Listening since 1969...lots of shows.
I was so happy to be in the sound vortex (middle, 30 feet in front of mixing). Shakedown was sloweddown...a bit labor intensive. I wish Salt Lake City would go away...too cute. Last Time was nice garage-level. Althea, again toooo slow. It is already a tic toc tune, but if it drops back too far, it feels like it might run out of gas...I love that tune, though. Maggies Farm was one-dimensional, since I have seen that tune spanked by the Dead, with Hornsby on accordian, and everyone exchanging verses...I think this band should exchange verses, and play it up at the normal folk-hop speed. Money for Gasoline was OK. Throwing Stones was wonderful...there is a Jerry phrase in the bounding portion, that Kimock wasn't getting to. Speaking of Kimock...nice player, but I think he would serve the music experience a little more by changing up his tone...that bark tone works in some sequences...but shouldn't be relied on for all. It starts to naw...a bit.
Me and Bobbie McGee was a nice play. Looks like Rain is still one of my favorites but, again, there is a really nice guitar refrain missing, that really provides some heart in the last quarter of the tune.
Hey, by the way, when Sylvester AND Wasserman are simultaneously playing bass riffs, there is some mud getting in the way. As you know, deadheads have components that really are at the heart of the structure of the music, and three basic requirements should be clean leads, the ability to hear the sheer-strokes on Bobbies rhythm guitar AND clean pops out of the bass side...it just isn't there when two guys are playing on instruments with so much bottom in them. I count myself as a deep listener, and I could not, for the life of me, pull Wasserman's bow stroke notes out...
The rest of the show LLRain, Estimated, China/Rider, Black Peter and Sugar were all very nice and each had nice high spots in them.
Lost one of my dear friends, last week, so that whole section hit my "they are playing my life" zone...which I love. Casey Jones was a cop-out...Mighty Quinn would have been the tits. The band did an overall great job...Bobbie still impresses with his commitment, and I am hoping that 2015 will hold some real 50th-year treats in it. See you all down the golden road...Love, Cliff
Cliff Butter, Salt Lake City
