by Sean Reiter
Grahame Lesh and the Terrapin Crossroads Team brought a jamband all-star lineup to The Fillmore for three sold out nights of all things Grateful Dead in celebration of the Phil Lesh and Bobby Weir. Each of the first two nights featured a different lineup of musicians joining the core Grahame Lesh & Friends lineup of Grahame on guitar with singer Elliott Peck, keyboardist/multi-instrumentalist Jason Crosby, John Molo on one of the drum kits and Trey Anastasio Band horn trombonist/singer Natalee Cressman and trumpeter/singer Jennifer Hartswick – a lineup that fueled many of his father’s famous “Phil & Friends” shows over the years throughout the Bay Area and beyond.
The first night show on Friday saw them joined by guitarist Eric Krasno, Taylor (guitars) and Griffin (drums) Goldsmith from Dawes, pedal-steel and guitar virtuoso Barry Sless, legendary keyboardist Benmont Tench of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers and Wolf Bro (and head of Blue Note Records) Don Was on bass. The night was kicked off in touching fashion with Grahame taking the lead on “Box of Rain” – a song originally written by Robert Hunter on the passing of Phil Lesh’s father. Taylor Goldsmith took the helm next for a traditional opening song of so many shows “The Music Never Stopped” before special guest vocalist Eric Johnson (Fruit Bats) joined the stage for a sweet “Row Jimmy.”
Jennifer Hartswick never fails to bring a crowd to an emotional roar with her soulful renditions of the catalog with her powerful voice. Nights one and two were no exception as the crowd witnessed her bringing new energy to “Deep Elem Blues” the first night and then an unforgettable second night, first set “Brokedown Palace” and a second set interlude of Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta’ Love” that appeared in the middle of an incredible “St. Stephen” that sandwiched both the Zeppelin classic and “Turn On Your LoveLight.” Hartswick’s TAB bandmate also took a turn on lead mic with “He’s Gone” on night 2 and the beloved “Stella Blue” on Friday night.
Eric Krasno’s fusion of jazz, funk and rock guitar – along with his smooth voice have always made him seem like he could be at the ready to take over for John Mayer with no notice necessary. Night one saw him bring the first set to a burning close with a stadium-worthy version of”Deal” and thoughout the night he traded guitar solos back and forth with Lesh and Taylor Goldsmith.
The Brothers Goldsmith have long made appearances at all things Lesh and there was no hiding their joy Friday night with Taylor also taking lead on “Bertha” and “Help on the Way” and a “Wharf Rat” that dripped with the middle finger to the man spite amid optimism that Weir brought to it in later years. Brother Griffin did drummer-singer double duty behind his kit on “China Cat Sunflower.”
Other highlights of night one included the second set opener of “Mission in the Rain” with Johnson returning to the stage for lead vocals. The Robert Hunter song of which Mission District-raised Jerry Garica once said “…might be about me…It’s like a little piece of my life..” always hits solidly in hometown shows but on this night and in of the holiest of Grateful Dead chapels the band knocked it out of the park and inspired tears of joy and reflection among the crowd.
Elliott Peck delivered a “New Speedway Boogie” second-set closer that leaned into the “One way or another…this darkness has to give” lyric that was written some 56 years ago but has somehow never seemed more pertinent than today. Peck has always been the secret weapon of the Terrapin Nation and both nights also featured her backgrouond vocals constantly lifting songs to new heights.
Night two brought a new crop of special guests. Oteil Burbridge – bassist for Dead & Company, guitarist Tom Hamilton of JRAD and Billy & the Kids, guitarist Nels Cline of Wilco, former North Mississippi AllStars drummer Cody Dickinson joined longtime Terrapin collaborators singer Nicki Bluhm and Jackie Greene with Twiddle’s Mihali Savoulidis getting a prominent spot as an unannounced special guest.
Hamilton – all smiles all night – led off the night on vocals with “Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo” – a song that always figured prominently in the Phil Lesh universe – whether at a big theater show or outside at the Terrapin backyard for one of his many pop-up afternoon shows. “Cold Rain and Snow” took the second slot with Grahame Lesh on lead vocals. The song fit better into Saturday’s show that followed the impact of Friday’s record-breaking San Francisco March heat that turned the packed The Fillmore into a hot and humid sweatbox that saw at least a handful of people go down. Saturday’s weather outside and inside was far more comfortable and it seemed to empower a show that pushed the rock parts of the catalog further.
Jacke Greene led the band through a menacing and soaring version of “Loser” before Hamilton brought out the all-too infrequent Dead hit “Foolish Heart” for a spin. Jason Crosby led the band through his mash-up of “Friend of the Devil” and Nirvana’s “Lithium” with assistance from Mihali. Crosby’s “The Crosby Collective” is not to be missed live as he leads his band through handfuls of incredible song transitions that demonstrate the affiliation between many different music styles.
The band finished the first set with Mihali leading a fiery “Casey Jones” and then started the second second with Hamilton at the wheel for “Shakedown Street”. Mihali then led an dynamite-filled cover of Dylan’s “All Along The Watchtower” as the crowd roared along and the energy in The Fillmore reached its apex (at least for the first two nights). Oteil Burbridge then turned the pace was slower and more contemplative with a “So Many Roads” that got every drop of sweet sadness and longing from the Hunter classic.
Grahame Lesh led a rollicking “Sugar Magnolias” after the previously mentioned “St. Stephen”. Grahame inherited Phi’s incredible and generous bandleading (we are talking about a band that at times had four guitarists on stage) as he spread the spotlight throughout the players. For those of us who have been around the scene, he has become the heart of the next generation of Grateful Dead and both his guitar work and vocals continue to reach new highs. The weekend was a demonstration that the time he spent playing with his father (and in later years helping lead the performances) has positioned him as not just the heir apparent, but the rightful successor.
The weekend’s setup and rotating cast was reminiscent of the great all-star traveling caravan that Duane Betts and Devon Allman have put together for their annual “Allman Betts Family Revival” tour across the United States. Here’s hoping that perhaps Grahame and the Terrapin crew can bring the vibes they brought to The Fillmore (and Port Chester, New York’s historic Capital Theatre the week before) and share them in some sort of annual tour across the US in the future. While Phil, Bobby and Jerry will always be missed, there is still so much music to be made and memories to be shared with the generations.
