Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)"Live at the Warfield Theater" captures a great Phil Lesh & Friends show. Highlights include 'Uncle John's Band.' Larry Campbell's mandolin adds an earthy flare to the classic. 'Eyes of the World' also stands out. Greg Osby's sax reinforces the jazzy feel. Another highlight is 'Unbroken Chain.' After the Dead died, Phil took singing lessons when he knew he'd be singing most of Jerry and Bobby's vocals. Nowhere is this more apparent than on 'Unbroken Chain.' It sounds better than any version played by the Grateful Dead. A strong jam that might slip under the radar for some is 'Slipknot!' In terms of the band, John Scofield is a stand-out. It is a great artistic marriage for Phil Lesh to play with John Scofield. While Scofield's done many 'jammy' projects before, his participation here is unexpected. Scofield adds his signature sound to everything he plays. That Scofield sound is very welcome in this setting. Joan Osborne's vocals effectively reinterpret the time-tested classics. The camera work and video editing is excellent. While the audio work is very well done, the saxophone is too loud in the mix. Deadheads are rewarded with a setlist that entirely consists of Grateful Dead songs. The exception to this is 'All Along the Watchtower,' a Dylan song that the Dead made a live staple. That's not to say that this will appeal to Grateful purists. This is not the Grateful Dead; rather it is a jamband reincarnation. While Bob Weir's Ratdog (this band's counterpart) may be too focused on songs and not enough on improvisation, Phil & Phriends has always had the opposite issue. The most significant problem with this group is that it is too loose. Typically, there are long periods of noodling when nobody has anything important to say. While this has been the modus operandi for the various incarnations of Phil and Friends, Lesh keeps things unusually tight and focused for this particular show. "Live at the Warfield Theater" proves that Phil Lesh has not only done an exemplary job in carrying the Grateful torch, but he's taken it to another level.
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Phil Lesh & Friends - Live at the Warfield Theater (2006)
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