springFallandWinter

help/slip/powderfinger a fella can dream cant he?

Red means run Son Numbers add up to nothin.

who sang powderfinger? would love to hear that. any recordings? look out mama theres a.............

I'm not here to bury Caesar, I'm here to praise him. The first night of Wilkes Barre has unfortunately turned into the ugly stepchild of the weekend. And I get it because of the utter unreal stupendousness of Saturday night from start to finish. HOWEVER, the first set Friday night, a re-creation from Spring '77, was one of the finest first sets I've evah had the pleasure of seeing, Grateful, DSO, or otherwise. Any 11-song first set that begins with Music Never Stopped (which I never saw as a show opener), and closes with Scarlet/Fire (which I never saw as a first-set closer), is really one for the books. And I mean that literally. I could be wrong but I believe this show was the only time ever that that combo happened that way. So that is pretty remarkable. And we just saw it. I mean does does it even matter what came inbetween? But if what came between is, oh I don't know, Friend Of The Devil, Brown Eyed, Ramble, and a completely gorgeous Looks Like Rain, and I do mean GORGEOUS, well buster, you've got yourself one heck of a set. That's a keeper.

Thanks BK. BTW Dino even nailed the classic Ginger Baker drum splash during Home. So great.

Set 2. Lights down, everyone juiced and here comes the first strummed chords of Terrapin to open the 2nd set. I mean there was no get ready, no warm-up—just right into the meat, the heart of darkness. Gotta say it, I only saw one Terrapin 2nd set opener and that was from the same Philly run as stated earlier—11/6/79 and that was a 4-song 2nd set---Terrapin/Playin/Drums/Black Peter/Good Lovin, with a big dose of Feedback thrown in--pretty heavy duty. This was to be Heavy Duty. When Terrapin opens the set, get ready. So here we are right into Terrapin, no messin around. And it was strong. They were crackin on the buildup and the breaks and the whistle and guitars were Screamin. And so was the walll to wall Kirby. What a joy. Playin followed and although it was short, any Playin is welcome. I got the next one wrong. I figured Playin/Uncle Johns, so when Shakedown materialized out of Playin, it was perfect. Three biggies and the mass singalong was on. Shakedown to open a set is always cool. But Shakedown outta a jam/space is freakin bullseye. Shakedown ripped. Totally unexpected. But what was was even more unexpected was Skip coming front and center again and blasting out the Bands Dont Do it. If anyone saw this comin, well come on down. What a freakin foursome. Drums and a much needed rest followed. The rest of the show would simply have been gravy, a long encore but DSO not only wasn't finished, they were kinda just getting started again. I mean the energy in the Kirby was sick. And the band was riding the audience wave. St stephen came out of space and then well what did we do to deserve these treats. Stephen was followed by a truly beautiful and tear-drop moment—Can't Find My Way Home in the perfect after drums slot. This song, which was only being played for the 2nd time, was pitch perfect and a real gem. Such a gorgeous tune and Lisa nailed it. I mean the hits, the highlights just kept on coming. Can't Find My Way Home is one of the truly great songs of the American Songbook. And this was perfect. Really amazing. What a moment. And let me just say for future DSO goers, if LIsa deems to bless you with Home, thank your lucky stars. It's a special night. When the band went into the notes for Playin Reprise well I said, what a showl We're done and no one would have been upset because of what we were gifted. Man was I wrong. The band came to a complete stop after Playin Reprise but didnt leave the stage, took a beat and then hit the intro notes into one of Jerry's prettiest songs evah—Comes a Time. Let me just back up one mo time and say this: St Stephen/Can't FInd My Way Home/Playin Reprise, Comes a Time. Holy Smokes Batman. What a foursome. Pinch me. It was almost unreal. Comes A Time is simply one of the most beautiful songs ever written. Jeff brought it home and they finished up with a rockin and appropriate Not Fade. Let it Rock was the real encore icing on the cake. It was close to midnight and we were all waisted and needed to find our way home or back to the Best Western next door. A couple of hours later I looked out the window from our hotel facing the Kirby and saw that the Band's bus and the Roadie Truck were packed up and gone. And I felt a twinge of sadness that they were no longer there. Were they ever there at all. Oh Yeah, were they ever. And remember only love can fill. Only love can fill. And there was so much love on this night, on this weekend. Thanks DSO. Thanks Wilkes Barre.

Ok Ok, well we needed to take a breath. So the perfect time for Tom Thumb. Now personally I've never been a big fan of the Thumb. Love Dylans version on Highway 61 but not the Deads. Matter of fact, I'm not crazy about any of the Grateful Dead's covers of Dylan. So anyway this was a good time to sit back and rest for a second. But Skip was dealing. I mean just like with Box, he was wailing. And when he said I started out in Wilmington, well I didn't even know he was from Delaware. Anyway, this was the best version of this song I've heard. And it wouldn't be the last we heard from Skip either. He was bigtime on this night. Greatest Story and Tomorrow is Forever were good and sweet. Again, every song can't be rocket petrol you know. Then for the first set closer on the 10th song, we get Women R Smarter. Women is a nice bouncy get up song in the 2nd set. But to get it in the first set, especially as a closer, man that rocks. Ok here I go again. I only saw the Grateful dead do Women in the first set one time and that was Baltimore 4/19/82. You may have heard of that show. That was the infamous Raven Space show where Phil narrates Edgar Allen Poe's poem The Raven during space. Check it out if you haven't heard it. Pretty wild. Anyway a first set Women closer is so sweet. Joint was Jumpin. And man just like the night before, a mammoth first set. But that worried me and I turned to Mrs SFW and said, Uh oh, remember what happened last night? We got a monster first set and then came the 2nd set crash and burn. But Mrs SFW is smarter than the man in every way. She just gave me that Cheshire Cat smile like get ready, this is gonna be big. Setbreak.

The Kirby on Saturday night in Wilkes Barre was packed and loaded and ready to rock. Now I've always thought beginnings and endings are the most important. In-between is also good but you wanna start strong and end strong. So when DSO opened up Saturday night with the first notes of China Cat/Rider, the place just exploded. it was amazing. In all the years I saw the Grateful Dead, I only saw one China Cat/RIder opener—-11/5/79 Philly and that show smoked. A couple year's ago we saw DSO open the Anthem with Mississippi/Rider and that was great. But to get a China Cat/Rider opener is pretty special and when it's on fire, it's even more special. This China/Rider was cruisin and the KIrby was up and dancin from point go. Just a beautiful opener. Skip followed with a soulful Box of Rain. He just owns this. Then came Jack Straw. Back in the early 70s, Jack Straw may have been placed in the 4-hole but since the late 70s its almost always been a show opener or first-set closer, unless Jerry snuck a Deal or Might As Well behind it. But a modern show with Jack the 4th song? Well we were all sharing what we got of yours cause we done shared all of mine. And man it was blistering. That thing was rollin. Ok now raise your hand if you don't like Mission in the Rain. Ok now all you who just raised your hand, get the hell out. Mission, such a rare gem, followed and, well, All the things I planned to do I only did halfway... Man that song just rips your heart out. Such a beauty. And it's like WTF is goin on? We're just five songs in and we've already gotten so many surprises. But just as we're tryin to catch a breath---Bam here we go down to the Cumberland mine. Seriously, you just don't get all these songs back-to-back-to-back, and played at such a high level. It just doesn't happen. And there we were, it was just wall to wall dancin. All the aisles were filled. Security was completely mellow and friendly. We were in church and this was the gospel. And we were only in the first half of set one.

Forget Cancun, forget Italy. Wilkes Barre, Pa is the place on earth to be in March.

One of the finest concerts, DSO or otherwise, we've seen. A really BIG shoe~

killa first set~

t minus.............................................. ONE~

https://www.facebook.com/GarciasAtTheCap/posts/billed-as-formerly-the-warlocks-the-grateful-dead-played-two-surprise-shows-at-h/856440500387861/

some1 didnt get the memo miley. wilkes barre is the new hampton. this show shoulda been 2 nights later. synchronicity. oh well.

Warlocks Foolish, Walking Blues, Candy, Uncle/River, Stagger. Queen Jane, Promised. Help/Slip/Franks, Victim, Eyes/Drums/Miracle/Wheel/Gimme Some Lovin/Morning Dew. And We Bid You Goodnight.