ZONE OUT with the ROLLING RIDER

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8/26/01
Ratdog Review
So Many Roads Tour
Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO

Ah, Red Rocks. decided at 5:30 to try to eek things out just a lil' further, and alas at 7:10 the Rider was strolling down the dry, dusty road into the ampitheatre. I wasn't there 5 minutes before a beckoning ticket scurried across the clay. Score.

Searching for another ticket for the Rider's beautiful companion, my radar led me to a circle of heads and some pre-show buzzing. Thinking it was a scalper, I was delighted to see it was ol' Ace himself, taking the scenic route into Red Rocks!

No underground tram system, no magic broom whisking the band to and fro, no limo and u-haul a la pink floyd, ol' Bobby Trouble was cruisin' in along with the rest of the heads.

Bobby signed at least 5 or 6 autographs, including one for the Rider on a ground-scored ticket, and then said 'he had to meet someone' as he let his eyes wander over to the behemoth slabs of maroon and mahagony rock.

All I could muster was a, "Thanks for everything, Bobby". By the time I thought to yell "Sailor>Saint!", he was halfway up the hill and entering the lions den. I guess i'll never know.

Did catch a simply fresh, wonderous acoustic set with Bobby and Boulder-fave guitar-virtuouso Keller Williams. Opening with 'On the Road Again', Bobby was in rare form, milking the deft, flowing fingerwork spittering at inhuman speeds from Keller. From there, Bob pulled one of my all-timers, 'The Race is On', turning Red Rocks into a dance hall on Mars. Then, of course, the coup d' grace, 'Birdsong'.

After a quick set change, Bobby pulled the acoustic 'Weather Report Suite', and had transitioned to electric by the time he kicked in 'Let it Grow'. Then an extended 'Grow' jam morphed into a surprising 'Dark Star>Friend'.

And, alas, all good things must come to an end. Faced with the proposition of pre-pubescents, teens, and the ever-apparent opportunity to drop a Garcia/Hunter reference on either of the latter, the Rider turned into a pumpkin and made a midnight getaway....

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read 8.12.01 Tabla Beat Science Rider

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