What Am I Listening to Now?
Thursday, March 13th, 2008I am slowing down on how much I listen to recently. I think this stems from putting too many shows on at once that I feel overwhelmed. I need to keep it to three or four shows so I can cycle through the podcasts I like to listen to as well.
Coming off are:
Derek Trucks Band
08-02-23: Seafood & Blues Festival, Coachman Park, Clearwater, FL
I love listening to music that is this new. Derek Trucks is a favorite of mine. The energy seemed a little low on this show at the start. One can hear folks talking throughout. Grr . . . Get Out of My Life, Woman was not hot as it should be. Things began heating up with Soul Serenade. How could it not? Gonna Move continued the energy. Stand Back cranked the band into high gear. Awesome!
Grateful Dead
83-09-11: Downs of Santa Fe, Santa Fe, NM
What a nice show. This was Mickey’s 40th birthday. I really like the set list. There is an early West L.A. on this. The second set is really the highlight of this show. It smokes from beginning to end. My only complaint is that Bobby does not sing Wang Dang Doodle well. I love this song, but he pales in comparison to Koko Taylor. The Help > Slip > Frank is awesome as is Let It Grow.
85-10-28: Fox Theatre, Atlanta, GA
I love ‘85 shows. The set lists were varied and a lot of blues was played. That was a blessing and a curse on this night. This was the first time Kansas City was played. Blech! A good song that Bobby misses completely. He rebounds later with a nice Smokestack Lightning. I always liked My Brother Esau, although there is nothing stellar about this version. The first set ended nicely, however, with Ramble On Rose, Cassidy, Row Jimmy, Promised Land, all played well.
The second set moves well. While Touch of Grey ended up being overplayed, it was expertly done on this night and almost compensates for the lack of Fire. This was a nice Man Smart, Woman Smarter. The Terrapin Station was nice, although not as powerful as some. I would take the following out of Drums > Space any day: Truckin’> Smokestack> Stella Blue> Around> Good Lovin’. Good stuff all around. It’s nice to even hear Day Job on occasion. 
87-04-03: The Centrum, Worcester, MA
I was to attend this show. I saw the night before. But Worcester police didn’t like me sleeping in my car in a private lot. 
I was rudely awaken about 3:00 a.m. and told to get out of town. Grrr . . .
I used to have this show on tape. This is a hot show! A very hot show! Hell in a Bucket > Sugaree to open is a good way to get me dancing. Big RR Blues brought a smile to my face. Good stuff. Let It Grow > Don’t Ease Me In provides two set closers in one set (’87 was very predictable).
A smoking China > Rider kicks off the second set. Wow! The bridge is stellar. Another Man Smart, Woman Smarter begins a run with Crazy Fingers and Samson and Delilah. Man Smart was very well played. This was prior to Bobby going haywire with this song. Crazy Fingers is one of those songs I love and rarely heard the boys play. I downloaded this show because someone commented how Samson was sequed into and that didn’t happen much. Indeed. Out of Drums > Space we get a powerful Other One into Stella Blue (ah!) into a clear deep Throwing Stones > Not Fade Away. U.S. Blues caps off this hot night.
The Centrum run was a good one. Fire this one up folks.
Ratdog
07-11-16: House of Blues, Orlando, FL
Ratdog has always left me wanting. I am a Jerry fan and Ratdog seemed lacking. I saw them once and have heard a smattering of shows. Eh . . . Looking for something a little different last time out, I decided to load up a couple Ratdog shows from consecutive nights last November. This show definitely impressed me.
So much for the random set lists. There is no way to begin the show with Help > Slip and then a couple hours later end with Franklin’s and not have it staged. Things got moving with Even So. Good stuff there. Bobby plays a lot of Jerry’s songs. I have mixed feelings about that. Good songs are good songs, but what does it say that eight songs this night were Jerry’s? I didn’t think about that too long . . . Easy to Slip came on and I was pleasantly taken back to my college days. I always liked that song. And then the band hit a very groovy patch that basically remained for the balance of the night. I loved the toned down, hip Railroad Blues. The funk that was there was perfect.
The second set began with Been All Around This World. It was fair, then it was back to that funky rhythm. Me & My Uncle was totally re-worked. Awesome! The Weight too was funky with the audience joining in. Then came Althea. I was not particularly looking forward to Bobby handling this song. But my goodness it was good. Then a hot jam ensued. Ratdog was definitely in the groove here. The set ended with Ashes and Glass >
Stuff > Days Between > Two Djinn. This extended jam just continued the good vibes.
The encore reprised Two Djinn and then sequed back into Slip> Frank. I would have liked to have seen this show live. This is by far the best Ratdog show I have heard.
07-11-17: Mizner Amphitheatre, Boca Raton, FL
This was another nice Ratdog show, but not as hot as the night before. Rooster was very nice. The nearly 23 minute Eyes was the highlight of the night. Awesome! There was that funky feeling again in Goin’ Down the Road. The rest of the show was fine. Yes, there was Dark Star and some other stuff. This all leads me to think that Ratdog has matured into a good band. I’ll have to check out more of their recent stuff.