RFK Stadium 6/25
Jfry Blair
Hey, y'all, when I dropped Thad and his girlfriend off he said he was too
tired to post before he went to bed tonite. So let me fill in. Set list
below as written (kindly provided by the bass techie), what was played is
starred. Full report on both shows will follow tomorrow.
RFK 2
DRIFTER'S ESCAPE
RIVER FLOW
WATCHTOWER
BIG GIRL (not played, no alt. listed, what was played was SIMPLE
TWIST)
SILVIO
__________
MAMA (as in, Mama You Been On My Mind !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
DESOLATION*/BOOTS
ONE TOO MANY MORNINGS
_______________________
MAGGIE'S*/CAT'S IN THE WELL
WHAT GOOD AM I*/SIMPLE TWIST
ROLLING STONE
_________
TAKES A TRAIN*/PILLBOX/RELEASED
(and not listed but played was "Rainy Day Women")
Jerry Garcia guested on guitar for the encores, which Bob enjoyed
IMMENSELY.
Today's set was more poised, more intense. Especially the vocals. Nice
weather too. We stayed to the bitter (and the way the Dead go on, it was
pretty bitter!) end in hopes of Bob returning Jerry's favor, but it was
not to be. As I said, I'll post more tomorrow.
Cheers!!
Jeff
Thad Williamson
June 25, 1995
RFK Stadium, Washington, DC
Drifter's Escape
Watching the River Flow
Watchtower
Simple Twist of Fate
Silvio
Mama, You've Been on My Mind (a)
Desolation Row (a)
One Too Many Mornings (a)
Maggie's Farm
What Good Am I?
Like a Rolling Stone
It Takes A Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry *
Rainy Day Women #12 and 35 *
*encore with Jerry Garcia on guitar.
This was a great show!! Once again Jeff Blair, a friend and I
secured front row seats on the field and were able to catch glances
and signal our approval from band members and perhaps even Bob,
although with those shades one can't be sure. Deadheads took up
most of the space round front though, so at points I mouthed the
words and clapped after particularly good phrases to make sure our
man knew WE were into it. I think this perhaps might have had a
good effect...in any case Dylan's singing was stronger than
yesterday's on the whole.
Drifter's Escape, that 2 chord ditty, was great today, stronger
than saturday show. The soloing consists of a lot of banging on
one or two high notes by Jackson but is quite effective. My
personal theory is that this song choice by Dylan is his personal
tribute to the O.J. Simpson saga. Watching the River Flow was nice
and upbeat, band sounding great. During the breaks both times
instead of singing "only yesterday I saw someone who was really
shook" he sang "I saw someone whose goose was really cooked" which
I thought was quite funny. Vocals in Watchtower were strong. Simple
Twist had some really sweet guitar playing by Jackson and a good
vocal again. Silvio, the signature of this tour, was again just
great, with Bob really into the singing as compared to yesterday.
Mama was quiet and understated, bob never raising into a wail ,
until pulling out the harmonica. One of my favorite songs, first
time live for me, so I was pleased. He sang more verses than usual
of Desolation, as many as 7 or even 8 I believe, all in jumbled
order, but still a lot there. Then the highlight of the evening
IMO: An absolutely exquisite one too many mornings. Just perfect,
and really impassioned harp playing at the end, with all kinds of
body shaking and contortions going on. Maggie's Farm had some life
to it and Bob singing well. What Good Am I totally lost the
audience but was well done, again Bob into it (I cheered extra hard
for this..) Then, forgoing band introductions, straight into LARS,
which I recognized right away, but none of the dead folks did till
a couple of lines in. Very good version of that, lots of varied
melody singing (mixing in low and high notes...) Then finally Jerry
Garcia emerged for the encore, standing to the right of Baxter (on
Baxter's left) at the back of the stage. Dylan finally cracked a
smile or two, and then quite a few full fledged grins as they
jammed back and forth, probably playing the verse through
instrumentally about 8 or 10 times, that characteristic Garcia
sound playing question and answer with Bob's guitar. Bob turned and
faced Garcia during much of the jamming, and then after mugging
with Jackson, pointed his guitar at Garcia and did three small
bunny hops in his direction, which was great! At the end of that
Dylan and Garcia shook hands, and it was on to crowd-pleasing time
with the one songs all deadheads were prepared to hear, rainy day
women. This too was well done and in the context of the great
concert before didn't seem like an easy sellout to this audience.
It was just fun. All the band members and bob and jerry were
grinning at the end and I was just blown away. Jeff will be giving
his own review shortly (including the long awaited results of our
poll of security staff as to whether Dylan or the Dead was better
on the 24th). Jeff, my friend, and I met Paul Bagnell afterwards
for the official RMD debrief. Having talked to one of the techs
before the show they sent down setlists to Jeff and I:
it read (verbatim)
RFK 2
Drifter's Escape
River Flow
Watchtower
Big Girl
Silvio
---
Mama
Desolation/Boots
One Too Many Mornings
---
Maggie's/Cat's in the Well
What Good Am I/Simple Twist
Rolling Stone
---
Takes a Train/Pillbox/Released
Bob did not appear on the Dead's set. I found the Dead's part more
entertaining tonight, with Jack A Roe (from WGW), Box of Rain, Rain
(The Beatles song), Truckin, If I Had My Way, Not Fade Away, etc.
One terrible note to this concert is that word was circulating
around the stadium that 3 people had been hit by lightning (brief
showers--no serious storm) in the parking lot in the hours before
the concert and 1 person's life was in danger (or possibly already
dead). Will post more info when the papers come out in the morning.
cheers,
Thad
P.S. two more notes: Soundcheck such as I heard consisted of an acoustic
instrumental of Tangled up in Blue, a complete runthrough of Dignity with
Jackson singing (though some think it was Bob--definitely Jackson!), then
about 2 minutes of St. Stephen from the Dead or elements thereof, followed
by a few more verses of Dignity.
secondly, word on rec.music.gdead at this hour is the 3 lightning victims were
in a tree, and that one woman is in critical condition.
Set list__Junee 25
Douglas Paul Evans
This was a good, solid show, with a few definite highlights.
Drifter's Escape
Watching The River Flow
All Along The Watchtower
Simple Twist of Fate
Silvio (this was the first standout. I hadn't heard it live
since '89, and I must say it just rocked!)
Mama, You've Been On My Mind (a)
Desolation Row (a)(This was great, and the first time Bob started
pulling in the Deadheads. Up until that point, it was just us
Bobheads up front. I actually heard a ripple go through the
scant crowd as Bob played.)
One Too Many Mornings (a)
Maggie's Farm (Interesting placement in the set list. It
worked, though. The crowd really got into this)
What Good Am I? (Whatever momentum Bob had going was
momentarily lost here. I thought it was a very nice version,
but it took the next song to bring the crowd back)
Like A Rolling Stone
E: (Both with Jerry Garcia on electric guitar)
It Takes A Lot To Laugh...
Rainy Day Women 12 + 35
Both of those last two electrified the crowd, quite obviously.
Bob reacted quite happily. He gave Jerry a hearty handshake
after the first, and then looked like he was talked into the
2nd. Both featured serious jamming and even a Bob/Jerry guitar
duel or two! After 12 + 35, Bob went to put his arm around
Jerry's shoulder and Jerry grabbed Bob around the waist and
gave him a squeeze. Amazingly, Bob was grinning the entire time.
Bob only played his harmonica twice--during the first and third
acoustic tunes. I was excited to finally see Bob wave his hand
around, but he merely put the harmonica to mouth with one hand,
and firmly gripped his acoustic guitar's neck with the other.
Oh, and one last thing...Bob's shirt had to be seen to be
believed! Powder blue, open to the waist. He wore a white tee
underneath and the black leather pants with the buttons up the
sides that I always see him in lately. The shades did not
leave his face once.
