Mojo Hand

One man’s Victim or the Crime is another man’s Death Don’t Have No Mercy.

Great first set. I got a call from my wife at set break that my son was very sick and I had to leave. BUMMER! He is totally fine now. Little punk stole my second set from me. Feel Like a Stranger had what seemed like a totally different rhythm and pace to it. Wondering if the band was having a hard time finding the groove or it was intentional....or maybe I was just hearing things? Had a hard time achieving lift-off......Half Step finally got me there. Really well played. This was the second time I've seen Eaton do Masterpiece. I love what he puts into the song. That song really holds a special meaning to me. Of all the songs I've learned on guitar in my lifetime......that's the only one that I have never stopped playing. It was one of the very first songs I learned, and I still strum it every now and again 25 years later. The lyrics are just so perfect. Thank You Rob. Birdsong was really well done. Jeff was having a really good night. 3 great selections in the first set and he killed them all. Kind of figured it was a 90's show when the first set cut short. Based on what they had played over the last week, my call last night was for an 80's show with Help, Slip, Frank. I lived in Princeton JCT, NJ for a long time (town right next to Princeton). I don't go back to Princeton very often, but really appreciate what a beautiful town it is whenever I get to visit. Enjoyed that part of the night last night. Lots of dance space. McCarter was not full. Dance seen was pretty subdued in 1st set. Met up with a good high school friend inside. Had fun dancing and wished I got to stay and dance to that Aiko and Throwing Stones in the 2nd Set. Oh Well.....gotta wait until summer. Peace.

2nd set pre-drums list is huge!

Not much to dance to until the end. tough set list. I would have never been able to catch a groove at this show. too many songs from the weaker end of the catalog.....some not really even part of the catalog.

I quit. I can't figure out what this one means.

Yes and thanks for asking. So glad I picked Friday. They were just so amazing. The setlist was right up my alley. And the dance space was plentiful. What a night. I have so much more to say about the playing. It is so cathartic to shake dem bones sometimes. Much needed and still in the afterglow. Praise DSO and Happy New Year.

Filler. That’s what love will make you do.

12/28/87 So cool. Excellent 80’s Dead. Played so well. Highlights were sugaree, Cumberland, and sugar mags. Thank thank thank you Eaton for a beautiful Masterpiece.

I am not sure I agree with that statement. Jerry died an addict. He died a slow death. His end days were unhealthy by his own making. He was at a low point in his professional career because his playing was generally sluggish, sloppy, and uninspired. I would say that he definitely did not “nail the dismount”.

I had the good fortune of being at the RFK Casey Jones and the Unbroken Chain in Philly. The crowd reaction to Unbroken Chain was euphoric and big. However, for me it was one of those nights that exemplify the downward trajectory of the band. It was spring of '95. The setlist that night featured an Easy Answers, Way to Go Home, Corrina, Mathilda, and a very poorly played Unbroken Chain. The song never really meant that much to me, so the bust-out was not significant for me and it was very poorly played. Numerous buzzkills in this concert, as was typical for the time period. I've never listened back. I'm sure there were some well played moments, but those '95 setlists could never hold me for very long. On the other hand......the Casey Jones bust-out was one of the highlights in the best week of my life. What a day at RFK! Not the best Dead show I have ever seen....but a great one for me and a day I will never forget. I have never experienced group exuberance like that Casey Jones. Casey Jones is also not a very important song for me.....but the moment was huge. The colors, the smiles, the green grass, the sun, the dancing, the train whistle, the liquid! I will never be able to adequately express what that moment felt like.

Good stuff. Much appreciated. You must be a statistician.

This is a question for the prognosticators in group. I have a houseful of out of town guests the week between x-mas and NYE. I can only get away for one show. Philly 12/28 or 12/29 works best. So.....if you had to guess based on history, does either one of those nights have a greater likelihood of being a recreation than the other? I looked at the history, and I'm not noticing any trends, but there are many of who are far more versed than me. Getting ready to buy a ticket and figured I would seek-out guesses. I definitely have a preference for recreations versus originals and have hit a string of originals lately. Hoping to put my money on the right date. Go ahead and throw me a guess if you have any thoughts. No judgments if the guess turns out wrong.

Thank you rob.

Or......they could save those rare songs for fillers?

Rob - just curious if you have a second to answer a question regarding your post. In reviewing the original setlsit versus what you guys played, it looks like the only difference is that you played All Over Now instead of Cassidy. What is it about the bare bones stage that made All Over Now the song to play rather than Cassidy?

Thanks. I'll have to take you up on that!

Sorry. That would be me. I have only posted live-time twice. Most shows I am way too busy dancing for this. However.......since this setlist was further away from my wheelhouse than a Cher concert.....I was looking for something to do. I left early or I would have posted the whole thing. Only because I love what this band can do and I expect so much from them, will I say that this was as disappointed as I have ever been at a concert. Lots of people complaining at the break about the first set song selection. I go to dance my brains out, not see a novelty set of early covers that was put together by the crew. Refer to my previous post about setlist formation being an art form unto itself. Nope. No one punched in the face or even nudged with an elbow. Besides center stage, most everyone was sitting down with very few smiling faces. I spent the first set in the balcony and half of the second downstairs. Very little energy in either area. People wanted to dance.......but that first set of early covers sucked all the energy right out of the room. My last 5 DSO shows; 5/14/18 Princeton - elective with all early dead. 12/28/17 Montclair - elective with a setlist that also left the room dead. no stellar reviews from anyone here. many let early. 8/14/17 Dewey- smoking recreation from 1971. A big sweaty dance fest. The pinnacle of dead music played at its best. 5/23/17 Wilmington - a recreation with lots of rarities from 6/6/70. Also not in my wheelhouse. Again, not too much energy in the room. (Not helped by Eaton playing Frozen Logger 3-4 times because they kept flubbing it. If it didn't work the first time, why remind me of that by trying it two more times. Good thing the audience was polite.) 12/30/16 Philly - another elective with some song selection that left the room flat. Great Dead music has the room jumping out of control. Last night was a lot of polite golf clapping. Definitely not a room full of people going nuts. I am not overly selective when it comes to my Grateful Dead. I will find euphoria in most setlists from 1971 thru 1992. They are playing too much early dead and too many electives. They have underwhelmed the crowds in most of the shows I mention above. It is hard for me to find a night out. Last night may have been my last DSO show, which is a shame because I love their upside so much. But if this band continues to stray too far from what makes them great....I can't spend the time or money. Not for 1 good night out of 5. This is just me and I know I won't be missed. But do realize, if they played 1971-1991 Grateful Dead recreations every night of the year, they would sell out forever to packed houses of sweaty dancers. If they played early recreations or early electives every night of the year, they would be gone quick. If the early Dead did not evolve, the band would have died. DSO should not focus on that time period as much as they do. I have heard Kadlecek would not do that era...good move. Lots of pointless non-melodic jamming, shredding, weak covers, overly complicated originals, etc. To me, their setlists are becoming a little self-interested. I don't go to see DSO to see their creativity come through. By the nature of what they are doing, creativity is not a necessity or hallmark. I go to see them because they can channel the greatness of Grateful Dead music. Stop trying to get fancy with it. I don't want a set of early Dead covers, nor do I want Pride of Cucamunga mixed with Corrina. Last night was just so bad. He Was a Friend of Mine and Green Grass of Home! UGH. Rarity does not make a song great. In fact, quite the opposite. It is likely rare because it didn't work. Such a boring first set. It is a shame that they play a show like that, knowing most of the room will not respond.....when all they have to do is stick to the basics and the place will go ape shit every time. I am not saying you always have to play to the masses......but they are playing for the minority and themselves a little too much lately. Bias.....I am not a fan of early Dead. IMHO, they became a great band in 1971 and beyond. I believe that their cover selection during that time period was nothing special, Pigpen was an average bluesman, and their originals were written before they matured as song writers. Not an interesting melody or crescendo in the first set last night. Did we really need all those covers together in the first set? sorry for the negative post again. But if they are going to have a forum on the website, then I assume feedback is welcome. I am sure I will go again and pray as I always do that they stay away from early Dead or a disjointed elective. However, their percentage of great concerts has been pretty low for me lately.

Dupree’s Green green grass of home mointains of the moon dark star

Alligator Set 1

Hard to handle Dancin old school hurts me.too Lisa sings he was a friend of mine its a mans world sittin on top of the world

well said. an exceptional turn of phrase.

D/s wheel death don’t have no mercy.

And while I’m on the point ...if you’re gomma do an elective, consider electing to skip Drums/Space.

Set II hellp slip frank corinna cosmic charlie d/s sorry. I know this will be unpopular. Imho... at their best, this band is an equal conduit of grateful dead music as was the Grateful Dead. When they do electives....they are a cover band. Stick to GD music. Electives are not gd music. Electives suffer from the interpretation and creativity of an intermediary. No need.

Looking like an elective might as well ( fun opener) passenger - great energy, firing bullets duprees - nice jam in middle stuck inside mobile high time - Jeff killed it Tom Thumb loose lucy Gset- high energy hurts me too- Lisa sing deal- always an ass shaker