Reviewer:
happy420
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favoritefavoritefavorite -
April 25, 2005
Subject:
"...the man sat down and he cried too."
This is an average show with Bobby still recovering from his off night the evening before...highlights are "When Push Comes to Shove", "China-Rider", and the audience-inspired double encore. 3 stars over all (rounded down)
Picking up where the night before left off, the boys start tonight's show with "Touch of Grey" and it's touch and go for Jerry remembering the lyrics, especially noticeable as the vocals are pretty high in an otherwise decent mix. Jerry stumbles a bit through the solo, and the "we will survive" refrain at the end seems as much to convince themselves as us. C-
Bobby hits the ground jogging with "New Minglewood Blues"...sometime between last night and this he must have got a taste of some of those "frisco fillies" as he seems to have mostly recovered from whatever was ailing him the night before (accept for the slide guitar...no overnight cure for that). Jerry and Brent make up for it though and the band vamps with conviction, Billy and Mickey strutting through the choruses, while Phil funks it like only he can. B-
"Candyman" follows, Jerry sounding a bit haggard, but nailing the lyrics he launches into a psychedelic solo. The mix has by now been dialed in pretty well. The boys stumble a bit through the group "oooh's" which follow but everything comes together for a tasty finale. C+
Continuing the theme of unsavory characters, Bobby launches into "Me & My Uncle." Stumbling a bit in the first verse, Jerry tears into the solo as if to excise Bobby's demons but they won't be dealt with that easy...C
...because then Bobby takes it down south for "Mexicali Blues". He fares quite a bit better on the lyrics and the band grooves right along behind him, Brent's bar-room piano dancing in the oily light, and Jerry picking the horn theme mischievously. B-
"When Push Comes to Shove" has the band sounding the tightest yet on this night. This being a relatively new song I guess they had more recently rehearsed and thought out the arrangement. Jerry gives an energetic reading and solos tastefully...groovin'! B+
In the one other review of this show (for the AUD recording) the reviewer makes only one comment, and it's about Bobby's singing of "Beat it on Down the Line". He really lays into it, at some points going a little over the top and loosing it. To me it sounds like the same thing that was happening the night before in "Hell in a Bucket", but it seems to work a lot better here. Also, 30 beats in the intro? B-
Jerry stumbles into "Promised Land" but quickly recovers and Bobby finally seems to have found his groove. Brent's B3 organ lays a nice bed for Jerry's lead and the boys show us how Rock & Roll is supposed to be played. B-
A sprightly "China Cat Sunflower" follows, and it's evident the band has warmed up. Robert Hunter's ephemeral lyrics threaten to pass Jerry right by but he catches them while thousands of Deadheads (presumably) sing along. A short jam brings us to the inevitable "I Know You Rider", and the band is cookin' along just like that northbound train. Jerry gives it an extra push on "I wish I was a headlight..." and follows it up with a blistering solo. Bringing the first set to a close, the boys nail the final choruses and retreat to contemplate set two... B
"Iko Iko" ushers us into the second set with Bobby's guitar severely out of tune. Ironic given the documented and extensive tuning that went on just before the song began. The band charges on in spite of Bobby's guitar, but the energy is a little diffuse while they struggle through it with him, and Jerry's leads seem repetitive and forced as if trying to just drown Bobby out. D+
Either he just said "screw it" or he really didn't notice his tuning issues, but either way Bobby jumps right into "Man Smart, Woman Smarter" without stopping to tune his guitar. Things proceed pretty much the same as "Iko Iko". Brent sounds like he has an even bigger (than usual) frog in his throat on the choruses. D+
"Ship of Fools" follows with Bobby's guitar still out of tune, though a little less noticeable. The whole thing is none-the-less on the stiff side. The band seems a bit bored, and even Jerry's watery effects on his solo fail to arouse much emotion. It's not until the final "Ship of Fools" refrain some seven minutes in that there is any dynamic change at all. C-
Bobby has finally got his guitar in tune as they break into "Estimated Prophet". Brent's frenetic fills dash between Bobby's lyrics...Jerry, Phil, and the rhythm devils meanwhile lay down a steady skank underneath. Bobby loses control a bit singing "you've all been asleep" and takes a few moments to recover, and the band stumbles slightly transitioning into the first solo. Healy has some fun delaying Bobby's vox as he vamps into the ending jam. Brent adds some nice synth chords to color the way in for Jerry, who proceeds to explore the nooks and crannies of the 7/8 time signature with his own psychedelic guitar effects. B-
Just when one might expect the band to retreat for "Drums", here comes "Truckin". It sounds like it was a surprise to everyone but Jerry and the drummers. Bobby comes in sounding disoriented but by the 3rd verse it sounds like everybody is on the same page...by the jam the band is cookin' again, Jerry tiptoeing along the top of the groove as the rhythm section surges beneath him. Not for long though, Jerry suggests "Nobody's Fault But Mine" ever so subtly as the groove folds in on itself, Billy and Mickey responding with a "Caution" -esque shimmy before dissolving into "Drums". C+
Bobby sticks around with Billy and Mickey for a bit as if to say, "See, I finally got it in tune!" After his departure they seem to meld into one drummer doing a drum solo, each playing a part of the beat, starting and finishing each other's sentences. Mickey switches to what sounds like a koto and elicits a cheer from the crowd. They work some tribal themes for a bit and then Mickey pulls out the talking drum. He tells an elaborate story about Bobby having a rough week due to not being able to find hot pants that ride up high enough to suite him (hey this stuff is open to interpretation), resulting in his difficulties playing in tune etc. Billy seems to respond with, "no, he's just THAT WAY." C
Finally Jerry returns to the stage. Personally I like when "Space" is more well, spacey, rather than just a trippy guitar solo. Not yet having all the MIDI toys to play with, he does his best with panning delay and a harmonizer for a few minutes before they trickle in to a what starts out as a subdued "The Other One". After the first verse however they pick it up, getting a little funky, a little heavy, and a whole lot psychedelic. Healy goes to town on Bob's vocals during the second verse. B
From there they spill into a soulful and solid "Wharf Rat". The band moves through it with a vengeance, Jerry laying searing solos and Brent's organ wailing throughout. The whole song is marred only be a few of Bobby's out of tune guitar chords wringing through the final changes. B-
A predictable "Throwing Stones" follows and Bobby's out of tune guitar is once again featured prominently. The band doesn't falter however, Jerry wailing through the Jam and shouting the bridge along with Bobby. C-
The "ashes ashes all fall down" refrain lead us into an even more predictable "Not Fade Away". A sloppy start gives way to some searing jamming however, followed by an extensive vamp on the refrain...the band leaves the crowd clapping and chanting long after they've left the stage. They're going so strong when the boys come back for their encore that THEY GO BACK INTO "NOT FADE AWAY", a great "let the music play the band" moment. Brent throws in some "Hey Bo Diddly's" for good measure. B
Finally, Jerry brings us home with "Brokedown Palace". Though Jerry still sounds haggard, the vocals are strong, nicely mixed, and very present in this recording, a very "gospely" version. Jerry lays a beautiful solo in before it's through. B+
