Hi!

and Dylan too woohoo

I just cannot wait for this. Only show I can do this year. Waiting and waiting.

what's the venue like, should be a great day of music!

Never been there, but I hear traffic in the area is a nightmare. Got on the road early. Shouldn't be too bad, but you never know.

any idea what the lineup order will be? moe.,hunter,dylan, dead???
thats a long day once inside.

Jerrys b-day is 8/1 correct?

venue is like , wear sunscreen , lots of asphalt and wide open spaces . it is an actual raceway . drag strip and oval . i think the show is gonna be on the strip . traffic is gonna be insane , a few truckstops not too far away . campgrounds are iffy , most are the mom n pop rv club of america types . its right off of I-80 near 53 and 55 . i'd imagine that Moe. is opening first . i'd like a whole Hunter show after that but wouldnt mind him being the setbreak chillpill ala fall tour either . it falls on the second day of Jerry week . nothin left to do but smilesmilesmile . and wait : ) have a safe and happy get drunk and eat holiday .

too avoid traffic at the raceway, get off at rt. 45 south. go to sauk trail and make a right. this road will take you directly into the raceway ! probably 10 to 12 miles down the road. on sauk trail you will see much new housing. know that much of it is jerryized with soul and spirit. you will feel the jerry energy as you drive by.

good call , hippies please use back door

anybody receive their tickets yet for this show from the online ticketing thingamajig?

The online tickets for this show are supposed to go out on Friday July 18th.

I'm coming from St. Louis, if I take the Rt. 45 South exit, will I be able to get to the Racetrack Farm camping site??? The Racetrack Farm camp site is 2 miles from the venue.

hmmm , well , if i knew where the racetrack farm camping site was .... hehehe

Paul & Mary Bernhard, Paul & Mary's Raceway Camping, 23263 S. Cherry Hill Rd., Manhattan, IL 60442 Phone: 815-478-5774 Web site: www.racetrackcamping.com. Now can I get to the Racetrack campsite from Rt. 45 South????

how is security at the venue?

hey now John if youre coming from St Louis on 55 , the directions on the campground website are for you . sauk trail is north of where you will be coming from . the place thats selling pizza on the saturday night there is GOOD-sicillian joe's .run by a sweetheart of a lady and sometimes her very old country husband . the kids that work there are down too . if i didnt have a friend that lives in Joliet i'd probably be camping there just for the pizza so okay , i took these directions right from the website ...."Exit I-55 at Arsenal Rd. It is on the South side of the DesPlaines River bridge. Go East (Right) from the exit's stop sign. Go East on Arsenal Road for approximately 11 miles. There is one stop light at Rte 53. Keep going straight. The Second Stop light is at Rte 52 in Manhattan. There is an Amoco Gas Station on the Right side. Turn Left, Heading North on Rte 52. Go Approximately 2 miles North on Rte 52. You will pass the Round Barn Farm on the right (East) side. You can't miss it. The street after the round barn is Baker Rd. Turn left (West) on Baker Rd. It turns into gravel, and Dead ends about a mile down at Cherry Hill Road. Turn right (North) on Cherry Hill Rd. We will be the second farm on your right (East) side."

taking the arsenal road exit will be a nice relief from the repetativeness of the drive north on 55 . the arsenal is officially "closed" but once me and some friends did a little exploring there , kinda spooky .the remainder of your trip from the exit will be a good moment to get acclimated to the overall groove of the area . can you say country? i thought ya could

eric , the venue usually hosts auto races so that should tell you alot .Jam productions will provide the security for the event. they've got a lot of experience with our scene and their preshow meetings always take into consideration what kind of crowd each show will draw .i'm sure i don't need to tell you but we will be guests there .play nice and with our usual style and grace this will be a party for the history books .

tictoktictok....

thanks love

What hotels are people staying at for this show?

Any further info on start times and the order of the bands?

I'd ahve to think that hunter would open and moe would play next...but maybe not.

DO NOT miss moe.... if you've never seen them you are in for a treat.

This venue is depressing me. But we know these guys love Chicagoand I have to think they are gonna deliver the goods, with all those fine memories of soldier field. Plus, this could bring some heavy Jerry emotions...and maybe a black muddy, gulp. naah but a stella?

I may have two nice extras on the floor for face.

is there a seating chart for this place, how is it set up?

why is the venue depressing? its just a big ass horse shoe of seats. I kinda like the way it looks. Its pretty.

Lollapolooza 1997? (metalica one) was held there
& I heard the lines (for everything) were at 3rd world red cross food hand out levels.

Id assume rum running into the show is the way to go. Dont need to buy 10 hours worth of beer inside. Any advice on entry secruity from anyone??

Yes dont miss moe or moe will miss you!

anyone know what time the lot opens for this show???

Hello All...I have read throught the posts so far and here in some info that may help a few... Showtime is 3:00pm and gates open at 1:30pm...here is the link to the website which has a seating chart... http://www.chicagolandspeedway.com/cgi-bin/r.cgi/r66/event.html?SESSION=efRI3Zu7r&N=&EventID=760 and there is a curfew but its around 1 am so that should not be a problem. With that in mind both Dylan and the Dead should be able to play full sets. My guess for the line up would be Moe, Hunter, Dylan and the Dead...See you all there...cmon on Joan pull out a Stella...

Theres also supposed to be a 45 minute set break between Dyan & Dead.

DYLAN taping is banned & forbidden. Recording takes the food out of his kids mouth. Anyone caught will have to fight Jacob Dylan out back.

thanks for the venue info SEW

Thanks for Pillsbury for calling the track over at DNC for the info.and Cooperhead at otherones.net for posting this ...

1. Lot opens at 9:00am

2. Tailgating is fine

3. BBQ grills are fine

4. Open fires are fine as long as you have one of those self contained things - Coleman and others make them. I have one, but I don't want a campfire in the asphalt parking lot.

5. Alcohol is fine

6.. Food and beverage will be available - she sort of cautioned me tho - "it's food from a dragstrip"

7. Frisbees and footballs are fine
~
you know the deal
don't tell me this town aint got no heart!!!!!

I'll probably have two extra myself (for face value). Decent seats, about 1/3rd of the way back from the stage, section 15, to be exact.

Would like to know the band order myself if anyone finds out.

And hey, if you're in town a day early, celebrate Jerry's B'day the night before at the Old Town School of Folk Music, on the North Side of the City. 4544 N. Lincoln, around 7:30 - 10:00or so.

Kind of a Jerry tribute open mike thing for teachers and those taking classes at the School.

here's the lineup & other info:

12:00n: Parking Lots Open
1:30pm: Doors Open
3:05pm: Robert Hunter
4:00pm: moe.
6:00pm: Bob Dylan
8:00pm: The Dead

http://www.chicagolandspeedway.com/cgi-bin/r.cgi/r66/event.html?N=&EventID=760

<1:30pm: Doors Open

Damn! Jim Morrison is gonna make his much-anticipated reappearance at Joliet??? Far out! hehe

JBH

after the first three nights of the tour, what are they going to do in Chicage???

I think some "race" songs are in order...New Speedway, The Race is On...

there is a prison close by, so maybe a Viola Lee, or Mama Tried...

Forecast is calling for rain...so maybe:

Here Comes Sunshine (should it clear up)
LL Rain
Box of Rain
Rain (Beatles')
Samba in the Rain (just kidding)

Definitely Viola

What about those songs they have in common with the Blues Brothers, we are in Joliet... King Bee would be hot, hoping for a big blues night at the Apollo!

darkstar terrapin shakedown to name a few

saturday night!!!

Just Got a Message From moe saying they cancelled their set due to inclement weather,FYI

The Dead @ Route 66, Joliet, IL - 8/2/03

Set 1:
Let The Good Times Roll>
The Wheel>Jam>
Built To Last
Goin' Down The Road Feeling Bad
#Señor
Around and Around
Self Defense
Throwing Stones

# w/Dylan on Vocals

thanks to LoveLove and William-o

How about the Dylan list?

i acnnot get back into chat ...

next tune is Sugaree, Jam > Dark Star

hey taperrob, if you get this, any idea why i cannot get into chat?

That is pretty strange what happened in Joliet. "This darkness got to give".

Any updates William-O?

Look here
http://www.philzone.org/cgi-bin/discus/show.cgi?tpc=7267&post=457317#POST457317

The Dead @ Route 66, Joliet, IL - 8/2/03

Set 1:
Let The Good Times Roll>
The Wheel>Jam>
Built To Last
Goin' Down The Road Feeling Bad
#Señor
Around and Around
Self Defense
Throwing Stones

# w/Dylan on Vocals

Set 2:
St.Stephen>WTB>
BornCrosseyed>Jam>
Sugaree
Jam> Dark Star (v1)>
Peggy-o>
Cryptical Envelopment>
Drumz/Space>
The Other One>
Dark Star (v2)>
Stella Blue
Donor Rap
E: Not Fade Away


thanks to LoveLove and William-o

Hearing St. Stephen>William Tell, Born Crossed Eyed, Dark Star and Cryptical before drums, while the lighting played across the midwestern sky and the music pierced the spheres over the corn and wheat fields did it for me, it was holy stuff, reaching deep into the mythic-
what the dead are doing now is important, flaws and all

WEAK JUST PLAIN WEAK. Strained.. Bob was completly lost at times and you could tell his patients were growing thin. They were just awful tonight.Worst show I have ever seen.
Far too much alcohol was served at this event.
Beautiful night.. Bad show.

I called The Wheel

Robert Hamilton (Robr0001) on Sunday, August 03, 2003 - 02:35 am: Edit Post
WEAK JUST PLAIN WEAK. Strained.. Bob was completly lost at times and you could tell his patients were growing thin. They were just awful tonight.Worst show I have ever seen.
Far too much alcohol was served at this event.
Beautiful night.. Bad show.



Dont go to any more shows stay home and listen to CDs

Don't be too hard on Robr0001. Unfortunately he probably got stuck in a group of rowdy drunks. I sympathize. It certainly happens, as we all know. It can be extremely difficult to get into a show when the drunks keep screaming rude obscenities. I think alcohol should not be served until the shows are over. However that would be a logistical nightmare.

>>and you could tell his patients were growing thin<<

Is he a diet doctor now?

Keith, you hit the nail right on the head. I was in row 15 and was pissed on by a drunk that decided to pull his dick out and pee in his seat. My wifes leg was puked on by another.
Great LTGTR, Wonderfully sweet BTL, but it seemed to go downhill from there. Billy and Mickey can still roll thunder but Phil and Bob seemed to be at odds with one another all night. You can certainly tell there is very little communication between them off stage. This relfects strongly in there music.
I will never stay home and listen to cd's. I have seen over 200 shows since 1977 and that was the worst. I will go to every show I can and
I am sure I will see some gems in the future, but last night they were off. WAY OFF.

hahaha Jay, thats funny

>>>I was in row 15 and was pissed on by a drunk that decided to pull his dick out and pee in his seat. My wifes leg was puked on by another.

That is the worst thing I have ever heard. Not really, someone told a bad poo story. But it's the second worst thing. I can imagine that it would seriously impact one's ability to enjoy the show. Actually, props to you for not punching the guy.

Gotta say, I was worried that dylan was gonna do the same old dylan tunes the dead did a million times. Senor, gotta serve somebody, that's good stuff.

will give a revue this evening- the place did sell beer pretty much until the end.
Personally, the second set was some of the best music I have ever seen. Very weird, very experimental, very well played. LAst night was a keeper, I'm sorry some of you guys had to deal with the dregs... My only sour note was the security (ticket police everywhere and they couldn't make up there mind on "bags allolwed" or "no bags") and not having any formal announcement made about cancellations, start times, and everything associated with the stage collapsing the night before (cranes held up speakers and the lights last night, very odd).

Not sure how you can tell from their playing that they are not communicating offstage, I don't think they ever have relied on that too heavily.
Sad to hear about the alcohol - VERY glad to know that no alcohol is being served at Jones Beach.

I really appreciate the reviews, good and bad. It makes this list a bit more legit. Please, keep posting ALL reviews....if they were off they were off....I like to know which shows to look for and which ones not to look for...

I agree. Gotta tell it like ya see it.
This set list looks good though, I need to catch a stream...

>>>Dont go to any more shows stay home and listen to CDs

FUCK OFF ADAM, what he doesnt have a right to his opinion? Who the fuck are you to tell someone not to go to shows anymore? Didnt you ever see GD, lots a bad nights.

Gotta say something here,

Didn't make it to the show last night, but I did get the same "feeling" that there were some tensions between the boys when I saw them earlier this summer. In short, it really seemed that Bobby was disinterested. Like I said, it is more of a feeling I get. Coule be wrong. Maybe just a bad night or maybe I am off. But even listening to several shows from this tour, Bobby is flubbing a lot of lyrics and I just get the feeling he is not into it. Here's hoping I am wrong. Gotta think gems are still out there to be had by all.

Hoping for a smoker in Indy.

P

haven't confirmed yet, but for those who are interested, i heard Dylan was on for GDTRFB and Around and Around as well...

also word is Moe.'s guitar player and drummer sat in with the Dead during 2nd set Drums (drummer) and the guitarist for Other One, Dark Star, and NFA.

and as for the bitterness ... lighten up folks

Hi everyone-new here... Just wanted to share the Dylan setlist. I'm not a huge Dylan fan but it was a decent show.

Silvio
If You See Her, Say Hello
Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum
Joey
Highway 61 Revisited
Don't Think Twice, It's All Right (acoustic)
Cold Irons Bound
A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall (acoustic)
Honest With Me
Summer Days

(encore)
All Along The Watchtower

William-O, yes Dylan sat in on those songs.

ONE THING IVE NEVER UNDERSTOOD ON THIS SITE IS SOMEONE SAAYING THEY DINT LIKE SOMETHING AND THAT IS FOLLOWED WITH A FUCK YOU STAY AT HOME MORE TICKETS FOR US SLAM.

WHY. IF EVERY REVIEW WAS GLOWING AND WONDERFUL YOU REALLY WOULDDNT NEED A ANY REVIEWS WOULD YOU. NOTHING WRONG WITH BEING CRITICAL AN DNOTHING WRONG WITH LIKING A SHOW. BUT THER IS SOMEETHING WROGN WITH SLAMMIN PEPLE FOR THER OPINIONS WHATEVER THEY ARE. BAHAHAHAHA NOW COME TO PAPA. 9

Call it as you see it..No need to sugar coat..

Bob didn't when we saw him in lobby at Oakland Marriot morning after Thurs TOO Kiaser show..

He was on his cell phone and seemed a bit agitated. We had met his Dad Ted and Ted's wife and were kinda standing close to them.

When off phone Bob approached them / us..

Rev said " Nice to see ya Bob..Good show last night.."

His reponse...I THOUGHT IT SUCKED....

Made me look forward to seeing the show that night even more..Tell it like it is..

Assigned seating makes it dificult to move when next to obno's..made even more difficult when you at show with more than one or two people...but hey..set up a place to meet..

Think you, the guys in band are having a ruff night..???

Imagine the peeps at Acid tests that dipped too deeply in punch bowl..thinking how nice..They serving Kool Aide here..

Sometimes when the cuckoo's crying
When the moon is half way down
Sometimes when the night is dying
I take me out and I wander around
I wander round...

I conjur up the venue as one big Jerry Pit and there ain't no place I'd rather be..

GDad, are you going to do the Irvine show?

I could not be more happy with the amount of alcohol served. The show was totally kick ass until a I get yelled at for pissing on some dude's leg and puking on his wife. Maybe you gay fags should just hang out at Starbucks, pussies!

I got two for tulsa!

Geez, seems like all the complaining about how bad the Phish scene is and how good the Dead scene is has switched. I have only heard good things about the Phish scene on this tour, and have heard some bad things about the Dead scene this tour.

Looks like all the dregs have returned to the Dead scene now that they are back on the road. I have always conteneded that the bad elements in the scenes comes from popularity and the sheer number of people going to the shows. The more people there are the more low-lives there will be.
The Dead have sold out every show on this tour, Phish have only sold out one show (even though the venues are mostly filled at the time of the show).

the guitar player from moe did join the band for dark star, im not sure if he was up there the rest of the time. As for me I couldn't pick out a second set that had more of my FAVORITE songs. I also agree with others here that the music was pretty bad. I couldn't believe that after hearing dark star, cryptical, st. stephen, and the O1 in the same set, i didn't feel like this was a monumental show. Joan is terrible. She should try listening to some of the tunes she sings to get the finer points (such as timing) down before she butchers them on stage. I was 5 rows back and had a good look and i didn't see anyone really disinterested. I did see bobby screw up everything he could possibly screw up. He was turned up super loud. He and Jimmy totally blew the intro to st. stephen. Real weak. Phil on the other hand still appears to me to be the fucking man. Through all the shit he glistened like a silver pearl. He is so far ahead of these guys it is painfully apparent. Rob seemed real subdued. Maybe thats cuz i didn't hear him really once.

This was my first time seeing the dead this tour and I wasn't dissapointed cuz i wasn't expecting a mindbender. I am actually pleased they played all my favs and if i didn't have work tomorrow i would be dancin my ass off again tonight.

did i mention joan sucked?

Irvine is 90 miles from my front door..

Have not tickets..but that has never stopped me in past..

Bummed out that so many aditional East Coasters are planning on attending Irvine and Warfield since Summit canceled..

Just got up this morning and thought I would post a few thoughts about last nights show. These are just my opinions and are not meant to represent the opinions of the entire audience. The scene was pretty cool in the lot as far as weather and secruity go, at least from my experience. We arrived about 2:00 and hung out with some old friends for a few hours before heading in towards the middle of Dylan's set. He and his band sounded great. Our seats were pretty far back but the sound was excellent, clear and loud. I was really looking forward to seeing The Dead after hearing the quality of the sound in our area. Unfortunately, the sound for The Dead was not nearly as loud as when Dylan was on stage. It never really was turned up loud enough but it did improve slightly by the middle of the first set...

Set I
LTGTR-nice opener. It was my first one after seeing The Grateful Dead 50 times as well as various incarnations of Phil and Friends and The Other Ones. I was hoping that this would be a spring board into a great show...

The Wheel-by far the slowest version I have ever heard, live or on tape. Almost unrecognizable at first. The jam at the end picked up to a more familiar tempo but the song never really reached a groove.

Built to Last-I like this song a lot, especially when Warren sings it. Not a bad version last night but was still lacking a certain quality that I have seen in this band before.

GDTRFB-Dylan came on for this and the next two songs. It sounded great and I loved the way that the band traded of vocals but they still didn't seem to be really tight. Not a bad version at all so I can't complain. It just didn't seem to me that the band was inspired at all up to this point.

Senor- A really great version but again, a very slow song which was a foreshadowing of the entire night to follow. Dylan sounded great as well as the entire band. It was refreshing to hear Dylan sing the song close to how the way it was origionally recorded. Sometimes I think that Bob Dylan tries to hard to be Bob Dylan when he sings his old familiar tunes. He seemes to be trying to change the rythym of the lyrics just to make sure that you know that he wrote the song and he will sing it any damn way he wants. But you know what? He's Bob Dylan so he is entitled to do whatever the hell he wants with his tunes so who am I to bitch?

Around and Around- Again, a decent version but just not inspired at all. I didn't get that much out of the tune and I was hoping that this song would liven up the set and the crowd a little more than it did.

Self Defense-Never heard the song but I really had to piss so instead of pissing on the guy in front of me, I chose to head to the Men's room. From what I heard, it sounded like a typical new Bobby tune that I don't really need to hear again, but if I do it wouldn't be the end of the world.

Throwing Stones-The highlight of the set for me and the people that I was with. This was a very tight version featuring the band jamming as a whole in a way that I am used to. I thought Bobby did a great job with the vocals and the band played a pretty flawless version.

Set break was very short and sweet. I think about 20 minutes.

Set II

St. Stephen>WTB>Born Cross Eyed-I was thrilled that they opened the second set with this. After the killer Throwing Stones I thought that they were going to hit us with a rockin' second set and make up for the slower tempo first set. But I was wrong...

Sugaree-very pretty but very sedating. I love this song but they didn't put the ending on it that it needs if its going to be in the second set. This really put the show back into the same sleepy mode as in the first set.

Dark Star-It's hard to say anything bad about this song and there wasn't anything wrong with it last night except that it continued lulling the crowd in to a very sedated mood. (at least where I was sitting) Still a very good version if you were in the mood to crawl inside your own mind and poke around for a little while.

Cryptical Envelopment- Phil's voice sounded great on this. He really has gained a lot of confidence in the last several years and this really allowed him to show off his vocal talent.

Drumz-I still wasn't quite up to pissing on anyone in my section so I again headed to the john. They sound good from where I was though and space was thankfully short.

The Other One- This was the big test to see if they were going to turn the sound up or not. Unfortunatley, the sound didn't quite make it and alas, no Phil bomb, at least in my area, and the Bass was barely audible making for a very weak version. Also, Bobby did make a major fuck up in the lyrics but I actually think its fun when that happens sometimes. It gave us all a good laugh.

Dark Star- pretty but once again not the song to turn an alrady slow set around.

Stella Blue- If they wanted us all to go to sleep, they couldn't have done a better job handing out handfulls of Valium at the door. This was the capper of a very slow, uninspired sleeper of a show. Sugar Mag shoud have been played here just to pick us all up a bit but no...a little Stella Blue to make sure we all nodded off before driving home.

Encore:

NFA-perfunctory. Enough said.

Just my opinion of the show. I still couldn't think of a place I would rather have been last night.

>>Self Defense-Never heard the song but I really had to piss so instead of pissing on the guy in front of me, I chose to head to the Men's room. From what I heard, it sounded like a typical new Bobby tune that I don't really need to hear again, but if I do it wouldn't be the end of the world.

It's a Mickey tune and it's pretty ggod in my opinion

Agree with what's been said about callin em like ya see em, so long as there is a hint of objectivity and some substance to the review. When someone takes four sentences to describe how badly the band sucks and the only reference to the performance is "there was far too much alcohol served at this venue" excpect the phil zone police to call you out. What, was the band drinking all the alcohol? What do all the drunks have to do with the music? On paper, the 2nd set looks glorious....gotta respect em for just attempting that classic chiacago set, flaws and all.

Some notes as to the 8/2/03 show...

1. The Venue was horrible for several reasons. First of all, the Route 66 Raceway failed to properly build the stage on 8/1/03, and as fate would have it, a big storm rolled in and the stage collapsed due to heavy winds. As a result, Moe was cancelled. That was very disappointing. Also as a result, the Hunter set was shortened, and Hunter even apologized for it. Second, there was a ton of very very drunk people (a lot of people were screwed up, but it is easy to distinguish someone messed up on drugs and someone heavy intoxicated on alcohol). Where I was sitting, I luckily didn't have any drunks around me (sorry to hear your tale Mr. Hamilton), but wandering around after Dylan and during the set break I saw a bunch of vomit, and people throwing up. I've been to a lot of Grateful Dead shows, and I've seen beer vendors turn people away because they obviously were too drunk. That didn't happen at this venue. Third, the venue was grossly underprepared in the right areas. I've never seen so much security. They were wearing orange shirts and sitting in the upper deck you could see swarms of them everywhere. To get to the upper deck I had to flow through 2 checkpoints - for arguably bad seats. This was unnecessary and the Venue should have spent their money in other areas - and the lack of proper spending was obvious. For example, while leaving the show the people funneling out in my area had to literally climb over a pile of chairs randomly assorted in a giant pile - a personal injury lawyers dream because the risk for injury was profound. Also, during the set break I went to take a leak, and the latrines were overflowing. The stench was fetid. The latrine I wizzed in was filled to the rim of the toilet seat. There was a latrine specialist pumping them one by one. You could hear the sucking sound as he vacuumed the material. Pretty gross. And, it appeared that he was having a tough time. I saw him slipping in one of the latrines causing the vacuum to come free from the material. Pretty disgusting - just what I wanted to see during the set break. If the venue had spent less money on security, and more on facility management this would not have happened. I'll be surprised if the Dead play here again.

2. The band sounded great at times. The opening jam was very funky, and the transition to LTGTRoll was sweet. The LTGTRoll was very well done with verse changes and nice jams. The Dylan songs were extremely well done. Dylan's vocals during GDTRFB were tremendous. His haggard voice truly added the necessary element of exasperation in the song. The RR and Senor were also highlights.

3. The band sounded off at times. The Wheel had some off moments as Joan and Bob couldn't get the vocals down.

4. The jams, in my opinion, had a very flat sound. I noted this during the Milwaukee (7/03) show as well. I think the problem is that Jimmy is soloing around the band, instead of leading the band. Perhaps this is because Weir and Lesh are directing the jams, and Jimmy is being too directed. The result is a disengaged sound. Jimmy sounds cautious and unwilling to lead the band in different directions. When Weir started to present interesting sounds, Jimmy backed off, and he should have kept going. Weir is a great guitar player, but he is not a great soloist or leader. His essence is in rhytmically creating off of a lead sound. Jimmy should not just stop his jamming when Weir starts to create intersting rhythm. There was a lot of improvisational jamming through nearly every tune and transition between tunes, but it sounded too forced. I often was bored and uninterested. It didn't sound convincing.

5. Joan continues to sound strong. Her highlight in my opinion was the Sugaree. This likely is because the song is dramatically restructured and her presentation of the song is truly new. On other tunes, while she sounded and sang very well, the sound was flat. For instance, the Built To Last just didn't sound right - almost forced. Also, and more notably, on the Stella Blue the sound was very flat. I think Joan or any singer will have trouble matching the sound that Jerry made. I think she will continue to have trouble with such a task, and the band will find a better sound with dramatic restructuring of their tunes for her. This may be too much of a task and may not be what the Dead wants. Overall I'm a big Joan fan. Her singing is sweeping and amazingly in tune. Her harmonies are right on. But, the task of matching Jerry tunes in just the way Jerry sang them is too much. Some tunes were acutely Jerry (Row Jimmy, Built To Last, Stella Blue) and should probably go to the grave with him, unless they are restructured.

6. Jimmy's sound is too similar from jam to jam. I think the sound would be better if he changed his tone and effects from jam to jam. I often thought that despite the chord and key changes inbetween and during the jams that he sounded astoundingly the same. This led to a flat sound. Jerry was so tremendous because he changed his "sound" numerous times during the show. This made it interesting to hear. Jimmy's similar sound from jam to jam got to be too much. I found it very boring as the show ended. I think he is a very impressive guitar player, but he needs to switch up his sound if he is going to do so much jamming.

7. I am perplexed as to the goals of the Dead for this run of shows. On the one hand they are trying to reach beyond Jerry and create a new era of the Dead - similar to the onset of Keith, Brent and Vinny. You can hear this with the impressive set lists, the restructuring of some of the songs, and the amount of jamming during the shows. But, on the other hand, they seem to be trying to recapture the Grateful Dead. This can be seen with how on some songs they are having Joan rotely present as Jerry would have, and having Jimmy do the same. If their goal is to capture a new sound and magic utilizing the amazing amount of songs they have as tools, they will be better suited by restructuring the songs even more then they have done.

8. Overall, I'm always happy to see the Dead. But, I think the sound is being too directed by Weir and Lesh. They need to let Jimmy take over. The songs they are using to recreate their sound need to be directed by the lead guitar player. Jimmy doesn't seem to have free reign to lead them from song to song. Or perhaps he doesn't want this. I certainly don't know, and speculation only goes so far, but something is lacking in their sound. It gets rather boring at times in their deep jams. Perhaps Jimmy just needs to start selecting different tones for his guitar. As I said, I'm always happy to see the band, and I applaud the band for this experimental effort. But right now, I think it truly is in the experimental stages in the classic trial and error realm. I'm impressed with the band trying new things, but so far I'm unimpressed as a whole with the result. But, if the band continues to plug away, I think the sound will turn around. We all remember early 1971 --- in my opinion one of the flatest times of the Dead's career --- and we all remember that as 1971 progressed, the sound got better and better and amazing. If the band keeps up with this experiment as the years progress -- a big if -- I think it will get better - I have hope.

Maybe Bobby's strung out?

Thanks Richie, I didn't realize Self Defense was a Mickey tune. Shows you how much I was paying attention at the time. I'll give a listen a couple of times and maybe it will grow on me.

I'm sorry but I have to point this out. Did anyone listen to the show last night??? The Wheel was extremely lethargic. Throwin' Stones and St. Stephen both came to near stops due to confusion between band members. The first 2 minutes of Sugaree, Joan was entirely out of sync with the rest of the band. All in all, I was extremely disappointed. I'm glad alot of people had great times but to say T-Stones was flawless couldn't be furthur from the truth. Won't be the first bad show I saw and certainly won't be the last...hopefully Deer Creek isn't one!

Maybe what they say about ignorance being bliss is true. I have know idea what you're talking about Robert, but it sounds miserable. Stay home and out of the way of people enjoying themselves next time. Thanks to everyone who had fun last night. Maybe it wasn't the best the Dead have ever sound, but so what? It's still some of the best music out there, as always. What do you expect, perfection? They ARE human. Either decide to have fun or don't bother coming out, dork.

I have been to over 60 Dead shows and literally hundreds throughhout the Dead related scene and I have never been to a worse venue for many, many reasons. Briefly - the screwed up entry situation getting into the venue, no signs about how much parking cost, too many drunks, a screwed up bathroom situation(I have never seen lines that long to get into an overflowing porta-john) - however by far the worst thing was the security.

I got a huge gift from GDTS and found myself literally front row center. While I was entering the venue the security guard checked out my digital camera and wound up letting me in with it. He said nothing about any limitations of any kind on photography. When Dylan got on stage I started innocently snapping shots....about 10 minutes into the set I had my eye in my camera lens when suddenly my camera was slammed into my face by an unruly security guard - screaming at me that he told me to stop taking photos.....however he never said one word to me. I tried to tell him I had no idea and would be happy to put my camera away.... but he refused to return it.

After thinking about it for a couple minutes I decided this was bullshit and decided to go talk to him again. I went over and told him to either give me back the camera or I would literally charge him with assault and theft....and I asked him to get a cop...which he did. Of course he claimed he told me "no photos while Dylan is on stage", but he said no such thing. The cop said he wanted me to go with him to the security tent so he could decide whether he was going to throw me out....I could not believe it!

I convinced him that the other security guard was totally ridiculous and convinced him to give me back the camera.....he actually said "I'll give you back the camera, but if you take it out during Dylan you're going to jail!" (I have no idea what law I might have been breaking).

This was a total situation of a jerk given too much power trying to cause trouble where there was none....a huge disappointment considering I am usually a fan of shows produced by Jam....this situation left such a bad taste in my mouth....

Believe it or not at the end of the show the security guard actually told me he did it to make an example of someone...can you believe it? Unbelievable.....

>>I'm glad alot of people had great times but to say T-Stones was flawless couldn't be furthur from the truth.

What, are we now writing reviews of the reviews? I saw what I saw and you saw what you saw. If you want to review the show and give your opinion about the songs then by all means, go right ahead. There is no need to criticize mine. Further from the truth? Do you think I was lying about Throwing Stones? Have fun in Indy and I look forward to hearing an independent review from you.

>>Believe it or not at the end of the show the security guard actually told me he did it to make an example of someone...can you believe it? Unbelievable.....

I would write the venue and threaten a lawsuit. If you know a lawyer that can write the letter for you, all the better.

'IF YOU TAKE IT OUT DURING DYLAND YOUR GOING TO JAIL"

ARE YOU SHITTIN ME!!!!OH MAMA IS THIS REELY THE END?????BWHA NCTP. 9

There is absolutely nothing wrong with me presenting my opinion. I made it clear that I had a great time (does that even matter?) and that I applaud the band for continuing with their pursuits. Just because I noted some flaws in their musical approach means that I should stay out of the way? Jerry commented once that he wished that just once the fans would boo him when he played horribly. That suggests that he appreciated constructive criticism. I didn't blindly flame the show or the music. I offered a critical analysis. If your approach is to just blindly listen to the music, not interpret it in the least, than you my friend are living the ignorance is bliss rule. You thanked those who had fun last night and to that I say your welcome because I had a great time listening to the music. But part of my trip when I see the Dead is to __listen__ to the music and try and understand it on many levels. Don't rag on my trip simply because it is different than yours.

**Maybe what they say about ignorance being bliss is **true. I have know idea what you're talking about **Robert, but it sounds miserable. Stay home and out **of the way of people enjoying themselves next time. **Thanks to everyone who had fun last night. Maybe it **wasn't the best the Dead have ever sound, but so **what? It's still some of the best music out there, **as always. What do you expect, perfection? They ARE **human. Either decide to have fun or don't bother **coming out, dork.

IF YOU TAKE IT OUT DURING DYLAN YOUR GOING TO JAIL.

MAYBE HE WAS TALKIN ABOUT SOMETHING ELSE. BWHA NCTP. 9

I appreciated Robert's analysis. I may not agree with all of it but he put some thought into it.

Just a couple of things...

The setlist shows Hunter playing between sets, but actually he opened the show at around 5:15 or so.

During most of the Dylan set he was standing near us with his family, talking to anyone who came up to him, letting people pose with him for pictures. One young guy was in tears talking with him, very emotionally charged moment. Anyway he seemed extremely gracious to everyone.

As to the crowd, yes the beer was cheap and flowing freely. The venue was nowhere near a sell-out, at least a quarter empty, but it is a fairly large place.

As to the show. Can anyone tell me the last time any band that Bob has been in has not played One More Saturday Night at a Saturday show? I thought that was the one tune I could safely call.

The music was hit and miss for me. Several "You had me and then you lost me" moments.

The cops made several "examples" of people. One group of guys was ejected from the show for smoking a joint, and after the show there was a cop on bike going through the parking lot and taking all the pipes and throwing them into his bike and breaking them, with nothing else said.

I expected nothing less from the Joliet police... it's my hometown, and they're all complete power tripping losers.

Agreeing with a lot of what was said... Throwing Stones was the highlight of the show for me, even if it wasn't perfect. I couldn't believe how slow The Wheel was, and I thought there were way too many slower tunes played. And agreeing also that there's still no other place I'd have rather been.

Everybody read and reread Robert Goetz's post..It is completely and absolutely right the F**kin' on!
Send this throughout the deadnet in hopes the boys will learn something.
Thanks for taking the time to write what would be my analysis.

anyone is entitled to their opinion right? if you put it out here/there it just becomes public domain and we can see what your giving/taking from an experienced.
so much blah blah blah from somepeople...

i liked what i heard about jimmy being boring during the deeper sections of music (ok folks, we're going in)... joan, jimmy, were they around for the kool aid? has joan ever been faced? if she's gonna be a part of this band long term maybe she should get puddled and experience a show from our side. JG had an understanding of what he was doing, if the drunks were getting out of hand, and he said this personally, they would bring the music down onto these fools- (some people you just can't reach). alot of this music now is going through the motions.

now, the stage is filled with many great "musicians" but does jimmy have nearly as deep, empathetic, intelligent, or "fun" psyche as JG?... who knows, but it will probably show through his playing and/or wanking...

does joan really know the repecussions of "comes a time" or "nothing left to seeeee" how sweet stella is when she's all that there is?

the music WILL never stop, and dylan has proved that we all go through big looping phases, he for one is as cool as he's ever been, still in the kitchen with the tombstone blues. you gotta love' em like uncles, cause they can't stop for nothing.

no one will ever challenge us to feel as much as the fat man did

First of all, thought it was really crappy that the venue couldn't explain what was going on at any time. When I got to the gates, we were told that once they opened, they would get the show going ASAP. After 5:00 did not mean ASAP to me at that point. Then, did not find out Moe had cancelled until Dylan was going on. Again, all somebody had to do was say something and everyone would have appreciated the kindness and been OK wih it. It was an WXRT show, couldn't one of their hosts have made an announcement?

As for the show, I agree with a lot of the posters here that said it just didn't seem to be in sync. That glitch during the intro to St. Stephen - OUCH! The jam between Cross-Eyed and Sugaree - pointless, no direction at all (again, just my $.02). Couldn't hear Jimmy during certain parts of the show and - although this is not the Dead's fault - that echo from the back of the stadium drove me crazy from the first notes of Hunter's opening SOTM.

FWIW, I still appreciated the try. Even though I heard a few flubs from Joan (her goof during the Wheel PROVES she is truly a member of this band now! :D), I am still impressed by what she brings and, whether I'm in the minority here or not, I loved hearing her Stella Blue. The Sugaree was pretty damn impressive too the further it went along.

Well, at least, if the Dead does this next year, we should be looking at either Alpine or the new Soldier Field. And Bobby owes us a One More Saturday Night (LOL!!!)!

Hey Doug, here's a brief review as I saw things:

Showed up, bummed when I heard moe. was cancelled.
Hunter sounded great. Dylan was pretty good, bummed that he was on keys, but enjoyed it for the most part. Then the Dead>>>>

LTGTR- Great opener, real mellow
Wheel- brutally slow, never liked the new arrangement where they play a few bars before "round, round robin..."
BTL - like the song, don't like Joan so much
GDTRFB-Senor-Around w/Dylan - no energy for standard often-played songs (except Senor)
Self Defense- I've heard worse
T-Stones - I was real pumped when it started because I really love the song. It was mangled, the CDs won't lie. If you enjoyed it, GREAT. I enjoyed most of it.
St. Stephen- listen to the intro, you'd think they'd never played it before
Born X-eyed- Loved It!
Sugaree- Entire band was out of sync, it was embarassing to listen to
DS - the lyrics came immediately- no meat!!
Peggy-O - nice
Crytical>D>S>Other One- Bobby screwed TOO up, but those are real hard lyrics to remember...not!
DS - boring
Stella - I'm not interested in Joan's interpretation of Jerry classics
NFA - I was on the way out to beat traffic

I hope Deer Creek will find the band playing better!

I second what Olo said re: Robert G's post. It was honest and well thought out. He explained where he was coming from and demonstrated critical thinking.

John C - you destroy any credibility you had when you make ad hominen attacks i.e.)calling people "dorks"

What Robert G said about jimmy's tones -well said. I have the Hartford show and was there - Jimmy was on fire for Stranger - he just had the right tone. Other than that tune, he did sound the same. I think he should try and be a bit more subtle - he is good on LLR from Saratoga - I always think less is more.
When it comes to bobby - he is , well, weird. I sat 5th row in Htfd. and he was always off just a bit. Whether it was timing or lyrics or even speaking at times, it seemed like he was off center. Maybe that is his severe dislexia - i dont' know. As for these guys having fun - they all smiled and chatted and laughed on stage together. Bob and Phil really seemed to be glad to be there. Just my opinion.

Everyone has an opinion, I thought last night was pretty stellar... have a feeling if I say more than that (like a positive review) I'll get horribly flamed. But here goes.
In terms of the venue: security was on a power trip, someone could have easily announced the day's schedule at some point (we had to ask numerous people what was going on), and bathrooms were mostly in short supply. Because this is a raceway, most regular fans are probably beer drinkers (from my Nascar experiences, not stereotyping) and the venue is used to supplying patrons with beer. That was a regrettable fact, in my section (stage left of the soundboard) there seemed to be a bigger problem with too much drug consumption (people were really high) than beer consumption- but there were alot of drunks.

In terms of the band: there were some vocal miscues (of course, the Grateful Dead or PLQ or Ratdog have never,ever done this), some jams were mellow (and we know that we have never described the music of the Grateful Dead, PLQ or Ratdog as mellow), some song intros were blown (and of course the Grateful Dead, PLQ or Ratdog have never blown intros), and the second set was as good as it looks on paper (and clocked in at just over two hours, without the encore). They do seem to have some "safe areas" in jams, where the music has a very similar quality to it. As an example, the segue from "The Wheel" into "Built To Last" was very much like the "Uncle John's Band" jam from the previous show, and we tought "Built To Last" was actually "Ruben and Cherise." "Self Defense" seems like a new version of "Baba Jingo" with more user friendly lyrics (and some nice hand motions from Bobby and Joan). It seemed to me that everyone enjoyed themselves last night, not just in my drugged up section. Song selection was classic the entire day due to the previous night's storm and the stage in shambles. A shame to see so many negative views, maybe ya'll are used to St. Stephen, Fennario and Born Cross Eyed in the same set. It seemed that so many people on this discussion board were pro "Stella," and when they play it- it's too slow(as opposed to those really fast rocker versions of the song that the Grateful Dead always played) or that Joan suddenly has no respect. I used to see the Grateful Dead alot, and I've seen most every Phil and Friends arrangement (with the current one my all time favorite, though I do miss Kimock- Hell, I miss PLQ) and version of Ratdog. Everyones a critic, that's pretty much my day job in a sense- and not to sugarcoat last night gang, this is all we've got. If you have something to say negative about this band you have that right, the best shows I've ever seen had the boys on stage, and the worst. But I keep going back; and hey- you don't get Hepatitis on tour... Parenthetically speaking, one man gathers what another man spills. I'll be happy when the OCRS shows up in the mail. Last night was great.

Well, Zoners, I had a blast. The occasions are rare, but sometimes I will go to a show and feel like it was played for me. Last night was one of those nights.

I am a fan of chaos. I enjoy the energy that is created with uncertainty and unpredictability: the storms, the stage damage, the cancelled acts, the lot, a new venue, the threatening clouds hovering all day and the lightening spreading throughout the sky throughout the show. The energy and how the crowd and the band channels that energy is everything.

I thought there was a great scene in the lot. We were at the furtherest end of the lot and had plenty of room and amenities to make our stay comfortable. We fired up the grills, ate like kings and the party was on.

Headed in at around six, expecting to have missed most of Dylan, but he was just getting started. The one path into the joint was crowded, but it made for a great vending area. Plenty of kind people having all sorts of fun.

I was fortunate to have been comped some skybox tickets and soon found the rooftop and spent the Dylan set up top. Couldn't see him due to where I chose to stand, but the sound was fantastic.

Dylan's band smoked and I loved hearing Dylan growl out his tunes. I have never seen him, so I had little expectation, but I figured his band was going to be hot and they were. Come on, All Along the Watchtower encore--I simply appreciate the fact that I saw and may never see it again. He could have farted it and I probably would have liked it.

The highlight from uptop was just getting the scope of the whole setup. Watching all the people file up the path, a line as far as I could see, looking down on everyone on the speedway dancing it up, making out, spacing out, whatever. The sun was setting in a volatile sky. Nice.

Down to the floor for the first set with the crew in Section 14. The sound was plenty loud and sounded pretty full. I had a full view of the stage for most of the first set, although short people were screwed. It was largely a free-for-all seating wise--at least I never got near my seats (The should just sell it GA and ditch the chairs) and there was little security presence anywhere by us.

Missed LTGTR due to a bogus beverage line, but settled in for Wheel. Some sweet, sweet sounds coming from Jimmy's guitar and came as no surpise on 8/2. Memories of a sweet show-ender a year and a day before.

Joan finally got me on board with Built to Last. I saw a very fair Milwaukee and appreciated her contributions, but it was certainly strange. Kids, this is not your mom and dad's Grateful Dead. Another tune that made me think of Jerry.

Dylan out for GDTRFB, one of my personal favorites, and again I love the chaos. I like the guests sitting in and I expect it can get wacked at times, but love that I am witnessing it all play out in front of my eyes.

Senor--I call two friends Senor because of this tune and have for years. All too appropriate for the jokers I have christened with this nickname, one of the missed it because he was in the bathroom and the other missed it because he was on a plane home from Peru. I don't know who wrote it, but I have always loved the versions from JGB. Again thinking Jerry.

Around and Around was cool and although never raved up as much as it could have was plenty jammed out and rocked the crowd around pretty well.

I certainly didn't know what to expect from Dylan and the Dead, but I liked the trifecta I got.

Back up to the rooftop during Self Defense which I though had a good grove. Throwing Stones was a great way to end the first set and I love the call and response--ashes, ashes all fall down.

A song that I didn't see, a few that I never though I would see and a few that I was glad to see made up the first set.

Second set St. Stephan start had me hustling back to the floor. Got settled in just in time for them to really get off into a strange jam and never really be able to bring it back. Bob Weir chimed in 'Just like a swiss watch.' From that moment on I though the band had a little more focus and cohesiveness.

WTB was a treat and if you didn't notice the second set was full of jams and segues from one song to the next. Born crossed Eyed was great and I was moved by the band's version of Sugaree.

Man, between Joan's voice and Jimmy's guitar, they really put some sweet touches on it. Phil sounds great and the I was happy to hear the open notes of Dark Star.

I had read about the band singing the parts to Fennario, but to see it come down live was really something.

Saw the guest guitarist and figured it was the guy from moe. Cryptical to D/S was cool and that new toy of Mickey's spreads some seriously primative sounds to vibrate the depths of your being. The added drummer was great and added even more to a powerful and thundering drums. Impressive.

TOO, from Phil's thundering bass to Bobby botching the lyrics it was sweet with some really out there jams. They seemed to have a little trouble bringing it back up, but I am not even sure that they wanted to. When it finally came around Bobby forgets the lyrics. Loved it and loved the fact that Al S. was sitting in as it all went down.

Dark Star to Stella. Stella was great to see and I'm glad I did, but Sugaree and Fennario were over the top and I don't think the song is nearly as moving the others. Again Joan's lyrics and Jimmy's guitar sweetly added to mix.

I loved the weaving in and out from a classic late 60's/early 70's setlist and littering it with soulfully done Jerry tunes. I couldn't have written a requested setlist any better.

I thought the Speedway was a great place for a show. I know that everyone has been sharing some pretty bogus experiences, but I thought the place was set-up great for a day with the Dead and all of those that played with them. Our whole crew went awaying saying that the hoped they choose to play there again.

Second time around with the Dead and I came away liking them even more and sold on Joan. I am glad that there is a band that I can go see who tries to channel in all the energy that swirls around and create a new and different musical experience everytime.

Who can deny? Who can deny?
it's not just a change in style
One step done and another begun
in I wonder how many miles?

I just wish I got to hear New Speedway Boogie.

Ok, it took me all day yesterday to digest Saturday nite.

#1, The Lot, what a cool scene. Nothing like the oppressive nature of St Louis. Everybody having a good time, Strangers stopping Strangers just to shake their hand!

#2 While it was a bummer the stage blew down, there were signs in the lot letting everybody know about the later gate opening time, it did suck not to get to see .moe, but after seeing the pictures on http://dead.net/hotline_info/tours/rt66/ I was just happy that had a show at all!

#3 HUNTER! Damn he gets better every time I see him. It's too bad more folks weren't in for him, but at least we got to enjoy his set without all the drunks coming and going. He really looked chained to that mic......I bet he was wishing for his wireless.......

#4 DYLAN! What a smoking set. It's great how he continues to keep it fresh and re-invent himself. Unfortunately, during Dylan we got a glimpse of what the crowd would be like during the dead.......

#6 THE DEAD! Ok, I forgot to mention earlier, we were in Sec 1, row 19, so right on the isle, by the concrete divider. I was constantly getting shoved, stepped on, beer spilt on me, needless to say it was not easy to concentrate on the music, but I kept positive thoughts and tried to enjoy the music.

I was hoping for a OMSN to open to get it out of the way, but I didn't get my opener, and my buddy called Box.....neither of us were right, but neither of us were disappointed with LTGTR. I've always thought this was a good tune to open with and they did it up nicely.

I had noticed they had been playing The Wheel allot, and through the 1st half of it I couldn't figure out why. The tempo was waaay too slow, but then they did that little vocal jam/round and I saw the light. Nice twist to an old classic.

Built To Last was a real treat and I though Joan hit a home run with this one.

The Dylan trifecta was nice, GDTRFB smoked, but when they broke out Señor I knew they were going places tonight. Around and Around was nicely done with Bobbby and Bob trading off verses.

Self Defense nice new Mickey tune. reminded me of Baba Jingo with different lyrics......had to fight not to go to the bathroom on this and I'm glad I didn't cause I probably wouldn't have made it back for Throwing Stones. Very solid. Nailed all the posts and did some very nice jamming. So far I think this band is best when jamming within song structures.

What a mess at the set break. Didn't even want to leave because it was so screwed up, but after about 20 minutes decided to brave it and made it out to take a leak and get some beverages. Got back in just as the lights were cut and took most of St. Stephen getting back to my buddy. The William Tell Bridge ( or High Green as they call it on dead.net) was nice
if not expected after seeing previous set lists. The jam out of WTB into BornCrosseyed was a total meltdown, so much Bobby had to save the moment by stepping up to the mic saying "Just like a Swiss watch" which got a decent cheer from those of us paying attention AND got the band back together. I know none of the set lists I've seen mention it, but I distinctly remember some "11" in there if just instrumental.

Sugaree: As I mentioned to my buddy, "This is what the Dead would have been like if Janis had joined them instead of Big Brother. If is nice to see they give her the reigns on the tunes she sings and she really took control on this one. I do agree she takes a few too many liberties with phrasing, but to see her gyrating in front of Bobby's guitar HAD to put a smile on your face!

Dark Star: This is where it really started to get good for me, cause allot of the drunks were getting disinterested and actually opened up some dancing room. The seemed to jump into the lyrics a little fast, but a Dar Star none the less!

I keeping with the mellowness we get a prime Peggy-O. I really like the way they trade off and take over different parts of this story. I think keeping it mellow really helped to put some of the drunks off and really helped in our section anyway.

Cryptical Envelopment! Ok, now were talking. St Stephen/X-Eyed/Dark Star AND Crpytical! All before drums?!? I didn't see Al come out on this, but I though it was nice and tight, Phil doing a very good job of the vocals.

Drumz/Space> Now I did notice Vinnie sitting in with the boys. Dr. Mickey was goin off on the Beam.....and after he went over behind Billy and was directing Vinnie when to play, I just got a big smile and said to my buddy "The Boy is gettin' schooled tonight!" Space was cool, kinda short but they did have 2 songs to finish!

The Other One didn't have as much of a rumble as I would have liked. Noticed Al for the 1st time. Bobby was obviously feeling left out cause he kept mentioning for them to turn him up.....then he flubbed the lyrics the on the 2nd verse.....what FUN!

Dark Star into Stella. In keeping with the mellowness, they really turned down the Stella. It was at a crawl. Didn't like it that slow. Joan has a great voice, but Stella was the low-light of the 2nd set for me.

OK, here it comes everybody......OMSN! Wait! No, NFA!?! Whoo Hoo! Blown away. Couldn't believe it. After all the 2nd set's surprises, I figured the ONE thing I could count on tonight was a OMSN, will I was pleasantly surprised again. I think they would have come back out for one more if we could have sustained the chant at the end.....I think the band really wanted us to, but too many drunks and super drugged up folks made that impossible.

This is the 2nd time I've seen this band, the other being July 2nd in St Louis. They are tight in the song structures, but not the transition Jams. Bobby and Phil need to listen to each other more. Neither seems to want to follow the other and Jimmy obviously hasn't been given the OK to lead them. All in all, if Bobby and Phil would have worked together they're would have been far fewer train wrecks Saturday nite.

All in all, after 43 GD shows from 82-95, various TOO, P&F, Ratdog, and such, I'd give this show a B+. I've seen the dead with Jerry when they were much worse. If they could start getting their transition jams worked out, this band could be scary. I doubt they will tho, Jer was the one who could get Bob & Phil on the same page.....I don't think Jimmy has that quality, mainly because they won't let him.

Hassle Free Camping! FREE Camping! THAT was nice & made up 4 the hardassed "Rent A Stooge". The security never had to deal with a concert at this venue. Back in 2000, the local B 96 Bash went down there, but THATS not music! These folks couldnt even direct cars to park without fucking it up! I have NEVER seen a lack of comunication on a large scale like this.

Some cops were cool with vendors. Some were taking folks shit OR passing out 150 buck fines.
You couldnt get the same answer from anyone involved with this venue. Shouldnt come as a big suprise though. WE are not race fans, & THEY were not music fans...

As far as sound went, if you were on the dragstrip it sounded amazing down there, in the bleachers WAY up top, it sounded clear but flat. Up close it was fine by my ear.

5 to 7 buck, watered down 2.0 beer. LOTS of drunks. Big time lack of trips or fungi at this one, so I think that may explain the amount of "Stupid Drunks" 4 the evening.

As 4 the music, I think the board covered this one nicely. A little magic sprinkled on a big sloppy burger. But hey, if you dont like burgers, go grab a Phish plate! =)

All in all, I had a blast!!

from what it sounds like to me (i wasn't at the show) the boys may have had some technical problems. I heard the show was run terribly by whoever put it on. Maybe the band couldn't hear themselves? (i had heard the sound wasn't up to par) If the stage collapsed the day before, then maybe there is a possibility that not everything was fixed.

Some shows are better then others, but it isn't much fun when a third party seems to be the problem

I’m surprised no one has mentioned the ticket upgrade offered at the show. I had seats in Section 15 on the floor. During Dylan, I snuck up into the aisle behind section 6 (two sections from the stage) and saw a security guy holding a stack of about 200 tickets. I asked him what he was doing, and he said he was upgrading people with tickets behind the soundboard, which was blocking views from a lot of seats. I showed him my ticket, and he gave me one in section 4. Not bad at all.
It was a great scene seemingly filled with more GD tour vets than college kids/newbies.
I thought Dylan’s set was ok, not one of his better ones. I’ve seen him a dozen times over the last few years, many of which were inspired performances. I’ve always found he’s sounded better in smaller venues, with one exception being Madison Square Garden. This was my second show seeing Freddie Koella, the guitarist who replaced Charlie Sexton in Dylan’s band. I really liked Freddie in Atlantic City earlier this year, but at Joliet he seemed to be stepping all over Larry Campbell’s toes, taking away Larry’s leads. Of course new guitarists need time to mesh, but Larry and Charlie played beautifully together, and I hope the same happens with Freddie. Dylan’s 3 songs with the Dead were nice, especially Senor, probably the highlight of the night for me.
As for the Dead, that was the mellowest Other One I’ve ever heard. I actually enjoyed it, as I’d prefer to hear different versions of their songs, rather than feel like I’m watching a Dead cover band.

I thought the venue was fine - there was no charge for parking upon arrival, and the security I saw in the lot was very mellow and non-confrontational. Vending was everywhere, and yes, there were a LOT of people drinking a lot of beer....BTW, who determined that it's a good idea to sell vodka shots and Beam and cokes in the lot?? Ugh....

The show was decent - highlights included LTGTR, GDTRFB, Senor, Built To Last, Stephen> Born Cross-Eyed, Sugaree, Peggy-O. Not the best show I've heard played, but as always it was a good time.

I go into a show knowing that I might be disappointed by the quality of play, but I choose to focus on having fun and not being bummed out by mistakes - the Dead has always been about taking chances and NOT being the tightest band in the world, so I refuse to flip out if they flub a transition ("Just like a Swiss watch") or forget a lyric.

have the same opinion as the previous(positive) posts so i won't go into great detail...
this show was good, not great(as the setlist would indicate)--really think it was brought down by tech problems; i've never seen so many "repairs" going on while music was being played. the band definitely was taking chances in the 2nd set: most of the time it worked, a few times it did not(this happens when you play "without a net"<somewhat>). i thought things tightened up by DARK STAR...the "feelin groovey" jam after DSvrs1 was a real HIGHlight(did anyone else hear this?)...people(around me--sec.3 row 6!) seemed confused during BORN CROSS-EYED, as in "what the hell song is this?"...too bad cause it was a good one...and yes, there was definite hints of the "11" out of ST. STEPHEN...PEGGY-O was beautifully eerie:"sweet william he is dead..."--by the way, this song is called PEGGY-O, not "fennerio"...the OTHER ONE was a bit mellow, but still packed a punch...a good, strong, POSITIVE NFA to end it!
i was close enough to see the boys smiling, laughing, and enjoying themselves on the stage, and PHIL's comments("a nice little FESTIVAL we have here...") seem to dispell the nay sayers beliefs that there are negetive vibes between the band...true, not a perfect show or venue, but a fun and fruitfull(spiritually) time was had by everyone in the K-ZOO crew...see y'all at deer creek...PEACE

First off, I understand every show is a different experiance for everyone. I have seen the Dead many times in my life, and this was by far one of the bottom shows I have ever seen...

I also agree, Bob and Phil are struggling with each other, and Jimmy is not allowed, or is to afraid to lead. After all of these years of having Jerry lead, the boys are lost.

The vibe I get is that Bobby is not happy. I have seen many Ratdog shows, and Bobby has a FIRE at these gigs I just dind't see last night.

The first set was OK. Throwing Stones was BY FAR the best song of the night. Around and Around was a very rocking song as well. Other than that, the set was dribble.............

When I heard the opening notes of St. Stephen I was pumped. I felt after a lack-luster first set, the band was going to shower us with gems........unfortunatly, the setlist looks like one we have all dreamed of seeing, but it never took off. Very slow and robotic. With the exception of Born Cross Eyed it was weak. Peggy-O was nice to hear, just made me miss Jerry all the much more. Stella was a TRAIN WRECK!!!!!

The venue was interesting. I had floor seats, but opted for the back of the track. I sat in the grandstands with nobody around us. There were way too many highly intoxicated people at this show. I had at least 7 people go into detail with me on how Fu#$ed up they were. Why did they feel the need to tell me this???

It also made me realize how many people were only there for the party and not the music when a lot of people left halfway through the 2nd set. I looked around the grandstands and saw that it looked like half of the people left.

the crowd had more of an OZZFEST vibe than anything to me. However, It made the show nice that I sat in the back with nobody around.

All in all, I must give the boys some slack for all of the problems that they must have encountered with the stage and sound. I am hoping that the return to Deer Creek will bring things a bit back to reality....

With all of that said, I would still rather be at a bad Dead show than anywhere else.

Unless Deer Creek blows me away, I must say, after Sat. I would rather have the Ratdog, PLQ tours on tap next summer instead.

The only way I could see to fix this band leadership issue on stage is to sack Jimmy(sorry everyone), and bring in Warren.

I honestly feel Warren is the only personality that could come in, take over, and allow the boys to do what they do best. Warren is one of the only voices that can be as filled with as much soul as Jerry. With Warren the Wheel could keep spinning, but in my opinion, they are just rolling in circles right now.


My best wishes are with the band, hoping they can find the groove again.

Joliet Review Pt. 1:

Well, I just got back to the computer, and this is the first chance I’ve had to post a review of the Joliet show. After reading all the different voices on this thread and the varied experiences they all had, I’m happy to know that the scene hasn’t changed that much. Either people liked it or they didn’t. Here’s why I LOVED the Joliet show. Two words: OLD SCHOOL.

To begin with, we’re just lucky we even had a show due to the storm that literally blew the stage in half. I don’t think it was the venue’s fault, as some suggested shoddy work up front, because the photos clearly show the destruction that the “micro burst” winds reeked. Congrats to the people who spent all night and day rebuilding the stage. They did it, and it worked. The good part about the chaos is that it gave the show a “fly-by-the-seat-of-their-pants” feel, just like the old days of setting up free shows in the Panhandle or playing on borrowed gear at the Milk Weg. There were techies tinkering with wires and monitors all night in the shadows, and the band managed to turn chaos into a stellar performance.

Thanks to the last minute help of folks at GDTS TOO, I scored 18th row seats. I was well inside the crowd, so no security headaches could happen. Sorry for those who thought security was bad, but as the song says, “You know all the rules by now” and should expect to be hassled if you give security the chance. As far as the camera incident mentioned above, can’t say that was called for at all, but again, don’t give people the chance to mess with you and it won’t happen.

Hunter: Never seen him before, and even though lots of folks may not like his arrangements, it was like watching history perform before me. I felt like I’ve known him forever, and his playing was interesting and sweet at the same time. Rain was impending and the stage looked like a moonscape with plastic covering the equipment, with Hunter standing in the middle of the mess and playing sweet music we all love. Thanks Robert.

Dylan: I consider myself a Dylan’s Dylan fan. I forgive his worst and applaud his best, and he didn’t disappoint on Sat. His vocals are getting rougher for sure, but his style is what counts. The backing band had changed since I last saw him open for Phil in 2000 at Sandstone in KC, but it was still world class. They watched every move Bob made, and looked like wild horses in a corral prancing and pawing to be let out of the gate whenever Bob was ready. Bob’s keys were a bit lost in the mix at times, but with the entire stage set up being revamped at the last minute, the techies did the best they could with the time they had. Watchtower blew my mind.

The band, except Bobby and Billy, sat stage left (that’s right to us in the crowd) and watched Bob play the entire time. Phil was smiling and watched Bob’s every move. Joan and Rob shared a laugh, and Joan gave us a sweet wave. Mickey fiddled with a drum, and they all looked happy to watch Dylan wail.

During break, a couple of kids wormed their way into the row ahead of us, and immediately spilled a full beer onto my feet and in our dancing area. At first, I was pissed. Then I said, “Guess it’s amateur night at the ol’ Dead show.” A few minutes late, the kid who spilled the beer said, “This is my first show!” How right I was, and couldn’t blame the kid for tryin’. I remember makin’ a few similar mistakes in the past myself. The crowd around us was mixed, with some old-style heads as well as the new kids. They mix was good, overall, even though there were the usual screw-ups in the bunch. Hell, go to a high school B-Ball game and you’ll get the same scenario. Some people handle themselves well, others suck.

The Dead, FIRST SET: The band was like a troop of primates loping across the stage bashing each other with sonic clubs. I loved it. It was raw, unpredictable and impressively improvisational. From the first notes of Good Times Roll, the band set the stage for the evening’s fun. If it takes all night… Luckily, it didn’t.

The songs flowed well when the flowed, and even though there were some funny moments where the music didn’t move right, it still worked. The Joan version of Sugaree was powerful, and I love her stage antics, standing on speakers, etc. She has a presence as a performer, and they Dead need that sort of addition both vocally and as an entertaining lead. She works well, and just needs some time to find her place within the music.

Dylan and the Dead: Bob came out all in white with is cowboy hat, and I was psyched. They played a rollicking version of GDTRFB and Bob’s vocals led the band well. Bobby and he shared the lead some, but mostly it was Zimmy. Like Brad K pointed out the other day, the band helped force Bob to slow down the arrangement and it made all the difference. Then Senor. What a powerhouse of a tune, and it’s all Bob’s for sure. Bob and Joan sang high harmony, and I was transported to some Mexican pueblo on the coast with pirates and doubloons. Then R&R. Bobby sang a great lead, and Zimmy provided good keys. The amazing part came with the jams on Senor and RR. The music got spacey and too jammy for Zimmy, but he kept up and before I knew it, Dylan was actually JAMMIN’ with the Dead! The held court in improvisation land for longer than I imagined was possible, then back into the tune. Simply another history-making moment at a show. Phil seemed to know how important that was, because he danced and rocked as he played and didn’t take his eyes off Dylan. It seemed like he was thinking, “Damn. I’m jammin’ with Dylan and this may never happen again.”

Mickey’s new song, Self Defense, had a very nice feel. I liked his vocals and the entire song sounds like it is a good platform for the band to launch into some good boogies. Hope that song sticks around the rotation. Throwing stones was great and well placed as first set closer. Even if they blew a few notes and transitions, it was a great tune.

Note about pissers: Geez, hasn’t everyone been to a big venue show before? If so, you should know full well that bathrooms become stinky hog troughs by the end of the night. When I saw the line to the flush toilets stretching 50 feet, I found a relatively clean porta-john outside and only three people in line. Use your wits and you’ll find what you need.

Joliet Review Pt. 2:

SECOND SET: A set of 1969 tunes, all well played and a treat to witness. Began with a serious Dark Star tease. Then silence, waiting for the DS notes, and… St. Stephen! Yeah, they blew the intro a bit, but the song swirled and smoked. Bobby tried to turn the tune into Born Cross Eyed, and someone wasn’t ready and the transition bombed. That’s when Bobby said, “Just like a Swiss watch.” Good to know they can joke about their own foibles still, even though the audience holds them up to such a high standard that they’ll never make everyone happy. They are definitely human, and that’s what makes me love ‘em so much!

Back into High Green, and Bobby hit every note. Joan had left the stage to let the boys play with their toys, and he got no help from her on vocals. Then the great BCE, which was always one of my favs. Sounded even better than the CD of Alpine 02. Glad to see that song back from beyond.

Next I expected Alligator or New Potato, in keeping with the Old School theme. Surprised again! Sugaree! I cheered when Joan pranced across the stage like she was in control, because she was. Then she climbed on the speakers in front of her mic and wailed into the wind. SHAKE IT!

Then more Dark Star teases, and finally we got it. The intro didn’t happen as normal, which I liked too. The more mixed it is, the more different it becomes and the more new and refreshing it seems, like I’m witnessing genesis or something. I also like Phil, Joan and Bobby taking turns on the verses. Shortish, but it spun nicely into Peggy-O. That song was like a brilliant flower blooming in the midst of chaos, and then into Cryptical. The drums came Old School-style between Cryptical and TOO. Good drums, Mickey was happy to have the kid from Moe on board, and he pushed both Mickey and Billy into some new terrain.

The Other One was fantastic, and played so hard that Jimmy’s guitar sounded like a ton of razor blades being dropped from a ten-story building. Cutting and mind bending. He was having fun for sure. Bobby blew the “Bus came by” lyric, and stuck his finger in the air when he realized the mistake, and then jumped right back on the horse to drive it home. The funny part about Bobby’s lyrical missteps is that the crowd knew the words and yelled them right on time, so even if he didn’t get it, we all knew what it was and helped the band a bit with the vocal energy all night. I love that we’re just as much a part of the band as the boys themselves.

They never wrapped up the Cryptical, but that was fine. Instead, they finished the Dark Star. Since they’d blown the first intro notes, they made sure to play the last part slowly, clearly and methodically. They nailed it, with Jimmy and Bobby playing off each other well, and Phil building the bottom straight to the top! Moe’s guitar player, Al somethingorother, sat in for TOO and DS. Good choice.

Stella finished the stellar set, and Joan ruled. She’s getting better with that tune, and it showed. Powerful lyrics pushed by potent music, and they obviously have been getting more comfortable with each other’s styles. Soon, Joan will make everyone cry with that song. She brought tears to my eyes for sure.

ENCORE! NFA - Nuff said. They rocked it, the crowd seemed to agree that this thing won’t fade away… unless we let it!

Phil’s donor rap was funny too! He said something like “A nice little gathering we’ve got here…”then he said, “You may save the life of someone who’s even weirder than me.” To great laughs…


I left feeling good about the show, the night, the venue and the band’s future. What they’re doing now isn’t the GD. It’s the Dead, and different every time. That’s what keeps me coming back. If they played a greatest hits show each night like some sort of psychedelic Flo & Eddie, I’d never go back. Yet, because they obviously see what they’re doing as an extension of their quest for moments of musical magic, the adventure continues…

LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL!

Side note: I saw three disturbing moments of violence at the show that I’ve never seen before. First, a guy in Sec. 3, Row 20 or so, decides to push another dude so hard that he wipes out four rows of chairs behind him. Then the pusher decides to scream at the guy for about 5 min, and says something like, “Keep your dick out of my back!” Must’ve danced a bit too close for him. Unfortunately, his girlfriend spent about 10 min during drums tryin’ to calm him down by CONTINUOUSLY yelling his name “Brian” at the top of her lungs. Eventually, they all left and the scene cooled down.

Next was a girl who found someone in her van when she returned to the lot. She kept screamin’, “Get out or I’ll call the cops.” It seemed like an ex-boyfriend deal to me, and he kept mouthing something from inside the vehicle in a “oh baby, don’t be so mean to me” kinda manner. Just to make sure there wasn’t too much trouble, we stopped and watched her as she dealt with the situation in case it got ugly. It didn’t and we left.

Third incident was a drunk guy threatenin’ to rearrange the face of another Head at the bus stop for the shuttle to Paul and Mary’s campground. Again, it was alcohol that was to blame, not the scene itself. Still, I hated to see such crap, but I’ve seen worse at sporting events like the average Arkansas Razorback’s game…

worst show ive ever seen.

left early cuz i was falling a sleep.

dylan's terrible. couldnt understand a single word he says. i dont get it.

the dead played uninspired all night long, and that freaking senor song was the worst song ive ever heard.

bobby forgets the words to the other one, only the 5 thousandth time hes played it...

people were rude and downright scary, no moe.,

terrible. absolutely terrible.

>>dylan's terrible. couldnt understand a single word he says. i dont get it.

Maybe it was because I was so drunk, but I could undertand everything Dylan said. Or maybe you're just not too familiar with his catalog and lyircs (likely). I thought Dylan's set was excellent, although a bit too short. He was loving it up there, dancing around on stage and hamming it up with the crowd between songs. Played more harmonica than he usually does. The new guitarist Freddie Koella did a good job, definetly very energetic, got things rocking at times, but is not on the same page as the rest of the band yet- stepping on Larry's toes, off tempo. Dylan played 2 of the songs I predicted he'd do with the Dead, and the Around & Around was a nice surprise. Highlight of the night was the Hard Rain: "the executioners face is always well hidden!" I do get it.

>left early cuz i was falling a sleep.

Ah! We have you to thank for the extra room after Drumz..... ;)

Hey Jason Harmon,

Ha! your list of 3 bad things you saw at the show I was at each of those scenes within inches.

1. we were were in sec 3 row 21 I know this cuz I was the end seat & had to tell 100 people. i didnt see the Pushing guy tho.

2. we saw the screaming girl & the weirdo guy just sitting inside the micro bus. what the?

3. we were at that paul n marys bus stop, missed the angry drunk.

Hey Jason Harmon & everyone,

Sounds like were in the same section. section 3, row 20-ish, end of asile near grandstands. (jimmys side)

Bonus question: Did you see the guy & girl crazy fast foward speed dancers in (I think) Sec 3, row 17, seats 48,49 (on the end). If you did you know what I mean. The girl danced like Mr Roboto meets the kids in the Hall chicken lady on speed. She turned her head soooo fricken fast & herky jerky it looked like they were in fast foward motion. it was incredibley insane & I have to tell people so I can move on with my life.

she would look at the guy then in .002 nano seconds turn her head 180 degrees in the other direction, then before I knew it she had done 5 other head movements. she talked non stop to. they were multi tasking by talking, listening, dancing, smokin, etc at the same time. this went on the whole show. She was in my view of the psycdelic screens & I couldnt help but look. me & my buddy laughed the whole time.

They had to be hopped on on the speediest rx avaialble. This went on during space even.

Never seen anything like it. Someone tell me they saw em. This was something special.

Thanks.

Wish I had time for a longer review but I got stuck in Chicago last night and I'm catching up at work.

1. I was in the 6th row on a center Isle (thanks GDTSTOO) and it was pandemonium down there. People kept pushing in the isles and were being obnoxious. Security didn't do anything to clear the isles. It got downright scary for a while. A ton of drunk yahoos almost ruined the show for me.

2. I actually thought the first set was pretty good. The song selection was weak but they played well. Weir was totaly into it and high energy despite what others have written. The Dylan portion (by which time it appeared as if Dylan had changed into his pajamas) was outstanding. I'm not a big fan of Around and Around but seeing them play it with both Weir and Dylan totally into it was awesome. I'm sure it helped being 6 rows from the stage. By the way, Dylan was in rare form in his set. It was one of my favorites by him and I've seen him dozens of times. The Hard Rain's A Gonna Fall was spectacular.

3. They fucked up with vocal cues and lyrics a bunch of times, most especially during The Other One which really hurt an otherwise smoking version.

4. Sugaree was incredible. Both Joan's performance and the band's playing (for the second set I had moved into the stands) and it sounded great even from up there).

5. On the other hand Stella Blue was in my opinion really, really flat and weak. Excrusiating is more like it.

6. I liked the Dark Star vocal jam which I hadn't heard before. Is that new?

7. I wasn't in love with Joan's vocalizing during space. It didn't sound good to my ears.

Overall, it was from my view a pretty high energy show (except Stella). The three Dylan songs made it worth it for me. The venue tried hard and was nice from my experience but in general not a great choice. The crowd control was a major problem. They didn't have a lot of security, just some young people who were obviously not trained or experienced. It was in the sticks of Illinois so there are a lot of bored kids with nothing to do but go to an outdoor concert and cause trouble. Most of the drunken idiots were locals, trust me I'm from the area.

I have much more to say, but no time. I was actually impressed with The Dead. They sounded better than they did in Camden. After the weather mess, the whole thing could have been a fiasco (and I know for some it was and I feel for you. It wasn't easy to have a good time, but I managed to somehow) but they went on and played a long, high energy show. They were into it. They made a few bad mistakes which at this point should not happen but they did.

>>dylan's terrible. couldnt understand a single word he says. i dont get it.

No, you definitely don't.

Spagh,
I saw the twirlin' twins. They were in fast motion even during set break when i passed them for the B-room break. They musta been tweakin' or somethin'. Just goes to show that you see anything at a show.

Jason

I hadn't seen these posted here, so here goes:

Self Defense
Lyrics: Robert Hunter / Music: Mickey Hart
© 2002 Ice Nine Publishing

I can't tell you nothing
'Cept for what I said
Shut down by exhaustion
Just want to go to bed
No, I don't expect to sleep
Just beg to be excused
I don't mean to dump on you
Just need to sing the blues

I was from Orlando West
The good side of the town
You lived in Mandelaville
I guess you'd been around

Working in the goldmine
Over in the rand
Hanging in the Shabine
When time was on your hands

It makes no difference
If I am wrong or if I'm right
I got no self defense
I got no will to fight

Soweto in the summer heat
Soweto in the rain
Tin shack in Shantytown
Down on Kliptown lane
You could barely hide your smile
Inflicting pointless pain
Sympathy is not your style
That much at least is plain

I can keep from cryin'
By staring straight ahead
I can keep from dyin' by
Pretending that I'm dead to

All the tender feelings
I still have for you
Despite the double dealings
You have put me through

It makes no difference
If I am wrong or if I'm right
I got no self defense
I got no will to fight

It makes no difference now,
Except for when it does
All the things our love could be
Were never what it was
Starting from your pick-up line
Until the last goodbye
None of it makes any sense
No point to even try

If I cop to Self Defense
No jury will convict
If they have a notion of the

Pain that you inflict
If they are unable
To see it through my eyes

I'll plead my case to angels
In the court of paradise

I'll plead my case to angels
In the court of paradise

I'll plead my case to angels
In the court of paradise

I'll plead my case to angels
In the court of paradise

It makes no difference
If I am wrong or if I'm right
I got no self defense
I got no will to fight

It makes no difference
If I am wrong or if I'm right
I got no self defense
I got no will to fight
I got no will to fight

It makes no difference
If I am wrong or if I'm right
I got no self defense
I got no will to fight

It makes no difference
If I am wrong or if I'm right
I got no self defense
I got no will to fight
I got no will to fight

I think the Dead should expand there horizons by backing Dylan for a tour and unleash the guitar player. I have always thought that the guitars were always castrated and never allowed to wail, seems to be more prevalent in the Bob Weir permutations i.e. Rat Dog and TOO. It sort of sucks when you wait for the guitar solo like when Jerry played and you get half ass playing on guitar that's seem to be constrained. When I saw PLQ it was the opposite my ears hurt from all the guitar. If they ever play more west coast shows that woudl be very cool to maybe see them once. Peace.

this is turning into a long and varied thread for such a show. anywaze, mr.coyote,

how would weir ever learn all those dylan songs? oh, wait- he wouldn't need two! could zimmy possibly rag the piano like little richard and bring this band over to a full tilt boogie?

who would be the finest lead gitter?
it's all like the dear mr phantasy dream team.

thanks to all the good peeps for their in depth and varied perspectives.

see! we remember some of it sometimes!

I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed myself at the Speedway. My last show was at Alpine last year (2nd show) and was completely miserable due to oppressive heat and humidity and my general lack of a good buzz. Personal comfort makes such a difference at a show, and Sat night was no exception. After fighting a couple of times to get to our 15 row seats, I laid down the law to my buddy and we spent the rest of the show hanging by the tapers or back behind the sound board. The sound back there was unbelievable, with room to sit on the barrier with a drink or dance if you so desired. I can't believe so many people stayed in those seats on either side of us when they could have hopped the fence to paradise. And who needs to be near the stage at a Dead show?? Just find the spot with the best sound is my motto.

As for the music, it was typically uneven. I thought Joan was incredible and a much needed addition to the overall sound. She brings a smooth presence to a chaotic mix. On the other hand, Jimmy was solid at times, but seemed stuck in blues scales for much of the show. I kept waiting for him to slip back into the melodic groove, but it didn't happen very often on the jam tunes. Maybe he was just being difficult, as he certainly has the talent to soar.

Overall, I thought security was pretty cool. Remember, they have a job to do, and I don't think many of us would volunteer for the job. Just be glad that people are willing to sponsor, promote and run these shows!!

P.S. Called DS, Other One (not too tough after Crytical) and DS II. Did anyone hear the Crypical tease??

additional song comments...
Opening intro jam(before LTGTR) had some real strane moments...
Bobby really seemed to emphasize the 12 o'clock part of LTGTR, pretty funny because someone told us they were to play until midnight. Guess this was the stage announcement (didn't see the before mentioned signs).
The arrangement of Senor was very much like JGB- especially with Joan's singing.
Before Self Defense, it seemed they were about to launch into Dancin' In The Street. Especially from the drummers.
Throwin' Stones was one of the better versions ever.
The jam leading into St. Stephen had a serious Darkstar wuote from Weir, and yes Jimmy and Bobby did blow the intro of St. Stephen. Our feeling was that they were already slipping into deep space, which they did.
After William Tell there was a serious Eleven jam (count it out when you get the show), and even a reprise of the St. Stephen jam before Born Cross Eyed.
Born Cross Eyed was played much slower than the Alpine version, but jammed with much more structure.
The jam into Sugaree was very spacey, and had some of Jimmy's more assertive licks of the night.
Joan killed Sugaree. Didn't find her off key or out of sync at all. And not because she's a chick, she's got some rather large cahones with this band.
After Sugaree Phil laid down some really heavy notes and finally found the way to the first verse of Darkstar. Because of Bobby's quote at the front of the show, we figured the band was already playing Darkstar. Before he verse there was no direct Darkstar quote, it just kind of fell into place. After the verse there was a big Feelin' Groovy segment, it never had Garcia's old definition, but the rythm section (Phil, Bobby, Billy and Mickey) were all over it.
Fennario (which was the original name of this song) fell perfectly into place after Darkstar v1. Wondeful version, what I had hoped for after hearing the reviews of the first leg versions.
When they started Cryptical, we just began laughing. You couldn't get these guys to take a break.
Drums began about an hour and 5 minutes into the set. Mickey hit the beam early and then joined the others on the kits / set-up.
Space was short.
Bobby did blow the second verse of the Other One, then again, I'm used to that. Al really added alot to this.
Darkstar v2 was nice and well played, In trying to figure out how they would close, I figured Sugar Magnolia, and then a Saturday Night > Cryptical (and when the day had ended...)for the encore. Stella was a huge surprise. Isn't that part of the experience? And then NFA! A really unexpected ending. What a show...

First set was great from the opener onward. GDTRFB with Dylan was a highlight. Dylan's vocals actually fit well in the mix on this tune(not an easy thing to accomplish).

Second set, while good on paper, was full of miscues. To name a couple. Joan completely screwed up Sugaree by not coming in at the right time and then continuing to sing off-time until the band got into step with her. The band seemed to be playing 2 or 3 different songs at the beginning of Not Fade Away and had to restart it.

Overall the show had lots of energy, good first set. Second set had some highlights but was pretty unprofessional and sloppy.

I don't think Joan was off during the Sugaree....I think the band has restructured it and this is how it is to be done....slower and more bluesy....

they should do Joan Osbourne songs instead of Joan doing Jerry songs. THat would be something different.

Wait til you hear the CDs...the Sugaree was way off. Joan's phrasing was 1 step ahead or 1 step behind the band for the first couple minutes

Throughout the first verse of Sugaree Joan was off, they got it together at the chorus.

It certainly may be the case that the Sugaree was off,,,,,I was on the side upper deck (section pp) and occasionally the wind would throw the sound off....but I definitely think it is now a slower and more bluesy approach to the song instead of Jerry's springs and bright presentation.

>>Wait til you hear the CDs...the Sugaree was way off. Joan's phrasing was 1 step ahead or 1 step behind the band for the first couple minutes

Sugaree sounded GREAT to me. Stella was a dud though.

I live in Joliet and you'd love the papers yesterday...

"CONCERT BRINGS DRUGS, ARRESTS"...

"...Dylan... and the GRATEFUL Dead drew nowhere near as many fans as N*Sync"

"Shows in previous summers played to crowds nearly twice the size..."

"(Paramedics) prepared for overdoses and staffed the show as if they were working a sold-out show instead of one that attracted barely more than half-capacity"

And I guess two people were arrested for assaulting police officers, a man and a 16 year old girl who allegedly bit an officer because he wouldn't let her use his phone to call her mom (?!)

looks like you guys have said it all , or at least think that you have so i will keep this short . first hint , get in the groove...

the show was hardcore , ugly , scarey , anything goes , rude , nasty , obnoxious , drunken , drugged out , frenzied , etc etc . Dead .
in other words , i loved it , i was at the section 16 post with ALOT of my family , some older some younger , all in agreemenet that WE havent thrown down so hard since "the good ol days". something happened in Joliet . where you there?

love is love not fade away .
ps, this was the show that i would take home to mother. and like the old freak in the wheelchair told me on Shakedown, "Mother approves"

i agree love, we had a great time in section 16

man , i can't wait to get home ... sweet 16 indeed Eric , so glad you made it .

summer days ,and the summer nuts are GONE...

Hey, I was in section 16 too!!! Great times. Sugaree was off, but so what. I was a bit suprised by the Stella Blue to end the show. Sent me off to sleepy land, and was waiting for a rocker to kick up the energy before we left. Encore was fine, but didn't get anywhere. Had no problems with the washrooms or anything like that. Plenty of johns at the back of the venue, completely empty during set break. Dylan was a treat. Excellent Senor and GDTRFB. Not the greatest show I ever saw, but damn good. Hope they do it again next summer.

"sing me sweet and sleepy all the way back home"
I personally liked the show. I never could sit there and expect the perfect show. as far as tempo, it was slow, that's just how I like it.
this body don't move like it used to. my mind did all the moving that night and it was moving.
"rock your baby to and fro, not to fast and not to slow".

anyone get the OCRS yet and rethink their thoughts on the show?