3/25/2008 Setlist, Photos, and Reviews

I know your rider!
It is geat to see Bobby potent.

good concert, but too small of venue. way over-sold

Mark was on fire! The DOG Put on nice show.

Smokin' Speedway worth a listen.

Waaaaaaaaaaay oversold. Way too smokey. Great Shakedown, and Palyin' started in to a really trippy , disjointed jam that they lost interest in and just flat out stopped for the set break, Very strange.
Next time play outside or at Taft Theatre. Crowd made it tough.

Venue was too small and too smokey but HOLY HELL!!! what a show!!! Unbelievable "New speedway boogie", fantastic "Wang Dang Doodle" and an ever o-so-sweet"Shakedown" to start things off! Great show guys. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE come back to the area soon! The Cincinnati area is way too uptight and conservative, we need more of that sweet dead and 'dog sound and vibe in the area!! Safe travels Bob!!!

Man I agree good show, but if they are going to oversell the venue and allow smoking at least let people step outside and come back in. The nice thing about the house of blues in Cleveland is they allow re-entry. Hope to see you all in Cleveland

BLAMMO these guys are f@#$ smoking man all blah blah the that venue was very intament like in my friends living room all and all 13 stars 13 stars guys bobby and you guys thanks the maggies farm into baby blue and the ramble on rose ya cant get any better
THANK YOU IN DOG I TRUST
WORD UP AND PEACE TO ALL
THAT GUY

My favorite show in a long time. It could be just me, but when bobby sings about "a girl who's just 14" in Mexicali, it's a little creepy. Oh well, Rock On

good band, sh**ty venue. bobby forgot the words on several songs even with the teleprompter??? I was in the front row, and had to go to the bathroom just before playing in the band. After slicing my way thru the crowd, I gave up on trying to get back. Left at intermission. I will not be back to the madison theater to see the dog.

dodah_man

Great show!! Bobby and the boys killed it!
Ramble on Rose was my highlight, and made the overcharged, oversold show worth every penny!!

If Bobby is going to continue playing small venues then there should be some strict management of ticket sales for our safety. This is unacceptable. The combination of smoking allowed and overselling has all the makings for a major disaster (just like the 100 killed at THE STATION nightclub in RI). Be careful at all of these venues and make a mental note of the fire exits as soon as you get in.

I agree that the place was way over sold, but I thought that the band put on a really good show. The Dylan songs throughout, the opening Shakedown St., Bobby almost sounding like Garcia on China Cat. As for the smoking thing, since when do hippies bitch about smoking? If you couldn't smoke cigarettes in the venue, I guarantee that you couldn't get away with lighting up all the ganja I smelled.

The band sounded great last night. MK was terrific. As with the other reviews, the only negative was a way-too-crowded venue.

This show was killer from start to finish. I agree with everyone else about the crowd being too big for the venue. I was there in June 2005 and it was sold out but wasn't nearly as packed or smokey. WAYYYY too much tobacco being smoked and not enough kynd buds to balance out the odors!

The music was great - Shakedown opener was sweet and Mark Karan was terrific all night long. Another highlight was the great playing of Jeff Chimenti on keys = he really shined on the semi-acoustic Mexicali and throughout the second set.

Looking forward to Stoudsberg next week - at least they admit a crowd that can safely get in and out of the theater.....

Great show ... what I managed to see of it ... I was doing some voter registration for HeadCount ... thanks to everyone that was friendly and registered. remember to vote.

--- as for the show ... I managed to hear it good on the soundboards i bought.... Man o Man .... those guys were on fire.... I miss Kimock from all the great summer shows. Personally I'm looking forward to some nice weather and some outdoor jams.

thanks again everyone .... come visit the HeadCount booth at the next shows and say hi.

Tim

The dog-heads jammed at the madison on that magical night. The sets were incredible and Bobby was on fire. The over -crowding did make it very difficult to groove. The Madison is a great little venue to see a show. Peace:-)

Way over sold !!! Great times great friends .

i enjoyed the first set as well...but i do agree that it was way overcrowded. we were upstairs on the balcony during the first set. when more and more people kept coming up there i began to feel smothered, so at setbreak we decided to go back downstairs. well at the bottom of the stairs, they said we wouldnt be able to go back upstairs and our only choice was to go throught this door that was packed on the other side like sardines, or go outside and not be let back in. i could barely breath as it was so there was no way i was going to try to go stand with all the people smushed together, so we ended up just leaving. when we got outside there was a kid standing there having an asthma attack. i was lucky enough to see the dog last year in san fran for earth day, but havnt got to see them since, and was really looking forward to this show. the lawn at white river state park in indianapolis would be a great place for the next show in this area.

Great show, loved China Cat / I know you rider. Band seemed to be having some personal issues going on between them???
I agree though, way to many people, it was hot as hell and way to much smoke.
Love you Jay, your the best!!
Keep Rockn' Bobby

Very good show. I think the venue was fine, the staff there handled things well. Maybe they oversold but you can't argue with how good it sounded in that room. I have played this venue too, it doesn't even have a back stage for the band. I think Bob playing a gig like this is great, very good connection with the audience. Its all about the music baby.

First of all, hats off the the band for an awesome performance last night. I liked the funky verse or two of Desolation Row and the entire first set was tight, as well as the tunes they did after stuff. Mark is playing well and Jay is an animal on the drums. This band has found there groove and they really play their solos well with lots of energy.

Now, to more pressing issues. I wonder if the band actually reads these reviews when they are traveling on the bus or have some downtime between gigs. Last night was a serious health hazard. I saw plenty of people have asthma attacks. The security at the venue was uncool and not willing to help anyone out. Everyone in their needed some fresh air, as the place was way too crowded. There were lots of meat heads not allowing anyone violate "their space" during the show, when after all it was a General Admission show. The bottom line is this band has outgrown the 1500 capacity General Admission shows. They need to be playing in theaters/arenas/outdoor venues that are 5000-8000 capacity, or they need to roll the dice and try to book a few arena gigs. For everyone that was there last night, including the band, we are all lucky that nothing serious went wrong and someone died due to either being trampled, an asthma attack, etc. It was unsafe in that theater last night. THIS BAND IS TOO GOOD AND POPULAR TO BE PLAYING A SMALL GIG LIKE THAT! Congrats to this band for their growth. I hope to see them at bigger venues upcoming.

I too have bad asthma and left about 2/3 of the way through. I can live with a little smoke whether it be cigs or bud, but chain smoking in a building with no ventilation is irresponsible, not to mention rude.
Despite the fact that I have asthma, and despise cigarette smoke, I don't mind some accomodation being made for smokers.
I challenge all of you to email the Madison and tell them how you feel about unsafe, oversold, smoke-filled venues.

The Madison is the smallest venue on this tour. Doesn't make sense to me. Bobby, play Riverbend with another band and you will draw 8,000.

As for the performance, parts were brilliant but other parts were very sloppy.

Please email the Madison!

HoLa RatDog Staff,

We have a NO SMOKING BAN in LOUISVILLE kENTUCKY.

Check out the BROWN THEATER OR THE LOUISVILLE PALACE next time around.

The venue also had BAD SOUND along with a smokey, oversold, unsafe vibe!!

Louisville is calling, stop by for some bourbon balls!!

Cheers!

Blue Mule, Louisville

What a bunch of bitches. I had a great time up front. The band sounded very tight, fresh, and seemed to be enjoying themselves. I used to watch Bobby in front of 65,000. To have the opportunity to see him at this age in a small venue is a treat. If you can't handle some smoke at a show, then don't come. I've been going to these shows for many years and it wasn't any more crowded than any other festival seating venue. Dennis McNally, the old Dead Publicist took in the show sitting stage left next to Chimenti. Very cool to watch him enjoying himself. The man knows everything about the Dead. You youngsters out there need to buck up or stay home and listen to the bootleg while sipping your wine and eating your cheese.

Absolutely wonderful music just what I was hoping for. It's to bad I could'nt enjoy it more with all the rude people stepping all over you especially up front I've been to probably a hundred shows or more and never been so dissapointed in the crowd. Maybe because we were packed in like sardines people forgot how to treat one another or maybe it's just the younger generation. It was very dangerous I caught one guy just before he hit the floor probably was overheated about 30 min later during the 2nd set my sister caught another guy who we had to help rehydrate with the H2o I had to fight my way to the bar to get. I would love to hear a show like this at a outdoor venue where you could enjoy it a little more. I surely will not be back to the Madison Theater for any show.

I think that the show was great. I liked the small venue...It really was oversold, but the smallness really lent to the intimate, close feeling with the band and the music. Everyone in the band was great...Ramble really got the audience singing, China Cat/Ryder was a great way to end it...WangDangDoodle was the highlight for me. I think everyone who is bitching about the smoke needs to remember that they were not at church...they were at a hippie rock concert. DUH!

Jerry, Jen,glad you glad a great time up front. I spent the whole first set in the pit.
Us bitches don't like being treated like cattle or sucking down outrageous levels of your second hand smoke. I think if you ask most of the non-smokers they'd have no problem with reasonable levels of smoke. All we are asking for is balance.
I would assume you two are smokers, which is your right, but don't even try to say the level of smoke in that place was acceptable. All we are aksing for is a smoke removal system, duh.
As an asthmatic, something I don't have a choice in, I was told by staff that if I went out to get some air I would not be let back in. Very hippie, duh.
If you don't mind being treated like cattle it will continue to happen. Next time, I will drive to a better venue rather than be treated like that by a staff that clearly was incapable of dealing with this event. I too love small venues, but I would rather see shows ina medium size venue that is not full than a small one oversold.

It was a little crowded guys, but we're dead heads not pussies. Great show ramble on rose, i know you rider my faves. We need more Ratdog in the bluegrass.

A little crowded? We are Deadheads, not pussies?
You must be clueless. I can deal with a little overcrowding, but the whole point is the venue didn't give one damn that the building was oversold.

Did you know the fire marshal has on at least two other occasions stopped shows there for overcrowding and or smoke alarms going off because of the smoke?
If you want to get treated like cattle and say it is cool because we are deadheads you go right ahead. Not me.

Some of you act like we are trying to ban smoking, but I don't see anyone saying that. All we are asking is for the venue to address the issues and for Ratdog to play a larger venue, as they have clearly moved way beyong 1500 seat houses.

Smokers are going to defend their turf, naturally, but nobody in their right mind would find that level of smoke acceptable.

The show jamed it was a cool show the music was absolutly wonderful. We were up in the balocony and the sound was great up there so were the people I met some really cool people,,Kelli and Cari. Ratdog jamed from the first song all the way to the last song Touch of Grey, they had Madison Theater rocking and rolling. Hey everyone stop bitching about the crowd and enjoy the show, how often to we all get to see what we all love the Dead experience. Thanks Bob for keeping that alive for all of us to enjoy. Cant wait until next time. Hey Ratdog there is a cool place in Louisville for shows called the Palace, we would love to see you there.

After going to shows for 3 decades now, one thing always remains the same, some Deadheads are the most critical and bitchiest people in the world!! I never could understand why some 'heads just have to complain about something. Whether it's the setlist, music or venue, some deadheads won't be happy unless they bitch about something. This could have been worse, ever been to Bogarts?! Anyone ever see Phish at US Bank Arena. Talk about being smokey!! Besides, this is Bob Weir and Ratdog. People who want to smoke will(cigs or weed). The fact that the Madison allows it, it is their issue, not the band nor the smokers and this is for reviews of the show, not how uncomfortable you were. And before you ask, I am a non-smoker and I know what Dead shows are like! We are Deadheads. The concerts will always have smoke. Stop bitching. Man-up or stop seeing the shows and only go see Dave Mathews instead.

Bob Weir & Ratdog, please don't listen to these A-holes!!! We want you back. We like the smaller intimate venues. Good luck with the tour. Again, GREAT SHOW GUYS!!!

i posted a review earlier but i did not state that i too am a smoker, and i still felt smothered. it wasnt just the smoke, it was the fact that there wasnt even enough room to sway back and forth, let alone dance. i didnt want to leave, i just wanted to go downstairs. but when i got to the bottom of the stairs they told me to go through a door that was not even able to be opened because people were jammed up on it. and they wouldnt let me go back upstairs either. ive been to many many shows, im not a "youngin" and i am a smoker. but i think they totally oversold the show.

i dont cre how smokie it is guys as long as its bob and the dog playin it dont matter. like said before cme back again and over crowd it again just come back. love peace

I don't give a damn how long you have ben going to shows or who you saw where. I have been going to shows that long as well. It doesn't mean your opinion , or mine, matters more.
I have seen tons of shows across the US and in England, Scotland and Ireland, and that was some of the most ridiculous treatment I've ever seen.
One more thing, Mr. knowitall, the Madison did not promote the show, it was a Nederlander show, so the final say was Nederlander's.

That's only the fifth time I have seen Ratdog, but I have seen Phil a couple times and in each case the punters smoked their bud and cigarettes. As long as there is proper ventilation nobody gives a damn.

Taft theatre would have been a much better place for this gig, and hopefully we can get Ratdog in the new, smaller Riverbend next summer.

Before you go calling people a holes, you better look in the mirror. I don't give a shite what you think of me but perhaps you would respect some of the other astma sufferers.

I thought the show was phenominal!!!!was over sold but who cares. I had a awesome time & can't wait to see them again! Peace-out!

im not tellin anyone not to smoke but at least have some consideration of others i know if i was doing something that pissed someone else off id relax. come on guys were a grateful community, act like it.

Phil will be In Columbus on June 12 with the Levon Helm Band.

Much love and thanx to the dog. had a great time and enjoyed the setlist. please come back to the area, we love you!!

Since everyone seems to be aliitle steamed about this show, I guess its my turn to VENT. This was my first Ratdog show since I was introduced to them not to long ago. I missed the entire first set because they decided to stop letting people up on the balcony, while I was in line. Wanting to meet up with my friends I tryied to wait it out before the fire marshall cut the line off completely. At this point I was ready to leave since I could barely make it back to the lobby where the bar is. On my way out the door I ran in to a friend that worked their, we talked for a min and then he snuck me up staires while they were still letting people in the front door. Once I made it up, I had front rail spot and enjoyed the hell out of that show. It was an interesting first show to say the least. I have been to some crowded show's before but that was way to much for me. They Over Sold big time. So my final thought is, the people make the show for me. Everyone was great from the Dead Heads I chatted with in the lobby to the dancing hippys up staires blazing nugg's. Cant wait to see them again, but hopefully at a better venue.

WoOW!!! What a show, i wet my pants when i realized they were opening with shakedown. MK was godlike, as was jay and the whole band really. I thought the venue was cozy, the smoke was too much for my friend tho. People need to stop fighting over setlists yo, they hand it to the person they want to have it!!! I guess people were just wild because the show was so damn amazing. Ratdog comes back to kentucky and ROCKS THE HOUSE!!!! COME TO LOUISVILLE NEXT TOUR PLEASE!!!!!

In town on business and got to catch this show. Wow, what a great freaking show! I was lucky to go straight upstairs then you could not go downstairs then back upstairs, Fire Marshall making those rules. This was one of the best Dog shows I have ever seen! The East coast show have the singers thats for sure! May be in NJ on business towards the end of the tour, hopefully get to catch one of the Beacon Theater shows in NY. Bobby....come back to Texas..House Of Blues in Dallas or the excellent Granada Theater in Dallas (almost exactly like the Madison!) where you guys played once before! Peace to all and see you soon...

Great show. Segue out of playin' the 2'nd time phenomenal. Bobby hit 2 chords to bring the boys back out of playin' the 2'nd time that was completely otherworldly...magic. Like a fine wine, the boys are getting better with age and the genius that is Weir provided the tentacular cohesion that is delicately cradled within the ebb and flow of chaos.

Bridget and I took our 12 year old daughter to this one as it was her spring break. I wish we had brought her to Mil WI. She is a bad ass little kid but the over served drunks were to much. If you can not walk at least try not to run over the 110 and 90 lbs. ladies. It was way over sold and after the lame Desolation Row and WDD she wanted to leave. To bad because BMR CCS > IKYR would have been nice for her to see. I was overwhelmed with it all to be honest. A real breakthrough for me during this three song sequence. It is good to be reminded of how fragile and fantastic life is and Ratdog can still do it. I think if I was on my own for this one I would have a different opinion. I will buy the download for the highlight but for me this was just a drunk sing along. Let the boys do the work or at least don't sing along at the top of your lungs to every word of every song.

Well man, the joint was oversold, which ain't nobodies fault who showed up, and nobodies fault that was in there either, and the sing-a-long songs are cool for me becuase it looks like bob digs it, plus it just shows how the dead influenced the fans and how deep the knowing is...the show was really rockin...I loved it! yeah, i do like having a little more room to stretch out, but I get that all summer at the outdoor venues...if you make nice witht he folks around you it ends up you make a little room for each other and everything is copasetic. Shakedown was spacy, the back to back Dylan was super cool, loved the baby blue and just listened to a Jorma Bobby version of maggies on the way in...solid rockin good fun Josephine was pretty sexy Ramble on was a great sing along, I thought the corwd and the band mutually were diggin each other, NSB just killed! and Playin got right spaced out into the break...the acousitc 3 way was great...I liked the desolation reggae and the wang dang is just fucking cool Miracle?, please!, that shit cooked, the muddy river is jerry in spirit and the china rider was so fucking sweet! Touch, We will Survive, MK! Welcome home...thanks! I loved every minute of it and want more! Rock solid dog yall!

I was not there but I looked up the theater's web site and man, does that place look tiny.

I agree with others here - Ratdog should not be playing venues that small. Glad no-one got crushed in there.

Looking forward to Baltimore after a hot Philly show. Hope it's not oversold!

BOBBY THANKS! I AM TELLING YOU THAT I LOVE YOU,I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU. I SAW ONLY THE SHOW AT THE MADISON THEATER. AFTER I LEFT THE SHOW I WANTED TO SEE THE REST OF THE TOUR. I WILL SAY IT AGAIN, I LOVE YOU. AND THANK YOU.NOW ,TO EVERYONE WHO HAS EVER BEEN ON A TOUR,WAS IT EVER EASY? BUT WHAT MADE YOU CONTINUE WAS WHAT? IT WAS THE MUSIC...I WILL TRADE ANY OF YOU A SEAT IN A SMOKEY OVER SOLD VENUE FOR THE COST OF OUR TICKET. PLEASE CONTACT ME @ tbocks@aol.com. YOU REALLY SHOULD BE ASHAMED. WOULD YOU BE COMPLAINING ON LINE THE NIGHT AFTER A SHOW AT LETS SAY THE WINTERLAND,FILMORE,OR AVALON BALLROOMS BECAUSE THEY WERE OVERSOLD OR SMOKEY? IF SO I WOULD LIKE YOUR TICKET TO THOSE SHOWS TOO.................

The show started out well with Shakedown, A good Baby Blue, New Speedway and Playin'. The second set was worthless until the post Stuff, which was great. Songs such as Josephine, Ramble On Rose, K.C. Moan, Desolation Row, even Wang Dang were Boring!! They should drop those from the rotation. Three Dylan songs in one night is two too many. During the Playin' I wished that they would play Morning Dew. Now that would be cool!!

THIS SHOW HAD SOME OF THE BEST SOUND I'VE HEARD AT A SHOW IN A LONG TIME!!!!!!!!THE GUYS WERE ON FIRE RIGTH OUT THE GATE.THE CROWD NOT AS FRIENDLY AS I REMEMBER OTHER SHOWS,OTHR THAN IT BEING 110 DEGREES INSIDE WITH NO AIRFLOW IT WAS A GREAT TRIP!!!!!!!