Albany Times Union
September 6, 2005
by David Malachowski
Former Grateful Dead singer and guitarist Bob Weir brought his group Ratdog along with part-time colleague Bruce Hornsby to the Pepsi for a night of joyous jamming and jaw-dropping musicianship.
One of the many unwritten laws of show business is that the headliner never appears before he starts his show. Weir and crew ignored this rule early in the night and joined Hornsby for one tune, which set the tone for a night of friendly intermingling.
Ratdog founder Weir -- looking professor-like in graying beard, white shirt and shorts -- and Jay Lane (drums) along with Jeff Chimenti (keyboards), Mark Karan (guitar), Kenny Brooks (sax) Robin Sylvester (bass) proved to be one of the best configurations to date. An a cappella intro to "Here Comes Sunshine" added to the drama as Weir led the way with nods and waves.
Weir has made a life in music without compromise. You can hear it in his voice, and you can see it in the casual stage-clothes-same-as-offstage-clothes style. This night, the improv sections were spectacular, especially for guitarist Karan. The most moving moment was a majestic, magical "Playing in the Band" in which Weir -- with help from Hornsby -- took the song to a special place.
A slow and bluesy "Big Boss Man" was near perfection, while a hypnotic, drum-driven version of the Beatles "Tomorrow Never Knows" was surprisingly effective, as was an eerie take of Dylan's "Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall." "Shakedown Street" and "Uncle John's Band" were sure-thing crowd pleasers.
What Weir's rich baritone lacks in accuracy is made up tenfold in heart and humanity. With this impressive show, Ratdog carries on his and the Dead's legacy with grace.
Bruce Hornsby is a lot cooler than his press kit. While he's won Grammys and has sold millions of records, he's also been an honorary member of the Grateful Dead, and despite his success, is still a musician's musician.
Hornsby started out by himself on the piano, and the band members fell in one by one as they built up a tune. A dreamy "End Of The Innocence" was pure pleasure, as was a rocking "The Valley Road" where Weir and friends came out for a jam. A bubbly "The Way it Is" was far more buoyant than the recorded version. It was the perfect framework for extended soloing.
Hornsby's grandiose music was simply stunning, and the musicianship of the highest level. Hornsby -- and Weir -- and crew could eat all the new young jam bands for breakfast. David Malachowski is a local freelance writer from Woodstock and a regular contributor to the Times Union.