Grateful Dean

The amphitheater that will always be Star Lake got blasted by the blazing meteor known as Dead & Company last night.  No time was wasted getting things started and it was easy to hear Stranger from the first plucking of guitar strings. Once it began, we were off to the races. John proved that when you can play and you’re on a big stage, you can rock a whitebread Aunt Jemimah bandana on your head and get away with it. Brother may have looked like a southern woman doing housework but he was KILLIN it all night long. He was born to play shit like Easy Wind and when he’s playing within his natural space, he shines even brighter. Cassidy showed up early and West LA, a song that has sounded like it’s on life support with a morphine drip since FTW, seemed to be feeling a little better than usual. In case you needed more time to take it easy, Slow Jimmy followed. 

Cumberland is a tune that I’ve always loved and the elements that create the song put you right there at the mine. Many times my brain has observed the sound of workers in overalls pushing carts filled with the day’s labors. That tune paints pictures and feeds on itself continuously to produce vibrant jams that are emitted from a tightly wound center. The tension was maintained throughout and the happiness it generated moved from the stage outward and produced smiles that resembled the faces of lottery winners. Throwing Stones followed and for a tune that Weir sang to death in the late 80s and 90s it’s been a much more rare occurrence with Dead & Company. It’s a song that will be relevant until the end of time and it moved through its measures with authority and certainty.

Set Break gave everybody on the mud that was labeled “Lawn” on their ticket, a chance to wonder where the fuck they’re gonna sit down for an hour… There must have been a lot of brown asses walking out of that place.

The second set kicked off with the “Why the hell do we do this jam before Jack Straw jam?” into Jack Straw. Weir and Mayer were great and the song was given the full treatment. It was great to hear the background vocals a little better throughout the show. Back in the day,  I always loved songs that were typically first set songs played in the second set.  Second set Shakedowns, Half Steps, and Jack Straws always seemed to have more bite to em. 12/30/89 comes to mind with Jack Straw. Maybe I was just further down the rabbit hole by then…

As far as I’m concerned, any night that includes a Viola Lee Blues is a great night for me. The jams were off the hook and the band was pushing the limits of their abilities without ever losing control of the Magic they were producing. I think Viola usually ends sooner than I’d hope and it ended on the abrupt side of things. Viola Lee handed the moment off to the musical scrapbook of memories and inspirational quotes that is He’s Gone. It was the opportunity of the second set for deep thoughts and introspection.  Then The Wheel, that got scratched in Atlanta, made the cut surprisingly before drums. Bob Marley hijacked the middle of that one and the reggae vibe made it as interesting as the placement. I dig the reggae flavor in that one and I’m glad it returned. While they were switching things around a little bit, that continued when Oteil slammed out the intro to The Other One. The jams that ensued during the Other One were gnarly and twisted as fuck. There were times that it sounded like music that might accompany a video of people glued together and falling down a staircase made of cymbals in slow motion. Wild jams that lead into Drums with Mayer staying on stage for a little longer than usual trying to get a little percussive with his guitar. It reminded me of so many moments in the past when the band would get a little interesting laying down a jam before drums. I’d wait with anxiety listening for some kind of additional surprise to emerge. Just like back in those days, the only thing that emerged was drums. Drums was fantastic as usual.

The Other One got finished outta Space and Wharf Rat appeared where Wharf Rat pretty much always appears. The sound of the crowd singing the lyrics was impressive from the streams and kept Weir from getting too lost anywhere during the trip. If there’s anything at the moment that I’d really like to hear from Dead & Company, it’s a little bit of elevation in the harmonies. There are more capable voices up there than there has been in a long time and I’d like to hear them elevated a little bit. Those harmonies from Wharf Rats in years gone by hit me harder than a freight train. You know The ones… “Buuuuuut I’ll get baaaaaaaaaack… Onnnnnn my feeeeet somedaaaaaaaay” The voices of the guys up there right now are capable of some transcendental vocal stuff if they were being projected a little stronger.

Casey Jones was a strong finisher to a great night. They really lay down they High On Cocaine jam for that one. If there’s any doubt about the ability to play some stuff faster, Casey Jones removes that doubt. The train full of cocaine was in high gear to close that one. Liberty sends people to the lot or to bed with a pretty big smile on their face.

The chemistry I’m seeing and hearing from Dead & Company right now is as good as any I’ve seen from my favorite musicians so far. It’s hard to believe we’re already at the halfway point. It appears as though everybody is having a blast producing and providing an environment that everyone is having blast attending! The music is charged as are the people that are making it and the folks that are hearing it. Momentum continues after Star Lake as we head to Boston! Shit is gonna get even better there! I’m personally as excited as I can be to get off of the couch and into the soup! I’ll be driving north tomorrow to get a long awaited live fix of my life’s favorite pastime. If you’re able and anywhere even remotely close to Boston, I’d consider getting there ASAP. It’s going to be spectacular!

Dead To The Core,
Dean Sottile (pronounced So Tilly)

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