ZONE OUT with the ROLLING RIDER
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OTHER ONES - New Years 2002 - 2003
12-31-02 Oakland Coliseum
Oakland, CA
____________________

Ten years ago, I walked this street, my dreams riding tall. Ten years ago,
Garcia graced these diamond walls, raised the roof of the place, and spun it
like a veritable top, to the tune of Shakedown>Samson>Ship. Oakland
Coliseum, the House that Jer Built, is a locale so dripping in history that
its very mention conjures up some of the most enchanted entries in Our epic
narrative. New Years Eve 2002 no different, as the band, en masse, rekindled
tradition in the form of their annual celebratory shindig.

A delighted fan recalled, ‘you knew it was all over when they opened up with
ST STEPHEN’. Perhaps no other song could have set such a buoyant,
mesmerizing mood, and the blistering ELEVEN which followed had the band
firing on all cylinders. Surely the original quintessential quintet must
have been those Five Men Writing in Fingers of Gold, but the 2003 version of
the dead contains seven men bent on the fact that Now is the Time of
Returning.

JACK STRAW let the crowd take a collective breath, only to steal it away as
the band proved that on many heaven-sent numbers, they have not missed a
beat. In these golden moments, its obvious that this is by no means a retro
tribute, but rather a case of someone’s got to turn the page. UNBROKEN
CHAIN, the only non-Hunter tune of set one, was equally fresh, and exhibited
a tightness not achieved by its dramatic breakouts in 1995.

PLAYIN’ IN THE BAND an apropos sentiment, invited the true test, as the band
paddled out beyond the break, and confidently sought the big waves on which
to hang ten out on space and time. “I don’t trust to nothing, but I know it
come out right”. Jimmy Herring was the perfect foil, displaying humble
brilliance as he let notes bounce and bend around the harmony in precise
complement.

SCARLET BEGONIAS>FIRE ON THE MOUNTAIN continues to be the watershed the
Other Ones are trying to attain. Bobby’s spirited rendition of Scarlet, and
Mickey’s arrangement of Fire are both quite enjoyable, but is not the white
hot, transcendental journey as in days of old. Thank god for that -- “You
gave all you got, why you wanna give more? The more that you give, the more
it will take”.

SETBREAK featured an audio visual documentary that chronicled the new years
saga from its inception to the present. Grateful Dead 101 if you will. Along
with snapshots of Garcia that melted your heart, each incarnation of Bill
Graham was the focal point, as Father Time would outdo himself year after
year, riding in as an Hourglass, or a Gargantuan Mushroom. “Cheers, Bill”,
was the salute, after he made his last appearance in 1990.

And justlikethat, 5-4-3-2-1 HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!! SUGAR MAGNOLIA blossomed like morning glorys, with the crowd bopping like so many colored balloons,
your baby skimming through rays of violet. A year riddled with upheaval on
the world’s stage, with foreboding skies on the horizon, has paradoxically
allowed us to reunite, shake our bones, and take a moment to enjoy a
brilliant sunset of rainbow colors blended.

Phil ripped into an incendiary SHAKEDOWN STREET, unleashing opening notes
that pounded with such a vengeance you felt them in the pit of your stomach.
CRYPTICAL ENVELOPMENT followed, and Phil sang reverently: “Summer sun looked
down on him, his mother could but frown on him, all the others sound on Him,
but it doesn’t seem to matter”. Without further ado, the wrath and the fury
of THE OTHER ONE.

Bobby has added an extra measure in between each line, giving the song a new
feel, but one thing hasn’t changed: this song is crackling with energy. A
segue into DRUMS found the rhythm devils in rare form, Billy rolling thunder
into a driving backbeat, and Mickey literally a man possessed. Grinning from
ear to ear, Mister Hart had no time for shadowboxing with the apocalypse,
but rather reveled in impromptu creations that were a beacon of hope for the
new year.

Out of SPACE, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Phil so genuinely delighted as to
cruise through the nebula fully at the helm, and guide the vista cruiser
into LADY WITH A FAN. Now the storyteller, he reminded us ‘his job is to
shed light, not to master’. Let sense and color guide me, Where other feet
have stumbled, Lift me over lightly.

The first bars of DARK STAR rang out, and again it was reminiscent of Jer’s
return in the Winter of 92 when the Wizard weaved his rare spell of ice
petal flowers revolving. Rob Barracco and Jeff Chimenti both continued to
offer yeoman’s like service on the keys, back-to-back in refreshing
camaraderie, as the band played as one instrument.

Shall we go, you and I while we can? Through the transitive nightfall of
Diamonds? A poetic query answered only in the depths of the soul. After a
complete DARK STAR, Phil teed off on TERRAPIN STATION, praying inspiration
from the muse in the face of mysteries dark and vast.

THROWING STONES was the highlight of the evening, with Bobby waxing
political backed by the heart of gold band. "Money green, it's the only way,
selling guns, rape the earth today". The futures here, we ARE it, we are on
our own. And no show at Oakland would be complete without a triumphant
version of NOT FADE AWAT to cap the evening.

Encore time. I KNOW YOU RIDER gonna miss me when I'm gone! One of the band's
oldest offerings, and here it is 38 years later, washing over us like
morning rain. NO MORE DO I was an interesting double-whammy, Phil espousing
sagacious lyrics that crept into the den of our heart like a child on
christmas morning.

The clock read 2:20 AM, but Bobby dug deep and surprised us with an ITS ALL
OVER NOW BABY BLUE, cautioning, "Whatever you wish to keep, you better grab
it fast", and if that wasn't enough, the band slipped into an instrumental
version of STELLA BLUE, just to confirm the thought in everyone's mind.

Where was Jerry? Surely smiling down like a crescent moon at the ol' rusty
strings being dusted off one more time. And Uncle Bill? Close by, his late
night broom sweeping the stars around the heavens with care. After all, you
can't step into the New Year without the Grateful Dead rattling the golden
hinges on the door.

Until next time,
Rolling Rider

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read Other Ones - Fall Tour/West Coast Wrap Up

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