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

By way of introduction I have been going to G.D. shows since the early 70's, saw many shows at Winterland including the Dick's Picks 10 show, the Closing of Winterland Show and The Last Show of Grateful Dead Movie fame. I have seen both versions of the Other Ones which I found enjoyable with the predictable complaints of one too many guitar and sax players in the first version and lack of Phil in the second. I generally have enjoyed Phil and Friends although I am bored on those (too often?) occasionswhen the jamming goes nowhere and have generally have found Ratdog to be a lifeless, monotonous band.
     I was really looking forward to the So. Cal. show hoping that the music would justify the name change. The name change implying that the music was back and all that goes with it.The show started 45 minutes late which I wouldn't mention except that it might have put them up against the clock thus accounting for the shortend perfunctory encore. After a short bit of noodling it was into a bright version of Help on the Way with Jimmy playing real nice fills and taking the song to an acceptable level of opening tune excitement - into Hard to Handle - not a great song but a chance to show off Joan early in the proceedings, so fine and dandy but Let's Get It On - into Down The Road the obligitory Mickey spot which is harmless enough except that there's really no point to it but if it makes Mickey happy I accept it without complaint - awkwardly into Ramble On Rose. There was noodling after D.T.R. which Bobby abruptly put a halt to by begining R.O.R. unfortunately catching the rest of the band unawares and from there the song was lost; the tempo rushed, the feel of the song gone, too bad one of my favorites- into Strawberry Fields. Why ? Does it have some meaning or message for one of the guys ? A listless version. If you want to do a Beatles tune how about Joan singing Helter Skelter? The set rapidly deteriorating surely something would be done but no, slow it down even more , Mountains into All that we Are (ugh) finished off by a nice Bertha that gave hope that all would be put right in the second set.
     I am not a fan of the upbeat acoustic version of F.O.T.D. that the boys have been doing since Other Ones #1 believing the emotion of the slow version is lost, and to have this start the set instead of the U.J.B. or Scarlet/Fire or China Cat/Rider or Dark Star I was craving was deflating. And then Holy Hell for the next half hour a Ratdog show breaks out. Now I understand the boys don't want to be perceived as a G.D.Cover Band and they want to play new material and they want to keep it fresh and all that crap but if the new material doesn't measure up - and it doesn't, throw it back in the dumpster where it belongs.. To have to sit through that slog while there's a perfectly good Eyes of the World or Standing on the Moon or Days Between or G.D.T.R. etc. etc. sitting on the shelf collecting dust is just plain wrong. Then adding Insult to Injury Only the Strange Remain. The Horror! Then a listless Wheel ( a tricky song if you don't get that off kilter bounce that the best versions have)And then the switch is thrown - A Powerful Other One into Drums (nice and Loud with Mickey making the Beam Roar) into Space (high volume intense weirdness that reminded me of Lunatic Preserve on D.P.9 into a magnificent China Doll that was by far the most interesting and dynamic thing played up to this point(the song that felt most like the old Dead to me)-into old reliable Throwing Stones that held its own energywise-into a rip roaring rollicking nothing held back crank it up Franklins Towers where Jimmy put the hammer down and kept it down. My questions after this night on the town. Were they rusty the first two hours ? Was song selection at the root of my discontent? Does the music justify the name change or is it a marketing move? Must we sit through the lima beans and cold peas before we get our dessert? Any reason to go again ?
     (P.S. Bobby shave that chinchila off your face. My wife who knows nothing of the Grateful Dead commented that you looked by far the oldest of the group and feared for your health)
     (P.P.S. Obviously there have been problems in the past with the durability of the keyboard players but to be carrying around a spare at all times must be uncomfortable for everyone)

From the opening jam into Help on the Way I could not shake the feeling that this was meant to be. As Help melted into Slipknot!I was amazed at how tight this band was. Now, I had heard soundcheck and was very happy to hear Hard to Handle come slithering out of Slipknot! Joan is as beautiful as she is talented. Her addition to the band is a welcome one for sure:)Down the Road was the tear jerker it always is. It was great to see how this song has grown and it led into a bouncy Ramble on Rose. To this point the band had pretty much not stopped playing which was wonderful. Strawberry Fields Forever came out of nowhere. The single best version I have ever heard by anyone live. The lush sound of the Dead was displayed in it's full majesty as Mountains of the Moon followed w/ an extremly psychedelic jam in the middle. All That You Are came next. This is a fun song I had never heard before and it led into a raucous Bertha to end a 1 1/2 hour 1st set. FOTD was an absolute scorcher to open 2nd set ! It was neat to see this song turned into a nice jam vehicle. The combo of Even So>October Queen is amazing!Strange Remain is always a good song to boogie to and easing into The Wheel was a perfect choice. This Wheel was tremendous. As The Other One came along the entire joint was on board. Jimmy Herring's leads were very strong and psychedelic similar to Jerry in '68-'69. Drums had the happy addition of John Molo and Joan knocked us flat w/her vocal stylings in Space. China Doll w/ Joan singing was one of the most stirring moments of the show. The fire that is Bob was stoked up for a ripping Throwin' Stones("Get that oil, kill some kids today")Take that Bush! The fairly predictable Slipknot! end into Franklin's was a rush even knowing it was coming. Though Jimmy wanted to play the song all night, the show had to end and we were sent home w/ a nice We Bid You Goodnight w/ Rob softly singing Jerry's lines(non chorus). My first show w/ the boys was back in '85 and this show was one of the best I have ever seen( over 120 seen). This band is waaaaaay more psychedelic and hard edged than they were back in '93-'95. This band reminded me of the band I hear when I put on tapes pre '72. That is to say they are tearing it up!!! I will miss Jerry until I die but this is a band NOT resting on their laurels but rather building on their legacy. They do deserve to carry the Dead mantle and I for one am grateful they are back :)