Bertha
Greatest Story
Althea
Queen Jane Approx.
Ramble On Rose
Picasso Moon
Peggi-O
Cassidy
The Very NEWEST
  Speedway Boogie!!

China Cat>>Rider
Truckin'
Crazy Fingers
jam/drums/space
The Wheel
Watchtower
Black Peter
Sugar Magnolia
 
U.S.Blues

Hell in a Bucket
Sugaree
Walkin' Blues
Friend of the Devil
Mexicali Blues
Cumberland Blues
Masterpiece
Birdsong
 
Scarlet Begonias
Fire on the Mountain
Estimated Prophet
He's Gone
drums**/space
The Other One
Wharf Rat
Around and Around
 
Mighty Quinn

**w/ Olatunji

Help>>Slipknot
Franklin's Tower
Little Red Rooster
Loser
Memphis Blues
Tennessee Jed
Promised Land
 
Playing in the Band
~Terrapin tease~
Uncle John's Band
Terrapin
Dragon Drums**/space
Eyes of the World**
Throwing Stones
Not Fade Away**
 
Knockin'

** w/Airto Moreira

DISPATCH FROM THE FRONT LINES

ACT 1, SCENE 1

The House lights go out at precisely 7:00pm. This is now standard procedure, as though the eagerness to play has exceeded any lingering tendency to screw around....further evidence that all slack is being pared from the operation in an effort to attain maximum efficiency. Jerry kicks off what turns into a People Set (Bertha, Althea, Queen Jane, Ramble on Rose, Peggi-O, Cassidy). The playing is sharp, on target. Bobby shines, his strokes are like hammer blows - - accurate, honed to an edge. Too bad his equipment keeps acting up and guitars are switched back and forth in an effort to purge the demons. After Cassidy, Jerry launches into a driving, bluesy rhythm that sounds vaguely Doors-like......"PLEASE DON'T DOMINATE THE RAP, JACK !!!".......The crowd pauses for a half-beat of incredulous recognition, then breaks into the unrestrained frenzy reserved for a favorite song revived after more than twenty years of dormancy. And this is no half-baked effort...Full-Tilt-Boogie it is, Jerry in particular jamming hard, knees in the air....."Spent a little time on the MOUN-TAIN..." The set ends but the buzz continues, wide-eyed satisfied smiles all around. And this is only the start......

ACT 1, SCENE 2

China Cat is a good call and The Machine begins cranking up to full-speed. Without Hornsby present, Vince is much more prominent in the mix. The impact he has made on the band and its sound in such a short time is most impressive......His style matches his looks - - lean, mean, pared to the bone. The band has responded by becoming tighter, more cohesive......but not in a polished, structured way. Instead, it is a renewed sense of confidence borne of mastery of one's craft and the subsequent adventurous inquiry into the unknown and beyond. With all due respect to the dearly departed, Vince is many times the musician than Brent ever was. His influence has been immediate and positive. Even after ten years, Brent's path never seemed to mesh 100% of the time. He always remained too conventional (in relative terms) for the hot pursuit of Ultimate Purpose that the band now finds itself in......The Machine is hitting on all cylinders and the throttle is jammed flat, careening through Truckin like a load of steel plate headed for the Runaway Truck Ramp.....even Phil is singing "What a Long, Strange Trip...." The maddening rush is brought under control and transforms into a crystal-clear Crazy Fingers.....soft, direct and penetrating. What follows is an amazing spaced-out jam that rises and falls without letup... ...musical possibilities are explored, entwined, stretched and consolidated in layer upon layer of stunning sound>>>pounding drums>>>more space>>>floating into the ever popular Wheel. Bobby is hard on the accelerator once again as Watchtower builds with frantic energy....Jerry grabs hold and things get real intense......wave upon wave of sound flattens everything in the path......Is there any limit to this Craziness???......apparently not, to our benefit. An absolutely sweet Black Peter transitions to the familiar strains of Sugar Mag........Bobby back in the saddle, whipping the Beast to a frenzy, running across the stage to deliver blow after smashing blow. The end finally comes, almost reluctantly.......even U.S. Blues is stretched out, extra twists and detours evident throughout.......four solid hours of musical mania and still only a third of the way complete.

ACT 2, SCENE 1

Bobby Opener.....and Bucket suits just fine. This song definitely reached the overworked stage in 87-88 but with less frequent playing it remains fresh and welcome......how about dusting off Brother Esau???? Jerry positively shreds Sugaree....small and tight one moment, open and expansive the next. Bobby kicks into a Country Cowboy Blues Set with Walkin, followed by a very pleasing FOTD.....Vince's keyboard is spot on and his high fill vocals do the job quite nicely. After an earnest discussion resembling a pitcher's mound conference, Mexicali cranks up and becomes surprisingly intense. Every opportunity to stretch it out is taken with unabashed eagerness......a seamless transition surges into a hard-driving Cumberland. Again, the combination of precise playing and tight harmonies makes this rendition even more special than usual.....expanding the envelope of expectation. "Well the streets of Rome are filled with rubble...." then Bobby inexplicably stops, walks toward Jerry with a few words, then just as inexplicably picks up where he left off, "......ancient footsteps are everywhere..." Who knows?? Birdsong finishes the set with a typical abundance of free-form musical interplay and glimmers of the headspace to come..........

ACT 2, SCENE 2

There are few moments that can get a Deadhead jump-started like the opening riffs of Scarlet Begonias.... and this time around does not disappoint in the least. Phil provides the impetus, blowing out the bottom with monster, bone shaking blasts. He really appears inspired by the possibilities of the New Sound... ....the musical competency as a whole has reached a point where the Exploration of the Undefined can proceed in a forthright manner without concern for life and limb......Without a Net, indeed !!!!! Fire on the Mountain takes its time coming around, methodically building into majestic peaks of aural experience..... solid and without compromise. Bobby requires a longer-than-Second-Set-normal break between songs to screw around with his equipment once again......jeez, don't they ever sound check this stuff?? The effort is worth it however, as Estimated hits home harder than a laser-guided GBU-15.......Phil and the Drums lay down the rolling artillery barrage, Bob and Jerry provide covering fire and Vince comes in with the close-air support - - his sparse, probing jabs reminiscent of the Tom Scott sax licks on the studio version. It is evident that the integration of a new piece in The Machine has forced everyone to scrutinize and refine their own place in the Process.......as evidenced by the sheer intensity that He's Gone now unleashes upon the senses. The crowd is transported, en masse, to a place of floating colors and interlocked harmonies.....time is suspended and matter is dissipated to the far reaches of inner space, the signpost of arrival being a few wisps of The Other One - - - - always a good place to start the Drum Trek. For this particular journey, Mickey has invited the Master himself, Olatunji........the rolling beat builds and builds, the crowd surging and weaving in response. Amazingly, the rest of the band joins them for an extended jam that gets Jerry smiling and dancing like he was enjoying himself or something. All foolishness now aside, the serious work of cranking up The Other One is begun in earnest and the result is nothing short of amazing......disparate elements searching for substance, brought to sharp focus and launched on a trajectory toward Dead Center...low-key Bobby intro with major peak between the verses. This "Mother of All Songs" works its magic as the entire scene is swept along in a crazed rush toward the widening fissure of Cosmic Fabric......to settle down on the hard, organic reality of Wharf Rat. From raging storm to becalmed seas...the transformation bespeaks the underlying aptitude and craftsmanship. Achieving the ability to fearlessly explore uncharted terrain now fuels the desire to do so. Every musical opportunity is examined and folded into the flow.....the sound expands in a continuous string through the tiers of consciousness to the n-dimensional asymptotic limit of simultaneous experience. And just when you think things may have gone a bit too far, Bobby hits the Rock & Roll Button and jumps on Around & Around. They may be a bunch of burned-out 60's flashbacks, but they can still sure as hell Rock Out when required. The riffs hit the mark time and time again, and while not quite as brain numbing as the 6-15-90 Shoreline version, there is no doubt that the essence is pure and strong......Quinn the Eskimo puts the final whimsical touch on the proceedings and the crowd heads home happy and tired from another four-hour dancing/singing session.

ACT 3, SCENE 1

Jerry Opener.....one would figure Good Times Roll, or maybe even an Aiko! to get things warmed up.... But NOOOOOO!!!!! Let's just jump in with both feet and scorch the place with an absolutely smoking Help/Slip/Franklin's. While this combo is certainly welcome anywhere in the song count, leading off the show packs a decidedly formidable wallop. With the crowd still reeling, the band continues the full-court press with what turns into a People's Choice Set.....a searing Rooster...a perceptive, soulful Loser...and a Memphis Blues that has Bobby literally screaming "...can this really be the End??..." The Fun-O-Meter is pegged and that palatable sense of Special Occasion Oneness pervades every nook and cranny. Tennessee finds Jerry at his delightful Country Shuffle best, building to the peak in precisely measured steps, finally breaking in an burst of unrestrained joy. A frenzied plane trip to the Promised Land stretches the chops and gives everyone the opportunity to call home and tell those folks "the Poor Boy's on the line"...........the crowd is down for the eight-count, but is fortuitously saved by the bell.

ACT 3, SCENE 2

"This attempt will be a two-and-a-half inward pike with a full triple twist from the inverted position....difficulty factor somewhere around the Limits of Comprehension. He's taking a few extra moments to prepare...this is no time for equipment failure or loss of nerve. The set-up looks good and here it goes, a headlong dive into the unknown, perfectly executed.........." This is it, the Real Stuff, with no room or tolerance for the faint of heart. Playin is the springboard to The Zone and starting the set with it indicates a single-minded intent to get on with the matter at hand......and what a ride it is !!!!!! The Machine is stoked white-hot as the interplay of musical elements solidifies and dissipates in ever increasing frequencies. The energy flashes come fast and furious, Quasar-like in their intensity and direction. The early line on a Playin>> > >>>Terrapin appears ready to pay off until an inspired flash on Uncle John's cranks up the Incredulous Factor yet another notch...."God-DAMN!! Well I Declare, Have You Seen the Like???" The waves break and from the mist Terrapin finally arises......Gone are the days (84-85-86) when truly inspired Terrapins were few and far between. Each time now builds upon the last, cranking open the Main Supply Valve in ever increasing increments. The Flow becomes overwhelming, taxing our capacity for diverting it into the Network, requiring expanded space and reconfigured pathways....a task undertaken all too eagerly. During the extended jam, Jerry and Vince hook up on a major piece and shake it for all it is worth.....Bobby kicks it hard and Phil just keeps pounding it out. Once again, the Whole becomes something much more than the Parts, providing ripples of Inspiration that continue to echo long after the fact....."More than this I will not ask....Faced with mysteries dark and vast....Statements just seem vain at last............." The Drums have a special mission tonight - - - The welcoming of The Year of the Ram. Its guardian, Gum Lum the Golden Dragon, descends from an upper level preceded by attendants with flags, figures and pyrotechnics. A lap around the sound board is accompanied by ceaseless pounding and crashing from the stage....... the whole procession winds it way through the crowd and then out of this crazy intersection between journeys on the Inter-Spatial Highway System. A relatively short Space intros to a pleasantly surprising Eyes, which threatens to squeeze the last drop of dancing energy from the legs......but dance we must, for there is no choice when you've signed on at the Full Excursion Rate. The opening strains of Throwin Stones come as expected, but the tempo is notably different....much more deliberate.....as if the message is SOME-BO-DY-OUT-THERE-HAD-BET-TER-LIS-TEN-TO-THIS....the playing is pointedly emphatic, the words remain sharply relevant...."It's all too clear we're on our own..." Then comes time to kick in the afterburners and send this package of Determined Reason on a fiery course to snuff out the incoming SCUDs of Stupidity and Ignorance........"I Wanna Tell You How it's Gonna Be" ....you can't get much closer to the hellish furnaces of Rock and Roll than this.....sheer pandemonium, barely contained, erupts from the stage as The Machine lunges forward under full supercharged acceleration. Boy, the Crickets never sounded like this......Jerry rips off a major chunk and thrashes it mercilessly..... Phil explodes with precise sonic detonations....Bobby flails and hammers without regard for personal safety or small children.....Vince cranks hard, head thrown back in total commitment.....Mickey and Bill don't let up, pursuing the Groove with unrelenting obsession. The final fade-out is sublime, the power still evident.....like the wake of a barely submerged killer whale. The crowd continues, unable to release its grip on the passion and spirit....Knockin' provides the appropriate poignant counterpoint to the just concluded ferocity, easing us into a frame of mind wholly prepared for whatever may come. Fulfilled and inspired, we depart to continue the Process of Life, already anticipating our next encounter with this extraordinary phenomenon that transcends meager attempts at description and demands nothing but a desire to know and experience.....