Phil Lesh & Friends' Mardi Gras Spectacular
with Special Guests Umphrey's McGee

by Margaret Pitcher

photos by David Vann
February 12, 2005
Bill Graham Civic Center, San Francisco

It was a party alright, from the opening song to the sequined feathered dancers to the parade that wove its way through the dance floor to the double-encore that wrapped up an epic night of music and merriment. This show was billed as a "Mardi Gras Spectacular" and that's exactly what we got. It was somewhat of a departure from the Phil Lesh & Friends shows his fans have become accustomed to – less of a mind-bending musical journey and more like a raucous carnival – but in the end even the pickiest fans couldn't deny that they got their money's worth.

The Phil Lesh & Friends line-up has shifted around a bit since its inception and his more recent shows have featured a "surprise" roster – since his bandmates' contracts expired last year the fans are left to speculate who his Friends might be on any given night. The three-night Phil & Friends run at the Warfield in December certainly set the stage for tonight, and with the exception of the guest horn section the same players returned for the Mardi Gras show. Only this time around there were not two but all of the members of bluegrass sensations Railroad Earth, plus some well-placed guest appearances by Theryl "Houseman" DeClouet (former Galactic vocalist) and a tight opening set by Chicago prog-rockers Umphrey's McGee.

The "Phil Lesh Quintet" that had become so familiar to fans over the last four years brought out an adventurous side to the venerable bassist, and their performances produced an often dark, psychedelic mind-bolt. With the entire crew of Railroad Earth hobbits on stage, the sound on this night veered straight into bluegrass territory particularly when they performed two songs off RRE's current album. These tunes sandwiched a superb "Cumberland Blues" that was delivered with an incredibly fast tempo. With a tip of the hat to Particle keyboardist Steve Molitz – who showed some serious skills, even as he sported a comical Uncle Sam top-hat ­– the band played a Particle tune that sounded great with a full ensemble treatment. Throw in some funk and soul stylings from a dapper Houseman, classic Mardi Gras songs, and straight-up bluesy numbers and you have a mix that could be a bit too all-over-the-map. But somehow it blended together well, and the many high points of the nearly seven-hour music marathon made up for the few disjointed moments.

Leading a twelve-member ensemble from all ends of the musical spectrum isn't easy and it was clear that this band had just a few rehearsals under its belt. This was especially apparent with Chris Robinson who took his cues from a teleprompter. And yet his vocals, including a heartfelt turn on "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man," were impressive, earning kudos from even non-fans of the Black Crowes. Gloria Jones and Jackie LaBranch, beloved singers from the Jerry Garcia Band, were a bit shaky taking the lead on "Playing in the Band" (a nod to Phil's cohort Bob Weir who fell ill at a recent RatDog show and could not return to the stage for the second set). But for the rest of the night their lovely back-up vocals provided a much-needed layer of grace and depth, and when Phil introduced his players at the end of the night these ladies got the loudest round of applause.

Jimmy Herring is a long-standing Phil collaborator whose excellent guitar work in a number of projects has made him a humble star. People inevitably compare him to Jerry Garcia, and though like Garcia he speaks volumes with his intricate playing the man has a distinct voice and has rightfully come into his own as a front line performer. Not to be overlooked is veteran Bay Area guitar man Barry Sless. Regrettably he was too low in the mix much of the time, but even so his amazing skills on both electric and pedal steel guitar shone through. Drummer John Molo is a thundering beast that Phil has kept on board through various incarnations of the band, and for good reason. He provides a solid driving rhythm that can adopt to any number of directions the band decides to take. As for Phil himself, he looked healthy and hearty and played with immense vigor. It's not often you get to see Phil Lesh in a shiny blue superhero cape, which he donned for the second set. The man was clearly out to have a good time.

There were several tasty treats for die-hard Grateful Dead fans. In addition to "Cumberland Blues," "Loose Lucy" and "Uncle John's Band" got a lively treatment, as did "Sitting On Top Of The World," an old-school gem. "New Speedway Boogie" was another high-point, an enveloping and downright rockin' song whose chorus ("One way or another, this darkness got to give") sounded as timely and foreboding tonight as when it was recorded in 1970. In addition to "Do Right Woman" there were other creative and inspired cover songs including The Band's "Life Is A Carnival" and The Beatle's "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away." The ensemble even breathed life into the Rolling Stone's chestnut "Brown Sugar" and surprised the audience with a rendition of Bob Dylan's "Hurricane" that started out sounding like favorite Dead Dylan cover "All Along the Watchtower."

The evening started off on a high note thanks to Umphrey's McGee. This six-headed monster from the Midway is on a roll which makes some folks wonder what the fuss is all about. With their excellent musicianship, complex instrumentals, and a singular sound that shifts between prog-rock, heavy metal and fluid jams, the boys did very well on the big stage. Phil even joined them for a "Franklin's Tower" which closed their set – a reprise of his sit-in at San Francisco's Great American Music Hall when the Umph played there in October. The players in this former bar-band have strong musical communication and a sincerity about their playing, not to mention a highly original sound, all of which will help ensure they become a recognizable talent and not an over-hyped sensation.

The night was great fun for both the veteran Dead-heads and novices, and with the exception of a few tweakers who bullied their way onto the dance floor the crowd was friendly and upbeat. A dancing procession and parade of floats from the Unbroken Chain Foundation and fan organizations DeadNetCentral and Philzone – not to mention an incredible balloon drop – got things nice and heated up for the second set. It was good Mardi Gras fun for all ages: Adults decked out in crazy costumes were entertaining themselves as much as their fellow fans, and the little boy in our section was having the time of his life chasing big purple and yellow balloons. When the lights finally went up you couldn't help but feel like a kid walking out of the dance floor among balloons, strings of colorful beads and tiny purple and green plastic babies that were tossed from the floats. And lord knows we all slept like babies after the revelry was done.

Phil Lesh & Friends: Phil Lesh (bass), John Molo (drums), Jimmy Herring (guitar), Barry Sless (guitar, pedal steel), Chris Robinson (vocals, acoustic guitar, harmonica), Steve Molitz (keyboards), Tim Carbone (violin), John Skehan (mandolin), Todd Sheaffer (acoustic guitar), Andy Goessling (sax, flute, dobro), Carey Harmon (percussion), Gloria Jones and Jackie LaBranch (vocals), Theryl "Houseman" DeClouet (vocals)

Umphrey's McGee: Joel Cummins (keyboards, vocals), Brendan Bayliss (guitar, vocals), Ryan Stasik (bass), Andy Farag (percussion), Jake Cinninger (guitar, Moog, synthesizers, vocals), Kris Myers (drums, vocals)