The Dead - Philadelphia, PA (5/1)

The Bird and I got through Baltimore and Philly traffic on Friday to make it time to the Philadelphia Spectrum (or "Rectum" as the locals call it). They're going to tear down this building soon, so these 2 shows will be the first and last shows here for me.

We got to our seats just as the band kicked in with the first number "Playing in the Band", a great way to start the show! That morphed into a long nice jam, then they played "Mississippi Half Step Uptown Toodleloo". Then a slow and easy "Lazy River" with Warren taking a nice guitar solo. The next two tunes got the crowd energized again, "New Speedway Boogie" and "Shakedown Street". "Shakedown Street" finished acapella/funky soul style "Shake it down, shake it down now". Then a long jam that morphed into "Dupree's Diamonds" and they got the crowd jumping again with "Hard to Handle". On that one Warren took the lead vocals and it was more of a "Warren Haynes song" with the Dead backing (which was fine). Warren and Bobby did some guitar solo's back and forth, then they did "Friend of the Devil". Just like their television appearance on the The View, Phil sang the little extra verse at the end that Jerry never did for some reason.

You can borrow from the Devil
You can borrow from a friend
But the Devil give you twenty
When your friend got only ten

Then they reprised a really nice jazzy "Playing in the Band" to complete the circle and finish the set.

The Bird and I were in a section that was crowded (there was no security so guys would just stand in the aisles) so we decided to use the Intermission time to walk around and check out the view from behind the stage where one our tickets for tonight is located. Just like Madison Square Garden sitting behind the stage is pretty cool. It wasn't crowded at all, we were much closer and the sound was way better, and you get a great view of the drummers, which I really like. So we stayed there for the entire second set, which started with a slow jam of cascading notes that turned into "Jack Straw". Then "Alligator" and "Caution" with Warren handling the vocals. He plays the Pigpen role well in these types of tunes. Then a really long (again "jazzy" in my notes) with Phil playing a fast "walking bass" rhythm that kept it moving at a good pace. Space Jam and Drumz, always entertaining for me, if I haven't mentioned it before Jeff C. has been joining Billy and Mickey on Drumz providing some additional psychedelic sounds. The band came back out for "Loose Lucy" and "Comes A Time" which was played ballad style with Warren singing. Lots of Warren vocals in this show. Then they rocked to the finish line with "Cold Rain and Snow" and "Sugar Magnolia/Sunshine Daydream".

"Box of Rain" for the encore and it was over.

Going over it all again this morning, this description of the show reads much better than it felt last night to both us. We both felt like it was just a little "lackluster" although I can't point to any specific issues. On the ride up to Philly I pointed out that this was the first Dead show that the Bird and I have attended just as a couple, without a bunch of other folks. She reminded me of 2004 at Nissan (we met Wayne there), but I don't think that had anything to do with it. Though we did miss Davis.

Anyway, Jack the Wad will be joining us tonight and we'll do it all again! Stay tuned...

The Dead - New York City

I've always wanted to see a concert at Madison Square Garden and I'm so glad that I finally did. After a completely hellish week at work, Davis, the Bird, and I rode the Vamoose bus (only $25) from Bethesda straight up to NYC and it dropped us off right at Madison Square Garden. We had a reservation at the Hotel Pennsylvania directly across the street, so we go to check in. That was a super long wait, but after finally getting our room we headed down the street to Mustang Harry's for some drinks and food. They were playing Dead tunes on the stereo, the Yankees/Red Sox game was on the TV so all was good. The place was full of folks going to the concert.

As we headed to the venue I asked an obvious concertgoer if he would take a picture of us. He was rather hesitant but said OK, then I asked him to be sure to get the sign "Madison Square Garden" in the picture and he said, "I'm not your guy, see I'm basically legally blind." What are the odds that I would pick a blind guy to take our picture? Anyway the next guy I asked had all of his senses and I think he did a good job (see above).

Then it was on to the show. The place was sold out and packed, and everyone was in a Saturday night party mood. The Dead opened up with "Cosmic Charlie", some very nice harmonies and Phil looked animated and excited. Then "China Cat Sunflower" which morphed into a very nice jam. Then "Shakedown Street", again Bobby and Phil doing some great harmonies on the background vocals. The New York crowd was totally into it, "Don't tell me this town ain't got no heart". This was followed by "He's Gone", you can't help but think about Jerry when they sing this one (which we also saw them perform in Greensboro). Then "Cassidy" and a super long jam "Sugaree" to finish the first set. A special tip of recognition to Warren's guitar playing and singing on this one.

Mickey and Billy came out after the break and started with the drumz. I should mention that our seats were actually very close to the stage, but we were behind the stage.  This was an interesting vantage point, the sound was quite good and we could see Mickey and Billy particularly well. After Drumz, came "Cryptical Envelopment" which led into "Born Cross Eyed" and then "St. Stephen". Then came "The Eleven" and I swear just like in Charlottesville they mixed in about 10 seconds of "Foxey Lady". I wonder if anyone else is hearing that? That was followed by "Uncle John's Band" and a nice long "Unbroken Chain".  Then they rocked the house with "Gimme Shelter" a classic Stones tune, you could literally feel the floor moving up and down with the music. And finally "One More Saturday Night" to rock the show to a close. Their encore was a very tasteful "Brokedown Palace" to ease everyone back out into the night. 

All in all a great evening of Dead music, with each show it seems like they're getting better and better. I was most impressed this evening with their harmonizing vocals and, dare I say this, their vocals sounded "tight". Never a descriptor that I thought that I would use for the Dead, but there it is. These guys have been practicing and preparing for this tour and it shows. Another unique aspect of watching from behind the stage was that we had a good view of Jeff playing the Hammond organ (and he had a grand piano on the stage). He plays the Hammond as it should be played, almost like a percussion instrument the way he bangs on the keyboard with his open palms. This was also the first night that we heard several songs repeated from earlier shows, but several of them were performed in a very different manner.

You can get a little taste of the music by clicking on the songs below.

We Vamoosed back the next morning, spent just under 24 hours in New York and never left a 3 block area. This weekend it's back to back shows in the City of Brotherly Love!

The Dead 4/25/09 Madison Square Garden, New York, NY Click below to preview tracks from this show DOWNLOAD THIS SHOW

The Dead - Charlottesville, Va

So the day after seeing the Dead in DC, we journeyed back down Rt. 29 to Charlottesville to see them at the relatively new John Paul Jones Arena at UVA. Cousin John and his lovely wife Sandy hosted us, and despite the damp weather, we were able to have some drinks (Bubba!!!) and food on the tailgate before the show. FA and some of the guys from the Eastern Shore were there and they always make the scene fun.

The JPJ arena is a great place for concerts, small venue with very good sound, easy to get in and out, all in all a very nice experience. And the Dead rose again to the occasion, dipping into their extensive catalog and thus far they have not duplicated any songs. They started off with "New Speedway Boogie", "Bertha", and "High Time", then a song that I was not familiar with "Masons Children". Davis tells me this was never released on an album, but only as a single in the '60's. Then a very bluesy "Big Boss Man" and "Doing that Rag". The entire first set, except for the final song "Standing on the Moon" were originally recorded before 1971. Warren's slide guitar work really fits in nicely with these old tunes.

After the break, a very jammed out version of "Playing in the Band", a space jam that led into "St. Stephen", then more extended jamming. At several points both Bobby and Warren are playing slide guitar and I noted that the music had a very Allman Brothers like sound. I also think they did about 10 seconds of "Foxy Lady" in there, but that might have been Bubba talking to me. After "Half Step Mississippi" and "Lazy River" they reprised back into "Playing in the Band". I really like it when they bring you back to where they started with a reprise like that, they also did it in DC with "Dark Star". I should also complement these guys for obviously rehearsing their vocals/harmonies, there are spots in these shows when the preparation really shows. A rocking encore with "G-L-O-R-I-A". We retreated to the parking lot for more drinks and snacks until security kicked us out (politely I might add, checking that we had a designated driver). Thanks again to John and Sandy for letting us crash at their house. Now a week off before we head up to Madison Square Garden and the Big Apple!!!

The Dead - Washington, DC

The show and the venue had a very different feel in Washington compared to Greensboro. While in North Carolina it was a holiday weekend and there were lots of young folks and school aged kids, in DC it was a gray weekday evening and the Verizon Center filled up with lawyers and other downtown office workers.

The band started right on time with "Cassidy" and "Passenger". Phil sang "Pride of Cucamonga" which was a bit of a surprise to me. I didn't recognize "Easy Wind" but I could tell that Warren was trying to bring back the PigPen style with his blues rap. Then a kickass "Alabama Getaway" with Jeff Chimenti wailing on the Hammond B-3 followed by "Big Railroad Blues" to finish the set. This set was unique in that there was virtually no extended jams, just straight ahead songs, many of them older songs.

After the break I was thrilled to see them come out with acoustic instruments and they played "Peggy-O", "Glory Road" (a Warren Haynes song), and "A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall". That was truly sweet and just after I had wondered aloud about seeing some acoustic songs this year. Then they went into a very long extended space and drums jam that ultimately led into "Dark Star". The acoustics in the Verizon were very good which made this space jam exceptionally interesting to listen to. Then some tunes from Blues for Allah and a very nice rendition of Sugar Magnolia to finish off the set. Big surprise was Tipper Gore sitting in on percussion during Sugar Magnolia!!! It appears Al was on the side of the stage watching and having a good time.

The encore was "Uncle John's Band" and "Ripple", a great way to close a great show. I would have to say all in all this was one of the better Dead shows that I have seen, including with Jerry. It was a great mix of older songs and really nice space jams, the acoustic tunes will probably remain one of my favorite parts of the tour, and the sound was just right.

Fado's across the street provided us with a nice place to grab a couple of beers before the show and to wait out the Metro crowd after.

The Dead - Greensboro, NC

We arrived at Charlotte Airport from Jamaica at 2:30 Sunday afternoon, cleared customs and immigrations, retrieved our cars from the hotel parking lot and headed north to Greensboro to the Dead show. We were listening to the Dead Channel on XM radio, they had folks reporting from the parking lot and they were taking calls from fans going to the show, so the Bird called in, got on the air and updated the country on our status and excitement about seeing the Dead. According to the radio it was a quite a parking lot scene but by the time we arrived the show was starting.

The Greensboro Coliseum was my "local" venue for concerts when I was a teenager, Davis and I compared notes as we walked in, we've both seen a lot of good shows there over the years. My favorites might be Allman Brothers in the mid 1970's and Jethro Tull performing Passion Play in its entirety just after it was released. Davis and I both saw Led Zeppelin there in the late '70's. So it felt like old times when we walked and grabbed our seats just as the music was starting.

This first set of the tour I would call a "Greatest Hits" set. While they did stretch out some jams, mainly they just blasted straight ahead rocking tunes, including the "Music Never Stopped", "Jack Straw", "Touch of Grey", and "Truckin'". They also did a very nice "He's Gone". The crowd was totally into it, singing along on the verses, and making lots of noise. There were some problems with the sound system, which muddied up the vocals during the first set.

For the second set they started with a bouncing "Shakedown Street" and "All Along the Watchtower" then the space jams started. Or as Mickey says on one of the rehearsal videos, "It's time to crack open the jam jar"... They did a couple of old tunes ("Cosmic Charlie" and "New Potato Caboose") then finished it strong with Help is on the Way/Franklin's Tower/Slipknot.

The crowd was really loud and appreciative throughout the show, especially when Phil came out before the encore (which was "Samson and Delilah"). It was a good mix of young folks (including our teenagers, who enjoyed the show much more once we reshuffled the seats so the adults were on one side of the Coliseum and the kids were on the other side) and older Deadheads. The building was completely full of smoke (probably 3/4 cigarette and 1/4 ganja), classic North Carolina.

Each of the band members seemed excited and energized about getting back out on the road, Phil's vocals were the best that I have heard, Mickey and Bill were in top notch condition. Warren plays very well, he doesn't try to fill Jerry's shoes, he just brings his own style to the sound without dominating it.

All of us had a great time, I think that it was an excellent tour launch, plenty of energy and a good rockin' show. I remarked to the Bird that it would be nice to hear them play acoustically sometime (my appetite was whetted by the appeance on "The View" the other day). After spending the night at a lovely Hyatt Place, we loaded the car and headed north to Maryland...

Runaway Bay, Jamaica

Been so busy after returning from our annual spring break "Power Off/Reset" trip to Runaway Bay, I haven't had time to provide any updates. We had a great time as always. From a music point of view we listened to everyone's iPod through the AR Partners that Wayne was gracious enough to provide for the week. The most tasty treat that I found on Davis' iPod was a 3 disc compilation by Peter Tosh called "Honorary Citizen". Some great live tracks their as well as super studio stuff.

We didn't really see any live music this week but we did get to Flavours a few nights to hear some Jamaican DJ's. Flavours is right on the beach just 100 yards from our villa, you can sit at tables outside and hear the local tunes through a nice house sound system. Great drinks and they serve good food too. Thursday night Wayne and Davis caught the DJ competition, but I was unable to make it. They reported that it was a big crowd and you could look over each DJ's shoulder as he worked his laptop (it's all done on laptops now, who knew?).

The most surreal experience was Friday night, when we went across the street (only 1 block) to a relatively new club called Jamaica-Jamaica Club. Clifford is the owner, we've known him for nearly 20 years, he's always been an ambitious business man (he used to own the glass bottom boat that we would take on diving trips) and now he has invested what must be a huge amount of money in this club, 4 levels (including the open air roof), top notch sound system, with 2 VIP rooms and 2 separate bars (Retro Room and Jazz Lounge). When we went in there were no patrons but plenty of folks working and the music was cranking. Clifford assured us that "folks were coming later" but after a couple of beers and watching Davis disappear in a cloud generated by the smoke machine we cleared out. You can check it out at www.club-jamaicaJamaica.com. Flavours with the open air and direct access to the beach is more my speed.

So a great time playing golf, eating, drinking, swimming, and hanging with the kids. Also very restful in anticipation of the Dead '09 tour which began immediately on our return and is the subject of my next post.

March 29 - Children's Hospital Benefit at the Greene Turtle

There were a number of bands playing last Sunday night at the Greene Turtle in Germantown. The event was a charity fundraiser for Children's Hospital. We timed our arrival in order to see The Lost Highway because the Boy's drum teacher (Paul Goldstein) is their drummer. They were quite good playing a mix of rocking blues. The crowd was mostly old folks (i.e. my age) but the Bird enjoyed seeing many of her former students who were employees there. Special surprise was when Flatfoot Sam joined the band onstage for a tune.  All in a great time, once again local music needs to be supported (especially when it's for a good cause).  

We're off to our annual Spring Break in Jamaica, perhaps we'll catch some music down there, either DJ's, toasters or like last year a car stereo competition on the beach. Mainly we'll be resting up for the Dead tour which starts a few hours after our plane touches down on our return in North Carolina. I hope to be providing frequent updates on the tour, so keep watching this space. 

Eric Brace and Peter Cooper @ St. Mark's Church

The Institute of Musical Traditions hosts a concert every Monday night at the St. Mark's Presbyterian church in Rockville. I went for the first time last Monday to join my 50 year old brother and his lovely wife to see Eric Brace and Peter Cooper perform. Eric and Peter are singer/songwriter guitar players and they have just released an album cleverly called "You Don't Have to Like Them Both".

Eric used to write nightclub reviews for the Weekend section of Washington Post (how do I get that job?), and at the same time he was the front man for the roots rock band Last Train Home. That became a conflict of interest, so he quit the paper gig and moved to Nashville to become a full time musician. There he met Peter Cooper, also a journalist/musicians, and through a series of "disc jockey parties" where they shared musical interests a duo was born.

Good fortune for us, this duo became a quartet on Monday, when Kevin Cordt (trumpet) and Mike Auldridge (dobro virtuoso) sat in for most of the show. Yes you read that correctly, trumpet. Kevin also plays for Last Train Home and provided an interesting jazz vibe on top of the country/Americana songs that Eric and Peter played. Mr. Auldridge has more skill, knowledge, and talent in his little finger when it comes to playing the dobro (or resophonic guitar) than most guys playing the instrument today (Fred S. being excepted). And in the second set he moved over to the pedal steel guitar and that was even sweeter.

But Eric and Peter were the stars of the show and they performed a mix of original songs (many from the new album) and covers (including tunes from Bob Dylan, Seldom Scene, and Last Train Home). Between songs they told lots of funny stories and overall it was a great 2 hours of music and fun. Original tunes included songs about Mt. Denali (not McKinley), Hank Aaron, and a really good one (Lucky Bones) cowritten with my main man Jim Lauderdale during a late night partying session.

The venue is an interesting one, it's a general purpose room with a high ceiling and excellent acoustics, I would guess seating for 150 or so and they serve snacks, coffee, tea and soda. A little weird checking out the tunes with no alcohol, but hey it's a Monday night. $20 to get in, but a chunk of that money goes to the church and the Institute.

I would love to see these guys again, and I may just pick up that CD (I like 'em both!).

Happy Birthday Ed, thanks for inviting me.

The Fabulous Dialtones at the EndZone in Gaithersburg

Great turnout last night at the EndZone in Old Town Gaithersburg to see the Fabulous Dialtones. This a band that plays "Classic Rock for the New Millenium" as well as a few originals. They are fronted by Tony Bardo, who during the day is the Vice President of Government Sales where I work at Hughes Network Systems. Many of the musicians used to work together at MCI (thus the genesis of the name). 

Tony and his crew started off with a more acoustic set that included some very nice harmonizing on some CSNY tunes, then were joined by a 4 piece horn section and began to really rock the joint. Faithful renditions of many familiar classics that got the crowd off their seats an onto the dance floor. 

Earlier in the day I was listening to "Hell in a Bucket" by the Grateful Dead, which starts off with the line "I was drinking last night with a biker, and I showed him a picture of you". Last night's crowd was about 50/50 bikers and Hughes employees, and I think we showed those bikers a good picture of the old Hughes spirit (work hard/play hard), which seems to be too focused on the first half of that equation these days. 

Tony and the Fabulous Dialtones certainly helped us "enjoy the ride" last night and I look forward to seeing them again.

Final note to self, I'll have to keep an eye on the EndZone's live music calendar (you can see it here), I wished I had seen Jah Works there last week. We need more local live music.

The only live music we've seen in 2009 is DSO (described earlier) on New Year's Eve and City Farm on January 31. City Farm put on a fine performance, perhaps inspired by the large Danville contingency that was there. Nevertheless it's been 4 weeks and I'm starting to suffer withdrawals from not seeing any live music. Railroad Earth is playing on 3/17 at the Birchmere so that may provide the relief that I need.  We saw RRE 4 times in 2008 and each performance was unique and quite tasty. The Birchmere is one of my favorite venues, so 3/19 is looking good.

I heard on SiriusXM the "Outlaw Country" channel "Snake Farm" by Ray Wylie Hubbard followed by "Choctaw Bingo" by James McMurtry. Two cool songs that have a common feel. Check it out.