Phil Lesh & Terrapin Family Band @ Infinity Yacht – June 7
Photos and Words: Andrew Blackstein
As my car hydroplaned down the West Side Highway during a torrential downpour this past Friday night towards Pier 40, where a yacht hosting a performance from Grateful Dead / Furthur bassist Phil Lesh & The Terrapin Family Band would depart from, it wasn’t a stretch to think the massive amounts of rain might deter some folks from attending. Despite the weather, the boat seemed full as Hornblower Infinity Yacht crew members helped make sure everyone got onboard safely.
[Photos by Andrew Blackstein]
A near-capacity crowd saw the fourth and final night of the intimate June New York City run for Phil Lesh & The Terrapin Family Band. The atmosphere on the vessel was celebratory as most seemed happy to be a part of this unique event. While NYC concert boat cruises are nothing new, Friday night’s voyage seemed to be in a different category. Fans gathered drinks, ordered food and found a spot on the luxurious boat before this ship of fans left port.
Blasting into Bertha a little after 10PM, the band seemed well polished and excited at this new experience. The line “Ran into a rainstorm, ducked back into a bar door” was met with some of the loudest cheers of the night. The Family Band focuses on Phil’s epic bass bumps, along with a gentle mix of mandolin, guitar, drums and pedal steel. Brothers Grahame and Brian Lesh shined brightest with their respective lyrical duties. As the Lesh brothers focused on carving out their own sound, each complimented the other with ease and vigor.
As the voyage on the Hudson River continued onward, the rain theme followed suit. Cold Rain & Snow and San Francisco Rain were wise choices considering the elements outside. Later in the evening, Brian Lesh provided one of the more heartfelt versions of Bob Dylan’s Senor (Tales Of Yankee Power). Appropriately so, the crowd engaged in attentive silence as the ballad made the hair stand up on the back of your neck. Whether this was coincidence or divine intervention I do not know, but as the boat moved closer to the Statue Of Liberty the Family Band began the late era Grateful Dead classic Liberty to close out the main set. As Dead fans have long driven great distances to follow the proverbial train, now those in attendance on Friday night can add sailing the Manhattan harbor while Phil played as another notch under their ever-expanding Dead belt.
Setlist…
Grahame Lesh (guitar/vocals), Brian Lesh (mandolin/guitar/vocals), Ross James (guitar/vocals), Alex Koford (drums/vocals), Phil Lesh (bass/vocals), & Jon Graboff (pedal steel)
Bertha – GL
Chinatown Shuffle – RJ
Tennessee Jed – BL
San Francisco Rain (GL original) – GL
Cold Rain & Snow (verses 1 & 2 – Peter Rowan style) – BL >
Shakedown On 9th St (Ryan Adams cover) – RJ >
Cold Rain & Snow (verses 3 & 4 – GD style) – PL
Señor (Tales Of Yankee Power) – BL
He’s Gone – GL
Henry Hill (RJ original) – RJ
Truckin’ – GL >
Loose Lucy – AK
Liberty – GL
Encore: Help On The Way – GL >
Slipknot >
El Paso (RJ original) – RJ >
Slipknot >
Franklin’s Tower – PL
Gallery…
