Phish Alpine Valley East Troy, Wisconsin August 14 & 15 2010

      I love Alpine valley. I always have so much fun when I attend shows there. Even though the lawn holds 20000+ people and is so steep that when dancing you feel like you could fall and start a domino effect with everyone in front of you. Still, the grass feels great under your feet, the sound is really good considering the size of this venue. The pavilion, because of the size of the venue, never really feels over crowded like some other venues tend to feel. Well enough of this onto the shows......

      

      Fantastic first set with well played versions of all songs. Only one new song all night and it was a well received Alaska. Page's soloing sound great during Suzy and Funky Bitch, I love how is is mixing up his sounds, especially during Suzy. Reba is always nice and they delivered the goods tonight.  A near perfect playing of the composed section and nice soloing from Trey during the soaring section that follows. Fuck Your Face makes a second showing this summer and just like before it seems like most of the crowd has no idea what they are hearing. Back one the Train really gets the crowd rolling along just like a freight train. Absolutely love the Gumbo>Antelope pairing. This Antelope really soars and maybe my favorite version since their return. Seemed like this was the never ending set!

      

      When the Sloth opens up a set you know you are in for a treat and tonight we were. All the complaints I remember hearing where the band is not jamming enough, not stretching out the tunes enough. Well not tonight, after the Sloth opener a 17 minute Down with Disease flows right into a haunting version of Whats the Use. Scent of a Mule gets the audience dancing along only to break into a frenzy when Mike's Song starts up. While not the longest version this one starts going to the places we know it can. Next comes a well placed Dirt, good place for a breather. The Sneak-a-Paug that follows has everyone up on there feet and excited to see the strides this band is making. Bug is the closer and the mighty Quinn sending us into the cool Wisconsin night is like seeing an old friend for the first time in ages.

     

      I'm not going to review the second night, I will leave that up to others but in my opinion these are the two best shows they have played since returning as a band and maybe since 2000. They are playing their songs with a renewed energy, limiting mistakes and the jams are really starting to go places. Listen for yourself if you haven't already, and once again just enjoy!

Joey

August 14 2010 Alpine Valley Music Theatre, East Troy, WI

Set I: Tube, The Oh Kee Pa Ceremony> Suzy Greenberg, Funky Bitch, Reba, Fuck Your Face, Alaska, Back On The Train, Taste> When the Circus Comes to Town, Lawn Boy, Sparkle, Gumbo> Run Like An Antelope
Set II: The Sloth, Down With Disease> What's the Use> Scent of a Mule, Mike's Song> Dirt> Sneaking Sally Through the Alley> Weekapaug Groove, Bug
Encore: Mighty Quinn (Quinn the Eskimo)

August 15 2010 Alpine Valley Music Theatre, East Troy, WI

Set I: Tweezer, AC/DC Bag, On Your Way Down, The Divided Sky, Stealing Time From The Faulty Plan, Water in the Sky> The Moma Dance> Farmhouse, David Bowie
Set II: Ghost> Theme from the Bottom> Big Black Furry Creature from Mars, You Enjoy Myself> Piper> Also Sprach Zarathustra> While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Character Zero
Encore: Oh! Sweet Nuthin'> Cavern> Joy> Tweezer Reprise

Grateful Dead March 5 1992 Hampton Coliseum Hampton, VA

      

     Good day everyone. Sitting back with my wife enjoying some  tasty bean to the Grateful Dead on a nice rainy day. Anyways this show is a request from a friend, I had something else in mind but once I gave it a listen again, well, I changed my mind. 

      Incredible, I get to see the boys play Hampton! I could not make it to the 89' shows, so I thought that was it, I had missed my chance of seeing them play in Hampton.  Well to mine and everyone else's delight about a week or so before the spring 92' tour was to begin they announced two nights at Hampton Coliseum! Hell yes!

     Help>Slip>Franklins was a great way to open this show. There is some really nice interplay between Garcia and Hornsby during Slipknot. Damn fine version and a great opener. Next came the east coasts debut of the Same Thing. They used to do this with Pig Pen at the helm back in the day. Actually I really like this version, it's about as bluesy as the latter day Grateful Dead got and at least on this night did it right. Alright Jack-A-Roe, nice upbeat version, this set is turning out well. Let Phil sing, let Phil sing! I really like Tom Thumbs Blues and Phil made sure to put an exclamation point on the lyrics started out on Heineken...a little call out to his  past troubles . Let it Grow, perfect song to end this set. Nice first set nothing mind blowing but well played and they seemed to have something to say.

      Eyes is always welcome to open the second set and I really enjoy these 90's jazzy versions. Another easy coast debut was next, Vince Welnicks, Long Way to go Home.  This song never really ventured far from home and tonight was no different. Next comes Estimated, I love Jerry's use of the midi on these later versions, sometimes I would find myself looking for a sax on stage. He's Gone>drums...can't get enough of this song. Love the placement, I know that's where most of the versions get played but there's a reason for that. Still felt like they were playing for Brent. Drums was strong and for some reason I really like this space. I usually skip right over space but this one is like a beautiful sunset and when it flows into the Wheel you know things are right! Miracle was pretty standard, get the crowd pumped up rocker after space. So Many Roads, what a great Garcia song. Even during some of the worst nights Jerry seemed to come alive for this one. Good Lovin', go Bobby get down. Love this one tonight, the boys really got the arena moving and I love the vocal interplay. US Blues sent us out into the cold Virginia night, feeling lucky to have seen another Dead show.

J

Grateful Dead 3-5-1992 Hampton Coliseum, Hampton, VA 

 Set One

Help on the Way >

Slipknot! >

Franklin's Tower

The Same Thing

Jack-A-Roe

Just Like Tom Thumbs Blues

Let it Grow

 Set Two

Eyes of the World >

Long Way to go Home >

Estimated Prophet >

He's Gone >

Drums >

Space >

The Wheel >

I Need a Miracle >

So Many Roads >

Good Lovin'

 encore

US Blues

Grateful Dead June 26 1993 RFK Stadium, Washington, DC

    I have been enjoying this show for the last few weeks so why not share it and hopefully someone else will see the Grateful Dead actually had some pretty good shows after 1991. Listening now I find this show is much better than I remember.  Sting opened up this show and if I can find my copy, I will put it up to grab.

    Strong version of Stranger to open the show. Jerry was really into this one tonight. A semi rare Brown Eyed Woman followed, while not the best version ever certainly not the worst and kept the energy going. Spoonful sucked the energy right out of the room, good thing it is fairly short. I always enjoyed Jerry's newer songs and this Lazy River Road made you forget about that train wreck of a spoonful. The Rest of the set was fairly standard with a decent Bird Song thrown in. All in all an above average first set for this time period.

    I love this second set. Aiko Aiko is always a fun way to kick start a set and this version got the stadium rolling. Never was much of a fan of Vince's Long Way to go Home but this one is played well. The meat of this set is the Playing in the Band > Terrapin Station > Drums....40 minutes of classic Grateful Dead. Jerry's playing is spot on and the jam following Playin and Terrapin is like days of old. I don't care to hear the Last Time especially after that pre drums segment of the show..I was hoping for something else, maybe the Other One but you can't have it all, right? An absolutely beautiful  Days Between was next and I believe this song never really got the praise it deserved. Since it was a Saturday night we knew what we would be getting to close out the show and even though it always gets played the same I was happy to get One More Saturday Night with the greatest band in the world.


6-26-1993 RFK Stadium, Washington, DC

Set List:

Feel Like a Stranger
Brown Eyed Women
Spoonful
Lazy River Road
Masterpiece
Bird Song
Picasso Moon

Iko Iko
Long Way Home
Playin' in the Band
Terrapin Station
drums
The Last Time
The Days Between
Throwin' Stones
One More Saturday Night

Liberty

Notes:

with Bruce Hornsby on accordion - Sting opened

moe.2003-10-09 - Gypsy Tea Room - Dallas, TX

2003, one of my favorite moe. years and this show was one of the best of the year. Gotta love a Jazz Wank opener, not quite dueling guitars but close. Gets the show rolling before slamming into  NCD > Wormwood. Even though they get heavily played, they set the tone for the rest of the show. Next comes over an hour of purely insane psychedelia with Brent Black, Time Ed, McBain. The return of YOY to finish out the first set is very welcome and wraps up one hell of a set of music.

Second set is more of a roller coaster ride with some great ups and downs. Living Again opens up the second set followed by the slow build up of Recreational Chemistry and Happy Hour Hero. Next comes the southern fried funky Rebubula. Water flows out of Rebubula to cool things down. I love hearing Head especially closing out set two. They really stir this venue into a frenzy before coming back around to the final refrain. Like I said 2003 was an incredible year and the instant live releases bring out all the musicians on stage in a perfect mix. This is incredibly clear recording listen to it loud. Enjoy!

Joey


moe. 10/09/03 Gypsy Tea Room, Deep Ellum, TX
Set I
Jazz Wank>Not Coming Sown>Wormwood>Brent Black>Time Ed>McBain>YOY*
Set II
Living Again>Recreational Chemistry>Happy Hour Hero, Rebubla>Water>Head
E:Threw it all Away**

^* Last time played 11/10/01 (175 shows)
^** Last time played 5/02/01 (241 shows)

Ryan Adams & the Cardinals, September 13, 14 2007, Paramount Theater, Charlottesville, Va

I actually did it. I started a blog about something I truly love, live music. I am going to try and post a show every day but that might not happen...maybe just 3 or 4 per week. Anyways I will not be focused on one single band just what happens to be getting a lot of playing time from me. Since this is my first I am going to post two shows that I love. These were back to back shows at the same venue so I can't just give you one. So here goes, I hope you all enjoy this music as much as I do.

This show and the next night were make up shows from a few months before. I'm not going to get into those details, I'm just glad the band rescheduled and added a second date on. Of course my wife(Trea) and I did not make it to the first night(shame on us) so we used our tickets from the canceled show for the second night. This tour the band was back to playing electric(red cave), the previous tour they were playing some great acoustic sets(blue cave). I was hoping for some acoustic numbers but that wasn't to be. Of course it didn't matter because wow they really turned it up and played extremely well, stretching out some songs, getting a little psychedelic, we couldn't ask for anything more.

Joey

download

Ryan Adams & the Cardinals
September 13, 2007
Paramount Theater, Charlottesville, Va.

sbd/matrix....flac>vbr 256

One Set:
CD 1:
01 Goodnight Rose
02 Please Do Not Let Me Go
03 Beautiful Sorta
04 The End
05 Dear John
06 Cold Roses
07 What Sin
08 Elizabeth, You Were Born To Play That Part
09 A Kiss Before I Go
10 Nightbirds
11 Wildflowers
12 Sun Also Sets*
13 Off Broadway

CD 2:
Encore:
01 Easy Plateau
02 Two
03 Rescue Blues
04 To Be Young

Notes:
* false start for wardrobe change


download

Ryan Adams & the Cardinals
September 14, 2007
Paramount Theater
Charlottesville, Va.

sbd/matrix....flac>vbr 256

One Set:
CD 1:
01 Intro/tuning
02 Magnolia Mountain
03 I Taught Myself How to Grow Old
04 Peaceful Valley
05 Damn Sam (I Love a Woman That Rains)
06 Games
07 Call Me On Your Way Back Home
08 How Do You Keep Love Alive
09 Let It Ride
10 My Winding Wheel*
11 Goodnight, Hollywood Blvd.
12 Mockingbird

CD 2:
01 Goodnight Rose
02 Rip Off
03 Rescue Blues
04 Dear Chicago
05 Freeway to the Canyon
06 Wildflowers
07 Beautiful Sorta
08 Tears of Gold
09 I See Monsters

Notes:
* w/ false start