Furthur / The Dead / The Other Ones | OtherOnes.Net

Set I:
As usual with many Dead shows I saw and have heard on disc, it took the engine awhile to get pumping, and they didn't REALLY click until later in the first set. I would say it was during Aiko when they finally locked in. That said, I sort of enjoyed the "Down the Road" as it seemed to be somewhat grounding for the band after a very tentative Stranger. I noticed that Jimmy dropped Jerry's outro line on that and in a couple of other key spots Friday night. More on that later.
Eyes of the World, imo, was where they started to come together, though they didn't fully do so until Aiko (as I said). I really enjoyed the Rob/Phil vocal team on this one. During one of the inter-verse jams is where "it" first revealed itself, if only for a couple of moments. They definitely still seemed to have the jitter bug, and that feeling never really went completely away until maybe Sugar Mags.
Aiko was a spectacular dance-fest, as it should be. The rhythm machine was in full force, and I really enjoy Mickey's vocal take on this. He's got so much energy. Definitely a joy. So now it seemed that all pistons were finally synched, and we were on our way.
The New Speedway was incredible, being the rarity that it was after the early '70s and being so appropriate to the times (I think it's great that Nancy Pelosi was there, and that this was dedicated to her). Same goes for Throwing Stones. I was 16th row and had a really good view. Bobby was ON FIRE for these. He was gesturing to the crowd frequently during TSs and laughing his ass off when he flubbed the middle of the TS bridge. While it broke the build of intensity through that part, the little 'cover-up' jam really saved the section gracefully and was an interesting, fresh twist to the song. That's always been my favorite thing about the Dead; their ability to turn a nose dive into a loop.
Anyway, as far as the vocals and the feeling went, I really got the sense that they feel the political climate of the day and don't like it. The "future's here, we are it, we are on our own" was so potent. Bobby howling just like the old days, and really taking his time winding up to it.
The solo by Jimmy right out of that section was pretty good, although he seemed to be holding back. He was sort of looking around, seeming a little confused, and then at the turn around at the end of the solo section he dropped fully out and played supportive chords. I was a little disappointed, but those are no mean tricks to be turning on the guitar and I have to give him props for stepping down rather than trying to muscle through uncomfortable territory (if that's the case).
The NFA was fun, as usual. It seemed like the crowd sorta forgot its "role" at the end and Mickey had to get up and fire everyone up to do the clapping and Bobby had to tell us to take it over before exiting the stage.
Set II:
So I have two beef kabobs and a beer and the lady looks at my ticket and I hear Bobby ever so subtly play the first chord of Let it Grow, and then they start a little jam. I was so psyched! I hopped down the stairs, made it through the floor gaurd, ran to my seat and settled in just in time for "Morning comes, she follows the path to the river shore!" Oh, that was such a sweet opener! They nailed this song much more effectively than at Alpine, where Jimmy seemed a little confused. When it's as good as it was at the MCI Center, you can't really describe it, you just have to hear the discs.
I am not familiar with Milestones, but sweet-lord this was a definite highlight for me! From where I was, Jeff Chimenti appeared to have the reins for this song, leading the band through changes and even through a brilliant 'trading-fours' section, which I was just completely thrilled to see. True jazz form, and beautifully handled by Jeff, Rob, and Jimmy. The ensemble jamming into, during, and out of this were also particularly remarkable.
As that melted away I heard Bobby doing that lilting, arpeggiated intro to NPC and started basically freaking.... Noone else seemed to hear it so I quickly turned the yelpings into my head and kept quiet until others realized what was happening. God was that beautiful. Again, indescribable. The harmonies were nailed perfectly, and the jams were just inspired and fresh sounding, and the drop into Drums was breathtaking.
Drums was another highlight for me. It was so short you almost forgot about it as soon as it was over, but the beat was ridiculous and Mickey or Billy laid down a really interesting loop, which they then played around with. Bobby's "Walk Like an Egyptian" dance was hysterical. I'm glad he did it twice cuz my g/f missed it the first time ;-).
The Cryptical was great, and the jam was cool, and then Phil walks over to Bobby and tells him something (the old fashioned way, I was happy to see!) in his ear, Bobby nods, and then drops the chords to Watchtower. This was rocking! Bobby broke up the verse as per his new bag of tricks lately, which generally worked well, but took a little bit of steam out of some of those last lines ("Wind began to howl" etc.). He opened his arms to the crowd for the "No reason to get excited" line, which got some cheers down front at least.
And then there was Born Cross-Eyed. They quite simply nailed this again. The only thing I noticed about this that stood out from the Alpine version was that the vocals cut a little better and it wasn't as tentative. I also noticed that everyone, including Bobby, looked to Rob for cues. It seems like everyone thinks this is Phil's band, and I'm not sure why. From where I was, the person in control of the song appeard to be the person singing it. During the jams Phil was in control, I can agree with that, but Bobby cued them out of jams as or more often than Phil. Anyway "Born Cross-Eyed" was sung by everyone, and Rob was in control. I'm betting it's because, as BK said in an interview, the young guys are teaching them their own songs again :-).
Anyway, it was great to hear the true Phil bomb introduce TOO once again, and that song was great fun, as usual. I was glad they resolved into Cryptical again but was a little disappointed when Bobby cued Jimmy to play the Jerry outro, which Jimmy started, but only played half-heartedly through one repetition, and then dropped completely. Seemed to get nervous again, looked around and fell back into ensemble style playing. Again, woulda been nice, but I have to give him props for stepping back rather than muscling through. Hopefully as the tour warms up he'll gain some confidence and really push those important lines through.
Sugar Magnolia was done wonderfully! I'm not sure if Jimmy had just decided to lay low for much of this show or what, but as had been the case throughout he just added some supportive rhythm during the HUGE ROCKING! jam before "Sunshine Daydream" and let Jeff and Rob take the solos for the most part.
Encore:
Cosmic Charlie was fun. I like the "Deep unreal" acapella style that they do with big smiles on their faces :-). U.S. Blues was nice, but Bobby, who was singing each line correctly, needs to keep his damn mouth on the microphone! At first I thought he was reading, but after awhile it seemed like he was just looking at his guitar. For some reason he insisted on playing stuff way up at the top of the neck, with a slide, while singing. Too much for one man to do. He should have focused on the lyrics more.
General Impressions:
It was THRILLING! to see these guys (TOO) in an arena finally (only other time I've seen TOO indoors was Hampton 2000). It's great to be outside, and I favor it, but there's just something about being indoors that makes everything feel much more concentrated and potent to me. Unfortunately the sound often suffers, and many people have confirmed to me that this was the case. Down where I was it sounded pretty damn good though, I gotta say.
The Rhythm Devils were just a hair too low in the mix, as were Bobby and Jimmy. Rob was better than I thought he was at Alpine, but he really does get overly happy sometimes and starts to pound almost sensely on the keys while jumping up and down (fortunately he usually does this on key ;-)). From my own experiences on stage, that can be as invigorating as it can be distracting. Given the low energy they started off with, I'd say it was generally beneficial for the band during Eyes, for example, although it was distracting and excessive from my POV in the audience. He seems to have toned back his vocals a little and I thought they were much more gentle and in the music than I've heard them be previously. Jeff, IMO, is one of the most tasteful, understated musicians I've ever heard.
The lights, well, they were decent... it was cool to see the Dead's old style set up. Unfortunately I noticed some missed cues, and the woman who does lights for my band said she noticed TONS of them. Fortunately I was intently watching the BEAMING faces of the band, and their very animated, excited interplay and cueing of one another. It was just great fun over all, and for everything that wasn't perfect, there were at least three or four things that were, making this overall a wonderful show for me. At first there were some issues I had that I think take away from anyone's concert experience (low energy, low interplay), but as the show went on they really locked in and hit their stride, and the only things I can see that people could have issues with are the sound in the venue (or the mixing), the lights, and matters of personal taste.
All in my very humble opinion.

This show was awesome. I really hope that any doubters out there are now hushed; they should be. Never saw the Boys in DC, but this show was the ultimate DC show. Bobby's vocals on Throwing Stones were as good as they ever were. I wasn't sure if he was going to go into the "on our own" screaming because I have seen Ratdog where he has opted out of vocals like this, but HE DELIVERED. It was magic seeing Phil, Bobby, Mickey, and Billy on stage together and playing so tight.

WOW - I was front row by luck (I like to think it was my good karma coming back at me). I got my tickets through you guys and I really don't know how to describe the experience. I had been to about 35 Dead shows dating as far back as the early 70s, and this show bought back so many memories. They didn't play some of my favorites, but boy did they jam. And the harmonies were over the top! I think I need to catch another show... gotta go check around for tix. Peace!

After reading a review of the Roanoke show posted on this site, my expectations for the show on Friday night at MCI Center were huge. Maybe unfairly high because I thought the show was very good but not mind-blowing. My major concern is the lack of energy and gumption at lead guitar. Jimmmy pulled off some nice riffs and stayed with the band, but I felt like he was just going through the motions. He needs to break out and take some chances. Predictability sucks.

Before coming to the show, I was worried that the magic would not exist--that the passing of Jerry and nearly a decade would make the show dusty. These fears were not realized. First, there was a parking lot scene in the middle of DC, which lived up to the memory. Then the diverse crowd (of all ages and all demographic) was connected by a love of the music.
The MCI center is not the greatest venue to see a concert; it's better for a gladiator competition. The sweet sound that is The Dead filled that Coliseum. The glory and magic was there, even if the familiar voice of Jerry wasn't. The Band played, the people danced, and the feeling was there.
The only downside was the extra long set of Robert Hunter, a lyrical god. His melancholy set seemed to drag on and was out of place with the vibe of the show. His version of Uncle John's Band would have fit in at a memorial service better then a concert; it was overly poignant.
The rest of the show was amazing. It alternated from overly chill to overly joyous. It is great to see the magic again.

Got this from a friend the day after the show (which I couldn't make it to) and felt I had to share...
The opening had a certain feeling to it... a strange one. It must have been due to the tone of the two opening songs, for both deal with being on the outskirts of it all. All day long I was telling people that we're going to hear an Eyes somewhere, but when it happened it defied all time and space. It was beautiful. Two days ago in my classes I was having my students sing Aiko Aiko, and when they started playing it out of Eyes I knew then that I was suppose to be there. Synchronicity. Then they stopped for the first time, and began talking, saying something about something, and busted into the geetar riff of the Boogie, and the crowd seemed to like it. Being in DC and all, it was only appropriate. But to follow it with a Throwing Stones, now that's trying to say something. And the inevitable was to end the first set... Not Fade Away. Sick! So then it was a mad rush for a beverage as the common chants and cheers echoed throughout the halls, and the wild rumpus continued. And as we stood around chatting, the distant licks were played and the halls immediately emptied into a Let It Grow. Unbelievable. For those up at the Gathering, you may have thought Phil was spacin it out there, but that was no comparison to how Bobby spaced out the second set, ironically with Phil leading them all through that space. What can I say, New Potato Caboose and Born Cross Eyed, all within The Other One, and what about that Other One. The thick, heavy bass ripped it open like only Phil knows how to do. And to have Bobby's Watchtower in there kept that feeling from before, that strange one. Out of the space these players created and after the passages of the night were all looked down, each alleyway discovered and explored, every corner turned, and every soul tested, there remains one thing... rock and roll. Ending the night with Sugar Mags was stellar. And I know it fills everyone's heart with excitement when they pause for that "dead air" to thicken the room and Bobby to start, "Sunshine daydream..." And he did. All day long everyone around me was calling for a US Blues, but nooooo. Not yet. We needed a final lesson into the weird. Into the strange. Into Cosmic Charlie. And afterwards, "Ok. You're all right now," ending with a masterful US Blues.
Now, the crowd. I don't know what it was, but I've seen more excited people before. Or maybe I was over excited... did I just write that? Over excited? How can that be? There's simply no such thing. And as my head sunk to my pillow last night I was already dreaming of a time far off from now, when the city of Philadelphia will be once again invaded by the martians, and the beast will be let loose, and the wild rumpus will continue.

Wow, what a hot show. I wasn't expecting all the old songs they played. What a pleasent surprise. I never thought I'd ever catch another hot Let It Grow, but I sure did. I'll even admit I was rockin' to the Throwin->Not Fade. Hunter was nice between sets--loved the Reuben & Cherise. MCI Center is too tall for concerts, but they have a bar, so I was able to self-medicate my fear of heights. I cant wait for the next show.

My wife and I strolled into MCI Center to the bubbly strains of "Feel Like a Stranger," having missed the opener, Dylan's chestnut "Like a Rolling Stone," thanks to heavy traffic in Baltimore. We headed up the escalator to the left of the pretzel sign as instructed.
After giving our seats an obligatory visit (section 409, three miles from stage), we quickly realized we had to moo-ooove, really had to mooo-ooove. And that we did. By the beginning of "Eyes of the World" we were much closer to the stage, and by the seemingly double speed "Aiko-Aiko" (with Mickey on vocals!), we were firmly ensconced behind the stage, where the acoustics were surprisingly crisp, the video screen loomed, and the band was plainly visible (okay, from behind...). And, oh, yeah, there was lots of room to do the cosmic wiggle.
"New Speedway Boogie" was quite nice, and the tight "Throwing Stones" > "Not Fade" was a (Jerry-less) blast back to 1987. It was obvious the boys were having fun, and, although the crowd was not the pure headley crowd from the Phil Lesh & Friends shows of the summer, most of them seemed to get it.
Sadly, we spent Hunter's entire set in line waiting for $6.50 beers. On the upside, we saw three good friends while being victimized by MCI's beer bandits. While in line, we wondered aloud if Hunter was donning the dirty cut-offs and knee-high black socks he sported at Hershey in July. We made it back to (somebody's) seats in time to observe the band's pre-set huddle.
The second set opened with an energetic and inspired jam into "Let it Grow". I could tell it would be a Bobby set, and it was.
"New Potato Caboose" was a gem and led into the shortest drum solo I've ever seen Billy and Mickey pull off. "Cryptical Envelopment," one of my favs, could have been lifted from 1968 and benefitted from the dual keyboards of Barraco and Chimenti. The band then broke into "All Along the Watchtower" with Bobby only muffing the lyrics twice... just like the old days!
"Born Cross-Eyed" was another tasty relic and led into the Bobby standard / band namesake "The Other One," then into a truncated return to "Cryptical" (no "well you know he had to diiiiiieeeeeee" hollered at the end???? What's up with that??). The set ended with the can't-lose twirl-fest "Sugar Mag/SSSD". I then (correctly, it turned out) surmised I had just enough time to pee before the encore.
The first encore, "Cosmic Charlie," featured well-blended vocals and sounded great. I had to smile as I recollected the time, nearly twenty years earlier, a giant beach ball landed at Jerry's feet with COSMIC CHARLIE magic-markered across it onstage at Merriwether.
The second encore, the spritely "U.S. Blues," made perfect sense in the nation's capital, but it seemed especially poignant (how I hate that word!) in the current world climate. (Whether we should attack Iraq is debatable at best, but we should damn sure wave that flag!)
Anyhow, it really seems The Other Ones are out there having fun not worrying about what anyone thinks. They're performing well as septagenarians, and still appear to be enjoying the ride.

My name is Chris Smelser and I'm 13 years old. I have loved The Grateful Dead forever; I even have the same birthday as Jerry, August 1. Friday was my first time seeing The Dead live. Friday's show was the greatest show I will ever see for the rest of my life. Jimmy Herring had some pretty big shoes to fill and he did an outstanding job doing so. The band sounded great, and Robert Hunter was pretty cool too. I can not explain the natural high I got from that show. It was the most powerful thing I have ever felt. The band did an awesome job just as I thought they would. When they started the show with Like a Rollin Stone, I knew that I was going to hear something I would never forget. It was awesome.

Set 1: Well it cranked. The crowd was really into the Throwing Stones > Not Fade Away. I really can't say enough about the first set. The energy in the building was unbelievable. There were times I closed my eyes and thought I was 20 years younger.
Set 2: It was not nearly as tight. There were several times they nearly stopped playing to discuss what they were going to do next and made abrupt transitions. The drums started, never really got going, and ended quickly with Mickey yelling at Bobby to start playing. The second set was missing the energy and cohesion of the first.
General Comments: The sound was not mixed very well. Mickey's vocals were particularly muddy. They really need to work those bugs out quickly. The video experience seemed to be designed for folks with short attention spans. The imagery was constantly changing to the point I found it distracting from the whole experience.
Overall: Technically - 6 out of 10; the sound problems and lack of cohesion were a bummer. Emotionally - 9 out of 10; it was incredible to feel the energy that was palpable during the first set. I came really close to jumping on 95 North and heading to Albany before reality and responsibility started drifting back in and guided me South.
Closing: If you are on the fence about going, you owe it to yourself catch this tour. I only hope there is a Spring tour with dates a little farther south.

Went to this with my brother (both of us Dead fans since 1977 with approximately 350 shows between us since then). This show was a huge letdown. The band's sound was too busy, fragmented, and disjointed. Overall I enjoyed the three Phil and Friends shows I saw more than this. It's impressive how much Phil was able to do with his own thing; throwing Weir and the drummers up in the mix doesn't really change things all that much. The main difference is The Other Ones are more forced and saturated, it seemed their approach was 'play whatever you want whenever you want and maybe something good comes of it....' There wasn't much flow or emotion to it. Music has to be able to move me on some level; the only way this moved me was out of my seat to leave. It's amazing how completely uncritical Dead heads are (something the band was never too crazy about).... This Other Ones show proves you don't have to be very good to sell lots of tickets and make people scream. This is for total diehards only and not how I'd choose to remember them.... For that I'll stay home and put on "Go to Nassau - May 1980." Like the song title... "That's it for The Other Ones."

Wow! I really enjoyed last night's show... especially Born Cross-Eyed, the Dylan covers, Throwing Stones, the drums, and wow pretty much everything! Robert Hunter did a great job as he always does. Just the atmosphere put me in a great mood. Though the end seemed a little bit abrupt, I was impressed with everything... the entire show.... Keep up the great work! Check them out when they come near your area and have a great winter. ~peace~

The Other Ones were sure to make their presence known in DC, and the MCI Center was the perfect place for it. They opened the show off with Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone" and blasted straight into "Feel Like a Stranger." Stranger was a super tight rocker which told the audience this was gong to be a powerhouse as they shuted out "let's get on with the show!" "Down the Road" came next with the audience giving out a loud roar when Mickey sang the last verse. A nice jazzy "Eyes of the World" came out of nowhere into a fast-paced "Aiko Aiko" that got the crowd jumping up and down. Then the highlight of the evening came. The Other Ones had planned to send a serious message to the U.S. government and the Middle east with "New Speedway Boogie" & "Throwing Stones" back to back. Telling us that "this darkness got to give," Phil and Bobby got the whole MCI Center into these two songs. At the end of each song, the music stopped and all you could hear is the audience chanting "one way or another" and "ashes ashes all fall down." The same goes with "Not Fade Away" which was the set closer. The second set was full of rocking jams and positive energy. There was a upbeat jam into "Let It Grow" and a very intricate "Milestones" into "New Potato Caboose" which in turn led into "Drums." Mickey and Billy pounded out fast rhythmic vibes as the reverberation shook the MCI Center. "Cryptical Envelopment" snuck out of drums and transformed into a raging "All Along the Watchtower." Then bobby shot out a "Born Cross-Eyed" that blended into "The Other One" without flaw. "Cryptical" snuck back out and transformed into a rocking "Sugar Magnolia" that seemd to last forever. Just when eveyone thought it was over, The Other Ones came back and encored with two more suprises: "Cosmic Charlie" which seemed to tell our enemies to go back home your mamma's calling you, and "U.S. Blues" which left eveyone in a patriotic mood.

Show was fantastic. The band is obviously enjoying the new tour. They sounded great, but more importantly, the guys looked grateful to be there. We could see some of them making shadow puppets in the stage lights after Hunter finished his performance between sets. Seeing Hunter was a blast. I've never seen him before and was surprised that he was a little goofy. He's obviously nuts, but certainly gifted. :) We were going to settle with this one show, but I think I'll have to look into finding tix for Philly. For me, Mickey Hart's "Down the Road" was the special highlight of the show, which was full of highlights. Can't say enough just how great it was to see these guys for the first time in so many years.

Wow. It not only lives, it thrives! A magical 4 hours celebrating (now) 35 years of great LIVE music. The rather crummy acoustics of Abe Pollin's cement palace (the MCI Center) notwithstanding, TOO cranked up the audience with their first notes and left us, as usual, begging for more.
How wonderful to be transported to another place and time when we all danced and floated and twirled and partied with and smiled at each other. Moreover, to be able to share the current experience with my 15 year-old daughter, who attended her first Dead concert 3 weeks before she was born and who is a veteran of Furthur Festivals, and watch her reaction to the music, the people, and the energy, and to see that she could feel what it was and still is.......................
No criticism of the music including that presented by our senior statesman, Robert Hunter, from this source. Why would anyone want to "rain" (substituted for a more vulgar but perhaps more appropriate verb) on this parade?
Sincere thanks to Phil, Bobby, Mickey, Bill and the band for allowing us to experience that wonderful alchemy once again.
Where do they play next?

My girl and I were very excited about our second show in a row. Went with some old friends via the DC area and truly enjoyed! After a Metro ride and a dinner in Chinatown, one quick stroll through Shakedown, and into the show...
They sell beer, unlike in Roanoke! Great seats in section 100 with all cool neighbors. Like a Rolling Stone was very nice... did not expect that one! I was calling Jack Straw. Highlights were the Throwing Stones-NFA, bringing back other DC and Cap Center memories. The second set was what it was all about. Kicking The Other One was a highlight, and the double encore of Cosmic Charlie-US Blues made for a very enjoyable evening! Tons of N2O in Shakedown post show. Being in the city, you had some unfriendly locals preaching about this and that---I think they get jealous!! Peace, can't wait for the next one (or Other One!!!)

Being in the minority of the crowd who religiously follows Ratdog, not Phil and Friends, and who has been disappointed by previous TOO incarnations, I was blown away by the MCI show and just loved it--every minute of it.
There was a huge, positive vibe, energy and anticipation in the air I hadn't felt since my last Grateful Dead show in Pittsburgh '95. Following the Roanoke show, which was also kickass, and this show, I realized this is as real a deal as we'll ever be privileged to see. Jimmy Herring's still learning these ropes but he's doing great, is a positive non-ego driven player, and the powerful Grateful Dead rhythm section propels him along nicely. Phil is most prominent in the mix and he is seriously kicking some ass. He and Bobby are really loving this situation.
I am positively overjoyed that these guys are haviing such an obviously great time getting off on their ensemble jamming. very, very powerful. no more skepticism from me. great, great stuff.

So DC was my first Other Ones show with this lineup. I went in with very high expectations, but not delusions of grandeur or anything. MCI Center is situated right in the middle of DC so there was no shakedown or anything, just a buncha hipsters hanging around on the sidewalks. Took a bit of time to get in, and they had already begun Like a Rolling Stone by the time we got in. This was fun, always great to hear a Dylan tune, and a very quirky and interesting opener (which has been the case this tour it seems). This sort of wound down at the end into a loose jam, and then blam! Jimmy and Rob kicked off Stranger. This was a very smokin' Stranger, Bobby doing his usual spitting and passionate delivery, and Jimmy taking the lead. Jimmy was almost diminutive at times during Stranger, not tearing it up the way... well I'm not going to be comparing to Jerry here so I'll just stop that thought right there. Anyway, the outro Stranger jam didn't work as well as would be hoped; the band seemed unsure as to when to go into it, but it came out alright in the end. Next up was Down the Road, a song I really can't stand and didn't pay a whole lot of attention to. It was pretty dull. I barely paid attention. Eyes started up out of DTR to the delight of the crowd. Eyes was very well done... both Bobby and Phil took turns singing, and they both sounded great. There were two main sections for jamming in Eyes: after the first chorus, and after the second chorus. I can't remember which, but after one, Rob took a REALLY sweet piano solo. Just jammin' it down on the e-piano, it was great. After the other break, Jimmy took an AWESOME solo... it was the first moment when I looked onto the stage, saw Jimmy wailing away and said, "Yup, this guy's the real deal." After the third chorus, the band just plopped down into Aiko. This transition was TOTALLY lame and pre-thought out, it was clear, and I was very disappointed. Usually the Eyes outro jam is great. Anyway Aiko was up next, a tune I really really detest (not just am bored by like DTR), so I left to get some food and go to the bathroom. Really didn't hear it and don't know if it was good or bad. However just as I was walking back into the arena, the first of my wishes came true--NEW SPEEDWAY BOOGIE!!!!!!! Oh yeah! It was funky; it was HOT! Bobby sang this tune (Ratdog does a *great* NSB, so this seemed only natural).... Every nuance of the tune was explored, and every bit of emotion was oozing from it. This version was EVERY BIT as good as the Dead's version. Seriously. And I later found out it was dedicated to newly elected House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, which is funny and cool. Anyway, the band never really stopped playing, sort of broke it down real quiet-style, and then a keyboardist (I honestly can't remember who was on piano at this point) and Bobby started the intro riff for Throwin' Stones. This was cool, not altogther unexpected, but certainly unexpected in the first set! A very nice Throwin' Stones unfolded... some great solos from Jimmy, Phil holding down a sweet bottom end. It was also very LONG if I recall correctly... at one point there was a big break and the band got into a very nice improvised jam.... A bit of space ensued with Jimmy trading licks with Phil going back and forth... it was very interesting. Finally they came back to the final chorus of Throwin Stones, and did the old traditional segue into Not Fade Away. I had mixed feelings when I heard this. NFA isn't one of my favorite tunes, but is fun to hear. I was almost dismayed to hear that the old "Throwin>Away" combo is back, but at the same time this was a very fun NFA. Nicely jammed out on, Mickey and Billy pounding away for us all. The crowd seemed less-than-into-it. Bobby and the crew had to struggle to get the clap and chant going at the end of the set. This wasn't just during NFA. I noticed for much of the show, the crowd wasn't very lively, which was ASTOUNDING to me. I can't figure it out................ Anyway NFA finished off the set, and setbreak ensued.
Met up with some friends who were on the floor, and we all headed up to section 420 for setbreak festivities. The sound up there was AWFUL, so I couldn't hear much of Hunter's set. Truth be told, I'm not all that impressed with what Hunter I've seen so I wasn't too upset. Jodi and I got stubbed down to the floor for the second set, which made me a very very happy Deadhead. =c)
The second set was experienced from the floor, which rocked. We were nice and close to the stage, and the energy was a bit higher on the floor. The second set started with an interesting improvised jam. This jam wasn't long but had some very nice textural elements in it; I almost thought they were going to open the second set with Space, but then Bobby starting hitting some persistent chords, and it turned out those beautiful persistent chords morphed into Let It Grow. ROCK!! This was a very sweet Let It Grow... very powerful Let It Grow, Bobby belting out the fabulous lyrics, and some nice fills from Jimmy. Granted, not Jerry fills from Jimmy, but nice fills. There was a great solo break from Jimmy that had me capitvated in his fingers. Phil was also really rockin' on this tune, with some great interaction with Jimmy (and yes I was a bit disappointed that it was LIG and not the full WRS =c)). A nice spacey jam ensued after the song proper, and this really propelled into space and I thought some drumz were coming as well. This didn't happen... eventually it worked its way into the traditional post-LIG jam. The quiet interlude before the return to the chorus was GREAT, and the return chorus was good (though not as powerful as might be liked). The Other Ones went right back into the spacey jam after the last chorus was over.... Jimmy was throwing licks over the backdrop of the band, and then a circular jam happened when Jimmy, Phil, Rob, and Jeff were *all* trading licks. IT was AWESOME, each of them taking at turn at rockin out in each measure. Very nice. At some point, this jam morphed into Milestones. This was really great; the jam I describe above was also going on during Milestones. A very nice jazzy jam that was wonderfully placed after Let It Grow. At some point, and I can't remember how, this jam turned into the opening chords of New Potato Caboose. WOW!! Who saw that one coming?!!? This was an awesome NPC... Phil sweetly singing the gentle words over the very complex chord structures with Jeff bringing some beautiful organ textures over the top echoing an organist of the past who was playing those same chords when this song made its first appearance in the Dead's repetoire. NPC went into a brief Drumz segment.... This wasn't very long, the band seemed hesitant to leave the stage at first, and then they did briefly. Billy was hitting the vibes a lot while Mickey was slammin on the big drums on the top of the BEAST. Cool drum interlude, and then the band came back on, and Jimmy hit the opening notes of Cryptical. There was a visible rise in the audience; a lot of people got very excited very quickly to hear this. Phil handled the vocals just as well as he does with the Quintet, if not better than normal.... Cryptical was brief--just the composed section--and then dropped down into a jam which quickly formed into Watchtower. Now at first this pissed me off... I really think Watchtower is an over-played, over-done, 3-chord song, and no one will ever beat Hendrix's version. I was just about to sit down, when what do I hear? But Jimmy... just shredding it up. This was the best thing Jimmy did all night; he totally tore up Watchtower. It was really amazing. What was going to be a disappointing moment turned into one of the best moments of the show--Jimmy just dominated this tune. It was awesome. After Watchtower proper ended, there was some space, and then you hear a drumroll and a chord hit... and an organ blare... it could be none other than Born Cross-Eyed. Oh yes oh yes... this was great, and totally unexpected. Loved to hear this tune!! This is an even MORE complexly written tune than NPC, and it was incredible. The band hit every single chord and note that they were supposed to. They played Born Cross-Eyed *BETTER* than The Dead played it back in '68-'69. It used to be very sloppily done with notes flying everywhere and improperly timed chords, but not The Other Ones. This was a dead-on version; it was incredible. Awesome. Can't say enough about it. And immediately after it ends... a jam ensues, and all of a sudden that familiar drum beat kicks in... ta-dum-dum... ta-dum-dum... ta-dum-dum... and then Phil steps to the front of the stage.... Ba-da-da-ta-da-da-ta-da-da-ta-da-da-da-BLAAAAAAAAM!!!!!!!! He drops the bomb!!!!! This explosion of bass eminates forth from the stage, and is met only by an explosion of maniacal cheering from the crowd. Phil really doesn't drop the bomb in The Other One with the Quintet so this was just so incredible to hear. Phil drops the bomb and the band comes in on his heels with a searing, intense Other One jam. Amazing... Jimmy tears into The Other One with a gusto not found in his previous versions with the quintet, and he's playing off of Bobby's rhythm parts very nicely. A very very nice Other One ensues, and I can't say a whole lot about it because my mind shut off and my heart was exploding, so details are sketchy. Suffice it to say I was in BLISS at this point, and this was a great Other One. After the second verse of TOO, the band used the old chords to descend back into Cryptical. A very nice reprise, with the jam being very mellowed out afterwards, which was fine with me. Bobby took the reigns and steered everyone into Sugar Mags which is a fun, throwaway tune for me. Fun to hear, fun to dance to, not worth writing home about (ever). The band left the stage, and came back for the encore--Cosmic Charlie!! They were supposed to play this in Roanoke according to their pre-made setlists but didn't, so they played it as the first encore in DC. This was awesome to hear, always a favorite tune of mine and got a really positive reaction from the crowd. And, in a fitting moment, after the vocal jam at the end was over, Jimmy hits those opening notes to US Blues. AWESOME. A very powerful, hard-rocked out US Blues, almost made you think it was The Dead up there if it wasn't Bobby singing the tune. Great double-encore to send the crowd out with a BIG FREAKIN smile. =c)
This was a far better show than Albany (the next night) in hindsight. The first set wasn't that spectacular, but Stranger was nice and New Speedway was really cool to hear. But the second set was incredible, from beginning to end. Amazing, inspired jam after Let It Grow into Milestones, awesome older tunes played in top form, and Phil dropping the bomb. A double-encore was the cherry on top of this sundae. GREAT.

I was there for the last song of the first set and all of the second. It was great. If anyone out there has a recording of this show I would love to trade for it. It is the only show I attended that I don't have. I have many shows I could trade for if intersted. Thanks