Search - Phil Lesh & Friends :: Instant Live: Phil Lesh and Friends - Hartford, CT 7/3/06

Hey, if anything ever happens to me, I want to be an organ d

My Uncle Stu | Boston | 05/01/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"When Jerry was alive and I was going to shows, Phil wasn't on my radar much. I had a favorable opinion of him when I gave him any thought at all, but I didn't tune in to the bass much. But since Jerry's death, taking stock of all the music that comes from bands involving former band members, I realize that, more than anyone else, Phil embodies the spirit of what was great about the Dead.



I wouldn't trade a great Grateful Dead outing for anything. But Jerry's been gone a while. How long has it been? Listen: A little Jewish boy born the day Jerry Garcia died would now be preparing for his bar mitzvah. Phil Lesh and the bands he puts together are really making great music, continuing to explore new territory while keeping the Dead oeuvre alive. It's not really fair to try and make comparisons, but I'd say a good Phil and Friends show, now, is at least as good as your average nineties Grateful Dead, and definitely more consistent.



I wasn't at this show but I picked up this CD because I wanted to hear Trey sitting in with the band, and I also liked the looks of the set-list. It's a cute little set-list on paper, with "Shakedown Street" followed later by a "Shakedown on 9th Street," as well as a "Candyman Blues" and "Candyman" back to back.



It wasn't quite what I hoped for. A few of the jams get intense and go deep, but the band coasts for a while before the magic happens. I wouldn't recommend this as the first Phil and Friends show to pick up necessarily (I'll get back to you on that one after I've had the chance to hear more of these), but it's not a bad one. I like the ensemble here. Osby, Barraco, Molo and gang all continue to grow on me. Trey doesn't try to steal the show but he sounds like he's having a good time. And it's nice to hear Joan Osborne singing, she definitely adds an element, although on one should ever listen to the Dead, in any of their various incarnations, counting on strong vocals.



Though I've heard the donor rap several times by now, I continue to be touched by it. And so, following Phil's instructions, I hereby grant permission to carve my carcass into as many little pieces as may be helpful. It's actually taken me a little bit to come around on that, not because I've ever lacked altruism, but because I constantly have new grandiose ideas of what should be done with my body when I die. During my anthro days, I wanted desperately to be fossilized. Toss my body into a nice little stream, where it can be buried, covered by sediment and mineralized over the course of a however many million years necessary to be appreciated again. In med school I thought there was no better honor than to be a cadaver. I still think I'd make a great cadaver, but that probably has more to do with my own inexplicable and unfounded pride in my anatomy than it does with any desire to contribute to science.



Anyway, four stars for a nice show that I enjoyed coming out of my ear buds last week during a run of lazy, hot, high pollen-count days. "Candyman," "Big Boss Man," and "Bertha" were particular highlights for me. I've got a few more shows to check out and I'll let you know if I find a real gem. Meanwhile, if you know of any solid five-star outings available in this Instant Live series, let me know.



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