Q&A: Bob Weir on the Grateful Dead

JOHN ROGERS

Associated Press

LOS ANGELES - It's been more than 40 years since a fateful New Year's Eve encounter connected Bob Weir with Jerry Garcia and started a rock band, the Grateful Dead, that would become the eternal poster child for 1960s psychedelic music.

Now, nine years after Garcia died of a heart attack, the Grateful Dead remains about as busy as ever - on numerous fronts.

Band members, who now call themselves The Dead, are digitizing the group's entire library of some 2,500 concert recordings and plan to eventually make them all available online. They also continue to record and tour, with Weir on the road this spring with his spin-off group, RatDog, and then this summer with The Dead.

The band's core fan base also remains avid_ so much so that Weir, in Los Angeles to promote the release of a double-CD retrospective called "Weir Here," must resort to wearing disguises in public or holing up in hotel rooms under false names. One of his pseudonyms phonetically results in an obscenity.

Addressed by it when he opens the door to his hotel room, Weir laughs and suggests he prefers to be called Bobby.

Then, the 56-year-old musician sits down to reflect on four decades of music, as well as at the road that lies ahead.

AP: What do you think has given the Grateful Dead's music such an enduring quality with so many people?

Weir: We keep ourselves into it by approaching every tune every night as a whole new deal and trying to find new ways to interpret older material and trying to find new places to go. And I think that's what keeps it enduring for the audience. We're the kind of people who require a little adventure in our lives, and so the music we make is going to reflect that. And I think the people who come to hear us and keep coming back are also the kind of people who require that.

AP: You must have fans at this point who never saw the original Grateful Dead.

Weir: At this point there are tried and true RatDog fans, a number of whom have seen upwards of a hundred shows and have never seen the Dead. It's safe to say that they probably would have been Dead fans back in the day. ... I was talking to a girl who is a fan the other day and this kind of blew me away. She was telling me that her parents were big fans and that she remembered hearing me sing and hearing us play from in the womb and that she was singing those songs before she learned to talk. I think I believe her (laughing). But still, that's something to think about.

AP: You called yourselves The Other Ones for a time after Jerry's death and now The Dead. Has Grateful Dead been retired as a touring name?

Weir: Yeah. I mean at this point I think there may be more of us dead than alive. So let's have a little truth in advertising.

AP: You also have your own children now who are very young (daughters 2 and 6). Has fatherhood changed you?

Weir. Oh hell yeah (laughing). We don't have broadband at this hotel, but most of the hotels on this tour it seems, just this year, are starting to offer broadband. I've got this Apple iChat audiovisual that I use to have breakfast with my kids and stuff like that. The other day I spent most of an hour breaking up fights over the Internet. "Put that down. Don't grab, don't grab. Be nice to your sister." All that kind of stuff. And then my girls will draw something real quick and show me. It's a lot of fun.

AP: Are there any younger music groups you pay particular attention to?

Weir: I don't pay attention to any current popular music. If I have time to listen to music, I want to go as far from where I live as I can. I want it to be a real vacation. ... what grabs me is modern classical and mainstream jazz. And I've been trying to crack the code of Indian classical music.

AP: Any thoughts on still going out on the road with The Dead after all these years and all the changes you've been through?

Weir: You know, I'll offer this: That I don't miss Jerry (Garcia) because he's very much alive for me. I can feel him every moment when I'm on stage, to the point where I can very nearly hear him. It's pretty real for me. This may be what they call abnormal psychology, but it's pretty real for me. It's pretty much the same as it's ever been. I can tell when we're headed for something he's either pleased with or not pleased with, and I can go ahead and be headstrong like I always was, always have been, and things will work out or they won't. Just like they always did. What I miss about him is the yucks we had backstage (long pause). But I've got plenty of yucks with the guys I travel with these days, so it's not that big a deal.

AP: So, is it safe to say retirement is not on your horizon?

Weir: What great musician ever retired? I don't put myself in that category, but that's what I aspire to.

I just found this- It's from Norman Sands' Homepages- A Manchester Review!

Manchester

We use to play for silver, now we play for life…………..

The Life Café in Manchester is a beautiful cozy bar. Holding around 600 people and the stage is maybe a foot off the floor, A person in the front row is about a foot from the band. Above the stage is an angled mirror that even with barely any lighting a person in the front row could see someone taping in back and vice versa. Ratdog opens the show with a Jam Into a funky Loose Lucy led by Mark Karan and Kenny Brooks. After which the band take us Truckin, Which bobby sings with great enthusiasm. Then the dog takes us softly into its all over now Baby Blue which Bobby soulfully sings as the crowd sings along. Jeff Chementi fills in with a perfect solo. The band hops right into Brown Eyed Women which Mark takes off with and plays a lovely jam with feeling that spins the band forward, With Robyn Sylvester laying down a nice bass line. Jay Lane and Kenny bop us through its all over Now. Robin thumps us through She Says with Kenny and Mark and Jeff nailing their solos. Kenny and Mark take us into a splendid West L.A. Fade away. Bobby sings a perfect Scarlet Begonias it's like they have had no time off with Jay taking the song to the next level on the drums. Right into a nice Aiko Aiko closer that Kenny Brooks blows on and Jeff Chementi pounds out. Ratdog it seems is saying bye with the set list so far.

Bobby opens the second set with some nice cords on Candyman, on his Acoustic guitar and his voice. Bury Me Standing is the next song with bob still on acoustic. Kenny lays down a sweet solo and accents the song nicely. The song started off slow but by the end the whole band provided a lot of depth and layers on a song lasting 10minutes plus. At which time Bob tells us another acoustic story Black Throated Wind like only he can. Jay and Mark jam us through Good Morning Little Schoolgirl, From Schoolgirl into Ratdog's own Ashes in glass. After Ashes the band does a groovy improvisational Jam without Bobby. Jeff starts a Terrific Wharf Rat with an inspirational solo as Bob strikes the first cords. Jay and Bob together bring the song up and down. The highs of explosiveness and the lows of where you care about the man in the story and it touches you somewhere inside. Mark starts to play the intro too Saint Steven. The crowd starts to twirl and dance with excitement.. Which take us into the fabled William Tell Bridge. Mark takes us all over then right into a magnificent Eleven. Seems like since the second night they have been gaining momentum each night each song. At one point towards the end of the Eleven everyone is improvizationalizing at the same time all in different directions but still within the structure of the song and it rocked. From that point into Not Fade Away which just keeps the wheel rolling and you can't slow it down. Get out of the lane the love train is running. The band leaves the stage everyone's catching their breath writing the set list down. The band is back about four minutes and twenty seconds later with a scrumptious encore Brokedown Palace. Which ends a wonderful night, Jay Lane introduces the crew which is a sad moment because that's the end of the 5 show 6 day mini U.K. tour. From the looks on the faces of the people leaving the Life Café it looks like the band showed them the time of their lives and lit them up like they were Mars on the closest pass to Earth in 50,000 years.

Norman Sands

Found on Ratdog.org=

Ratdog: Ratdog Develops New Tricks
Posted on Tuesday, April 20 @ 14:27:49 CDT
Topic: Show & Media Reviews



By Randall Mikkelsen

The Grateful Dead remains in flux nearly nine years after Jerry Garcia's death—as shown this year when the band, renamed The Dead, brought in Warren Haynes on guitar and dropped singer Joan Osborne and keyboardist Rob Baracco.

But the side projects of Bob Weir and Phil Lesh have jelled, taking on distinct musical identities and developing their own followings, which overlap but are not identical.

Phil Lesh and Friends thrives in the stately urban theaters, playing a hot wind of deep psychedelia. And Weir's Ratdog, which showed its chops in two packed shows at Washington's 9:30 Club March 30-31, has developed into a finely-tuned rhythm machine with a jazzy sheen that makes the nightclubs hop.

Ratdog scored in D.C. with Dead standards and familiar covers they have made their own, as well as Ratdog tunes from the band's Evening Moods album released in 2000.

The addition of bassist Robin Sylvester a year ago has been a significant factor. Sylvester occupies a less melodic and deeper musical space than founding bassist Rob Wasserman, whose brilliant playing on acoustic and electric uprights was right out front. The change solidifies the band's foundation, giving more muscle to Weir's rhythm playing while also allowing Weir, lead guitarist Mark Karan and sax man Kenny Brooks to take flights of improvisational fancy.

Karan has always played lead from the sidelines for Ratdog, but musically he was stronger and more confident than ever, ripping away clean leads while never dominating on the jams.

This was all apparent early in the second-night's first set, which began with an opening jam of the psychedelic gem “Dark Star.” The second tune, “Jack Straw” built from a long intricate interplay between Karan and Brooks, through a reggae passage, and into an exuberant rhythm monster with driving power chords.

Derek Trucks, who opened the show, joined on guitar for the next three tunes. He played his wickedly precise rhythms and searing leads on Bob Dylan's “All Along the Watchtower”, another segment of “Dark Star,” and Ratdog's rock-stomper “Odessa.”

What's notable about the Ratdog songs now is that the fans welcome them as enthusiastically as many of the Dead classics. On the first night of the D.C. stand, the ballad “Lucky Enough” highlighted the first set as a showcase of Ratdog's sheen. The “Two Djinn” closer on the second night's first set was another favorite, with its mystical, harmonic chorus.

The second sets differed widely between the two days. The first night's crowd got a reggae-flavored “Uncle John's Band” -- a nod to the opening act of Toots and the Maytalls. Then the band launched into a big run of psychedelic classics, beginning with the “The Other One” and going through a “Space” jam and  “Wharf Rat.” The rush climaxed with “At a Siding,” the whirlwind portion of the “Terrapin Station” opus.

On the second night, the second set was heavy with material from later in the Grateful Dead era, such as “Corrina,” and some of Ratdog's stronger tunes including the Delta-blusey “Bury Me Standing.”

Weir has been getting more political since Garcia died, and the capital crowd got a subtle earful to close out the set, with Ratdog's post-apocalyptic lullaby, “Ashes and Glass;” the Grateful Dead's wistful look at a battered Earth,  “Standing on the Moon,” and the defiant “Throwing Stones.” There was also a voter registration booth in the back staffed by volunteers from HeadCount, a new group aimed at signing up jam-band fans.

In a March interview with “The Grateful Dead Hour,” Weir said, “I think if people value democracy, they had damn well better get out and exercise their right to vote while their vote still means something. Because it's pretty clear to me that otherwise, corporations are gonna take over our government and that's gonna be that.”

Ratdog last fall sold soundboard CDs of its shows by mail order. For the latest tour, fans could pick up nicely-mixed recordings within half an hour of the last note. Quite a few thought it was worth the wait, with several dozen fans, including at least one apparent taper, standing in line at the pick-up desk as the bartenders cleaned up after the show. 

Lots of action coming up---We have tickets for Seva (Bobby with the Waybacks @ Great American Music Hall) also I have spoken with Tamara at the Seva office and am sending them something for the silent dinner auction. We are also onboard for the Spencer Dryden benefit happening at Slim's on the 22nd..Lzyltng(deadnetter)has an extra set of great tickets for Shoreline Dead show (June).. he offered them to us when he heard we had been shut out of Dead ticketing(this was before mail order announced a second mailing date)..Lzy lives in Colorado, Reisha had already offered him a place to stay and transportation to/fro the airport..but if it works out to be easier, they can sleep here after the show...We only live about 25 minutes away from the amphitheater...

I liked Katrinka's most recent post so much, I'm posting this one too!
Katrinka is one of the original flower children, so perhaps Mountain Girl did remember her!


here:

katrinka - 07:07pm Apr 22, 2004 PDT (#1108 of 1109)
Ah, but I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now.

I wish I could think of something to say to Donna next time I have a chance to meet her. I did okay with Bob (thanks to my mom serving as an icebreaker) but usually I'm totally tongue-tied and just smile and hang back on the fringes.

Thinking about that hug (and matty getting a hug, too) I realized that the circumstances meeting Bob Weir were exactly like meeting a lot of my DNC friends for the first time (thanks to the vibe at the Fillmore that night, too, sort of a "we are family" thing.)

And probably many of you will recognize this scenario:

You've "known" this person for years, corresponded, e-mailed, joked around, traded CDs, but you've never met. Finally the opportunity comes: a DNC Gathering, a show where mutual friends introduce you, or you're wearing your DNC t-shirt of laminate and someone comes up and starts talking to you and you discover you "know" each other from cyberspace. You exchange names and smiles, and you both put your hands out to shake - - - and simultaneously you both realize that only a HUG will do!

In the case of meeting Bob Weir, of course, I've never e-mailed or traded CDs, and I've never fantasized that I "know" him in any way. But sheesh, I've been "communicating" with this guy for 35 years now, through his music. The whole handshake / hug thing was as spontaneous as I've ever had it be with someone from DNC, with the only difference being that I requested permission (sorta) first. Can't remember if I said "can I get a hug?" or "how about a hug?" when he got that "oops, I blew it" look on his face, but I didn't want to violate his personal space, so I asked first. ;-)

I never ever thought that I would be in a situation where I would be able to meet Bob and just converse with him like that.

Mountain Girl gave me a hug Tuesday night, too, but I didn't know what to say because I've never actually been introduced to her and every time I see her she reacts like she "must" know my name but can't remember it. Tuesday night we exchanged smiles several times, and when we encountered each other in the lobby she hugged me with a big "Hi, I haven't seen you in such a long time!" and I could only babble, "it's nice to see you, too!" while returning her hug. Lame, but I keep thinking she's confusing me with someone else and I'm afraid she won't be so friendly when she finds out who I really am. But I think I finally figured out what I'm going to say next time I see her (because I know I will.)

WOOHOO!
Coulda-shoulda-woulda
but didnt make it our last night to the Jerry cd release party----but Katrinka from deadnet went and here is how it went! She got her Bobby moments in!

Trnks=

When we drove past the front door (I was looking for a parking space) I saw Bob Weir on the sidewalk talking to some people and pointed him out to my mom. At first she didn't recognize him because she hadn't ever seen him with a beard.

We parked and as we walked to the Fillmore we joked about missing our opportunity to meet Bobby. So imagine our amazement when we got to the top of the stairs, and there he was, almost alone.

I said "there's Bob, mom, do you want to go talk to him?" because she had met him and talked to him about 10 years ago. (heh heh) and she said yes, so we walk over and Bob's talking to someone and we wait about a minute and they both turn and look at us, so I seized the moment and said "Bobby, this is my mom, Dottie, you've met her before" and he reaches out his hand to shake hers and says hi, and then turns to me again and I say "I'm Katrinka, you haven't met me before" and he sorta smiles and shakes my hand, and I fade back to let my mom talk to Bobby. And next thing I know she's pointing to me saying "and this is my oldest."

So Bobby, ever so congenial, reached out his hand to shake mine and suddenly realizes he just did that. He had this really comical look on his face, like when he flubs a line, and then I said "how about a hug" and he just leaned into it and gave me a big hug!!! Woo Hoo!

But that wasn't the end of it. My mom must've talked to him for about 5 minutes, and he kept including me in the conversation. What a sweet man. He was really relaxed and taking time to communicate. I never espected that to happen in a million years.

Afterwards, when I went onto the Fillmore dance floor and immediately saw Gwen, Reisha and Matty, I was a total basket case. "I hugged Bobbie, I hugged Bobbie, I hugged Bobbie!" I was jumping up and down in excitement. I'm sure glad I didn't lose it like that in front of Bobby. :-)

The Fillmore was all decked out for the Jerry Garcia Box Set CD release party. They brought in sofas and rugs and bean bags and coffee tables (2 long stem red roses on each table) with candles in large glass vases, and ferns and plants on the stage.

David Gans, Blair Jackson and Tom Fly were up there talking about putting the box set together and playing selections over the Fillmore speakers. Then after the scripted part, they just turned the speakers up and played more Jerry. There was a big screen behind the stage with a constant picture show of Jerry photos, and a smaller screen duplicating the same pictures on the side wall (opposite the bar.)

There was free pizza and wine, and goodie bags, too.

Kemmie and Binkie were there, too. And Donna Godchaux McKay, and Mountain Girl, Wavy Gravy, and many more - my mind is mush.

Especially since my mom was "up for it" and we went over to the Avalon Ballroom afterwards to see Phil play with the Avalon Allstars - in this case, Mark Karan, John Molo, and Melvin Seals.

Phil joined them in the middle of their set and the songs they did together were Good Morning Little Schoolgirl, Easy Wind, and Sugaree.

Mom had never been to the Avalon before, but she really liked it. She especially liked the way so many people were dancing. We had a wonderful time, but we left shortly after Phil did. Bobby Vega, Alan Hertz, and Ray White had joined Mark, Molo and Melvin, and they were still playing when we left. Another musician was just joining them, but I can't recall his name.

In fact, I'm a mess. I didn't get enough sleep last night, and I have to get up at 5:30 tomorrow, so I'm signing off for now.

But I wanted to write about the night while it's fresh in my mind since I won't be able to get back online until afternoon.

She is Vera/Queen of Diamonds and she rocks!!! Thanks, Vera for the heads up:

This is from the Flying Other Bro's website:

Benefit for Spencer Dryden
Date: May 22, 2004
Time: TBD
Description: Description: Spencer, who was the drummer for Jefferson
Airplane, New Riders of the Purple Sage, and the Dinosaurs, has fallen on
hard times; he recently lost virtually all his possessions in a house fire
and is also facing pressing medical problems. The FOBs will join with David
Nelson and Friends, including Peter Rowan, Bob Weir and many others
(details to come!) in a memorable evening of music to help cover some of
Spencer's mounting costs. A lot of very cool artwork and one-of-a-kind
memoribilia will be auctioned off, as well. This one should be huge!
Tickets will be $40, and are available: • In person at the Slim's box
office. Monday Through Friday, 10:30 am 'till 6 pm. • By FAX-- email us at
sales@slims-sf.com or call us at 415/255-0333 w/ your FAX number. • Limited
Online tickets available through Slim's Online • Online tickets available
through Virtuous • All Tickets.com outlets including Rasputin Music &
Giants Dugouts. (see www.tickets.com/b2b/outlets.html).
Location: Slim's, 333 11th St., San Francisco, CA

(((Topher))) rocks! He just sent me the MSN interview with Bobby:

DishDiva says: Welcome to MSN Live! This afternoon we are pleased to welcome Bob Weir to MSN Live!
DishDiva says: Pick up Bob Weir's new CD "Weir Here: The Best of Bob Weir."
DishDiva says: Bob, welcome to MSN Live!
DishDiva says: Now is a great time to enter your questions!
DishDiva says: If you have entered your question in the last 15 minutes please re-enter them! Thanks!
Bob_Weir_Live says: Hi, everybody.
DishDiva says: Bob, welcome to MSN Live! It's great to have you here!
DishDiva says: Bob, what is the difference between The Grateful Dead and The Dead?
Bob_Weir_Live says: Personnel basically. The Grateful Dead had a numnber of guys who aren't around anymore. The songs are for the time being the same, the modus operandi is the same, we'll probably be writing a bunch more songs and the repertoir will be different. There are
Bob_Weir_Live says: some great new guys with us.
Buddy58771 in Onstage_1 asks: Bob, first let me say I can't take Weir Here out of the player. Do you realize that there is a growing number of folks who would rather have you play with Ratdog all year than w/the Dead. What do you think it is about Ratdog?
Bob_Weir_Live says: Ratdog has been together for, what is it?, a functioning outfit for 10 years now. We've changed a couple of guys but we've been working together that long and know each other very very well and know what exploration we want to do at the drop of a hat. The
Bob_Weir_Live says: Dead is not at that point yet, but when it does get to that point, it will get real good too.
scotter270 in Onstage_1 asks: Will you be video taping any shows this tour for future DVD release, specifally Red Rocks?
Bob_Weir_Live says: I think there's a plan to do that, yeah.
weiryone in Onstage_1 asks: Bob I know that you love the outdoors. I saw a video once of you sea kayaking in the SF Bay. What else to like to do in the great outdoors?
DishDiva says: You are an environmentalist, yes?
Bob_Weir_Live says: I love to be outdoors, I run, I bicycle, I hike, things you do in the outdoors. I don't do a lot of camping. I like to surf and skin dive as apposed to scuba diving, I'm scuba certified. I did more scuba diving when Jerry was around but I now prefer to
Bob_Weir_Live says: skin dive. I also play football, we have a league out here.
bshafran in Onstage_1 asks: Are there any old Grateful Dead or Garcia tunes that you plan to bring back, either with The Dead or RD?
Bob_Weir_Live says: A bunch of them. I won't even start naming names because they haven't agreed to me yet but it's all fair game and we'll be doing as much as we can get going and on stage.
ForeverGratefulDead65 in Onstage_1 asks: What is it like being on stage and seeing everyone?
Bob_Weir_Live says: That's my life's work. It means more to me than about anything else. I love playing songs, I love engaging people in the audience because what they do and what they are feeling really does have something to do with what's going on and it is a large part
Bob_Weir_Live says: of what we're doing. The band and the audience are both part of the same thing.
Thestricklandzoo1 in Onstage_1 asks: hi bob this is your friends vanessa ANd valerie . you brung us to your soundcheck and we wanted to know if you liked the candy we gave you .we get to come with my mom and dad to your concerts this sumer and i hope we get to see you again .you are nice
Bob_Weir_Live says: Thanks, I don't remember the candy, but I do remember you.
Sugaree11 in Onstage_1 asks: Will Ratdog return to Europe this year? How was that experience the past 2 years?
Bob_Weir_Live says: We don't know if we're going back to Europe this year. I would kind of like to but we don't make much money over there and we have to maximise our schedule with both bands to make a living. With that said, everyone wants to go to Europe so we want to try.
WoW770 in Onstage_1 asks: Do you think you will write an autobiography?
Bob_Weir_Live says: Yeah, I think what I'm going to do is find a hypnotist to bring me back to remember detail. I will write it myself. All things considered, I probably do have a tale to tell.
DishDiva says: Is there a period with the Grateful Dead that stands out the most for you?
Bob_Weir_Live says: No. There are three or four periods that sound out and all of them are way cool.
Bob_Weir_Live says: Or maybe four or five. The first period was the Jug Band, that was a thing of it's own. I can't say I as all that developed. I was 16 and my chops weren't developed and we had a lot of fun. The next period was a year or so later, when the Warlocks, what
Bob_Weir_Live says: had become of the Jug Band had started to gel, in 1965. We were playing the acid tests and I can only say we had an amazing time. We discovered things about ourself, music, and sense of being. It was one hell of an adventure. Then around the time of the
Bob_Weir_Live says: issue of Working Man's Dead in 1970-1972 the band was hot and we made a name for ourselves and I can kind of see why. Then the late 70's when we had disbanded for a year and gelled again. That was an era I remember fondly. I think my time was in the
Bob_Weir_Live says: late 80's early 90's. Jerry had a few brushes with The Reaper but came back very strong. The era ended when Brent checked out, we were always bringing in new guys. It was never quite as strong after that.
VTchron in Onstage_1 asks: What was the reason for adding Warren Haynes to the Dead?
Bob_Weir_Live says: We were just sort of fishing at this point. We all love Warren and what he does. His vocal range covers pretty much the same as Joan Osborne, high tenor. We were going for an all vocal band. We're going to see. This is something Phil, more or less, pushed
Bob_Weir_Live says: because he really enjoys playing with Warren and what I've played with Warren I've enjoyed as well. We'll see how it works, I think it will work well.
RockyMTFilly in Onstage_1 asks: I ride and run & am also a painter, I was wondering if you ever get creatively inspired when you're out recreating and such?
Bob_Weir_Live says: All the time. For a while I even took to carrying a dictaphone with me so if things occured to me I would make a note of it. Then I decided it was inpinging on my being out there so I stopped doing it. I'm an outdoorsy kind of guy and a jock as well.
Bob_Weir_Live says: When I'm doing working out and it's happy hour, I'm pretty productive at that point.
LizF8 in Onstage_1 asks: What songs inspire you to pick up and play the telecaster that you got from your birth father? Are there particular songs that you will use that guitar for?
Bob_Weir_Live says: I use it until I want to try another guitar. I don't have particular songs I like certain guitars. Unless it's acoustic. When I change guitars, I just want to do that, to have another voice for a little bit. It doesn't really matter when, just when I feel
Bob_Weir_Live says: like doing it.
Hexfest in Onstage_1 asks: Do you anticipate putting out a Weir ~ Here Vol II?
DOGFAN26 in Onstage_1 asks: IS THERE A NEW RATDOG ALBUM IN THE WORKS?
Bob_Weir_Live says: Yes to both.
HappyKauain in Onstage_1 asks: With so many great tunes to choose from how can you get to the short list for tour?
Bob_Weir_Live says: I have a system for that. Ratdog has a large repertoire, we're pushing 150 tunes. On my computer I bring up the last 5-7 gigs and those songs are automatically out. Then I bring out what songs I did last time I was in that town and those songs are out and
Bob_Weir_Live says: that helps me make the set list. What I'm going to be doing in the near future is putting a screen up in front of me, a teleprompter, we're developing a software that will color code that kind of stuff so I can do it on the fly. I'm looking forward to
Bob_Weir_Live says: doing it that way.
DishDiva says: How has touring changed for you personally in 30+ years?
Bob_Weir_Live says: Buses. (laughs) Buses are such a better way to travel. For years the Grateful Dead would travel by charter plane and if I could get all the money and time we wasted on that I would love that. On the bus you sleep from one town to the next, you don't get
Bob_Weir_Live says: to see the country, but you don't get that on a plane either. You have your dressing room and everything with you. Aside from that it's all the same deal. You come to the gig, do the soundcheck, I usually grab a quick bite and take a name, then do the gig
Bob_Weir_Live says: Then we'll go to the next gig and I'll maybe work out or work on some songs, and then start the cycle over again.
sibelius6th in Onstage_1 asks: How does Ratdog decide the mood and form or the jam that often opens a show? It doesn't always seem to be a variation of the song opener. I thought the one in Worcester was particularly dark for example.
DishDiva says: Your hosts today are MarkG, Trish, Fredia and MarkM. If you have any questions about MSN Live, these are the experts to ask.
Bob_Weir_Live says: It's kind of a 1-2-3 go kind of deal. We usually take the tempo that the opening song is going to be and we'll just count it off and whatever happens happens. Sometimes we will decide what key, but sometimes we don't.
AlohaCommander in Onstage_1 asks: Are you online while touring?
DishDiva says: What type of sites do you visit?
Bob_Weir_Live says: All the time. The two major criteria for me while selecting hotel is if they have high speed internet and what facilities it has.
Bob_Weir_Live says: I check my mail, I find checking the news online is faster than TV and you can also check different news outlets which is a better way of doing it rather than just sticking to one.
DishDiva says: What are your thoughts on digital downloading?
Bob_Weir_Live says: This has to do with, not so much me but the future, if you download something, if you download a tune and you're going to listen to it a bunch, you have to respect what you live. I really think you have to buy it, otherwise, for instance a young guy is
Bob_Weir_Live says: getting started in music and if he can't get paid for that he'll have to go back to school to become a lawyer, accountant, whatever. If he's not getting paid to do it, he's not going to have time to do it. That will create a dismal future for our musical
Bob_Weir_Live says: culture. Honor what you love. I have made a good living making music but it's a good thing that The Grateful Dead didn't have to scuffle over the file sharing at the time we needed every penny to get by. I'm not saying we would have given up, it would
Bob_Weir_Live says: have just made it a lot harder.
mechagod31 in Onstage_1 asks: Do you have a favorite song that has a special meaning to you?
Bob_Weir_Live says: No. My favorite song changes every night. There are songs that get hot and I look forward to doing them and them coming up in our rotation. Then they cool off and another one will come up.
DishDiva says: Is there a song you especially look forward to playing live?
Bob_Weir_Live says: All of it. I love to play. Really there is no one song. It changes from night to night, week to week, year to year, year in and year out.
DishDiva says: Bob, I know you are a busy man. Thanks for joining us today on MSN Live.
Bob_Weir_Live says: If every Deadhead in the state of Florida had voted in the last election, it would be a different world today. Register to vote.

Hey All!

Been getting back into the routine!
Found this link to a Bobby interview on the tooboard-

http://www.gdhour.com/weir.040302.html

Hoppy Easter Everyone!

Response to Bobby's cover story in Pinkie: Please excuse my typos....

Letters to the Editor (SF Chronicle) April 11, 2004

"Editor- I am James Parber's youngest brother (that we are aware of at this juncture-I'll take nothing for granted at this point). I would like to express my gratitude for the interest Joel Selvin has shown for my family's story.
      James was my hero. And at the risk of compromising my critical integrity, a truly gifted guitarist. He hadthe impeccable tasteand economy of Jamie (Robbie) Robertson. He was quickly approaching the technical capabilities of James Burton. And he had the soul of a Hendrix. Not "Voodoo Child" type Hendrix , but that rhythm/lead/rhythm/lead-fill stuff that Hendrix did on "Castles Made Of Sand" and "May this be love" for instance, where he sounds like two guys doing the rhythm guitar track.
      This is the stuff that Jim loved-the music he instilled in me.
       This is a very poignant for myself and our family, and every component of James' legacy that is now coming to light fills a void that I had slowly become unaware of as the years passed. Selvin's efforts have contributed positively to this process.
        And let me say that through it all we have gained a wonderful brother in Bobby (Weir). He is a remarkably kind and loving man, and is now a part of this family in a way that he, or we, could never have expected.
       I thank you for your gracious contribution.

Christopher Parber, San Francisco"

Are you a Hippy?
Take the test!

http://www.rockandrollbadboy.com/working/hippy.html

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SUNSHINE!!!!

more from FLJen:

Then I meet and hug Boots! Graceful
Dead and one other person. Help on the Way* > Slipknot!*
II: El Paso@3, Candyman@+ > Jam+ > Cold Rain and Snow was so easy, and I
was glad this was being recorded so I would remember the cold cold weather
of this run> Mississippi Half-Step > Samson and Delilah*+ oh yes yes yes
here we go again with great big, huge dancing, jubilant jumping, flying
through the air > The Other One*+ > Drums# > Space > all so wonderous high
energy, we're all feeding off one another's vibe. It feels so nice to be
understood, not be told I'm in a cult or crazy. Then I was dancing with my
eyes closed, hair swirling and I hear a gasp thinking someone must have done
a musical trick like when audience gasps during their feats. Mouths are open
and people talking. What just happened I ask Heather & Krystalle? They told
me Jay missed the change and Bob went to him flipped him off and kicked his
drum so hard a mic fell down. Our gentle tour family is really horrified at
this train wreck. Initially I was but after thinking it over, we can't
assign too much to these heros, they're not superhuman, they're not
infalliable. Jerry didn't want to be a leader, no one is free from flaws not
even the Chief. I don't judge Bobby for this, only acceptance, I still have
1 (unrelated to this incident) question to ask him ...but who I feel badly
for is Jay, smiling happy-go-lucky Jay . My heart broke for him, not because of his mistake
but because of this happening in front of all of us. None of us could really
get back into that high place we were in after witnessing this, but we
tried. Heather scooted over after someone left her seat so I got to be front
of Bobby again for the encore.
Space > Sugaree > St. Stephen*+ > William Tell Bridge*+ > Foolish Heart*+
Foolish Heart was good but I was a little disappointed not to get The Eleven
after William Tell...oh well.
E: Slipknot!*+ > Franklin's Tower*+ Ratdog lines up for the bow. I'm not
sure who the string player was, or the Bill Gates resembling guest drummer.
Dear Jay looks so downhearted.
Dark haired AJ brings us waters I'm so hot and thirsty, he gives me the
first one.Here it is, last night of fall tour. Cousin Bud takes my pic
holding the set list in the lobby. Huge huggles for Ken, Bud. Patrick goes
with them I go to the car because I'm cold in short sleeve, skirt and rain
poncho..I see from there more desperate pleading eyed folks lined up by the bus barricade. I
see Jay come out and go back in. We leave.
Next day we get up at 8am so little more rest but not much as we got to
hotel around 1am... go to check out and again manager is not there. This
woman must be afraid of me, hiding out in the back! The nice desk clerk said
she would see what she could do regarding my refund, unsure if she could
refund me the entire amount that I made a scene about the other night....
meanwhile did we eat breakfast yet? how about a free breakfast buffet for
two in our hotel restaurant? ok! We eat and *think* there's plenty of time.
Mrs. R., your credit card has been comped in full, again our apologies.
Please give us another chance sometime. OK! We stop to smoke again before
heading to Boston to catch the flight. I get out our stack of papers.
UGH!!!! I realize our flight doesn't leave at 2:45, it ARRIVES 2:45! We have
got to get to the airport NOW ASAP. I'm panicked....then I center and try to
imagine the worst that could happen, ok we'll get another flight, we'll get
home one way or anoth

ah...part 3 of FLjen's review:

FLJen - 04:18pm Apr 6, 2004 PDT (#15264 of 15268)
Egyptian ring

III
After Waterville we decided to make the 4+ hour trek to Enfield, CT to the
Radisson where I made reservations for two nights. The deal being we didn't
know Westbury was reserved until after I made this plan otherwise we
certainly would have taken MrnDw up on his very generous offer to stay at
the condo.
It is very hard to stay awake once we got to the 2nd hour of driving but
stopping for coffee, telling jokes helped some. Waterville show didn't end
until 12:15am. So we FINALLY get to the Radisson, only to find out that the
f room I PREPAID for two nights and CONFIRMED that late night check in
wouldn't be a problem has been sold out from under us!!!!! It is 4:30am but
5:30am with the time change that night. I'm absolutely livid and start
swearing and screaming at the clerk. She gave me RRI address on a paper,
said we could stay there and
I threw it down on the floor. She tried
to get us to Red Roof Inn I said that wasn't acceptable and that she needed
to get the manager on the phone and get her ass in there THIS INSTANT. She
got nervous and called some high end hotels that were further away,
aparently also all booked up. Some security guy came down and tried to calm
me saying we could sleep in the upstairs lobby. Uh no thanks buddy, we're
camping
right here on lobby couches until you get me my room. Unprofessional for you ask me if I care. The manager comes and
apologizes says she will go clean a room for us as a crew of pilots just
checked out. Telling me there won't be a charge for tonight. I said yeah no
kidding! no charge for tonight nor tomorrow either because I'm simply not
going to stand for this... I'm normally quiet & soft spoken but couldn't
deal with this crap. We
get to the room somewhere 6:45 am, darken it and sleep until 11:00 am
(another low sleep night! this makes 3 in a row now) get up & ready and grab
lunch at Friendly's, I'm disoriented in that my days and nights are now
messed up. We
drive to Long Island which was a little tricky and the tolls nearly ate us
for lunch. I'm amazed that just yesterday we were in the mountains at a
secluded ski resort and now the landscape has morphed into deep urban. The
edge of the Bronx is so completely different from magical upper west side
Manhattan where we saw the Beacon shows last fall. Aparently there are two
sides to Brush Hollow, the street that the venue is on. Well MapQuest routed
us to the Nassau County Police Station instead of the venue!! We had a good
laugh about that one. We stopped at
a nearby house totally confused as we had followed the directions to the
T and double checked the address on our tickets. The gentleman told us to go
on the other side of the bridge, the venue is just two blocks down that way.
We thanked him in Spanish, si Senor.
We get there and it is raining hard now but starts to lighten up. We leave
the big lot and
Patrick gets pizza. I go in 7 Eleven and buy myself a cold Grolsch and
smokes. I only smoke on tour, never at home so I figure might as well live
it up and smoke some more before we go back home & our stagecoach turns back
into a pumpkin. We find most of tour family in the lot. Nice easy scene with
loads of
free parking. Looks to be little bit of nitrous but at least they are being discreet about it. We park on the side and then see that the RD bus is parked across
from us. Desperate folks with pleading eyes lined up at the barricade with things for RD to
sign, holding umbrellas, sporting ponchos. We hang out in the car & smoke
and I drink.
Time to go inside at 6pm. Yippee. I have no idea what to expect tonight and
as usual go in with open mind that way I'm not disappointed. I decide to
grab another drink wow are they ever expensive, thought to myself won't be
drinking anymore
here! I sip my gin & tonic and see TinyDancer. She's decked out in white
this time. We chat some about the band. I see this curtain behind the one
bar and too curious so I went and pulled it. Just another lounge inside
leading to nothing.
We enter the venue and the background is really pretty, pink and mauve
swirls. Find our seats, which aren't that great. The place fills up.
Show starts, WRS opener? wuh?? wow. I was feeling kinda girly & twirly so
this fit just right. I'm grooving in my seat trying hard not to bump the woman
on my left since she's drinking a rinky dink cup holding $6 + tip worth of
beer. I catch a vacant aisle seat in front of us and start whirling. I can
see Tiny's scarf flying around.
Bertha, Shade of Grey, both so lovely. Loose Lucy which I enjoyed this time for few reasons, Bury Me Standing--this is what I wanted some high faith songs this night and here is where they started to come out. I decided to join family down front since the people around us were too mellow their vibe was not what I wanted. So I inch my way up front. Twice the security guy came down "All right, everyone to their seats right now!" I squeezed in with this couple and acted like I was in their row. As soon as that joker left, we all crammed down there again. It was so very sweet, right where I wanted to be with the friendship love of Ken, Bird, Cousin Bud, Heather, Krystalle and some guy who I did not know. I could see Birdie few rows away doing her special stuff, in a row of people who were sitting. Bud got a side shot pic of her which is going to be absolutely beautiful. This stranger was getting into it as much as we all were. I've never danced so big in my life! My hands were floating around. The strange guy was high fiving me and Cousin Bud introduced us and the stranger initiated a hug so I reciprocated., knowing and feeling it wasn't a come on but that we were all on the same page, right there right then.
Greatest Story Ever Told* had us jumping up and down, ha I thought Kenny could see us because he started jumping too.>
Somewhere in here I meet up with Krispy and more hugs. I'm glad to see her, she tells us she's taping now. Yippee!! T

FL Jen promises a review of the tour finale later on...in the meanwhile, here is (yes, she flew out to the East Coast for some shows) Graceful Dead's review of the last show and includes her running into the guys at the airport:

GracefulDead - 09:37am Apr 6, 2004 PDT (#147 of 151)
Soul shining from the Real thing....the love of this community

I'm baaaaack!! So great seeing so many wonderful DNC folks - such a treat to meet LS114!! Such at treat to have ((Krispy)) join ((((BOOTS)))) and I for dinner... SOOOOOO Glad to see (((JUBILEE)))) make it to the show!! Such a treat to dance in the second row to the greatest rock 'n roll band in the world right now!! The whole weekend was a great great treat - thanks to everyone who played a role in the smile that is perpetually glued to this face.... After waiting for quite awhile to see the boys after the show, the only one who came out to see those few of us standing out by the buses was Kenny - what a great guy he is! BUT, I did get my private audience with not only the whole band but some of the roadies at the airport! I got all the autographs on my ticket and got to talk to everyone - Bobby and Mark both confirmed that there WILL be more Ratdog - Jay did look very somber and he stayed to himself for the most part - didn't have much to say and I didn't ask about the night before other than to ask Mark if everything was ok to which he gave me the hand signal for yes and no....but he thought everything would be ok eventually and said that they had had a rough night (after the music) - of course we didn't talk specifics - Mark had a great time at this venue but he said it was weird to know that people were looking at his BEHIND while he was playing since it was a round stage...... There I was getting my coffee at the kiosk and he comes walking up with Robin!! I got hugs from both of them and then CHuck (the 'evil one' as he calls himself) wandered over with some other roadies I don't know by name - then we wandered over to their boarding area where I got to see that cute roadie, Patrick, and the rest of the band. Bobby was evidently waiting in the upscale private area until boarding but when he came out, he was very gracious, friendly and happy to sign his autograph. I was at the airport four hours before my flight cause I really didn't have anything else to do and didn't want to hassle going to Manhattan or spending any money, so there I was - early and just on time!!
((((DNC))))
------------------------------------------------------------------------

continuation of Jen's review, if you missed the beginning scroll down to find it:

so hard I thought his neck veins were going to burst.
 > He's Gone --of course reminds everyone of Jerry, it is really ok that he's gone, he is missed & loved but we're riding the second wave now which is Ratdog, can't go back to the past> Bass/Drums/Keys/KB > Space-intense! > Dear Prudence--the best, most emotionally laden DP I can ever remember hearing, Bob looking as he usually does but this time I wasn't the first to break the gaze (usually 1st to break because I'm a little shy). It felt like a laser going right through me. > One More Saturday Night -came on like an old friend E: Bird Song > Ripple@
Real nice Ripple, odd because it was the encore from the night before & better sung than the night before. The Worcester Ripple someone's mic was turned up way too high completely overpowering everyone else. This was great though. Again sending us off to zen.
Then, lot scene was absolutely insane! OMG! I've never in my life seen so many hissing nitrous tanks, hyenalike lowvibration people stumbling, falling, walking in front of cars, littering, trying to get us to buy some. Three entire lots were litter covered with spent balloons, people here carelessly desecrating & disrespecting some of Creation's finest work. I was disgusted.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

part 2 of Jen's report:FLJen - 05:51am Apr 6, 2004 PDT (#15172 of 15211)
Egyptian ring

II
Awake so early, we're still running in adrenalin from the night before. Slept maybe 4 hours. Go to free breakfast at the hotel where we get cold food and warm by making our own waffles with the hotel's fun wafflemaker. I'm wishing for real maple syrup since we're in New England but all there is are packets of colored high fructose corn syrup they call pancake syrup. Whip out the mapquest stack once again after packing the car, nice easy ride up to Waterville. It is so beautiful there it brings me to tears. We stop to take pictures of the stream on the side of the road and I'm wishing we didn't fly so I could take some of these river stones back home with me. We pass the William Tell Tavern and remark about that. Then a beautiful waterfall on the side of the road we didn't even have to hike to. I get out and take more pictures like a freak.
We arrive at the town of Waterville and think about getting some coffee. Take a walk around the town square and up above us someone with long blonde hair is looking at us. Oh it's Robin. Hi Robin we wave and he immediately returns the wave, he's having breakfast with his girlfriend looks like. We wander the square, seeing families everywhere and the vibe is gentle and easy. There's no snow and while it is chilly nowhere near the bone chilling whip through you wind we left behind in Worcester. We make our way to the lift which is about 2 miles away from this town square. Oh my goodness I'd never seen anything like it not having been to a ski resort before. Familes, singles, couples everyone skiing, snowboarding. The lodge is cafeteria style and feels like the lobby of an ice skating rink. There are fireplaces and teens sleeping in straight chairs. Patrick holds down first space in line while I go to the car to take a nap and listened to 1 cd probably 4 times too tired to change it while dozing off. People come and go, but mostly go. I get up and head back to where the concert tent is.
Line duy, here comes family again and before we know it the sound check is going on. We dance to Foolish Heart and hear Here Comes Sunshine. Family hanging out and security is good to us. They are kind and don't want us to get in law trouble, let us take charis outside and engage in conversation with us. Here comes Jeff, Mark and Kenny whizzed through. Robin and Mark stop to talk with us, Jeff too. Blonde AJ comes to talk with white bread and pnut butter and a Gatorade. He gets a gift from family and walks off.
Finally nearly show time and by this time it is cold. They have long ago shut off the outdoor fireplace that warmed us during the afternoon.
We get inside at the rail, family making a run for it. I'm next to Chez and Mari. Mari reminds me of Avril Levigne. During the show I had to keep my elbow next to hers because some joker would put his hand inbetween us in attempt to wedge to the front. Chez seemed to be taking lots of pictures and I was glad someone recording the scene. During show Bob turns and we got a view of ((his booty))and I remark to Mari that geeze it is hard not to look when he's putting it out there like that ;-). Chez & Patrick aren't threatened at all and joke about it. I tell Mari in advance sorry if I bump you, we talk about these awful wedgers, pushers and drunks behind us.
Ok Assembly of Dust comes on. I'm immediately taken aback by the small guitars, short stature of most of them and small drum set. The only one who wasn't small was the bass player. They came on early thankfully so we could get to our beloved Ratdog sooner. They tried very hard but it just wasn't my thing. The only song I can remember is Neil Young's Comes a Time...that might not even be the title I can't remember but YKWIM. The singer has his eyes closed during most songs and he spits. You can see strings of phlem when his mouth opens too and it started to gross me out.
By this time I have my huge coat off but shivering, realizing I'm not going to be able to dance with it on. Ratdog finally comes on and we can see our breath. Midway back tent is warm with blasts from heater but up here at the rail it is frigid.
Dark haired AJ is so very sweet. Jay Lane comes out and gives hugs to Bird. I'm loving his hair lately. He's wild looking and beautiful. There was a time I thought he was rockstarish & judged him but having come to a place of acceptance I now enjoy him a lot. The floor of the tent is astroturf with water sopping around in it. I'm wondering if the drunks behind me are going to bust their asses on it. They kept hollering out stuff to AOD and then rude stuff to Bobby, screaming in family ears, assalting my senses with it.

Jam --love those opening jams! > The Music Never Stopped this one took us high while shivering breathing in all the thin clean air > Baby Blue--this reminds me of Kenny always when they bring it out > Easy Answers- just ok, Bird Song--one intense moment after this song was over Bobby looked at Bird for the longest time. I can just feel how much he appreciates her loyalty, she's become a permanent fixture in the band, a gentle soul who deserves all they give her > Loser > Lucky Enough---I was so hoping to hear this sometime during the tour & they nabbed it beautifully. What a treat to hear LE on this mountain in the natural beauty all around us! > West L.A. Fadeaway > Iko Iko --Bob on tambourine, excellent.
Dear dark haired AJ brings coats to the band and actually puts the coats on them. My brain is letting out serotonin and I'm so touched by the coat thing. During the show blonde AJ is working his fingers to the bone trying to get the (((((((((telecaster)))))))going...I'm trying to send him anything to help because I need to see that comforting (((telecaster)))))played here. Mark's equipment began to fail and he was pissed.

II: Victim or the Crime@4!! what at treat again didn't expect this one > The Winners@ , Friend of the Devil@4, Jam > Eyes of the World --Kenny had the best solo during this...he gave us everything he had, blowing

Another detailed review! This one from FlJen:

FLJen - 05:05am Apr 6, 2004 PDT (#15170 of 15211)
Egyptian ring

We left the house at 4:20pm on April Fool's day, having just pulled some almond chocolate chip biscotti from the oven to take with us.
Next morning up at 4:20am to Orlando to catch a flight. Arrive Boston no problems but it is dark and misty and cold. Catch shuttle bus to rental car. Minor problems with that so the guy fixes us up with "a good one" though we paid for economy. The good one was a chevy tracker with 4 wheel drive and I'm instantly relieved that if there's snow in NH or anywhere during the journey we will fair well. Away we did ride! I'm now navigator in a place we've never been, a stack of mapquest printouts about 20 pages long. It starts right away with the tolls, through the tunnel we go. Arrive Worcester no problems. I was glad that we got the pronounciation correct before going there as to not be embarrassed.
"Wusst-err". ok. Patrick tells me he is already for line duty at 1:00pm. I whip out page 23 of mapquest to find the suggested health food store/restaurant to meet some folks for lunch. Super yummy pita with some type of green goddess dip and we order salads, hummus wraps, smoothie for my friend's son. We laugh and chat girl talk. Hugs and a quick picture and I'm on my way.
Line duty provided a chance for me to reunite with tour family and meet Ebeth, Steve, Eli. It was so sweet to see familar faces when so far away from home. I noticed Ebeth didn't have socks just sandals and made a run to the car to give her my extra pair. The biscotti was a hit! Everyone who came up to the front to hang out & chat got offered some. I knew it would be something that would stick with us during the hours we were going to be in that line. It was so cold especially for us. The wind was whipping right through us since venue moved us & the barricade around the corner instead of right in front where we were. Finally it is showtime and my stomach is all full of butterflies. We make our way in after some scolding by security because some folks were a little overanxious...frisked, checked then in doors. I run in and find myself in the freaking BALCONY! How do I get down to my spot I waited hours for?! no problem, it's there for me. The family will make sure of it & they do. Ebeth and I chat about the band like giggly schoolgirls I felt 16 years old.
:weird house music that felt like an assalt on my senses. Opening jam is lovely! > Feel Like a Stranger I didn't expect, it caught me off guard. Ebeth and I thinking that He somehow knows what we've been consuming. She Belongs to Me!! oh he began with the hand motions and guitar thrusting. I can't remember seeing him do this before except during Estimated. There was the beloved ((((telecaster))) to carry us through it all.
 Minglewood Blues- excellent, Mission in the Rain, good, Lost Sailor > Saint of Circumstance--these two were completely soothing!!! Kenny slid us right into LS, the sister songs were IMO the highlight of the entire show that night. Then > Jam > Althea. I began to panic during Althea. Bob was forgetting the words but instead of him smiling and shrugging it off, he started to become sullen and lost. It was as if the words were stuck in his throat. He knew them but couldn't make them come out. I tried to send him strength & remind of blue to open the throat chakra but myself was starting to feel unsure about this show. He completely stumbled and cut the first set short, nixing two songs, with a look that seemed to say "that's it". He's stumbled many times but this was different.
::set break::
Chuck comes on and tells about the recording and Head Count. Some guy behind me started heckling him & trying to engage him in an argument right there. All the energy was shifting at that point and I felt so uneasy. People kept talking about the fire there so that was lurking in the back of my mind the whole time too.
II: K.C. Moan@ --not my favorite but this was good, somehow when the acoustic breaks out we are once again reminded of how beautiful it all is..Bob is back into the groove and bringing it all home for us...then > Jam@4 > Me and My Uncle@, Jam@ these solos during the jams are so intense they make me crosseyed..sometime during all this Robin got his solo time complete with spotlight when Mark and Bob and Kenny had left the stage..my heart swelled for him, finally his time to really shine! and he did it so nicely > When I Paint My Masterpiece@ led us all down that nostalgic path as it always does > New Speedway Boogie--surprised me > Even So--what a dark song but somehow by the end of it everything is alright again > October Queen > The Deep End > Saint Jam > The Wheel > Bass/Keys/KB* > Jam+ > at this part when Jeff got on drums and Jay on Keys someone asked me who was on keys I said Jay and then it was as if we were in the bizzarro world. lol. I was surprised how Jeff could lay down a beat. Space > Black Peter > China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider
E: Ripple@ oh how I love Ripple! I know the song isn't hard to play/not too impressive musically but the lyrics simple, zen send us off on a fine note to sleep by. The outside lot is crowded mess, a hotdog/sausage vendor is right there in front of the doors and stunk so bad it made me feel sick. Again to mapquest stack to tell us how to get to Salem, NH. We're northbound.

Last night's show review from DNCr Debess:

Debess - 09:02am Apr 4, 2004 PDT (#281 of 284)
black dirt live again!

yes, the show was in a big huge tent, and yes, Bobby did still wear shorts, even though he probably had to walk along a snow-lined path to get inside.

I am thrilled that I saw such a terrific show for my one show of the tour!!!!! very VERY nice!!

I went up front looking for graceful who said she'd be on the rail (saw Chez up there, but not julie and boots!), and ended up 10-15 feet from the stage for the night. Excellent sight and sound spot, with plenty of room to dance. I was in the left front corner in the sweet spot between Jeff, Kenny and Bobby - sweeeeeeet. Those are the guys I most enjoy focusing in on.

I love to dance to Bobby's playing so much - and I was in the heavenly spot to hear him crystal clearly at all times, plus to easily watch his fingers playing and his facial expressions. Watching his face you can see the emotion he puts into his singing. Couple of deep-felt sighs even, during He's Gone I think, and Ripple too. I'd say Bobby did justice to every one of Jerry's songs he did last night, including the Jerry-cover-choice Dear Prudence. That was Great! Eyes was a highlight. Loved it!

EMF and I were picking our hopes for the Dylan slot - both of us were wrong, but I was very pleased with the choice - one of my favorites, Baby Blue.

The acoustic set to start the 2nd set was wonderful - Victim was awesome, again SO enhanced by being so close to watch the playing. Friend of the Devil a real crowd pleaser.

The songs became sing-alongs, with the audience participating, too much, after a while, I thought :-\ But I think Bobby invited that with the way he sang Iko, starting a capella, with claps - brought the audience right in. Then, they wouldn't stop. That was a bit annoying, but you could see everyone was having fun with it. Made it a bit hard to hear them singing. Audience joined in big-time from He's Gone on.

Playing seemed to be right on last night - all cues hit just exactly perfect. Lots of interesting jamming and interplay. Enjoyed it all, so much.

manymanymany thanks to Bob R. for hosting the pre-show gathering - AWESOME place next to a huge RAGE-ing waterfall, lottsa great food and company. You are a GRATE host Bob, thanks! I hope someone posts pictures - I didn't have my camera, but I can still picture that little bit of paradise you have there, in my head. beautiful.

April Fool's!

http://128.192.30.17/rollingstone/newsarticle.asp.html

Jilly's thoughts on last night's show-stolen from Deadnet:

"jillybean - 07:33am Apr 1, 2004 PDT (#14759 of 14776)
she always liked to sing along

when i heard the dark star in the jam in the beginning i thought "hmmm", but was thrilled to death when then went into jack straw. jay took "jerry's" vocal verses (YAY - let's here it for vocal diversity - i've been saying that about ratdog for WAY too long, now). i know it's bobby's band, but once in a while, it's nice to hear other voice. LOTS more harmony than even the
last time i saw ratdog in oct. jay is taking high harmonies - on a few tunes on tuesday i didn't think he was quite on, but i liked his vocals in jack straw really well.

then derek came out (man, is he hot - built like a ton of bricks, cute baby face, gorgious (sp?) long blond hair, big feet, big hands - man, is he hot) and they did watchtower - excellent version. i didn't expect that they would start the dark star with derek - kinda threw me a curve. derek ripped it up on odessa big time. ROR was fabulous - nailed it head on (except where bobby forgot the lyrics (just like mary shelly...). she says was fine and the 2 djinn was nicely done. i needed the set break.

came out all acoustic with BTW - excellent. robin was cruising away on the upright bass, and where i was i could feel LOTS of bass. the corrina was also ripping - everybody still acoustic but mark was electric. perfect for me. then they went into bury me standing - and i thought "did somebody have a break-up or something." this was "women suck song night." scarlet got EVERYBODY bopping and i really like ashes & glass (contrary to many who think it's contrite). standing on the moon was soulfull and went they went back into dark star - i thought - ok, that's it. wrong. throwing stones got me groovin' again.

the foolish heart seemed a bit unpolished to me, bobby flubbed some lyrics and they didn't seem to quite nail it, but then again - i'm a patient lady. i'll just wait.

bobby was all dressed up in his cargo shorts and grey polo. wonder what kind of altoids he had in his pocket (i like the tangerine the best). mark was sporting a red shirt and jay had a cool shirt that said "hate - off love - on" or something like that.

kenny was on all night (even with the cow bell) - i had no issues with him at all. he sounded fantastic on everything. jay was cruisin' on the drums last night. way more so than the night before - or at least it seemed that way to me. but he's using some cymbal that i dislike a lot. very screechy sounding to me, and it's present way more than i would like.

jeff is nothing but a pleasure from start to end and i think robin is a fantastic addition. he can rock on the upright and electric and really has done a great job. bobby "told" him he fucked up (his head said "no, no, no") one ending and robin shrugged his shoulders like "oh well." however, robin must be straining because he had his arm iced the whole time before the show. maybe he's not used to bobby's type of schedule.

mark tore it up in a few places, but in others the tone sounded a bit "sloppy" to me. like he was trying to get the right groove but was slurring instead of hitting it dead on (i don't know any other way to explain it).

stank - should've come upstairs. LOTS of bass and plenty of room to dance. nice see you and pooch. you both look great. "