Back in the mid- and late 1980s, when my wife, Regan, and I used to put out a Grateful Dead fanzine called The Golden Road, our day jobs prevented us from going on the road as much as we liked, so we used to rely on friends to call and give us blow-by-blow show reports. We’d be working at our drafting tables putting together our magazine at 11 or midnight and the phone would ring: “It’s The Call!” And sure enough, there would be one our buddies, at 2 or 3 a.m. Philly time, on the other end. “Buddy… what a show… let’s see if I can piece this together…” and in his post-show haze he’d struggle to reconstruct the set list, which he hadn’t bothered to write down of course, punctuating it with little details along the way: “I kinda missed the ‘West L.A.’ because the girl in front of me passed out, and the medics were dealing with her during the whole song”; “Out of the ‘Terrapin’ they went into this jam where I thought they might go into ‘Dark Star,’ but nope, Jerry takes off his guitar and it’s ‘Drums’, which was amazing!” It was a blast getting to experience these shows vicariously until the tapes started trickling in during the weeks following the tour.
Gee, how things have changed! No late night calls were necessary to follow the action on The Dead’s latest tour (though we still got a couple of calls anyway, and that was Big Fun). Instead I was usually able to go onto dead.net or Deadnet Central and get the setlist as it went down live, often with opinions and commentary in real time: “Looks like there’s a ‘China Cat’ coming! Nope, they veer into ‘Uncle John’s!’ Yay!” (Of course, if I owned an iPhone, I could’ve had set lists, streaming audio and pix at my fingertips. Time for me to join the 21st century, I guess!) Three of the concerts—first night in Worcester, second night in Philly, and The Gorge—were broadcast live on Sirius Radio, so I got to hear those in the comfort of my own home, and excellent audience recordings of most shows were up on archive.org within a day or two, and that was a really cool way to keep up with the action. To my eternal regret I was only able to go to one show—first Shoreline, which had an outstanding second set—but through archive.org and also buying several of the superb soundboard recordings, I’ve managed to hear nearly everything by now.
And what a tour it was! I think it’s safe to say that it greatly exceeded most people’s expectations, and many believe that it was overall the strongest of the post-Garcia Dead tours. Why? Let me count the ways:
It starts with the Core Four! The rapprochement that began even before the Dead Heads for Obama show back in the winter of ’08 was real and has stuck. They appear to be getting along better than they have in many years, and they all seemed to be thoroughly dedicated to putting in the rehearsal time both before and during the tour to make sure that everyone was on the same page musically.
Photo: Jay Blakesberg ©2009
Bill and Mickey played spectacularly—both with the band and during their amazing Rhythm Devils segments, many of which were centered around specific sonic motifs and space concepts. (This felt like an outgrowth of sorts of Mickey’s recent Global Drum Project tours, where Mickey and his percussion cohorts, aided by electronics wizard Jonah Sharp, explored various textural ideas that were rooted in some fixed composed structures.) For the first time ever, the “Drums” and “Space” segments were plotted out around certain themes. (In Jay Blakesberg’s fine photo books from the tour—available from blurb.com/thedead, the themes for each show are named in the set lists.) Some of the percussion ones were played several times (though with much variation, of course—this is still improvising on the fly), such as the “Obama Funk Jam,” which interspersed samples of Barack and others with some electronic legerdemain, “Music of the Roaring Seas” and “Magma”; while the “Space” jams were keyed around various celestial bodies and events: “Star Drone,” "Cosmic Debris,” “The Big Bang,” “Heartbeat of the Sun” and various jams named after planets.
Photo: Jay Blakesberg ©2009
High Fives to the Other Guys! Keyboardist Jeff Chimenti has really come into his own the last few years. Anyone who paid attention to what he was doing with The Dead in ’04—and to what he does with RatDog all the time—was probably not surprised to hear him stepping out so effectively on this latest tour. But he was also given more opportunities for solos and he stepped into the fray and took solos, too, and he was always up to the challenge. His marvelously sympathetic organ and piano work provided the perfect coloration for so many songs, and he was at the wheel driving many a jam, as well.
As for Warren… well, he certainly rose to the occasion under the pressure of being the guy on this tour, without a second lead player backing him up. He took the time to really learn all the significant parts and signpost riffs, but he still put his own spin on things (outrageous slide!) and wasn’t afraid to diverge from the well-worn pathways carved by Garcia and others. And my own personal view (YMMV, needless to say) is that there is no one I’d rather hear tackling Garcia’s songs than Warren. He has truly internalized them—even the heaviest ballads—and he delivers them with unbridled passion and understanding. Check out what he does with “High Time” and “Comes A Time,” among others. That he can play so well in three bands (Dead, Mule, Allmans) is nothing short of remarkable; we’re so lucky to have him!
Variety is the Spice of Life! Thanks to the ongoing lists of Mr. Zomby Wulf on dead.net, we know that The Dead played roughly 150 songs (not counting “Drums” and “Space”) in just 22 shows—a stupendous achievement! No song was played more than five times, and 40 (or so; I suck at counting) were played only once. There were lots of intriguing left-field choices along the way, touching every phase of the Grateful Dead’s long career… okay, I guess it was a ripoff they didn’t play “Day Job,” “Money Money” or “Barbed Wire Whipping Party.” (Dare to dream, y’all!)
And what’s more, any song could turn up at any time. For the last few years, both Phil and Bob have been pretty good about abandoning the Grateful Dead’s rather formulaic approach to constructing set lists—where most songs generally appeared in the same spots in either the first or second sets. But even so, it was still somewhat shocking to find a “Stella Blue” or “Black Peter” in a first set (Buffalo and L.A. respectively), “Scarlet-Fire” as an encore (Shoreline), “Drums” and “Space” to open a second set (Madison Square Garden), and so on. With much of the traditional “first set” material mostly ignored (cowboy songs, blues covers), the band really delivered their best, most popular and jammiest stuff night after night, as well as really nailing a lot of their lesser-known songs, including Phil’s “Pride of Cucamonga” and “King Solomon’s Marbles.” You couldn’t even take for granted that the person you were expecting to sing a song on a given night would be the one to actually step up to the mike.
Photo: Jay Blakesberg ©2009
Acoustic sets were few and far between but mostly appreciated by those who got to see them. Someday this band should consider doing an acoustic tour of smaller halls where that kind of music could really shine. But even in these cavernous environs, you had to love Bob’s alternately ethereal and roaring “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall” and Warren’s great take on Van Morrison’s “Into the Mystic.”
Everybody’s Playing in the Heart of Gold Band! It had been five years since The Dead toured, and even though Phil Lesh & Friends and RatDog and Mickey’s groups have done so much to keep the flame burning and the Dead Head Family together and dancing, there was something about these shows that made them feel like a reunion of sorts. There were lots of folks who hadn’t seen each other in years (and that tended to make the first sets most nights social occasions as much as musical ones, for better and worse). But there were also lots of newcomers—younger Heads who never saw the Grateful Dead, but who have clearly “gotten it,” either through the post-Jerry bands, or listening to recordings of Dead shows they got from friends, older siblings or parents. Young and old seemed to enjoy themselves, and I, for one, am cheered by the sight of new blood coming into the scene!
* * *
And now, some subjective favorites from the tour; really tough to pick among so much top-notch stuff. There were no truly weak shows in my estimation, and probably half of them would qualify as “really good” or “great.” Feel free to add your own favorites below.
Five (Yikes, Only Five?) Favorite Shows (in chronological order)
1. 4/25/09, Madison Square Garden, New Yawk
All right, back to a Gah-den one mo’ time! This was one of the toughest tickets of the tour, for obvious reasons, and the Dead came out with guns blazing (so to speak) to mow down the frantic New York crowd. Actually, truth be told, this show starts out weakly with a pretty awful (if heartfelt) “Cosmic Charlie” (couldn’t sing it in ’69 or ’76; it’s worse now). But all is forgiven once “China Cat” begins to unfold, and then the show really takes off with “Shakedown Street.” I love Warren’s faster take on “Ship of Fools,” and Bob handles “Cassidy” with typical fluid grace. The closing “Sugaree,” with Warren and Jeff all over that thang, is truly epic.
The second set opens with—WTF???—“Drums” and “Space” (or if you want to be technical about it, “Sphere of Io” and “Magma”)! From there, on paper at least, it looks like a psychedelic school bus ride through classic ’60s Dead, but listen to it and there’s no mistaking that this is today’s Dead. Dig: The “Cryptical Envelopment” is actually part of the “Space,” with Phil singing over an arhythmic electronic wash—much more like “What’s Become of the Baby” than a traditional “Cryptical,” and brilliantly realized. That’s followed by a careening “Other One,” a nearly perfect “Born Cross-Eyed,” a long, very meaty jam, and then “St. Stephen” (after all, “in and out of the garden he goes”!) and “The Eleven,” both in their more jammy, contemporary incarnations. But wait, they’re just warmin’ up! How about an lazy “Uncle John’s” to bring us back to earth, followed by a great “Unbroken Chain” (one of the best songs of the tour IMHO, and I’m not even that big a fan of it), and—WTF? Pt. 2—“Gimme Shelter,” belted with authority by Mr. Haynes. Yikes, I’m drenched in sweat just thinkin’ about it! (It’s another great soundboard. Take a moment to salute live mixer Derek Featherstone for a job very well done, in the hall and on disc!)
2. 4/28/09 Izod Center, East Rutherford, NJ
Sorry, but this will always be the Meadowlands to me (or the Brendan Byrne Arena)—old habits die hard. Both of the Jersey shows featured the great saxophonist Branford Marsalis sitting in with the boys, and each night the music was spellbinding. I’m going to go on the record right now and say that no outside musician has fit in better with the Dead over the years. Branford is confident enough to be a leader onstage on any type of material, yet he is also a completely sympathetic accompanist. His tone on tenor or soprano, his adventurousness, and his melodic inventiveness made him a perfect foil for Garcia the times they played together (Nassau ’90 being the most famous example), and he has fit in well with post-Jerry lineups, too: If you haven’t heard his playing on a Warren-sung “Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys” or the Middle Eastern-flavored “Space” from Raleigh, 8/17/04, check it out. The guy is hands-down one of the great improvisers of our time, so is it any wonder that he fits in so well with The Dead?
At this show, Branford and company dig into several of the same songs they tackled at Nassau in ’90, but rather than sounding like they’re trying to recapture some past glory, everything sounds utterly fresh and alive, from the nearly 20-minute “Bird Song,” to “Fire on the Mountain,” “Dark Star” (of course), “Eyes of the World,” a wondrous “Space,” a brisk and honkin’ “Lovelight,” and, my favorite of all, Miles Davis’ “Milestones,” which really gives Branford and Jeff a chance to blow, jazz-style. Wow! Don’t miss this one!
3. 5/2/09, The Spectrum, Philly
Both Philly shows are worth seeking, but this one gets the nod because it was the last time The Dead will ever play the aging arena, which is scheduled to fall to the wrecking ball shortly (no doubt we’ll all be enjoying footage of its implosion on YouTube up the road!) and they really pulled out all the stops and kicked out the jams for a typically rabid local crowd.
The first set kicks off with “Saturday Night” (always good as an opener) and includes a very nicely rendered “Althea,” an emotional “He’s Gone” (we all know who that’s about these days…) into an affirmative “Uncle John’s,” and a rollicking “Mason’s Children” complete with meaty jam, to close the set. Set Two rocks hard from the get-go with “Good Lovin’” followed by “Cumberland,” then sets sail on uncertain seas with “Cryptical Envelopment” and “The Other One.” This show’s “Space” drifts into the first of just two versions of “Morning Dew” on the tour—nicely handled by Bob—and then the back end of the show is killer: “St. Stephen,” “Revolution” (thank you, Warren!) and finally “Help-Slip-Frank” to bring it on home. There could only be one appropriate encore choice, and thank God they made the right one: “Samson and Delilah” had all 18,000 souls on hand screaming “If I had my way, I would tear this old building down!” Whoo-ee! (Actually, that’s not a bad idea—let Dead Heads do the demolition!)
4. 5/9/09, The Forum, Los Angeles
This just might be my favorite show of the tour, a total winner from first note to last, with many an unexpected twist and turn along this golden road. So, there they are in glittering L.A., no doubt with celebrities in attendance—are they gonna play the “hits,” maybe open with “Truckin’” or some such? No, sir! Instead they jump off the high dive and into “Viola Lee Blues,” jamming it out to Phil & Friends proportions (i.e. a lot), and using that as a launch pad into other songs: “VLB”> “Bertha,”> “VLB” verse 2 > “Caution” > “VLB” verse 3 > “Black Peter” (expertly sung by Warren). A considerably-better-than-the-Garden-but-still-not-great version of “Cosmic Charlie” ends the first set.
The second set is a fabulous set list played really well, including another dynamite “Shakedown,” “New Speedway Boogie,” “Scarlet-Fire,” “Dark Star” sandwiched around a Warren-sung “Wharf Rat,” and then a surprise closer: a rippin’ “Satisfaction” (followed by the de riguer “Saturday Night” encore, also smokin’)!
5. 5/14/09, Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View, Calif.
OK, I really screwed up not going to this show. When this second Shoreline concert was announced, I was still hurtin’ financially from the mail-in for the first one (5/10), so I thought I’d skip this and save a few bucks. Big mistake: I missed a really hot show. This is another one that is really consistently strong top to bottom, but I’ve gotta say, it’s the first set that really blows me away. I had wondered whether Warren playing two shows with the Allman Brothers (I went to the first; loved it!) at the beautifully restored Fox Theatre in Oakland between Shoreline Dead concerts would affect his playing at all. Hard to say exactly, but the little jamlet preceding the opening “Jack Straw” sure sounds a lot like (sweet) “Melissa” to me! There’s a kick-ass “Mason’s Children” mid-set, then another fine “Ship of Fools” (where Warren sings “49 years upon my head…”). Then Bob goes into a fine “Standing on the Moon,” but right after the bridge, instead of rolling into the next verse, it veers into a full “Terrapin”! After a mini-jam at the end of that tune, right on the beat, they go back into the last couple of verses and coda of “Standing on the Moon.” Totally cool!
The second set has more delights, including a rare “Estimated” opener, the Anthem of the Sun duo of “New Potato Caboose” and “Born Cross-Eyed,” a fine nod to Brent Mydland (and Jerry) with “Dear Mr. Fantasy,” and then, out of “Space,” “Morning Dew” with Warren on lead vocals this time—it’s interesting to hear him try a quiet ending for this song; I think it works. I seem to recall there’s a very brief quotation of the Allmans’ “Mountain Jam” between the set-concluding “China Cat-Rider” duo. Then, in keeping with the previous Shoreline show’s triple encore (“St. Stephen> The Eleven,” “Touch of Grey”), the 5/14 show goes on for another half-hour or so with “Scarlet-Fire” and “Deal.” Goooood stuff!
A Bunch of Cool Things From the Other Shows Worth Checking Out
1. “Truckin’” from Greensboro, 4/12
2. “Dark Star”> “King Solomon’s Marbles” from Washington, 4/12
3. “Crazy Fingers” from Charlottesville, 4/15
4. “Comes A Time” from Albany, 4/17
5. “Goin’ Down the Road” and “Mountains of the Moon” from Worcester #1, 4/18
6. “Slipknot” > “Let It Grow” > “Uncle John’s” from Worcester #2, 4/19
7. “Smokestack Lightning” and “Stella Blue” from Buffalo, 4/21
8. “The Golden Road” from Wilkes-Barre, 4/22
9. “Death Don’t Have No Mercy” from Nassau, 4/24
10. “Tomorrow Never Knows” > “Black Peter” from Hartford, 4/26
11. “Days Between” from Meadowlands #2, 4/29
12. “New Speedway Boogie” from Philly #1, 5/1
13. “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall” from Chicago #1, 5/4
14. “Weather Report Suite” from Chicago #2, 5/5
15. “King Solomon’s Marbles” > “Stronger Than Dirt” from Denver, 5/7
16. “Saint Stephen” > “The Eleven” from Shoreline #1, 5/10
17. “Crazy Fingers” and “Dark Star” (verse one) from The Gorge, 5/16
Four Other Shows I Wish I’d Attended
1. Greensboro; 2. Charlottesville; 3. Worcester #2; 4. Philly #1
* * *
All photos seen here are from Jay Blakesberg's 2009 Dead tour books. Go to www.blurb.com/thedead to see more!So…enough of my opinions: What are YOUR tour highlights?
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Whiskey in the jar? how could you possibly pass that up? Mile high city!!
Blair is da man
Blair I just wanted to say how much I've enjoyed your reviews all these years, (being an old GR subscriber) Your writing has always just sung to me in a way, and I know I can count on your reviews letting me know how truly good or not so good a show was. You do it very, very, well and I just wanted to thank you for it! Hope to read your writing for many years to come....be well
so I give you my eyes, and all of their lies
please help them to learn as well as to see
capture a glance and make it a dance
of looking at you looking at me.......
Best show of tour
Well, I only got to see the 5/9/09 show in Los Angeles, so I can't say if it was the top show or not. But I do know for a fact it was a smoking show from from the first note to the last.
The Spectrum
Man...This was the first two times and the last two times i'll have ever been to the spectrum. Both nights were great sets and the crowd was in very high spirits. I can almost say that the Philly shows were the turning point on this tour. Thank you all for making it happen in the lot. Hope for a fall tour soon.Peace-
Moye
Another for the Mile High CIty
Acoustic Deep Elem Blues!
"Escaping through the lily fields, I came across an empty space. It rainbow then exploded, left a bus stop in its place. The bus come by and I got on, thats when it all began. It was Cowboy Neal at the wheel of the bus to never ever land"
Yeah, so I'm hard-headed,....
I was blown away by "Touch of Grey" and "Throwing Stones" back in 1987, but apparently I had other things to do for another 22 years. I was driving around in my car a few months back channel-surfing on my XM when I landed upon the Grateful Dead channel and that was IT. I ended up going to the Dead show in LA at the Forum and it was a BLAST! My personal faves were "Shakedown Street" and "Dark star>Wharf Rat" The whole show seemed very smooth and "flowy" Only regret is that I had to wait till 2009 to jump on the Bus. The parking lot scene was unreal! I hope they decide to do more tours in the future.
Best Show of the tour
Wow 5/14 Shoreline? Really... I'm surprised it was in your top 5 out of the entire tour.
I feel 5/10 Shoreline was much better. They sounded absolutely phenomenal. The vibe was so energetic. Everyone was smiling. What a homecoming! They even went on later than usual to allow everyone to get in. (Entrance and exit to the Shoreline is absolutely horrible!) Mickey and Billy seemed really stoked to be playing. Lots of smiles!
Help>Slip>Franklins Tower opener and it just got better after that. Good Lovin'>Cassidy> Bird Song>Uncle Johns Band>Unbroken Chain>The Other One>Space>Sugaree>Gimme Shelter>Sugar Magnolia. St.Stephen>The Eleven>Touch of Grey. They sounded so tight besides Bobby forgetting some lyrics (St.Stephen) I've been blasting the show for the past few weeks while working around the house.
I also had the pleasure of seeing Warren with the Allman Brothers at the new Fox Theatre in Oakland on 5/13. Unbelievable venue and performance! If you're reading this you have to see them!
The guys seemed really tired on 5/14. I found it to be a lackluster performance at best. I mean after all those shows who wouldn't be. They sounded really..."rough" would be a good way to describe it. Although Morning Dew and Dear Mr.Fantasy were amazing. However on a whole, I found the 5/10 Shoreline show was vastly superior in performance and energy.
Keep it going guys, build upon this momentum. PLEASE TOUR IN THE FALL!!!
A few notes on the show:
1.)Parking was FREE! That was cool.
2.) *Attention Dead.net How about limiting the sale of posters to one or two per person. I was lucky enough to get one but the guy after me purchased all the remaining 26 posters. I felt bad for the people who weren't able to get one.
Im not surprised
5/14 was a life changer. 5/10 was good too but the late start (an hour late) kind of killed the vibe of that show at least the beginning. I couldn't believe people were standing around during a Help opener...
"Escaping through the lily fields, I came across an empty space. It rainbow then exploded, left a bus stop in its place. The bus come by and I got on, thats when it all began. It was Cowboy Neal at the wheel of the bus to never ever land"
Chicago
5/4 and 5/5 were great shows.The Rosemont wasn't too bad, although plenty of people coulda been in trouble.
The quality of shows was excellent. Energy level was surprisingly high throughout. Couple times it meandered a little, like during Pride of Cucamonga, which was kinda broken. Aiko Aiko was fantastic.
Band usually performs well in Chicago. Huge amount of crowd interaction/singing on 5/5 I Know You.
Bobby's play was stellar; leader of the band he was. The acoustic set-up was nice, all CSNY-like. Amazing band of musicians.
Blair's review is definitely superior and sums the tour up. I didn't see anything other than the Chicago shows, so I can't compare them, but both nights were worth admission. Drums was quite incredible both nights. Chimenti went into a distinctive funk mode that just sucks you in.
Sad to hear no more shows this year other than Michigan. Still might try and make it. Festival atmosphere might be a little looser for them, but they'll always be a mainliner.
thank you Blair
I was hoping you would do a retrospective of the tour and its great to get a few pointers as to where to start listening to all those downloads. Thanks again!
But I am somewhat bemused that you were not given a pass for a few shows....
tie die vinyl
jews for jerrywe need two singles please on 33 1/3 speed , tie died colored vinyl (with your atmospheric saturn logo from the tour embrosed on it?) 1st single "into the mystic" electric with either acoustic version (mystic) or acoustic" whiskey in the jar" as B-side. the other one:" Cream puff war" and" Golden road "as the b-side, that's what I'm talking about baby! More as a thank you to the fans... people would eat these up, listen to them, frame them, give them as gifts, make them inexpensive and package them to display the tie-die! (remember the dave mason tie die "alone together" album...!! I want 25 already!
3 phenomenal shows
I was lucky enough to catch both Philly shows and The Forum in LA. My mind has been bended! The boys were in excellent form all 3 nights. I LOVED the LA show, but the Philly shows hold a place in my heart because I've seen so many shows at The Spectrum and Philly is home for me. Last shows at The Spectrum. It brought me back to the hot summer of '89 when the boys closed out JFK Stadium. That building was condemed the next day. It's a good thing they didn't play Samson & Delilah at that show, because that building would've literally been torn down. The Knockin' on Heavan's Door encore was appropriate, though. Anyway, this 2009 Dead Tour was loads of fun! I hope we can all do this again, soon!
Blair - Thanks for the tour write-up. Good read as always.
***Searching for the Sound***
Thanks Blair...
...for the comprehensive review of all the shows on the tour. Having attended only two of the shows, I feel having a guide as to what to scoop up and listen to invaluable, especially because so much of it was moments rather than whole shows. I've still my point of view after listening to a lot of prearranged jams and a distinct lack of enthusiasm from certain members of the band at times on this tour.
Phil & Bob regularly and other members occasionally are doing some free-wheeling wailing with their own bands and it really just may be the time to Let It Be except for the occasional New Years or special occasion. Knowing when to hang it up is always the hardest but usually the classiest thing to do.
Review
I was lucky - got to Charlottesville, Shoreline 5/10 and the Gorge. Tried for IZOD to see Branford (NYE 90-oooh) but the East Coast was too intense and had to boogie back west. Grabbed the downloads and "Milestones"- whew. Lovin' that jazzy Dead sound. I wish I'd seen Denver and LA. I have to agree that Shoreline 5/10 was an amazing show, especially a sensual "Sugaree" as a Mother's Day gift that drove every woman around me into hip shaking, moaning soul dancers. "St. Stephen">"The Eleven" was the another sky high experience. Bought the Albany download to hear "Into the Mystic" and then just melted down to hear it live at the Gorge. Many thanks to dead.net and Sirius for keeping the good vibes going throughout the tour. Every day post-show I was on dead.net, reading the review and poring over the set lists. Wish I'd just gone for the entire tour downloads, as I have bought 7 so far.Peace, everybody. Happy Summer!
Thanks Blair
for your insights. I pretty much agree with what you said. The one thing that really stood out for me was how much fun the guys were having. I don't recall Phil smiling back in the day like he did on this tour. Also, Billy and Mickey were just oozing with enthusiasm and happiness. Bob is tough to read, but I got the sense he was at peace. Jeff had his moments and Warren is the perfect choice.All in all, it is not and never will be the Grateful Dead, but it was a damn good tour and I am happy to see the guys getting along.
"One watch by night, one watch by day
If you get confused, listen to the music play"
Thank you, Blair
Your commentary is right on! I only got to see the Denver show, but I believe it might have deserved mention here. I felt I had been transported back in time. Phil singing "Whiskey In a Jar" was killer and Warren rocked the house. We were lucky enough to get an acoustic set - "Deep Elem Blues!" Plus other tunes I'd not heard live before and was afraid I would never get to experience live - "Easy Wind," "Crazy Fingers," "Ramble on Rose," "King's Solomon's Marbles," for heaven's sake. And I cried when they played "China Doll." "Ripple" as an encore was perfect - we even mentioned that, earlier in the day, a "Ripple" would be awesome. Of course, the people I went with made it so much more memorable. I love you, my swirly, whirly phriends! Ba - BAM!
Hartford Horror Show
Blair, you gusher! Not a bad word to say about the band, the tour? Come on! I've been going to shows since 1970. Try on the Hartford show for size, what a snoozer on cruise control, for my one hundred buck ticket I wish they could have shown some fire, and also learned to play "Morning Comes" without making 20 mistakes. Jerry was turning in his grave.
The Madison Square Garden Rocked!
I was very fortunate to see 3 shows this time around...The Coliseum, The Garden & the sat. Philly show. I will also agree the Garden kicked ass!! It was one of the few times Ive felt that much energy under one roof! When Bobby tried to to do an alternate version of He's gone but couldnt b/c the crowd was singing it to loud the original way it really hit me. There was nothing else to do but smile, smile, smile!
2010 Tour...PLEASE!!
thanks for spreading the joy
Shoreline 5/10 rocked. Great energy transfer between the band and the faithful. The jams actually led somewhere and the energy built and built instead of dropping the ball. I saw the DC Verizon Center show 4/14 and wondered if I'd wasted my money on tickets for other shows -- lackluster, no energy, no joy. The jams were repetitive, like the band was in a holding pattern, stuck in a groove on the record and waiting for someone to knock them loose. The transitions never seemed to go anywhere, not building to anything. They did a nice Cassidy, a lovely Hard Rain Gonna Fall, kickass Sugar Magnolia and a nice Ripple, but not a memorable concert. The Chicago Allstate Arena 5/5 show was better with an amazing I Know You Rider, a decent Throwing Stones, and a suitably subdued Brokedown Palace, but not much else worth remembering. The jams were a bit less repetitive but overall the concert sounded more like an Allman Bros concert -- not that there's anything wrong with an Allman Bros concert, but I went there to see the Dead. Shoreline 5/10 was another story altogether. Now I remember why I come to these shows!! Probably the best Sugaree I've seen in 30 years of following the Dead, a totally rockin' Good Lovin' and a St Stephen worth waiting for. The energy didn't flag, the transitions took us somewhere, the band built up and built up and didn't drop us. Now that's a Dead concert. The band seemed to enjoy playing together, the audience was willing to go for the ride, a great show. Wish I'd stayed for the 5/14 show, the setlist was amazing. Next year I'll stay for both Shoreline shows...and there will be a tour next year, right? Say yes, please!
Thanks for the wrap up. I
Thanks for the wrap up. I was 6th row for th 4/28 show at Izod and was simply blown away on that magic carpet ride again. Also a big treat from that show was seeing Jeff and Branford exchange a big brotherly bear hug after the show for a job well done. Still reeling and waiting for next time......
Peace everyone.
I caught 4 shows
On that tour and, quite frankly, each one was worse than the previous one. Remembering that I paid over a bill for each was especially disappointing. I don't mind paying good money for good music but this was definately not....lazy, uninspired, slow, voices shot..etc..etc. DSO blows this band away at this point for about 1/4 the cost.
Tour Wrap-up
Thanks to Blair Jackson, still the best writer around about things Dead.
Hurd Before?
The signers! The dancing Signers. So So Happy! Up therenext to the speakers. Feeling a Dead Show literatively and figuratively
hummm and thummmP through their bodies. Dancing,dancing
dancing. YES!
Is that my glass? Can you see it? Understand me?
hottest set
Forum in and out of Viola we go...I listened to every show of tour, went to DC and Charlottesville, but, I would have lost my s--t in Inglewood!
Californya...
I was lucky to catch all of the Cali shows. LA was mind blowing. Was happy that I got to hear lots of Anthem songs during the Cali run, and I got a Dark Star! Each show got me closer to the boys with the final Shoreline in the reserve area and a beautiful Terrapin. I can't believe I actually heard everything I wanted to hear. Thanks to the boys for digging so deep back into the catalog. And I gotta agree with Mr. Jackson 100% on the reviews from Cali.
Chilled-Out Denver
I only got a chance to see them in Denver. I had really bad seats and it definitely affected my enjoyment of the show, and I guess that's my fault, but I had a hard time hearing the band and getting into it. The entire concert was also very slow and mellow. In turn, the audience seemed to just sit back and relax most of the time. Not much energy flowing either way. For me, the good always outweighs the bad at a Dead show, and there were still many personal highlights: Warren did a great job on the China Doll and the spaced-out 2nd set was fun. Easy Wind, King Solomon's Marbles, Crazy Fingers, the mini acoustic set was neat, too. I had a good time but it made me want another show. I'm hoping for another tour or two!
A Grateful Spiritual Rebirth
After a 16 year hiatis of any kind of "show" Something deep inside told me not to miss this tour, although I was able only to attend one (5/10) show, it was enough to envoke my surpressed hippy spirit! I took my wife (mothers day) and although it was her first show she definatley would like to see another. I would like to Thank the BOYZ for recreating the magic that I have been missing for far to long and hope they can spurn my anticipation and announce another tour soon!
Thanks Again!
Spencer
Grateful for the Dead in Denver
I only made it to one show...the Pepsi Center in Denver. Really enjoyed both it and the psychedelic poster exhibit at the Denver Museum of Art beforehand. Had to chuckle at Bill Graham's complaint about most of the posters done to promote his shows..."Geez...I can't read the damn thing! What good is a poster if you can't read it!"
I traveled the "Golden Road" from Florida to catch the Denver show and meet up with some old friends. Kept a journal along the way and wrote about the whole strange trip for a local paper back home. Here's the link if anyone's interested: http://pelicanpress.org/content/1042_1.php
Nice summary of the shows.I
Nice summary of the shows.
I only caught Denver and its refreshing to see so many post about it!
Whiskey and Deep Elm....RIPPLE!
I agree with cosmic badger....Blair and Regan should have gotten a good handful of tickets comped...They've done more for the scene then Tipper!
2 shows
My wife and I took a NY weekend break at Nassau and MSG. Happy to see that MSG is one of your best. After a harch but very good show on friday (leaving Montréal, Qc. at 5 in the morning took a part of the groove), I already knew that the next night will be special. Top shaped by a good night sleep, we had the show of our dreams.Thanks to the band and waiting your next article (in french in the text) M.Jackson.
Share the LOVE! Richard.
Greensboro Easter Sunday
A perfect day too open the tour. The crowd was fantastic with drums in the parking lot and the police were really understanding. I think I heard possibly the best Shakedown I have ever heard at a show. Warren was unreal and it was just funky high energy. Watchtower was a personel treat. We all new this tour was going to be one of the best ever as we left Greensboro dreaming of the next show. The magic is back.
chicago 5-5-09
i saw well over 100 shows from 1982-1995;and im a picky deadhead having suffered through many poor quality shows from 1991-1995. i approached this tour with extremely cautious optimism especially since the boys have decided to do something jerry NEVER would have signed off on; namely becoming political cheerleaders for the likes of nancy pelosi and barak obama.that little vent now out of the way, i was EXTREMELY impressed with the one show i saw on this tour; Chicago-Rosemont 5-5-09; why this awesome show wasnt on your top 5 boggles my mind.
the Golden Road, Mr Charlie, Unbroken Chain and Truckin from this show were transcedental, a very emotional and high-energy show and i was extremely suprised theabove-mentioned highlights did not receive honorable mention.
stuff, things
I caught 5 shows on the tour. The first two were Chicago, and I was pleasantly surprised by the 5/4 show - after a rough start (China Cat -> Born Cross Eyed were weirdly disjointed) it really picked up and though it had it's mellow points, the energy was all in the right place. 5/5 was a bit jarring; I guess since 5/4 was announced later it didn't get quite the crowd, so the sold out house the next day was a little crazy and the boys delivered in kind. Not a ton of jamming, but a slew of hot tunes played well. For me, unfortunately, it was one of those cases where the people surrounding you can affect your perception of the show - I had pretty much every meathead who thought I'd rather hear THEM singing than the band members sitting on all sides of me, and it was only after I left my seat and found some kindred spirits dancing up near the doorway that it felt as good as it should've. Alas, that was near the very end of the show, but still it was a barn burner.Denver was an odd, mellow show, and when Space came around for the second time it was kinda like, "um, haven't we done this already?" But I really can't complain; the King Solomon's just blazed, and the acoustic set was real nice too. Ripple brought a tear to this grizzled old eye.
Shoreline. I skipped LA and though it sounds like it was hot and I'm sure it'll get repeated plays from me on archive, I was okay with missing it - I spent the days off (after traveling) hanging out up in Marin, camping and meeting good folks, enjoying the beaches and the sea and the mountains. And man, those Shoreline shows were really something special. From the Prankster bus in the lot to the top of the lawn, from mid-day to midnight, my heart felt pretty full. It would've felt good even if the shows had been just okay, but there was something in the air that made that impossible; these shows were gonna be special. The boys seemed at ease, relaxed but ready to lay it down and lay it down thick both nights for the hometown crowd.
I have only one tiny complaint. As much as I love and even prefer classic GD material played by the cats who play it best in a new beautiful and creative setting, I kinda wish there were at least a few new songs. Even if they weren't that great, it'd be nice to see the band working on new material like a working band does. Granted, it's a tiny complaint because obviously the boys are breathing new life into the beautiful melodies and rhythms we all know and love - it's far from a retread - but I guess I'm just sayin'. Even the pretty-okay tunes written with Hunter from the'98 and '03-'04 tours have been ditched... I guess I just feel like they should give themselves a little more credit for their continuing compositional skills, and a little more faith in us to accept new tunes alongside the stable of the reliable tried and true.
Really, you don't ever know, and I guess that's part of the reason, in a nutshell, why this crowd arose around this band in the first place. But from what I could see, the band and the scene are very healthy right now, and I for one can't wait till the next tour. ThankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouTHANKYOU!!!!!
For a real good time!!!!
And thank you, Blair, for your continuing insights - always enjoy reading yr stuff.
Website
As usual a wonderful piece of writing. One perhaps helpful hint. I had never used or heard of archive.org so I thought I'd give it a look. Never again. If you don't know of this site however check it out. The site is tela.sugarmegs.org & of 06/09/09 they have over 28,000 shows that you can checkout. I won't even try to count the GD, the Dead, various Jerry bands etc. that are there. As I post this, I'm listening to the show at The Carousel Ballroom from 01/17/68! ENJOY!
Chicago 5/5
We had always planned on going to see the boys in Chicago, and gratefully, the show gets booked. Lo and behold, I get to see The Dead on my 50th birthday. Of course the band picks a setlist as only I could have asked for on a milestone birthday that included Touch of Grey and Hell in a Bucket. Apropos. Not to mention a great surrounding setlist with a bluesy tinge. It is Chicago of course.
They are still the Dead and I am still Grateful...
When I first started seeing shows in the late 70's older heads would say to me "Yeah, this is good but it is not the Grateful Dead without Pigpen." Now, from beloved bootlegs I love those Pig days, and I am the first to admit that I am a confirmed Jerry freak but finally and without hesititation I am here to say that the band I saw play the Forum, Mountain View, and the Gorge is still truly the band I know and love as the Grateful Dead... and I don't agree with all those heads out there nitpicking about Warren. Comparisons are fine; that is how distinctions are made, but the Dead is, was, and will always be about something that is greater than the sum of its parts. Truth be told, those parts have always been changing along with the sound, the song selection, the instraments, the venues, in fact everything has been changing just as much as it has stayed the same over the years and that is part of what keeps it compelling. For better or worse, that strange yet familiar experience is part of the adventure in my book.
Look at the whole thing... were your friends there, old and new, lost and found? Check. Were people dancing the hippie shake? Check. Did the jams jam? Check. Were the songs played some faves you had to hear and some surprises that made the night memorable? Check. Check. Check. Sounds like a Dead, or Grateful Dead, or Warlocks show, or whatever name you wish to call it by me. A rose by any other name is still a Skull and Roses to me.
There were great vintages of show runs just like there have been sour sets along the way. That, for me, is another equal part of the reason for the adventure and why it is every bit as vital an experience today as I sure it was for those that saw a band called "The Warlocks" in 65. That is why I say that the band I saw is still the good ol' Grateful Dead to me and I hope they come back for more shows...
Now excuse me, my rant is done, time to get that Shoreline St. Stephen > Eleven> Foxy Jam> Touch encore on and turn up the volume.
Farrell Timlake
president, Homegrown Video
timlake@homegrownvideo.com
2009-04-15 John Paul Jones Arena
After MSG, John Paul Jones was the best show this tour. Doin' That Rag may be the best song this tour! cosmic charlie was fantastic at the garden, listen to the tapes. They speak for themselves
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE TOUR
First off, thank you Blair for your wonderful writing on this site (and all of the other articles/books you have written). Somehow you have a way of capturing everything I love about the music of the grateful dead and expressing it through beautiful word choice and masterfully written descriptions. I
I was able to see 11 shows this spring, and would like to add a couple of highlights to your list.
1) Into the Mystic (Gorge 5/16) -- Even though they played it a couple of times, this was the only time I got to hear the Van Morrison cover and it was really good. Warren REALLY sang out on this one at the Gorge --- and it was my highlight of the show.
2) Mr Charlie / Stagger Lee / Liberty (Wilkes-Barre 4/22) - While I love listening to shows that start with Bertha or Promised Land, starting this show with these three songs in a row was AMAZING. I had driven a long way that afternoon to make the show, but, with the help of a great opening trio, I was energized and dancing the rest of the night.
3) All Along the Watchtower (Greensboro 4/12) - This was Warren's best guitar solo of the tour --- it came after Shakedown Street and he moved from funk to rock in a heartbeat.
4) G-L-O-R-I-A (Charlottesville 4/15) - This was the encore and man was the band into it!! They really should have played a second encore after this because the energy from the band just filled the arena --- and Bobby just fed off of it.
5) Lost Sailor > Saint of Circumstance (Nassau 4/24) - Everyone has thier favorite songs -- and these have always been mine (you are welcome to disagree). The point is that hearing your favorite live is always a treat. This show also had three really good acoustic songs.
This was a spring to remember! Thanks to all the brothers and sisters in music that I met along the way --- and I hope we can do it agian really soon.
"See the Dog Star Shine --- I got a feeling I got no time to lose"
Hey now!
Hey now, Blair, thanks for the reflections and all...it was a precious and wonderful blessing we all enjoyed this spring - I hope it was the same for the boys and crew, even though the schedule was exhausting - even 20 years ago!
Had the good fortune to run into you at the Greek a few years back (22?), enjoyed a good conversation, and it's great that you're still trying (aren't we all?) to analyze this band.
Many thanks, and keep on truckin'......
absentee reviews
While it's never near the same as being there, there is the "internet" in which one can listen to shows and describe what they hear....And, just to put a point on the subjective nature of this thing we all like to experience, I caught 5 shows on the tour and I'd say Denver was the weakest of the bunch. Still a very good show though, and obviously just my opinion.
Spring tour
Thanks for the insightful article, Blair. Good to read your reviews again! Here's my take on my admittedly limited exposure to spring tour. I only attended one show in person and remember thinking at the time that the band might not yet have fully hit their stride in the third show of the tour (Charlottesville, VA 4/15/09). The show was somewhat of a disappointment to those in our group. I felt at the time that the sound was not great where we were in the arena and when I later listened to the soundboard download I discovered that the show was significantly better than we heard that night. This show had some good moments. I especially enjoyed drums! Still this show was somewhat lacking in my estimation. When I purchased the 4/27 download from East Rutherford (with Branford) it seemed to me that the band was beginning to really hit its stride! I agree with Blair about Branford's contribution to the band over the years. However, all the guys in the band were really kicking ass that night. Phil's bass, Warren's guitar and Jeff's keyboards particularly stood out to me. I just downloaded an audience recording of 5/4 in Rosemont IL. This show was awesome! Loved it from start to finish. I concur that "A Hard Rain's a Gonna Fall" was outstanding. Always love to hear Warren do "Into the Mystic". This show is my favorite of the ones I've heard so far. It does indeed seem that it took the boy's a few shows to hit their stride. I think Warren and Jeff are making wonderful contributions to the band. I hope to hear the rest of the shows from spring tour soon and I sure hope they're on the rode again soon after Rothbury! Peace.
Great Article. I loved The
Great Article.
I loved The NYC show too!!!
Denver
Of the 4 shows I went to, the crowd energy in Denver could not be matched. When they bust out an acoustic Deep Elem Blues - to me its hard to call the show "weak". Hell at Shoreline 5/10 everyone was just standing around when they opened with Help>Slip>Franklin, it probably didn't help that I was on the lawn but still it brings me to my point. Crowd energy is huge when judging a show in my opinion. So if you weren't there in person it is hard to judge a show just by listening to the audio. Just my opinion
"I've stayed in every blue-light cheap hotel. Can't win for tryin. Dust off those rusty strings just one more time. Gonna make em shine."
all good
And that goes to show once again about the truly subjective nature of the thing - I was on the lawn at Shoreline as well, and at that opening flourish of Help on the Way, everyone around me burst into a spinning, dancing, ecstatic frenzy which hardly let up all show long. The crowd energy is definitely a factor when describing a show, but in many cases even that can change depending on where you are and who surrounds you.Denver was certainly not weak, I just meant it was the weakEST, to me, of the shows I saw. They were all pretty damn good and it just felt good to be there no matter what. This tour was definitely one to keep in the memory banks, filed under Real Good Times.
I agree with you cactuswax
I suppose there are a lot of factors that go into this!!
That is so strange about shoreline 5/10 - You are not the first to say how high the energy level was but man I'm telling you where we were sitting, I felt like no one understood what they were seeing! And I wanted to say "Umm you know they are opening with Help on the Way right??" Now for the 5/14 show I was in the pavillion sitting next to a bunch of kind folks and we all had a ball. Man that show was off the charts! But my buddy, who was sitting just 10 rows back from me said the people around him were just sitting around not really "getting it". Oh well, it is quite subjective isn't it? :-)
"I've stayed in every blue-light cheap hotel. Can't win for tryin. Dust off those rusty strings just one more time. Gonna make em shine."
yeah
In some interview somewhere (circa 1980, though I don't remember if it's Blair/David's or Charlie Haas's or someone else's) Jerry talks about how sometimes he'll be having a completely miserable time at the show because his guitar won't stay in tune and his feet hurt, and then he'll hear the tapes later and they're transcendent.
So even for him, the real-time experience didn't necessarily match what came out on the permanent record.