Review from Chez off Deadnet & Dot Org-

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Chez
Board Regular
Joined: 16 Feb 2005
Posts: 490
Location: Virginia
Posted: Thu Apr 14, 2005 6:11 am    Post subject: 4/13 Review
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While I enjoy the hell out of just about every Ratdog show I attend, there are shows.....and then there are SHOWS!!! and this one falls into the latter category.

Surprise #1 of the night. I had a ticket that read "Pit/C." Dumbass I am, I'm thinking that it's Pit 3rd Row. I should learn to look at the Row assignment too. Row 1, Seat 212. Hello Hammond organ. Ruby know me well.

So I grab my spot right as the lights are dimming. High energy Jam that slams into a BIG Truckin' opener. Jeff had Brent's old Hammond singing loud and clear as they fired along and got the place spinning and moving. Jam button stuck on from the getgo tonight.

Segue into Loser. Bobby's voice has come back sooooooooo much. 3rd night in a row and no noticeable strain at all. Rest is good! MK stepped up on this one, as he was all night. He and Bobby have developed even more telepathy and Robin has really come into his own (and is now mixed accordingly) and us fans are the lucky beneficaries.

TMTTR - I thought it was "Loose Lucy" at the start. Even wrote down the wrong thing on my setlist. They definitely teased the intro to LL, but then swung it right into River. Very fitting as I'm staying this week with a buddy who lives on the Deleware (and his house was flooded last weekend, so it was for him even more than for me). MARKMARKMARKMARK....can't say enough about him tonight. And more and more Hammond.

Josephine - When this song rocks as hard as it did tonight, you've got a special show playing out in front of you.

Lucky Enough - Nice extended piano intro that connected straight to my boogie center. I absolutely LOVE this tune and this version may have been the single best I've ever heard. MK took us for a ride with a monster solo in the middle that lifted the place up to the cosmos, spun it around and around orbiting and then a lightning reentry bringing our souls back to the pavement.

Ramble - Had some crowd issues around me during this one and was a bit distracted. Guy in a wheelchair was being moved through the CROWDED aisle and it was a little hairy for a few minutes as he was being navigated out. Never got my head totally back into the song. Luckily for me, a full stop gave me time to pull things back together.

Wrong Way - SICKSICKSICK. Turned the power up even another notch and just rocked us senseless.

Truckin Jam - SICKSICKSICKSICKSICKSICKSICK. Take the opening Truckin, multiply by 100 and add a feverpitch crowd.

Deal - They did it so well I didn't even think "Why isn't MK singing this." Great closer for a great set.

Blackbird - Needed the Fantasy points, perfectly played, and a girlfriend who was VERY happy to hear it. Couldn't ask for much more for a 2Op.

El Paso - This was supposed to be the 2Op, but they added Blackbird. This was an excellent version with a nice lope to it. Little wish that Jeff would have come out for it and added a little extra percussive drive to it, but I got over it real quickly.

1/2 Step - Eternity was on the setlist between El Paso and this and Robin played with Eternity for the entire intro before Bobby stepped up and lead them into it. Somebody wrote a while back that Ratdog "puts the toodeloo" back into this song and I think that's the most dead-on way to describe it that I've ever heard. And another river tune for Mike...."across the raging river" foreshadowing the trip into NYC possibly. Or maybe my mind is/was working in extra circles.....didn't matter much at the time as I was too busy dancing.

TOO - Ripsnortingfirebreathing insanity. They did the lead-in that can often be a tease, but it was clearly an Other One night from the getgo and they SLAMMED into it. Gotta hear it again to hear Robin's bass roll a little more clearly, but it sounded like a pretty classic Philstyle thunder intro ala 3/30/04 at the 9:30. Raging through the first verse, then dropping into a mellower groove. Mari and I were talking after and we weren't sure if they were losing it a little or just brought it down. There were no signs of confusion or struggling, so I think the jam just evolved into a slower pitch so they could build it right back up for the 2nd verse and slam us senseless all over again.

Help - Once again, MK going crazy and the extra layer of percussion with AJ and Vadeem was very nice. Kind of an abbreviated Slipknot, but the Help was jammed so thoroughly it didn't matter. Enough of a Slip to let Robin throw down some big fat booming notes.

Stuff - Keys, touchpad, drums, and percussion. Jeff on cowbell at the start making into essentially a drums section (with touchpad). Jay had the biggest smile on his face with the crew members beside him and gave them a nice acknowledgement at the end. Robin joined about 3/4 of the way through, then Bobby and MK back out and a quick stop before

Wharf Rat - Of all the Jerry ballads Bobby sings, I think he OWNS this one more than any other. His voice, his spirit....this song just fits him like a glove and with Jeff making the Hammond sing channeling Brent's spirit................ahhh. Tears on Bobby's face during this one.

Two Djinn - VERYVERY sweet intro to this. Pretty much a standard style Jeff piano solo to start (standard NOT being a dig at all), then around again with Jay tossing himself into the fray and some really sweet interplay between the two of them. Textbook version of the song. Not as swirly as it's often played - more rocking and straightforward inyourface style jamming.

Slip/Franklin's - Big, bouncy, swirly fun to end it and Fantasy points to add the cherry on top!

Brokedown - More tears from Bobby and just a beautiful poignant version that was a fitting tribute to JJ. Holding Mari in my arms and hearing Bobby sing "I love you more than words can tell" is one of the greatest feelings in the world.

Thank you Ratdog. See you Friday!

10/10 - Like a Swiss Watch
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