New Year's Eve 1999 - Hot Tuna/Planet Drum/Ratdog -
Warfield Theater - San Francisco, CA
Not New Year Countdown >Sugar Magnolia
In The Midnight Hour>
Satisfaction>
Not Fade Away>
Drums>
I Need A Miracle>
Bury Me Standing>
Lucky Enough>
Welcome To The World>
Corrina>
Estimated Prophet>
The Wheel>
Bass Solo>
ChinaCat Sunflower>
I Know You Rider
Encore: Touch Of Grey
Midnight Hour/Satisfaction/NFA: Bobby, Billy, Mickey, Jorma, Jack & Pete Sears
The countdown to midnight was complete with the end of the world scenario on the screens.....tornados and very stormy weather!!!! I was
glad they did Sugar Mag at midnight because it's too hard to hear the music over the baloons falling and popping. I'd have a hard time
figuring out what they were doing had they picked something obscure for that moment. Midnight Hour and Satisfaction rocked my world and again I
floated into the ZONE. I became semi-conscious of what they were doing again when they went into the new Ratdog tunes, which just keep getting
better and better. I spent the evening floating back and forth between our table and our spot down front. For the first time I noticed that
true conversation of music happening between Mark and Bobby. It's taken some time to build that musical rapport where it becomes seemless and
intuitive, but they are finally there. This is an entirely new band without Dave Ellis, leaning way more to the rock side of music, with
less jazz influence in the music. Jeff's style seems to be leaning more to the rock
side as well. It's fascinating to watch yet another metamorphosis.
My father, the smartest person I've ever known, has passed into another dimension. The last week has been a foggy haze of sorts for
me.....and so....the above review is somewhat incomplete......and will remain so......as my thoughts are focused elsewhere for now.
12/30/99 - Ratdog - Fillmore Auditorium - San Francisco, CA
Hell In A Bucket
All Along The Watchtower
Masterpiece
Bury Me Standing
Odessa
Little Red Rooster
Music Never Stopped
Loose Lucy
Birdsong
Minglewood
Friend of the Devil
Playin'
Uncle John's Band
Playin
Sugar Magnolia
This was an amazing warm up for NYE which almost made me feel like the old days of multiple shows this time of year. My memory of the
evening is kinda hazy as I was definitely in the ZONE......that place where you don't really care what they're playing and are groovin' to
every note. Hot Tuna opened and smoked, as always. Then the Flying Other Brothers
came out.....their set wove into a jam with Bobby, Billy & Mickey. Box Set played a couple of tunes and then Ratdog came on. It
was an amazing evening complete with the Not New Year's countdown!!!
RATDOG – 10/26/99 -
The Fillmore – San Francisco, CA
Playin’ in the Band
Salt Lake City
Jack Straw/Playin’
Black Bird (Acoustic)
Friend of the Devil (Acoustic)
Looks Like Rain
Used to Love Her
Even So
Playin’ in the Band
Lady with a Fan
Terrapin
Solos
Ashes & Glass
Thowing Stones
Encore: Sugar Magnolia/Sunshine Daydream
RATDOG – 10/27/99 -
The Fillmore – San Francisco, CA
Goin’ Down the Road
Bird Song
Easy to Slip>Supplication
Odessa
Loose Lucy
KC Moan (Acoustic)
Black Throated Wind (Acoustic)
El Paso (Acoustic)
She Says
Weather Report Suite
Solos
Two Djinn
Not Fade Away
Encore: Touch of Grey
Both of these shows smoked from beginning to end. Of particular note for me were the
acoustic parts of the sets. Black Throated Wind was spine tingling. Been missing
acoustic sets since I saw my first one in 1980……and wound up catching 14 of them that
year*. These guys are so tight and well rehearsed, it was truly a pleasure to watch them
having so much fun. There were very few rough spots which no doubtedly will smoothe
out in the next few shows. The new songs are sounding better and better. One of the
great things about Dead shows was watching the evolution of the songs and the band over
time. With all of the new material Ratdog has, it’s wonderful to watch the evolution of
these new songs…..and even more wonderful to see/hear Bobby bring back old favorites. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Bobby smile as much as he did these past
two days. If these guys are coming to a town near you…..they will rock you and roll you
all night long.
Before the tour started I knew that this would take on the same snowball effect that
Furthur had last summer. They will get better with every show and the number of shows
people will attend will increase once they’ve seen them once*. You may just catch me
back east……see ya on the road again!!!
The opening band, Shari Jackson, was also fabulous. She plays electric violin and both
acoustic and electric guitar and has a huge vocal range. The base player and
other guitarist
switched places for one of their songs…..running across the stage…..and pulling it off in a
major way. Definitely worth being inside for this opening act……they too will rock you
and roll you.
* Research Paper: The Number of Shows a Dead Head Attends is Directly Dependent
on the Number of Songs the Dead Break Out.
9/22/99
I'm re-organizing my office and going through lots of old papers and came across a post card from Phil in response to a card my daughter and I sent to him when he was ill in 1998. The postmark on the envelope is 10/26/98. His words: "To Natasha, Thank you for the good wishes - I feel better already! Phil Lesh" This conjures up a Pandora's box of emotions for me, if you will. It brings to mind my feelings then, when we all were so uncertain and my feelings now.....total conflict in a kinda sorta backwards way.....much dismay about the seeming parting of ways between Phil and the rest of the boys. We love you all.....can't we just be friends? And play together once and a while????
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