Friday:
I guess this was an average show for the first night. Lots of good moments, but lots of train wrecks too. Chris Robinson was ok on most tunes, but had a hard time with the timing on “Wharf Rat” for example. Thank goddess the JGB ladies were there for backup vocals. They also got one of the longest applauses when they were introduced. “WBOTB” was a mind melt, first time played ever! The Particle guy, Steve Molitz, was great on that one and also “Caution.” What's next... Blues for Allah tonight?! Tim from RRE added great fiddle and vocals too throughout the show. John from RRE only played on a few tunes. The horns added a lot of texture but wish they had played more.
Highlights for me were “Candyman,” “Althea” and “Hard To Handle.” Second set generally was better than the first. Lots of spacey stuff there.
I saw Kate Hudson holding her baby standing in the wings near the start of the show.
On to round two!
Phil Lesh &Friends
Warfield Theatre, SF 12/17/04
Set 1:
The Times They Are A Changin' * #(music behind closed curtain, sung on balcony)
Cosmic Charlie +
Althea (Chris vocals)
Everybody Wants Somebody To Love *+#
Lay It All On Me %#
Next Time You See Me #
High Time * (Phil vocals, no Chris)
Sugaree * (Chris vocals)
Set 2:
Shakedown Street > *%$
Candyman > *%
Viola Lee Blues +
Wharf Rat > +*
Wicked Messenger # (CR on harp) >
What's Become Of The Baby # (Phil vocal, no Jimmy) >
Drifting Too Far From The Shore > *+^# (no Chris, * sung on balcony)
Caution (Chris vocals) >
Hard To Handle $ >
The Other One > * (Phil vocals)
Fire On The Mtn *+ (Chris vocals)
E:
Donor Rap/Band Intros
A Piece For You + (no Chris)
Reuben &Cherise +^$
# 1st time played
Phil Lesh
John Molo
Jimmy Herring (g, @acoustic)
Chris Robinson (vocals)
Barry Sless (guitar, %pedal steel)
Steve Molitz (keys, from Particle)
* Gloria Jones, Jackie LaBranch (vocals)
+Tim Carbone (violin, from RRE)
^John Skehan (mandolin, from RRE)
$ Dave Ellis (tenor sax), Kevin (trumpet), Marty (trombone)
*********************************************
Saturday:
What a difference a day makes! Phil and his friends delivered a much more solid show from start to finish last night. Only a few flubs like Phil's vocals in “Black Peter,” but overall a fine performance, especially from Mr. Robinson on “It Hurts Me Too,” “Wheels on Fire,” and 1st set closer “Casey Jones,” which absolutely smoked. On this one, the band stopped, waiting for the last "And you know that notion..." and Chris looked to Phil, and Phil seemingly said go for it dude! So Chris wailed on the ending, then it came back for one more chorus which seemed like it was not planned. Jimmy played a sustained feedback note "solo" in "It Hurts Me" too which was unbelievably long.
Other highlights were “Death Don't Have No Mercy” sung Gospel style by Gloria and Jackie from the Lincoln balcony box, “Dark Star” with
mandolin and fiddle, and the Dylan songs. They performed two of Chris' songs, one from New Earth Mud: “40 Days” and The Crowes’ “Wiser Time.” We got the
Aoxomoxoa break out of “Rosemary,” and an interesting interpretation of “Imagine” played in a minor key with a weird tempo.
Overall, the band seemed more relaxed. Good song choices for the most part. Less big boo boos. They finally turned up the fiddle, now turn up the keys and mandolin, and Barry Sless too! Mr. Sless spent a lot of time behind his pedal steel, which I absolutely dug. Phil was dropping the bombs on “Terrapin.” I saw Kate Hudson again sans baby dancing off stage to “Dark Star.”
On to round 3!
Phil Lesh &Friends
Warfield Theatre, SF 12/18/04
core band:Phil Lesh
Chris Robinson
Jimmy Herring
John Molo
Barry Sless
Steve Molitz
other "Friends":Tim Carbone - violin from Railroad Earth
John Skehan- mandolin from Railroad Earth
Gloria Jones &Jackie LaBranch - from Jerry Garcia Band
Set 1:Just Another Whistle Stop (w/Tim)>
Direwolf (Barry-pedal steel, w/Tim &John)
Peggy-o (Barry-pedal steel, Jimmy-acoustic, w/Tim &John, 3rd vocal one of the girls)
Lonesome Valley (Chris-acoustic guitar, Jimmy-acoustic, w/Tim, John,Gloria &Jackie, no Steve)
40 Days>
No More Do I (w/Tim, no Chris)>
It Hurts Me Too (Barry-pedal steel, Chris-harmonica, w/Tim &John)>
Casey Jones (w/Tim)
Set 2:Wheels Of Fire (Chris-acoustic guitar, w/Gloria &Jackie)>
Black Peter (Barry-pedal steel, w/Tim, no Chris)>
Wiser Time (Barry-pedal steel)>
Dark Star(v1) (w/Tim &John)>
Rosemary (Barry-pedal steel, Jimmy-acoustic, w/Tim &John, no Chris,no Steve, no Molo)
Imagine (w/Tim)>
Death Don't Have No Mercy (Barry-pedal steel, w/Tim &John, Gloria &Jackie vocals only from balcony overlooking stage right, no Chris)>
Eclipse (Barry-pedal steel, w/Gloria &Jackie)>
Terrapin Station (w/Tim, no Chris)>
All Along The Watchtower (w/Tim)>
China Doll (Barry-pedal steel, w/Tim, John, Gloria &Jackie)>
I Know You Rider (Barry-pedal steel, w/Tim &John)
E:Donor Rap/Intros
Goin' Down The Road Feeling Bad (everybody)>
Knockin' On Heavens Door (everybody, Chris-acoustic guitar)
****************************************
Sunday:
I have now seen it all!
Phil and Friends playing a trance techno jam tune "Elevator"... turns out this is a Particle tune. Steve Molitz was clearly leading the way on this one, playing all of his assorted 8 keyboards and synths and directing the band on the changes. Phil was having big fun and the younger folks in the audience and some of the older Deadheads were digging it too.
“Golden Road” was really rocking, and we heard both of Phil's masterpieces, “Box of Rain” and “Unbroken Chain,” in the first set.
But then, the second set had so many hot moments, “Help>Slip> Eyes>St Stephen>The Eleven>Lovelight>Dark Star verse 2>the trancey Elevator>Comes a Time>Franklin's>NFA!” Whew! Just when you thought they were done, they played another gem.
For “Franklin's>NFA” and then “The Wheel,” the horn section was in the lower loge next to the soundboard, right in front of us. Kinda hard to hear them from there, but I bet it sounded great on the floor right in front.
Tim Carbone had a good night, especially ripping on “Eyes,” as did Barry Sless, more lead guitar from him and less pedal steel, he and Jimmy meshed very well. Molo was a monster, I saw him grab a bite of banana, while still playing, for added energy near the end of the show. Jimmy was driving most of the transitions from one song to the next, he played extremely well. Sounding less "southern rock" too, maybe because Warren was not there. The reappearance of Lennon's “Imagine” (played second night too) this time sung by the ladies from the balcony Lincoln box, was sweet and done in a more traditional arrangement.
Overall night 3 was really solid. First set clocked in at 80 minutes long, one hour break and then a 2 1/2 hour second set. They played past 1:30am! Not bad for an old guy, Phil! :)
So many highlights. They played everything I wanted to hear and expected except maybe “Morning Dew” which I had expected to close the show. We got “The Wheel>Bid You Good Night” instead, which was great.
I saw Kate Hudson again off stage at the beginning of the show with sleeping baby Rider and then again in the Lincoln balcony box during the second set, she was obviously digging the music and the scene in the Warfield.
Phil Lesh &Friends
Warfield Theatre, SF 12/19/04
"let me introduce the members of the 'ensemble'"
core band:Phil Lesh - bass
John Molo - drums
Jimmy Herring - guitar
Barry Sless - guitar &pedal steel
Chris Robinson -vocals
Steve Molitz - keys (Particle)
other "Friends"Tim Carbone - violin (RRE)
John Skehan- mandolin (RRE)
Dave Ellis - tenor sax
Kevin - trumpet
Marty - trombone
Gloria Jones &Jackie LaBranch - vocals (Jerry Garcia Band)
Set 1:He's Gone (w/Tim, John, Gloria &Jackie)>
Box Of Rain (Barry-pedal steel, w/Gloria &Jackie, no Chris)
Tumbleweed In Eden (Chris-acoustic guitar, w/Tim)>
Golden Road (w/Tim)
Row Jimmy (w/Tim, John, Gloria &Jackie, no Chris)
The Dolphins (Chris-acoustic guitar, Barry-pedal steel, w/Tim &John)>
The Stranger(Two Souls In Communion) (Barry-pedal steel)
Unbroken Chain (no Chris)
Set 2:Imagine (Gloria &Jackie vocals only, singing from balcony overlooking stage right, w/Tim &John, no Chris)
Help On The Way>
Slipknot>
Eyes Of The World (w/Tim)>
St Stephen>
Millennium Jam (w/Tim)>
The Eleven (w/Tim)>
Turn On Your Lovelight (w/Tim, w/ Gloria &Jackie)>
Dark Star(v2) (Jimmy-acoustic, w/Tim &John, no Chris)>
Darkstar Jam (Barry-pedal steel, w/Tim &John)>
Elevator (w/Tim)
Comes A Time (w/Tim &John)> Happy Birthday
Franklin's Tower (everybody, horns from 1st row balcony)>
Not Fade Away (everybody, horns from 1st row balcony)
E:Donor Rap/Intros
The Wheel (Barry-pedal steel, w/Tim &John, w/horns from 1st row balcony)>
We Bid You Goodnight (vocals by Phil, Chris, Gloria, Jackie &Tim)
Photos also by Susan Weiand
