Working tonight, but sooo excited about the show later that I thought I would start the thread.

Moving from the couch to the Orchestra

Just wanted to take a minute to send out some love to everyone! Love our community!

"Without love in the dream, it will never come true"

is it noon yet? 1/2 day of work today, let's get this going!

what time does the lot open this year? I want to say last year they made everyone wait until like 4 or 5 pm before the let the parking begin.

This link should work.If all goes well it will be the link for tomorrow as well. http://www.ustream.tv/channel/furthur-test#utm_cam paign=www.furthur.net&utm_source=11527651&utm_medi um=social

>>> what time does the lot open this year?

they are saying 5pm.

Huge storms last night, maybe more this evening. Come prepared.

Thanks Kfed, I will be killing time in the San Jose airport later today and this stream will come n handy, in a big way!

...

Nice poster, wish I could afford one! Just pulling in from ky, lets get this party started!!!!!

We'll be heading up in about 40 minutes or so.
Be sure and say hello.

Tunes still left to play....

Here Comes Sunshine
Loose Lucy
Bertha
Need a Miracle
Push Comes to Shove
Let the Good Times Roll
Pride of Cucamunga
Note Fade Away
Morning Dew
Terrapin
Not Fade Away
Mountains of the Moon
High on a Mountain
Weather Report Suite
Wharf Rat
Stella Blue
Beatles (Strawberry Fields, etc)

As always, you can see what's up in the rotation (based on what has been most frequently played and played most recently) here:

http://www.thebarnpresents.com/song-statistics/fur thur-song-statistcs/furthur-rotation-infographic

Sound check called to me by KyKind...
Foolish heart and lazy lightning.

Damn I should be there.....

Lazy Lightning would be huge!!!!!

new potato!

Stream's up, and we've got video...

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/furthur-test

stream is up and running - mahalo!

Furthur
Alpharetta, GA

Set 1

Promised Land

Damn, I love Promised Land. Good sign for a rockin' first set. Bertha next??

Furthur
Alpharetta, GA

Set 1

Promised Land
Bertha

Nice call, JD Harris. The sound quality is really rough in between the drop-outs; our phone-in phriend should boogie on down to the heart of the pit...

Furthur
Alpharetta, GA

Set 1

Promised Land
Bertha
Sugaree

k_fed: can you get a message to the streamer to turn his volume down at the site? less distortion.

need a different stream, this thing is blowin out my eardrums

where taperrob>?

just posted in chat that TR will be present @ bethel, brooklyn, and GOTV

It could be that the phone's mic has a very limited range; the lows and middle don't sound so bad, but the higher frequencies are really quite painful to listen to.

Anyone with iPhone tips on how to cut back on the distortion? I may try to clamp my iPhone to my fob mic stand and stream it out with full video....but need to figure out how to deal with the mic clipping. It is not that they guy here turned it up too loud. That is a mic clipping sound.

Maybe wrap it in some cloth? How does taper rob do it?

Big Bad Blues

I can maybe get an out from my 722 but don't have a cable that plugs into the phone. A simple mini to mini plug won't hack it I think.

Loser

Any updates?

I guess this must be the rapture.

Set 1
Promised land
Bertha
Sugaree
Big Bad Blues
Loser
Pride of Cucomonga
Music Never Stopped

-End of Set 1

Set II

Set 1
Promised land
Bertha
Sugaree
Big Bad Blues
Loser
Pride of Cucomonga
Music Never Stopped

-End of Set 1

Set II
Hard To Handle

I've noticed that Furthur's 1st sets almost invariably consist of 8 tunes -- tonite, 7. Is it me or have others noticed that? (I know I set myself myself for that one -- usually it is "just me" ;-)

Yep, it's just you

wharf rat

Heh.

Set 1
Promised land
Bertha
Sugaree
Big Bad Blues
Loser
Pride of Cucomonga
Music Never Stopped

-End of Set 1

Set II
Hard To Handle>
Wharf Rat

Weird placment for Wharf Rat.

Is there a stream, other than the blown out one listed above?

This is the only stream tonight.


Set 1
Promised land
Bertha
Sugaree
Big Bad Blues
Loser
Pride of Cucomonga
Music Never Stopped

-End of Set 1

Set II
Hard To Handle>
Wharf Rat>
Born Cross Eyed

TROB!

Set 1
Promised land
Bertha
Sugaree
Big Bad Blues
Loser
Pride of Cucomonga
Music Never Stopped

-End of Set 1

Set II
Hard To Handle>
Wharf Rat>
Born Cross Eyed>
Lady With a Fan

Knew I'd come up a day short for the Suite. Can they save King Solomon's Marbles for the divinity student tomorrow?

Classic He's Gone after Terrapin

Uggh..there's the King Solomon's Marbles....I hoped for tomorrow..its ok though cuz I know the band will rip my head off tomorrow...and any song, at any time, can be my dark star > st stephen...

I am psyched! After returning from Rocky Mountains a few weeks ago (saw John K in Denver), I may be due for a huge mountain set!! I am up for anything! I love this band!!

Set II
Hard To Handle
Wharf Rat>
Born Cross Eyed>
Terrapin Suite
He's Gone
King Solomon's Marbles
Black Peter

(per: Furthur twitter)

Set II
Hard To Handle
Wharf Rat>
Born Cross Eyed>
Terrapin Suite
He's Gone
King Solomon's Marbles
Black Peter >
Lovelight
Enc: Mighty Quinn

like I say . .. It usually is ;-)

like I say . .. It usually is ;-)

Good fun time and WET!

Looks like a decent show. Sorry I was not home to record/Ztream.

No lazy lightning at sound check

It was quite a night. The drive from the city to the venue took us two full hours, and we barely arrived on time. Mind melting traffic, off-and-on rain teases, and multiple entrances to a venue that seemed designed to render any GPS technology worthless and cops seemingly everywhere on stealth missions of some sort, never bothering to guide the traffic. It was a suburban nightmare of epic proportions, and then the rain just poured. You had to wade to get inside what otherwise was a wonderful outdoor theater, though $20.00 for two drinks was not much a reward for those who managed to make it to the show. (I could hear a seemingly guilty tone in the voice of our server.) And it did seem nearly empty when the band took the stage. Bob kept scanning the back, seemingly worried about starting with so many not yet there, or maybe seeing if it was raining or not.

The show itself certainly met my expectations, which were high after past reports. I was struck by the level of coordination, especially between Bob and John. Recordings from the other shows had me wondering who well these two were meshing compared to the Jerry/Bob sound, but I what I saw in person was impressive. Phil seemed off to himself, but totally tuned in—most of the time. Bob did start without him. Phil was working on is earpiece when Furthur left the gate at full speed. Neither Bob or John were looking back to see if Phil was there.

Bob and John not only played well together, but also traded versus on many songs. I was still busy eating during Promised Land, but both Bertha and Sugaree had mixed vocals, as I recall. I think this is what some might call a Bob show from the set list, and Bob was up-front and on point in person, totally keyed in. He did not miss any opportunities to emphasize Georgia (“rolling ‘cross Georgia state”) or the weather (“ran into a rainstorm”) and there were moments where the arena shook and you could see sheets of rain. We were under the cover, thankfully.

Just the classics. They rolled out well-practiced songs in well-calibrated set list, maybe making too much of the South connection to an audience of what I might presume where mostly transplants from the north. John seemed to be having the best time, totally at-ease with his skill and prominent role in the band. Again, working tightly with Bob at times, but also delivering blistering leads. The Loser was extraordinary and seemingly effortless…incredible guitar sound and style.

A dragging slow pace? Jazzy? I say no. The loser clearly had a slow tempo, but measured. John seemed to carefully weigh every word. The core lyrical structure was laid out with reverence and emphasis. I have heard loser a million times, but it was fresh and new. I think in a thoughtful way, commanding people to listen and think about the song. As I noted above…fantastic solo. The tempo shifts were more notable for me than past Furthur shows—proving to me that the tempo, whatever you think of it, is given careful thought. They reveled in the slow pace, one-and-all in my view, but also knew they had to step-it-up now and again. The playing all seemed carefully crafted to me, and tightly woven together. The argument that Bob was slowing them down? This is just not so. Bob was out front, but the sound was a team effort.

Jeff, as with Phil, seemed off to himself…and he literally was, but he also shaped the sound of the band; as with Phil he frequently gave a depth and a richness. There was a kind of an envelope to the main guitar sound of Bob and John at times, created by Phil and/or Jeff. There is just one drummer. This seemed to be exploited, though, allowing the bass and Piano to set the mood in a smooth and dynamic way.

Phil was totally on edge at the break before Pride, making adjustments, cranking the sound. Great version! While Phil seemed to be laying back the rest of the time, he was certainly not absent from the sound….driving the tempo at times and shaping the tone with loudness and depth.

The Bob sound. We did get the Bob sound and then some. Again, though, measured and carefully done. You could see him listening to every note. I cannot say exactly when, but at one point (probably the start of set two) he switched from an understated sound to a clanking metal sounding guitar that was the perfect choice at times and jarring than others. To my mind, the message with the silvery hair and beard in the lights and the guitar tone was to remind everyone that the Grateful Dead was not sliding into their last years playing easy listening music.

They are a guitar band, and the core three pounded away at song after song. They certainly seemed to understand the band dynamic of the early 70s and did a fine job of trying to bring that back… the melding of lead and rhythm with the driving base, interspersed with the jangling sound of Bob and breakout leads of John and Phil. Fake Jerry? As though you could fake a Jerry, a crass thing to suggest. John clearly did know the lead guitar role in this band, but there was nothing fake about the resulting sound or the level of coordination. These were three guys who liked to play together and relied on each other at every step. Again, seldom even looking up, but knowing that the others were on their marks at every turn.

Bob as an off-the-wall singer. Again, I would say no to the critics. He was good. Spaced out? Not for an instant. He was jarring occasionally with the cranking rhythm, but in a deliberate way. I could see why some would say…”this guy is hardly working,” but he worked like a craftsman. He understood the architecture of the final product and also focused intently on seemingly minor parts. The Black Peter may stand out as an example of Bob vocal excess. I would not say it was a buzz-kill, because they had covered the bases by the time this song came around, but one might say that Bob pushed harder on the vocals than needed during this one song, seemingly try to reach a back row that was not so terribly far away. This song was not a highlight, but still strong, and, again, they emphasized the quality of the lyrics.

Perhaps they were over-practiced, but they were not a Steely-Dan version of the Dead. No digs on Steely Dan, but this band has an edge. Jerry was missed, of course, but the overall quality of this band likely surpasses the different original versions in some ways. Back in the 70s, they continually surprised themselves and tried things they had never done before, and those days are clearly gone. Furthur delivers a carefully examined product with skill and deliberately honoring their roots in ways that remind the audience of who they are and where they came from. Perhaps pushing the audience to give those old recordings another listen?

After the show, we got a total late night soaking. It was an all-out downpour of cool rain. Shivering and soaked people waded through rushing water hoping to make it to their cars. The parking lot was total gridlock as some still looked for their cars, totally soaked and/or wearing garbage bags. The parking lot was total gridlock as lightening lit the sky. The best of times and worst of times is an overused phrase, but never more appropriate. A genuine Grateful Dead sound resurrected and the tragic comedy of suburban living—both at full force.

4/3/11 > 7/31/11 > 7/10/12 Terrapin Suite at all of these Atl shows.

I love reading well articulated and detailed reviews. Thanks Greg

Thanks for the review. I have to say that I am not sensing a great deal of excitement.

Good review, thanks.

Greg, a well thought out review and well said. Nice to see instead of all the comments about stream, no stream, crappy stream, couch tour stream. Especially in the review section. Your comparisons to old and new are spot on IMHO. Great to see and thanks.

Reposted from OS:


OK, Promised Land, while not my favorite, was a good opener. Things started to cook with Bertha. The crowd reaction to "ran into a rainstorm" was huge. Sugaree was super slow, but surprisingly sweet and tasty. At the tempo they play it now, it seems more like FOTD or Row Jimmy in their delivery, if that makes any sense. But still an excellent version. Big Bad Blues is a shitty "song" but, like Money for Gasoline, the jam at the end redeems it. Loser was alright, but JK lacked the over the top bite and nastiness that can make that song really come to life. That was not the case with Pride. Phil seemed to have issues with his mic during the 1st vocal section of the song but that seemed to be fixed by the post-jam vocals. I love Pride, and this is probably the best version i've heard them do (not that i've tracked down that many versions). JK was fucking on top of it and it got pretty gnarley. By far the highlight of the first set. MNS was almost an afterthought and completely underwhelming, but practically anything would have been after that Pride. It might not have helped that we took that opportunity to partake. The only time we sat down during the first set.

Second set: Hard To handle was very well done. Lots of snap & bite. Think Bobby sang it, or at least some of it. A note on Bobby's singing last night: Typically i find Bob to be a half second behind the music when he sings, like he remembers the words at the very last moment. Not last night. He was "in groove" lyrically with the music so there was no weird(!) hiccup(?) quality to the overall sound. I would say his vocals didn't subtract from the experience one bit, which is quite the opposite of the last times i've seen them. Wharf Rat was a highlight of the second set. JK nailed it. The crowd really peaked heavy at the "I know that the life i'm living's no good", the build up and peak of the "...Liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiifffffffffe...." part was one of my top Furthur moments. It was that fucking sweet. The whole place felt it. Born Cross Eyed was next. Someone had mention repeating tunes in Atlanta the last few years, and I took a mental that Wharf>Born was being repeated from the Fox last year. But this version blew it away, so no worries. Terrapin was great, i knew it was coming up but didn't want to admit it to myself, as it was the 3rd Terrapin out of 4 Atlanta shows (and the 3rd in a row!). But what are you gonna do? He's Gone seemed out of place as a stand alone and was a needed breather between the Terrapin Refain/Reprise/Flyer/Whatever and the MONSTER King Solomon's (the guy behind use thought this or the Terrapin Suite ending was Ashes & Glass) that followed it. John, Jeff & Joe were having a blast on this song and it was coming through in sound. Another highlight of the set. Was hoping for the Dew out of KSM, but we got Peter. Everyone rags on Bobby's version and mostly rightly so. Not so much tonight thou. Good to great version, with Bobby's singing being the best I've heard him on this tune. It also contained a pretty magical moment as it had stopped raining during the first set and was actually pretty nice for a good long stretch of the show until about 3/4's of a second after Bobby sang the line "But who can the weather command?" and the sky opened up and it started raining buckets again. Everyone in the place could hear and feel it and it was a holy shit moment for sure. To be fair, it might have already been raining before that but not so much that anyone could tell from under the pavilion. Really fucking cool. Lovelight was alright, and i don't think i've heard a live version since the Quintet at the Warfield in '03, so I was due. I love the Mighty Quinn, so no complaints on that front.

The only real drags were the lot not opening till 5pm and the pre and post-show rainstorms. Didn't get as much time before hand to see as many folks as i'd wanted to (but did get to spend lots of time with the people we did see while trapped under our tent). After the show we went straight to the car and waited for the rain to let up a little before driving home. Good times, hope i get a chance to see them again before they stop touring.

I returned to Encore Park after catching last year's show here. Unfortunately, this show didn't live up to that one, but IMO last year's show was epic. That's not to say this wasn't a good show, but to me, something was lacking.

For me, the highlight of the show was Promised Land and Bertha. After that, I thought the show never really got going, mostly because of an odd setlist. Great songs, but they didn't seem to flow right together. Phil apologized during his rap for not playing more weather songs, rightly informing the crowd that they "were out of them" but he could just as much been apologizing for a setlist that didn't work, IMO.

Having said that, I think the band is playing really well. When Furthur first started touring, I thought JK was too reserved, but he seems to be exerting himself more now. Bobby sounded great to me. I tend to agree with the comment above that he sometimes seems a bit off or late vocally, but not tonight.

The memory from this show will be the weather. When we arrived we sat in our car for over 90 minutes as the place was just pelted with rain. Amazingly, it stopped just around 7:00 p.m. We walked in, bought a beer, and got to our seats just as the band started. The rain held off, for the most part, the rest of the night. During the second set, however, there was a sudden scream from the lawn behind us as the sky just opened up.

It seemed to rain off and on the rest of the night, until the show ended. Then it rained harder than it had the entire evening. We stayed in the Pavillion hoping it would stop after the show. We were told by those working there that we were fine to stay, and also free to go. They advised us that hail was coming. We decided to leave and were completely soaked within steps of leaving the pavilion. Oh well, it was fun.

Here is a link to Loser from the first set. I thought I would share. It was a fun night despite the rain.

http://youtu.be/V4lQiXuI_q0