Phil Lesh & Friends head out on a mammoth fall tour a week from Saturday with a new, lower budget lineup. Hey, let’s get real for a second here. Just you and me. Take emotional attachment out of it. The incredibly complementary John Molo remains Phil’s drummer of choice, and that’s a good thing, but is it really possible to get off-the-chain excited about Particle’s Steve Molitz, the talented but charisma-less Larry “Peter Gallagher” Campbell and unproven youngster Jackie Greene?
But the future appears brighter than we thought. The more I look into the career resume of Greene, the more I’d like to see what he can do with Phil — I’m picturing Marty McFly wowing unsuspecting crowds that underestimate the cherubic face. Seriously, check out his self-assured performance on Conan last year and his Bonnaroo appearance (at which he issued tickets to the Guns Show) and tell me he doesn’t at least have pretty crazy chops as a frontman as a 26-year-old.
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Well Mr. Lesh’s son yesterday posted onto The YouTube a private rehearsal involving Phil and Greene in Lesh’s house, the duo playing an acoustic Brokedown Palace. Everyone will react differently, the video likely falling somewhere along the spectrum between “That was fucking sweet!” and “Jerry had more talent in the finger he was missing.” But at the end of the day most of us will still pay $60 a ducat to catch that whiff of nostalgia, and this video gives me hope that it’ll be much more than that.
Some part of me thinks Phil’s hiring Young Jackie Greene may have been born from Billy Beane-style purse decisions, but another part of me is growing increasingly excited to see what someone about my age — with inexplicably more talent — can bring to the interpretations of the Dead’s catalog. Maybe they’ll even play some new shit. Eh, count me in.
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Me too, going Nov 2 – sounds good
FLUFF
wow..that vid is pretty awesome…like this guy’s tunes too…thanks for the heads up!
Think you are under-selling Larry Campbell quite a bit. A great guitar player and adds a ton to a band, I don’t think Dylan’s touring band has been the same since he left. I am excited to see them on the 9th because of Campbell, thanks for showing me Greene’s stuff.
Fair enough, Xeyed…I have seen Campbell in several bands, many times. I don’t think I undersold him at all. I said he was talented, but I find him lacking as a lead guitarist, and the only thing I really said about him was that he lacked charisma, which in Phil’s band, I feel he does. I have nothing against Larry, and I dig the fact that he plays/has played with some of my favorite musicians (Phil, Levon, Dylan), but is really a draw? Apparently so. To me, a bit more of a role player. It’s cool either way, man, I like the guy enough to dig the bands he plays in.
Ace, the big question on everyone’s mind is; Will Chuck Norris make an appearance at the Glens Falls show?
Phil complemented Jackie because he loved his record. Jackie called to thank him for the kind words. Later Phil asked him to play. That’s what happened.
Jackie Greene is ridiculously talented. He wails on piano, guitar, and has a wonderful soulful voice. I’m not just saying that. He WAILS.
I saw him the other night in SF and he blew the doors off the place. And Phil came out and played an encore with him, and he was grinning his damn face off.
That ain’t a “purse decision”. Phil is as in love with this kid as the rest of the world will be once they see him play live.