(I reviewed the Dead’s final concert ever yesterday and here I reviewed a night at MSG in 2009. As a writer I was trying to write less densely here, sixteen days after posting my first rock nyc story, after a couple of more weeks I gave up on the effort. As for this review? You’re gonna like it, but not a lot -IL)
Around the fifteen minute mark of “Shakedown Street” the Dead segued into “He’s Gone” -a song Jerry Garcia used to take lead, and the pastoral, countryfied and unique jam of the past hour defined itself: Weir sang “Nothing left to do but smile, smile , smile…” and he was right.
In the world of jam bands the Dead reign supreme: all the runner ups just aren’t in the same league. Entirely unique, entirely the same as they ever were, the Dead can noodle for 20 minutes and the Deadheads trance out and peace and love reign supreme.
This isn’t the nerd intricacy of Phish or the keyboard centered southern boogie of the Allman Brothers (though Warren Haynes plays guitar -and exceedingly well for both the Dead and ABB) or the, considering the genre, succint Gov’t Mule (does Haynes never go home?): this is a unique, improvised, ambient art form.
Yes, ambient. I was straight but I couldn’t concentrate on them for long patches: in the front of my brain was my thought of the back, in the back was the Dead. I went for a wander round MSG to check on the Deadheads in their natural habit and missed absolutely nothing I could tell.
So what are the Deadheads like: they’re fine, a mix of 60 something fat bliokes in pre-manufactured tye-dyed t-shirts and their children sharing a contact high. Lotsa folks hugging, two men puking all over the place, a sense of common perp for all God’s children. We are stardust, we are golden, indeed.
And yet… the Dead were really good. I guess improvisation saves them from nostalgia, I guess when the songs are this sturdy you can mess all you like with the insides. At MSG the songs were first rate country-rock, the jams not particularly indulgent and always with an internal tick tock your ears can hear. They are a five piece band and my bet is if they get themselves on the road for a serious amount of time (25 dates won’t cut it) the Dead will continue the Grateful Dead’s legacy.
