Review & Photos: The Grateful Dead @ The Spectrum, 5.2.2009

I SAW THE DEAD LAST NIGHT at the Spectrum -- their true East coast home (sorry MSG fans), and their 54th consecutive sellout of that arena, the most they've played in any location. Having played the Spectrum in the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, and 00s, this was their final Spectrum show, as Philadelphia is demolishing the Spectrum at the end of this year.

The show was fantastic. Amazingly tight, focused, tuned, and intense. Last night The Dead were a rock n' roll band in the true form: lots of distortion, lots of harmonics, lots of drums, and lots of volume. This was not a musing, meandering Dead: this was a band out to play and play loud. They all sounded great: Bobby had his voice all night, Phil was working the bass like he was 20 years younger, and Warren Haynes (lead of the Allman Brothers Band and taking Jerry's spot on lead for The Dead) was on fire, including his vocal roles. 

For those tracking set lists: 

(Set 1)

• One More Saturday Night (apropos, as last night was the last Sat night Dead show @ the Spectrum; also one of the few times they've opened with OMSN -- it's a traditional encore -- and the first time they've opened with it since 1989)
• Brown Eyed Women
• Good Morning Little Schoolgirl
• Althea 
• He's Gone> 
• Uncle John's Band>
• Mason's Children (this three-song jam must have lasted 30 minutes) 
  

(Set 2) 

• Good Lovin' 
• Cumberland Blues 
• Cryptical Envelopment>
• The Other One> 
• Drums> 
• Space> 
• Morning Dew (a massive jam - 40 minutes? - ending with Morning Dew, the first time they've played it on this tour) 
• St. Stephen
• Revolution (yes, Revolution, by Lennon and McCartney) 
• Help On The Way> 
• Slipknot!> 
• Franklin's Tower 

(Encore)

• Samson And Delilah (again apropos ... "If I had my way, if I had my way, if I had my way / I would tear this old building down" ... and they're going to) 

All in all, a great show, and I'm humbled to admit (given the fan I've become in the past 20 years) -- MY FIRST. This was a great way to cross that threshold, and I see them again at the final show of the tour at the Gorge in Washington State in two weeks. As for this show, I took some photographs. There's one below, and more here.

God bless the Grateful Dead.

Comments

[dan rubin]

you made me want to be there.

[ars]

I loved the sound that Phil gets out of that Ritter bass - it was an understated light show in NJ - I miss Candace, haven't heard why she's not out with them.

I'm surprised you never saw them in the day - I caught somewhere between 40 and 50 shows, and another 6 or 7 post Jerry. Worked a bunch of those - I'll tell you tales of getting high with Jerry some day.
glad you enjoyed it - they're really on a good run right now.

[ars]

PS - "Good Morning Little School Girl" is one song. Written ( as near as I can tell) by Sonny Boy Williamson in 1937 - the definitive version imho is by Muddy Waters, though I think Howlin' Wolf kicked some ass on this one too. I know Mississippi Fred McDowell did a fantastic version in the mid 50s.

It got into the Dead repertoire because it was a favorite of Ron "Pigpen" McKernon. Check out either of the "Live from the Filmore" compilations (East or West) or the Road Trips #2 Carousel Ballroom for outstanding Pigpen versions.

[Alan]

ARS: Yes on the GMLS; I pasted the set list in from dead.net and have several hard returns that did / did not happen right. Thanks for the tips on the Pigpen tunes; I'll check them out.

Rubin: Coming from you, that's a hell of a compliment. Thanks.

[auto glass arizona]

Sounds and looks like you had a great time. Wish I could have been there.

[Kelsey]

They actually didnt sell out on 5/1