Jam -> Acadian Driftwood -> (Rob and Warren on vocals),Friend Of The Devil -> Uncle John's Band -> Jam -> Blue Sky -> Sunshine Of Your Love (Warren on vocals)
Soulshine -> (Warren on vocals),Unbroken Chain -> Golden Road To Unlimited Devotion -> (Warren on vocals),Shakedown Street -> (Warren on vocals), Foolish Heart -> Turn On Your Lovelight -> (Warren on vocals), Just A Little Light -> (Warren on vocals), Turn On Your Lovelight Into The Mystic (Warren on vocals)
It's Thursday, 1st show of the run and my excitement is overflowing. Recognizing that the show will be less crowded than any other night of the run and being stunned at the physical density of the crowd. (Boots has adopted at least one of BGP's practices...) Lots of familiar faces, but not a lot of actual acquaintances...
I find I am so impressed with how this band has developed. (Only saw Phil on his b-day, at Shoreline and Mountain Aire last year). Although there are a couple of jams that I find to be self indulgent exercises, overall I am so pleasantly surprised. I do find I am continually fooled by the direction of the improvization and that I can't "call" the songs as far in advance as I could in the past. (Probably a sign that I need to go to more shows...) ;-)
I think Thursday night doesn't really take off until UJB, and am stunned, surprised and laughing out loud in surprise, joy and bemusement at the choice of the first set's closing Sunshine of Your Love....
With the choice of Soulshine, I find myself wondering "how AB-ish is this band going to be?", but am transported by the UBC, (a song that STILL shuts up the crowd), Golden Road (Wow!, What energy!), Shakedown, and Foolish Heart. (One of my favorite "songs that just never got developed"). Lovelight, JALL, Lovelight was probably most striking by the eerie way Warren's voice sounded like Brent's in the beginning...
Glad to see more familiar folks as the crowd thins out at the end. Zip home thinking - "Yippeeee! three more nights!"
Friday February 16, 2001 Passenger -> Jam -> Tennessee Jed (Rob on vocals) Cumberland Blues , Smokestack Lightning -> (Warren on vocals) Jam -> Smokestack Lightning -> (Warren on vocals) Casey Jones (Rob on vocals)
Jam -> The Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys -> (Warren on vocals), Jam -> All Along The Watchtower -> (Warren on vocals) , Sugaree -> (Warren on vocals) , Help On The Way -> (Rob on vocals), Slipknot! -> I Am The Walrus -> (Rob on vocals), Slipknot! -> Franklin's Tower Cosmic Charlie
Friday kicks off with jammed out Passenger. (1st Dead song I ever knew that got airplay in my pre-DH life - so there's one happy camper revelling in the wayback zone and jumping up and down on the floor!). Wonderful Cumberland (disappointed that it doesn't tie into a Maggie's Farm, but that's due to my affinity to my current car tape that has that combination on it right now). GREAT Smokestack that really transports me and Casey Jones is just a lot of fun to close it out...
2nd set, I am just overwhelmed. and I know the actual order was a little different, but I prefer to think of the second half as "Help,Iamthewalrus" (googoogachew)... As soon as Franklin's ends, I flash on the thought that "Cosmic Charlie" would be a REALLY great end to this show. To the fulfillment of that wish I later say - "Thank you Phil"...
I leave the show recalling a line from one of my Dead books, "did you know ever you had the capacity for this much joy?"
I find a taxi-less Linda and Rita on the street and we rehash the wonderment as we drive around movie shoot locations and the resultant street closures...
Saturday February 17, 2001
Jam -> Here Comes Sunshine -> (Rob on vocals) , Jam -> Mirror Of Thalassa -> Saint Stephen -> The Eleven -> (Rob on vocals) Saint Stephen -> Keep On Growin'
Jam -> Tastes Like Wine -> (Warren on vocals), Brown Eyed Women (Rob on vocals), She Said She Said -> (Warren on vocals), Cryptical Envelopment -> The Other One -> The Wheel -> The Other One -> Cryptical Envelopment -> I Know You Rider Patchwork Quilt (Warren on vocals), Box Of Rain
Wondering how / if they can top Friday night? Mirror of Thalassa leaves me continuing to wonder, but then I hear the two opening notes of St. Stephen and the fact that it goes into a "real" 11 (not just an 11 jam like my prior Phil shows) is icing on the cake... She said is such a great surprise.. and then the CE- TOO sandwich is just overwhelming (but I missed those bigassPhilbombs that shake everything up - WHERE WERE THEY? Rider was a very powerful version... It was all closed by a singalong Box of Rain.
Sunday February 18, 2001
Dancin In the Streets -> Jam -> Scarlet Begonias -> Jam -> Dancin In the Streets -> Milestones -> Dupree's Diamond Blues (Warren on vocals), Bertha (Rob on vocals)
Caution Jam -> Dear Mr. Fantasy -> (Warren on vocals), Jam -> Dark Star -> (1st verse), Jam -> Tomorrow Never Knows -> (Warren on vocals), Jam -> Dark Star -> (2nd verse) , Jam -> Wharf Rat -> (Warren on vocals), Jam -> Viola Lee Blues -> In The Midnight Hour -> Viola Lee Blues
Strawberry Fields Forever -> (Warren on vocals), Goin Down The Road Feelin Bad -> Comes A Time -> (Warren on vocals), And We Bid You Good Night
It's Sunday afternoon; I'm out in line and I'm sooooo oooold, I've not had enough sleeeeeeep, I've driven back and forth each niiiiiiiight, I can't belieeeeeeve I'm going to work on Monday... I think, "hey, at least they're old men, _they've_ done _8_ shows on this tour, so tonight will probably be jammy, fusiony, lower key and I'll probably be on the road by 1230.
HAH!
They open with a selection and performance that would be more like a 1st or 2nd night of a run... The second set does provide some of what I expected, ("what Beatle chestnut are they going to do tonite?"), but I joked about Viola Lee at the break and lo and behold...
The encore is amazing in selection, performance, and length; Strawberry Fields is a nice surprise, I figure GDTRFB will close it down so I am stunned by the choice, power and heartfelt performance of Warren's Comes a Time. Thankfully we don't stop there, and we all sing along to houselights and WBYGN...
No, I wasn't on the road by 12:30... No, I don't regret it... Yes, I was "draggingmyass" on Monday...
When can we do this again?
P.S. Granted I had a primo spot each night , but I _will_ acknowledge that Cutler has finally found a shithole he can mix sound in...
-Daina
