Sweet F.A.
So Bob Weir’s show last night was quite good! It wasn’t just like a Grateful Dead show or whatever, but obviously it wasn’t trying to be. Most notably, the band was very different–in addition to Bob on lead vocals and guitar, and longtime Dead keyboardist Jeff Chimenti, the ten-member band also featured upright bass, drums, pedal steel, cello, violin, trumpet, trombone, and saxophone/flute. There wasn’t a lead guitarist to take Jerry Garcia’s role, with those duties instead being split between Bob and the pedal steel player. This was interesting. Bob is a great guitarist, but his voice also sounds really good after all these years; he’s really found a good mold as a singer even at 75. Keeping a good singing voice in the older years is a challenge for many.
Something notable is that Bob sang a lot of Jerry Garcia’s songs, which I’d say he does a great job at. The additional musicians helped make the sound more dynamic, and of course it wouldn’t be a Dead-related show without extended jamming. Something funny is that before the encore, Bob and the other members sang Happy Birthday to the upright bassist.
Overall an enjoyable night, even if marred by weather delays, which sucked big-time and probably cut his set by a few minutes.
Set 1:
- “The Music Never Stopped” > “Easy Answers” > “The Music Never Stopped (Reprise)”
- “Queen Jane Approximately”
Set 2 (after one-hour weather delay):
- “Loose Lucy”
- “Two Djinn”
- “Bird Song”
- “Uncle John’s Band” > “Supplication” > “Uncle John’s Band”
- “Help on the Way” > “Slipknot!” > “Franklin’s Tower”
- “Morning Dew”
Encore:
- “The Wheel”
- “Brokedown Palace”