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

First off, I was impressed by Mr. Winwood. I am not that familiar with his stuff, but all of it sounded real good. Then the guys, and gal, hit the stage. Well, a Minglewood opener would have been insulting back in the 80s, but it is perfectly acceptable today. Cold Rain had some different lyrics and Phil trying to mix up the melody a bit. I'm not sure I liked it, but it was interesting. Only the Strange is my favorite Mickey song, and it rocked. Loose Lucy, which I am hearing everytime I go to a show lately, was cool with lyrics by Stevie. Till the Morning Comes was a new one for me. A decent job on it, enough for me to enjoy it thoroughly. Here is where the band hit its stride: A smokin' MNS>GDTRFB to end the set. I would have liked to hear the entire coda, but it was not to be. Set 2: I always thought Uncle John's was underused as an opener, and it's one of my favs. Then, a song I've been waiting 17 years to hear, Lost Sailor. Followed by Saint. I was in tears; I love this stuff. A terrific China Doll followed, sung by Joan. NOW I get it. Unbroken Chain was another first and better than I could have imagined. Drums/Space> The Golden Road. They rocked so hard on this I thought they'd end the set here. Viola Lee>King Bee>Viola Lee was good, but I'm not a big fan of blues tunes in the second set. King Bee I mean; Viola Lee doesn't really qualify as a blues tune. Then, the perfect ender, for me, Good Lovin'. Awesome. The Samson encore left a bit to be desired. I love the tune, but the drums and vocals only first verse kind of ruined it for me. Still, a terrific show. I am sorry it'll be the only one I see on this tour. Thanks guys.

Great Show! My friend said that at one point she "closed her eyes, and the music appeared as fractals in her mind" or something like that. Surely, a sign that something cool was happening. When the band is playing, an inexplicable zone is formed in the physical space between them and me. This numinous dominion is comprised of all the anatomical components that convert sound waves into something the mind and soul can comprehend and take pleasure in and an overwhelming gale of emotions and altered consciousness.
     How can I write an unbiased review of this concert with that type of far-out predisposition? Objectivity can still be applied because of my familiarity with the artists and the material. I have an expertise on how the song has gone in the past and a vision of where it can lead. Criticism can actually be levied if the band fails to deliver something creative, or if they simply play their instruments inadequately. With fine musicians like Rob Barraco and Jeff Chimineti on keyboards and Jimmy Herring on guitar supplementing the surviving originals, that scenario is highly improbable.
     Going into the show, I didn't know anything about Joan Osborne, except for one exceedingly fatuous hit song that was penned by some dude from the 80's band The Hooters. She was also the warm-up act on a recent tour of the Dixie Chicks, who are one of the worst musical acts I have ever heard. Despite her resume, I found her to be a great addition to the band. She's the best singer they've ever had, and she's welcome to take over the lead vocals of this group. Bob Weir is the only other member of The Dead I want to hear sing, but his cup of tunes is already brimming with enchanting GD classics. Speaking of classics, this show was loaded with good ol' Grateful Dead ditties...material rarely heard since the late 60's, when the band was a raw blend of blues, country, and psychedelia.
     The absolute pinnacle of the show was Bob's slide guitar work on King Bee. Joan sang this sexually charged number as "Queen Bee". Jimmy stood behind Bob playing a solid blues progression and looking over his shoulder as Bob used the entire low end of the fret board on his newly acquired Fender Telecaster to create a really smooth groove. Joan was so moved by the sound; she danced over to Bob and simply got down and boogied. They were face to face, literally inches apart. Bob just got deeper into it, and the two of them dipped and grooved over and over. The rest of the band was locked in, and it was a truly beautiful moment built entirely on improvised blues music. The piece was tightly embedded within a transcendent rendition of Viola Lee Blues, which is a something of a canticle from the Band's early repertoire.
     Other highlights were a perfectly played Lost Sailor>Saint, which you would facetiously call new, having been released 23 years ago on the album "Go To Heaven," and Till The Morning Comes, another dulcet classic. Loose Lucy was enhanced by Steve Winwood's soulful vocals and keyboard craftsmanship. Good Lovin' was smashing and nearly sent the audience into euphoria.... Good thing the crowd was howling, because Joan and Bob were confused as to which one was supposed to take which verse. Strange Remain, Uncle John's, and Unbroken Chain were mediocre (there's the negativity legitimizing the review for some of you I guess). The rest of the songs were tight and left concert-goers with a beaming countenance.
     Jerry Garcia was my favorite musician, but he's gone. A new entity has emerged, and it fuses a fresh cosmic energy with the eternal force of The Grateful Dead. While the drummers are a unique and significant contribution, Bob Weir and Phil Lesh are the only remaining components that can carry the torch. Bobby is only 56 and in better health. So, he will be the one to make it to the end, and with his insatiable appetite for making music, I'm anticipating 20 more years of some form of performance unit involving Bob and/or Phil. What they call it is irrelevant, but for the record, Bob Weir was opposed to renaming this band "The Dead." The spirit of the Grateful Dead will conclude when Bob Weir has played his last gig, and if Bob and his guitar show up, so will I.

The 6/22/03 show in Mansfield, MA, was awesome. After a long weekend of rain, this show was exactly what we needed. The band was really ON that night, and Joan Osbourne has amazing spirit on stage. It was some of the best music I have heard them put out in a long time. Joan's 'China Doll' and 'King Bee' were too good for words. Hearing 'Till the Morning Comes' and 'The Golden Road' were special treats, played with so much energy that I am sure EVERYBODY was dancing. 'Loose Lucy' with Steve Winwood singing was GREAT. A big THANK YOU to the band for picking out on amazing setlist and playing as well as they did. This is one of the best shows I have ever seen, so full of spirit, something that was lacking Saturday night in Hartford (6/21/03). The band pulled together for a wonderful and unforgetable night. I am positive everybody at this show will never forget it. I recommend buying this show on CD. To everyone who was there, THANK YOU FOR A REAL GOOD TIME!!!!!!!

We might have been disappointed that the weather dampened our plans to enjoy the lot scene before the show, but the show itself was so amazing that we didn't really care. I've been a Steve Winwood fan since high school and loved his set. Joan is a perfect addition and I hope she stays with the boys. Her China Doll gave me chills. Interestingly we went back to Great Woods the next weekend to hear James Taylor and saw almost as many GD tee shirts there. So we miracled some very surprised people with shows we had burned but not given away at the Dead show.

I started seeing The Dead in 1982 and saw a lot of great shows up until Jerry's death. Since then I have seen a number of RatDog, Phil and Friends, and The Other Ones shows. All were good/fun and brought back that great groove feeling you can only get at a show (don't even have to dose anymore), but the show at Great Woods really hit home. The band sounded as good as ever; Till the Morning Comes was out of this world... Unbroken Chain... King Bee. One of those times that makes a rainy Sunday eve the most beautiful night if the year. Thanks guys. You rock.