• https://www.dead.net/features/bob-weir/move-me-brightly-tri-hosts-very-special-tribute-garcia
    Move Me Brightly: TRI Hosts a Very Special Tribute to Garcia

    Something very cool is happening in Marin County. At Bob Weir’s TRI Studios and Phil Lesh’s Terrapin Crossroads—a few miles apart in San Rafael—a wave of new, younger musicians has been hooking up with the old guard and reimagining the GD’s repertoire in new and exciting ways.

    The ever-mutating lineup of Phil & Friends, through his monthly “Rambles” and other shows, has brought to the fore a host of talented cats from different worlds, including guitarist Neal Casal (Ryan Adams & the Cardinals, Chris Robinson Brotherhood), pedal steel ace Jon Graboff (also from the Cardinals), keyboardist Adam MacDougall (Black Crowes, CRB), guitarist Ross James, drummer Jaz Sawyer, Phil’s singing and guitar-playing sons Grahame and Brian and, of course, his buddies in Furthur, a host of others from earlier incarnations of Phil & Friends, and neighborhood pals such as Mark Karan.

    Meanwhile, up at TRI, Bob has intermingled with the likes of Slightly Stoopid, Jackie Greene (a frequent visitor at Phil’s place, too), his old mates from RatDog and, in what was one of the most fascinating nights of music this year, the Brooklyn Americana group The National, along with a bunch of their musical pals, from such outfits as The Yellowbirds, The Walkmen and others.

    On August 3, a Weir-organized TRI web concert honoring Jerry Garcia on his 70th birthday—dubbed “Move Me Brightly”—brought together the largest and most diverse group of musicians yet from these increasingly cross-polinated scenes. Over the course of four-and-a-half remarkable hours (with no break!), 19 players and singers in more than two dozen different combinations laid down 27 different tunes either written by or associated with Garcia.

    The core band for much of the evening consisted of Furthur mates Weir, Jeff Chimenti (keys) and Joe Russo (drums), joined by Phish’s Mike Gordon on bass, Donna Godchaux-MacKay on vocals, guitarist Casal and pedal steel guitarist Graboff. But no one played on every song, and by the end of the night, the stage had also been populated by Phil (for two songs; he had to get back to Terrapin Crossroads to play with Yonder Mountain String Band); Americana singer-songwriter Jim Lauderdale; Harper Simon (son of Paul); indie favorite Cass McCombs (he wrote one of the songs Weir and The Nationals performed on their TRI webcast); Yellowbirds guitarists Sam Cohen and Josh Kaufman, keyboardist MacDougall, Norah Jones band guitarist Jason Roberts, indie artist and producer Jonathan Wilson, Vampire Weekend drummer Chris Tomson and two members of Brooklyn’s the Hold Steady, Tad Kubler and Craig Finn.

    Fairly early on, Bob announced that he wasn’t going to identify the musicians—joking that even he wasn’t sure who some of them were—and I have to admit I had no idea who some of them were as they came and went. That did nothing to diminish my enjoyment of the show, however, and fortunately, Scott Bernstein, editor of the always-informative music news site Hidden Track, posted who-played-on-what the following morning.

    Not surprisingly, the TRI concert attracted a large number of Dead family and friends, including Mountain Girl, Trixie Garcia, Jerry’s brother Tiff, Sunshine Kesey, Manasha Matheson, Bill Walton, Stanley Mouse, Ice Nine publishing administrator Alan Trist, Rock Scully, and Furthur singer Sunshine Becker, to name just a few. Folks congregated in the hallways and sipped beverages and ate snacks in a good-sized room known as Studio 2, while a sound check and final preparations took place in the main studio room. Two large screens in Studio 2 showed the first part of the webcast, an amazing video homage to Jerry put together by in-house director Justin Kreutzmann. It wasn’t long before the cheery socializing in the room stopped and all eyes were fixed on the screens, as moving (and funny) stories and tributes flowed from Carlos Santana, Jorma Kaukonen, Bill Kreutzmann, Mickey Hart, Widespread Panic’s Dave Schools, Los Lobos’ David Hidalgo, Perry Ferrell and Stephen Perkins of Jane’s Addiction, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers lead guitarist Mike Campbell, Keller Williams and Sammy Hagar.

    L to R: Neal Casal, Donna Godchaux-MacKay, Bobby,
    Joe Russo, Mike Gordon. Screengrab courtesy
    of Hidden Track/©2012 TRI Studios

    Alas, we missed the last few minutes of the video while we were being ushered into the studio room. There, already assembled in their places, were Bob, Phil, Donna, Jeff, Joe, Neal Casal, Jon Graboff and Jason Roberts. “Four minutes” a disembodied voice said, which prompted Phil and Bob to begin noodling, almost by instinct. The others fell into a lovely little mini-jam before it evaporated and was replaced by the opening riff of “Smoke on the Water,” to great laughter. A minute or so later, with no announcement or fanfare, the music just started and rolled easily into a lovely version of “The Wheel.” I’ve been to a few of these TRI events and it always takes me a couple of minutes to adjust to the incredible clarity of the sound—which was louder than usual in the room, thanks to a larger PA—not to mention being just a few feet from and on the same level as the musicians. It amazes me that they seem completely unfazed by having cameras practically in their faces and the crowd almost on top of them.

    After a spry “Cumberland,” a smiling Phil departed, and Mike Gordon took his spot, while Adam MacDougall jumped onto the organ and Jim Lauderdale joined the group for “Loser.” We didn’t know at the time this was the beginning of a non-stop revolving door to and from the stage. We’ll spare you the song-by-song changes (you can find those details on Hidden Track), but I do want to share some highlights and observations:

    1. Russo and Chimenti rule! These guys are so versatile. We love them in Furthur, we love them with Phil; in my view they can do no wrong. Joe always knows when to lay back and when to kick it, and Jeff’s adept at any style and always ready to solo. One Jeff moment I particularly liked was on the spellbinding version of “Days Between” near the end of the set. His elegant and graceful piano framed the entire song and provided Bob a dramatic backdrop to work with vocally. But in the final verse, before the line “Valentines of flesh and blood…” Jeff abruptly shifted to B-3, instantly elevating the song’s power and adding a deep gospel overtone.

    2. The Mike Gordon difference. I don’t envy any bass player who has to follow Phil Lesh, especially playing Grateful Dead songs, but if there’s anyone who is up to that challenge it is Phish’s Mike Gordon. He was spectacular, playing inventively and assertively all night—a giant of both melody and rhythm. He also sounded great singing lead on “Tennessee Jed.”

    3. Jon Graboff “steels” the show. Even though at one point near the end of the concert I counted nine guitarists on stage, aside from occasional flashes of tone from Neal Casal’s Les Paul or a wah-ish effect from Jonathan Wilson, nobody really sounded much like Jerry. But the guy who might have embodied Jerry’s spirit the most instrumentally was pedal steel master Jon Graboff. Over and over, his soaring lines reminded me of Jerry’s steel work with the Dead, the New Riders and on turn-of-the’70s albums by David Crosby, Paul Kantner and others. Not only did his steel sing and cry, it added wonderful drone textures to the overall sound.

    4. Looking for my Donna. Donna has turned up at various Dead Family shows through the years, and toured successfully on her own with various groups, but this event really gave her a chance to shine. Her harmonies were largely spot-on all night, she did a nice job on a few lead vocals—including “They Love Each Other” and “Don’t Let Go”—and it was a joy to watch her being so into the music: clearly feeling the lyrics in her soul, dancing and swaying, smiling at and encouraging the musicians. I don’t know if it was shown on the webcast, but whenever she wasn’t onstage, she would plant herself in front of the musicians, among the fans, and join in their revelry—sometimes directing sing-alongs, other times doing that hippy-hippy shake we saw onstage in the ’70s. It was downright inspiring! I also loved her improvisational flight following “Scarlet.”

    5. Jim Lauderdale is unique. For the most part, the many different singers who tackled Jerry’s songs hewed close to the master’s impeccable phrasing. One who did not was Jim Lauderdale, who sort of slid through the songs, sounding like a cross between Bill Monroe and Billie Holiday, always coming up with interesting ways to deliver Hunter’s pearls. He was dynamite on “Mississippi Half-Step,” the extra verse on “Friend of the Devil” (which has come into fashion in the post-Jerry years) and “Eyes of the World.” Next time he comes to town, I’m there!

    6. Who the hell is Jonathan Wilson? The lanky, long-haired guitarist/singer looked like he stepped out of a band playing in the parking lot of a Grateful Dead show—he sported the only tie-dye shirt of the night—but he had a totally commanding stage presence. His soulful voice was perfect for “Mission in the Rain” (among others that featured him), and he attacked his solos with tremendous energy. (In answer to the above question, Wilson is a well-respected artist and producer who has opened for the likes of Tom Petty and Wilco, collaborated with Jackson Browne, Chris Robinson, Jonathan Rice and many more, and put out a 2011 album called Gentle Spirit that was an indie hit in the UK and named one of Mojo magazine’s top picks of last year. He definitely made me want to hear more.)

    “Friend of the Devil” (L to R): Harper Simon, Cass McCombs, Jim Lauderdale. Screengrab courtesy of Hidden Track/©2012 TRI Studios

    7. “Terrapin”! With the show called “Move Me Brightly,” I guess should have anticipated the “Terrapin” (duh), but it still caught me by surprise when it turned up—especially because Weir was not even onstage for it (until the closing jam). The little-known singer-songwriter Cass McCombs handled the lead vocal and turned in a solid and nuanced performance—as he had earlier on “Dupree’s Diamond Blues.” I loved it during “Lady With a Fan” when the three guitarists—McCombs, Kauffman and Cohen, joined by Graboff’s steel—unleashed an immaculate, note-for-note replica of Garcia’s triple-overdubbed harmony solo from the album version of the song.

    8. All bow to Bobby. He put together one helluva show, acted as both bandleader (most of the time) and genial master of ceremonies, and was clearly leading the way through what were, for many of the players, unfamiliar (but friendly) waters. He provided the glue and that unmistakable Grateful Dead current. He sang fantastically well all night long—my theory is there’s something about TRI and the way he can hear himself there that brings out the best in him—but he was also generous in letting others have the spotlight. The aforementioned “Days Between” was as good as it gets; the most emotion-packed song of the evening by far. Oh, and kudos on his smokin’ solo version of “Loose Lucy” with just acoustic guitar and stompbox.

    9. Let’s hear it for everybody else! Neal Casal was a steady and reassuring presence and served up a spellbinding “Ship of Fools”… Harper Simon sounded great on “Dire Wolf,” “Friend of the Devil” and “Shakedown Street” (among others) and also played some wild and slinky guitar… Adam MacDougall’s organ work blended beautifully with Chimenti’s, and his clavinet funked up “Shakedown,” “Franklin’s Tower” and one or two others. I liked his relaxed but confident stage demeanor… I dig those Yellowbirds boys—Cohen and Kaufman—on their cool old axes. They added some neat touches without cluttering up the sound. The same was true for Jason Roberts, who interjected some sizzling guitar leads at different points… The Hold Steady duo—Craig Finn and Tad Kubler—brought some late-set exuberance to the proceedings, especially during Finn’s most unusual, almost Elvis Costello-like, interpretation of “Scarlet Begonias”… Vampire Weekend’s Chris Tomson anchored the killer “Shakedown” and added percussive accents to a few other songs… “Bird Song” > “New Speedway Boogie” was a potent combination in the first half of the show…”Franklin’s Tower,” with various folks handling the verses, felt particularly joyous near show’s end; ditto “Goin’ Down the Road.”

    Considering the group was so large, changed constantly and was filled with people who had rarely, if ever, played together before, there were remarkably few calamities—a lyric slip here and there (a Grateful Dead tradition, as I like to say), a couple of musical fender-benders. But given the number of players and limited rehearsal time, it was amazing that there was so much cohesion and definition to the parts, and that the level of communication between the musicians was so consistently high.

    Screengrab courtesy of Hidden Track/©2012 TRI Studios

    You couldn’t miss the glow in the room when the long evening ended with the warm and reassuring strains of “Ripple.” There were smiles all around as the crew started tearing down, the musicians dissolved into the departing audience, and people shared hugs and laughs one more time. As we drove back home across the bay, we had no idea that a whole bunch of the musicians were heading over to Terrapin Crossroads to play some more with Phil and the gang over there. That went until past 2 a.m. I’m not ashamed to admit that I was enjoying a blissful and satisfied slumber in my waterbed then. But had I known…

    The set: The Wheel > Cumberland Blues, Loser, Mississippi Half-Step, Dire Wolf, Dupree’s Diamond Blues, Tennessee Jed, Ship of Fools, They Love Each Other, Bird Song > New Speedway Boogie, Loose Lucy, Friend of the Devil, Mission in the Rain, Ramble On Rose, Catfish John, Shakedown Street, Terrapin, He’s Gone, Eyes of the World, Scarlet Begonias, Don’t Let Go, Days Between, Franklin’s Tower. Encore: U.S. Blues, Goin’ Down the Road Feeling Bad, Ripple.

    Watch highlights from the show at yahoomusic.com.

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    wildcrafter
    11 years 7 months ago
    rebroadcast Move Me Brightly
    OK, from Sirius XM and Yahoo I've cobbled together a lot of the show, but when will it "all" be rebroadcast? I might even pony up for more broadband speed. I'm happy it wasn't just a bunch of old geezers like me. Jonathan Wilson!!!!!!! Thanks, Bub Jackson. I've heard it all now except GDTRFB and Ripple. Where can I get those?
  • fluffanutter
    11 years 7 months ago
    Loved it!
    Had a great time all night long. I, too, had initial problems but posted in the other thread announcing the URL that was tweeted from TRI so had good reception the entire evening (and anybody who was on the thread had the ability to go there if they were experiencing problems). The High-Def picture coming out of Bob's studio was excellent. Set List for "Move Me Brightly" (with appropriate credits) Is available from Hidden Track, just hit the link BJ posted above. Bud put each of the songs up on You Tube for viewing so everybody could enjoy!
  • mdmc
    11 years 7 months ago
    Love TRI
    What a great show. I can't wait for God Street Wine next week..
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14 years 11 months

Something very cool is happening in Marin County. At Bob Weir’s TRI Studios and Phil Lesh’s Terrapin Crossroads—a few miles apart in San Rafael—a wave of new, younger musicians has been hooking up with the old guard and reimagining the GD’s repertoire in new and exciting ways.

The ever-mutating lineup of Phil & Friends, through his monthly “Rambles” and other shows, has brought to the fore a host of talented cats from different worlds, including guitarist Neal Casal (Ryan Adams & the Cardinals, Chris Robinson Brotherhood), pedal steel ace Jon Graboff (also from the Cardinals), keyboardist Adam MacDougall (Black Crowes, CRB), guitarist Ross James, drummer Jaz Sawyer, Phil’s singing and guitar-playing sons Grahame and Brian and, of course, his buddies in Furthur, a host of others from earlier incarnations of Phil & Friends, and neighborhood pals such as Mark Karan.

Meanwhile, up at TRI, Bob has intermingled with the likes of Slightly Stoopid, Jackie Greene (a frequent visitor at Phil’s place, too), his old mates from RatDog and, in what was one of the most fascinating nights of music this year, the Brooklyn Americana group The National, along with a bunch of their musical pals, from such outfits as The Yellowbirds, The Walkmen and others.

On August 3, a Weir-organized TRI web concert honoring Jerry Garcia on his 70th birthday—dubbed “Move Me Brightly”—brought together the largest and most diverse group of musicians yet from these increasingly cross-polinated scenes. Over the course of four-and-a-half remarkable hours (with no break!), 19 players and singers in more than two dozen different combinations laid down 27 different tunes either written by or associated with Garcia.

The core band for much of the evening consisted of Furthur mates Weir, Jeff Chimenti (keys) and Joe Russo (drums), joined by Phish’s Mike Gordon on bass, Donna Godchaux-MacKay on vocals, guitarist Casal and pedal steel guitarist Graboff. But no one played on every song, and by the end of the night, the stage had also been populated by Phil (for two songs; he had to get back to Terrapin Crossroads to play with Yonder Mountain String Band); Americana singer-songwriter Jim Lauderdale; Harper Simon (son of Paul); indie favorite Cass McCombs (he wrote one of the songs Weir and The Nationals performed on their TRI webcast); Yellowbirds guitarists Sam Cohen and Josh Kaufman, keyboardist MacDougall, Norah Jones band guitarist Jason Roberts, indie artist and producer Jonathan Wilson, Vampire Weekend drummer Chris Tomson and two members of Brooklyn’s the Hold Steady, Tad Kubler and Craig Finn.

Fairly early on, Bob announced that he wasn’t going to identify the musicians—joking that even he wasn’t sure who some of them were—and I have to admit I had no idea who some of them were as they came and went. That did nothing to diminish my enjoyment of the show, however, and fortunately, Scott Bernstein, editor of the always-informative music news site Hidden Track, posted who-played-on-what the following morning.

Not surprisingly, the TRI concert attracted a large number of Dead family and friends, including Mountain Girl, Trixie Garcia, Jerry’s brother Tiff, Sunshine Kesey, Manasha Matheson, Bill Walton, Stanley Mouse, Ice Nine publishing administrator Alan Trist, Rock Scully, and Furthur singer Sunshine Becker, to name just a few. Folks congregated in the hallways and sipped beverages and ate snacks in a good-sized room known as Studio 2, while a sound check and final preparations took place in the main studio room. Two large screens in Studio 2 showed the first part of the webcast, an amazing video homage to Jerry put together by in-house director Justin Kreutzmann. It wasn’t long before the cheery socializing in the room stopped and all eyes were fixed on the screens, as moving (and funny) stories and tributes flowed from Carlos Santana, Jorma Kaukonen, Bill Kreutzmann, Mickey Hart, Widespread Panic’s Dave Schools, Los Lobos’ David Hidalgo, Perry Ferrell and Stephen Perkins of Jane’s Addiction, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers lead guitarist Mike Campbell, Keller Williams and Sammy Hagar.

L to R: Neal Casal, Donna Godchaux-MacKay, Bobby,
Joe Russo, Mike Gordon. Screengrab courtesy
of Hidden Track/©2012 TRI Studios

Alas, we missed the last few minutes of the video while we were being ushered into the studio room. There, already assembled in their places, were Bob, Phil, Donna, Jeff, Joe, Neal Casal, Jon Graboff and Jason Roberts. “Four minutes” a disembodied voice said, which prompted Phil and Bob to begin noodling, almost by instinct. The others fell into a lovely little mini-jam before it evaporated and was replaced by the opening riff of “Smoke on the Water,” to great laughter. A minute or so later, with no announcement or fanfare, the music just started and rolled easily into a lovely version of “The Wheel.” I’ve been to a few of these TRI events and it always takes me a couple of minutes to adjust to the incredible clarity of the sound—which was louder than usual in the room, thanks to a larger PA—not to mention being just a few feet from and on the same level as the musicians. It amazes me that they seem completely unfazed by having cameras practically in their faces and the crowd almost on top of them.

After a spry “Cumberland,” a smiling Phil departed, and Mike Gordon took his spot, while Adam MacDougall jumped onto the organ and Jim Lauderdale joined the group for “Loser.” We didn’t know at the time this was the beginning of a non-stop revolving door to and from the stage. We’ll spare you the song-by-song changes (you can find those details on Hidden Track), but I do want to share some highlights and observations:

1. Russo and Chimenti rule! These guys are so versatile. We love them in Furthur, we love them with Phil; in my view they can do no wrong. Joe always knows when to lay back and when to kick it, and Jeff’s adept at any style and always ready to solo. One Jeff moment I particularly liked was on the spellbinding version of “Days Between” near the end of the set. His elegant and graceful piano framed the entire song and provided Bob a dramatic backdrop to work with vocally. But in the final verse, before the line “Valentines of flesh and blood…” Jeff abruptly shifted to B-3, instantly elevating the song’s power and adding a deep gospel overtone.

2. The Mike Gordon difference. I don’t envy any bass player who has to follow Phil Lesh, especially playing Grateful Dead songs, but if there’s anyone who is up to that challenge it is Phish’s Mike Gordon. He was spectacular, playing inventively and assertively all night—a giant of both melody and rhythm. He also sounded great singing lead on “Tennessee Jed.”

3. Jon Graboff “steels” the show. Even though at one point near the end of the concert I counted nine guitarists on stage, aside from occasional flashes of tone from Neal Casal’s Les Paul or a wah-ish effect from Jonathan Wilson, nobody really sounded much like Jerry. But the guy who might have embodied Jerry’s spirit the most instrumentally was pedal steel master Jon Graboff. Over and over, his soaring lines reminded me of Jerry’s steel work with the Dead, the New Riders and on turn-of-the’70s albums by David Crosby, Paul Kantner and others. Not only did his steel sing and cry, it added wonderful drone textures to the overall sound.

4. Looking for my Donna. Donna has turned up at various Dead Family shows through the years, and toured successfully on her own with various groups, but this event really gave her a chance to shine. Her harmonies were largely spot-on all night, she did a nice job on a few lead vocals—including “They Love Each Other” and “Don’t Let Go”—and it was a joy to watch her being so into the music: clearly feeling the lyrics in her soul, dancing and swaying, smiling at and encouraging the musicians. I don’t know if it was shown on the webcast, but whenever she wasn’t onstage, she would plant herself in front of the musicians, among the fans, and join in their revelry—sometimes directing sing-alongs, other times doing that hippy-hippy shake we saw onstage in the ’70s. It was downright inspiring! I also loved her improvisational flight following “Scarlet.”

5. Jim Lauderdale is unique. For the most part, the many different singers who tackled Jerry’s songs hewed close to the master’s impeccable phrasing. One who did not was Jim Lauderdale, who sort of slid through the songs, sounding like a cross between Bill Monroe and Billie Holiday, always coming up with interesting ways to deliver Hunter’s pearls. He was dynamite on “Mississippi Half-Step,” the extra verse on “Friend of the Devil” (which has come into fashion in the post-Jerry years) and “Eyes of the World.” Next time he comes to town, I’m there!

6. Who the hell is Jonathan Wilson? The lanky, long-haired guitarist/singer looked like he stepped out of a band playing in the parking lot of a Grateful Dead show—he sported the only tie-dye shirt of the night—but he had a totally commanding stage presence. His soulful voice was perfect for “Mission in the Rain” (among others that featured him), and he attacked his solos with tremendous energy. (In answer to the above question, Wilson is a well-respected artist and producer who has opened for the likes of Tom Petty and Wilco, collaborated with Jackson Browne, Chris Robinson, Jonathan Rice and many more, and put out a 2011 album called Gentle Spirit that was an indie hit in the UK and named one of Mojo magazine’s top picks of last year. He definitely made me want to hear more.)

“Friend of the Devil” (L to R): Harper Simon, Cass McCombs, Jim Lauderdale. Screengrab courtesy of Hidden Track/©2012 TRI Studios

7. “Terrapin”! With the show called “Move Me Brightly,” I guess should have anticipated the “Terrapin” (duh), but it still caught me by surprise when it turned up—especially because Weir was not even onstage for it (until the closing jam). The little-known singer-songwriter Cass McCombs handled the lead vocal and turned in a solid and nuanced performance—as he had earlier on “Dupree’s Diamond Blues.” I loved it during “Lady With a Fan” when the three guitarists—McCombs, Kauffman and Cohen, joined by Graboff’s steel—unleashed an immaculate, note-for-note replica of Garcia’s triple-overdubbed harmony solo from the album version of the song.

8. All bow to Bobby. He put together one helluva show, acted as both bandleader (most of the time) and genial master of ceremonies, and was clearly leading the way through what were, for many of the players, unfamiliar (but friendly) waters. He provided the glue and that unmistakable Grateful Dead current. He sang fantastically well all night long—my theory is there’s something about TRI and the way he can hear himself there that brings out the best in him—but he was also generous in letting others have the spotlight. The aforementioned “Days Between” was as good as it gets; the most emotion-packed song of the evening by far. Oh, and kudos on his smokin’ solo version of “Loose Lucy” with just acoustic guitar and stompbox.

9. Let’s hear it for everybody else! Neal Casal was a steady and reassuring presence and served up a spellbinding “Ship of Fools”… Harper Simon sounded great on “Dire Wolf,” “Friend of the Devil” and “Shakedown Street” (among others) and also played some wild and slinky guitar… Adam MacDougall’s organ work blended beautifully with Chimenti’s, and his clavinet funked up “Shakedown,” “Franklin’s Tower” and one or two others. I liked his relaxed but confident stage demeanor… I dig those Yellowbirds boys—Cohen and Kaufman—on their cool old axes. They added some neat touches without cluttering up the sound. The same was true for Jason Roberts, who interjected some sizzling guitar leads at different points… The Hold Steady duo—Craig Finn and Tad Kubler—brought some late-set exuberance to the proceedings, especially during Finn’s most unusual, almost Elvis Costello-like, interpretation of “Scarlet Begonias”… Vampire Weekend’s Chris Tomson anchored the killer “Shakedown” and added percussive accents to a few other songs… “Bird Song” > “New Speedway Boogie” was a potent combination in the first half of the show…”Franklin’s Tower,” with various folks handling the verses, felt particularly joyous near show’s end; ditto “Goin’ Down the Road.”

Considering the group was so large, changed constantly and was filled with people who had rarely, if ever, played together before, there were remarkably few calamities—a lyric slip here and there (a Grateful Dead tradition, as I like to say), a couple of musical fender-benders. But given the number of players and limited rehearsal time, it was amazing that there was so much cohesion and definition to the parts, and that the level of communication between the musicians was so consistently high.

Screengrab courtesy of Hidden Track/©2012 TRI Studios

You couldn’t miss the glow in the room when the long evening ended with the warm and reassuring strains of “Ripple.” There were smiles all around as the crew started tearing down, the musicians dissolved into the departing audience, and people shared hugs and laughs one more time. As we drove back home across the bay, we had no idea that a whole bunch of the musicians were heading over to Terrapin Crossroads to play some more with Phil and the gang over there. That went until past 2 a.m. I’m not ashamed to admit that I was enjoying a blissful and satisfied slumber in my waterbed then. But had I known…

The set: The Wheel > Cumberland Blues, Loser, Mississippi Half-Step, Dire Wolf, Dupree’s Diamond Blues, Tennessee Jed, Ship of Fools, They Love Each Other, Bird Song > New Speedway Boogie, Loose Lucy, Friend of the Devil, Mission in the Rain, Ramble On Rose, Catfish John, Shakedown Street, Terrapin, He’s Gone, Eyes of the World, Scarlet Begonias, Don’t Let Go, Days Between, Franklin’s Tower. Encore: U.S. Blues, Goin’ Down the Road Feeling Bad, Ripple.

Watch highlights from the show at yahoomusic.com.

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Something very cool is happening in Marin County. At Bob Weir’s TRI Studios and Phil Lesh’s Terrapin Crossroads—a few miles apart in San Rafael—a wave of new, younger musicians has been hooking up with the old guard and reimagining the GD’s repertoire in new and exciting ways.

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16 years 10 months
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thanks for the report! Any word on whether this will be released on DVD or anything? I sense the existence of a market, streaming video or no streaming video.
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Nothing commercial has come out of these TRI events. Lots of rights issues and permissions, etc. to deal with, I gather.
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Blair, thanks for this write up and your insights. Jealous you were there. Seems like everyone was relaxed and left their egos back home for this one. Not sure how they got all those great players on one stage for the finale, looked really tight up therel. Nice to see Donna Jean a part of the scene again. Anyway it was 2:30 or so EST when they wrapped up and I admit to having a hard time staying up. But I did, and was rewarded with the achingly beautiful, Jerry-led Morning Dew from July of 1989. Killer playing from the man himself to end the party! Grateful to Bob an all who contributed.
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At the end of the live webcast we got to see a video of what I think is from the July 19 1987 "Downhill From Here" shows. Jerry killed it on a Morning Dew, and reminded us all who is King of Jam Mountain. The Terrapin was amazing, especially the vocal performance. The Days Between was also a gem. Those lyrics mean more and more to me as I get older. I told my wife I was gonna watch a show at 6:30. Neither of us know I'd be watching all night!!! Kudos to all involved.
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Thanks for the eloquent "blog" here Blair, I needed this. Fortunately, I saw some of the highlights and it made me cry to see how beautiful it was. I had been working and just caught a glimpse on Jerry's birthday evening. I thought I heard and recognized many of the fine musicians you listed for us. I just kept thinking how amazingly passionate everyone is about the music and how much everyone misses JG so much, including myself. It's almost as if the setlist and sound (that I heard) was a journey into the healing we all have had to face. If Jerry were still on this earth, I kept on thinking that he would Love this.
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On DVD for sure. I had video hiccups all night, and then I started losing the stream entirely every 15 minutes or so (didn't know if this was my ISP, my computer, or too much traffic into TRI...I'll blame my computer every time, though). Finally threw in the towel during Catfish John, the third time the stream disconnected. I did love what I was hearing though, spent the evening with a fair-size lump in my throat. Thanks for the write-up Blair!
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Thanks for the awesome description of your night! I loved the 9 points of superiority or highlights, as you say. The set list's unbridled history happening in the present~ second. Generations celebrating what is surely a highest admiration of brotherly and sisterly love, in my book. It was marvelous! There was a musical ecstasy, to me, in the jams and through out. I found myself stretching my wingless spine so freely I felt the gap between here and Heaven must have bridged, xo. The music was precious, no other word moves me more than precious. It was serene and loving---bold and bright, xo. It was so good and the cohesion of the tones, notes, riffs and strides. I LOVE TRI Studios! The show was incredible, the lights, camera, action- THE BEST! Tri's Crew is experienced and they are individually fantastic. You made this!!! TO be what you all are and be able to to have THIS studio is a WIN-WIN! THANK YOU ALL, XO! My eyes were ever so impressed all night, there is always a new element or something to change but this show brought me there! Again, thanks. XO Rock ON! And I Loved You, ALL, XO! Not only there but everywhere... here, there and everyone all over, this little tiny Earth. Jerry got to be at a party and didn't have to play at it. Ahhhh. Rest Ye Merry Gentleman- You are So Very Loved... SO Very Loved so very loved so very loved so loved so loved loved love love love
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16 years 9 months
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What a great show. I can't wait for God Street Wine next week..
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12 years 1 month
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Had a great time all night long. I, too, had initial problems but posted in the other thread announcing the URL that was tweeted from TRI so had good reception the entire evening (and anybody who was on the thread had the ability to go there if they were experiencing problems). The High-Def picture coming out of Bob's studio was excellent. Set List for "Move Me Brightly" (with appropriate credits) Is available from Hidden Track, just hit the link BJ posted above. Bud put each of the songs up on You Tube for viewing so everybody could enjoy!
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14 years 11 months
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OK, from Sirius XM and Yahoo I've cobbled together a lot of the show, but when will it "all" be rebroadcast? I might even pony up for more broadband speed. I'm happy it wasn't just a bunch of old geezers like me. Jonathan Wilson!!!!!!! Thanks, Bub Jackson. I've heard it all now except GDTRFB and Ripple. Where can I get those?
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11 years 7 months
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Thanks Bob and Donna for bringing this in memory of Jerry....well, I guess Phil too, though he only sang on two songs.....guess he was busy with his club or didn't like some of the other players....remember Phil, it's not all about money....Oh well, Jerry would have been pissed at him, as in the past....and what a cosmic giggle that is....Ha ! What a beautiful tribute to a man who helped bring ALL the GD members their fame and fortune....and very cool of all the others who showed up to play and participate! Thanks TRI and Yahoo, as in the spirit of the Grateful Dead and Jerry himself, for not putting a price tag on this and too for allowing the taping and replaying so others whom didn't/couldn't see it the original time, will be able too ! Jerry was an advanced soul who unfortunately was troubled too, keeping "The Grateful Dead family" all together and working for all those years was a challenging task and order.....It likely contributed to him seeking relief through the Heroin use, which eventually helped kill him. May "NONE" of us forget his soul, nor his pain/attempted escape of it, nor his dedication and loyalty...Rest in peace Jerry, in that beautiful place beyond the milky-way...when you're "Standing on the Moon" please send us "ALL" guidance to do good and be better human beings.... Peace and blessings to his family for what they missed with him in their lives as he helped, entertained and made music for the rest of us ! Remember to live love, be honest, let go of fear and be helpful to other beings and the planet! That would be fitting on-going legacy and tribute to Jerry and the music !
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11 years 8 months
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the whole thing is on you tube now, all 4+ hours.
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14 years 10 months
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I watched the over 2 hour highlights of the Garcia Tribute done at Weir's TRI Studio, and I must say, it was the most inspiring music that I have heard in so long. There must have been at least 22 or so other musicians besides Bobby,Donna ,Phil ,Chimenti and Russo from the Dead/Furthur Lineup. This Studio is brilliant, I look for much more to come from here, But what was astounding is I did not know who these guys were, and it looked like they came from different type genres. The guy playing pedal Steel was great, very Jerry like. This music started out very low key and the place had an almost reverent atmosphere, the croed looked like mostly younger folk, 20s-30s, The Wheel was the first song, and it was done very well with great harmonies, Weir played an acoustic alot. The Wheel goes into Cumberland Blues, and the music was not loud ,but very good and dynamic, The long haired young guy on Weir's right was playing the Garcia leads from the song in a quiet yet effective way, smiles were all around , especially when someone nailed something. The Version of "Terrapin" was astounding, I do not know the name of the guy who sang it and played guitar, but the climax of this was the triple guitar harmony straight from the album version. I hear the full 4 hour version is on Youtube now, Thanks to TRI and Yahoo Music for presenting this awesome aural experience!!!
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14 years 9 months
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Above all, this was easily the most unique, the most inspiring, the most incredible version of Terrapin Station I have ever heard post-Jerry. The four guitarists layered the Jerry lead solo from the album, and it was absolutely amazing. This show as a whole did exactly what its name said it would do: it "Move[ed] Me Brightly." I highly recommend you watch it in its entirety. Some songs will really surprise you. The Dupree's Diamond Blues, the opening Wheel>Cumberland. Jon Graboff's steel guitar playing. It really hit home when they transitioned out of Terrapin and in to "He's Gone," reminding us all that no matter how much we love and miss Jerry, nothin's gonna bring him back . . . This concert was a tremendous testament to the legacy of Jerry Garcia, and a fitting memorial to his name. I miss you Jerry. Thank you for everything you have given me, including the most beautiful music I will ever enjoy.
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16 years 8 months
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Sorry to have missed the webcast but my computer died and I just got the replacement. Nice to be back online! Definitely check out Jonathan Wilson's "Gentle Spirit". It has some of Crosby's 1st solo album, some Crazy Horse and some Quicksilver in its DNA, filtered through Laurel Canyon. Lovely record. And the two albums Jonathan recorded for the young band Dawes are both excellent, with the 2nd one showing definite growth. They will do well in the future...great young musicians with a ton of talent, particularly the songwriter Taylor Goldsmith and his drummer brother Griffin, who also sings. They have the harmonies that only brothers can achieve. Jackson Browne did a short tour of Spain last summer with both Jonathan and Dawes and they backed him very well. The mutual respect was palpable. For any dimeadozen downloaders, there is an excellent DVD from a show they all did that was broadcast on Spanish TV, which was my introduction to them both. Highly recommended!
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14 years 10 months
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Honestly, This show blew me away, I was not prepared for this wild ,eclectic, huge crowd of musicians. Phil, Thanks for starting your night off here, before you left for your own show, which was at your studio. Mike Gordon fit in very well, and played each song like he had known it for awhile, which, he probably had. I have watched all of the highlights show, which was an excellent choice of shows. Bobby, great job as emcee, and keeping everything going smoothly. This in my own honest opinion was the Best presentation of Dead songs since the last days of the Dead, and some of the "Furthur" shows. There is something in the music this night, that is just so cohesive, that is a vibe of the presence of the Dead. The show starts out with a reverant version of "The Wheel", which is a Jerry song witha Spiritualside to it. Phil came to play in the songs He played in, He looks good for all of the health problems that he has had over the last number of years, He also sounded very good, both on bass and his vocals in the first 2 songs that he sang in, "The Wheel" and "Cumberland Blues" . As He left, Mike Gordon came up on stage with Phil's bass, for which I did not know was going to be for the next 4 hours. I really appreciate what Weir had in mind when that studio was built,I am sure there is some great normal CD recording that goes on there but it was built for streaming video, and internet shows. This is going to be a hard one to top. The first one to show up was the 2 hour highlights version, which is the best of the best and now, right beside it on youtube, is the whole 4 hour 23 minute show. What is remarkable is the quality of the picture, probably would look great on a 36 inch screen. Also, They have a huge selection of vintage mikes, amps, guitars, pedals,lots of guitarists were bringing out that Envelope filter sound that Garcia put in his sound in the seventies. OK, some quick faves of mine,"Ship Of Fools" sang masterfully by Neal Casal and he also took my head off with his guitar solo. "Mission In The Rain" sang by Jonathon Wilson made you think that Jerry was in the house, as he sang this and also when he turned on his envelope filter and played an awesome guitar break. Donna Godcheaux was on the stage for these two and she was singing fine and just getting into it. "Terrapin Station" took me back to another time as these young guitarists on stage just about nailed the song, especially a 3 part harmony guitar part that was incredible. Cass McCombs sang the lead on this as he did on "Dupree's Diamond Blues", Cass did a great version on both of these songs. This is as good of a version of Terrapin as I have ever Heard. In ending, I don't know how this concert could be topped today, but I am happy that We have TRI Studios to hear good music on. Excellent production.