Asheville #1

[gr8fulpair]

Touch
Stranger 
Franklins
Minglewood
Row
Stuck inside
Big rr
Around

Sugar mag
Scarlet
Estimated
Eyes
Drums
Wheel
Gimme some lovin
Watchtower
Black Peter
Sunshine day

Box
4-7-88 Wooster 
Mission

 

the peel was packed. Fun time. 

[DesertDead]

Ima guess that this is the last time that R2 closed a first set.

[PoetryGirl]

It was a great first set closer - the crowd was loving it. Everyone was shining in the light and I believe it gives the impetus for a shiny second set. 

I particularly enjoyed the Mobile Blues, big RR Blues, wheel-  such a unfolding like a flower watchtower - ripping..,and Black Peter and Mission were sweetly sublime. Great piano solo in Mission - very thoughtfully embellished 

great dance party in a back breezy area- some groovy funksters skipping through daisies,  drifting like dandelions, grooving funkadelica and just good old spinning and boogieWoogie

ever since I read John A link to dropped songs I have been thinking about Phil stating the difficulty for him to sing melody and play rhythm. Skip does a phenomenal job- I admired his skill during Box of Rain. 

 

[Rude]

Strange setlist. Scarlett and franklin stand alones. Around never went to the double time finish. The 2nd set was all > from start to finish and the transitions were strange. This was a recreation so the dead must have been wanting to be different that night. The Scarlett into estimated was definitely a weird transition. I live in the moment and don't really reflect back during the show to cement my thoughts but almost all of the transitions in that 2nd set were unique and strange. It wasn't b/c of DSO b/c I personally think they transition better than the dead did and the Corinna>foolish heart as well as every transition in that 2nd set in Birmingham was so perfect you would have thought they spent months rehearsing it.  It was one of the stranger shows I've seen lately for sure. 

[John A]

Scarlet had a bad habit around the late 80s of not going into Fire.  The dreaded "Scarlet > Something Else" as I call it.  Not that, to paraphrase another Jerry (Seinfeld), there's anything wrong with Scarlet > Estimated.  Try recovering, however, from Scarlet > I Will Take You Home, which I witnessed at Alpine '88. 

[ducats]

somebody should have got arrested for Scarlet-I Will Take You Home

[DesertDead]

2 hours ago, John A said:

Scarlet had a bad habit around the late 80s of not going into Fire.  The dreaded "Scarlet > Something Else" as I call it.  Not that, to paraphrase another Jerry (Seinfeld), there's anything wrong with Scarlet > Estimated.  Try recovering, however, from Scarlet > I Will Take You Home, which I witnessed at Alpine '88. 

Ya, that is clearly a song selection made from Jerry and Brent's POV as opposed to making the call for the sake of the audience.  And since we're on the subject, it's hard to tell if that was established before the set or if Jer just gave Brent the nod last minute, because they are clearly moving the machine toward Fire and then they taper off for the Take You Home debut.  

However they got there and as pretty as the tune is, it ain't FotM when I'm on the hill in full-on GoonyBird boogie down mode.

Time for a bowl and a 1/2 tab pre-drums to aid in said recovery, eh John?

And not to completely hijack the show thread here, but we got ANOTHER Scarlet>"something else" the following year at Alpine, i.e. Scarlet>Women R.  The good news is it was followed by a fantastic Eyes.

And to bring it back to this Asheville show here:  more good news is that set started with a seamless and textbook Sugar>Scarlet, just like this show.

Whew.  Never thought I'd make it back to today.

[DesertDead]

3 hours ago, rudedogggg said:

Strange setlist. Scarlett and franklin stand alones. Around never went to the double time finish. The 2nd set was all > from start to finish and the transitions were strange. This was a recreation so the dead must have been wanting to be different that night. The Scarlett into estimated was definitely a weird transition. I live in the moment and don't really reflect back during the show to cement my thoughts but almost all of the transitions in that 2nd set were unique and strange. It wasn't b/c of DSO b/c I personally think they transition better than the dead did and the Corinna>foolish heart as well as every transition in that 2nd set in Birmingham was so perfect you would have thought they spent months rehearsing it.  It was one of the stranger shows I've seen lately for sure. 

I would have to respectfully offer that a declaration like DSO transitions better than The Grateful Dead is highly subjective, as well as based on the difficulty of comparing any one night to the next, for both bands.

Which I'm sure you'd agree, RD...

[John A]

DesertDead - 

I forgot that was the Take You Home bust out at Alpine. Made it that much more difficult to comprehend.

On a brighter Scarlet Something Else note, I bet not too many folks were pained over the Scarlet > Eyes > GDTRFB that opened the second set at Frost '85.

[DesertDead]

They better damn well not be bitchin', John, just for the fact that they were seeing a show at Frost in the first place.

I shall now go look at the Frost 85 lists to refresh my memory...

[Supplicated Velvet Thunder]

I still have gimme some lovin stuck in my head. No internet where I was staying! More reviewing later.... gotta find my ride to Raleigh!!!! I sobbed thru all of Mission and put myself on the rail by black peter, though I let others enjoy til then

some kid showed me setlist bf I knew what I was seeing and I bit back my reproaches and back of the head smack. Lame! Lol.

i also managed to bring home a person I met at the show (never ever done that... so many friends, why would I?) after I danced w him all night I drunkenly asked him to come hang out (never been that drunk at a show either, lmao!) and as I sobered up I heard him saying he plays banjo n opened for DSO at something once and I laughed very very hard. I'm happy that even drunk SVT has good taste  he's coming to more shows w me and it's pretty awesome to finally have another good dancing partner- slim pickings for me up front lately n I'm tired of teaching

sugar scarlet est eyes..... such a weird and awesome show! Super high energy (well- it's dso- they always manage to blow my mind with the energy level they maintain night to night!) and oh, boy, that watchtower was smoking!!!

i bumped into everyone who was standing still all night (drunk steph lol) but not the other dancers. That was fun hahahaha. 

We're going where the wind goes. Never gonna miss us!!!!! Kiss kiss see ya tonight!!!!

[Weather Command]

i was at the original...The dead we're on fire that night...

[Supplicated Velvet Thunder]

I would be a pile of spinning joyful tears if I ever heard a scarlet>I will take u home...... I was moving from CO a few years ago and my girl I was living with (who I stayed with for these Asheville shows cause she moved here!) had a nice pile of tapes and one was a "Brent special." I was feeling lonesome n a long way from home and asked her if I could play that tape and she said hell no, cause she isn't into Brent (I know, I talk shit to her regularly for this) and of course I put on those peoples least favorite- I will take you home, duh. She allowed me my listen. Gritting teeth. As for me- i think I've only had 1 from DSO and I eagerly await the next!!!!

so I remembered last night that y'all mostly talk specifically bout the music on these reviews and some of u tease me bout always throwing my personal life on the boards... and that made me realize why this is: It's cause I don't have a life outside of following this dang band and sharing these experiences and the lessons and love with everyone everyday. I do wanna say sorry to those of you that think I am absurd, but I'm gonna keep giving holistic reviews including "real life" updates cause as I go to shows, my real life always manifests the proper directions home. Without each song being played in exactly the order they do and the shows appearing each night from each era exactly when and where they do, I would never have a map and since I suck at directions, I would stay pretty lost. 

Thank you, DSO, for playing the atlas of my life so I can find my own way home. And thank you, forums family, for letting me be myself

i am sitting in SC- where my journey home began. The banjo player that took me to drink in the bushes bf this show wanted to bring me to meet his kids and have a nice southern family Easter. He hasn't shut up about music theory and wheels of fifths (the coolest was when he taught me that them hand symbols musicians do actually mean something! The key! Lmao) since we met cause I told him I've been needing a music teacher and since he finally arrived I'm excited to learn how to do more than strum my mandolin. Oh- and it was the infamous LoLo hot springs shows all those years ago that he played bf DSO... I wasn't there but some of my favorite good eggs were  those shows are what the Egg was talking bout when he came south saying those magic words..."I just got back from Dark Star tour"... that made me realize that this was what I was gonna do from now on. 

So as he plays guitar (he's been resigned to my mando since no banjo on him) beside me I figure it's a good time to finally sit down and get some reviews going. 

Bwahaha looking at the setlist I realize how incrediably drunk I was that night. Plenty of pre-show drinks w all u crazy kids, then I chilled at wicked weed and had great beer but THEN there were $5 lagunitas in the Peel so it was kinda hilarious after that. If I had not been so drunk I would still have been swooning over getting a Touch as the first song I came back to. But I forgot....

it was a great one, though.  I was close enough to the front and the tall guy I met was hanging behind me and since we both boogie down, we had space all night...... oops, breakfast is served. More shortly lmao

[Supplicated Velvet Thunder]

Once I stopped giggling in joy over touch, how could I not, it was so freaking rad to be back in the south, though at first it seemed even worse than it appears, i knew this was a special path taking me to a special place. The stranger was quick n funky and expressed exactly how I was feeling. Franklin's outta no where first set was a magical surprise (esp after my grateful Dharma blog I just posted!) and the whole place was leaping with joy. There was great space everywhere, much more than thirsty Thursday. 

Minglewood- fitting. I mean.... I did just fly away from a very wonderful dude cause he didn't live up to his promises of going to dso w me: sick 1st few shows and didn't really get it at next few: had fun but.... well.... y'all know how it is.... sigh....

I'm not your girlfriend, it's just your turn bwahahahaha rotfl

the most recent jimmy rowed this one to shore already so I don't remember it AT ALL. Drinking too much at shows is manageable cause dancing keeps me from getting pukey and passing out but not remembering is really detrimental to my mojo. Wait..... considering whose porch I'm writing this review on, apparently it's only my memory of how much fun I had and not my mojo being diminished hehehehe he. 

I was a breatheless delicious mess the rest of first set and I'm pretty sure there were others that could second that emotion in the room....

more soon... breathe 

 

 

[Supplicated Velvet Thunder]

I haven't been to the orange peel for a setbreak in 7-8 years..... so I was more than happy to roam the smoking section.... and this guy that had asked me to drink in the bushes w him before the show and had danced near me all first set was still hanging as I gave away my brand new special stealie scarf to the kid with shiny eyes that liked it and as I walked away they told him, "she's a keeper, bro!" Haha

the afore-mentioned pre-drum amazingness was perfect. Opening with sugar mags was divine cause it didn't make me sad knowing the show was almost over.... no one is finished, we ain't even begun!!!

sugar scarlet is one of my favorite sweet lady combos. Sticky sweet!

the estimated was especially dingey and distressed and wingnut in all the best ways. Glad I escaped California over and over and have made it back to southern skies..... for now. 

Wasn't it 76 that they would sometimes do a lil drum thing- not space- and then it would do that special thing like they do into the wheel....? Terminology lacking. This dude is gonna help me write better reviews cause learning the musicians language is a great way to become more expressive and knowledgeable about what I'm hearing lol. Anyways.... this felt like part of the 88 mash up of the "formula" as a 76 throwback moment for me- in the transition.

gimme some lovin, as I said in original post here, has still been stuck in my head since that night- alcohol allows the peak moments to remain everlasting in the mind even if it steals a lot of the in between away. 

Like others have said.... the watchtower was beyond belief smoking hot and searing across the perimeter of that which we hold most dear. By this time I noticed this tall ginger dude was STILL dancing by me and that we actually had a really good dance groove- like- best first dance night ever style!!! 

I screamed too much. I was finallly home, wasted, forgot I was in for more than a couple shows this time, and today I can barely squeak words because of all my hooting and hollering at the Peel shows. Peel the cells right out your head.

oh, dear sweet black peter. Magnificent....... and I think I started clinging to the tall tree swaying near me by this point and was happy to have some sweaty mingling and sharing of how FUCKING EPIC this night had turned out to be. He seemed happy with that. All my friends, they come around... but I still ran up to the rail by the time Jeff started singing and everyone was so sweet about letting me in for an epic show closing swooning.

[Supplicated Velvet Thunder]

SSDD snuck up on me, as I was belligerent against my wisdom of knowing when show is almost over in my bliss of not wanting it to end.   I was walking w the tall tree, after all. Afterwards I even said to him, "wow, stand alone ssdd but was sugar mags ever here at all?" (I just learned Drunk svt is so bad at setlist jibber jabber....) and he laughed at me (he been traveling since he was a kid and though he loves the Dead, he's a musician, not a dead head.... some of u know what I mean? Lol) and though I didn't expect him to know what I was even saying (dudes that like me lately are clueless to the dork star geek out) he kindly reminded me it had opened the set. Clearly not as drunk as me and clearly been doing this much longer lmao. Score. Maybe invite him to my sisters?!?!? Hehe.....

oh, Skip, one day I swear I will stop heckling you for your sweet tight box but I'm glad I saw ya at the bar and ran by in drunken glory begging for it bf this show..... telling y'all.... I was wasted bf show ever started and not at altitude so wasn't "really" lmao....

that's it, imma find a new heckle, but I'm glad this one happened cause it ended in a perfectly squared box to close the show- he really has brought so much to this band and they really are on a new level. Hands down the shows since Berkeley have been just about my favorite thing I have ever experienced.

This is my theory: they are more relaxed than ever. Everyone gelled, they tighten up jammed, and now they are just effortlessly having the goddamn time of their lives playing like lil kids in the school yard up there and with all of us out here. Or something like that

oh man.... but then.... they.... mission.

it wasn't that I was crying because I was sad or felt like the weight was too heavy but..... does it HAVE to ALWAYS look the same!?! Everything I gather I DO lose. It's like I can't even gather any tangible things anymore for any significant amount of time but at the same time I know there is a reason I always come again and am able to maintain a stable view that penetrates into everything that blows my way. 

  Mind blown. I had escaped to the rail for peter and ended up in a new dimension so when I turned around and my new friend was still there- well..... ok then. To the next show!!!!! Lol

[helpfrankslip]

On 4/13/2017 at 1:30 PM, ducats said:

somebody should have got arrested for Scarlet-I Will Take You Home

Definitely a wtf moment if there was one. 

[Supplicated Velvet Thunder]

51 minutes ago, helpfrankslip said:

Definitely a wtf moment if there was one. 

Good grief.... you guys..... if u had ever been a little girl lost in a forest of dream, maybe you would understand  but I know you can't relate at all  funny funny stuff our preferences and our taste hehe

[helpfrankslip]

1 minute ago, Supplicated Velvet Thunder said:

Good grief.... you guys..... if u had ever been a little girl lost in a forest of dream, maybe you would understand  but I know you can't relate at all  funny funny stuff our preferences and our taste hehe

Sorry I tried I really tried but nope cannot relate 

[Rude]

Let me adjust my comment. The dead created this style and the transitions from scratch. DSO trying to recreate some of these transitions may spend more time discussing the transition as opposed to possibly just winging it.  The dead also while creating this style was extremely experimental and it didn't always work. I think DSO may focus more on nailing the transitions. When I saw dead and co 11/95 in Nashville the transitions were so bad that it negatively affected the show. Going from 1 song into the next is probably the hardest thing that any dead band does musically and DSO makes hard transitions look easy. 

[helpfrankslip]

1 hour ago, rudedogggg said:

Let me adjust my comment. The dead created this style and the transitions from scratch. DSO trying to recreate some of these transitions may spend more time discussing the transition as opposed to possibly just winging it.  The dead also while creating this style was extremely experimental and it didn't always work. I think DSO may focus more on nailing the transitions. When I saw dead and co 11/95 in Nashville the transitions were so bad that it negatively affected the show. Going from 1 song into the next is probably the hardest thing that any dead band does musically and DSO makes hard transitions look easy. 

no need for adjustments first one was just fine 

[DesertDead]

3 hours ago, rudedogggg said:

Let me adjust my comment. The dead created this style and the transitions from scratch. DSO trying to recreate some of these transitions may spend more time discussing the transition as opposed to possibly just winging it.  The dead also while creating this style was extremely experimental and it didn't always work. I think DSO may focus more on nailing the transitions. When I saw dead and co 11/95 in Nashville the transitions were so bad that it negatively affected the show. Going from 1 song into the next is probably the hardest thing that any dead band does musically and DSO makes hard transitions look easy. 

Right on, more than fair.  I also dig that you express here what was in my mind above, which is the fundamental and significant difference between establishing a path and traveling down said already established path.

And independent of how deftly any transitions may occur, just for the record I would rather see DSO than Dead and Co. in a heartbeat.

A Grateful Dead with reincarnated (healthy) Jerry is an entirely different matter, however.

Thanks for the chat, RD.