46107

The Dead played Angel Orensanz, Roseland Ballroom & Gramercy Theatre - pics & setlists

words, by Andrew Frisicano, photos by Fresh Bread

The Dead

[The Dead‘s] three performances explored the various sides of the group’s persona: the Angel Orensanz Society gig stripped the group down to the trio Lesh, Weir and Haynes and focused on some of Robert Hunter and Jerry Garcia’s most beloved songs. Fans could both feel the group’s fraternal nature and its frailties (the room was so small that when a fan screamed “we miss Jerry” Lesh shot back with “and you think we don’t?”).

The band’s slightly larger show at the Blender Theatre showcased what happens to that chemistry when keyboards and drums are added to those skeletal song structures. In many ways, the middle gig felt the most like Weir’s longtime band RatDog — the most solidified off all The Dead’s current side-projects. The 65-mintue show opened with an extended jam that segued into a continuous set of music hinged on “Playin’ In The Band,” “Good Lovin,'” ” The Wheel,” “Franklin’s Tower” and the encore of “Touch of Grey.” “The Wheel,” in particular, symbolized the evening’s theme as Weir, Lesh and Haynes sang the line “bound to cover just a little more ground” to a room of people scurrying across town to make it to all three performances.

While the night’s two preceding performances were limited to a shade over an hour, the group’s Roseland gig clocked in at over 100 minutes and had the feel of one of the group’s trademark, exploratory second sets. Like both of The Dead’s earlier performances, venue staff also let in ticketless fans as the show drew near. [Jambands.com]

As reported, the Dead played three free, ticketed shows on Monday, March 30th at three different NYC venues after starting the day by performing on The View.

The Dead tour this spring with 4 NYC-area shows, visiting Nassau Coliseum, Madison Square Garden and the IZOD Center. The tour will be their first in five years, and includes a July 4th Rothbury, MI Rothbury Music Festival

Pictures from the band’s Gramercy show, with all three set lists, below…

The Dead

The Dead

The Dead

The Dead

The Dead

The Dead

The Dead

The Dead

The Dead

The Dead

The Dead

The Dead

The Dead

The Dead

The Dead

The Dead

The Dead

The Dead

The Dead

The Dead

The Dead

The Dead

The Dead

The Dead

The Dead

The Dead

The Dead

The Dead

The Dead

The Dead

The Dead

The Dead

The Dead

The Dead

The Dead

The Dead

The Dead

The Dead

The Dead

The Dead @ Angel Orensanz Center for the Arts 03/30/09, 5pm set list
“Dire Wolf”
“Birdsong”
“Cumberland Blues”
“Pride of Cucamonga”
“Lazy River Road”
“Casey Jones”
Encore: “Ripple”

The Dead @ Gramercy Theatre 03/30/09, 8pm set list
Jam> Playin’ In The Band->
Good Lovin’->
The Wheel->
Franklin’s Tower
Encore: Touch Of Grey

The Dead @ Roseland Ballroom 03/30/09, 11pm set list
“Althea” ->
“Cassidy”
“Uncle John’s Band”
“Eyes of the World” ->
“St. Stephen” ->
“Dark Star” ->
“Sugar Magnolia”
Encore:”Not Fade Away”

The Dead – 2009 Tour Dates
Sun 4/12 Greensboro, NC Greensboro Coliseum
Tue 4/14 Washington, DC Verizon Center
Wed 4/15 Charlottesville, VA John Paul Jones Arena
Fri 4/17 Albany, NY Times Union Center
Sat 4/18 Worcester, MA DCU Center
Sun 4/19 Worcester, MA DCU Center
Tue 4/21 Buffalo, NY HSBC Arena
Wed 4/22 Wilkes-Barre, PA Wachovia Arena @ Casey Plaza
Fri 4/24 Uniondale, NY Nassau Coliseum
Sat 4/25 New York, NY Madison Square Garden
Sun 4/26 Hartford, CT XL Center
Tue 4/28 E. Rutherford, NJ IZOD Center
Wed 4/29 E. Rutherford, NJ IZOD Center
Fri 5/1 Philadelphia, PA Wachovia Spectrum
Sat 5/2 Philadelphia, PA Wachovia Spectrum
Tue 5/5 Chicago, IL All State Arena
Thu 5/7 Denver, CO Pepsi Center
Sat 5/9 Los Angeles, CA The Forum
Sun 5/10 Mountain View, CA Shoreline Amphitheater
Thu 5/14 Mountain View, CA Shoreline Amphitheater
Sat 5/16 George, WA The Gorge
Sat 7/4 Rothbury, MI Rothbury Music Festival