Bob Weir and RatDog | RatDog.Org

I thought it was a great show. One thing though, people should really think twice about tossing the paper airplanes toward the stage, itd be a shame to see one of the band get poked in the eye and ruin the show. Think!

Don't get me wrong, I am a huge fan of Bobby and the Dead. But lately when I see Ratdog it puts me to sleep. Tonight's show should have been billed "Jackie Greene followed by Jazz Night at the Highland Bowl." Bob is a helluva performer, but Ratdog hasn't been the same in the last couple of years. The shows seem to fumble out of the gate and never really go anywhere I knew it was trouble with the Music Never Stopped opener. He opened up with that in December of '07 when I saw him at the Mahaffey Theatre in St. Petersburg, Fla. That show preceded to be just dull and lifeless, and so was this one. Big River? Yawn. Senor? Even So? October Queen? You could have passed out through the whole first set and not missed a thing. The second set wasn't much better. Samson and Delilah is okay, but nothing to get really excited about. Bob must have really wanted to tear the whole place down with such a crappy set. As always, I get stuck with an anticlimatic Ripple closer.
I hate to be that guy who criticizes Bobby. I am very grateful for all the music he and the dead have given us. He owes me absolutely nothing. I just think that Bob bought must have bought some stamps prior to the show because he certainly mailed this one in.

Was not at the show, but I think the set list looks great. The progression of songs senor, loser, new speedway, october queen, the deep end, S&D, st stephen, the eleven and love light??? Holy S*%$!

Looks to me like a very cool show and mix of songs. It would seem to me that this set open the door for some really cool jam opportunities. Almost seems like a story was being told through the sets based on this list.

I would have loved to have seen this show. I think most people miss the point.

Man if you dislike songs like Music never stopped, big river, Samson and Delila AND Ripple why did you even go to the show in the first place? What were you expecting to hear? The reviews on this site are ridiculous sometimes... actually most times..

This was a great show...I think you can tell by the setlist that it was a bit of a "dark" mood. I was hoping to catch a couple of songs that I hadn't seen in awhile that didn't make it onto the set list, but what was played was played well. Jackie on stage for the end was hot! I think the biggest problem for this show was that it was directly in front of the Penn's Peak shows. I think they will get my Weather Report Suite....
Security was as relaxed as it could be. I didn't even get checked walking in...nothing. Just tore my ticket and away I went. It was good to see Bobby and the Boys and they didn't disappoint. He did mess the lyrics up on October Queen...badly, but that just makes me smile. Did anyone else notice the repeat/extra verse in the Eleven??? Kenny kind of looked over at Jeff, shrugged and laughed...

What a great venue to see this band,over 20 plus shows this one ranks top 5, A great setlist.also I think the dog feed of the crowd,so the scene reflected the mood, the band was having alot of fun as was all who were with them. excellent show, great music good crowd .

I went to 6 Dead shows in April, did not hear a Victim and went to this show thinking something along the lines of a victim, saint, sailor, throwing, masterpiece, or something like that. BUT, it was still cool. Nice to here a senoir. Not to mention Speedway and B Peter. Can always use a speedway....Nice show!

Great Venue. Perfect concert weather. Decent show. Insane fight.

Jackie Green is going places. His set was solid even though the volume was a little low.

Bobby repeated verses in Black Peter and Eleven. At this point in the game you have to laugh. I have always had a hard time with the flow of Ratdog shows. They never really seem to get me to the peak that I am constantly searching for.

All in all, good time was had. I hope this venue will continue to host concerts. Thanks to the organizers of the Big City Music Fest and Wease for bringing concerts back to the Highland Bowl!!!

Great venue, great setlist...everything was exactly perfect, thanks!

the 2nd review from james, snyder. you could'nt have been paying attention, there was only 1 set. i taped the show. have'nt listened to it yet, but i thought it was a great show. very cool venue.

Looks like this was the best show of the tour so far, seems like the Boys have taken it up a notch?? Wish I had seen this one, Black Peter, ST Stephen,Eleven,Lovelight-that alone was worth every penny

I have been to 20 plus RD shows and when this show is taken in the total context of the music, which was the best since their 700th show at th Town Ballroom, the venue, no hassles getting to, in or out of the place, easy going security and ease of getting beer/bathrooms, I rank this as the BEST show I've seen. Great extended jams in many places and the 3 song list w/Jackie really smoked. Yeah..Bobby missed several lyrics and I believe they actually turned off his microphone at the end of Ripple but that is all part of it to me now. Keep playin guys.....for me..this is best live music around still!! Unless of course The Dead do another tour!! One can only hope!!

It's sweet to have phil and bob here. Highland bowl!!!!! The St/11/love is homage to the area and was pretty rippin ala Jakie.
Keep on keepin on.

I wasnt at the show but the setlist looked like the best show of the tour so far. Finally senor again. Sometimes I wonder if a lot of people in this shity forum even like ratdog? RATDOG MUST START PLAYING 2 FULL SETS! NO BULLSHIT! That is just what these kinds of bands do. NO MORE CO TOURING WITH OTHER LAME ACTS. The west coast shows better be 2 full sets with acoustic numbers. As far JACKOFF GREEN he needs to go on with his own career and quit mooching off of the dead. If it wasnt for Phil nobody would even know who he is. I cant believe that there are any deadheads that like him. He just plain sucks and is gay and should be performing on MTV. He is an example of todays shit music. Anyway Bobby keep rocking there are a lot of people who appreciate this music, i just dont think many of them hang out in this forum.

James from Snyder is spot on. Always solid seein Bobby on stage but the energy is down. Never a fan of the spacy jams, but even some of the rock n roll cuts were feelin flat. When there's not a big gap b/t the highs & lows the shows drag. You can't argue with the set on paper, but it's only as good as its execution. Are we amidst a RD style transition??? Highland is a 10 venue with decent weather.

Just woke up after a so- so night at the Highland Bowl with the Dog. I've thought long and hard about this show- comparing it to the many others I've seen including Bob's Town Ballroom and past Rochester performances.

Last nights show had it's moments- the Senor, Samson and a blistering St. Stephen. But overall I was underwhelmed.

I was at the Phil Lesh show last year at the Bowl. It rocked. Never a dull moment. Someone mentioned this as a "dark show". Yeah. But at a Summer fesitival when everyone is there to have a good time and dance it was kind of a bummer. You got the feeling that minus the people who were in the very front rows Bob was losing the audience a bit. I was sitting on the hill and saw a few people taking naps!

I take issue with James on the Music Never Stopped dis. But it's absurd to accuse him of not being a RatDog fan. A true fan shows up and analyzes what he hears- not just give an A+ for effort.

I thought the show kicked ass... I was lucky to be in the first few rows and Bobby was really connecting with the crowd. I had my reservations about the venue but was pleasantly surprised. Thought the sound last night was on key. Bobby did fumble on a few lyrics but who cares. GREAT St. Stephen. Overall... AN AWESOME SHOW !!!

Loved the show last night. Got there early and had a great spot to stand. No show is perfect but the imperfections are what make it unique. Bobby forgot a few lines and looked a bit tired. The band rocked the crowd with Sampson and they went through some Jerry Dead tunes that sounded excellent. Overall I had a great time and I was so close and I didn't have to pay 100's of dollars to be that close. Please come back!

I am a huge fan of Ratdog & the Grateful Dead. The music was outstanding as usual. My biggest issue, however, is that Ratdog only performed until 9:30 pm! Normally these shows go 4 hours. On the Ratdog website, it stated that they would be playing 2 sets. All we got was one 2 hour set. When the show ended, it was very abrupt. No one seemed to understand that the show was over, but it was clear to us once they started tearing down the stage.
VERY disappointing.

Well there, Mr. Fantasy... I wonder if you'd like to tell Phil what you think about Jackie Green, since he asked him to play in his band last summer. I actually like Jackie and enjoyed his set. Most of it had more energy than RatDog did... I wouldn't count on two sets from Bob. I love the guy, and sometimes he's really into it, but I don't think there is any secret that Bob is just there to pick up a paycheck on many nights. There is something disheartening about watching Bob read the lyrics to Music Never Stopped off the teleprompter. We know the lyrics, Bob - you don't?

That being said, last night's music was pretty good, but not great. The St. Stephen-11 ripped (mostly because of the interplay between Jackie and Mark Karan). For me it was a great show experience because it was in my neighborhood and could walk down from my hours with all my friends, the weather was perfect, and the venue is great. $4 beers is pretty nice in 2009 too.

Well first, the night started off as a classic dichotomy for me. I walked up to the will call window to grab my tickets, I saw a completely ridiculous scene with two guys fighting over god knows what. My first thought is,” oh boy, tonight’s going to suck” as security is escorting one of the guys out and the other one is sitting on a table bleeding all over himself. .

Then almost immediately, I notice a drop dead gorgeous woman has appeared in front of me in line from somewhere out of the blue. She definitely wasn’t there when I got in line, but it’s cool, I’m just chillin’ and there’s plenty of time before the show starts. What happened next was the best ticket scam I have ever seen, played out right in front of me.

This chick starts double talking the will-call guy, giving him first one name for the tickets, then another, and then changing names again, giving him her ID, taking it back, double talking some more. She had her mojo working and this poor fool didn’t know whether to shit or go blind. Finally, he hands her a ticket and says “here, just take this one, I’ll figure it out later” I’m laughing my ass off and I look at her, and she just sweetly smiles and winks at me, my faith in a fun evening now fully restored.

As for the show, I’d rate it a solid 8. I don't really know what people expect from these shows, especially since I've learned to control my own expectations but I feel way more positive about last night than some of the reviewers here. I thought it was one of the better Ratdog shows I’ve had the pleasure of attending in some time.

The set list was cool and the band was jamming their asses off, and they sounded great. My favorite part of any Dead show has always been the jamming and space, so I was glad to see the boys stretching out on this tour.

Highlights (for me) were Black Peter, and the smoking St. Stephen/William Tell/Eleven/Lovelight finisher. New Speedway Boogie, Loser and Senor were also hot and worthy of mention.

The yawns for me were Even So, and October Queen. I like both of these tunes and I thought they were well played, but it’s time for some new material boys. Money for gasoline, easy answers, ashes and glass and the above mentioned are becoming a little tiresome, and they leave me wishing these guy would write some new music. These kept the show from epic status in my mind.

The venue on the other hand, is epic. A great little park in the middle of a cool neighborhood in my fair city, a statue of Fredrick Douglass looking down on the festivities, great weather and exactly one year to the day since Phil and Friends rocked the same place. Who could ask for anything more?

That’s my take, and to all of you who don’t agree with me, I live by the idea that individuals can absorb same set of data and make completely different judgments from it. It’s simply a matter of the state of your heart and your mind. Thanks a lot Bobby, Jay, Jeff, Kenny, Robin, Mark, and Jackie. Same time/place next year?

Dear Mr Franasy....Did you really just use the term "gay" to describe Jackie Green. Been to muliple Phil shows and RatDog shows (33 to be exact) and he is a talented musician. Everyone is entitled to their opinios and all are usually relevant in their own text but that is completely otta line. The 3 song set with him was spot on. Opinions and comments like that would be better off kept to yourself. IMHO

I didn't attend the show , just reading the reviews. Thanks to everyone for giving their opinions of the show, good or ill. The reason I wanted to post is to refute what that obvious know-nothing LB wrote when they said, "I wouldn't count on Bob doing two sets." Well if you follow Bob and RatDog AT ALL you'd know that two sets is the norm on most tours and if it was announced he'd be doing 2 sets, it is more than reasonable for fans to expect 2 sets. Point number 2, "it's no secret that Bob just collects a check some nights." Oh yeah? That's the first I've heard that in almost 20 years of seeing bob perform. He always gives an effort, even if it isn't his best night. Judging from all the exceptional nights of music Bob has provided me with RatDog over the years, I'd say he rarely "mails it in." What a couple goofy comments.

Thanks Jimmy- second that emotion
let's hope for next year!

mr fantasy i enjoy jackie every time i see him i love his songwriting very believable stuff as for other negative reviewers i think you all were at a different show or you got some bad doses bobby is in fine form the lovelight i didnt expect black peter loser senor all just overwhelmed me i was playing st stephen on guitar/bongos one of the streets with my friend before the show not expecting to hear that either it was his first ratdog show and he loved it and i cant wait for vibes the entire show was one of the best single sets ive ever seen ratdog play and if they keep playing at his level for the rest of the tour im cool with that BOB PLEASE BRING BACK SO MANY ROADS AT VIBES thanks for the excellent show and cant wait for vibes and beacon shows

The show was strong and Bob displayed outrageous energy for his age, as his and the bands vocals were outstanding, also.

"New Speedway", "Black Peter", and "St. Stephen" were all excellent, and worth the price of admission alone.

A beautiful night at a very pleasant venue- chalk up another killer show in a LONG list for Rochester!

Earl

The Highland Bowl rocks. great venue! Cool show with everyone having a great time. Jackie Greene rocks. The best musician on stage. Glad Bobby brought him up for St Stephen, WTB, 11, and Lovelight. Too bad they didn't include him in New Speedway as he does it as good as I've seen. I don't understand how this guy is not chosen one as successor to JG. Here's to many more shows at the Bowl.

definatly a killer show!!! keep it up bobby

I've been out of the scene for quite a while, but after listening to hints of Phil from my back yard last year, made sure I caught the show at the Bowl Sunday. I thought the band created great atmosphere with the jams and segues, loved the overall musicianship of the players (especially the drummer and the rapport within the band) and was mostly impressed by the vocal harmonies. Brought together a lot of aspects of classic Dead shows, though compressed into a 2-hour+ set.

The set seemed to be working the slow tunes, with Loser, Black Peter. I'm impressed with how much can fit into every beat when the tempo slows way down like that.

Except for Lovelight, not much rockin out. Speedway and St Stephen were highlights - but deliberately played, not with all-out abandon. Controlled forays into near-chaos - space - were fun to ride. Ripple was great.

Very satisfying show. Suits the maturity of the players (and me.)

I enjoyed this show. A great venue in in a cool neighbor hood. I am thankful that Bob stills goes out on the road as much as he does for his age. It's easy to criticize. Don't like it don't go. More dancing room for me!

People,,,,,, what is up with these reveiws??? some think the show sucked, some thought the show was great??? I was not there but got tix for both nights in Atlanta {BET YOU WISH YOU WERE IN MY SHOES} I don't know whether to be excited or leary. ANYWAY--- BOBBY IF YOU OR YOUR BAND READ THESE REVIEWS... PLEASE PLAY YOUR ASSES OFF IN ATLANTA AND MAKE US ALL BRAG ON YOU GUYS, WHICH I THINK WE ALL KNOW Y'ALL WILL ANYWAY ....PEACE ...SAFE TRIP TO ALL... ....... chris

I thought the show was great! Maybe a little short but there is a sound curfew in the city of Rochester so thats not really the bands fault.I really enjoyed Senor! It made remember all the times I saw Jerry play it.Keep on Truckin Bob. Every show now is all extra anyway!!!