The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel
Las Vegas, NV - 10.30.05
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This installment of the Rolling Rider is by a guest journalist and was chosen as the best fan submission. The winner will receive a special Philzone prize pack. We also chose 2 runner-up entries which are posted below. Thanks to all that participated.

I figured if I stayed put, smack dab in the middle of the Bowl at Sam Boyd Stadium, I would shortly be teleported to the show at the Joint. After Trey came on and boogied us all Slippin' into Darkness, Widespread Panic, the precocious offspring of our legendary ancestors, lit a fuse that I was certain would detonate the spreadhead party and scatter us all to the heavens. Climbing out from the sweet delirium with supreme confidence that our legacy was alive and well with both players and community, I stuck my thumb out on Tropicana hoping the Vistacruiser would stop and load me for the trip to the Hard Rock. No Vegoose luck this time, though, and although I could see the silver shining town in the near distance, the one lane havoc of the ride back was the longest short trip I'd been on in a while.

Sharing a cab and a miracle with a head from New York, we landed at the HR to discover the chromeshine glare of the flashing casino siren for the needy softened by the tie-dyed togetherness and earthtoned peaceable parade of the lounging gathering of heads-everywhere! Late enough to miss LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL, FRIEND OF THE DEVIL, and BROWN-EYED WOMEN, the look of the crowd assured us we weren't getting home for any sleep tonight. Out of the doors of The Joint I heard the PRIDE OF CUCAMONGA himself, and stepped into the sound. Nothing like a VIOLA LEE sandwich for a guy who hadn't had a bite since noon; and as she would all evening, Joan provided the NEXT TIME YOU SEE ME filling with enough bluesy guts to keep it down where it could nourish the soul.

A huge thanks to the barkeeps who kept me in ice cold lemon water between sets, and the lovely spinning ladies with their shared smiles and earthly delights. The Low Spark interlude helped ease the pain of waiting through the break. Assuming my accustomed stance at the soundboard, where the mix was crisp and the real estate open to allowing the music to shake and bounce and whirl me where it would, the second set brought tears of joy jumping out to soak my glasses in spontaneous fountains of exaltation as clowns to the left of me and jokers to the right cavorted and spun and jumped to the jubilee- my oldest son among them, having signed on to UNCLE JOHN'S BAND long enough ago to recognize the groove into THE WHEEL before LOVELIGHT had been dimmed. At once cupping my hands to my ears to sharpen the focus of every Wolfnote Slessed home, then nodding that Hunter undoubtedly Cheshire-smiled our way through CHINA CAT - what do we know and when did we know what he's talking about as all of us are bathed by the double E waterfall over our backs? Was it just me, or was the tease interminable for the inevitable RIDER to run us out of the second set?

Phil comes out and over the house system cool of Coltrane, asks us not to leave just yet. Did he really think we were goin' somewhere? The band was up to tricks as the third set started out with Sipe in a dead-on Joan costume at the drumkit for BIRDSONG, and the ghosts of Pen and Janis and Jerry were never more conjured as the Wolf channeled all three back to us. A huge ST. STEPHEN treat was dropped in our bags and then the Halloween dark was certainly darkest just before dawn, as a haunting and deeply emotional DEATH DON'T HAVE NO MERCY underscored the shared pain and suffering that hovers just outside our doors. Leave it to Phil to provide immediate CPR as he thumped our hearts back to life through CRYPTICAL/OTHER ONE. Hand in hand with grief goes forgiveness and inspiration, and the autumn emotions ran the gamut from CHINA DOLL through UNBROKEN CHAIN, and Joan didn't let us forget that Ryan played a big part of taking us from late summer into Fall.

Just as I was catching my breath from a heavy sigh, things got wildly diabolical again- and we rocked out to GIMME SHELTER; maybe Jagger came as Phil for the party, it sure seemed it at times. The Donor Rap reminded us of our true interbeing, and Phil underscored that with the understanding that we can be generous from the intersufficiency we enjoy. BOX OF RAIN capped it off, and as I walked out into the Vegas dawn's early light, I said it was a long, long time between shows (28 hrs.) and an incredibly short time to be there (5 hrs.)

How long until Reading?
Smile, smile, smile
The Ghost Rider (Doc Drewyer)

With near every jamband in the land gathered for Vegoose, what where the odds that the scene's elder statesman would steal the show by blowing all the younger gunslingers away? Phil should have worn a Han Solo costume - "never tell me the odds!" Having already delivered the most scintillating stadium set by far at the good 'ol Silver Bowl, Phil & Friends proceeded to take charge of the Vegoose at Night concert series as well.

LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL, served notice of an epic. FRIEND OF THE DEVIL and BROWN-EYED WOMEN set a classic Jerry vibe. Rob's keys really lifted these tunes and the harmonies soared. Herring and Sless were a dynamic duo all night, and Phil was a wizard of sonic alchemy. PRIDE OF CUCAMONGA had us bouncing, followed by the first of several Ryan Adams songs/tricks - Hardest Part. The Adams tunes highlighted how strong this lineup is - no matter what they played, every song was eargasmic. PEGGY-O was sweet, but VIOLA LEE BLUES ripped the roof off - The Joint was jumping now! Pigpen was further conjured on NEXT TIME YOU SEE ME, as Joan knocked it out of the park. We are so lucky to have her as a friend, acknowledged by returning to VIOLA LEE - "I've got a friend" indeed!

CUMBERLAND BLUES roused up set 2, and then the ultimate Vegas tune, LOSER, really mesmerized - ticket holders for this show had "no chance of losing this time." Adams' Sweet Carolina slowed things down, but Joan made magic of everything she touched. Vegoose at Night really took flight with UNCLE JOHN'S BAND - Sless on the WOLF jamming so tight, then Phil takes us steaming into LOVELIGHT! The Joint kept jumping as Joan tore it up. and then THE WHEEL!!! This was simply spectacular, with Sless' slide mixing with Herring and Phil's tight melodies, Barraco and Joan on the harmonies, pure bliss. They jammed into NO MORE DO I, keeping a real spiritual vibe going. Slower than in the past, and I think the song prefers the faster tempo, but still good stuff. Joan soared again on Adams' Let It Ride, and then The Joint jumped again with a CHINA CAT for the ages! Barraco's vocals were en fuego, Phil was destroying The Joint with his grooves, Sipe had the beat so locked in, and then I KNOW YOU RIDER brought it home like back in the day!

Totally exhausted, we collapsed on our balcony stools. But wait, Phil comes back to announce a third set!? Could we take one more on our third night on the loose at Vegoose? My phriend Ryan snuck a peak at the set-list and felt he must inform that GIMME SHELTER was on there or we might decide to leave and crash. But there was no leaving now - we amped up one more time and prepared for set three.

BIRDSONG with Joan on drums was a surprise treat. Getting a groove on, but still charging the batteries with another Adams trick, Everything I Do. Then they ripped the cosmic roof back open with ST. STEPHEN! Every bomb Phil dropped shook the cosmos, and every Lesh lush was shaking their bones, no matter how exhausted we might have thought we were. This music had an energizing force that transcended all fatigue. until DEATH DON'T HAVE NO MERCY. Sat back down here, but what a great Day of the Dead choice, especially going into CRYPTICAL's psychedelic foray. THE OTHER ONE took us back into The Joint jumping territory, so powerful! CHINA DOLL felt a bit subdued for so late in the evening, but the band can't be faulted for needing a breather here.

And then --- another UNBROKEN CHAIN? YES! No one cared we'd heard it the day before, this is The Song, and this one was for the ages - the fatigue subsided once more as Phil's signature magic lifted us up on soaring wings again! My girl Louise was so in the groove with her dancing, I fell in love with her all over again - it was truly one of the most sublime moments of my concert-going career. Joan came back with Adams' What Sin Replaces Love, and as all night, her soulful voice was just such a comfort. Then the bust-out --- GIMME SHELTER!!! Joan and the band were on fire and The Joint jumped one more time! This monumental show was just "Furthur" testimony that our man Phil is at the height of his powers. Of course the encore was BOX OF RAIN. A little slower than usual, probably even Phil was tiring at this point (5am or so?), but still delivered the vocals with the classic comforting warmth that only he can with this song. Thank you Phil!

Runner-Up Ghost Rider (Agent Stardog)

Having arrived from an arduous day of music and mayhem out under the Nevada desert sun, I looked forward to what Phil and company had in store for us that night..I had paced myself throughout the day, well knowing that I would be needing my legs this evening. We walked straight into the Joint at the stroke of Midnight..and seeing the band take the stage right on time.

SET 1: As I make my way towards the front of the stage the band strikes up the opening notes of "Let the Good Times Roll", very appropriate..."Get in the grove if it takes all night long!". "It might be six o'clock, it might be eight, it doesn't matter if it's getting late..". The band then goes into a great Friend of the Devil, very rocking, ".if I don't get home before daylight..just might get some sleep.tonight", yes indeed. The band is sounding great, the tiny confines of the joint are very welcome. We are treated to another rocking version, this time of Brown Eyed Women. The mood is ecstatic. Then we get a jewel.Phil launches into Pride of Cucamonga..Barry Sless laying down tasty licks on the pedal steel.very sublime, beautiful and they launch into a spacey jam in the midst. The band rolls off a Joan song as well as Peggy-O, before we are jolted into the opening riffs of Viola Lee Blues...the thick funky groove comes metling outta the sound system. The Viola rocks and jams as it segues back into a "Next Time You See Me".which Joan does a very good job with.old-timey tune.then we are jammed back into a rollicking ending to Viola..! Sick. The band says they'll be right back..

Set 2: The band is back soon..and the opening lines of Cumberland get all moving and shakin'. Then in keeping with the desert-western theme, Rob delivers a powerful and timely Loser."got no chance of losin'.this time." Joan then sings a tune, Sweet Carolina. The band then launches into the happy familiar melody of Uncle John's Band, I look up to see Barry with the "Wolf"..big smiles all around. UJB flows into a great Lovelight as a Blues Bros. couple takes the stage, they get the crowd pumped even more. The place is electric. The set grows and winds through The Wheel, No More Do I, another Joan tune and melts again into a ROCKING China-Rider combo.Barry alternates between "Wolf" and the pedal-steel. The band is in sixth gear by this point, Phil is doing kicks and is pulling out all the stops! The band then leaves the stage and the house lights turn on. time for a drink! People are amazed and stunned, are they done? People start to mill out of the Joint, Phil comes back to the mic and says, "Hi, we're playing three sets tonight, so if any of your friends are leaving, ya might want to tell them!" This is too good to be true..

Set 3: We all have some time to soak in what's happening. Drink up, it's a long night. Set three opens with Joan on the kit, as the band goes into Birdsong, Barry once again on the "Wolf". Joan then sings another tune, before the band launches into St. Stephen! Beautifully played as it segues into an ominous "Death Don't Have No Mercy"..Joan does a great job on the haunting vocals. Continuing the theme of death Phil takes the lead on "Cryptical Envelopment".."He had to die."..rolls into the swirling tapestry of "The Other One". The music crescendos before coming back down with the eerily beautiful "China Doll". Then the opening notes of Phil's."Unbroken Chain".."Lilac rain, unbroken chain"..."roll you down the line boy, nock you for a loss." A crowd favorite for sure and one of the best renditions I've heard. Joan then gives our legs a break on a slow one before the band explodes the opening cords of "Gimme Shelter"!!! Wow!! Absolutely ripping!! The crowd goes absolutely nuts as Jimmy hammers out bar chords and Barry takes off on the solos.."It's just a shot away!, it's just a shot away!!" All band members belt out the lyrics in unison as the whole crowd of the Joint are awash in sonic bliss.it's loud, thumping, powerful and.perfect.."Love sister, it's just a kiss away, a kiss away!" This ends the set, I think? We are all rocked out, mesmerized and flabbergasted! Phil comes back out on the stage for his Donor Rap, and yes, we're lucky to still have you! Phil tells us he wishes they could play some more.but folks have planes to catch! The band retakes the stage and sends us on our way with the signature "Box of Rain". Those of us that were there were truly blessed this evening, the band sounds great. To all of you on the East Coast, buckle up, you're in for a treat.

Runner-Up Ghost Rider (Turtle)

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Vegoose - Las Vegas, NV - 10.29.05

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