A Little More Lesh

It is a tradition here at GOTV to feature 2nd generation Dead bands. The Mickey Hart Band as well as Ratdog were featured last year. This year it was Phil Lesh and Friends. Lesh and Friends started their set with "Here Comes Sunshine". A typical trait of the Dead is musical wanderings that eventually and skillfully lead from one sound world into a another. Towards the end of the "Here Comes Sunshine" Phil takes a solo that segues the song into "Good Love".

"Cumberland Blues" features blustery guitar playing of Larry Campbell. Its two step groove is morphed harmonically but remains recognizable within the variations it becomes subject to. The jam lasts about 15 minutes or so before the return of the droning bass line of the original song. "Dire Wolf", short in length stays in the same 'country dead' mode. "Loser" with its solitary lyrics builds slow and is well represented within the nuances of Greene's voice. "Cold Rain and Snow" closed the first set.

After a lengthy set break Phil Lesh and Friends return with "Scarlet Begonias". An unexpected, "All Along the Watchtower". "He's Gone" with its medium tempoed groove and three part harmony is a Dead song where the vocal harmony comes as close to perfection as any Dead song can. "He's Gone" leads into "Going Down the Road Feelin' Bad", which builds up tremendously as each refrain is visited, especially with the help of Theresa Williams on backing vocals. "Wharf Rat" has become a favorite of mine - glad they included it.

Keeping alive the spirit of the Dead under the wing of Phil Lesh is a talented group of musicians on the edge of experimentation. Watching glow sticks sail through the air in random shapes over the crowd adds to the spirit of GOTV. The vibes tribe is appreciative of the special moments that Phil Lesh and Friends help to bring about. As the night grows late the energy of the crowd grows stronger. And as the magic of the setlist's spacey jam becomes recognizable familiar hits like, "I Know Your Rider" and "Box of Rain" appear, demonstrating the vastness and appeal of the Dead's repertoire.