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

First of all the show started at 7:15. Early. I didnt make it in until 7:45 or so. I'm not even sure. I am writing this after the show and just kind of going on what I remember. Still floating. The first song I heard was Looks Like Rain, which was soulful, but I still had two beers in my hand and my jacket on, so I couldn't really connect.
This was my fifth time seeing members of the Dead since Jerry died. Phil and Friends. The Other Ones on Further. Ratdog. Far and away, the best. Far and away. A magical evening that brought us all back to a golden place without seeming calculated or forced. This shit was natural and welcoming. Wonderful music here, folks.
The last song of the first set was a sweet Loose Lucy. "Thank you, for a real good time!" Rocking. Fully giving it to us. Right on and in to it. But then the set ended. Shit. High then dry.
First set was over and we had just sat down. Robert Hunter came out. Mountains of the Moon. Pure bliss. Respectful. Engaging. Great stuff.
Then we had some friends come down to our seats, and they rallied us up to their seats. It was much better up there, but it took a while to make the transition. Sat down to Robert Hunter playing Terrapin Station>Box of Rain>Ripple. It was fantastic. Just him on a guitar, conjuring images of good times past. Great stuff.
I had never seen Robert Hunter before, but there is no reason that I would not see him again. He was great. He ended his set with an a capella song I didnt know. Jacks, Kings and Aces or something like that. A good song about the Lord looking down on the people at the bar and not casting judgement. Great stuff. Amazing stuff.
At this point, I (and I think the entire crowd) was primed and ready. No shit. This show was fantastic. Building and building. Gratuitous Dead, if you will. If the Other Ones are coming to your town, go. Even with the $50 ticket. Quite possibly the best show I have seen this year. If they already came to your town and you didn't go, kick yourself in the ass right now.
Second set. Major rumbles in my brain. I was ready for take off. Set starts off with Shakedown. "You just got to look around." Susan Tedeschi was on stage singing back up. Under-miked and with no guitar, she still made her presence felt. God damn, though, why the hell didn't they give her a guitar? It didn't make any sense. No sense at all.
If I had three complaints of the night, it would be (1) Susan Tedeshi's vocals were too low in the mix, (2) she didn't have a guitar (christ!), and (3) it ended too soon. Really though, the show was too good for any complaints. The failings kind of make The Dead The Dead, right?
Out of Shakedown (which was epic), they went into Alligator. This was good, but it wasn't as great as it could have been because Susan was again under-miked. Still great. Just not as great as it could have been. Still great, though. Phil and Susan singing. This went into Caution. Anyways, Rob the keyboard player? He was singing. Shit I don't know, but he was singing with Susan, and she finally had some room and some volume.
Back into Shakedown Street. Oh, and did I mention the "Shake it down, shake it down now" in the Shakedown Street. Great stuff!
Dancing in the Streets. Great. The crowd is dancing. Girls are looking good. Big smiles all around. Jack Straw. Big smiles stay on all our faces. He's Gone was in there somewhere too and I'm sure we were all thinking about Jerry. I'm sure I'm forgetting a song or two.
But then Phil came up and asked us to be aware of the power of giving. Made a mention that if we were organ donors we might be able to help someone much more worthy than him. Sweet and simple.
Then he said "This is probably going to be the shortest encore we have ever done" and it probably was. Golden Road. "Hey hey, hey, come right away. Come and join the party every day." Full of energy and life and happiness, but then the show was over. Damn Boston and it's leftover Puritan ways!
And then I stumbled out into the crisp Boston air to try to find a cab ride home. Damn. I'm still spinning. Great show.

I left work early to make the two hour drive from Hartford. Was a little tired from seing Dylan the night before (excellent show) and then driving. Once the show started I remembred why I had come and forgot about being tired. First set had great energy and had me dancing throught he whole thing. I thought Bob did "Looks like Rain" perfectly. Robert Hunter was entertaining but a bit anti-climatic and then the second set with Alligator, a great drums, and jam brought me back to reality. Best part of the show for me was He's Gone>Truckin>Jack Straw. Really great energy throughout. Makes me so happy to have them on tour again. "Not all who wander are lost"

A most enjoyable show. As Other Ones shows have gone--at least among the 4-5 I've seen in the last 4-5 years--it was not quite as electrifying, but it was very enjoyable. The first set was SHORT but good, particularly the Cumberland Blues opener and Looks Like Rain, which was very soulful. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed Robert Hunter's set during the break; the man can sing and play the guitar, and his songwriting speaks for itself of course. He got a rousing ovation from the crowd when he left the stage! The second set was very good. I thought Susan's (can't remember her last name) vocals added a great deal to the harmonies. Shakedown was awesome, but the rest of the set left me a bit unmoved. Maybe it was just me, as the crowd seemed to be having a great time! I have never heard Golden Road played live in my life so that was a great surprise as an encore; the crowd seemed to immediately recognize the tune as suggested by their delighted response.
I've been to probably 200 Dead shows over the last 30+ years, so I don't expect to have my socks knocked off each and every time. I had a great time last night, and am heading back again tonight! You know what they say: Dead shows are like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get. :)

This was the best show I have seen in a long time. I had never seen The Other Ones before, but I've seen the other members in their own bands. The setlist was better than I could have possibly imagined; Cumberland Blues and Friend of the Devil (acoustic Weir) were amazing. Those warmed the crowd up for the rest of the show. The atmosphere was great and everyone was pumped. Robert Hunter played in between the sets on accoustic. He was amazing: Box of Rain, Terrapin Station, and Ripple. He sung them with such heart that you could almost feel Jerry looking over him. The second set made the night. They started with Shakedown Street which was incredible and unexpected. In the midst of that they played Alligator and another song then went back to Shakedown Street. After that, Truckin, Jack Straw, and He's Gone. I'll have to say that He's Gone was the highlight for me. The whole crowd went crazy and sang every word with them. They ended with the Golden Road which was short but really well done. In conclusion, an awesome show, one of the best!

Writing this in order to kill time until part two tonight. Usually I take notes when I know I'm writing a review for the school (Brandeis) paper, but this one is all from the head. I've seen Phil and Friends about six times now over the past two years and been to my share of festivals with magic in the air, but last night really opened up a doorway to the past. I was completely blown away by the visual displays throughout the show. Cumberland was Country Dead at it's best. It was truly a special feeling to see TOO playing Friend of the Devil mellow style with Bobby on acoustic. They took me off into beautiful places with Looks Like Rain, except I was a bit distracted, hoping that Susan would come out and add her vocals. Bobby really did a fantastic, emotional job doing his singy shouty thing at the end of the song. Loose Lucy ended the first set strong, and I indeed was thanking them for a real good time.
I think there should be mellow, rejuvinating live music at setbreak more often. Hunter's Terrapin > Box of Rain > Ripple got me to my feet as I swayed with a placid smile lifting my spirit.
I had been calling a Shakedown opener that night, so when I got it as a second set opener I still felt like I had at least a partial connection with the cosmos. I agree that it was truly one for the books. Thought they were gonna pull out a Good Lovin with Rob and Susan doing a soulful improvisational call and response with "All you need." Dancin in the Streets certainly kept my feet and body groovin and made me aware of all the other happy heads doing the same. He's Gone was done absolutely beautifully. I was only 13 and Further from a head than anyone else when Jerry died, but I was missing him dearly at that point. I was happy they played Truckin cause it's my buddy's favorite Dead tune and he wasn't too thrilled with the song selection thus far (he's more into Allmans). Jack Straw, possibly my favorite story song, was right on target, giving me the range of emotions that any great piece of art should. Golden Road was a fun encore. It felt like they did it double time in order to fit a full song in to the two minutes they had to finish up playing. Will Boston ever learn? Anyway it left the vibe on a high, excited, unfinished note. I am completely in accord that Susan's vocals were too soft at points and that the show seemed a little short. But the feeling of goodness and musical (and mind) exploration far outweighs any gripes. Quite thankful for the experience unlike any other. See you there for the conclusion tonight!

Wow! I'm still flying. My lovely wife presented me with a great early birthday present: two floor seats to the concert Monday night. Right next to the sound board. Great show, first I'd seen of any of them since 1981. (Boy is that embarassing or what). All I can say is that they conjured up Jerry's Spirit onto that stage and into those jams... WOW. Unfortunately the early "curfew" laws in Boston cut the Drum duet way short; Bill and Mickey were just getting pumping when Bill gestured to his watch. Susan did and awesome job. Her harmonies were a great fit. BTW her new CD just came out today (Tuesday)--VERY bluesy. She was a great addition. We were saying on the way home that a female voice, especially one as strong as hers would be a nice match in the Dead... shades of Donna G., but even stronger and amazing in its potential. I agree with the earlier reviewer--they should have given her a guitar and really let her go. She can certainly hold her own and then some with them.
All in all a great show, great to see Robert Hunter.... Actually his Terrapin Station was a big highlight for me--always one of my favorite album sides. If the guys read this, thank you so much for giving us back the Dead as we remember them--soaring, high flying, jazzy, bluesy, rockin riffs and jams interspersed with "classic" songs. Oh yeah, the sound was awesome - much better than the old Boston Garden shows, and I could still hear when I left.

What an amazing time! This show really had a distinct first set and second set drawing from the songs typically played in those places, but just so nicely jammed out and connected together.
Cumberland opener just kept building and building. Jimmy Herring spending a lot of time low on the guitar, with only the occasional soar to the higher registers. Nice segue into B.E. Women, great to hear Phil sing the "old man" line. FOTD was great in that it was the regular fast version. It actually felt a little faster than when the Dead played it fast (I think Mickey always thought it should have been faster). Great segue out of Friend. They kept on building the ending chords into a giant swirling concoction of notes and sound all the while Billy and Mickey bringing it higher and higher into a percussive trance-a-thon. Finally, with drums feeling genuinely African and tribal, the riff from Baba Jingo comes in. Great to see Mickey sing as well, kinda eerie in fact....
LL Rain was really well done, very mellow, not as much emotion on the "still sing you love songs" line as in the past, but that's okay. Bobby seems to be speaking a lot of this as opposed to necessarily singing it. Segue into Loose Lucy was nice, and had everyone singing along on "real good time."
The Hunter set was very cool. He played the entire Terrapin Suite (Jack o' Roses and all that stuff), which was really touching to hear. Standing on the Moon, Mtns. of the Moon, Box of Rain, and Ripple to close out his mini-set.
Shakedown was sweet! Susan Tedeschi... please, give us more of her. She adds such an amazing vocal quality, and it really came out in the Pigpen-esque blues scatting on Caution. Alligator and Caution came swirling up out of the Shakedown jam before bringing it all back down for Dancin. Then almost immediately, back to the last chorus of Shakedown. Drumz was too short, space was too long :). He's Gone was a great touch, a certain nod to Jerry. Again, Susan on vocals adds so much. She's got the same style as Donna, only much better. Truckin was great, got everyone going, and then to end with Jack Straw was a really nice touch. The Jack Straw jam was rockin. Nearing the early curfew of 11, they didn't really even leave the stage, then played the "shortest encore they know" according to Bobby. But it was really cool to hear Golden Road; I couldn't believe they pulled that 60s nugget out for us.
All in all, an amazing time, exceeding all my expectations. The second set was a great mix of 60s tunes with a real psychedelic jam sandwiched in between some fun disco Dead. Also, a lot of big "group sing-along" lines (Steal your face, what a long strange trip...), which was great, everyone loving every second of it. Didn't get the Dark Star i was hoping for, but that'll come tonight.

Set I
It seems that everytime I see PLQ they bust out a Cumberland Blues so I wasn't exactly thrilled to see this as the opener but it still got me grooovin' and I soon noticed that it maintained a bouncier quality than when Phil plays it with his band and Phil's voice sounded better with the the support of some harmonies from Bob and Rob.... I was there with my sister and midway through the song she turned to me and said something along the lines of "this is a completely diferent story huh?" I had to agree but still the nature of the lyrics always make me feel a little guilty for skipping out on work to go see a show... but I soon got over that....
Brown Eyed Women is another great, great song that unfortunately I just think PLQ and RD have been overplaying lately... still it "was a completely different story" having an entire arena singing along during the chorus... I think it's a little odd, however, when Phil sings the old man line and everyone goes nuts....
During the jam out of BEW Bobby picked up his acoustic and I really started to get excited... a cowboy tune maybe??? Please please let it be.... I thought I heard him trying to go into Corrina or at least teasing it for a good amount of time.... I wouldn't have been completely disappointed but it wasn't what I was hoping for... and what he eventually pulled together wasn't what I was hoping for either... Friend of the Devil... another song I seem to get at 75% of the shows I go to... but once again it turned into something unexpected.... I miss how an acoustic guitar can sound with an electric band... and his vocals seemed much gruffer and maybe even a littl melancholy... really moving in a way I didn't think FOTD could move me anymore....
The Jam out of FOTD moved into a very dark, percussive, almost afro-beat sounding jam which turned out to be Baba Jingo.... I didn't know what it was at first... I tend to skip over that track on the TOO 98 double live album... eventually I caught on when I heard the words Baba Jingo and wondered why I had never enjoyed that song as much I was enjoying in that very moment... I'll have to go back and listen to the old version again... maybe they've changed it up a bit... If I'm going to have to hear Mickey sing, his voice fits this one well....
Weir picks up the accoustic again and starts teasing Blackbird... but no dice... eventually works his way into Looks Like Rain... One of my sister's favorites that she's never got a chance to hear live so I'm happy for her... but I still wanted my damn cowboy tune!
Jam out of LLR gets ultra funky... the bottom end just taking over nearly grooving me into the ground... I thought it would be the perfect lead in to Loose Lucy and low and behold... unfortunately the tune itself didn't stack up to the jam that preceded it but it's always nice to say thank you for a real good time.... said Yeah Yeah!
Setbreak
We didn't do the beer/bathroom thing right away because in Albany Hunter came right out and I wanted to be sure to catch his whole set... but there was some sort of delay so we made a run for it. I could hear him starting up while I was still waiting for my sister to get out of the bathroom so I went in to the tunnel and watched... Standing on the Moon started things off... kind of appropriate given my vantage point at that moment... I got back to my seat before he had finished SOTM which he followed with a song I don't belive I knew... then a Terrapin Station that I found more moving thean the Other Ones' performance of it in Albany.... Box of Rain and Ripple had people rising to their feet... such a different experience to hear these songs from the man who penned them... and then that a-capella number to close things out... standing at the foot of the stage arms spread open... pure magic for me....
Set II
I definitely heard them teasing Cream's Sunshine of Your Love in the opening jam but it was (gladly) not to be... just the familiar, earth shattering chords of a Shakedown Street shaking the arena to its core.... "Don't tell me this town ain't got no heart!" seemed to get a real rise from the Bostonians in attendance... I couldn't really notice Susan to much in the mix but I was too busy grooving away and taking in all the revelry around me to really give two shits... They were obviously having fun with this one...adding "Shake it down, shake it down down etc..." at the end... What's that from? Some KC and the Sunshine Band song?
The Jam out of Shakedown was again taking on Corrina-ish undertones... it might have made sense thematically given the "shake it up" lines... but as soon as I heard the synthesized sound of kazoos coming from Chimenti's (I think it was him) rig I knew I was finally in for a little "Alligator" action... Phil's vocals complementing perfectly the swampy murky depths that this song takes us too... they could have gotten a little crazier with it but who the hell am i to say?
Caution was an interesting curiosity... I could have sworn it was Mickey and Susan trading off vocals but all the setlists say it was Rob... either way, completely fitting for the bluesy old school groove that the band had by now established... and finally a decent showcase for Susan's vocals... unfortunately some drunken seat surfing asshole came and stood next to my sister and would not leave her alone... I made it very clear to him that if he wished to stay there he better shut the fuck up... and he did for a little while
Speaking of Susan's vocals they could have been turned up quite a bit to make the Dancing in the Streets that followed even better... but hey still no complaints here... real reminiscent of those mid 70s Dancin's with the thick meaty basslines and absolutely irresistable grooves...
And BAM back into Shakedown which had by now gathered a full head of steam and doubled up on the boogey down... what a fucking PARTY!
Drums/Space... the asshole takes this as an excuse to start talking again... loudly... I plead with him... he starts telling me how many Dead shows he's been to blah blah blah and I just try to block him out... so annoying.... but I love it during drums when it sounds like monks chanting... I think it's some pad Billy has... anyway just starting to feel the drums and then the rest of the boys come back out... the drums segment never seems long enough to me...
Space starts to take form and I realize it's headed towards He's Gone... but were they just going to tease it like in Alpine?... Guess not... An absolutely moving rendition... couldn't help but dredge up the memories of some of those who have left me in physical, emotional, and mental senses in recent times... Trying not to fully break down but the tears are welling (even if that's not really what the song's about) and the best part... I look over to the right of my sister and realize the asshole had left... we were both thinking the same thing and we said it out loud simultaneously "HE's Gone!!!!" Thank god... he tried to come back later but the guy at the end of the aisle wouldn't let him back in. Kudos to you sir... I've done my fair share of seat surfing but I'm always curteous to those around me... for chrissakes...
Truckin' comes thundering out of the post He's Gone jam... I know I can turn on my local classic rock radio station and here this any time... but this is one greatest hit that I haven't heard often enough live... the "sometimes the light's all shining on me... . " portion of the song really drove it home for me in way that it hadn't before... Getting really teary eyed again for some reason... very odd sensations during this song... crazy deja-vu going on... feelings of being back "home" again...
And to close out with Jack Straw... one of my all time favs and a sobering reminder of the sacrifices we have to make in our lives... in all the post Drums/space portion of the show really gave me some things to ponder after the bop till you drop dance party that started the second set...
For the encore they didn't even pretend to leave the stage... Phil gave the quickest version of the donor rap I've ever heard and then they played us "the shortest encore ever"... which I think it actually turned out to be... Another ancient nugget: The Golden Road asked me to put my dancing shoes on one more time and convinced me (Brainwashed?) to join the party every day and definitely hit up the show the next day (which in my opinion was not so much the party but hey... hey hey...) The funny thing was that while while they were convincing me to join the party there were some very intimidating skulls up on the screens that flashed in a way that made them almost register subliminally... hmmmmmm... . i think I'm just read into things TOO much....

What an amazing time! This show really had a distinct first set and second set drawing from the songs typically played in those places, but just so nicely jammed out and connected together.
Cumberland opener just kept building and building. Jimmy Herring spending a lot of time low on the guitar, with only the occasional soar to the higher registers. Nice segue into B.E. Women, great to hear Phil sing the "old man" line. FOTD was great in that it was the regular fast version. It actually felt a little faster than when the Dead played it fast (I think Mickey always thought it should have been faster). Great segue out of Friend. They kept on building the ending chords into a giant swirling concoction of notes and sound all the while Billy and Mickey bringing it higher and higher into a percussive trance-a-thon. Finally, with drums feeling genuinely African and tribal, the riff from Baba Jingo comes in. Great to see Mickey sing as well, kinda eerie in fact....
LL Rain was really well done, very mellow, not as much emotion on the "still sing you love songs" line as in the past, but that's okay. Bobby seems to be speaking a lot of this as opposed to necessarily singing it. Segue into Loose Lucy was nice, and had everyone singing along on "real good time."
The Hunter set was very cool. He played the entire Terrapin Suite (Jack o' Roses and all that stuff), which was really touching to hear. Standing on the Moon, Mtns. of the Moon, Box of Rain, and Ripple to close out his mini-set.
Shakedown was sweet! Susan Tedeschi... please, give us more of her. She adds such an amazing vocal quality, and it really came out in the Pigpen-esque blues scatting on Caution. Alligator and Caution came swirling up out of the Shakedown jam before bringing it all back down for Dancin. Then almost immediately, back to the last chorus of Shakedown. Drumz was too short, space was too long :). He's Gone was a great touch, a certain nod to Jerry. Again, Susan on vocals adds so much. She's got the same style as Donna, only much better. Truckin was great, got everyone going, and then to end with Jack Straw was a really nice touch. The Jack Straw jam was rockin. Nearing the early curfew of 11, they didn't really even leave the stage, then played the "shortest encore they know" according to Bobby. But it was really cool to hear Golden Road; I couldn't believe they pulled that 60s nugget out for us.
All in all, an amazing time, exceeding all my expectations. The second set was a great mix of 60s tunes with a real psychedelic jam sandwiched in between some fun disco Dead. Also, a lot of big "group sing-along" lines (Steal your face, what a long strange trip...), which was great, everyone loving every second of it. Didn't get the Dark Star i was hoping for, but that'll come tonight.

Wow! I'm still flying. My lovely wife presented me with a great early birthday present: two floor seats to the concert Monday night. Right next to the sound board. Great show, first I'd seen of any of them since 1981. (Boy is that embarassing or what). All I can say is that they conjured up Jerry's Spirit onto that stage and into those jams... WOW. Unfortunately the early "curfew" laws in Boston cut the Drum duet way short; Bill and Mickey were just getting pumping when Bill gestured to his watch. Susan did and awesome job. Her harmonies were a great fit. BTW her new CD just came out today (Tuesday)--VERY bluesy. She was a great addition. We were saying on the way home that a female voice, especially one as strong as hers would be a nice match in the Dead... shades of Donna G., but even stronger and amazing in its potential. I agree with the earlier reviewer--they should have given her a guitar and really let her go. She can certainly hold her own and then some with them.
All in all a great show, great to see Robert Hunter.... Actually his Terrapin Station was a big highlight for me--always one of my favorite album sides. If the guys read this, thank you so much for giving us back the Dead as we remember them--soaring, high flying, jazzy, bluesy, rockin riffs and jams interspersed with "classic" songs. Oh yeah, the sound was awesome - much better than the old Boston Garden shows, and I could still hear when I left.

Writing this in order to kill time until part two tonight. Usually I take notes when I know I'm writing a review for the school (Brandeis) paper, but this one is all from the head. I've seen Phil and Friends about six times now over the past two years and been to my share of festivals with magic in the air, but last night really opened up a doorway to the past. I was completely blown away by the visual displays throughout the show. Cumberland was Country Dead at it's best. It was truly a special feeling to see TOO playing Friend of the Devil mellow style with Bobby on acoustic. They took me off into beautiful places with Looks Like Rain, except I was a bit distracted, hoping that Susan would come out and add her vocals. Bobby really did a fantastic, emotional job doing his singy shouty thing at the end of the song. Loose Lucy ended the first set strong, and I indeed was thanking them for a real good time.
I think there should be mellow, rejuvinating live music at setbreak more often. Hunter's Terrapin > Box of Rain > Ripple got me to my feet as I swayed with a placid smile lifting my spirit.
I had been calling a Shakedown opener that night, so when I got it as a second set opener I still felt like I had at least a partial connection with the cosmos. I agree that it was truly one for the books. Thought they were gonna pull out a Good Lovin with Rob and Susan doing a soulful improvisational call and response with "All you need." Dancin in the Streets certainly kept my feet and body groovin and made me aware of all the other happy heads doing the same. He's Gone was done absolutely beautifully. I was only 13 and Further from a head than anyone else when Jerry died, but I was missing him dearly at that point. I was happy they played Truckin cause it's my buddy's favorite Dead tune and he wasn't too thrilled with the song selection thus far (he's more into Allmans). Jack Straw, possibly my favorite story song, was right on target, giving me the range of emotions that any great piece of art should. Golden Road was a fun encore. It felt like they did it double time in order to fit a full song in to the two minutes they had to finish up playing. Will Boston ever learn? Anyway it left the vibe on a high, excited, unfinished note. I am completely in accord that Susan's vocals were too soft at points and that the show seemed a little short. But the feeling of goodness and musical (and mind) exploration far outweighs any gripes. Quite thankful for the experience unlike any other. See you there for the conclusion tonight!

Writing this in order to kill time until part two tonight. Usually I take notes when I know I'm writing a review for the school (Brandeis) paper, but this one is all from the head. I've seen Phil and Friends about six times now over the past two years and been to my share of festivals with magic in the air, but last night really opened up a doorway to the past. I was completely blown away by the visual displays throughout the show. Cumberland was Country Dead at it's best. It was truly a special feeling to see TOO playing Friend of the Devil mellow style with Bobby on acoustic. They took me off into beautiful places with Looks Like Rain, except I was a bit distracted, hoping that Susan would come out and add her vocals. Bobby really did a fantastic, emotional job doing his singy shouty thing at the end of the song. Loose Lucy ended the first set strong, and I indeed was thanking them for a real good time.
I think there should be mellow, rejuvinating live music at setbreak more often. Hunter's Terrapin > Box of Rain > Ripple got me to my feet as I swayed with a placid smile lifting my spirit.
I had been calling a Shakedown opener that night, so when I got it as a second set opener I still felt like I had at least a partial connection with the cosmos. I agree that it was truly one for the books. Thought they were gonna pull out a Good Lovin with Rob and Susan doing a soulful improvisational call and response with "All you need." Dancin in the Streets certainly kept my feet and body groovin and made me aware of all the other happy heads doing the same. He's Gone was done absolutely beautifully. I was only 13 and Further from a head than anyone else when Jerry died, but I was missing him dearly at that point. I was happy they played Truckin cause it's my buddy's favorite Dead tune and he wasn't too thrilled with the song selection thus far (he's more into Allmans). Jack Straw, possibly my favorite story song, was right on target, giving me the range of emotions that any great piece of art should. Golden Road was a fun encore. It felt like they did it double time in order to fit a full song in to the two minutes they had to finish up playing. Will Boston ever learn? Anyway it left the vibe on a high, excited, unfinished note. I am completely in accord that Susan's vocals were too soft at points and that the show seemed a little short. But the feeling of goodness and musical (and mind) exploration far outweighs any gripes. Quite thankful for the experience unlike any other. See you there for the conclusion tonight!