Dead & Company had to postpone the originally scheduled Fall Tour 2017 South Florida show Dec 8, 2017, when John Mayer needed an emergency appendectomy.  Monday, February 26, 2018, was the rescheduled show. They say timing is everything.  The show came on the heels of the Parkland school shooting tragedy. Coincidence for sure but Dead & Company brought their kindness and love to a community in need of healing through the universal language of music.

The band took the stage at approximately 7:17 pm for their 7 pm start time. Both Bob Weir and Oteil Burbridge were wearing #MSDSTRONG shirts. The boys came out kicking off the evening bursting into “Shakedown Street.” They were definitely on fire right out of the gate with John Mayer on vocals. This was followed by a very strong rendition of Cassidy sung by Bob Weir...followed by Oteil Burbridge lending his beautiful voice to "There Comes a Time."  YES, they let Oteil sing!!! YAY!!  After, John sang, "They Love Each Other" followed by “Bird Song.”  The show picked up a bit jamming “Bird Song” into "New Speedway Boogie" back into "Bird Song."  They closed out the first set with "Deal" with the audience singing along. John Mayer was ablaze on that guitar, smoking hot.

The second set opened around 9:30 pm with a cover, "The Weight" by The Band with Jeff Chimenti singing vocals on the second half of the song.  John then sang lead on "Help on the Way" which was followed by "Slipknot!" into a beautiful "Eyes of the World" that featured solos of Jeff on Keys and Oteil on Bass which morphed into an insane instrumental version of "Dark Star."  It was simply off the charts and transitioned into Drums and Space. The musicians left Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart to their rhythmic magic. Tonight, drums and space was an interesting combination of island/African beats and electronic cosmic vocals after which Bill left the stage as the one and only beam mastermind Mickey Hart engineered the sounds of his beam. Subsequent to his beaming, the band members returned to the stage with Oteil on bass leading into the "Days Between" with Bobby on vocals. Bobby continued into an impassioned version of "Throwing Stones."   The crowd was on its feet as they took the stage one last time that evening for an encore - “Touch of Grey."  What an incredible performance we witnessed.

However, this was NOT just any performance by Dead & Company. While I think every show has its special moments and highlights; this show had a distinct meaning. The set list was carefully scripted and thoughtfully prepared. The graphics before and during the show/set breaks included the mascot and logo for Stoneman Douglas. The songs they sang took on a special meaning. The #MSDSTRONG shirts worn by every member of the band and the March for Our Lives shirts were an expression of solidarity with our community. It was an indescribable feeling to be there. It was the first time I had the opportunity to see Dead & Company at home in South Florida, in my community, with my people.  What an emotional evening it was on so many levels; felt special to be a part of it.  ...and the following quote by Mickey Hart popped into my mind. "The feeling we have here - remember it, take it home and do some good with it. I'll leave you with this... - BE KIND!!!"   ...and a tremendous act of kindness it was.  These guys don't just talk the talk; they walk the walk!

Dead & Company spent time with the children, the survivors of the school massacre. They became part of the community; they listened, they felt for the people, and they took action and are continuing to do so in support of the Parkland community. Dead & Company also made a donation to the transition fund to help the school transition back to some sense of normalcy. This statement and act of loving kindness they demonstrated is continuing.  On their Facebook and Instagram pages, the members of Dead & Company continue to promote the cause. They are leading by example, and I commend them for their generosity and kindness.

If you too want to be part of this effort and continue the support what our band Dead & Company has led by example, you may do so by visiting the following websites:

Dead & Company is auctioning off  four (4) Dead & Company posters from the South Florida BB&T show signed by the entire band - the money raised will benefit the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Victim's Fund – click the link to bid:  https://qtego.net/qlink/stonemandouglas#

If you'd like to purchase MSDSTRONG apparel, please visit the following website: http://www.msdstrong.us/support-msd.html

All proceeds go directly to the school to support its students as they transition back over the next few weeks, months, and years.

...and whatever you do, don’t miss the upcoming Dead & Company summer tour; as always, we are in for a real treat! Very much looking forward to it; simply cannot wait!!

Listen to the entire February 26, 2018, show here.

Celebrating Phil Lesh... May as well been my birthday because we were the ones who received the gift.  On this night, the music was just so special, the energy beyond amazing, and the feeling was indescribable.

As you entered the theater, you were given a postcard which had instructions for the “cue” for when to sing happy birthday to the birthday boy.  Some of my fellow attendees were already wearing birthday hats and even giving them out to their friends. The theater was hoppin’, and the vibe was that of a celebration.  It was a sold-out crowd (GA/LOGE/BALCONY).  Of course, it really didn’t matter if you had a seat anyway when I looked around, people were standing and dancing everywhere.

Tonight, there was a special guest playing with Phil and the Terrapin Family Band, none other than John Scofield.  For those who may not be familiar, John has recorded (over 30 albums) and collaborated with many over the years including Pat Metheny, Martin & Wood, Gov’t Mule, Phil Lesh, and Herbie Hancock, just to name a few. Such a masterful guitarist and a real pleasure to watch.

The smiles throughout the performance this evening were simply infectious; the band members were all having a great time.  You could just see the energy and how they were literally exchanging the energy.  The sounds were over the top.  Having attended the night before, the difference was evident.  Having John Scofield playing alongside Ross James and Grahame Lesh just took it to the next level (if that is even possible). There were tremendous guitar solos/riffs and tremendous respect.  Maybe it’s just me but watching Grahame with his dad and seeing how they look at each other; their interaction is awesome. The pride and respect that you can see and feel is beautiful. You don’t just see it between the two of them, you see it amongst all of the band members. 

At the end of the day, we are witnessing another iteration of a band that is covering the Grateful Dead in their own way.  What makes this so special is that one of the Patriarchs of the “family” is playing and he isn’t a youngster.  His ability to keep up with these “kids,” for lack of a better term, is commendable. This was the very first time I had ever seen Phil Lesh sit, or lean (he had a stool to the side of where he stood) during a performance, and while he did not sit until towards the end, in my mind, it was noteworthy.  It did NOT detract from his performance.  As a matter of fact, John also had a stool at his disposal, and he used it several times during the show.  It should be noted that sitting and playing did NOT diminish the quality of the performance or their tremendous ability to play.

If the first set was any indication, the evening was off to a jamming start.  The first set ended with an incredible 15 to 20-minute jam of “Playing in the Band” > "I Know You Rider" which left us all yearning for more. It was an outstanding performance in so many ways. 

Of course, it was in Set Two when the true celebration would reach its pinnacle with the surprise singing of Happy (78th) Birthday to Phil Lesh with 2,000 of his closest friends.  What was an even a bigger surprise was when Phil was joined on stage by members of the Port Chester (NY) Volunteer Fire Department.  He was presented with a customized and personalized fire helmet, jacket (only given to members/honorary members of the fire company) and a certificate naming him an honorary member of the Harry Howard Hook & Ladder Company #1. There was a round Grateful Dead-themed cake presented by Peter Shapiro (owner of the Capitol Theater and Brooklyn Bowl). The celebration was in full force.

This evening, there were truly memorable jams from this group, topping it off was an out of this world, supernatural "Dark Star."  Having lost Stephen Hawking at age 76 the day before, his memory was honored by piping in his synthesized voice during the first part of "Dark Star" with his words speaking about the Universe.  What a spacey "Dark Star" it was; truly a treat! The crowd was so loving it.

The second set was even more high energy than the first one – not sure how it was even possible. These guys were on fire (ohh and the fire department was in the house LOL).  This was the never-ending second set which began with "The Music Never Stopped," Led Zeppelin’s "No Quarter" into "Shakedown Street" into “Dark Star” and then transitioned into “Help on the Way” into “Slipknot.”  It was followed by “Casey Jones” when flowed back into “Slipknot” which then morphed into Franklin’s Tower before circling back to complete the second stanza of “Dark Star.”  They closed out this second set with a tremendous “Morning Dew.”

Needless to say, the setlist for this show was well scripted.  Clearly, these guys played their hearts out. What a memorable show it was, and you could see that by the end of the show Phil was exhausted.  Damn, we were exhausted just watching.  Such incredible energy and stamina he has. For Phil to be able to perform nightly the way he does is just amazing.  After a short break, Phil took the stage with his customary ‘Donor Rap’ everyone should become an organ donor; he always expresses his gratitude for Cody who saved his life and acknowledges how fortunate he is to be able to be here with us and to enjoy his family. The rest of the band then took the stage again to treat us to an encore.

All I can say is that we got our cake and ate it too.  …and with the encore, I felt like it was my birthday and I got my present too.  It was made to order, “Ripple,” that was the gift at least mine anyway.  What a way to end this incredible night of celebration and happiness with the crowd and the band in harmony singing together.  Truly a memorable evening, one I will not soon forget. So fortunate to have been able to share it with so many happy, grateful people.

Night two, “One More Saturday Night” at Citi Field is in the books!  Very lucky to have attended both shows. The weather was spectacular on this second night of the two-night run at the ballpark. Dead & Company 2018 Summer tour is in full swing and at the halfway point. I have been following Dead & Company since their inception and witnessing what I see as an evolution.

When I left Citi Field on Friday night, I thought to myself, wow, that was a great show despite the fact that the stadium was kind of empty as compared to last summer’s run.  It really started and ended on a high note.  Left me wondering what night two would be like.  Fast forward to night two.

I entered the stadium just before 7 pm, the field was noticeably full, and the rest of the stadium was also filling in very nicely; way better than the night before. Tonight, the crowd was a nice mix, not as young as Friday night, more along the lines of the usual attendees I would have expected to see.   

The band took the stage just a few minutes after the scheduled start time of 7:30 pm and right out of the gate the stage was ablaze with a kick-ass “Sugar Magnolia” with John and Jeff taking amazing solo turns on their toys. The energy level was really high, both from the band perspective, but also from the crowd perspective. A gathering of extremely happy, spirited, smiling and dancing people.  The band went right into “Mississippi Half-Step” with John hitting the high notes with his incredible voice, giving it his all.  Then, Bobby sang his heart out with a great rendition of “Peggy-O” before handing the reigns back over to John to lead us through a high energy “Bertha.” Next, we were treated with one of the many highlights of the first set, featuring the one and only Oteil and his beautiful voice on “Comes a Time.”  The audience just ate it up, and if that wasn’t enough, the band delivered us an absolutely explosive rendition of Bird Song into New Speedway Boogie back into Bird Song to finish off the first set. There was so much damn energy coming from that stage, and that energy was definitely being reciprocated by the audience. These guys were bopping around, smiling and completely in sync with each other.  Damn, we were experiencing some really good stuff.  The band, in my opinion, had just risen to a new level with their tremendous jams, vocals, and exceptional playing.  

The first set ended around 9:05 pm and the second set began approximately 50 minutes later. Ok, it was a long set break, basically five minutes longer than the night before but frankly who cares, it was a well-deserved break! On to set 2 beginning with “Help on the Way” > “Slipknot” > “Franklin’s Tower” and that was a winning trifecta. From the epic solo by John on the guitar to the interplay/echoing between he and Jeff on the keys, Bobby on his guitar,  Oteil slaying it on the bass,  and those rhythm devils,  together they created this fantastic multi-layered soundscape that was nothing short of incredible.  John’s vocals were nothing short of angelic tonight as he hit the high notes.

Then the show got a bit interesting, only for a minute or two at the beginning of St. Stephen when there was some discontent, or maybe confusion, etc. on the part of Bobby, and the band stopped playing for a second but quickly got back on track as if nothing happened. The band segued into “The Eleven,” which, by the way, had never been played on the tour, before tonight and tonight being the eleventh night of the 2018 summer tour found its spot. This transitioned us into the next dimension of drums and space. …and like last night, the rhythm devils (Mickey and Bill) were again joined by Oteil, adding yet another dimension to this incredible segment of the show. It was not the same as the night before. Tonight, sounded a bit different with more of an African/tribal yet contemporary vibe. Whatever it was, it took us on a rhythmic journey, always unique, and you never end up the same place twice.

As we landed back on earth from our space journey, we were treated to an amazingly killer rendition of “Eyes of the World” featuring Oteil’s outrageous bass playing solo, along with over-the-top solos from John, the czar of the guitar, slaying it and Jeff, the beast of the keys, smiling away. Next up was just the icing on the cake with “Stella Blue,” and Bobby again taking the mic , delivering strong, heartfelt vocals. Closing out set two was a shining rendition of “Sunshine Day Dream,” these guys were glistening and a tremendous ray of light bringing us full circle.  The boys left the stage for a short minute or two to only come back and give us a single song encore of “One More Saturday Night.”

While for some this may have been just one more Saturday night, it this clearly wasn’t the run of the mill Saturday night. Absolutely was not, but, also not sure what I experienced on this particular Saturday night. Song after song these guys were just killing it, from the scorching jams and improvisation, to the incredible solos showcasing their talent. Each and every one of them were on top of their game tonight. The energy in the stadium was crazy-good.  The synergy, the mastery, the vocal sounds, and registers were clearly on another level. This may be the best show of this tour, and maybe even past tours as well.  Dead and Company rocked Citi Field; they were on fire and brought the house down. All I can say is, I’m so grateful and “Thanks for a Real Good Time.” …until next time!

The Brothers and Sisters Reunion, a collaboration of “A-List” musicians that includes former members of the Allman Brothers Band and related offshoots including the Gregg Allman Band, Dickey Betts Band, etc. These individuals were deeply intertwined in creating the sound of this Southern Rock “feel-good” music we all know and love. The music they play is authentic and, in the spirit as it was intended, performed by a band whose members were directly involved in the creation and performance of the music and its legacy.

Tonight’s line-up included:

Mark Greenberg – Dickey Betts Band and Jaimoe’s Jasssz Band

Andy Aledort – Dickey Betts Band and Jaimoe’s Jasssz Band

Johnny Neel – The Allman Brothers Band

David Stoltz - Dickey Betts Band and Jaimoe’s Jasssz Band

Kris Jensen - Dickey Betts Band and Jaimoe’s Jasssz Band

Anastasia René – The Gregg Allman Band

With Special Guests:

Greg Humphreys – Dillon Fence, Hobex, Greg Humphreys Music

TASH Neal – The London Souls

The show took place at Live at The Falcon located in Marlboro, NY.  The Falcon is a rustic, music-friendly venue whose walls were adorned with a myriad of rock n’ roll art and memorabilia. It’s set up in a supper club-style along the likes of the legendary Bottom Line.

The band took the stage at 8:25pm and were sizzlin’ right out of the gate. It was obvious that these guys channel their love of what they do and it resonates through the music. Projected on the screen behind the band were shots from “Live at the Fillmore” and “The Brothers and Sisters” and adjacent to the stage was a picture of Duane Allman peering and watching over the performance.

The Brothers and Sisters Reunion played the classic and favorites, the music the crowd clearly wanted to hear. The special guests this evening included a couple of outstanding guitar players, TASH Neal of The London Souls and Greg Humphreys of Greg Humphreys Music, Dillon Fence and Hobex.  Also, joining the show for a song was Tommy Booths on bass.   Vocals this evening were shared by the soulful sounds of Johnny Neel, Andy Aledort, Greg Humphreys, Anastasia René, and some background vocals by Kris Jensen.

It was incredible to watch the stage dynamic of these musicians who were clearly enjoying themselves.  There was a lot of history on that stage. Many had made music together for years, and this iteration, together with the legend, Johnny Neel, was absolutely a treat to watch. They never disappoint. What an honor to be in the presence of so many talented musicians as we listened to the music that filled our hearts as they carry the torch and continue the Allman Brothers Band legacy. The Road goes on Forever.

To stay in the loop for upcoming shows, please “like” our Facebook page: The Brothers and Sisters Reunion

It really wasn’t just “One More Saturday Night” even though it was.  Yes, the show was on a Saturday night, and I was really happy about that. Having been to at least one and sometimes two shows since the band began touring together in 2015. Most of those shows had been in NY, one in South Florida and now, one in Atlanta. I knew this one would be special and it was a new adventure; my first show in Atlanta.

Dead and Company performed its customary two (2) set show to a sold-out crowd except it was different.  There was something in the air that night other than the oppressive humidity (even more than in South Florida and that’s heavy). The venue, a 7,000-seat covered amphitheater as well as open-air lawn seating to hold approximately 18,920.

The first set charged right out of the gate with Scarlet Begonias with Weir on vocals…and well, they never looked back. They followed this mighty strong opener with the Music Never Stopped with vocals shared by Weir and Mayer. They sounded great.  Mayer led the band through Alabama Getaway both on vocal and some mind-blowing guitar solos; simply amazing. Then Bob took over with Big River, a Johnny Cash cover, and Jeff was sizzlin’ on the keys. This was followed by West LA Fadeaway – for the first time this summer…and Oteil kickin’ it on bass, and Mayer in the groove exploding on the guitar. The set continues with some more crowd favs, including Tennessee Jed, which incited audience participation as the spirited, dancing crowd sung along. Next up was an incredible Bird Song which transitioned into a fabulous Loose Lucy and then back into Bird song to close out the opening set.  It was a mighty long, and strong first set.

After a short break, that band returned to the stage and noodled around before breaking into The Other One with Weir on vocal and some incredibly high-spirited jams.  Then, Mayer took over on vocal for an outstanding Franklin’s Tower as Oteil continues to groove and smile as he plays that bass.  What an incredible performance only to be followed by Crazy Fingers, another first play on the soon to be ending summer tour.  Crazy Fingers segued into Terrapin Station. The crowd was on its feet for most if not all of this show.  The Terrapin jams were absolutely off the charts and this transitioned into the most moving drums and space.  Oteil joined Mickey and Bill on the drums…they were in sync, in the zone, and treated us to a jaw dropping drums segment which was followed by the infamous Space.  Those Rhythm Devils plus Oteil are truly something else, there’s nothing like it. Mickey and his beam, what can I say except, the reverberation of this sound throughout the venue took us ‘out of this world’ and what a journey it was. Mayer absolutely killed it on Althea and the crowd was more than pleased.  The set continued with Weir’s heartfelt “Standing on the Moon,” where we witnessed a full emotional experience both vocally and physically; the crowd was very touched. What an incredible moment.

The set closure was the predictable “One More Saturday Night” with Weir on vocals leaving the moon in his rearview mirror. …and FINALLY, they let Oteil sing…the fitting encore for this scorching hot evening literally and figurative with Fire on the Mountain. 

Well, Atlanta was surely Hotlanta this evening; they were on fire.  These guys are as passionate as ever banging out the incredible tunes. No two shows or songs are ever the same always delivering a unique experience to their fans.  …and about John Mayer… I just have one thing to say, love him or not, he is an extremely talented and his musicianship is indisputable. The boys are and were ALL IN tonight and whether present in person or enjoying the couch tour, everyone was treated to another fabulous Dead & Company show…on one more special Saturday night.

Check out more photos from the show.