Laconia (NH) Citizen
September 5, 2005
by Bethany Gordon
GILFORD — Former Grateful Dead guitarist Bob Weir took the stage at Meadowbrook on Friday night, kicking off the Labor Day Weekend by performing some Dead-era classics with his band RatDog. Illness forced the cancellation of the Hall & Oates concert on Saturday, but a sold-out performance by country star Tim McGraw will close out the weekend tonight.
Weir, a singer and guitarist, formed the band RatDog in 1995 with bassist Rob Wasserman, guitarist and harmonica player Matt Kelly and drummer Jay Lane. The band launched it's first tour 10 years ago, just after the death of Dead singer and guitarist Jerry Garcia.
RatDog took the stage just after 9 p.m. on Friday night to an enthusiastic crowd of 3,000. With a salt-and-pepper beard and dressed casually in a white linen shirt and tan shorts, Weir led his group through some of the Dead's earlier music.
RatDog opened with a 17-minute extended version of Jack Straw, featured on the Dead's Europe '72 album. In true Grateful Dead fashion, Jack Straw turned into Cassidy without a break.
RatDog went on to perform several tracks from the late '60s and '70s, including "Friend of the Devil," "Sugaree," "Morning Dew," "Lazy Road," "Big Railroad Blues," "Feel Like a Stranger" and more.
RatDog fans, both young and old, turned out for the show.
"I think it's great to see the young people enjoying this music," said John Shield, a long-time fan from the early era. "I just hope they're all here for the music, and not the drugs."
Shield was proud to say he attended nearly 70 Grateful Dead shows over the past 30 years.
"Over the past few months, these guys (RatDog) have been playing a lot of the really early Grateful Dead music," said Shields. "I think it's Mr. Weir is just missing Jerry Garcia these days."
Opening for RatDog was three-time Grammy winner Bruce Hornsby & the Noisemakers. Hornsby is influenced by several genres of music and played several of his hits on his piano.