So like many others, I had serious doubts about the upcoming Other Ones
tour.
While I quite enjoyed the 4/20 Phil & Friends show, it didn't blow
me away,
and Branford was key that night -
without him I wasn't at all
optimistic about the latest Dead incarnation.
Then, of course, Kimock and Karan were brought on board,
which as we all
know has changed everything.
At lunchtime workout today I popped the TOO show (broadcast on Gans' show
last night)
into the walkman, and proceded to get blown away.
In this
humble reviewers opinion, all the positive rumors/reviews/etc. are true -
despite some rough edges and missed cues (and there were plenty),
these
guys were ON, much more so than I ever would have expected.
Some stuff
didn't do much for me (ie, Mickey's rapping on FOTM),
and of course Jer
ain't there, but there's plenty of great passages in there
(the China>Rider
bridge and the 11 jam come immediately to mind),
any one of which in an
average '92-'95 Dead show
would've been the highlight of the show, easily.
Get this show, and this summer get thee to an Other Ones
show near you,
or not near you, as the case may be. As has been noted by
others,
these guys are a great band NOW, are are only going to get better.
Mike (still buzzing, and now really looking forward to Shoreline)
