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.
