Guest Book

Here's the set list - you are probably thinking about "Who's Been Talking" - an OUSTANDING song and performance that started during the Beacon run! Of all the non-ABB written songs that were introduced at the annual March lovefest - this was the one that caught my attention the most! Love the guitar interplay between Warren and Derek at the end (and beginning and middle)! Warren's voice is so perfectly suited to this song that he makes it his own! 9/5/2003 The Greek Theatre Berkeley, CA Support: Karl Denson's Tiny Universe Black Hearted Woman Ain't Wastin' Time No More Wasted Words Worried Down With The Blues Melissa The High Cost of Low Living Desdemona (w/Karl Denson, saxophone) Instrumental Illness Don't Think Twice (w/Susan Tedeschi, guitar & vocals) Statesboro Blues (w/Susan Tedeschi, guitar) Who's Been Talking Dreams Whipping Post Mountain Jam Encore: Layla OH MY GOD! Wish I was there - any tapers?! JNB

Great review, sheep! It's hard to describe Derek's playing the last two nights using ordinary words, but you've done an excellent job. I have a question for you and anyone else who was at the Greek last night. The band played a song last night, with Warren singing, that neither goldtop nor I have heard before. At least it didn't sound familiar to us. I believe it was about the middle of the show. I haven't seen a setlist yet. Does anyone know what that song was???

Brothers, It's been a long time crossing "Brigde Of Sighs". I've got 5:30 pm Magi

I'm going nuts!!! WP MJ AND Layla. Tonight should be a Instrumental Illness One Way Out kinda show and LA or SB GOTTA be Whipping Post, Mountain Jam (I won't get greedy and demand Layla) I have not had my MJ fix since 2000 Long Beach Blues Festival and I can't remember the last time I heard Whipping Post. That is a long dry spell considering I've seen them 15 times in the last 10 years. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE hear my plea and give me "the enchilada with the pickle sauce shoved up and down between the donkey's legs until he can't stand it anymore" (for you Frank Zappa Live @ the Filmore fans out there)

This just in...Auburn has scored points. I repeat, Auburn has scored points. Film at 11:00. :boomerang:

Many many thanks to finkelwicz and the Benjamin family for making my trip to Massachusetts over Labor Day even more special than it already was. I drove my daughter to school and took the (all night) train back to Atlanta. I enjoyed watching Mars right out my train window, and it was nice to see kudzu in the morning--I knew I was back in the South! I saw BB King and Jeff Beck last night. Beck tore it up! He reminds me of Derek--let's his fingers do the talking. The BB King Band put on their usual great show. BB says he will be 78 on Sept. 16th. (Hope I spelled "finkelwicz" right).

These past two shows are the best two I've ever seen. Last night was enormous. No compromise, all the jams were huge. It was mainly Derek's night, Warren almost conceeded to him at times, I thought, even though he was scorching all night also. Opened with Black Hearted and the end jam teased the Other One a little more than usual. Warren was playing some of his O1 riffs he does with Phil & Friends. There were several Other One teases throughout the show. AWTNM was owned by Derek, he just tore up his solo. Worried Down was shredding. They played the trio of High Cost, Desdemona & Instr Illness that they did the night before, but each version was different. Karl Denson played a long smoking solo in Desdemona, followed by a very jazzy solo by Warren. Instr Illness was also very stretched out hitting some very psychedelic spots. The jams these days seem to be opening up more and experimental. They play around with the quiet moments in jams, where they're playing around with feedback and tones. They really did that well at the end of High Cost last night, stretching it a little more than usual and also in II, WP & MJ. I love how Derek will build his straight lead solo and then take it back down, before moving to the slide. They hit some interesting places, when they do that. Susan came out again for Don't Think Twice & Statesboro. Derek again, played two beautiful very lyrical slide solos on Don't Think Twice and Susan's vocals were incredible. Warren played slide on this version of Statesboro and Susan played a 3 verse extended guitar solo. Neither Derek or Gregg soloed on Statesboro. Melissa was a quartet, with just Gregg on acoustic, Butch, Warren & Otiel. The whole segment of Dreams, WP, MJ & Layla was amazing. Yes, amazing!!!!!! How do you say it Lana, a-may-zen??? Dreams was Derek's and it was otherworldly (OK I'm running out of adjectives for Derek, I think we need to create some sort of new smilie, to capture what he does). Whipping Post was huge, no compromise, long, long solo's by Derek & Warren. Again Derek did the straight lead first then brought it down and hit some very spacey places, before launching into slide. Warren's solo was blistering, he also built it up, then brought it back down and rebuilt into an incredible climax. They said their thank you's and walked off and I knew MJ was coming, since there was no drum solo yet. I was also hoping for a Layla. They didn't dissapoint. The drums were short in MJ, probably due to time constraints. Otiel did a real nice solo, then the rest came on and started jamming along. No big duel guitar "Third Stone" part, they just started jamming, kind of spacey at first, then Derek went to the slide and started to build and hit some great peaks. During this Warren starts to play The Other One chords, strumming hard, it was quite a moment. I was thinking they might do the Blue Sky jam, but it wound back down into the end of MJ. They walked off stage for about 30 seconds and came right back and launched into Layla. Derek took all the slide, the first solo and the coda. His playing was again, beautiful and lyrical. Brother Duane was smiling. I thought of Duane many times last night, but it was always during one of Derek's scorching solo's. I thought about all the lucky folks who got to see Duane live and how he created this sound that will live on forever. Allen & jamminpappy, sorry I didn't run into either of you last night.

Sorry...but here is a short piece of "ancient history" - from all the way back in July! Just got another version of the Pittsburgh July 26, 2003 show, this one taped and transferred by TODDHASTINGS. Todd's mics were set up right at the front of the stage smack dab in front of Derek (in that "no man's land" between the first row and the stage itself...). I was wondering how that mic placement would turn out, and man oh man, Todd's job would give those "instant Live" folks a run for their money! Who needs soundboards when an audience tape can sound sooo sweet! Great job Todd! Now...get back to those West Coast shows!

As others have mentioned, last night's show at Berkeley was incredible. Dreams>Whipping Post>Mountain Jam>Layla...it doesn't get much better than that. And Susan and Derek's "duet" on Don't Think Twice, leading into Statesboro Blues, which they also did at the Mountain Winery, is very cool. Possibly the best ABB show I've seen, dating back to 1973.

Dreams>Whippingpost>Mtn Jam>Layla! Ummmm......Wow!