and it's layout is awesome. The smaller microbrew stands have much shorter lines than the regular brew/soda/food lines. So I suggest those. The same with food. There are smaller stands that have awesome food and much shorter lines.

Have I ever seen a mediocre show at Shoreline? NEVER!

Have fun Bob and eat up every moment of it.

gracious finishing up a little work and on my way!

whats the scene like?

Will there be a live internet broadcast?

Shoreline, day 2

wahoo!!!!

>>If you have seats in the upper 200s... Many times the sound is much better in the lawn. They have massive speakers up there that are very clear!

So if the sound isn't working for you, head up to the lawn and check it out - you can always head back to your original seats.<<

I used to LOVE the sound at Shoreline up on the lawn. I don't know how it is with this equipment, or at this point in time, but it was once a great joy.

tsperrob are we streaming 2nite

Jack Straw

Thanks Rob. I'm sittin' on the east coast California dreamin'.

Jack Straw>US Blues

phil gets 2 rugs!

>>> phil gets 2 rugs!<<<<

HILARIOUS!!!!

LOVE IT!!!!
nice one Nem.

US Blues

ok the flag waving is a bit much...

Nice Flag!

Too much of everything.......

iz justa-nuff!

Jack Straw>US Blues>Mason's Children>Ship of Fools

Ship Of Fools

What r those handprints on the Leslie speaker Cabinet behind warren?

one of the kids maybe? Monet Weir? (just guessing) on second thought they might be a bit big for that....

FOTD

arrrrggghh....
why am I not there????

oh yeah.... I left the kids with the wife on mothersday weekend to catch LA and Shoreline #1.

......I won't be going anywhere for quite a while.

....FOTD > SOTM > Lady with a Fan

..but.... I still got the better end of THAT deal!

The Dead 5/14/09
Shoreline Amphitheatre

Set 1:
Jack Straw
US Blues >
Mason's Children
Ship Of Fools
Friend Of The Devil >
Standing On The Moon >
Lady With A Fan

sounds like a gorgeous show to be heard at Shoreline

LWAF...SH*T!

HOw are they gonna end this set?????

Full terrapin?
...NFA???
Don't ease?

The Dead 5/14/09
Shoreline Amphitheatre

Set 1:
Jack Straw
US Blues >
Mason's Children
Ship Of Fools
Friend Of The Devil >
Standing On The Moon >
Lady With A Fan >
Terrapin Station

WOW

Gorgeous set!

how did they play all of these songs in under an hour?

maybe they are still playing terrapin..??

hr and a half

The Dead 5/14/09
Shoreline Amphitheatre

Set 1:
Jack Straw
US Blues >
Mason's Children
Ship Of Fools
Friend Of The Devil >
Standing On The Moon >
Lady With A Fan >
Terrapin Station >
Standing On The Moon

or hr and 20 minn

USB & FOTD are not very long songs. Ship & Masons aren't "epics" either.

they started at 10:30 eastern time, no?

no 10

WTF??? Back into SOTM??

I'm not sure that's legal.

Terrapin Station

those ain't rugs son...those are magical Persian carpets

The Dead 5/14/09
Shoreline Amphitheatre

Set 1:
Jack Straw
US Blues >
Mason's Children
Ship Of Fools
Friend Of The Devil >
Standing On The Moon >
Lady With A Fan >
Terrapin Station >
Standing On The Moon

*END OF SET*

pretty sure they didn;t get on stage until 10:30

started 10:30 on east , not quite an hr yet

hmm maybe monster long jam set planned for set 2

i sense a really big second set...you lucky dogs.

gotta be a cream puff war again soon...maybe outta space tonight

2nd set is gonna be an hour and a half playin'. Guaranteed!

Just spoke to kamloops loved the first set warren is all energized from playing with abb show started on time tonight

let warren rip baby

elizabeth reed out of space then? LOL

lol

dude... a dead done liz reed?
Don't even go there

Hya Jeff!
Wish we were there, eh??

set 1 streaming here> www.live365.com/stations/2012_live

cool..thanks again!

hmm I get station is full.. : (

Estimated!

My buddy there has me on the phone... sounds GREAT!

yeah for Estimated!!!!

waited for the 3rd night in CA, nice boys!!!

Stream sounds great. Wish I was there. Friend says its a great scene!

The Dead 5/14/09
Shoreline Amphitheatre

Set 1:
Jack Straw
US Blues >
Mason's Children
Ship Of Fools
Friend Of The Devil >
Standing On The Moon >
Lady With A Fan >
Terrapin Station >
Standing On The Moon

Set 2:
Esitmated Prophet

Estimated Prophet

Im in.. got the stream. Sweet Masons

The Dead 5/14/09
Shoreline Amphitheatre

Set 1:
Jack Straw
US Blues >
Mason's Children
Ship Of Fools
Friend Of The Devil >
Standing On The Moon >
Lady With A Fan >
Terrapin Station >
Standing On The Moon

Set 2:
Esitmated Prophet >
New Potato Caboose

was there a triangle ping?

Oh man... looks great! We got the NPC > Estimated at Meadowlands. Good shit!

Potato.. whoa it could go deep from here

deep and dark (star)

Triangle ping was definitely in effect in Jersey. I did a little happy dance inside when I heard it.

New Potato Caboose

cool sotm>lady with a fan transistion

>>Triangle ping was definitely in effect in Jersey. I did a little happy dance inside when I heard it.<<

top shelf right there

more potato....







mr fantasy....

just heard that the fire dancers are back tonight! very cool.

come on Cream Puff
Got a friend who is just gotta hear taht song

The Dead 5/14/09
Shoreline Amphitheatre

Set 1:
Jack Straw
US Blues >
Mason's Children
Ship Of Fools
Friend Of The Devil >
Standing On The Moon >
Lady With A Fan >
Terrapin Station >
Standing On The Moon

Set 2:
Esitmated Prophet >
New Potato Caboose
Born Cross-Eyed >
Dear Mr. Fantasy >
Drums >
Space >

fire dancers and drummers

fire dancers are cool... i'd like to see that girl who used a grinder on her metal bathing suit shooting sparks everywhere on David Letterman walk on stage... hehe

thx for the photos Rob - i'm stoked the dancers returned tonight

was there a pause between New Potato and Born Cross Eyed?

thanks taperrob!!! your services are much appreciated!!

ok.... 4th quarter coming up
they could drop a Dew tonight [?]

Dew out of space!

The Dead 5/14/09
Shoreline Amphitheatre

Set 1:
Jack Straw
US Blues >
Mason's Children
Ship Of Fools
Friend Of The Devil >
Standing On The Moon >
Lady With A Fan >
Terrapin Station >
Standing On The Moon

Set 2:
Esitmated Prophet >
New Potato Caboose >
Born Cross-Eyed >
Dear Mr. Fantasy >
Drums >
Space >
Morning Dew

nice

FUCK YEAH!!!!

only the second Dew this tour (the other was second night Philly)

setlist looks unreal on paper... absolutely beautiful. cant wait to hear this one.

first set was well played

this is a serious night for the band
threshold was crossed in LA
all bets are off from here on out
THE DEAD are here and they are blowing minds
[well mine at least]

who is singing Dew? Bobby sang the first one.

I thought he actually sang it pretty good.

I only had the Philly show on my TV, so vocals were all a bit off as I have crappy speakers on my TV

Dew > China Cat

nice choice, now comes the Cream Puff

if you can hack it through the first stanza and Bob, you're set...until the next Jerry tune

Set 1:
Jack Straw
US Blues >
Mason's Children
Ship Of Fools
Friend Of The Devil >
Standing On The Moon >
Lady With A Fan >
Terrapin Station >
Standing On The Moon

Set 2:
Esitmated Prophet >
New Potato Caboose >
Born Cross-Eyed >
Dear Mr. Fantasy >
Drums >
Space >
Morning Dew >
China Cat

how many shows did you go to on this tour?

China Cat

well out of all the Jerry tunes Bob attempted to sing this tour I thought Dew in Pilly wasn't too bad

I just remember the Dew at Alpine in 2002, and that just knocked me out of my grooove.

the SOTM > Lady > Terrapin is awsome!!!

Bobby did a nice job on SOTM.

did Warren lay down big riffs during SotM? He went heavy in Chicago.

I agree... sounded better than it looks on paper. The Terrapin is great. Maybe Bobbys listening to us and dropping the shatner phrasing.. LOL

Although everyone rags on Bobby he is a great rhythym guitarist. I always love to listen to his notes (just not his singing on some Jerry tunes)

I don't ever see people beating on Bob's guitar playing. It's when he opens his mouth.

Thanks Rob
Have Phun!

no updates from the show? Can't believe that China Cat is 18 minutes long

we can hope, can't we?

oh yes, we can, we definately can

The Dead 5/14/09
Shoreline Amphitheatre

Set 1:
Jack Straw
US Blues >
Mason's Children
Ship Of Fools
Friend Of The Devil >
Standing On The Moon >
Lady With A Fan >
Terrapin Station >
Standing On The Moon

Set 2:
Esitmated Prophet >
New Potato Caboose >
Born Cross-Eyed >
Dear Mr. Fantasy >
Drums >
Space >
Morning Dew >
China Cat Sunflower >
I Know You Rider

Donor Rap
Scarlet Begonias

well, i saw a Viola Lee on this tour that lasted 25 minutes, and an Other One that also lasted 25 minutes, so who knows....maybe the China Cat IS 18 minutes long...

Fire at The Gorge. Bet your life on it.

Looks fine, too bad no Cream Puff. That was the one song my friend hoped to see in his mini west coast tour. He did get three excellent shows, however. Better then the one show I got to see, although I did get two of the three songs I had never heard before. It's all good, isn't it?

The Dead 5/14/09
Shoreline Amphitheatre

Set 1:
Jack Straw
U.S. Blues >
Mason's Children
Ship Of Fools
Friend Of The Devil >
Standing On The Moon >
Lady With A Fan >
Terrapin Station >
Standing On The Moon

Set 2:
Esitmated Prophet >
New Potato Caboose >
Born Cross-Eyed >
Dear Mr. Fantasy >
Drums >
Space >
Morning Dew >
China Cat Sunflower >
I Know You Rider

Donor Rap
Scarlet Begonias >
Fire On The Mountain

yeah, maybe they best not complain about anything within earshot distance of Denver or Chicago folk.

Nice setlist for Shoreline.. Thinking Darkstar for the Gorge. Beautiful star filled evening sky in the middle of nowhere... ahhhh.. a rocking St. Stephen... : )

okay, no Fire at The Gorge...love those long encores...never got one myself, though.

Denver was my one show. Easy Wind, King Solomons Marbles = two of the three I wanted to hear.
I try to be a half full instead of half empty kind of person

The Dead 5/14/09
Shoreline Amphitheatre

Set 1:
Jack Straw
U.S. Blues >
Mason's Children
Ship Of Fools
Friend Of The Devil >
Standing On The Moon >
Lady With A Fan >
Terrapin Station >
Standing On The Moon

Set 2:
Esitmated Prophet >
New Potato Caboose >
Born Cross-Eyed >
Dear Mr. Fantasy >
Drums >
Space >
Morning Dew >
China Cat Sunflower >
I Know You Rider

Donor Rap
Scarlet Begonias >
Fire On The Mountain
Deal

The more we can rid ourselves of expectations, the better off we can be. I had difficulty with that in Chicago, but the music won out. Still...some of these shows lean heavy against others.

Saw 7 shows back east. All high energy. All good in their own way, all with significant highlights. My top three in order:

Last night of the Spectrum in Philly - wicked energy, the people played the band...

first night of the Meadowlands (E. Rutherford) - Phil's kids were sitting on the box behind Chimenti, Phil kept giving them wicked grins and played his heart out. OMFG moment. And Branford rocked.

Garden. High energy, warren ripped it up.

Wish I was going to the Gorge.....

Mt View gets all the part 2 showz

Deal? damn long encore... one more to go.. Now it's My turn to see em! : )

tell me Mickey didn't sing fire on the mountain!

He didn't earlier in the tour.

Did Warren sing the West Coast Dew? Wouldn't that be poignant! Peace, G

poingnant it was. Warren wailed.

something tells me something was special about this deal...much like the Death Dont in Nassau

this show was EVERYTHING that sunday wasn't...........

The show was fantastic... more on that later....

I don't think there should be an arrow between Friend OF The Devil and Standing On The Moon...

Walk me out in the Warren Dew today! Who says Phil doesn't read The Zone...

he reads the newspaper.....LOL

The Jack Straw that opened the show was powerful, but the rest of the songs in the first lacked something. The pacing was somewhat slower than I like. New Potato in the second set packed a big punch and had some WOW moments, and the band took it up a notch for Dear Mr Fantasy. Fun evening, some excellent jams, and the best group of people to be at a show with. Deadheads rock. The songs rock. And the band rocks. And being at a show under the stars and back at Uncle Bobo's house totally rocks.
Sunday's show was more to my liking, just seemed to have a better flow to it. Glad they brought back the fire dancers and was pleased to hear Phil give his donor rap loud and clearly. Take that Joel Selvin!
We brought our teen along to the show and it was fun introducing him to the subculture and responding to his questions.
"Why are people walking around with one finger in the air"
"What is the Gorge and why is everyone looking for a ride there?"
and so on..

sub-culture?

is that what ya'll call it now?

was it a morning dew or a warren dew?

either way, killer set and sweet encore. Cant believe the tour is almost over....i know you rider, and im gonna miss you when your're gone.

Wow. Beauty of a setlist there.

Warren sang the Dew.

Always been a subculture Bucko, try taking a noob to a show and you'll understand that there is so much about it all that is not part of the mainstream...yet. Or maybe Deadheads have finally taken over the mainstream and it's those people who are awaiting their first ride on the bus who are the sub-culture.

Warren sang the DEW?!

Wow...my prayers, answered.

:-)

Great show! I was much happier with it than I expected to be! I didn't even mind all the ballads that much...the china>rider was what I wanted to hear...add the Selvin call out followed by Scarlet>Fire and it was perfect!

The fire dancers were great, made for a real fun drum segment, it was so much better than the youtube. Nothing captures that live energy...I'm very glad I decided to catch this show!

isn't friend of the devil a ballad, from which your moniker is derived?

Show started out with a strong Jack Straw, but that turned out to be the only Bobby song in the first set and one of only three in the show. Now if Garcia was on stage, this would have been a killer set list, but Bobby just can't pull off a lot of his songs. Standing on the Moon is a case in point. It is not for lack of talent, it is just that many of Jerry's songs depended on his style and emotion. Bobby is just different and some songs just don't fit him. I have no problem with doing a few of Jerry's songs, but don't sell you own material short.

Sorry, I can't help it but I love Mexicali Blues.

I was very skeptical of this band based on what I had heard from the early part of the tour, but they brought it last night. They had that confident spark that you know they will do no wrong. Yes, the first set was a bit mellow, but I love Mason's Children and I give the SOTM - Terrapin - SOTM an A for effort. Terrapin was quite good, although the end jam a bit brief as they were going back into SOTM.

I couldn't have asked or written a better second set list and it was all played very well. I love Phil and Friends, but so nice not to hear Phil sing Terrapin, Dew, Scarlet and Fire. Warren's playing was the closest to Jerry I have heard. He brought the guitar onslaught down a notch and added some subtly and color that I didn't think he was capable of. I couldn't have asked for a better second set- New Potato into Born Crossed Eyed? Forget about it. Warren sings Fire like he wrote it. I was almost at the top of the lawn and the sound was perfect. Loud, crisp and clear. Didn't know if there was any BS on stage- funny looks, etc, but every one seemed to be having a great time when the camera was on them. Bobby walking over to Warren during a hot jam and Warren smiling at Bob. Phil grinning ear to ear during Dew. Again, I wasn't excited about this show at all and left with my jaw almost on the ground.

had a great time....fun show, great atmosphere in the lot before the show...man i loved the fire dancers...those are some HOT chicks..hehe ;-))

<<<By Ripplein (Stillwater) (207.62.246.30) on Friday, May 15, 2009 - 01:21 pm: Edit Post
Show started out with a strong Jack Straw, but that turned out to be the only Bobby song in the first set and one of only three in the show. Now if Garcia was on stage, this would have been a killer set list, but Bobby just can't pull off a lot of his songs.>>

I was also surprised in regards to the heavy stream of continuous Jerry songs in the first set. I thought Standing on the Moon sung by Bob was pretty good. I had a BIG problem with Ship of Fools sung by Warren. I just couldn't get Jerry out of my head and his way of singing it. Terrapin sung by Warren didn't work for me that well either. The rest of the set was pretty fun.

thanks for reading, was good to hang and meet OdessaBlue and several other zoners last night, who's names now escape me.

Jay

Please don't compare shows. The Dead brought it to the Shoreline for two nights. Sorry if it wasn't intense as a East Coast show with the intensity of the crowd and sing-a-longs but the Dead delivered with their playing,encores,fire dancers, vibe,community,weed friendly and a Warren Dew -into China-Cat-Rider with a Scarlet-Fire-Deal encore. If you don't like that then don't go anymore because it won't be better than what we saw at the Shoreline for two nights. The hometown fans got four greats shows by Warren and the Dead/ABB was a memorable time in the Bay Area.The Bay Area fans went home happy and satisfied. The encores both nights took it from a good show to a great show. Special treats indeed. Thanks.

Personally you can keep your East Coast intensity or whatever. I like to be able to hear the pros on stage sing and play instead of some drunk yahoo singing in my ear and then when they play New Potato start chatting away cause the don't know the song. Last night was epic in the true sense of the word even without the yahoo sing alongs. You get more people actually listening the songs. Much better concert experience in my book.

Just got home and I'm beat, so for now I'll just say that the Dew was the kind you chase! After both Allmans shows and then last night I'm a happy guy. Shit happened. No complaints at all for me last night, everything was very well-played, some things were EXTREMELY well-played, and my only setlist bitch was with U. S. Blues, but at least it was the 2nd song

Nice to hang with so many old Zoner friends and meet others that I only knew as Internet entities. Always nice to put a face to a name. You guys know who you are

I thought the whole show was well-played last night. Few "uh-oh" moments. It was much mellower than Sunday inside, due to no sell-out (no piss lines!), but the scene outside was a little crazier, IMO. Nice to see lots of folks get in with the $20 seats who would never get in under the old price regime. Many miracles. Set 1 was special, with a Standing on the Terrapin sandwich. Such great energy. Good to bump into zoners and so many other happy people.

At some point there was a marshmallow tossing thing going on the lawn. Silly kids. "Cream Puff War", eh?

Set two was also tight, but not insane. The Cross-eyed Potato was played great but, as is always the popular criticism with this band, the vocals were thin.

Drums> space were very pedestrian/forumulaic 90's dead, though the fire dancers were a nice touch once again.

DEW was fantastic. A tight short ending instead of the classic spiraling jam, but the intensity throughout the song made it somehow complete anyway. Thanks for letting Warren sing it. He's good at that one. Intense dew.

China>Rider was "pretty good." Solid, well-played. No new territory here, but a fun ending to the night.

Encore: Another Segue Sandwich! Scarlet > Fire were great. The scarlet was high energy, with several run-throughs of the instrumental verse jam that got the place moving. They were finding some new ground in the transition that I thought was cool too- spacey. Loved the encore segment.

Deal was superfluous, but I'd never complain. Another great day on the grass!

>>Drums> space were very pedestrian/forumulaic 90's dead<<

I was giving the drums high marks for much of the tour, but then when in Chicago, I realized how much of it was planned and repeated. That let the air out of my drum tires. I think Mickey had some GREAT ideas, but some of them were over-used. At times, it felt more like a skit than an open session.

Lip-synching drums?

Anyone know who joined in for drums, and the end of the show? He was playing on stage left during drums. In between the drummers, stage center, playing a talking drum for the end of the show and encores.

Sikiru Adepju I think. This was my favorite post Garcia of all time I think. Fifth row dead center might have had something to do woth it. FIRE ON THE MOUNTAIN!!!!!!!!!!!

wrt bruce weber's assessment: for a "dead"-type arrangement, i prob concur (tho my fave remains plf on 12/19/04) ... and i was up on the lawn. fwiw, this tour's "clean" arrangements really dovetailed with the strengths of the shoreline sounds system; eargasm.

lots of fun interplay & teases throughout ... norwegian wood at one point ... first there is a mountain (donovan) in fotm ... etc

i also liked space mainly being about the abstract, cubist guitar interplay between weir & haynes; mickey on the beam etc was minimal ... and then all of a sudden the dots of space connected in the first few bars of dew!

crowd was largely pretty mellow on the lawn ... but concentrating a lot on what was unfolding on the stage.

bring this ensemble back, por favor ... i do NOT want to let this particular deal to go down

Yeah, 8/20/99 with warren and Kimock is probably my favorite Phil and Friends..........

GR8 THREAD!! Thanks ALL!!!



btw~ why isn't Phil's bass lights on??

I thought it was a great show -- not necessarily the best post-dead show I've seen -- I've been to a number of PLF shows that I thought were better -- but still a much better show than I expected.

Venue-wise, fewer chattering idiots than usual at Shoreline, though that's not to say they weren't there. Once again, during particularly quiet, spacy parts, there was a buzzkilling rumble of conversation. Wsa amused to note the completely empty livenation loose lucy's bar in the lot on the way in: what kind of chump opted to pay for that???

As for the show...

The mix was good from our spot (just to the right of the soundboard in 201. As has been noted by others at earlier shows, Bob's sound wsa not so annoyingly tinny as it has been in recent years, and we could hear all of the other instruments really well.

I was surprised to find that every single song was well-played, with great interplay between all of the instruments -- the group is really sounding like a band, with each of the members at times pushing the music in new and interesting directions.

Always, always, great to see Billy, whose rhythms are so much more delicate and spacy than, say, those of the Great White Cloud (who I also think is great, but just different.) Agree with an earlier poster though that Mickey's contributions continue to more frequently bury Billy's work than add to it.

Warren has done a great job of evolving his style to fit this band and of stepping up often enough to drive the band at times when it needs to be woken up.

And Bob. I was very pleasantly surprised by his work. From listening to earlier shows, I was prepared to deal with Shatneresque singing of Jerry tunes, stupid posturing, and killing of jams -- but none of that really happened. His playing was subtle, respectful, and really helped push the jams forward; his singing was great at times - strong, tuneful, heart-felt -- and not too bad even at its worst moments (like in, say, fotd).

Phil was freaking awesome, but that was no surprise, at all.

Contrary to reports from earlier shows, I didn't see any particular tension between band members, though I think Phil may have had some equipment issues during the second set that got him annoyed with his crew.

Notes on songs:

Jack Straw -- Great from the very fist note. Nice hearing Phil sing Jerry's old lines. Great ambiance created in the instrumentals -- both the rocking parts and the slow western-y sounding parts.

US Blues -- Never been a fave of mine, but also well played. The more, well, blues-y arrangement they use these days suits the song well.

Mason's -- First "Phil" contribution of the evening. Nice soloing by Warren, and interplay between Warren and Phil. I get the feeling that Bob hasn't really latched onto this one, but he seemed to give it a good shot nonetheless.

Ship of Fools -- I'd heard the jazzy re-arrangement in tapes from earlier shows and was prepared not to really like it -- but it worked OK live. Appropriate to give Warren the "Don't lend your hand to raise no flag atop no ship of fools line" in this context.

FOTD -- Bit of a snooze for me. Some nice soloing, but having gotten completely burnt on this song by, say, 1986, there's nothing to be done to resurrect it for me.

SOTM->Terrapin->SOTM -- This was a great, bizarre first set closer. Bob's vocals on SOTM were heartfelt and not too talky, and the whole band put a lot of power into the chord progression. The transition into the opening chords of Terrapin was very smooth (or maybe I wasn't paying attention), and all parts of that tune were played well. The jam at the end of Terrapin was unfortunately much too short, but the transition, again, was very smooth. And there was still a long way to go in SOTM, which lent a great "Wow, did that really just happen?" quality to the Terrapin. The band's playing, and Bob's singing, hit some emotional heights in the final repeated lines.

Estimated -- Strong, spacey, well-executed.

New Potato/Born Cross-eyed -- The two tunes I had told my pals before the show that I most wanted to hear, and they really delivered. Couldn't hear Phil's lead vocals as well as I would have liked on New Potato, but the back-up singing, anchored by Jeff and Warren, was spot on, the jams inspired and quirky, and the overall sound mix, as with the MSG Cryptical, makes me have to believe that Phil is trying, successfully, to recapture some of the layered nuttiness that he attempted in mixing Anthem, but was unable to translate to vinyl at the time. Born Cross-eyed was equally satisfying -- I've seen Bob stumble in this one in the past, but was very tight hear.

Dear Mr Fantasy -- Another one that I've never been wild about, but, again, well played. Little too much cheese factor in Warren's singing (always a risk with him), but some great, mean playing by Phil in the minor-key bridges that follow each verse.

Drums/Space -- Enjoyed the drums, doesn't bother me that they were coordinated in advance with the dancers (why else have that type of dancing -- you really can't do fire dancing in a completely improvised deadhead spinner manner -- someone wil get hurt!). Wish the fire dancing hadn't gone on quite as long though; would have preferred more (non-drum) music instead. Space was okay, though it did not seem to achieve escape velocity -- couldn't tell from where I was sitting, given the low lights on stage at that point and the lights in my head at that point, but I don't think Phil was present for most of space. Could be wrong abou that though.

Dew -- Preceded by a bit of telegraph-y space that really heightened expectations among those paying attention (see: chattering idiots, paragraph 1). Tight, well-played, great first solo; once again, a bit too much Warren cheesey affectation in the singing, but still really quite good.

Chinacat/Rider -- Well done throughout. Especially on the instrumental parts of Chinacat, Phil, Bob and Warren achieved that single-mind x factor thing. Bravo.

Donor Rap -- Nice shot at the jackass Joel Selvin, who, in 30 years of covering the dead, has never been bright enough to even recognize Phil's central role, and who's only comment about Phil's music on Sunday was about his vocals. What an asshole.

Scarlet/Fire -- Show seemed a bit short, so was thrilled with the Scarlet opening ot the encore, since it signalled a lengthy encore. Was shocked, absolutely dumbfounded gobsmacked amazed, at how well Bob sang Scarlet -- as my buddy said, it jst seems to be in a perfect vocal range for him, and the lyrics are somehow right for him. But the thing is, that hasn't stopped him from phoning in his chant-style singing on many a Garcia song before, but on this one, he sang the hell out of it. Right on, Bobby -- please give us lots more of the same. Fire, as described above, was a great, monsterously powerful, long jam, the singing of which Warren nailed.

Deal -- was ready for Fire to be the end of the show, so this was just gravy. Bob and Warren traded verses. Whoever said, on an earlier review thread, that for God's sake y'all are in your sixties (I know, Warren isn't), you don't need ot pass the song back and forth as if it were a bag of marbles, was right on. Forturnately this show didn't have too much of that. Anyway, this song was still well-done, nice jam on the chorus chords toward the end.

Overall, a solid A performance. Thank you, boys. Thank you.

Very good review.

BTW, that Loose Lucy bar thing outside was the Consider It Dan outside party, not a Live Nation deal, although I'm sure that they got their taste of that too, but that is a thing set up with the band, and they get most of the dough from that.

I don't know how that sold overall on the tour, but you're right, not many bought it for the Shoreline shows.

But if a thousand dollars was the same as a hundred is to me now I would buy it. VIP stuff is always annoying and unfair and gaudy and all that, but it's always nice to have if you can get it.

Joel Selvin is a poser...

Below are some thoughts from a friend of mine who relatively recently got into the dead. I thought yall might appreciate hearing his perspective...
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I love The Dead. The Dead, the now touring band of former Grateful Dead members plus Warren Haynes and Jeff Chimenti. Their show at Shoreline Amphitheater last night was exceptional. A profoundly memorable event. I am truly grateful to have been a part of it. As a musician, I'm in awe of the skill set. Rhythmically, they were tight, flowing like a surging river of sound, every particle deeply integrated with the movement of the whole. Esthetically, the tones of each instrument blended richly, and presented a flavor of music that combined classic elegance with modern panache. I have spent the last few years trying to learn how to play that way. Last night gave me the chance to really appreciate why I want to be able to do that.

Which brings me to the greater takeaway from The Dead listening experience. And that is its value on the human level. True, recreation is recreation and great fun was certainly had. But what if you had to make sense of it? I can think of a lot of ways to amuse myself. Why am I writing about The Dead, and hoping to convince you to see the value that I see in them? It is because what they offer is rare and precious. And perhaps for that reason, can be difficult to get at. My intent is to help whet the appetite and lower the hurdles.

I completely missed the Deadhead scene during the 80s and 90s when I was immersed in Florida pop radio - Janet Jackson, Madonna, Howard Jones, and Duran Duran. I loved tweaking the Dolby settings on my walkman, and considering the richness of CrO2 cassettes versus normal bias. I loved sound, and songs. But in many ways I wasn't really listening. That is to say, I wasn't fully listening. What were the people making those sounds doing? What were they saying? What motivated them to make the sounds they were making? I often didn't know the lyrics to my favorite songs. I definitely couldn't articulate the rhythm. Even pitch escaped me. But I felt drawn to the music. I could feel something in it, and that feeling has brought me to this point today, where I insist and urge everyone I care about - and even those I don't - to go after more depth. Take my word for it, there's more available, and it's worth the effort to seek it. Late on the Dead scene, it's the answers to these questions that really inspire me to dig in.

The Grateful Dead, and presumably The Dead are encumbered with an image that many people seem to be unable to get past. Not sure if it's the drugs, or the hippies, or the jeans and sneakers regalia in which they appear. But I often find a certain blankness in the people I discuss this music with. There's a sense that I'm being written off for some reason. I must say, the crowd really can be a turnoff. Constant chatter, sometimes stupidly inebriated, many who show up aren't really there. Ignore them as much as you can and focus on the music. If you find yourself unable to connect, I would really challenge you to consider that you're not getting it, and keep trying, instead of deciding its not there. I am only talking about the music here, not the scene, not the image, not any other thing. Just sound and purpose.

I like a lot of different bands with different styles and flavors. The Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel, Radiohead, Pink Floyd - so many important moments in my life linked to and colored by these epic artists' work. They've helped get through tough situations, inspired some beautifully joyful ones. But let's go a little further. Harmony, I think, is the condition of distinct elements showing their innate relationship through cooperation - when tangible parts line up to suggest their intangible whole. Cycles combine into deeper, richer cycles. I think most of us have experienced situations in which our natural cycles were challenged. Things were less than harmonious. Where pressures were put on us, and we had to deal. For me, this meant choosing to detach from awareness of certain things, creating filters to keep out certain kinds of distress. That translated into a certain kind of silence in the flow of things. And to fill that silence, so many behaviors emerge twisted into a range of disturbed patterns.

Which brings me back to music. Why bother? It's not a requirement for life. Air, food, water, shelter and we exist. But what about a collapsing economy, mercury in the water, priests who rape kids? What about a 50% divorce rate, domestic violence, alcoholism, war, obesity, deforestation? This is the world we live in. What is going on with the people responsible for these situations? My argument in grand summary: they aren't listening. That is to say, something is going on for them that keeps them separate, distant, selfish, embroiled in their own detached existence, unable to find common ground in fellow seekers of life, sympathy and connection. Or maybe they're just pure evil, and can't be helped. Those people should not bother with music. For the rest of us, for the people with good hearts, trying to do what's right, what makes sense, trying to feel their own humanity, I cannot beg you enough to give The Dead a chance. What makes them different from other musicians is a commitment to delivering harmony with magical depth.

Recognizing how we come at things with filters, one thing to consider is how that limits the appreciation and understanding of what's there. So much of what's popular feeds the desire to be surprised - to hear something new and different, or the desire to be accepted - to hear something that fits the prescription of cool and hip. Or music comes from a place of venting, an expression of pain or anger or lust. All of these are okay. But life can be simpler than it seems, and the greatest truths are those things that remain the same. If you try to make sense of these other motivations for music, you find that their impact is limited. They are a kind of short term balm. Their influence doesn't fit with the end game. For The Dead, connection is the focus, and their ability to connect solidly deeply and thoroughly amounts to the kind of listening experience that I have only begun to dream about. The musicians are not only connecting with themselves and the audience, but also with the soul that seeks and delivers music in the first place. This, to me, is the psychedelic experience.

The Dead produce the sounds of getting along. The wall of sound is a place to open up to a feeling of being integrated into a greater whole. To recognize spirituality as a focus on what's important - what really truly matters. To be willing and able to cross the chasm of fear and uncertainty by trusting in some greater cycle in which we fit.

Religion, pedantry, glory, whatever. There are so many distractions. So many places to focus that are dead ends. So many chances for hamsterwheeling through life, spinning unraveling energy into frayed cords, rather than winding them into stable guide ropes. I am suggesting the choice of a deliberate valuable point of focus. For anyone who can listen, I suggest you listen to The Dead. Email me if you need a suggestion. Go to Dead.net and download some shows. Go to archive.org and listen to some shows. Buy their discs. I have seen hundreds of live music shows in my life, and last night had to be one of the finest. Standing on The Moon into Terrapin Station and back in to Moon was so sweet. Estimated Prophet into New Potato Caboose was a musical highlight. And Dear Mr. Fantasy just blew it out in terms of energy and enthusiasm. And I haven't even begun to discuss the details. The intricate stories of each song that reflect on love, loss, conflict, hope, struggle. It is poetry of emotion. Deft and intelligent. The phenomenal writing craft of Robert Hunter articulating the messages of the melodies. These guys are in another league when it comes to storytelling. But I will leave these details to your own discovery.

When I discuss music with people, so much of what goes on involves naming styles and patterns and comparing one thing with another. It's like an exercise in sorting and filing. The interest is in pushing things around, rather than just taking it in and getting something out of it. I say this recognizing my own ongoing struggle to get past this behavior. Part of what I've realized from a lifetime of not fully paying attention is that it's easy to see past the thing you're looking at and therefore miss what it has to offer. Some of this has to do with the limitations of what we're often given to look at.

I have to mention the dancers during Drums. First off, Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann are hands down the most solid drummers I can think of. They relate emotionally. That is to say, they're not counting gaps and trying to hit the markers, or worse trying to wow and amaze with rhythmic zingers, but instead appear to be agreeing on a four-dimensional rhythmic form and then spraying its surface with notes like fireworks silhouetting a skyscraper. They give you structure as well as fluidity. That soundtrack against body-painted women gyrating and whirling fire balls was not a bad intermission between songs. So much costumed dance comes across as constricted, cheesy, as though people are hiding in their own uncertainty. Not this one. The art of the dance, and the art of the dancers themselves was so humane - legit on a basic level. For anyone who can appreciate the beauty of Balinese woodcarving, imagine that forged with life and lit with fire. These dancers were enhanced by their decoration, rather than subdued by it. And their craft was passionate and strong - a real treat again to experience among the stodgily empty perfectionism of so much other stage work. Definitely a solid accompaniment to the circus of sound.

In summary, as I see it, popular culture suffers from an overwhelming dearth of real value. People present themselves as entertainers for so many unfulfilling reasons, and their presentations trickle through all the filters of their own pain and confusion. But there are other options, and I submit The Dead as a very good one. I have had great experiences with Ratdog, Dark Star Orchestra, and Phil and Friends - bands with similar intentions. They are worth checking out too. Still, hands down, these guys are the real deal. Along with exceptional talent and top-notch material, they bring to the stage a wisdom of the ages, no doubt honed by their own ongoing struggles that grounds the whole affair in a deep and lasting place. What they offer is not just entertaining, but is in fact enriching, like a searchlight beaconing truth among clouds of delusion. Check them out.

Nice review, Essephreak!

I appreciate your saving me the trouble (for an extensive review, at least)

I basically just have to back you up on your overall review of the show, and how pleasant it was to hear Bobby actually ADD a lot to the mix - his playing seemed to really take this version of the group up a notch from some of the other earlier incarnations of The Dead or Other Ones. Seems he left most of his ego and posturing behind, at least for these couple of nights or this tour, and concentrated on how his playing and singing (for the most part) could drive the music to more interesting spaces. As I mentioned in a previous review, I really gained more respect for Warren for his really melding into this lineup without trying to sound too much like Jerry yet not overdoing the whole Allman/Mule sound - he really seemed to find his own appropriate tone for most of the 2 Shoreline shows. Phil - what else needs to be said? He's Phil - he's the rock! Was also great to hear Billy, despite the Mickey bangfest (hey, he's got his moments to shine as well - he needs a new speech, though).

My highlights from this show:

Jack Straw, Mason's, and the Terrapin sandwich (yes, the jam at the end was too brief) from the first set (wasn't blown away by the SOTM, though, despite Bob's sincere approach - just didn't have the X - or do I mean the 'J?' - factor).

New Potato -> Born Cross-Eyed -- was hoping for these before the Sunday show, and they delivered. BCE was really nicely performed - the vocals sounded really nice and layered (still haven't heard the recording yet, so...)

China -> Rider -- sounded great to me, and Bobby's jam during the transition reminded me of his great jams during the early 70s/Europe era. I realize this may be pushing it, but Bobby really sounded great during this section.

Scarlet -> Fire -> Deal -- another great encore, and a fine way to send us home.

All in all, this show was right up there with the best post-Grateful Dead, non-P&F shows I've seen, and certainly as good or better (in a different way) than a number of the P&F shows. Really exceeded my expectations.

I agree Alex, that encore had me rockin'!The energy from the fifth row during Fire was some of the best I have felt in my whole life! Thanks you guys for turning it up a notch, love Eddieboy(BruceEdwardWeber)!

Hell, I think I'm even going to buy a SBD download of the 14th - perhaps even the 10th, for the excellent Unbroken -> Other One and the killer encore. Well, first I'll give the audience versions a try (it's not like I didn't give the boys enough cash for the shows themselves).

A bit late, but I thought i would share my thoughts about this show...

First off.. it was a fantastic show. I went to both Shoreline shows, and both were great, but this was the better of the two IMHO. For the past several years, i have been going to shows with my partner and also my good friend. They both got into the dead after Jerry died, so aside from enjoying good shows for my own benefit, it is really pleasing to me that they get to have their own version of 'the best Grateful Dead show ever'. I think that most of us who have been into the music for a while can name several shows that were 'the best show ever'. This show was one such for me. It was right up there with the best GD shows I saw.

As a general comment.. most of the show (up to the encore) was played with confidence and decisive psychedelic precision while still remaining loose and responsive to the moment. When I heard that the Dead were going to tour again, i of course knew that I would go to the shows I was able to. I was not entirely optimistic about the quality of the music considering how much of the post Jerry Dead stuff has had a noodly and generally underwhelming quality to it. I really loved a lot of what happened on the 'Other Ones' tour, but most of 'the Dead' has left me wanting in terms of offering a similar yet different experience to what the GD did. The current incarnation has no such trouble.

I was in th e12th row center

Now my play by play...

-Jack Straw-
Played with power and precision. I was heartened right off the bat that the boys were on.

-U.S. Blues >-
-Mason's Children-
Both of these are songs I would not choose in a set list, but they were both really well played. I was taken by the togetherness of the band. They were working like a well oiled machine. Jeff really shined on US Bluse. He was 'boogieing' in the literal sense.

-Ship Of Fools-
A different interpretation of the tune that worked for me.. at least it would have if it were not for the massive amount of loud talkers all around me. It was seriously ridiculous. I had a really hard time sinking into the song with the din of drunken fools loudly conversing.

Friend Of The Devil >
Fast version... well played

Standing On The Moon >
Lady With A Fan >
Terrapin Station >
Standing On The Moon
I loved how this turned out. The chords to standing on the moon were played with power. Again, with previous incarnations of 'the Dead' I came to expect that the songs would be played tentatively as if the musicians did not really know the songs. Not here... powerful and confident it was. Sure... Jerry was missed on the vocals, but... he is dead, what are you going to do. Many have commented on the fact that they would prefer it if Warren sang more of the Jerry tunes. I think the reason they are not doing this is to avoid the perception that they are trying to replace him. Think about it, if they just gave Warren all of Jerry's roles, you would hear all sorts of complaints about how they are trying to replace Jerry with Warren (and I am sure there would be a litany of opinions about what a poor replacement he is). The way the have done it I believe is the best they can do while being respectful to Jerry's memory. Sharing songs reads to me like they are saying... 'we are doing our best despite our loss. We are sharing the responsibility in bridging the void that is left'.
The Terrapin was well played, but going into the end jam, there was a bit of a hiccough, which is why I believe the jam was cut short.... they were not really in synch in the way that was needed to make the jam work. The SOTM ending was nice. All in all, a SOTM Terrapin sandwich is a dream concert experience for me.

-Esitmated Prophet >-
This was the highlight of the evening for me. Well played in the composed section, and well jammed out. Deep, exploratory, decisive yet open. warren sounded great. The sound quality and mix was amazing.

-New Potato Caboose >-
Also very good, I love this song more and more. The only glitch was when Phil was having Technical problems with his in ear monitors. Even then, the rest of the band kept it going nicely.

-Born Cross-Eyed >-
Unfortunately, i had to go pee really bad, so I missed this one.

-Dear Mr. Fantasy >-
Powerful! Rocking! Amazing!

-Drums >-
Just utterly fantastic... I loved it... fire dancers and all

-Space >-
Also good, though again, the chattering idiots/assholes really made it hard to get into it. The group behind us was so obnoxious (is that the East coast energy I keep hearing about). When I and others asked them to be quiet, they just flung hatred toward us (as if our desire to hear the music held no value to them).

-Morning Dew >-
Absolutely beautiful, though again, I was very distracted by the loud assholes behind us. For gods sake!!!... listen to the fucking dew!! At one point, I was resting with my head in my hands, and a very nice lady from a couple of rows in front of me asked me if I was doing ok. I was, but it was very heart warming to have someone show concern for my well being.

-China Cat Sunflower >-
-I Know You Rider-
Very nice. Good transition. Good rider...

-Donor Rap-
Very good... Phil was hilarious in how he dealt with the comments from the news paper

-Scarlet Begonias >-
-Fire On The Mountain-
Something happened during the encore... the band sort of lost steam, and were not able to hold cohesion. I find it very curious that all of the other reviewers seem to have had a different experience of this portion of the show. Things really went south during the transition between scarlet and fire. Warren did not seem to be picking up on the fact that the rest of the band was trying to go into fire. Bob and Phil were giving heavy signals that it was time to transition, but Warren would just not go. The lack of connection led to rhythmic weirdness that lasted the rest of the encore.

-Deal-
Again, something seemed off here rhythmically. Bob seemed to be struggling. he was shaking his head at himself at one point. The song never really came together for me.

Perhaps the band was tired. It is ok, Most of the show was great, so I am not likely to complain. These guys are human after all. If The Dead continue to tour, I hope that they do not feel obligated to do extended encores at every show. As a listener, I would prefer something short and sweet. As much as I love scarlet fire, when it started, it felt exhausting to follow that long thread of music after everything else that had already gone down. I love the music, but usually by the end of a show, I am ready to be done. It is a large energy expenditure.

Summary = Best Show Ever

How did I forget to mention the Dew?!

It was a very sweet version - certainly one of the highlights of the show - and I enjoyed Warren's handling of the vocals. While I'm not someone who's opposed to Phil singing (I prefer him to Bob on just about any Jerry song, in general), I thought it was good that Warren handled this one. Phil understands HOW to sing Dew, it's just that he's more vocally challenged. Warren did a fine job, from my recollection - I didn't feel lack the vocals lacked the right presence. I recall thinking the jam at the end could've gone on a bit longer (or was that the Terrapin), but I always feel that way with Morning Dew - it's such a great build-up that I just don't want it to end (perhaps it was plenty long enough - I honestly can't recall).

>>hey, Mickey's got his moments to shine as well - he needs a new speech, though

As I think I mentioned at the time, he sort of looked and sounded like Liza Minelli during his little speech at the end. Of course, my perceptions were a bit altered at the time...

>>-Space >-Also good, though again, the chattering idiots/assholes really made it hard to get into it. The group behind us was so obnoxious ...When I and others asked them to be quiet, they just flung hatred toward us...

Yes, and, as usual at the Shoreline, the combined ambient noise of *all* of the CHATTERING IDIOTS was a distraction during space. In our section we also had an especially loud group right nearby, but they actually apologized when multiple people asked them to be quiet. A minor miracle.

The show gave me a lot to appreciate:

http://www.brewnote.com/blog/2009/05/dead.html