Bob Weir and RatDog | RatDog.Org

I have been to about 15 Ratdog shows, and this was by far the worst I have ever seen. I don't know if it was the long travel from upstate NY the night before, or Bobby being upset about the venue change, but the band brought nothing to the table. The jams went nowhere, and the crowd had to pull the band through half the songs. Even the old staples (Playin', Touch, Tennessee Jed, Big Boss Man) did nothing for me. The search at the door was more invasive than most prisons. Overall a very disappointing night.

A change in venue refused to dampen my crew's spirits as we made our way into the Electric Factory to catch another RatDog show from Bob and the boys. It was an extremely hot day and a steamy evening as Bobby surprised everybody with the Matilda Mother opener. This led directly into an uneventful Tomorrow Never Knows. For me, the show really got going with the Playin' that followed this. The jam really kept going at a brisk pace and never slowed to a crawl. This jam was the one time all evening where the band made me lose myself in the music. They segued into Mama Said next, and this song highlighted Bobby's much improved voice from the last time RatDog played Philly. In fact, Bobby's excellent singing was the best thing about this evening's performance. He hit all the high notes áll night, and it never showed any signs of weakness. Big Boss Man followed; Kyle from SCI made an appearance on Brent's old organ but was low in the mix. Tennessee Jed was next and was a really fantastic performance, but this was three blues tunes in a row. New Speedway kept the great music going and the crowd participation towards the end of the song was one the best moments of the night. Shade of Grey brought the energy down though, a curious call by Bob. After that Hell in a Bucket roared the energy back up big-time! Great effects and a great reggae breakdown towards the end. Bill from SCI joined in on Jack-A-Roe, where Bobby even took a short solo, and Desolation Row. Good Mornin' Lil Schoolgirl was yet another blues tune Bob decided on--could've done without it, to be honest though. Ashes and Glass led into the Ratspace jam and into Standing on the Moon. This was very well played. Also well-played was the Playin' Reprise and the Touch of Grey closer. Ripple was the encore. This was a steady night that featured great playing by the band, but too many blues tunes, in my opinion. See you all at the Gathering of the Vibes!

this show was great i really enjoyed it