The Nor’easter that hit the East Coast Friday night March 2nd made what was already an unprecedented evening at Radio City Music Hall even weirder. This was the first time that Bob Weir and Phil Lesh would ever play as a duo and no one knew what to expect. The concept had obviously attracted a lot of interest, as tickets sold out almost instantly back in December. The weather conditions may have made getting inside the building a little easier for those initially shut out, but didn’t clarify what any of us would be in store for. Rumors were already swirling as to guest guitarists by the time the curtain came up; however, those wouldn’t prove to be true until Saturday.
Since the “Fare Thee Well” shows of 2015, Weir and Lesh have only appeared together a year ago at Lock’n, to commemorate the 40th Anniversary of the Terrapin Station album. Since the death of Jerry Garcia in 1995, these have been the two spokesmen for the Dead’s legacy. They haven’t always agreed on what to do with the band’s unreleased concert recordings or how to interpret its material on stage, however, there must be a reason they still get together beyond Peter Shapiro’s desire to give Deadheads a chance to watch them play.
With percussionist Wally Ingram behind them, the duo began “Uncle John’s Band” as their voices blended together nicely, especially considering the 147 years between em. Weir’s always unorthodox rhythm zigged while Lesh’s thundering bass zagged.“Operator” was a nice choice to honor the late Ron “Pigpen” McKernan, who passed away 45 years ago this Thursday. When “Ramble On Rose” began, everyone got ready to cheer for the “Just Like New York City” verse, but when Weir stumbled over it, you could hear the crowd deflate. But this is also the same Bob Weir who omitted the appropriate verse in “Jack Straw” when the band actually played in Texas on the 4th of July. Could the forgetfulness be part shtick at this point, like Dean Martin’s drinking?
“Friend Of The Devil” was very sweet and led to Weir’s nod to Pigpen by citing his fiery relationship with Janis Joplin. Was this Bobby on Broadway? “Bird Song,” written about her, segued into “He’s Gone.” Lesh seemed to almost mockingly ask Weir “to tell him a story” – “I know you got one,” Lesh queried.
Weir alluded to the recent passing of lyricist John Barlow with his introduction to “Lost Sailor,” which was a highlight of the set. With its stripped-down arrangement, his “maybe going on a dream now” rap seemed more powerful. There didn’t seem to be as much missing from not having a lead guitarist, even with the set-closing “Saint of Circumstance.”
That wasn’t quite the case during the second set as“Loose Lucy” doesn’t work as well when it churns along without a solo; you could sense the two musicians locking in over where a swirling lead would go, however. “Let It Grow” was the most glaring example of that absence. But the following “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall” was the perfect addition as Weir’s angry vocals were unmistakable in the wake of the shootings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. After meeting Parkland survivors backstage during Dead and Company’s show at Sunrise recently the emotion was unmistakable in Weir’s voice. Each verse built in its intensity:
I heard the sound of a thunder that roared out a warnin’
Heard the roar of a wave that could drown the whole world
Heard one hundred drummers whose hands were a-blazin’
Heard ten thousand whisperin’ and nobody listenin’
“Not Fade Away” served as perfect finish to the set, even if it could have really benefited from accompaniment and tt served as a perfect way for the crowd and musicians to thank each other. Before the encore of “Box Of Rain,” Phil Lesh added to his usual plea for organ donors (he was the recipient of a successful liver transplant in 1998) with a reminder to register to vote to get “those motherfuckers out.” This wasn’t a political rant, however, but rather a request for a little more humanity. As he sang his most famous work, it was impossible to ignore the obstacles he has faced and allow him to make such statements.
Of course, Trey Anastasio showed up the following night, and the rumor is that there will be a guest guitarist at the second show at Boston and Chicago. This could allow Deadheads to pick which version of the Bob and Phil show they’d like to hear. This version was heavier on emotion than musical power, but still delivered on that dream from “one afternoon long ago.”
