reCAP :: Phil Lesh & Friends w/ Larry Campbell, Teresa Williams, John Kadlecik, Jeff Chimenti, and Joe Russo :: 2014.11.14
In the thick of their historic Capitol Theatre run, Phil and Friends ignited the Friday night revelry with an American Beauty classic, “Till the Morning Comes.” Larry Campbell and John Kadlecik blazed concise solos as the crowd danced and sang along to the feel-good opener. After a pleasant “They Love Each Other,” the band launched into a raunchy groove and headed south for some “Deep Elem Blues.” The feel and flow to the show was timeless as the group doodled into a loose “Friend of the Devil.” Phil belted this one out to the best of his abilities. In great spirits all night, Phil was looking fashionable in a sweater/ scarf combo as his bass rattled the halls and the walls of a theatre that he first played in forty-four years earlier.
The show took a quantum leap forward with a monumental performance of “After Midnight.” John K sang in the style of Garcia and unloaded on his first solo with Clapton like passion. Campbell followed in pursuit with a torrid blues solo. Then “After Midnight” took a psychedelic/ jazzy turn in the Jerry Garcia Band tradition, as the musicians explored every nook and cranny within J.J. Cale’s masterpiece, and in the process, they provided that out of mind experience that Grateful Dead fans crave.
Feeding off the buzz, Phil and Friends followed with the ideal set ender, “The Weight.” It was a golden choice, emotional and logical—a set that starts with American Beauty should end with Music From The Big Pink. The vocal load was shared equally by Phil’s mates as the audience celebrated the music of departed heroes, Levon, Rick, and Richard. Teresa Williams emphatically cut loose on the last verse, as only she can, but the biggest roar was for drummer, Joe Russo, when he sang Rick Danko’s Crazy Chester verse. When “The Weight” ended, Mr. Lesh stepped to the mic and probably said something about taking a short break, but I didn’t hear a thing. The crowd went berserk, it was like being in the Ed Sullivan Theatre for The Beatles in 1964—unreal energy and excitement filled The Cap.
Brent Mydland’s “Just a Little Light” seemed like an odd choice to kick off the second set, but John K was on the mark—fine singing and picking. With the next selection, “Ophelia,” the show regained that Midnight Ramble feel, as if we were up in Levon Helm’s barn in Saugerties. From Levon’s barn, Phil and crew transported us to the Avalon Ballroom circa 1968, with “Viola Lee Blues.” Frenzied guitar playing wrapped around Phil’s thumping in an endless stream. The music thundered in spine-tingling fashion—a celebration of the Grateful Dead’s first monster jam anthem.
Out of the haze of lazy space, “Eyes of the World” arrived and set bodies in motion—mad dancing, spinning and twirling. It had that Wall of Sound swagger and style. Euphoric guitar playing filled the air, and Jeff Chimenti added another of his charged piano runs. After a robust “Eyes,” Phil led the band back into another noodling and doodling session. The wheels were turning. We were in the midst of a marathon jam and there was no reversing course.
Suddenly, Phil stepped to the mic and recited the first verse of “Dark Star.” It was unusual because the preceding instrumental was unlike any “Dark Star” intro I’d ever heard. The ensuing jam had lots of twists and turns, and they spent a few minutes teasing “Wharf Rat” before then Phil dropped the “Morning Dew” bomb. Yep, everybody was happy, a collective wish was delivered. John K’s guitar playing and vocals were fabulous, the spirit of Garcia was in the house. The post “Dew” instrumental led back to another verse of “Dark Star” from Phil. The final song of this sublime musical montage was “Not Fade Away,” a coherent and symmetrical ending for a wild expedition.
Phil and Friends bid us goodnight with a “U.S. Blues” encore. The band was all smiles as they lined up front stage and received applause and adoration from the crowd. Nobody wanted the night to end, but there’s still the promise of the next Phil show and a new journey. He’s been doing this for fifty years now, and it never gets old.