ZONE OUT with the ROLLING RIDER
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Phil Lesh and Friends
THERE AND BACK AGAIN TOUR
PNC Arts Center, New Jersey
7-12-02
____________________

Friday, 7.12.02
Bless me, phans, for I have sinned. It has been almost four months
since my last Rider. Allow me to shake off the cobwebs, and dust off the
rusty keys once again...

Set I - "try to see what's going down/read between the lines."

When Ted Williams, the Splendid Splinter, was hitting .3995 going into the last doubleheader of the season, his manager wanted to bench him (to ensure .400), but Ted bluntly refused, citing the little kid that may be seeing him for the first time. It's often said the one certain discernable quality that takes greats like Williams, or Michael Jordan, and elevates them to legendary status, is the pure fact that they played every day, every minute, for that one fan who may be seeing them for the first time. Or the last time for that matter, or anyone in between. For that youngster with their first golden opportunity, for the old-timer basking in the glory one more time, or for the fan who saw you last week and will do so tomorrow.

Lately, I've been realizing this must be Phil's mantra for each and every show. Serve the music faithfully, as it has always served us. Reciprocity. The golden yummies.

On a lazy summer night on the lawn in Jersey, Phil Lesh and his Friends were followed onto the stage by a warm, curious JAM, and once again, it was obvious how ever-so-sacredly our music is cradled by this group on a daily basis. ALLIGATOR blistered with our collective heartbeat, at once confident and humble, as we slipped and slithered through murky rivers, resting momentarily in familiar pools, only to suddenly cascade brilliantly into the furthest reaches of the mind.

BERTHA kicked in, sweeping the legions into phrenetic bliss, powered Rob Barraco's dancing fingers, hammering on the keys in cosmic construction. The band members seemed to delight in this classic tune, and we dared, in masse, "throw me in the jailhouse, til' the sun goes down". As in days of Garcia, what started as a pronounced, simple beat, blossomed into glorious wonder.

After MIDNIGHT TRAIN, Phil turned our world around with a sweet and long overdue BROKEN ARROW, "they can't hold me with these iron walls, we got moutains to climb...". Next, the band broke into a third-eye JAM that melted into a simply magical version of I KNOW YOU RIDER. Firing on all cylinders, the band surrendered to the music, allowing the muse to concoct a precise melodic mixture that blended well-worn paths with unseen territories. "The sun's gonna shine in my back door someday": a lyric as old as the music itself, that resonated with the blazing promise of tomorrow.

SUGAREE proved to be the showcase of set one, with Warren Haynes digging in and carving masterful riffs interspersed with sweet, soulful vocals. Walking up and down guitar scales like some tantalizing tightrope, he pondered aloud our age-old query, "you had everything sewn up tight, how come you lay awake all night long?". One thing is for certain, as the sun fell on the first set, the song sent us gazing dreamily into the night of jewel encrusted skies.

Set II - "on this night of a thousand stars/we always remember who we are."

If there was any question that Warren was grabbing the helm, all doubt was erased as we were swept away by a second set opener of NIGHT OF A THOUSAND STARS. Modest beyond words, self-effacing to the point of astonishment, Jimmy Herring seemed resigned to play rhythm in continuous waves, allowing the rest of his friends to ride the crest of creative freedom. You couldn't help but feel blessed, with sage Robert Hunter so deeply embedded in the lyrics, literally riding along in San Francisco with "a full moon rising over Alcatraz/hanging there like a big topaz",
and a "backseat full of broken guitars".

Derek Trucks was invited to take the stage, and contagious grins ensued. Crisp as autumn, the first bars of BLUE SKY rang out, and Phil was in his glory as his friends unselfishly blended to form a hypnotic beat. Once again, the liquid jam culminated with Warren on point, reaching the pinnacle, then pausing to observe the miraculous view. Albeit steeped in nostalgia, this number crackled with energy, and sent the vista cruiser into hyper drive.

The consummate bandleader, Phil picked out TURN ON YOUR LOVELIGHT like it was a treasured pair of old sneakers, a comfortable tune he's played while sitting in with Derek Trucks Band. With Pigpen's spirit howling from the moon, Warren's bluesy, soulful crooning gave the joyous Jersey faithful their veritable second wind.

A crucial spot for the home team. Bottom of the night, two sets almost down, faces loaded with anticipation, Phil stepped up to the mic, and clobbered a Round Tripper in the form of WHY DON'T WE DO IT IN THE ROAD! Dancing spirits abound. Ghostkeys from the Greek whispered like the wind. Joy surged like electricity between the audience and the band until our circuitry nearly exploded. The flame from your stage has now spread to the floor.

VIOLA LEE BLUES has become one of the flagship songs for this band, and when the opening bars sound, it's best to let go and enjoy the ride. Truly, this number encompasses our thirty-five-plus year progression, combining funky guitar, dynamic drum and bass, with the early wailing harmonies that make this tune so right. Always eagerly anticipated, the song acts as an ever-morphing satellite launching pad, beaming out whatever interstellar jams are summoned.

Tonight was no different: LOW SPARK finally trickled in after being teased throughout the night, like Dante's little flowers so bent and huddled in the chilly night, that sprout forward and open fully when hit by the white sun. Warren relished in the moment, backed by Phil and Molo punctuating the chorus. VIOLA crept in, and third verse crashed down like a serpent-green wave against our face, which segued jazzily into yet another JAM.

TOMORROW NEVER KNOWS is also a number which conjures up much reminiscence, while steadily floating downstream into the future. Barraco's abstract, haunting melodies dissolved like saturated sand, somehow morphing back into VIOLA LEE for the finale verse. "I've got a friend somewhere!" never rang more true. One of summertime's favorite melodies, THE GOLDEN ROAD TO UNLIMITED DEVOTION, was rollicking and blissful, ending the set in a heavenly mood. "Everybody's dancin' in a ring around the sun, nobody's finished, we ain't even begun.". Amen, Phil. Amen.

The CELEBRATION encore reminded us of our purpose here. To celebrate each other: our music, our community, and the love that has sustained us all these years.

- Rolling Rider

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read 3.29/30.02 Rider

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