Park West

[Mango]

looks absolutely sick. Doesn't anybody have anything to say?!?!

 

I just downloaded from nugs, seems like a must hear....

 

Show: 2343 • 06/27/2014 Park West, Chicago, IL Original Setlist Set One: Till The Morning Comes ; Hard To Handle ; Sittin' On Top Of The World ; Pride Of Cucamonga > King Bee > Pride Of Cucamonga ; Greatest Story Ever Told ; Wharf Rat > Alligator > Weather Report Suite > Let It Grow

Set Two: Rockin' Pneumonia and Boogie Woogie Flu ; Good Morning Little Schoolgirl ; New Orleans ; Cryptical Envelopment > The Other One > Cryptical Envelopment > Dark Star > The Eleven > Death Don't Have No Mercy > Turn On Your Lovelight

Encore: Box Of Rain

 

seriously....this is the kind of shit I like right here.

[PoetryGirl]

"I want to go to there"- Tina Fey on 30 Rock.

I am voting for elective. What a hot, smoking show.

[Tom Banjo]

That looks insane.

[Dr. Barry]

06/27/2014 Park West, Chicago, IL

Original Setlist 

 

Set One: Till The Morning Comes ; Hard To Handle ; Sittin' On Top Of The World ; Pride Of Cucamonga > King Bee > Pride Of Cucamonga ; Greatest Story Ever Told ; Wharf Rat > Alligator > Weather Report Suite > Let It Grow

Set Two: Rockin' Pneumonia and Boogie Woogie Flu ; Good Morning Little Schoolgirl ; New Orleans ; Cryptical Envelopment > The Other One > Cryptical Envelopment > Dark Star > The Eleven > Death Don't Have No Mercy > Turn On Your Lovelight

Encore: Box Of Rain

 

 

It was insane.

 

I've always loved electives, but electives in a genre/time period are the best. To see the band without any constraints is liberating. Not needing to exactly be true to one vs. two drummers/Lisa participating regardless of Donna having been there or not/ etc...

 

I need to mention that hearing Pride of Cucamonga>King Bee>Pride of Cucamonga was shattering. A perfect example of how a show like this which stays true to an earlier time, but had the freedom to blend closely related periods in the band, allows for stuff that is waiting to be born. Skip sings Phil the way Phil wishes that he ever did.

 

Lisa playing kazoo like a real musical instrument on Alligator. She is the secret weapon.

 

Rockin' pneumonia/New Orleans...treats for sure. Happy days on the dance floor.

 

Mattson took Death Don't to a peak that I never heard before. He makes it look effortless. I can't say more about it than that. If you know me, you'll know that's not idle chit chat...

 

What a time to see DSO we are in now. All of the members are superb.

 

Dino and Koritz are the best/beast drummers on the planet. They have elevated their craft to a level where their particular style of percussion are critical in the musical dialogue. In shows that have Drums, rather than take a break I get to listen to their special "song".

 

Eaton always is mesmerizing to watch play. He is the musical glue in this band. He is a leader. He knows when to shine and he knows how to make others shine. He owns the spotlight but also shares it so tastefully. And his guitar playing is lead and rhythm. And it's just great.

 

Barraco really transformed this band. I remember when he joined and there was a feeling that "we" had acquired a real star. A player who was already in the big time. Then you realize that the ability/desire/talent/VERSATILITY/balls to deliver Brent, Pigpen, Keith, TC is phenomenal. And the band was never the same, and there were no more limits on what could be played (Mattson has a little something to do with this too). Barraco, if you're reading this, please just don't feel the need to explore your "Vince" chops...

 

And Skip. What can we say about Skip? Perhaps that he plays the bass like a lead guitar, 100% of the time? That he is just simply perfect. If you asked the Genie who granted you one wish for a new bass player for DSO, It would be Skip. Watch him play. It will change the way you hear the songs forever.

 

Not too shabby,

 

Dr. B

[Evangeline]

Big smile of agreement!!

[chuckvegas]

Makes me wish I had been there.

[August West]

That's pretty much the kitchen sink for me. WOW!

[John A]

And Skip. What can we say about Skip? Perhaps that he plays the bass like a lead guitar, 100% of the time?

 

A pretty significant fact when recreating the sound of the Grateful Dead, and the one thing this band was previously missing.

[Mango]

Nice, Barry! but I say explore the Vince!!!

[Tom Banjo]

Do it when I'm not there.

[Pete]

Vince wasn't a bad player and he could sing. I think the combination of the band in decline and his own insecurities pushed him into the background. There are times when I'm listening to Vince shows when I can dig his groove. Rob B can channel that once in a while and I don't mind.

[Mango]

You can pick and choose....but it's all Grateful Dead.

[Tom Banjo]

Some of it is better than others. Pig was irreplaceable. So was Jerry. You making a case for Warren Dead today. Its all grateful dead right? Core 4.

[Mango]

Umm No. No Jerry=No grateful dead. That's a fair rule I think. And as far as some of it being "better" than others, that is purely opinion.

[John A]

Vince wasn't a bad player and he could sing.

 

Maybe. 

 

But his playing virtually never elevated the Dead's sound and his harmonies never really meshed with Jerry and Bobby.  Not trying to hate on him, but I'm just calling it as I heard it.

[John A]

 No Jerry=No grateful dead. That's a fair rule I think.

 

I'd sure like to think that rule is universally accepted.  At least by those who are on a Dead related forum.  The internet, however, can be an odd place.

[found]

I think Vince got dealt a shit hand.

[Tom Banjo]

Jerry surely wasn't the same player by the time Vince was around. I'm not trying to knock anyone's period of the Dead. Just being there at any of it during any time would have been an otherwordly experience. Even 09 Dead tour had a special feeling to it but the music in my ahem humble opinion sucked. I even left a show early. I was not impressed. Send me some of these Vince rockers. I will give 3 shows 2 listens each. Hopefully they impress. I think that's a fair shake. In my limited post 92 Dead experience have been under impressed.

I also must admit that I feel just simply as a vocalist and a showman Pigpen and his period with the band represents the most authentic Grateful Dead. Obviously this doesnt diminish the greatness of other periods but how can you replace someone who sang over a third of the show and not feel you've lost something. Good lovin, midnight hour, lovelight were all never the same and you lost alligator and hard to handle all together. Not to mention 2 souls just surfaced. A ballad that rivals the quality of the Jerry/Hunter ballads. Some still unwritten.

Just a huge Pig fan and believe when any band loses a founder member some part of their sound is bound to begone forever.

Let me get these Vince rockers. I hope they compare to Feb 1970 I'm listening to today.

[Mango]

They wont compare. They are completely different. And honesty if you want my opinion I agree with you. But there is something large and great about the later era shows....hard to explain but I can feel it. I think it really helps if you meet the music halfway, ie dancing to it. I can't think of any off the top of my head but....TORIN?? help. It is my opinion that from 78 on Jerry's guitar playing declined, with mini peaks and valleys along the way. The late 80s being the renaissance of the GD. Even in this time though I find his playing to be pretty sloppy and that Brent/Bobby carry the band a lot more. You can note a clear posture difference in Jerry starting around late 78/79 and worsening from there on. Heroin. Head down, cramming in as many notes as possible, sometimes without much taste.  I would say, though, that he surely gained some passion in vocal delivery in the later years.

 

Jerry himself said, after Pig died, that it wasn't even right to call themselves the Grateful Dead anymore so I'll give you something on that....tho they didn't change their name. My favorite GD is from 68-78. Some fans don't like anything until the Brent years. I like to think that I'm fairly unbiased as I wasn't there for any of it.

 

My band is and always has been DSO. I find it easier to dance to dark star than anything else- granted I"ve only danced to recordings of the GD. It is what is familiar to me and I love it. Wish I was dancing sometime soon...still hoping for Jeezum Crow later in July.

 

We're all right, we're all wrong...who cares?

[John A]

 I would say, though, that he surely gained some passion in vocal delivery in the later years.

 

Yep, that's a big one.  And there is a certain "open clarity" and thick tonality to the more modern Dead sound. Less precise, but what it lost in places it gained in others.

 

Mason's, as for "Vince Rockers", a few solid shows post-Hornsby include 12/16/92 (just a super solid show start to finish - perhaps the quintessestial Vince era post-Hornsby show), and 5/26/93.  '94 and '95 are just tough all around.

[Rbarracoph]

They wont compare. They are completely different. And honesty if you want my opinion I agree with you. But there is something large and great about the later era shows....hard to explain but I can feel it. I think it really helps if you meet the music halfway, ie dancing to it. I can't think of any off the top of my head but....TORIN?? help. It is my opinion that from 78 on Jerry's guitar playing declined, with mini peaks and valleys along the way. The late 80s being the renaissance of the GD. Even in this time though I find his playing to be pretty sloppy and that Brent/Bobby carry the band a lot more. You can note a clear posture difference in Jerry starting around late 78/79 and worsening from there on. Heroin. Head down, cramming in as many notes as possible, sometimes without much taste.  I would say, though, that he surely gained some passion in vocal delivery in the later years.

 

Jerry himself said, after Pig died, that it wasn't even right to call themselves the Grateful Dead anymore so I'll give you something on that....tho they didn't change their name. My favorite GD is from 68-78. Some fans don't like anything until the Brent years. I like to think that I'm fairly unbiased as I wasn't there for any of it.

 

My band is and always has been DSO. I find it easier to dance to dark star than anything else- granted I"ve only danced to recordings of the GD. It is what is familiar to me and I love it. Wish I was dancing sometime soon...still hoping for Jeezum Crow later in July.

 

We're all right, we're all wrong...who cares?

One thing is for certain, whatever we decide to play will be played with as much passion and enthusiasm we can muster.  Sometimes listening to shows from the mid eighties and nineties I can't believe the level of incompetence whether from drugs or ennui. We go on stage and try to recreate the shows potential.

Vince had his hands tied. in my opinion, by having sounds picked by Bralov which, again in my opinion, were pretty cheesy.  Add to that Jerry's disinterest, all the members drug and alcohol abuses, etc, you get a mess. Vince was a good piano player and could sing fairly well.  Certainly no Brent and Pig was in a class by himself.

[found]

2 souls is one of the best songs in the grateful deads repertoire. Not up for debate.

[Tea]

Wish I had the time to expound.

Vince got the rake by having to follow Brent and honestly the band did not do a thorough job finding a replacement. They just wanted to keep the train rolling and Vince had enough long term Bay Area cred to get the nod.

Most of the really great post 90 shows I saw (which were my bulk) were more in spite of Vince than because of him. Bruce was the biggest catalyst for Jerry doin his thing when he wasn't stomping on the sound or whipping out the accordion.

The carnival / Tubes sound just never really fit with the GD and didn't help it try to evolve it.

5.27.93 is still one of my favorite post 90 shows and Vince (without Bruce) did one of his better jobs blending with the band.

[Mango]

2 souls is one of the best songs in the grateful deads repertoire. Not up for debate.

is that in your top 5??

 

Agreed about Vince. His playing was good, although the sounds were sometimes terrible and sometimes his playing was a bit overbearing(for my taste). His vocals....well...sounds like he is wailing sometimes. Or like some combination of a clown and a calliope.

 

Brent....ahhhh...Love Brent. I think that he was a very talented player but that he sometimes lacked in confidence and shied away from solos a bit, too quickly deferring to Jerry. I love keyboard solos though, never too much. Best backup vocals.

 

Bruce. OK...I like his playing, as a musician, but don't like him in the dead. For one thing I see no need for two keyboard players. Additionally I just don't think that he really got the essence of the music. Maybe if it had been just him it would/could have been different.

 

Now this guy who plays the keys for DSO, he is pretty damn stellar. Maybe they should have hired him in 1990....

[John A]

Vince had his hands tied. in my opinion, by having sounds picked by Bralov which, again in my opinion, were pretty cheesy.

 

The sounds were cheesy alright (just listen to a mid 90s Estimated - ouch) but here is my question - Two keyboard players, both working with Bob Bralove.  Brent has super cool tone/sounds, Vince has cringe inducing sounds.  Same keyboard tech.  So what gives?  Did Bralove really jump the shark?