Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Half -Step>Rider?!?!

This show was suggested by a friend. After I looked at the second set I couldn't resist. We will get to that later though.

1st Set
I NEED to point out that the tuning featured a Morning Dew riff.This show opens with an upbeat, pretty rocking Touch. The entire band seems to be energetic from the get-go as they move into Hell In A Bucket. Brent as normal does shine through during the mini jam of Bucket. Bob's vocals are pretty good for this as well. With Bobby screaming "Ride! Ride! Ride! At least I'm enjoying the ride!" the song closes and the band finds itself in a strong Sugaree. This is a good version. Once Jerry finds the groove, he stays there and rides the tidal waves that Sugaree often offers. He adds a blues touch in the middle of Sugaree. Jerry sings the chorus one more time as the song ends. After some regrouping they launch into Cassidy. Bob is having fun with this song. Brent also adds a nice a element to the song. With his vocal work and key work. The jam in Cassidy has an amazing climax that I haven't heard in other versions. Stagger Lee is played with a certain amount of energy that the rest of the set has. It's All Over Now features some nice band interplay. Garcia once again finds his home on the fretboard as the song builds on top of itself. The vocal harmonies are also top notch. Great slide work from Bobby during Over Now. He was really coming into his own as a slide guitar player as of 1985. The closing jam features some really fun Brent keys. The next song is Row Jimmy. Sometimes this is an excellent song, other times is a snoozer and I want to skip it. This one has nice guitar work from Bob and Jerry. Yet overall, I want to skip it. I can say there are some outstanding harmonies in this version. I suppose it is something to get me through the song. The ending of the song picks up energy. After a quick tuning the band goes into Feel Like A Stranger. Once again the high energy of the entire set is brought back. Bob's vocals are once again in top form. Also the band goes into a funky little jam. This reminds me of a Shakedown jam but a lighter version of it.

2nd Set
1/2 Step is the set opener. The band still seems to be in full form. Jerry's vocals are a little Kermit The Froglike. It is a decent version of the song but nothing to crazy. Then comes what sounds like it could be Iko Iko. Wait no...its I Know You Rider!!! It could have been a smoother trasnition. Either way I am very happy with the execution. This Rider is very up tempo. Jerry's guitar work is very fluid, which at this point in the concert I am expecting for the rest of the show to be the same. Then they segue right into Playin' In The Band!!! This seems to be about an average 85 Playin'. Then Brent steps in and changes all of that. After that boost from Brent Jerry finds his footing as does Bobby. Overall, this mix doesn't showcase Phil too much. He finally gets a little room to move in Playin' though. From what I can hear I just wish he was in the mix better. Although, the Playin did take a quick turn from average to kick arse. Amazing musical thoughts happening on the stage that night. This segues very smoothly into Uncle John's Band. This UJB features some harmonies that range from 2 to 11. (on a 0-10 rating 10 being the highest). No need to worry about the vocals though as the music is above par. They nail every jam flawlessly. As the Supplication jam is underway. This also gets very spacey. The entangled notes just bounce off each other as the drummers become a little antsy. Drums is nothing special. It isn't bad, but it is very basic. The beginning of Space begins with a roar that could almost be compared to thunder. This space is very pretty and organized. It is very dreamlike. I often wonder what the themes were for Space. For a moment I think I can hear Stella Blue, just for a second. Instead the band settles on Truckin'. After a great vocal show for Bob Truckin' had to come up. He messes up lyrics like it was his job. Jerry also has some weird Kermit moments in it. Still the band was on fire as they continue into Comes A Time. Jerry seems to struggle through the vocals with a little Kermit in his throat. Yet the emotion that he conveys is very powerful. Brent and Phil seem to follow each other very closely behind Jerry's lead and Bob's rhythm. The drummers have also added a lot to Comes A Time. After the ballad slot comes Around and Around. It brings the energy back that was throughout the rest of the concert. This moves smoothly into Good Lovin'. Bob gets to scream a little during this one. The set closes to leave time for an encore. Another song with It's All Over Now in the title. This time It's All Over Now, Baby Blue. A pretty good version of the song. Bob adds a lot of color into the mix with some nice guitar playing. I would say this song suffers the worst from Kermit Jerry in this concert. Over all this is a great listen, worth the time to listen to the entire thing.


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