Bob Weir & Wolf Bros. at The Greek Theatre, 10-25-22 Concert Review

Bob Weir & Wolf Bros. playing "Ramble On Rose"

I love that Bob Weir can still, after all these years, surprise us by approaching the Grateful Dead material in fresh ways. I had seen Bob Weir & Wolf Bros. in concert only once before, back in 2018, and that was when the group was just the trio of Bob Weir on guitar, Don Was on bass, and Jay Lane on drums. Obviously, with the addition of keys (Jeff Chimenti), pedal steel (Barry Sless) and a string and brass section, things were going to sound different. But I wasn’t quite prepared for how much those musicians affected the approach to these familiar and beloved tunes. And last night at The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, the group was also joined by a few special guests, including Matthew Kelly on harmonica. The music, particularly during the second set, sounded absolutely fantastic. And while I was a bit sad to hear that Dead & Company are calling it quits after next summer’s tour, if that means more shows with the Wolf Bros., then for me it’s very good news.

The Greek Theatre, by the way, for those who haven’t been there, is a fairly relaxed venue. There was no hassle getting in. My friend Jon and I just walked right in, having only to take our keys and phones out of our pockets before walking through the metal detectors. No one was demanding to go through my pockets. The staff was incredibly friendly. What a great contrast to the fiasco at Dodgers Stadium this summer, when some folks spent the entire first set in line due to the actions of the security people at the gates. It was a cool night in Griffith Park, and I was glad I brought a jacket, though its initial purpose was housing all the goodies I was taking in. The show was scheduled to start at 7 p.m., and a little after 7 the first of the two edibles I had taken kicked in, so I was ready.

Set I

At 7:18 p.m. the house lights went out, and the band took the stage. They kicked off the show with “Ramble On Rose,” easing in, feeling no rush, no hurry. There wasn’t a whole lot of energy, but that was all right. On “Take you to the leader of the band,” the lights bathed the audience, because, hey, we’re all part of this. There isn’t a real leader. Anyway, the music was all slow and steady, until Jeff Chimenti started delivering some nice stuff on keys, and then things began to pick up. Thanks, Jeff! The song also featured a sweet closing moment. Bob followed that with Bob Dylan’s “She Belongs To Me,” featuring some gentle, pretty work on pedal steel. It was an easygoing rendition, the pedal steel really helping to set the tone. At the end, Bob repeated, “She can take the dark out of the nighttime.” Then the band began “Good Morning, Little School Girl,” which had a very different feel from the beginning, a different groove, a different vocal approach than what we’ve been used to from the Dead. My friend Jon commented that it was closer to the original rendition by Sonny Boy Williamson.  It took a moment to get used to, but it was good. Again, I love that Bob Weir is shaking things up. The tune featured a nice jam. That was followed by “Brown-Eyed Women,” which had a sweet vibe, and included some nice harmonies. And there was more good work on keys, Jeff seeming ready, or eager, to drive forward into wilder territory. Of course, it was still early in the night. But this was a good version of “Brown-Eyed Women.”

The horns and string players then joined the group, and they went into “West L.A. Fadeaway,” which had a seriously cool and jazzy intro. A slight lyric flub got the audience cheering and laughing, particularly as when Bob caught himself, the next word he sang was “mistake.” This song was when things started to get interesting, when they started to get really good. I love that moment when Bob held onto that note on guitar, letting it trail off before the “I had a steady job” verse. Also, Matthew Kelly delivered some great stuff on harmonica. This song started to strut about, taking control. And all the lights turned red on “Little red light on the highway,” and green on “Big green light on the speedway.” At some point, a kid joined the group on guitar, though I didn’t really notice him until they were getting ready to go into the next song, which was “Eyes Of The World,” always one of my favorites to see performed live. The horns helped ease into it, and everything felt great. There has always been a wonderfully jazz feel to this song, so the horns were right at home. The kid delivered a really good guitar lead. Yeah, maybe it got just a bit raucous for this song, but everybody was digging it, cheering him on. And the music grew from there, soon leading into the song’s second verse. After that verse, there was a delightful lead on saxophone, which became beautiful at moments, and Bob added a vocal part, repeating “Wings a mile long.” It was then that the kid started singing. Now at the time, no one near me knew who this kid was or what the song was that he started singing, and during the set break it was a topic of conversation among everyone in my section. No one knew, but everyone agreed he could play guitar, though his vocal work left something to be desired, particularly when he tried to belt out some of the lines. Part of the song he delivered as a rap, which kind of killed the mood established by “Eyes.” Well, it turns out the kid is Matty Michna, and the song was “Big Sandy Creek,” which he wrote the music for, but which features lyrics by none other than Robert Hunter. So there you have it. Some nice stuff on trumpet led us back into that groovy territory, and then Bob Weir began to sing Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On.” The line “war is not the answer” received a cheer from the audience. There was a great trombone lead, and then some excellent work by Mads Tolling on violin. That led to the third verse of “Eyes Of The World,” with Bob singing “Sometimes the songs that we sing are just songs of our own” rather than “Sometimes the songs that we hear are just songs of our own.” There was a cool, quirky jam, driven by the horns. And that’s how the first set wrapped up. It ended at 8:32 p.m.

Set II

Set break gave us enough time to use the loo and then get to know some our neighbors, and for me to appreciate those blue lights behind the audience, shining on the trees which seemed to enclose us. And then at 9:04 p.m., the band came back out on stage. It was cooler, and Bob now wore a jacket. So did I. And as they began “Shakedown Street,” I realized that John Mayer was now on the stage, and there was the feeling in the air that things were about to get pretty damn good. The second set, after all, was usually where the magic was at any Grateful Dead-related concert. And this rendition of “Shakedown” featured a fun jam. The energy was there at this point, I’m sure in part because of John Mayer’s presence. And because of the harmonica work, it got kind of bluesy for a bit. But it was that work on trumpet that really propelled things to a higher place, this version getting super jazzy because of the horns. The jam felt like it was knocking on the back door to some other realm, and soon the guys were delivering the “poke around” vocal jam, which was cool. That led directly into “Dark Star,” which meant it was time for some serious exploration. And with the horns, there was possibility of being led into some new lands. Who knew what doors those musicians might open? At first what they seemed to be doing was adding more force to the overall venture, and to each step. It was John Mayer, when taking a lead on guitar, who seemed to be the first to want to take larger strides into strangeness, and soon after that we got the first verse of the song. Pink and blue pinwheels were spinning as we eased out past the last recognizable sign posts, elongated creatures waving hello to us, while the notes spiraled around our dancing bodies. And did we drift too close to a supreme element of chaos? Something perhaps twisted, but not dangerous. Not dangerous to us, anyway. And then we were back in familiar territory, yet also beyond it, as the creatures had now joined us, adding their strengths to the groove, making it solid and fuller.

The band then slid into “China Cat Sunflower,” the presence of horns making this song’s intro just so damn good. There was an interesting hook with the horns, and the jam had a great vibe about it. Of course, that led straight into “I Know You Rider,” the group jamming on the groove for a while before delivering the first verse. That section featured some wonderful work on violin. When they got to the “northbound train” lines, it began to sound like a train barreling down upon us, until we realized that we were the fucking train. This thing was growing, building in power, until it was a roaring, dancing beast. And soon all of us were singing together, which had a sweet vibe, for a strong finish to the song. The band then eased into “The Other One” rather than thundering into it.  It had a relaxed vibe then, not a hint of that ominous beast that often emerges, but rather a cool, jazzy atmosphere. Still, they were exploring, finding new paths within the groove, and beginning to reach out, and before we knew quite was happening, we were in that magical land. Then suddenly, there was an explosion. Holy moly, we didn’t see that coming. And the band was really into “The Other One” at that point, into the growling, rowdy heart of the thing. So why not ease into the first verse? The horns were like detectives from 1930s stories finding themselves in science fiction territory, demanding entry to the spaceship and getting it. Oh, that trombone! Where is it taking us? It seemed to be calling out to the monsters, gaining us safe passage through their territory, their strange waters. Still, we should be cautious, right? No? Okay, then. The violin led us to prettier places, and then farther into weirdness, signaling it was time for the song’s second verse. There was an odd finish to this rendition.

After a little bit of guitar work, Jeff Chimenti delivered a pretty, gentle piano solo, with even some romantic tones, another sweet surprise. Just when I was beginning to get Vince Guaraldi’s “Cast Your Fate To The Wind” in my head, Jeff led the group into “Standing On The Moon.” And this was an incredibly sweet and thoughtful rendition, sans horns. The “coast of California” line got a cheer. This rendition featured some nice pedal steel work, and seemed to grow in both beauty and power. Toward the end, there was some wonderful, passionate playing by John Mayer. That led into “Sugar Magnolia” to close out the second set. That song choice indicated the band was determined to leave us in a good place. The horns were back, and the jam had a ton of energy. I particularly loved the work on violin. During the “Sunshine Daydream” section, the cello was spun around. It was a rousing, exciting and joyous rendition. The second set ended at 10:40 p.m., and the band was back a minute later for the encore, “Ripple,” my favorite song. Both John Mayer and Bob Weir played acoustic guitars, and Bob sported his hat for this one. The show finished at 10:48 p.m.

Set List

Set I

1. Ramble On Rose
2. She Belongs To Me
3. Good Morning, Little School Girl
4. Brown-Eyed Women
5. West L.A. Fadeaway
6. Eyes Of The World >
7. Big Sandy Creek >
8. What’s Going On >
9. Eyes Of The World

Set II

1. Shakedown Street >
2. Dark Star >
3. China Cat Sunflower >
4. I Know You Rider
5. The Other One
6. Standing On The Moon >
7. Sugar Magnolia

Encore

1. Ripple
   

"I Know You Rider"