Dead & Company: The Grateful Dead Is Resurrected (Again), This Time With John Mayer *

Fenway #1 setlist:

1. Jack Straw
2. The Music Never Stopped (w/ Donna)
3. Next Time You See Me
4. Loser (w/ Donna)
5. Peggy-O
6. Help-Slip-Frank (w/ Donna)

Intermission

7. St. Stephen >
8. Dark Star >
9. Terrapin Station (w/ Donna) >
10. Drums-Space >
11. Morning Dew >
12. Terrapin Reprise
13. Casey Jones (w/ Donna)

Encores

14. Black Muddy River
15. U.S. Blues (w/ Donna)

 

Great setlist.

 

The slow tempos bother me sometimes. Especially the UJB from a few nights ago.

 

I'd like to make an observation (not by King Crimson). Mayer gets Jerry; he's nailing the inflection that's so critical. While I hugely respect Oteil Burbridge, he's not nailing Phil's lines. That's OK to be sure, and he's slinked into the groove, so he gets it. All in all, Mayer is a very worthy substitute for Jerry. I'm not sure why Burbridge isn't the same for Phil, because he's at least as talented as Mayer. Maybe Phil is just so over the top that we can't explain. Unexplainable is as good a reason for being unable to explain as anything else.

 

I watched the Saratoga show (it's on YouTube) and had to tell myself a few times to not let the slow tempo get in the way of enjoying the music. Even some of the songs that weren't all that fast to begin with ("Estimated" for example) were extremely slow.

 

Man, that LOOKS good.

 

What exactly did this consist of?

(I'm assuming they didn't play the "At a Siding" remainder of the song)

 

It was definitely an issue last night as well. "The Music Never Stopped" should be upbeat, not sludgey. Can't understand why they don't address this. I mean, they ramp up the ending to "Casey Jones" like crazy, so they obviously can do it.

 

Yeah, it was just a return to the closing, instrumemtal part of the song.

 

They played a really nice Dark Star that had a big vocal "Nightfall" vocal thing by Bobby leading into the jam. Then a full-ish Terrapin into Drums>Space, followed by a really quick Terrapin reprise. But you are correct they didn't play the "At a Siding" piece/part. I'm really looking forward to listening back to the Dark Star.

 

Right, and it wouldn't take much of an increase in tempo to make a huge difference.

 

This bothers me too a bit, yet I keep listening to these shows.

I've listened to five shows on this tour, and obviously there is enough there to keep me listening, but I note a systemic problem in this band--Oteil and Jeff don't play "forward" enough. And what I mean is that they don't challenge anybody. They both really are sidemen, unfortunately. This is primarily the Bob & John show featuring the Grateful Dead's drummers. I'll state the obvious and say this is not the Grateful Dead, where you had all the players together, yet each vying for and often achieving their own space. And I'll never get over the fact that none of these post-Jerry bands are the GD, but do enjoy them and I'll keep listening. I like that the songs are being played on a summer tour. Makes me happy.

But, I do think that Furthur was a more democratic band in terms of a more equal presence in the mix and on stage presence-wise of each of the players. I don't know if that had anything to do with Phil being there or what.

Right on, I agree with this.

 

A very astute observation. Just last night I dug up Ladies and Gentlemen...something I've listened to many times but not recently. Among the tracks I pulled up was Midnight Hour. For the first ~3:00, this is a Pig vocal medium. Pig's last utterance for the first part occurs at 3:04. Now, in most bands this would lead to guitar solo; maybe yea, maybe yawn. But with the GD, within 3 seconds of Pig's last note, both Phil and Jerry are already briskly weaving melodic lines and taking the music somewhere else in short order. Who wants to just sit in the same place for nine minutes? Well, some folks do, but you and I know that we don't. And the Phil/Jerry tandem nearly always made sure we didn't have to.

Another fine example of getting right to it, as it were (and I've mentioned this before here, but it bears repeating): Good Lovin' from 5/3/72. The first vocal section ends at 2:05 and Jerry hits the C7 to mark the entrance to the first jam at 2:10. Before Jerry's chord has stopped ringing, Phil is already 10 yards down the track. Push it man; there ain't no starter's pistol in improv! This leads to one of the rubberiest (sic) short jams they ever did (see 6/16/74 China--> Rider for the rubberiest). Elastotastic.

 

Like others, I suspect it's Bobby's doing, and the fact that he didn't really join in the closing "Casey Jones" rally seems a tell-tale sign.

But I think Mickey's general cluttering of the sound may also have something to do with it. There were parts last night when Billy was playing by himself while Mickey was on the beam, and man, it suddenly sounded so smooth, even evoking '72-'74.

 

Tuning in for Fenway Night 2! Place looks to be filling up.

 

Set break here at Fenway, and it's a real Donna night. She's been on every song so far except the first two, did her original duet with Bobby on "Passenger," and even got to sing a solo verse on "GDTRFB". They might as well add her to the lineup at this point, and it wouldn't surprise me if they did. Crowd is loving her.

Hoping for a Donna "Playin" to kick off the second set.

 

Well you got that Playing opener! And some really nice stuff to follow!

PITB> Estimated> He's Gone> Sugaree> Fire> Drums> Space> Days Between, Not Fade Away

ETA: I'm also ALL for adding Donna to the lineup if she's able and willing. I'm sure she would enjoy a nice big deposit into the bank account and it looks like she couldn't be any happier when she's up there. She never stops smiling and dancing.

 

Would much rather see Bob play with Bongwater again.

 

My sister and brother-in-law are there tonight. Her take on Mayer: "he's such a p--ck but playing well".

 

These two Fenway shows look great on paper. Can't wait to listen.

 

Yes, we did get an opening "Playin" with Donna! However, since they went into "Estimated" from the jam and never returned for a reprise, she didn't get to fire off her (in)famous scream leading back into the song.

Donna never got to experience the band's stadium-era success, so this is certainly well-deserved for her.

 

What's up with Mickey licking the beam? He really looks like he's losing his mind up there, or really drunk or something!

 

Bobby sat in with Macca on "Hi, Hi, Hi" and "Helter Skelter" at Fenway tonight.

 

Jamescott @JameScottVoice »

 

Flew to Boston from London specifically for the second show at Fenway for the weekend...Sweltering heat and more "high vibes" and psychedelic dye than I've ever seen before...

Because of security checks - stadium was half-empty when band came on. Was a long night, definitely felt more of a Grateful Dead ramble than a "rock concert" - never seen so many resurgent hippies...



Am so glad I went. Had I not been an idiot and booked non-changeable flights - I would have stayed and seen McCartney the next night..