Picked up my buddy, Robert, on the early side. Arrived at the venue just as they were letting cars in. Immediately apparent that they weren’t ready for the influx of folks. Somehow we ended up parking at the entrance to the venue. We cruised the parking lot a bit. I bought a Steal Your Face hat. We met up with a few friends and headed into the venue. Found a shaded spot on the lawn.
Once the crowd figured out that we were in for a Scarlet Begonias opener it was good vibes all around. Scarlet led into Shakedown Street and folks were feeling pretty blessed. They were picking great tunes. Robert and I decided that we would commit to learning the set lists on guitar for our next jam session. As the first set unfolded the song selection remained top notch. At the same time I detected a very mellow, almost exhausted, vibe to the music. Maybe they’re just playing in a way that honors the summer heat and humidity. Summer jams! But maybe they were exhausted. There’s a theory going around that the rhythm devils just don’t have the stamina they used to. And who can blame them? Shakedown was followed by Dire Wolf, Tennessee Jed, and TLEO. These were all hot as can be. I was excited to hear Black Throated Wind and Mississippi Half Step to close the set. BTW is one of my favorite Bobby ballads. “You ain’t gonna learn what you don’t wanna know.” Truth.
The second set opened with Here Comes Sunshine. I’m sure there were some welcome flashbacks to 1973. Playing>UJB>Playing>Terrapin led into drums. It dragged at times. Robert was psyched to get his Terrapin. Can’t blame him. Drums and Space, a Miles Davis tune, Days Between, and then a Sugar Magnolia that made it worth sticking around. Knocking on Heaven’s Door with lightning in the distance for an encore.
We made a speedy escape of the venue with 6/10/73 Dark Star as our post show song selection. It reinforced the simple and ultimately morally and cosmically neutral truth: Dead and Company isn’t the Grateful Dead. They shouldn’t be. They can’t be. They aren’t. For those of us who are still searching for the sound and feel close to heart and home when listening to a great live Dead show, it’s best to enjoy it for what it is: Dead and Company.
There were moments when the band seemed to be having a blast. Moments when they were clearly searching, improvising, and in the jam. The crowd was great and appreciative. And the music, the songs, the words, and the meanings live on.