Here is the review of the May 2 Dead show at The Spectrum. This would be the last at the Spectrum after over 50 sold out shows over the last 40 years. And I went to quite a few, including my first show, 3/31/87.
By all accounts this was one of the two best shows on the tour so far, the other being MSG the previous weekend. Friends Phil & Keith who attended said, "It was awesome! The best Dead related show I have seen since before Jerry died."
I would have liked to have gone, just to see them one last time at the old Spectrum. Well, rumours abound that Phish will be the last show at the Spectrum so maybe I'll try to hit that one.
Here is Joe C.'s (from Scranton) review. Thanks again to Joe.
The Dead at the Spectrum, May 2, 2009
Wow! What a show. If someone had told me that I would see a Dead show where they played Schoolgirl, Mason's Children, Cumberland, Cryptical Envelopment, Morning Dew, St. Stephen and Help Slip Franklins, I would not believe it. I'm not sure what these guys are up to with working so hard to play all these songs so well. I can't tell if it's a love letter to their fans or that they are ready to pick up where they left off with the perpetual touring machine. Regardless, if their selling, I'm buying because they continue to put out a high quality and entertaining product. I'm very grateful.
What I assumed would be the encore was actually the set opener, a spirited One More Saturday Night. It was moderately paced with a darker bluesier edge to it. Very nice. It had attitude without being too fast.
Brown Eyed Women was excellent. The mix was truly amazing. Great ensemble playing. Nothing special with the guitar solos. Warren's vocal harmonies were amazing. He is so talented.
The Schoolgirl was different. A sleek and polished version of this gritty classic. If it's bluesy, Warren knocks it out of the park.
Althea was very funky, slow and loose. Warren was working the Jerry style envelope filter. Bobby's phaser tone was a little heavy. Warren does the vocal justice.
He's Gone was outstanding. It had that personal feeling. Very delicate. Timing was impeccable. The down beat was completely obscured by the psychedelic rhythms. The transition jam screamed Grateful Dead. The actual transition to the Uncle Johns intro was tight and on. No hesitation. A perfect 10. Harmonies on UJB were awesome. Sounded fantastic. Mid song reggae breakdown was so playful and natural, masterful and lacking any self awareness. The crowd was going wild. The transition to Mason's was a little weird. They went way out there but then came back for the traditional UJB finish. The actual transition to Mason's was, again, flawless. Hard to believe it could sound so tight in a venue of this size.
Mason's Children set ender was perfect. The harmonies sounded stupendous. Warren wielded heavy distortion.
The first set had a second set feel. Lots of loose and natural psychedelic jamming. Lots of space on the tunes with rich vocal harmonies. It's like they were really warmed up when they started playing.
Second set opened strong with a crowd pleasing Good Lovin'. Followed by a crowd pleasing Cumberland.
Once the crowd was completely buttered up, the band jumped into the "That's It for the Other One" suite. Cryptical was great. Phil delivered on the vocals. The big Phil bass build up transition did not connect, but otherwise a very enjoyable rendition.
Awesome drumz. The crowd was raised into a frenzy many times.
Space was great and short.
Morning Dew as excellent. Instantly recognizable. It was nice and slow, and yet it seemed busy.
St. Stephen rocked. The bridge was beautiful.
Revolution was strong and got the crowd rocking.
Help Slipknot Franklins was an incredible set ender to an incredible set. The transition to Franklins involved a complete stop, which sounded a little weak.
The GD sold out the Spectrum 53 times. This year it will be torn down. The last Dead tune to be played at the Spectrum was the Samson and Delilah encore. The crowd went nuts every chorus.
Phil declared after Samson that "this has been one of the most satisfying performances, er series of performances, that we've played on this tour. I gotta say the energy here is so, how should I say, compelling, so welcoming, so positive and uplifting, so God bless you." Amen Phil. Please come back."
Showing posts with label The Dead. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Dead. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Review - The Dead - MSG, NY, NY - 4/25/09
This review of The Dead show in Madison Square Garden on 4/25/09 comes courtesy of my friend Jason in NYC.
"MSG 4/25/09
Hear it now at: http://www.archive.org/details/thedead2009-04-25.jwmod.akg.469.v2.sd722.suraci.sbeok.flac16
Great show. Fun energy. The singing of the entire crowd often dwarfed the vocals from the stage. People we happy to be at MSG with the band after so many years absent.
What a set list!?!? Interesting, with lots of psychedelic classics. Lots of nostalgia. I realized at the end that the “newest” song they played was Shakedown, which is over 30 years old now. (BTW I called Shakedown about two thirds of the way through China Cat; there must’ve been hints since I believe that that’s a relatively random combination… but I felt it in my soul as a “WWWPD” moment. By the way that’s “what would Weird People do?”) [Tony's note: Weird People was the band Jason played in at our college.]
Bobby’s vocals seemed weak. He often wasn’t singing, it was more like he was doing some sort of “I’m a little short of breath” scatting. But then again it was him or Phil…
Anytime Warren sang or played a lead it was a highlight and it felt like a sudden surge from an I.V. drip of energy for the band and audience alike. In terms of other new blood in the band, I really would have liked to hear a lot more of the keyboardist. His solo on Sugaree was good (the song was probably the night’s highlight) and lit up the crowd, but was ultimately a bit derivative. I’d love to see someone on keys to rival Warren in terms of energy and creativity… someone who can inject some new creative energy to the band, rather than play it safe and continue the status quo, which seems like it’s a little tired and lagging, in general, based on the MSG show and other recent Dead shows I’ve listened to online.
Sugaree was the highlight of the night.
He’s Gone was the unofficial “remember Jerry” moment of the first set for the audience.
I had never seen Born Cross Eyed, The Eleven, or Gimme Shelter live before. So that was some good icing on the cake of a solid evening. Gimme Shelter cooked and was pretty hard-hitting and bad-ass by mellow Dead standards.
Ultimately a really great show and I was inspired to see them on future return visits to the city.
Set list below:
--Set 1--
Cosmic Charlie
China Cat Sunflower>
Shakedown Street
Ship Of Fools
He's Gone
Cassidy
Sugaree
--Set 2--
Drums>
Space/Cryptical Envelopment>
Other One>
Born Cross Eyed>
St Stephen>
The Eleven>
Uncle John's Band>
Unbroken Chain>
Gimme Shelter>
One More Saturday Night
--Encore—
Brokedown Palace
"
For another perspective, here is the review from Reuters news service: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090427/music_nm/us_music_dead_3.
"MSG 4/25/09
Hear it now at: http://www.archive.org/details/thedead2009-04-25.jwmod.akg.469.v2.sd722.suraci.sbeok.flac16
Great show. Fun energy. The singing of the entire crowd often dwarfed the vocals from the stage. People we happy to be at MSG with the band after so many years absent.
What a set list!?!? Interesting, with lots of psychedelic classics. Lots of nostalgia. I realized at the end that the “newest” song they played was Shakedown, which is over 30 years old now. (BTW I called Shakedown about two thirds of the way through China Cat; there must’ve been hints since I believe that that’s a relatively random combination… but I felt it in my soul as a “WWWPD” moment. By the way that’s “what would Weird People do?”) [Tony's note: Weird People was the band Jason played in at our college.]
Bobby’s vocals seemed weak. He often wasn’t singing, it was more like he was doing some sort of “I’m a little short of breath” scatting. But then again it was him or Phil…
Anytime Warren sang or played a lead it was a highlight and it felt like a sudden surge from an I.V. drip of energy for the band and audience alike. In terms of other new blood in the band, I really would have liked to hear a lot more of the keyboardist. His solo on Sugaree was good (the song was probably the night’s highlight) and lit up the crowd, but was ultimately a bit derivative. I’d love to see someone on keys to rival Warren in terms of energy and creativity… someone who can inject some new creative energy to the band, rather than play it safe and continue the status quo, which seems like it’s a little tired and lagging, in general, based on the MSG show and other recent Dead shows I’ve listened to online.
Sugaree was the highlight of the night.
He’s Gone was the unofficial “remember Jerry” moment of the first set for the audience.
I had never seen Born Cross Eyed, The Eleven, or Gimme Shelter live before. So that was some good icing on the cake of a solid evening. Gimme Shelter cooked and was pretty hard-hitting and bad-ass by mellow Dead standards.
Ultimately a really great show and I was inspired to see them on future return visits to the city.
Set list below:
--Set 1--
Cosmic Charlie
China Cat Sunflower>
Shakedown Street
Ship Of Fools
He's Gone
Cassidy
Sugaree
--Set 2--
Drums>
Space/Cryptical Envelopment>
Other One>
Born Cross Eyed>
St Stephen>
The Eleven>
Uncle John's Band>
Unbroken Chain>
Gimme Shelter>
One More Saturday Night
--Encore—
Brokedown Palace
"
For another perspective, here is the review from Reuters news service: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090427/music_nm/us_music_dead_3.
Monday, April 27, 2009
review of The Dead - 4/22 - Wilkes-Barre, PA
This review is from a college friend, Joe C., who lives in Scranton PA.
Thanks for the review, Joe. I like to hear from someone whose opinion I trust. The reviews on the Philzone tend to fall into the categories of "Bobby sucks, Phil is a god whose every note is full of immortal grace", "You youngsters missed the boat and they suck without Jerry", and "If you can't enjoy every note of every show, sell your tickets, ... you ungrateful bastards". Though the reviews of the show over the last weekend seemed better and without the usual sniping.
I went onto the Deadlists site and checked out an image of the ticket for the Grateful Dead's last arena show in '95. The price was $27.50. If they had increased only on inflation, in 2008 dollars, that would be $38. So they went up about 250%. I'm just sayin'. But the shows are close to sold out from everything I read, so I guess they didn't charge too much to sell out.
Here's Joe's review:
"Great show!!! Worth the effort and expense! By far the most enjoyable post Jerry experience.
As we drove into the venue (I went with Dave and Charlie from my band, the Hellbenders) we were greeted by political type yard signs that read (No Tailgating!!!). The persons who placed the signs must have been referring to the restriction only applying to that particular location because the parking lot was as festive as a Spring Tour parking lot should be. All the hallmarks of a Grateful Dead concert were accounted for: dogs, check (it is called empathy boneheads, ask someone else to watch your dog); young children, check (ditto on the empathy point); freaks, check (it would not be a freak show without them); and of course people leaching off the band selling their various wares. A shakedown street was well established much to my surprise given how uptight the cops are around here concerning tail gating. It never ceases to surprise me the effect of smell to conjure memories. The scent of oils, incense, and grilled meat sticks provided an authentic atmosphere despite the strip mall wasteland setting of the venue.
No opening act. The band started approximately twenty minutes behind advertised schedule. They opened with Mr. Charlie. Spirited, up tempo and funky. Warren lead the way on vocals (Warren is carrying a lot of water for the boys and that is no bad thing!). One of the true highlights of the evening. The stick to the roof of your mouth licks which splattered from the glorious teal Gibson Thunderbird of Warren proved that he had no interest in jamming a square peg into a round hole. Also, Warren stuck to good ol Fender 60s era tube amplification. Good choice leaving that boutiquey shit he normally plays at home!
Tune number two was a strong Stagger Lee. This glorious tune about female empowerment missed Jerry/s whimsical travis picking. But, the song was well performed, none the less. Bobby did a fine job delivering the vocals, not so much on remembering them or reading them of his touch sensitive teleprompter.
Next was Liberty. Very strong. A more authoritative rendition compared to the lethargic versions of the GD.
Candyman was certainly a welcome treat, despite vocal flubs and a few miscues. Miscues occurred more often than your typical GD show which I attribute to lack of practice and the insanely large song list they are showcasing this tour.
Me and my Uncle was stupendous and had that old school feel. I cannot wait for the recording.
Built to Last received a surprisingly warm reception from the audience. This is another one of those songs from the last batch that did not receive its due. Warren pumped it full of new life. It really benefitted from the energy they put behind it.
Tennesee Jed was another highlight of the evening. In other post versions of the band, I had the distinct sense that Phil and Bobby were trying to fill the void. They now seem comfortable in assuming their traditional roles and letting Warren do his thing. This approach is helping the music. Warren is respectful, but not subservient. He always served the music and regularly initiated themes that changed the jam.
Strong Dire Wolf set ender. Very, very good. Felt like old times.
Second set opened with a brisk Golden Road. Lots of jamming and exploration.
Phil initiated what turned out to be Revolution, but got stepped on by Bobby. Phil did not veil his displeasure. Bobby relented and started the song proper. The early frustration translated into a spirited rendition that satisfied all. Phil sounded stupendous during the entire show. His tone was astral. His playing was aggressive.
Weather Report (Part 1) was a big surprise (especially since there was no Let it Grow to follow). Intro seemed shaky. The tune proper was beautiful. Bobby sounded great.
Excellent Aiko. Most of the crowd did not know their part. Super jamming. Bobby mustered every verse he could (and flubbed one miserably).
Drumz was drumz. I heard much ballywho about the new drum themes Mickey and Billy had worked out. I could not tell. Sounded like Drumz. Wear protection. It got way loud. My chest was vibrating in row seventeen.
Space was good, but I have a great love of abstract music.
Caution (Do not stop on tracks) was excellent. Warren shined. Much jamming and exploration throughout the entire second set. It was incredibly satisfying to watch the band explore and discover. They are surely a new band. Sometimes the jamming was so extended that I got the sense that many in the crowd were longing for a song. They were obviously interested in the musical dialogue, and there was a curiosity that had long been absent in post Jerry jams.
So Many Roads, which I never really cared for, was a highlight of the night. These songs from the last batch benefitted from Warren and his powerful delivery. The solos were outstanding.
Midnight Hour was excellent. Lots of cool jamming. Extended ending jam. It felt like they were going elsewhere but they came back to it for an disastrous train wreck ending followed by a bearly passible do over. Thanks for sucking Bobby. I thought it was disappointing to end such a nice set on such a sour note.
Box of Rain encore was special. No more driving versions. It was light and airy with that psychedelic quality that I find so compelling. Worthy of the legacy.
Parting thoughts:Thanks so much to my sweet and beautiful wife, K, for the awesome tailgating feast. Her from scratch french loaf rules the lot!!
I cannot wait for Philly.
Better than a bad Grateful Dead show, but not in the same league of a good one.Warren must lose weight. He is bigger than Jerry. He needs to take care of himself to continue sharing his gift that he labored so hard to cultivate.
Great show. After 14 years since my last Grateful Dead show, I consider myself back on the bus.
Kudos to Bobby in his equipment choices. He historically has had bad taste when it comes to axes and amplification. Gibson ES335??? I am impressed."
Thanks for the review, Joe. I like to hear from someone whose opinion I trust. The reviews on the Philzone tend to fall into the categories of "Bobby sucks, Phil is a god whose every note is full of immortal grace", "You youngsters missed the boat and they suck without Jerry", and "If you can't enjoy every note of every show, sell your tickets, ... you ungrateful bastards". Though the reviews of the show over the last weekend seemed better and without the usual sniping.
I went onto the Deadlists site and checked out an image of the ticket for the Grateful Dead's last arena show in '95. The price was $27.50. If they had increased only on inflation, in 2008 dollars, that would be $38. So they went up about 250%. I'm just sayin'. But the shows are close to sold out from everything I read, so I guess they didn't charge too much to sell out.
Here's Joe's review:
"Great show!!! Worth the effort and expense! By far the most enjoyable post Jerry experience.
As we drove into the venue (I went with Dave and Charlie from my band, the Hellbenders) we were greeted by political type yard signs that read (No Tailgating!!!). The persons who placed the signs must have been referring to the restriction only applying to that particular location because the parking lot was as festive as a Spring Tour parking lot should be. All the hallmarks of a Grateful Dead concert were accounted for: dogs, check (it is called empathy boneheads, ask someone else to watch your dog); young children, check (ditto on the empathy point); freaks, check (it would not be a freak show without them); and of course people leaching off the band selling their various wares. A shakedown street was well established much to my surprise given how uptight the cops are around here concerning tail gating. It never ceases to surprise me the effect of smell to conjure memories. The scent of oils, incense, and grilled meat sticks provided an authentic atmosphere despite the strip mall wasteland setting of the venue.
No opening act. The band started approximately twenty minutes behind advertised schedule. They opened with Mr. Charlie. Spirited, up tempo and funky. Warren lead the way on vocals (Warren is carrying a lot of water for the boys and that is no bad thing!). One of the true highlights of the evening. The stick to the roof of your mouth licks which splattered from the glorious teal Gibson Thunderbird of Warren proved that he had no interest in jamming a square peg into a round hole. Also, Warren stuck to good ol Fender 60s era tube amplification. Good choice leaving that boutiquey shit he normally plays at home!
Tune number two was a strong Stagger Lee. This glorious tune about female empowerment missed Jerry/s whimsical travis picking. But, the song was well performed, none the less. Bobby did a fine job delivering the vocals, not so much on remembering them or reading them of his touch sensitive teleprompter.
Next was Liberty. Very strong. A more authoritative rendition compared to the lethargic versions of the GD.
Candyman was certainly a welcome treat, despite vocal flubs and a few miscues. Miscues occurred more often than your typical GD show which I attribute to lack of practice and the insanely large song list they are showcasing this tour.
Me and my Uncle was stupendous and had that old school feel. I cannot wait for the recording.
Built to Last received a surprisingly warm reception from the audience. This is another one of those songs from the last batch that did not receive its due. Warren pumped it full of new life. It really benefitted from the energy they put behind it.
Tennesee Jed was another highlight of the evening. In other post versions of the band, I had the distinct sense that Phil and Bobby were trying to fill the void. They now seem comfortable in assuming their traditional roles and letting Warren do his thing. This approach is helping the music. Warren is respectful, but not subservient. He always served the music and regularly initiated themes that changed the jam.
Strong Dire Wolf set ender. Very, very good. Felt like old times.
Second set opened with a brisk Golden Road. Lots of jamming and exploration.
Phil initiated what turned out to be Revolution, but got stepped on by Bobby. Phil did not veil his displeasure. Bobby relented and started the song proper. The early frustration translated into a spirited rendition that satisfied all. Phil sounded stupendous during the entire show. His tone was astral. His playing was aggressive.
Weather Report (Part 1) was a big surprise (especially since there was no Let it Grow to follow). Intro seemed shaky. The tune proper was beautiful. Bobby sounded great.
Excellent Aiko. Most of the crowd did not know their part. Super jamming. Bobby mustered every verse he could (and flubbed one miserably).
Drumz was drumz. I heard much ballywho about the new drum themes Mickey and Billy had worked out. I could not tell. Sounded like Drumz. Wear protection. It got way loud. My chest was vibrating in row seventeen.
Space was good, but I have a great love of abstract music.
Caution (Do not stop on tracks) was excellent. Warren shined. Much jamming and exploration throughout the entire second set. It was incredibly satisfying to watch the band explore and discover. They are surely a new band. Sometimes the jamming was so extended that I got the sense that many in the crowd were longing for a song. They were obviously interested in the musical dialogue, and there was a curiosity that had long been absent in post Jerry jams.
So Many Roads, which I never really cared for, was a highlight of the night. These songs from the last batch benefitted from Warren and his powerful delivery. The solos were outstanding.
Midnight Hour was excellent. Lots of cool jamming. Extended ending jam. It felt like they were going elsewhere but they came back to it for an disastrous train wreck ending followed by a bearly passible do over. Thanks for sucking Bobby. I thought it was disappointing to end such a nice set on such a sour note.
Box of Rain encore was special. No more driving versions. It was light and airy with that psychedelic quality that I find so compelling. Worthy of the legacy.
Parting thoughts:Thanks so much to my sweet and beautiful wife, K, for the awesome tailgating feast. Her from scratch french loaf rules the lot!!
I cannot wait for Philly.
Better than a bad Grateful Dead show, but not in the same league of a good one.Warren must lose weight. He is bigger than Jerry. He needs to take care of himself to continue sharing his gift that he labored so hard to cultivate.
Great show. After 14 years since my last Grateful Dead show, I consider myself back on the bus.
Kudos to Bobby in his equipment choices. He historically has had bad taste when it comes to axes and amplification. Gibson ES335??? I am impressed."
Friday, March 13, 2009
The Dead Give In
Hate to say I told you so but it looks like The Dead are having some trouble selling tix at the high prices they have asked for. Relix reports "The Dead has released some additional “specially priced” tickets for both its upcoming shows at East Rutherford, NJ’s Izod Center. As previously reported, The Dead will perform at the Meadowlands venue on April 28 and 29 as part of an extended spring tour. These new, more economically-friendly tickets will be available for a reasonable $53.00. The group’s tour is scheduled to kick off at Greensboro, NC’s Greensboro Coliseum on April 12."
Monday, January 12, 2009
The Dead Cash In
Got the ticket prices for The Dead and it looks like they have decided to cash in with top tickets of $100. When they were still Grateful, they used to keep the prices at a resonable level. Guess they need to restock that retirement fund after the market losses.
Shhhh. Listen. You can hear the backlash beginning amongst the Deadheads.
The Grateful Dead are, and always will be, one of my favorite bands. But for these prices, and the fact that I would have to travel to see a show (albeit only to C'ville), I have decided to pass on this tour. I can hit at least three shows locally at The National or Toad's with great bands in a more intimate setting for those prices.
Anyway, for your perusal, here are the shows for The Dead tour, along with the ticket prices. If you want to go, the presale starts on dead.net tomorrow and below are instructions for mail order.
The Dead, featuring Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann, joined by Warren Haynes and Jeff Chimenti, will play the following shows:
Sunday, April 12, 2009 at the Greensboro Coliseum
in Greensboro, NC. Reserved seats are available
at $93.00, $69.00 and $53.50 per ticket. Doors open at 6:00 PM. Showtime is 7:30 PM.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009 at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC. Reserved seats are available at $102.00 and $72.00 per ticket. Doors open at 5:30 PM. Showtime is 7:00 PM.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009 at the John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, VA. Reserved seats are available at $79.00 and $49.00 per ticket. Doors open at 6:00 PM. Showtime is 7:30 PM.
Friday, April 17, 2009 at the Times Union Center in Albany, NY. Reserved seats are available at $100.00 and $60.00 per ticket. Doors open at 6:00 PM. Showtime is 7:30 PM.
Saturday & Sunday, April 18 & 19, 2009 at the DCU Center in Worcester, MA. Reserved seats are available at $100.25 and $69.00. Doors open at 6:00 PM. Showtime is 7:30 PM.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009 at the HSBC Arena in Buffalo, NY. Reserved seats are available at $100.50 and $60.50 per ticket. Doors open at 6:00 PM. Showtime is 7:30 PM.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009 at the Wachovia Arena @ Casey Plaza in Wilkes-Barre, PA.
Reserved seats are available at $99.00 and $73.00 per ticket. Doors open at 6:00 PM.
Showtime is 7:30 PM.
Friday, April 24, 2009 at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, NY. Reserved seats are available at $102.00 and $57.00 per ticket. Doors open at 6:00 PM. Showtime is 7:30 PM.
Saturday, April 25, 2009 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, NY. Reserved seats are available @ $103.50 and $58.50 per ticket.
Doors open at 6:30 PM. Showtime is 7:30 PM.
Sunday, April 26, 2009 at the XL Center in Hartford, CT. Reserved seats are available at $102.00 and $72.00 per ticket. Doors open at 6:00 PM. Showtime is 7:30 PM.
Tuesday & Wednesday, April 28 & 29, 2009 at The IZOD Center in East Rutherford, NJ.
Reserved seats are available at $102.00 and $57.00 per ticket. Doors open at 6:00 PM.
Showtime is 7:30 PM.
Friday and Saturday, May 1 & 2, 2009 at Wachovia Spectrum in Philadelphia, PA. Reserved seats are available at $99.00 and $69.00 Reserved.
Doors open at 6:00 PM. Showtime is 7:30 PM.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009 at All State Arena in Chicago, IL. Reserved seats are available at $99.00 and $54.00 per ticket. Doors open at 6:00 PM. Showtime is 7:30 PM.
Thursday, May 7, 2009 at the Pepsi Center in Denver, CO. Reserved seats are available at $98.50 and $63.50. Doors open at 6:00 PM.
Showtime is 7:30 PM.
Saturday, May 9, 2009 at The Forum in Los Angeles, CA. Reserved seats are available at $89.00 Reserved and $53.50 Reserved. Doors open at 6:00 PM. Showtime is 7:30 PM.
Sunday, May 10, 2009 at Shoreline Amphitheatre In Mountain View, CA. Reserved seats are available at $105.00 Reserved and $45.00 Lawn. Doors open at 6:00 PM. Showtime is 7:30 PM.
The only mail in dates for these performances are January 13, 2009 through January 20, 2009. Orders will be filled on a first come, first serve basis by postmark, not when we receive them.
Please do not mail in before January 13th as your order will be disqualified.
4 ticket limit per person per show.
Taper tickets will be available for all shows on the tour except for Shoreline Amphitheatre where taping will be permitted on the lawn.
Taper tickets are available at the higher ticket price for each venue.
Taper tickets are limited to 2 per person per show.
To reduce our carbon footprint our new address to mail in for this tour is:
GDTS TOO
P.O. Box 456
Stinson Beach, CA 94970
Shhhh. Listen. You can hear the backlash beginning amongst the Deadheads.
The Grateful Dead are, and always will be, one of my favorite bands. But for these prices, and the fact that I would have to travel to see a show (albeit only to C'ville), I have decided to pass on this tour. I can hit at least three shows locally at The National or Toad's with great bands in a more intimate setting for those prices.
Anyway, for your perusal, here are the shows for The Dead tour, along with the ticket prices. If you want to go, the presale starts on dead.net tomorrow and below are instructions for mail order.
The Dead, featuring Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann, joined by Warren Haynes and Jeff Chimenti, will play the following shows:
Sunday, April 12, 2009 at the Greensboro Coliseum
in Greensboro, NC. Reserved seats are available
at $93.00, $69.00 and $53.50 per ticket. Doors open at 6:00 PM. Showtime is 7:30 PM.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009 at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC. Reserved seats are available at $102.00 and $72.00 per ticket. Doors open at 5:30 PM. Showtime is 7:00 PM.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009 at the John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, VA. Reserved seats are available at $79.00 and $49.00 per ticket. Doors open at 6:00 PM. Showtime is 7:30 PM.
Friday, April 17, 2009 at the Times Union Center in Albany, NY. Reserved seats are available at $100.00 and $60.00 per ticket. Doors open at 6:00 PM. Showtime is 7:30 PM.
Saturday & Sunday, April 18 & 19, 2009 at the DCU Center in Worcester, MA. Reserved seats are available at $100.25 and $69.00. Doors open at 6:00 PM. Showtime is 7:30 PM.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009 at the HSBC Arena in Buffalo, NY. Reserved seats are available at $100.50 and $60.50 per ticket. Doors open at 6:00 PM. Showtime is 7:30 PM.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009 at the Wachovia Arena @ Casey Plaza in Wilkes-Barre, PA.
Reserved seats are available at $99.00 and $73.00 per ticket. Doors open at 6:00 PM.
Showtime is 7:30 PM.
Friday, April 24, 2009 at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, NY. Reserved seats are available at $102.00 and $57.00 per ticket. Doors open at 6:00 PM. Showtime is 7:30 PM.
Saturday, April 25, 2009 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, NY. Reserved seats are available @ $103.50 and $58.50 per ticket.
Doors open at 6:30 PM. Showtime is 7:30 PM.
Sunday, April 26, 2009 at the XL Center in Hartford, CT. Reserved seats are available at $102.00 and $72.00 per ticket. Doors open at 6:00 PM. Showtime is 7:30 PM.
Tuesday & Wednesday, April 28 & 29, 2009 at The IZOD Center in East Rutherford, NJ.
Reserved seats are available at $102.00 and $57.00 per ticket. Doors open at 6:00 PM.
Showtime is 7:30 PM.
Friday and Saturday, May 1 & 2, 2009 at Wachovia Spectrum in Philadelphia, PA. Reserved seats are available at $99.00 and $69.00 Reserved.
Doors open at 6:00 PM. Showtime is 7:30 PM.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009 at All State Arena in Chicago, IL. Reserved seats are available at $99.00 and $54.00 per ticket. Doors open at 6:00 PM. Showtime is 7:30 PM.
Thursday, May 7, 2009 at the Pepsi Center in Denver, CO. Reserved seats are available at $98.50 and $63.50. Doors open at 6:00 PM.
Showtime is 7:30 PM.
Saturday, May 9, 2009 at The Forum in Los Angeles, CA. Reserved seats are available at $89.00 Reserved and $53.50 Reserved. Doors open at 6:00 PM. Showtime is 7:30 PM.
Sunday, May 10, 2009 at Shoreline Amphitheatre In Mountain View, CA. Reserved seats are available at $105.00 Reserved and $45.00 Lawn. Doors open at 6:00 PM. Showtime is 7:30 PM.
The only mail in dates for these performances are January 13, 2009 through January 20, 2009. Orders will be filled on a first come, first serve basis by postmark, not when we receive them.
Please do not mail in before January 13th as your order will be disqualified.
4 ticket limit per person per show.
Taper tickets will be available for all shows on the tour except for Shoreline Amphitheatre where taping will be permitted on the lawn.
Taper tickets are available at the higher ticket price for each venue.
Taper tickets are limited to 2 per person per show.
To reduce our carbon footprint our new address to mail in for this tour is:
GDTS TOO
P.O. Box 456
Stinson Beach, CA 94970
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Robert Randolph Review, The Dead return
Hey there, hi there, ho there. Hope everyone is having a good new year so far.
My New Year's party started a little early with Robert Randolph & The Family Band at The National on Wednesday, 12/30. My review may be a little sketchy at points. I tried to find a setlist for the show online but had no luck. I really should start to bring a notepad to take notes but its hard to write, drink a beer and dance at the same time.
RRFB started the show with a blues-funk number that didn't really take off until the jam at the end of the song when they went into a gospel groove and really got the crowd moving. The show was off and running, the crowd was ready to party and away we went. Some highlights of the show:
My New Year's party started a little early with Robert Randolph & The Family Band at The National on Wednesday, 12/30. My review may be a little sketchy at points. I tried to find a setlist for the show online but had no luck. I really should start to bring a notepad to take notes but its hard to write, drink a beer and dance at the same time.
RRFB started the show with a blues-funk number that didn't really take off until the jam at the end of the song when they went into a gospel groove and really got the crowd moving. The show was off and running, the crowd was ready to party and away we went. Some highlights of the show:
- the mostly instrumental version of "Jesus Is Just Alright With Me" (Doobie Brothers, Byrds), with Robert's slide guitar "singing" the lyrics.
- "Deliver Me", my favorite song from the latest album, with guest Richmond Dude #2 on guitar (more on him later).
- The jam of "Who Knows" > "Every Little Step" > gospel tune. Only Robert Randolph could pull off a Hendrix tune into a jazzed up instrumental version of a Bobby Brown (?!?) song into gospel and totally make it work.
- "Ain't Nothin' Wrong With That", another great song off of the latest album, to close the set. A guaranteed party anthem thanks to the cool handclaps and guitar riff.
- The encore jam including numerous references to Hendrix's "Voodoo Chile", an instrumental jam on Michael Jackson's "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" (with the crowd providing the "Mamma-say Mamma-sa Mamafusa" parts) mixing in the Red Hot Chili Peppers "Can't Stop".
- The bass player, Danyel Morgan, who kicked ass all night, laying down the funk and also providing falsetto back-up vocals.
Some mediocrelights, not really lowlights but stuff I could have done without.
- The band started to play "Shake Your Hips", the Rolling Stones/Slim Harpo song and invited ladies from the audience to dance on stage. As much as I like to see ladies dance, there always seemed to be one who wanted to feel up Robert as he was playing and he had to tell them in no uncertain terms to step back. This whole gimmick seemed more annoying to Robert and the band then inspiring. I've seen the band do this before and I assume this is a regular thing with them. It may have worked in a smaller place but it seemed to go on way too long and wasn't really pushing the band. It also didn't help that, as my friend Phil put it, "that ain't Richmond's finest dancing up there".
- Another gimmick when Robert (playing regular electric guitar) invited a dude up from the audience, we'll call him Richmond Dude #1, to accompany the band on guitar. Dude #1 was OK and they noodled around a little bit. Dude #1 got a good hand and I thought that would be it. But then Dude #2 was invited on stage. He was better than Dude #1 and seemed to blend with the band a little better. But then the band went into "Deliver Me" and Robert invited the Dude #2 to stay on stage. By this time, Dude#2 seemed to be overwhelmed by the experience and/or didn't know the song and he just faded into the background but was still kind of distracting. If they must do this, keep it to one dude. At least I know to go get a beer next time. It was no surprise that after the second gimmick was over, actually once they started"Deliver Me", the band seemed to kick into a higher gear for the rest of the show.
Overall, an excellent show, 3.5 out of 4 stars if you like stars.
In other news, the remaining members of the Grateful Dead have reformed as The Dead and will be doing a spring tour. They have a few shows near us: 4/12 in Greensboro NC, 4/14 in DC, 4/15 in Charlottesville. In fact, those are the first three shows of the tour. For more info, go here: http://dead.net/dead09. Or watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCB_GVjay8A. Pre-sale of tickets through dead.net starts on Tuesday, 1/13, then tickets go on sale nationwide on Friday, 1/23.
That's about it for this week. Have a great weekend!
Tony Jordan
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