On Tour
Second in radio station Kool 105's summer concert series, Tuesday night's HippieFest at Fiddler's Green drew less of a crowd than the preceding Chicago/The Doobie Brothers show, but boasted a more lively audience with a far greater mix among age groups.
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Okay let's face it, Widespread Panic doesn't have the largest following in the city of Philadelphia. On the other hand, sometimes it's better to see a great band in a place where the crowd is small. Such was the case on this July night at Festival Pier. This was the last show before their performance at the All Good Music Festival the next day.
With more than just crowd pleasers at Seattle's WaMu Theater, Gov't Mule and Ratdog co-headlined a fine show! Arguably an unlikely tour duo, Bob Weir and Warren Haynes delighted Seattle with this second stop on their Summer tour.
Here are just a couple highlights I took home from the industrial, cavernous, nouveau concert hall:
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"Excuse me sir, can I help you find something?"
"No, I don't think so."
"Well which seats are you supposed to be in?"
"Seats? What do you mean?"
"This is the reserved seating section, you have to have a special ticket to sit down here."
"Oh, no problem. I'm not going to sit, I'm here to take pictures of the band."
Anyone out there who might have read any of my previous Grateful Web publications, and I'm hoping there is at least one of you out there, may have noticed my slight fetish for Led Zeppelin references, analogies, and generalized words of praise. What can I say, I love the classics.
If you have never gone on tour with your favorite band into the southeastern corner of our fine nation, you are missing out. Patchwork skirts are replaced by sundresses. Patchouli and dope are replaced by Old Spice and cigarettes. And syncopated dancing with eyes closed is replaced by fists in the air and raucous sing-alongs.
The Grateful Dead was at their absolute "post-coma" peak from the summer of 1989 through the summer of 1990. They had never been more popular, playing at consistently sold out venues and even selling out some huge arenas. Jerry Garcia was by all reports clean and sober, and his playing and singing hadn't been as good since the late 70's. The whole band, as always, fed off Garcia's newfound energy and their playing reached levels not seen for over a decade.
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"If you wish to forget anything on the spot, make a note that this thing is to be remembered." -Edgar Allan Poe
