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

I’ve seen this band several times across 3 tours. Every show except this one has been a winner. This was just a train wreck. That said, I saw a lot of unbelievable Grateful Dead shows and more then a few really bad ones. It is just the nature of live jam band music (some may disagree)

At one show back in the day our seats were directly in front of the sound board. We got talking with Dan Healy before the show and during the break. After a great first set and pretty bad 2nd set he said, “Sometimes you catch the elevator and other times you get the shaft”. This night we got the shaft

I went both nights. Most people have heard by now about the Bobby melt down. Was glad that Phil acknowledged it in some opening remarks the second night. We might never know what really happened. Whatever it was, it seems to be isolated to this one night.



I hope Bobby is well now and we get to see many more great shows from this band.

You can't blame them from having blocked reviews for this show until now - they were probably afraid a lot of people would blast Bobby mercilessly, demand a refund, etc. There are a lot of moments in Grateful Dead history that are memorable for one reason or another. True, it would have been nicer to hear El Paso with lyrics, but I for one thought it was amusing and even endearing to see Bob go through a very human moment on stage, and feel comfortable enough with his audience to stick it through until whatever it is that caught up with him during El Paso wore off in time for the second set. He actually was coming around by Miracle.

The show was not a total loss. Shakedown was great, Row Jimmy was very nice, Music was good to hear with Bob on point again, Colors of the Rain was great, and many people thought Cold Rain was the bomb. The rest of the set was standard Furthur, and although I personally don't like Rider without China, I got my first Stella and a nice Uncle John's encore. Nobody was bitching too loudly near the places I went, mostly thought it was funny, but of course there was some concern for Bob. And yes, it was great to hear Phil's 'explanation' the next day, and to have Bobby open with a solid Dancin'.

So as far as the memory of this night is concerned, try viewing it as the night one of our long-time heroes showed he was just like the rest of us, and that maybe he had too much too fast...Like the banner on the Furthur website said, they were indeed "special shows with Phil and Bob+ "

For what it's worth, here's one of the verses from "Bartering Lines":

Spinnin so hard, I can’t stand
Shadow of a shadowy man
Hold me up, hold my hand
The treasures that she misses make the man

Let's give Bob the benefit of the doubt whether he was pranked and involuntarily dosed or dosed himself or took too much of his own medication.....it wasn't booze-- he's not falling over like a drunk-- he is spaced.

It's over-- no refunds-- I watched the Grateful Dead trying to tune their guitars for 30 minutes nearly 40 years ago they were (mostly) all tripping and they took ten minutes between songs to discuss what's next how do we feel etc etc as Bob scratched his head trying to re-tune his guitar repeatedly and Jerry had a smoke or two. That's partly why the shows back then were six hours or longer.

That was normal then. Bob screws up one time in 2010 and everyone is having a cow. Sorry but these guys have given me the joyful experience of nearly 150 shows and you don't abandon the best touring rock musicians in American history over one night in the big apple when they had one intoxicated singer and there's enough remaining talent to go on with the show.

Bob you are still the chief and I know you are a pro through and through and you will do whatever is needed to avoid a repeat of "Nokia Wednesday"

Give me (and Bobby) a break. Would the critical posters like to disclose the intoxicants they used before and at the show.....please.

In the interim does anyone have a gripe about 2010 Furthur at Penns Peak ? the Sherman ? or Philly Mann I and II ? because I know I don't-- I saw and heard them all and they were all great especially the Sherman and the band ALMOST never disappoints you.....

Bobby I will be there when you get back here on the east coast.....just look for my spinning bandana.....you've seen me up front [and I've retreated to the back center] for almost four decades now..... abandon ship ? not me......furthur onward !

And now the band has announced they are coming to play in little old and I mean OLD Reading PA ! new arena though and will be a BLAST !

Thanks guys !