If one considers how Grateful St. Louis is for The Kind, The Shwag and Jake's Leg, there's no doubt that this city certainly knows how to honor its Dead. Truckin' into town are two of the ultimate Dead cover bands. Straight out of the kennel comes RatDog. Led by former Grateful guitarist Bob Weir, the band plays a repertoire of Bob's solo material, Dead favorites and, of course, select tracks from RatDog's premier 10 track CD, Evening Mood.

This a story about my own first mystical experience with the band.  I can't remember exactly what year...82 or 83, I believe.  It was Friday the 13th and we were at the Greek Theater in Berkley Cal.  It was a gorgeous day...mid 70s and not a cloud in the sky.  This was back in the day when sold out shows were simulcast outside the facility so you were assured of a good time even without a ticket.  I was selling and trading painters hats with the steal your face stamped on top and was gifted a set of berkeley community theater stubs to get me in the shows.

Songs that have asterisks are ones that Susan Tedeski joined in on.  I don't even think they announced her at the show, b/c the whole time we all kept saying, who is that???  and she really didn't do much for the songs.  i would have at least expected her to stand out a bit during estimated prophet, but she didn't do the donna-back ups the way you'd expect.

Navigating the undulating route of HWY 93 from Boulder, our trusty VW Bus, along with the countless others migrating from the north, was a spectator to a spectacular lightning display. There's an ongoing jest between my friends and I about the contrast we experience when we leave our tranquil Boulder bubble, venturing into Jefferson County where factories and urban sprawl replace our cherished open landscapes.

Phil Lesh will be at Bonfils Blood Center's Lowry Donor Center on Saturday, June 19, 2004 to increase awareness about the importance of giving blood. Lesh received a liver transplant and is an advocate for blood, organ and tissue donation. He dedicates much of his time at similar events across the country to promote blood donation and express his gratitude to donors. Lesh will be at the Lowry Donor Center for a portion of the blood drive.

The Dead just played the Bonnaoo Music Festival in Manchester, TN.  We just got news of the setlist, check it out here:

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June 12, 2004 | Bonnaroo Music Festival | Manchester, TN

Set 1:
Tennessee Jed>
Good Lovin'>
Self Defense
The Weight
Me & Bobby McGee
Mr. Charlie>
Jack Straw>
Casey Jones

Listen to Bobby Weir on the Al Franken show. They will talk about getting folks registered to vote, among other topics.

Please visit: http://www.headcount.org - and make sure you're registered to vote before November's election.

Weir on Al Franken Radio - 1 / 2