Reviews
I guess it could have been better...I'm not sure how...Donna Jean, a great setlist, a great crowd...it doesn't get much better than this past Friday night.
Cassady, Wayne, PA
A truly special night: Wonderful song selection, great cameos by Donna where she always sang on-key and great ensemble playing. Everything from Lost Sailor up the wonderful Cassidy encore was all that you could ask for on this given night.
John J. Wood, Plainville, MA
Just look at the list!!!!!! Yes it was as amazing as it looked. THANK YOU GUYS!!!!!!!!!
G Doggett, Zebulon, NC
Rolling Stone, UJB, Sailor-Saint, St.Stephen-Eleven-Lovelight, and Donna Playin's and Wang Dang equal an incredible show on a great day. Nice to see Cassidy return too.
Dave, Athens, GA
After seeing Nissan Furthur, I was very psyched to go to Philly/Camden for another dose. The Nissan show was fun, but parts of it were very guitar "anemic". My seats weren't that great so I attributed this to just bad sound. Well, Philly rolls around and it was even more anemic. Don't get me wrong, the setlists are great and it's fun to relive the experience. However, in Camden I had great seats down front and the loudest guitar I heard all night were the last 2 Hot Tuna songs. It shouldn't be that way. Many will say Jerry's shoes are too big to fill. I would have told you when Jerry was alive that Steve Kimock is a better guitar player (sorry for the blasphemy, but...truth sometimes hurts). So why did we barely hear Steve at all in Camden? It's not inexperience, it's bad sound mixing. Mark Karan is also very good, and was clearly the main guitarist, however, Mark tends to just not play during crucial parts of certain songs (DS, Estimated, Lost Sailor, St. of Circumstance). And there's Steve, apparently playing, and yet no Steve coming out of the PA. WHY!?!?! During the 2 shows I saw, great songs like Dark Star, Estimated,Lost Sailor and St. of Circumstance were just void of guitar. I certainly hope this changes. Many people write that Dave Ellis was filling in for a lot of guitar leads. Really? We must have been at different shows. Dave is a great horn player, my only gripe is that he doesn't play enough!! I'd like to see much more sax fills in the songs played. Anyway, this probably comes off as a very negative review and I am a little bummed at how "thin" or "anemic" a lot of the great tunes were (not St.Stephen though which was the best played song of both of the show I saw). My hope is that the losers who are doing the sound PUT MUCH MORE STEVE KIMOCK IN THE MIX!!! The man is the perfect match for this band. Now can you please allow us to hear him? Sorry for the negative tone, but if it gets more guitar in the mix, then it was worth the risk of getting flamed by all the "band can do no wrong" people. See you in the fall (hopefully it will be louder)
John Merhi, Gaithersburg, MD
To all the naysayers out there, I say you just enjoy what we have, because it's pretty darn great. Of the three shows I went to (Meadowlands, Saratoga were the others), Camden was the best for several reasons:
1. Donna's appearance- She picked her spots right and sang great. Cassidy was an absolute treat. She was swaying like on the videos from the 70's (I'm only 29 years old), and she looked great.
2. The energy was terrific- Phil was front and center, leading the charge at all the shows and I hope he's having as much as it seems he is. The crowd was pumping along and the whole mood and spirit was alive and kicking.
3. The band- Maybe the chops aren't up to speed yet and the direction is not clear, but this Furthur beats the tar out of the last two, especially the Black Crowes nightmare.
So in conclusion, take from it what it is, an opportunity to rekindle the Grateful Dead spirit, rediscoversome old tunes with a new flavor, and hope for a continued evolution of an exciting, dynamic new band.
Shane O'Grady, Tarrytown, NY
After seeing Nissan, I was hoping for a Scarlett fire mountains on the moon but we did get playin' lost sailor st. of cicumstance st stephen eleven cassidy donna. Cassidy was fantastic also jack straw was strong. i should have rounded the tour out with seeing the "new" boys in 'toga: it looked like a killerset list and what a great venue. camden parking lot scene was very cool, but tough to get a balloon.
Craig B, Richmond, VA