Reviews
The setlist omits the Shakedown Street opener!
Jon Cushing, Tempe AZ
Nevermind, was corrected as I typed...
Was a fun day in a festival setting all around. I particularly enjoyed the She Belong s To Me>FOTD>Hard Rain>In The Begining...
Jon Cushing, Tempe, AZ
Fantastic! Classic Bobby. Hard Rain was Kind! She Belongs to ME, ufff wow!!! The flow was right on, what a band! Kudos to all involved! Grateful to hear the tunes. had to squint your eyes just right to see Jerry on stage next to Bob... Long Live the Dead!!
Paul Schottmueller, Gilbert, Arizona
Great show! It seems that the band gets better every time they play. Shakedown was a great opener and Throwing Stones>Not Fade Away>Touch of Grey was the best way to end the show. If you missed out on the chance to see it, try your hardest to find a recording. It'll be worth it.
Alex Koralewski, Tucson, Arizona
The band put Mark to work last night! What a great set for a short show. Everyone seemed to be playing at a fevered pitch, yet sound clean and together.
Jerry D, Tucson, AZ
A mellow show, good in sound, but felt the crowd was not into it. Can't always get what u want.
Ron Cerrachio, Phoenix
She Belongs to Me was hard for me to hear in Bobby's style but Standing on The Moon was extremely well done. Tomorrow Never Knows took me out of body. Was I the only one that heard the tease of The Other One? Hope not- cause it was sweet, would have been sweeter to hear it.
theotherweirhere, Phoenix
First off..I feel this is MY festival.. I have attended or volunteered every year. It is biking distance from my home and a great scene. (I actually worked security one year/wolf in charge of the hens!) . Things are run well, Neville's and Ratdog actually started 15 mminutes early and thereforeplayed longer than expected. Anyway, Ratdog has always been a personal dream to play this fest and they did not dissappoint..the Friend of the Devil was one of the finest moments I've heard. Fast, electric, true cosmic cowbow music. Tommorow never knows melted as it should. There was a great other one tease which seemed to disappear just as quickly. Great show...come back Bobby.
Eatapeach, Scottsdale
goosebumps all night long.
stuart epstein, scottsdale az.
so nice to see Bobby and the boys on a big outdoor stage, especially at night. Bob is as crispy and crackling as ever. his voice is so rich still. Mark impressed the hell out of me, as I've thought for a long time that Weir should drop him. way to go Mark! Jay kicks as usual. just rehearse Shakedown one more time Bobby! saw him after show, still a real nice guy. miss you already.
Jamon W., Gilbert
I almost cried during She Belongs to Me, Hard Rain, and SOTM. Bobby can really capture that emotion even when he blows lyrics. I really had some great memories of early 90's Dead show at this festival. I don't get out to see the bands that really move me, so this was extra special.
Todd Bolser, Chandler, AZ
This was a cool tight show. Their playing was tight the tightest I have seen in awhile. Unfortunately they played alot of non dead which is what I really get into at ratdog shows. Hard Rain was well read/October Queen was well read but the band seemed to be bored/Come Together was okay/the Miles tune was very well played/the highlight was SOTM (sorry Bob)/I know Bob wants us to enjoy his tunes as much but that song I waited for all night/The Throwing Stones brough back in the dark flashbacks/Touch was was predicatble/Bob was definitely playiNG touch of grey crowd I am just glad I didn't pay for a ticket I volunteered the show was too short and not enough Dead tunes to pay 50.00 bucks. Keep up the good work boys and I really hope you come back every year.
wolfman , phx
Wonderful stuff...clean, well balanced sound. The Tomorrow Never Knows>ratdog songs>Milestones>bass/keys/drums>Come Together was unforgetable...Ratdog is an amazing, legitimate band (kudos to Jeff C.)
Brian F, Tempe, AZ
As a 'relatively' young person, who has only become obsessed with the Dead over the past year or so, these Bobby (and Phil of course) shows are as close as I'm going to get to the real thing! While I love the idea of DSO and other Dead cover bands, I was thrilled to see that Ratdog truly are their own band. Needless to say, this was the first time I've seen them and was really thrilled with the whole affair. While I probably would have loved a show of all Dead material, I'm not sure I'd walk away quite as excited to see them again. So yeah, register me as a very happy newbie.
Also, for what it's worth, the festival as a whole was GREAT...highly recommended. The crowd was diverse and interesting, the sketch factor was low, the weather was very hot (a lack of shade is my only complain), and the camping area was a blast. A very well put together festival, that's fun for all types, but doesn't lack the spontaneity and craziness that make fests like this so much fun.
Ryan, Denver, CO
My first Ratdog show. . .and I was blown away.
Saw the Grateful Dead over 100 times, The Dead and The Other Ones once each, and Bobby in the Midnights and Kingfish . . this show was right up there with the best.
Never thought I'd be 60 years old and dancing my ass off in front of the stage with Bob Weir still up there getting it on.
Karl, Deming NM
Hadn't seen Ratdog in a few years and I was impressed. I purposefully didn't check out set lists prior to this show and so was blown away with Hard Rain, Tomorrow Never Knows, and Comes Together. SOTM has grown into a great live tune and NFA is always good, always. The finale was not a favorite of mine but enough folks seem to enjoy so it's all good. The festival is at the perfect size right now, very friendly and enjoyable without being so packed that folks are peeing next to your tent in the middle of the night. BTW the camping is fun, fun, fun; highly recommended for the full experience. Only downer was the Dead cover band Extra Ticket charging $20 post Ratdog. Other than that, nothing left to do but smile, smile, smile. See ya next year Mr Weir?
Tom S, Scottsdale
I started seeing the Dead in the mid 80's. Great to see Bobby still breaking out great tunes. Good festival show, all the boys were tight and seemed into jamming. BEST thing about the show was that my two daughters finally got to see Bobby play live! Thanks for letting them in for free, I usually can't afford to take them to other post GD shows. Lots of great memories were revived at this show.
Hard to hear someone else sing SOTM. If anyone remembers Alpine Valley 7/17/89, you know what I mean - full moon, Jerry, and then.......... We Bid You Goodnight, Johnny B. Goode. Thanks for the classics, tonight, Bobby - Minglewood Blues, Throwing Stones and NFA were GREAT!
Sam C., Scottsdale, AZ
Great Show, Worth the 2800 mile trip,,band was soo tight,, So much mix of energy's, Open'ng Shakedown-Minglewood Nice Build, lil slow down on She belongs t me..By hard Rains Gna fall was back at the top of energy rocket,, I herd dogs barking during Even so.((or was that me)),,beatle's doubled!!Come together perfect timing,,Nice classics on the tail for all the old school AZ heads,, Venue Frggn fabuuuulllass,, Security nicest I've met in years,, If they get back there again,,, Bring Shade,, Killer Camping behind stage area,, all night party, didn't attend but heard good times there,, Tea leaf,,I love em,,(trevor hows the head,lol),, Nice opening of the eve vibe by Neville Brothers,, got a tapers card,, hope I get to listen to this again soon,, FFfaabbuullaass Az, never felt soo welcome by locals and venue,, From my Heart Thanx to all I met out there,, Mike
GroundScore, ChiTown
She Belongs to Me was beautiful. Tomorrow Never Knows>Even So. Stuff - Great Solo JAY! Come Together. Standing on the Moon>Throwing Stones>NFA>
Touch of Grey was excellent. We Will Survive!
Wonderful to see Bobby and the Band under the stars. Too bad you didn't stay for the next night, when things got more than strange - only the stranger remained :-)
Glinda, Canada
add an 's' on stranger and you have strangers -
not fans of Ratdog I think??
Glinda, Vancouver, Canada
at least they weren't then but then maybe now they're true supporters - now that they know how great the music is :-)
Glinda, Victoria, BC, Canada
Show had ups and downs for me. Good shakedown. Tomorrow Never Knows was a scorcher but the Come Together never gelled in my opinion. FOTD started well but seemed forced. SOTM...I must have been at a different show than the rest of the posters thought it was pretty rough. Throwin/Not Fade(smokin) was a nice end to set 2. I'm personally Touched out. Bobby does it a lot here in Phx. Had trouble hearing Bobby's vocals in the mix alot of the time
Brian, casa grande, Az.
It was all good except the sound man, mid show, had the keyboards drownin everything else out cause he kept turnin everything else up to try and match it. I almost walked over and told him to turn the keys down. Some killer tunes ... SOTM, Throwin, Hard Rain, and many more. Sound man lost it. I'll never stop goin though.
MTFWBYSH
Sam , Sierra Vista,AZ
Loved Loved Loved She Belongs to me..of course I do ..I am an artist..Loved Hard Rain too..Had a great time at that show..went to it also to visit an old friend I went to all the GD shows back east in the 70's
Carla, Truckee CA