Phil Lesh & Friends

Phil Lesh & Friends performed at the Sunrise Musical Theater on a Friday and Saturday night for nearly 4,000 fans. We attended both performances.

The band was pretty good on both nights; unfortunately, it was a double-sleeper. Maybe we were extra tired, but we were disappointed that whenever they would raise us up with something like Uncle John's Band or Not Fade Away, they would immediately bring us down with a freeform jazz interlude. Most people sat in their seats during these long breaks. At times, Eric noted the show was "oppressively slow."

That said, we still think they're a really great group... like a jazz power group. The only problem is that we were feeling kind of tired and looking for a good batch of familiar pick-me-ups (Grateful Dead tunes), which Phil Lesh and Friends delivered only sparingly. We became so tired on the first night that we decided to leave just as the second set began. This is unfortunate, because as we later found out, they went on to play a handful of Grateful Dead songs that we would have enjoyed, including China Cat, St. Stephen, Sugaree, and The Wheel.

For the second night, Dana and Ari joined us. We found the performance similar to the night before... a couple of groovy songs sandwiched in between that sleepy jazz stuff. Once again, our seats were too far stage left for us to hear or see the band well. The band played well past midnight, finishing up with a delightful rendition of Grateful Dead's Box of Rain.

Set List for Friday, April 13th

Reading:	Poem Part 1
Set 1:	Celebration> Jam> The Eleven (w/ lyrics)> Space Jam> Soulshine (WH)> Uncle John's Band> Get Together> Not Fade Away
Set 2:	Low Spark Jam> China Cat (RB)> UJB Reprise> St. Stephen> Sugaree (WH)> St. Stephen> I Am The Walrus (RB)> Taste Like Wine (WH)> The Wheel> Good Lovin' Jam> Gimme Some Jam> The Wheel> Other One
Encore:	Here COME Sunshine

Set List for Saturday, April 14th

Set 1:	Jam> Comes A Time (WH)> Eyes of the World> Little Light (WH)> Help (RB)> Slipknot!> Franklin's Tower
Set 2:	Golden Road (WH)> Viola Lee> Wharf Rat (WH)> Viola Lee> I Know You RIDER (RB) Dark Star> *Night of 1000 Stars (WH)> Dark Star
Encore:	Box of Rain