Tag Archives: Bob Weir

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Sunday night at MSG was a night filled with observations. My seats were outstanding(Thanks Bob!) in Section 107. I was in the same section on the opposite side for Halloween. My first observation was that it must be a little strange backstage. In both sections I was seated for these 2 shows, I was surrounded by people with laminates. It appears as though the J. Crew and Brooks Brothers Mafia is running things for Dead & Company. I’ve never seen a more unlikely bunch of folks wearing the Sacred Plastic Necklaces in Grateful Dead Land. The row in front of me looked like the cast from MTV’s Jersey Shore. I was wondering if they had spray tanning booths backstage… You know, just to freshen up a little. I’m fairly confident they didn’t score their lammies from Kreutzmann but ya never know.

The next observation was wondering if Weir has to have his britches hemmed or if they come that way. You get the impression that his biggest fashion influences are Huck Finn and Buckwheat. I guess it’s better than the Hooters waitress shorts of the 80s. Weir likes his shorts too short, his pants too short… If he likes writers that are too short maybe I can help him with the Biography. I understand as men get older our waists mystically disappear. Maybe his pants are actually the perfect length but nowadays he has to pull the waist up to just below his nipples to keep em on. A lot of older folks do that. I wish I would’ve gotten one of Bear’s Belt buckles back in the day when they were considerably less expensive. Back then I didn’t really get the whole belt buckle thing because I never wore a belt. What do you do with a buckle if you don’t do a belt? Now the second I go to tie my shoe laces my pants immediately descend slightly putting on a display of Levi cleavage if I’m not careful. Where the hell did my waist go? Now I realize that back then, Bear and the crew were pretty close to the age I’m at now and I completely understand the need for a belt. I think I drifted a little there, back to Weir. Bob can do whatever he wants now because he’s a famous legend. He might have never made it if he started his career in capris and sandals. The last man that was able to break through and make the big time all while wearing sandals was Jesus. There hasn’t been a man since that’s been able to do it. Seeing him wearing the Garcia shirt brought me all kinds of happiness. I can’t explain how I smiled inside every time the screens showed the close ups. I would have absolutely LOVED to see Garcia’s reaction if he did that when Jerry was alive! That would’ve made for some hilarious moments.

Dead Heads have long been familiar with the “Never miss a Sunday Show” mantra and the tradition has carried on with Dead & Company. I’m not gonna break the whole thing down song by song but everybody knows you’re getting Samson on Sunday and that was a raging way to get the party started. If you can’t jam out to Samson, then you just can’t jam out at all. That tune just gives everybody a chance to shine. It’s obvious how happy all of US are to hear Jeff Chimenti’s new prominent position in the mix. Jeff being turned up has completely changed the entire dynamic of the band. His Hammond was inflating the Garden with massive amounts of Joy Energy all night long. For me, Jeff makes an ENORMOUS difference in the combined vibration of this group. He is a driving force in the directions and colors of the experience. The next notable number for me was Sugaree. From the first notes, you knew that if there was a song that was right in John’s wheelhouse, this was the one. It really lends itself to his natural inclinations as a guitarist and I was certain it would get the complete treatment. About half way through it, John started nailing the shit out of that solo like it was “A” List celebrity poontang. The Garden erupted and the remnants of last night’s hangover were knocked off of the entire crowd in an instant. It was one of those jams that seems to make its way in a circular motion around the arena then hits you from behind like a tidal wave of furious sound. Absolutely blew the place away! That was truly a high water moment for me, along with Bob’s pants! The next moment of note from my experience was Uncle John’s. For the second time in as many nights, the band broke out into this reggae groove seemingly out of nowhere. They did that the night before during Cassidy as well. It fell perfectly back into Uncle J’s and on both occasions was a great addition the the tunes in which it occurred.

Uncle John’s was followed by the awkward moment of the night when only half the band thought the first set was over. The house lights went on and Bob, Mickey and Jeff left the stage. John used the moment to just change guitars, Oteil didn’t budge and Bill was still on his kit. I instantly thought that an incredible new power trio was gonna play intermission music. You know something special is taking place when you’re that consumed and spaced out in the moment. Maybe John was just thinking he’d get started on the second set on his own. Why stop now when you’re absolutely KILLIN IT!? Jeff and Mickey came to drag him away and we all had a great moment together as a community. One of the most endearing you can do in front of fans like US is be completely and totally human. We’ll love ya extra for it. There’s been more ovations for words that were forgotten than those that were remembered!

Being that this is the time in the piece when we get to intermission, Here’s what Trey was doing this weekend…

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If only we could all be Rock Stars… That’s all I’m gonna say about that… Photo by the one and only Jay Blakesberg…

This brings me to the second set. Any time you catch the first few notes of Scarlet, the entire evening is considered a total win! The jam was great but if I’m being honest, it was like a gorgeous woman missing one of her eye teeth. She’s still gorgeous but at certain times you can tell something’s missing. I can’t figure out what it is in this case. Scarlet jams were always so full and so wide and so deep. It used to almost be overwhelming how much sound your mind had to process simultaneously. There were some holes in a couple of songs were music used to be. Perhaps it’s Oteil’s approach to playing or Mickey’s more muted current sound or just a different sound from a different group of players altogether. It definitely sounded like there were a few gaps in the music where none existed previously. It didn’t take away from the raging Scarlet-> Fire at all, it’s just an observation. As Fire developed from Scarlet, I could see Jeff trying to get John to play the PsychedeliFunk Wah-wah chord jam at the beginning. You know the one. the one that Bruce accidentally cut Trey off on in Chicago. Jeff was looking directly at John’s as if to say, “Drop those funky chords with the wah-wah bro!” as he played the chords himself on the organ. John was pretty absorbed inwardly at the moment and didn’t notice or catch on. I think it’s little things like that over time that will materialize and make this group sound better and better.

One thing I’m happy about is having somebody up there dancing a little while they play. John is no Bruno Mars but it’s good to see him and Oteil boogying up there. It’s interesting that The Dead have always had the most dancingest(total made up word) fans in music and it was rare for them to even budge. Bob was always good for some hot doggin’ but they never did much moving. Jerry would bend his knees a few inches and we’d all cheer like an entire dance team just did splits simultaneously. I hope one day during the tour John goes apeshit crazy and does the full blown rock star routine. Runs all over the stage and starts throwing guitar picks at the crowd, the whole 9 yards! You can tell he’s trying like hell to pump the brakes on his own instincts as a performer. Get down Oteil and John! I Love it!

Shakedown was in the running for “Most Kickass Song of the Night” as well. Jams were explosive and funky and psychedelic. It’s hard not be happy when you get segments like Scarlet->Fire Shakedown Dark Star! While I’m at it, if there’s a Garcia song that Bob really sounds outstanding on, it’s Dark Star. Undoubtedly my favorite Weir take on a Garcia tune. The liberties Bob takes with his spin on it ALL Payoff and payoff BIG! John’s jams, while not as confusing or melted down as we’ve been accustomed, brought new steam to an old number and I thought the changes were of tremendous benefit. I appreciated the Dark Star as much as anything both vocally and musically. GDTRFB to close the show absolutely kicked ass! Add a Ripple encore and I’d have to say it was a couple of days in NYC that once again exceeded any and all prior expectations.

It was a fantastic weekend for Dead & Company as well as all of US! If you’ve been on the fence about going to see them, get the hell off of the fence and get to a show. There will definitely be a bunch of superb shows on this tour. This is the strongest blend of Dead music I’ve heard in a long time. If you can’t have a blast at these shows, the problem definitely isn’t the music, the problem is more likely in the mirror. If you can separate yourself from comparing it to the strongest years the band had with Garcia and instead enjoy your favorite songs with 3 of your favorite musicians and a few others that ROCK, it will be hard not to love this band. It’s difficult to base an opinion on a taper’s audience stream that you listened to. Looking at an image of the Grand Canyon and looking at the Grand Canyon are 2 very different experiences. I suggest you get there. I’m checking out until after MSG next week unless something crazy happens between now and then. If you have any good seats for the MSG show on the 7th, I need 2. Love You Long Time! See ya next week!

Dead To The Core,

Dean Sottile (pronounced So Tilly)
@gd50th on Twitter

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In a night that had more surprises than walking into a transvestite bar on ecstasy, Dead and Company turned up the heat in the city that never sleeps. One of the biggest surprises of the night began to unfold in my car on the way to the show. I’d like to thank Rob Stevens for hooking me up with tickets that came from the band’s allotment that ultimately lead to an epic evening. A series of texts between myself and my friends, Liz and Anthony, turned into questions about getting tickets for Sam Cutler and his bride. I was a little surprised that a guy like Sam would need help from anybody let alone an absolute nobody like me. It turned out that I was able to play a role in hooking up Sam Cutler with seats to the show. Not only that, I got to spend the entire show with the Cutlers. I had to ask him, “You can’t just make a call and get hooked the fuck up?” He just smiled and said, “I don’t have a number.” He told me it was the first concert in his life that he ever had a ticket for. Amazing that I could get it for him.

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The most shocking part of all of it was the appreciation that he had for the gesture. What a humble and incredible man that is truly Rock and Roll Royalty. Talking shop with Sam is a memory I’ll cherish forever. He was completely engaged in the experience in such an emotional way. He shed soulful tears on several occasions. His gratitude blew my mind. I never expected to be treated with company like that. It was as good as the show itself! Now on with it…

Walking into the Garden is a special event in and of itself. I never counted but I must have seen 30-40 Dead Shows there during Garcia’s time. It’s one of the world’s greatest stages and it brings out the very best in those who play it. The first thing I noticed was that it didn’t contain the massive and palpable Love that filled the air for the Fare Thee Well Shows. There was plenty of joy and we were all thrilled to be there but it was definitely a different vibe than this Summer’s Love Fest.

There’s a few things I’ve noticed since Summer that have carried on into Dead and Company. The most obvious is the extra measures that have been put between verses of songs. You expect the next lyric to arrive but it’s not there when your mind gets to it. I’m not sure what the thinking is behind that but it’s used in entirely too many songs. The lyric should be there when you expect it to be otherwise it moves you backwards mentally which prevents momentum from moving forward as it should. Perhaps the reason for it is the slower pace of many of the songs in the first place but to me it makes a slower pace seem even slower. Since I was a kid, I loved going to Old Timers Day at Yankee Stadium. It was great to see the legends out there having fun and basking in the glory. They don’t run the bases like they used to but seeing them makes everyone happy. That’s all I’m gonna say about that…

It seems the thing to do nowadays in Grateful Dead Land is play a relatively meaningless jam before you start a song. Both sets started that way. The intro jam to start the night turned into Jack Straw, a favorite opener for many of US. The jam in Jack Straw usually turns pretty wicked while he cuts his buddy down. It was a rather docile event this time around. I was waiting for the thunder but it never really arrived. My old buddies you’re moving much to slooooooo oooooo oooooooow.

Then the funky first notes of New Speedway dropped. That’s when the flowers started springing up for me. The sound was thick and full and had the kind of bounce that brought the entire vibe of the external surroundings into the arena. It was like opening the shades in your hotel room… Like the energies of the outside environment just came right in! The potential that exists for this band began to shine and it pretty much stayed that way for the rest of the night. John was outstanding and I think his style of playing as well as his level of talent is the best fit we’ve seen since Garcia passed. Before we get too far ahead of ourselves, MEMEs that say shit like, “I’m your Jerry now” are ridiculous and when I see them posted I have to believe whoever posted them is an asshole. John is the guitarist, nobody takes Garcia’s place. NOBODY comes close to Garcia. Not Stu, Steve, not John K, not Mayer, NOBODY. Sam Cutler completely agrees with me. That’s all I’m gonna say about that…

My favorite first set Garcia tune was always Althea. It’s no surprise that’s the lick that hooked Mayer because it’s one of the licks that instantly hooked me on November of 85 at the Meadowlands. Trey and Mayer both suffered the exact same fate at their attempt to sing Althea and many other Garcia tunes. Both of them were totally one note. There were no dynamics to their voices at all. While I’m aware that Trey’s vocal range is relatively narrow, I’m not as familiar with John’s. So far, it appears to be equally as narrow. While I felt as though John’s playing comes from deep inside his soul, it seems like his singing is coming from deep inside his head at the moment. While his playing has been packed with emotion, to me, his vocals are completely devoid of it thus far. Listen to Althea on 10/27/91. That should better explain everything. To be fair, while Garcia didn’t have the technique that Pavarotti did, even Pavarotti couldn’t sing like Garcia… Folks can play a little bit like him but NOBODY can sing like him. The jams throughout Althea were tremendous!

The greatest surprise of the night was being able to hear Jeff! Thanks Derek! The first time Jeff’s Hammond came through the sound system at proper volume, the whole place erupted. Everybody was totally thrilled to hear Jeff for the first time and it added undeniable power to the experience. When Jeff is loud, so are we! Dead Heads love our keyboardists much more than most. Now if Mickey would occasionally use some sticks instead of kitchen utensils and oversized Q-Tips, we’d hear the same type of power return to the experience. That’s not gonna happen so we’ll just be grateful we could hear Jeff.

The second set started with one of those jams that’s the equivalent of a batter lifting his nuts before he steps to the plate. When Truckin came out of it, the party was underway. Oteil was KILLIN it all night even though his bass doesn’t go as low as Phil’s. Play the lowest note he’s got and guess what? Phil’s goes lower… I watched him a lot last night and he was exceptional. The Wang Dang that went back into Truckin absolutely ROCKED! That jam that gets all wound up before it’s abundantly released at the end of Truckin has always been a favorite of mine. Weir was great on Estimated and the Eyes contained some of the best jams of the night. Another fine treat was getting Terrapin where I assumed drums would begin. The Terrapin was packed with everything we love about this band but the thing I missed most was Mickey climbing the percussive mountain of life when the tune changes lanes. You know what I mean? His runs across the skins really made that segment. If there’s a time to pick up the sticks and really beat the hell out of it, that’s definitely one of those moments.

One of the reasons I Love the drums segment is because it’s exactly the same since Garcia left us. It’s The one part of the show where his absence isn’t painfully obvious. Bill is having a super hot year. Everything he’s done has been incredible. With Mickey’s muffled approach to percussion now, it’s become glaringly clear that Kreutzmann is the engine behind the machine. Seeing those 2 do what they’ve been doing all these years is a gift I cherish.

When space began I started looking through Facebook to see what folks were posting. From a really brief space, there was this abrupt ascent into Chinacat. It catapulted all of us from our seats to our feets in an instant. “Not another China-> Rider” said Nobody ever. One of my favorite things about this band is the less predictable approach to song choices. Then the Crown Jewel of them all for me personally, The Dew immediately comes through with a unique aggression and conviction that was stellar. It was powerful musically and something interesting took place. When the first jam came around, John was absolutely shredding it. The same thing happened at Terrapin with Phil. If John had his way, that jam might still be going on right now. He was at his very best and perhaps should’ve saved some of it for the second jam that comes after the “Guess It Doesn’t Matter” verses. While he was trying like hell to keep this tremendous jam going, the band just absolutely stopped playing along with him totally shutting him down. After that, the second jam that typically brings the entire evening to full flight contained absolutely nothing. It was as if John was hesitant to do much of anything the second time around even with Bill and Mickey trying to pound the finish. It was one of those Roman Candles that ends with a muted fart. I guess it doesn’t matter anyway…

Everybody knows we’re gonna howl on Halloween and the Werewolves was the perfect way to end the evening. I can definitely say that this is a band you should go see. Our favorite musicians on big arena stages again with big arena sound and energy is a gift that has an unknown shelf life. To be part of all of this is a segment in my life I treasure. I can’t wait until the lights go down again this evening. I’m confident that with some repetition these guys are going to get MUCH better and do so REALLY fast. See y’all in a few!!! Love You Long Time!

Dead To The Core,

Dean Sottile (pronounced So Tilly)
@gd50th on Twitter
Grateful Dean on Facebook