spuds

I've got a question: What's the summer tour merch been lookin like?

(just a fun question to keep it interesting while we wait for setlists and East Coast dates!)

Thanks for the setlists Taperrob!

There is some nice shirts inside. Of course they are pricey. It has seemed to me that the bootleg faire is of limited selection. I know cops shut a lot of people down (if only temporary) last night in S.L.C.

Loading up the ride now, we leave Park City at like 5 in the morning with a quick stop in SLC and on to Boise. Cops were a bummer both before and after if you were trying to vend in SLC.

i bet Boy-z(the boys) will smoke! have fun all! i will patiently wait for the Ral>Char>Atl

So is it worth it to have some shirts made up? I was gonna bring some shirts to St. Louis

FIRST DEAD APPEARANCE IN IDAHO SINCE 1983!!!!!!

You Spud heads DESERVE IT!!!!!!!!!!

It's Canada Day... another Neil Young song???

NEW POTATO CABOOSE for the tater state !
did I spell Potatoe right ?
you say pohtaito, I say potatoe

potato

The Dead, Idaho Center Amphitheatre, Boise, ID 7/1/04

Set 1:
Jam>
China Cat Sunflower>
Good Lovin'
Madman Across The Water>
Down The Road Again> Jam>
Mason's Children>
Loser>
Strange World>
Looks Like Rain
Deal

thanks to Eddie/Jim and GT for the list

Thanks Taperrob! Your postings have made this summer tour especially sweet so far. Your work from Red Rocks was greatly appreciated by those of us who did not get there this time,and, it really got me jazzed for the Chula Vista - Sleeptrain run. Now that we are home - wanting to be on tour - the updates you've been providing help keep the stoke burning.
Looks like a nice first set! Thanks again!

just a note..bill walton's son luke who is now in the NBA has a dancing skeleton's tattoo on his arm..like father like son I guess

Yep Greenworld88... I think there are five or six dancing skeletons in a circle! "dancing around the sun..."

Go Luke!

um... that would be Greenwood88... My mistake... The skeletons are danicng none the less

The Dead, Idaho Center Amphitheatre, Boise, ID 7/1/04

Set 1:
Jam>
China Cat Sunflower>
Good Lovin'
Madman Across The Water>
Down The Road Again> Jam>
Mason's Children>
Loser>
Strange World>
Looks Like Rain
Deal

Set 2:
Music Never Stopped>
Reuben & Cerise>
All Along the Watchtower> Jam>
Birdsong> Jam>
Uncle John's Band> Jam>
I Know You Rider>
Drumz/Space>
Death Don't Have No Mercy>
St Stephen>
William Tell Bridge>
The Eleven>
Hey Pockey Way
Donor Rap/Headcount Rap
enc: Johnny B Goode


thanks to Eddie/Jim and GT for the list

sweeet.

oh man i bet BoPs died with that eleven>Hey pockey way. he loves eleven but hates hey pockey way

Some setlist! Folks at the Gorge better get ready, it looks like the boys are catching fire.
Hopefully the show sounded as good as it reads, and I bet it did! Thanks Taperrob!

ooooooh that's a nice list! so many of my favorites! thanks rob!

Wow!!! What a second set!!! Very creative setlist!!
Boise got a dooooozy!!!

That looks totally fucking awesome

holy shit, I'll say it again, that looks like one hell of a show!!!

Man, Boise, ID, who would have thought?

hmmm, this is making want to catch Scranton, PA.

what an f'n setlist!

Pick the weird spot's, that's where the boyz show it' how it's done. St Petersburgh, fl. '89, Toronto '87. Boise '04. Who would have thunk?

no acuestick ?

Someone who was at the show's gotta give us the goods. How was the quality of the playing?

OK, 'twas quite a show. For starters, it was HOT! The boys came on just a bit before seven, which took me by surprise as we cooled off in the shade just outside. A quick scramble to the car to unload some gear and back into the venue - not a lot of folks in yet. We missed all of China Cat and came in for the end of Good Lovin, which had people boogying. We made our way to our seats in the 9th row, Jimmy side. Much better sound, but not great. The volume was good, but it wasn't that clear. I headr people a bit farther back who said it sounded excellent.

I liked Madman, but am not familliar with it, so it just sort of *was* for me. Down the Road makes me feel good, though obviously it is kind of hokey. I like that Mickey gets into it. Jimmy played some very clear fills, you know, that old familliar sound, which were tastefully done. Mason's Children rocked, but it was difficult to pick any standouts as the sound was not clear. Loser and Strange World - just OK. Bob's singing on Loser was OK, and tho solos, shared by Jimmy, Jeff, and then Warren, were well played, but lacked the cohesiveness that a single soloist could give the buildup. Thus, the climax of the solo was somewhat missing. Looks Like Rain - this was for the dark clouds building on the sourthern horizon. Turned out to be a good forecast (see second set). Deal sent us into the break rockin out - I thought Bob's handle on the lyrics was spot on.

As the setbreak wound down, it started to sprinkle a bit, and the road crew began covering everything with plastic, including the monitors, amps, and Jeff's B-3. As the band made their way out, the sky opened up - what timing! Music Never Stopped suffered from this distraction, the band was getting as soaked as we were up there, and I'm surprised that none of the technical gremilins showed up. Music really got the crowd into it, Phil was finally turned WAY up, and the rain just kept coming down. Oh, and the lightning! It was kind of spooky at times. Reuben and Cherise was a lot of fun, but again, I think the band was still somewhat distracted. Warren was reading the lyrics, and while I appreciate the effort, it is hard for me to get totally into it when the two principal guitarists don't *appear* to have much guenuine emotional investment in the music. That said, Warren and Jimmy were both very good in their roles, they sounded excellent, and were by no means mailing it in. Watchtower kept the crowd up and dancing. I dig the way Bobby and Warren sing this together, and Warren's Hendrix style leads just cut right through the night air.

At this point, the rain began to fade, which was a welcome treat. Birdsong was a vocal trainwreck. Phil obviously could not hear himself. Both his lead and harmony singing was more off than normal. I give him an A for effort, though. the jam was straight ahead birdsong. If I remember, there was a bit of a Dark Star tease during the intro jam. I Know You Rider - thought I may have missed it during the opener. The harmonies were spot on this time.

Drums - really, really good. It was great to see Billy and Mickey up there hammering away. It was a very interesting, danceable drums that receded into the Beam, which just ripped up my gut with those deep, low frequencies. A short space lead into a soulful Death Don't. This song's built for Warren. St. Stephen. Holy Shit, in Boise?!?!?! What a trip, they nailed it, I thought. And Jimmy's clear lines were well played and very appropriate. I thought the jam lacked a bit of focus, but they brought it back for the bridge into the Eleven, which got tedious, but still was fun to try and figure out how to dance to. Hey Pockey Way was short and sweet and was a great way to end the set. The drummers were ON and took a short duet towards the end.

JBG - what can I say. Rock and Roll. Good stuff.

Overall, a good show. Not great. They were in Rock and Roll mode and really put it out there for us in Boise. Phil seemed really stoked and said he thought they should come back - I agree! He seemed to be having a lot of fun, especially in the second set.

My own feelings are that the band lacks a true center. It doesn't lack a leader, but to me, it doesn't seem like there's a lot of true emotion coming from the guitars. They sound great, but IT just wasn't always there. This isn't surprising or terribly dissappointing either, it just is, for me. I was thinking that the band is "The Dead" with two really professional guitarists.

Anyway, I think a good time was had by all, which is the most important thing. Lots of good music, no hassles that I could see, and the future looks bright. I hope those on tour enjoy Portland and the Gorge. Should be come good stuff!

peace,

matt in boise

Good review, great perspective! Thanks Matt

What time are the Dead taking the stage? 7 or 7:30. Iknow Warren didn't open the show but what time does he usually take the stage? Thank you for the info...

"St Petersburgh, fl. '89" - huh ?

Thanks Matt. A real review by someone there.
Spectacular!

cool deal Boisefreak

I was trying to picture a Boise Dead show in my head earlier today. I imagined..


(((w i d e o p e n A m e r i c a n s k i e s)))

Just got home from Boise. MY PERSPECTIVE
This was my fourth and last show of the tour. I thought it was hands down the best. They rocked last night!!! The parking lot scene was pretty cool. More inviting than Salt Lake. Once I walked in and saw what this place looked like, I felt a comfortable vibe. It wasn't all that big. The boys came on at 6:45! The first set was solid with a good song selection (but, all the first sets I've seen were solid). "Looks Like Rain" was an excellent choice as the dark clouds rolled in above us. Bobby sang with passion."Deal" was acceptable. It needs work. The second set started off nice. The boys were practicing acceptance as the roof above the stage wasn't stopping any rain at all."all Along The Watchtower" was welcome and well played. I really enjoyed "Bird Song". Sure the vocals were a bit shakey, but that's Phil. The jam in the song went to some very interesting places!"Uncle John's Band" was really fun as usual. The "I Know You Rider" positively smoked!!! "Drums" was awesome and lengthy winding down with Mickey doing some nice abuse to the Beam."Space" was short. Warren lit up the house with soulful crooning on "Death Don't Have No Mercy" and the band built up a lot of steam behind him.For me the highlight was "Stephen>Eleven" They jammed out on both and Eleven was hard to follow as they were going all over the place yet Highly danceable (ain't that the way we like it?). "Pockey Way" was short but nice (Much better at Red Rocks). Encore "Johnny B. Goode" also rocked way hard. Bobby was even bouncing up and down during parts of it. BTW, there was a very interesting sunset in the cloudy sky that added some divine artistry to everyone's experience. I think you Bobby bashers need to chill out 'cuz he's playing great!!!!!!

Well, technically, the show was actually in Nampa, Idaho, about 20 miles west of Boise. Kind of farmland central out in Nampa. Boise's a lot closer to the hills and rivers. Either way you slice it, it was a good experience. The scene was very mellow - we drove up into the lot with NO security people directing traffic. Parked nice and close. Kind of a long line to get in, but that's no big deal. I did see a cop with a dog walking through the crowd, which was a bit much, but I didn't see any hassles as a result. Good times, for sure. Would love to hear some out of towners' perspective. The house was not full, but it did seem a lot more full than when Dylan/Cheese rolled through town (109 degree heat!!!) last summer. Reports from other friends this AM were all very positive...

matt

Jeez, how could I forget Uncle John's? Very nice indeed. I concur with Adam that Bobby sounded great (both guitar and voice). And yes, the sunset was spectacular. The red clouds (at night, sailor's delight) were just amazing, and the shadows cast by the trees along the adjacent amphiteater were pretty cool. Candace's light show was not all that spectacular, but this could be due to 1) myclose proximity to the stage and 2) the fact that the sun doesn't set until about 9:45, leaving only about 45 minutes of good darkness with which to work. Seems her rig was smaller than in days past. A friend who was in SLC said they hung many more banners on which very cool digital images were being projected.

OK, enough out of me. Thanks everyone for coming to Boise and having fun!

matt

>>>the bridge into the Eleven, which got tedious, but still was fun to try and figure out how to dance to. Hey Pockey Way was short and sweet and was a great way to end the set


>>>For me the highlight was "Stephen>Eleven" They jammed out on both and Eleven was hard to follow as they were going all over the place yet Highly danceable


LMAO!!!!

Gotta love the subjective beauty of a Dead show..

prayin I get the chance to try and "figure" out an Eleven is a few weeks..when things get too crazy I usually opt to close my eyes and swing my mopped out hair around.

Also hoping for Pockey Way

cheers dudes

The St. Pete shows were in 1988 and one of them was Bob's birthday. I am just getting home from Boise and I will say that these guys were everything and then some. I am not going to go into the minutia of each and every song as I am burnt toast from the drive that lasted all night. lol I was 5th row in front of Jeff and sometimes Phil depending on crowd and will say that this is the most fun I have had at a post Jerry show. These guys are getting better each show but I could tell that they are still trying to figure it out at times. After Madman Phil wanted to play one thing and Bob ran over to Phil and I could see that Bob had other plans and it was back to Mickey to get the OK for Down the Road, during this exchange the other guys on the stage were sitting there looking perplexed as the powers that be had their meeting of the minds to choose what to play next. First set ends and I am saying how can they top this. Well just before second set starts the rain starts coming down hard and the crew is scrambing to get everything covered and I almost thought that they were going to delay coming out, but that was not to be the case. I got the feeling that the guys on stage were of the mind that if we the crowd can hang out in the rain dancing our asses off they can be on stage playing the music we came to hear. The Music Never Stopped fit the moment because we as a group mind were not going to let a little rain and lighting stop us from achieving our common purpose for being in this place and time.
I went away wishing that my slacker friends who I made the trip with actually had money in their pockets, I paid for the gas and bought their tickets, but if they had had dead presidents we would be on the way to Portland and then the Gorge.
I will say that the 30 or so people within arms reach of me all had a really good time and danced the night away with not one of them sitting down during either set, only complaint was the guy in front of me chain smoking Camels all night, every time he lit up I would say Ganja out loud hoping he would get my not so subtle hints. hahaha He was one of the only people not dancing and was in and out of the row all night anyway and it was not that big of a deal but was funny to be able to mess with him on a level he was not familiar with. Cops and security outside the venue were a major bummer if you had goods to sell as they kept most shut down before the show and came out like storm troopers afterwards and didn't let anyone have anything out for long after the show.
You people back east are in for some good times but only if you remove your preconceived notions as to who these guys are. Just after Bonnaroo I was talking to someone who used to tour quite a bit but had not been in a long time that this is not the Dead of our youth but they are the Dead of the what now. I have been enjoying this band since 1979 and will continue to enjoy every moment that they want to give us in the future. Say what you will but to me last night these guys were the Grateful Dead, have always been, will always be.

Thanks you guys. Reading your stuff is the next best thing to being there.

Mike -- you summed up the rain situation perfectly. Throughout the break, as the weather grew darker, and winds and rain picked up, nobody and I mean nobody in the crowd went looking for cover. There was nary a rain jacket nor poncho to be seen. Everybody was just hangin' Ok, I did at one point decide that sitting on the metal grandstand was no longer wise. But come on, a small move in the name of safety! I thought for sure the boys would delay coming out. When they came out right in the teeth of it with Music Never Stopped, it definitely confirmed for all that we were in this together. For me "IT" was there throughout the night. Perhaps it was a combination of everything. The group and fans coming together, great weather phenomena, lots of smiling and dancing, brilliant moments on stage, and a totally loose atmosphere within the venue. Yes, there were still some rough spots at points that folks have already pointed out. But to me, there was a LOT that took me back to how it used to feel. And that in itself was a thrilling surprise. IT is still out there. Kudos to the fellas for getting out there and allowing and to everybody else who is a part of the creating. Get out and get your ITs!!

When Phil played Boise in the spring of '02 (4/1/02 if I recall), they teased St Stephen throughout whole show and didn't play it (but they DID play that Warlocks tune)!

Nice payback to see them do the full St St - W Tell - 11 this round.

Now if only they'd play SITTIN' ON TOP OF THE WORLD on the east coast!!!! (the one semi-lame version in Pittsburgh 7/8/02 hardly counts as it was a Monday - in Pittsburgh!).

Hey Mike,
We must have been practically next to each other in the 5th row. I don't remember anyone chain smoking camels but I do remember the cute butts shaking around in front of me in front of Phil.

My seat was #46 but I spent most of the first set 2-3 seats closer to the center, it was during the second set that I was able to move more towards Phil and be in front of Jeff. The smoker was actually away from his seat more then he was in it. lol But I said Camels not knowing what he was really smoking other then it was not Ganja. But everytime he came back to his seat it was like lite up another one. I had on a dye that if you looked at it it almost looks like a big spider on the front or at least to me it does, mostly grey hair and beard and I hear it but it is not on purpose on my part but that I look like Jerry these days. Yes I do remember the little girls all around.

I had 5th row as well! Must've been the place to be. I did go back where the sound was much better in my opinion. The show highlight was definately from space on. Death Dont was stellar for me. I was amazed by the boys. Time off till Jones Beach for me. 6 week hiatus.

Full review might follow......but this was one of the finest shows I've witnessed.

The set list only begins to tell the story, as the boys were "on" all night.....very tight and full of energy.

Was at SLC 2 nights before....decent show but pales compared with Nampa/Boise.

Get this show!!

I'm just not so sure that pockey way fits there,
I think that NFA would have fit much nicer. IMO

I got my 6/18 in the mail when I got home. The Pockey Way absolutely smokes on it. Much longer than the quick rendition offered at Nampa. Mike - you were two seats to my left I believe. The girl next to you sat down most of the night, right? I have long brown hair (pony-tail) I had my green Grizzlies cap on, Tye-dye and light blue shorts.

The Pocky Way was because of all the hay & hay trucks around Boise....I swear.

Driving up we kept seeing so much hay we started just saying "hay" whenever we saw the monstrous piles of it either on the ground or in the truck next to us.....all the way up..."hay"...."hay".........

...I figure somebody in the band must have had the same reaction.....

We had a great trip from Logan UT to Boise. Took the “road less traveled” and went out into the desert near the north bay of the Great Salt Lake; took back country desert roads all the way to City of Rocks in Idaho where we spent the first night; If you’ve never been there, go sometime.

Part 2: Boise (Nampa). We arrived at the lot about 2:30; Shakedown Street was just setting up. Walked up to buy a ticket just in time to hear the sound check; we caught them doing Stager Lee (which they did play that night) and Strange world.

Talk about a hot frickin day, nearly 100 deg and I was dying. Robert Hunter was actually captivating during his set, really dug hearing Silvio, Ripple and the Boys in the Barroom. The crowd here was more attentive and appreciative of RH than any of the other shows. This vibe carried the evening.

Before I start, let me say there was a crackling vibe and everyone was energized. This show was more like a Grateful Dead show than anything I’ve seen since Jerry died. Again, the first set was fun, and the train was starting to roll. First set ended with LL Rain – completely appropriate, as the clouds were moving in; I wonder if this was planned or if they added it on the fly? Deal was welcomed.

Somewhere just before the second set the clouds, lighting were moving in and it was apparent that it was going to rain. After a very long set break the roadies came out and began covering everything with plastic and I though they were going to wait it out. Not so… the boys came out and played. The rain cut loose at about the same time they started to play and the wind whipped. The band was energized and motivated (and they were getting wet too); they rain did not phase anyone and the energy grew. “Just keep on dancin’!”

Bird song was a special treat and it explored territory I’ve not heard before. At some point the sun found a break and lit the sky up with sunset. Not your nice sunset mind you… an intense one that lit up the entire venue. By now the show, the band and crowd were buzzing like I haven’t felt in years. Caught up with an old friend during Uncle Johns Band and he hung out with us for I know you Rider. St. Steven > the Eleven was great and Pokey way was fun though I usually would not consider it a highlight. Johnny B Goode ripped!!!

We drove for a few hours after this show, good thing cuz my spirits were high and there would have been no sleeping even if I tried. (See part 3 in the Portland thread)

Did everyone end up in the 5th row with me. Sheesh. Started out in seat 45 but as no one was using seats 40-20, I just moved over to right in front of Phil. Whoodee who. I was the one that kept getting busted for wipping out fatties too close to the front row where security could cutthroat us.

Best show of the tour (of the 8 that I saw). Get this one.

Oh, and special props to John, who ended up next to me with the liquid. Didn't know if he was going to Portland or not. Sure enough, as promised, he came and found me in row 19 at Portland to reacquaint ourselves with the pyschadelic world.

Three cheers to you John.

Found a way to upload some of the pics I took here.

http://community.webshots.com/user/ratskrad

Thanks alot for posting the pics. I was at that show and had remembered the special glowing quality of the sunset after the rain blew through. Your photos catch some of that. It's too bad you don't have a shot of the trees surrounding the place with their leaves all lit up gold. Still though, it's a flashback to see that particular orangey tone the sky took on.

I saw a lot of the shows on the first leg of this tour. Phoenix, Chula Vista, Irvine, Salt Lake City, Boise, Portland and The Gorge. If I rated those shows in terms of music, it would go something like this:

Boise
Chula Vista
Phoenix
The Gorge
Salt Lake City
Irvine
Portland

I remember it being a haul to get there. Most folks took the extra day off after the Salt Lake City show to chill and camp out somewhere. I, however, woke up after the Salt Lake show and drove all the next day to pick up a friend in Missoula, Montana who wanted to catch the Boise-Gorge run. So we woke up early the next day in Missoula and drove all day to get to Boise.

That early start time cost me and my buddy the first four tunes, but I mostly remember thinking it was cool to see them in an intimate outdoor amphitheatre. The music level seemed to kick in during Mason's Children for me. Good energy the whole night. Oh yeah, this was the night Bill Walton and his lady friend sat in front of me. He had been pretty easy to spot throughout the tour, but it was a trip seeing him up close. Seemed like he was pretty mellow, just sipping on beers and having a good time.

The next day followed with another all day drive to make it to the Portland show. The Boise show is an example of a remote and somewhat of a difficult show to attend that was well worth the trip.

..

Here's another picture of that bizarro sunset playing against the thunderclouds and those trees. It was quite unique.