Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, and Warren Haynes (acoustic)
5/11/09 – KFOG Studios – San Francisco, CA
Cassidy
Deep Elem Blues
Glory Road
Friend Of The Devil
Lazy River Road
I Know You Rider
Videos of Cassidy, Deep Elem, and Friend of the Devil:
The Dead – “Cassidy” from KFOG on Vimeo.
The Dead – “Deep Elum Blues” from KFOG on Vimeo.
The Dead – “Friend of the Devil” from KFOG on Vimeo.
Skip ahead 18 years from the Dead’s 78′ run discussed here yesterday – into a new generation, new scene, new band – and check out this magical 4-night Phish run (!) at Red Rocks in the summer of 96′. These shows happen just as the Phish scene is exploding, from a minority phenomenon to a household name. The fanbase is growing and taking on a culture and language of its own. For instance, the crowd initiates an audience chant in Harry Hood through fliers passed out before the show – this ritual remains today and you’ll hear it any Hood post 96′. You can really feel the excitement coming out of this newly blooming community in these shows – the band and the audience are locked in and just mutually lifting the scene to a higher level. Anyway, nuff’ bullshit – let’s get on with the shows:
8/04/96
08-04-96 Red Rocks Amphitheater, Morrison CO
1: Chalk Dust Torture, Funky Bitch, Guyute, Fee, Split Open and Melt, The Mango Song, The Sloth, Maze, Loving Cup
2: AC/DC Bag-> Reba-> Scent of a Mule, Sample in a Jar, David Bowie, Sweet Adeline, Slave to the Traffic Light
E: Star Trek Theme*, Rocky Top
*Page, solo on Theremin.
Download link part 1
Download link part 2
8/05/96 Mini-Acoustic Set
08-05-96 Red Rocks Ampitheater, Morrison, CO
1: Wilson, Poor Heart, Guelah Papyrus, The Divided Sky*, Wolfman’s Brother, Foam, If I Could, Julius, The Squirming Coil
2: Also Sprach Zarathustra, Down With Disease-> It’s Ice, Halley’s Comet-> Somewhere Over the Rainbow**, Waste^, Talk^#, Train Song^, Strange Design^, Amazing Grace, Mike’s Song-> I Am Hydrogen-> Weekapaug Groove
E: Cavern
*During the silent part, everyone sat down by instruction of the “Group Crowd Ideas at Red Rocks” flier. **Page, solo on Theremin. ^Page on a smaller piano, Trey on acoustic guitar, Mike on acoustic bass, and Fishman on a smaller drum set (the “acoustic mini-stage”). #First time played.
Download link part 1
Download link part 2
Download link part 3
08-06-96 Red Rocks Ampitheater, Morrison, CO
Fishman
2: The Curtain-> Tweezer**, Prince Caspian, A Day in the Life, Big Black Furry Creature From Mars, Purple Rain, Harry Hood#-> Tweezer Reprise
E: Johnny B. Goode
*Contained “This is Red Rocks, This is the Edge” (referring to U2’s live album “Under a Blood Red Sky”), by Trey. **With “Norwegian Wood” jam. #First appearance of the “Hood!” chant after the band sings “Harry,” which was initiated by flyers passed out at the show.
Download link part 1
Download link part 2
Trey
08-07-96 Red Rocks Ampitheater, Morrison, CO
1: Punch You in the Eye, Sparkle, Stash, Ya Mar*, Gumbo, Taste, Lawn Boy, Years**, Ode to a Dream**, Doin’ My Time**
2: Runaway Jim***, Free, Colonel Forbin’s Ascent-> Famous Mockingbird, Possum, Life on Mars, You Enjoy Myself, Hello My Baby
E: Bouncing Around the Room, Golgi Apparatus
*Trey thanks the audience, salutes two-time Olympic gold medalist and Colorado native swimmer John Olson and announces that a special guest will come out later in the set. **First time played; with Tim O’Brien on mandolin, bouzouki, and lead vocals. O’Brian is a former member of Hot Rize (see 11-16-97). ***With “Gypsy Queen” jam.
Download link part 1
Download link part 2
Download link part 3
In anticipation of Phish’s triumphant return to Red Rocks this summer, let’s look back on some of the classic runs that helped give this historic venue its name.
First, the Dead hit Red Rocks for two nights in July of 78′ – their first of two two-night stands at Red Rocks that summer. These are two great shows, each with monster 2nd set jam sequences and amazing song selection. The band had really hit a groove with Keith and were settling into their new found fame and arena sellouts nicely in the summer of 78′ and it shows on these bootlegs.
7-07-78 ~ Red Rocks Amphitheater ~ Morrison, CO
Set 1: Jack Straw, Candyman, Me & My Uncle->Big River, FOTD, Cassidy, Tennessee Jed,Passenger,Fenario, Music Never Stopped
Set 2: Cold Rain & Snow, BIODTL, Scarlet Begonias->Fire on the Mountain, Dancin in the Streets->Family Drums->Not Fade Away->Black Peter->Around & Around
Encore: US Blues, Johnny B Goode
7-08-78 ~ Red Rocks Amphitheater ~ Morrison, CO
Set 1: Bertha->Good Lovin, Dire Wolf, El Paso, The Roses, Minglewood Blues, Ramble on Rose, Promised Land, Deal
Set 2: Samson & Delilah, Ship of Fools, Estimated Prophet->The Other One->Eyes of the World->Family Drums->Wharf Rat->Franklins Tower->Sugar Magnolia
Encore: Terrapin Station->One More Saturday Night, Werewolves of London
Download 7/7 AUD recording
Download 7/8 AUD recording
Strem 7/7 SBD
Stream 7/8 SBD
The Dead ~ 5/10/09 ~ Shoreline ~ Mountain View, CA
Hangin' pre-show - 5/10
Set 1: Help on the Way > Slipknot! > Franklin’s Tower, Good Lovin’, Cassidy, Bird Song > Uncle John’s Band
Set 2: Unbroken Chain> The Other One > Drums > Space > Sugaree, Gimme Shelter > Sugar Magnolia
Encore: St. Stephen > The Eleven > Touch of Grey
"Hey y'all" - 5/10
Chimenti's 'O' face - 5/10
Billy's tripped out kit - 5/10
The Dead also got a fire-dancing troupe to join in during the drums sequence. Mickey and Billy are clearly lovin’ it – I can only imagine witnessing this first hand. For those of us not in attendance, enjoy this vid:
Let’s give a nod to some of the greatest guitar players of our time: First, more from the L.A. Forum where the Dead layed down a solid showing last night. In this bootleg, Eric Clapton performs with Joe Cocker, Carlos Santana, and Keith Moon. This is a widely circulated and revered bootleg and is a must have for all collectors.
Clapton, Cocker, Santana, Moon – 8/14/75 – L.A. Forum
Stormy Monday
Can’t Find My Way Home
Carnival
Further on up the Road
Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door
Layla
Tell the Truth
Download part 1
Download part 2
In this vid, Eric Clapton teams up with Jeff Beck for a blazing take of Sly and the Family Stone’s ‘I Want to Take You Higher’ at the Saitama Super Arena, Japan. They nail’ it – I’m amazed at Clapton’s guitar playing – he maintains a level of technical expertise unlike so many of the greats from his generation. Clapton is a true master of the trade:
Next Santana and Derek Trucks rip up the classic ‘Get out my Life Woman’, with a nice ‘Who Knows’ (Hendrix) tease thrown in for good measure. Santana goes fuckin’ nuts around the 6:00 minute mark – and I LIKE it! Derek Trucks stands up to the test and lays down some monster licks himself:
It wouldn’t be a guitar gods exhibit without Trey, so, check out this beautiful and euphoric Trey Anastasio Band performance from Bonnaroo 2002, Trey’s first time at Bonnaroo. This is the peak of Trey’s solo band career, a magical moment no doubt for band and audience alike. Trey is on top of his game, and the power of his 15 piece band is unbelieveable:
Lastly, Jimi Hendrix welcomes Jim Morrison as a special guest. Hendrix’s guitar playing is top notch and Morrison is clearly extremely intoxicated. All in all, quite an amusing and fun show:
Jimi Hendrix w/ Jim Morrison
3/07/68
New York, NY
1. Red House
2. Wake Up This Morning And You Find Yourself Dead
3. Bleeding Heart
4. Morrison’s Lament
5. Tomorrow Never Knows
6. Uranus Rock
7. Outside Woman Blues
8. Sunshine of Your Love
The Dead ~ 5/09/09 – The Forum ~ Los Angeles, CA
05/09/09
The Forum
Set 1:
Viola Lee Blues >
Bertha >
Viola Lee Blues >
Caution (DSOTT) >
Viola Lee Blues
Black Peter
Cosmic Charlie
Set II:
Shakedown Street >
New Speedway >
Scarlet Begonias >
Fire >
Drums >
Space >
Dark Star >
Wharf Fat >
Dark Star
Satisfaction
Encore:
One More Saturday Night
Phil, Bobby, and Warren - 5/09
In other news, I’ve heard from my sources that Phil Lesh has booked his annual fall residency at the Nokia Theater in Times Square, NYC. Phil has said that he’s taking the summer off so we’ll just have to wait til the fall to get our Phil!
Phil - 5/09
Also, for the statisician and Dead nerds out there, check out this running list of songs played this tour with their associated number of times played – download word file with the stats here.
Lights - 5/09
We all have our highs and lows – Trey is no different.
Exhibit A – Phish’s millennium concert at Big Cypress was, without question (at least according to the band) the high point of Phish’s career. The band delivered the following monster show including a new years set from 11:00 PM to 7:00 AM the next morning when the sun rose:
Set I
Runaway Jim
Funky Bitch
Tube
I Didn’t Know
Punch You in the Eye
Bouncing Around the Room
Poor Heart
Roggae
Split Open and Melt ->
Catapult
Back on the Train
Horn
Guyute
After Midnight
Set II (Midnight -> Sunrise set)
Father Time bicycling intro
Meatstick ->
Auld Lang Syne
Down with Disease ->
Llama
Bathtub Gin
Trey’s message for peace
Heavy Things
Twist ->
Prince Caspian >
Rock and Roll
You Enjoy Myself
Crosseyed and Painless
The Inlaw Josie Wales
Sand ->
Quadrophonic Toppling
Slave to the Traffic Light
Albuquerque
Reba
Axilla
Uncle Pen
David Bowie
My Soul
Page & Mike intro jam >
Drowned ->
After Midnight Reprise
The Horse >
Silent in the Morning
Bittersweet Motel
Piper ->
Free
Lawn Boy
HYHU >
Love You >
HYHU
Roses are Free
Bug
Harry Hood intro tease
Wading in the Velvet Sea
Meatstick
Outro
Download Links (10 parts):Part 1,Part 2,Part 3,Part 4,Part 5,Part 6,Part 7,Part 8,Part 9,Part 10
Exhibit B – Phish’s last song before the breakup – The Curtain from their disastourous Coventry festival. After his little speech, he suspiciously seems to blow something at 0:50, the resulting near death/coma like look he gives at 2:40 is downright scary. It makes this phan happy the man’s still alive and playing, it’s clear he was really out there:
Exhibit C – Nuff’ said:
Exhibit D – Fast-forward a few years to the Hampton reunion, night 3, opening sequence of Sanity > Wilson. Trey seems like a new man, rejuvenated, playing crisply, not looking like a ghost, and generally enthused with the band:
Let’s hope that Trey and keep his shit together for the upcoming summer tour – Phish has more potential for both magic and disaster right now than probably any time in their career. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that Trey will melt faces this summer, just not his own.
The Dead
5/07/09
The Pepsi Center ~ Denver, CO
Bobby, Billy, and Mickey - 5/09
Set I:
Feel Like A Stranger
Casey Jones
Loser
Easy Wind
Crazy Fingers
Lost Sailor >
St. of Circumstance
Set II (Mini Acoustic Set):
Deep Ellum Blues
Me & My Uncle
Whiskey In A Jar
The Weight
“Happy Birthday Billy” flashing on the video screens
Mini Acoustic Set
set III:
Space >
Happy Birthday (for Billy K.)
Ramble On Rose
King Solomon’s Marbles >
Space >
Drums >
China Doll
Cumberland Blues
Not Fade Away
Encore:
Ripple
Drums:
Let’s mix it up a bit with some recent news tidbits, some bootlegs, and some video. As they say, “variety is the spice of life”:
First, the All Good Festival announced their Daily Lineup which looks like a lot of fun, though admittedly a bit cheesy and poppy. For some reason, they seemed to have packed a lot of the best acts into Sunday’s lineup. Why they wouldn’t give DSO, BK3, or Tea Leaf Green main day or late night shows is beyond me. In any case, check it out, July 9-12 at Marvin’s Moutaintop in Masontown, West Virginia.
In Dead news, Jambase put out this review of The Dead’s 5/02/09 final performance at the Philadelphia Spectrum. They’re got some nice pics, but I don’t think this review holds up to the one offered up here. 
Also, The Dead released a series of new videos from their 09′ tour. They picked some choice moments for the musical segments of these vids, definitely worth a watch. One of the 2 most recent videos feature Branford Marsalis offering up a fresh perspective on the Dead, their approach to the music, and the repetoire while the other has Bob Weir embarrassing himself with an attempt at human speech. The mindless dribble that comes out of his mouth these days is only second to his “rhythm guitar”. The dead kick off the closing west coast leg of their 09 tour today with a stop in Colorado. Rider, anyone?
Elsewhere this week, Phish’s Trey Anastasio was on Capitol Hill lobbying for drug courts… His choice of words was a bit cryptic: “I’m a recovering alcoholic and a proud graduate of the Washington drug court program”. Let me translate for you: I’m a recovering alcoholic who still loves oxy and blow! To read between the lines yet one layer further, I think what the frontman is really trying to say is ‘Don’t do drugs… Except of course on the upcoming sold out Phish tour!’
Moving on to something we really dig over here – let’s check out some bootlegs from the 70’s when, according to Branford, ‘Things were just easy’.
First, some Peter Tosh from the nation’s capital in 79:
Peter Tosh
Washington D.C.
3/13/79
1 400 Years/Steppin Razor
2 Pick Myself Up/African
3 Burial
4 Soon Come
5 I’m The Toughest/Bush Doctor
6 Don’t Look Back
7 Get Up Stand Up
8 Legalize It
Download Link 1
Download Link 2
Second, dig this show from Jerry and the late, great Merl Saunders in Palo Alto in 73′:
Jerry Garcia and Merl Saunders
5/04/73
Homer’s Warehouse
Palo Alto, CA
Set 1:
That’s The Touch I Like
Expressway
instrumental>
AfterMidnight>
It’s No Use
That’s All Right Mama
Set 2:
It Takes A Lot To Laugh It Takes A Train To Cry
Honey Chile
Lonely Avenue
instrumental
Georgia On My Mind
The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down
How Sweet It Is
Finally, let’s time travel ahead 20 years and close things out on a trippy note with some great-sounding Floyd from the Knebworth Festival, 1990:
Pink Floyd
6/30/90
Knebworth Festival, Knebworth, England,
1 Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Part 1-5)
2 The Great Gig In The Sky
3 Wish You Were Here
4 Sorrow
5 Money
6 Comfortably Numb
7 Run Like Hell
For a second encore, and one well worth it, check this Jerry and friends vid featuring Baba Olatunji, Carlos Santana, Hamza el-Din, Bobby Vega, Sikiru Adepoju, and others in California, 1987. Santana rips the shit out of this Fire and the rhythm secion is not to be messed with:
5/5/09 - All State Arena
Set 1:
Dancing In The Streets
Tennessee Jed
Golden Road (to Unlimited Devotion)
Mr. Charlie
They Love Each Other
Touch of Grey
Weather Report Suite
Set 2:
Truckin’
Throwing Stones
Unbroken Chain
Drums
Space
Come Together
Hell In A Bucket
I Know You Rider
Encore:
Brokedown Palace
In other Dead news, the band recently launch an Iphone app – features includes streaming audio, photomosaics, and Twitter streams from EVERY show of the tour, plus much much more! Check it out…
Welcome To Now 