Always an interesting discussion. I agree that the FTW shows were billed as the last with the "core 4" and so nothing has changed. They were likely the last time they would all play shows together. I knew the rest would still play, just in different permutations.
Chicago, though, that was nutty expensive, even up to day of. Had friends at those and you weren't getting in for less than $450 for what they could find. That's insane, indeed.
Well, I had a friend who is a flight attendant get me a buddy pass to fly from Santa Clara to Chicago and back to Eugene, so all I paid for was taxes on the flight. I had no tickets when I arrived, nor a place to stay. I ended up at a friend's at the Hyatt and it cost me $150 for three nights. I bought tickets each day outside the show: Fri was $75, Saturday was $65 and Sunday I got a free ticket. Oh, and I was on the floor for all 3 nights, with a great view. So I paid very little to attend Chicago.
Lastly, to the Mayer haters. I understand he may not be your cup of tea. But remember that Clapton, Buddy Guy, BB King, etc. have all invited him out on stage to play with them multiple times. He is not slouch, and though he's a pretty boy, he can back it up. Check out these, for some ability:
"Just a different guitar/bass combo."
As if that is a small thing? Those are arguably the two more important positions in the band.
The two best musicians at Fare Thee Well won't be part of these shows with Mayer.
Exactly.
I think Mayer is a good guitar player, but I don't think he'll bring what Trey did. We'll see.
Oteil is great, but Phil is just on a different planet.
Frankly, Weir hasn't done a thing for me in about 30 years.
Still, I am very glad this music is surviving. For me, I'd rather hear Phil & Friends or JRAD.
Hope everyone that goes has a blast
I would say John Mayer suffers from early-era Peter Frampton "pretty boy" syndrome, but it goes well beyond that as he has this horrible habit of opening his mouth and putting his foot in it. Having said that, were the shows in my neck of the woods, I would go in a heartbeat. I am just happy that this music still has an audience, and there are still musicians willing to play it. Mayer is a fabulous guitar player and would put his own spin on matters. I would'nt expect him to bring it like Trey, nor would I expect Trey to bring it like Jerry. Apples and oranges. I hear you about Phil and Friends and JRAD (my two favorite post-Jerry bands), but I'm curious how this will play out. I would hope there will be some sort of livedownloads.com/Munchmusic/Instant Live products available.
For those of you going, I envy you. Have a blast and perhaps a Guinness for me.
Blooby
[Edited on 8/30/2015 by Blooby]
"Just a different guitar/bass combo."
As if that is a small thing? Those are arguably the two more important positions in the band.
The two best musicians at Fare Thee Well won't be part of these shows with Mayer. That's a pretty huge difference to me.
I know not everyone here likes Phish as much as I do, but as somebody who doesn't like Mayer and is a big Trey fan, that is a huge step down.
Oteil is certainly some consolation, but as great as he is, Phil Lesh is a distinct and irreplaceable part of the Dead sound.
Very true. I am not going to either the MSG shows or the Philadelphia shows since Phil Lesh is not on bass, and I am not a fan of Mayer's playing. If Trey were the guitarist and Oteil or Mike Gordon who was originally asked to be on bass were there I would be going.
Oteil is an excellent bass player but I did find it odd how the ABB towards the end would at times cover dead songs or tease dead songs.
I'm not a tie-dyed in the wool (Grateful) Dead fan or aficionado by any means. I like them. I love quite a bit of their stuff and I've seen them (including the Jerry years) several times.
I don't understand comparing Phil to Oteil in any sense. It makes no sense. They are both amazing players on a plateau where any comparison can only translate into which players style you prefer. I just don't get selecting a better/best player between the two. Oteil is as good a bassist as exists in our galaxy. If you prefer Phil over him, that's your call.
Mayer as (peak career - popularity wise) Peter Frampton. I get that. Got a little chuckle there! I think John Mayer is a fine player. He doesn't really do that much for me personally. He certainly has the pretty boy appeal that the young girls go for. That should make his accountant very happy. I do not think he is as fine a player as Peter Frampton is. Again, my personal taste.
I don't mind Mayer's playing, it's his baby-talk vocals that I don't like.
His song "Daughters" is on my list of worst songs I've ever heard.
Was hoping for a MI date but no surprise that it didn't happen. With the addition of Buffalo that is four shows in the state of NY though.
Reading all these comments I realize that everyone has their own likes and dislikes when it comes to musicians. I loved the fare thee well shows but still thought trey was one of the weakest additions to a dead line-up in ages. Trey can't play or sing those songs half as well as I've seen so many others do over the years but it was still fun to watch. Warren Haynes, joan osbourne, Jimmy Herring on guitar. Even Chris Robinson did a nice job with dead songs. For what it's worth I don't believe trey can sing or play guitar on the same level as John mayer. What mayer lacks, and it appears obvious from reading the posts, is credibility. His rise to fame in pop music doesn't help with many fans but I'd rather see this line up than the fare thee well. I love Phil and his playing but would also rather see otiel on this one. From a purely technical standpoint, John Mayer is more than capable. The biggest question is whether he can provide the intangibles - that vibe or spirit and is often felt at a dead show. Trey brought it and that's why it worked. I definitely would not knock this ensemble. I think these shows are gonna be awesome.
I'd 100 times rather hear Oteil sing than Phil.
Let Oteil sing!
[Edited on 9/11/2015 by JakeBlues69]
I think this line-up would be interesting and quite musical if the dead snobs gave it an un-biased listen.
Also, I never did get why some deadheads HATE Warren Haynes???
[Edited on 8/31/2015 by pops42]
I'm a deadhead I am all for this lineup. Not really a fan of Mayer's music - my wife played me some of his stuff - meh...but I do recognize that the man CAN play guitar. As far as Warren - anyone that dislikes Warren is not a real fan of this genre. His playing just gets better and better as the years pass. The chops he shows on Ashes and Dust are amazing. I think it's the younger crossover Dead / Phish, whatever the jam band flavor of the day fans, who are the ones that don't like Warren. They just see him as the guitarist from that southern rock band....
I think this line-up would be interesting and quite musical if the dead snobs gave it an un-biased listen.
Lots of folks will listen! I'm very intrigued, as it will be another different approach to what has become an eternal songbook.
From what I've gathered over time (not that I agree, just what I've observed) the feeling is that Warren is too much of a presence in the Dead setting, that he overbears the musical collective and that his guitar style can be too bombastic for the music. Again, that's a summary of the comments I've read and heard, not my own opinion. I think that there must be a solid guitar presence in that spot. Many of the versions of Ratdog I always thought that was the biggest thing that was lacking.
I'd 100 times rather hear Oteil sing than Phil.
Let Oteil sing!
[Edited on 9/11/2015 by JakeBlues69]
All a matter of taste but as good as Oteil is Phil IMHO is the better bass player and his musicianship is evident in his playing.
As a long time GD fan,I kinda like hearing Phil sing,recognizing he's not that good.On bass,few are equal.
Looking forward to seeing Oteil this weekend.....anybody here doing Albany or NYC shows???
I'm in both MSG nights, should be interesting. 50 years keepin' the music live.
