mvb

Always fun to see any dead related group. I've been seeing DSO for over 10 years, but this was the first elective show I have seen and it was my first disappointment. First, I think the idea of any band starting any concert with a cover is not good, regardless of how good a song it might be. Second, to lose a Franklin's Tower to Candyman to follow Stranger was a momentum killer and started setting the stage for more disappointment. Third, some of their choices were a bit hard to take (Corrina, Broken Arrow, Visions of Johanna). I never attended a dead concert hoping to hear those. In fact, it was kind of like the opposite. Of course, DSO is unmatched in the Dead cover department, and can choose to play whatever they like. But, what puzzles me is why they are moving to an elective format. Their strength is recreating the live show as it was originally played. And, without that it feels more like just another cover band, regardless of their musical expertise which is absolutely amazing. What made seeing the dead so special was not just one incredible song or another, it was the entire concert package, with all its highs and lows. The sequence, the novelty, the surprise, the start to the finish. And, what makes seeing DSO so special is getting to experience other dead shows you were not able to attend. DSO is losing that with their elective approach. Prior to Thursday at First Ave, I expected to continue seeing DSO for as long as they are around at every possible opportunity, including travel. Now, not so sure...So much more enjoyable when they stick to the "real thing!"