Billy & the Kids at Sweetwater Music Hall, April 8, 2016

Sweetwater Music Hall presents Billy & the Kids with Eric Krasno and Bob Weir
2016-04-08
Sweetwater Music Hall
19 Corte Madera Ave, Mill Valley, CA 94941 USA
9:00 PM, Friday, April 8, 2016

Back to the previous event! ☸ Up to the 2016 yearbox! ☸ Up to the 2016 event list! ☸ On to the next event!

[9:05 PM lights down, Tom and Bob out alone on acoustic guitars]

1. [9:06 PM] Silver Threads (B)
2. [9:10 PM] Friend of the Devil (B)
3. [9:16 PM] Bird Song (B)
   [9:24 PM setbreak]

[9:35 PM lights down, Billy & Kids all out]

1. [9:37 PM] Big Railroad Blues (T)
2. [9:42 PM] They Love Each Other (R)
3. [9:48 PM] West L.A. Fadeaway (E)
4. [9:59 PM] Ruben & Cerise (T) »
5. [10:11 PM] the Wheel »
6. [10:22 PM] Dancing in the Streets (Aaron: Don't Stop Til You Get Enough tease during the bouncy bass bridge section)
   [set ends 10:36 PM]

[11:02 PM lights down, Weir out with the band]

1. [11:05 PM] China Cat Sunflower (T) »
2. [11:11 PM] I Know You Rider
3. [11:22 PM] Help on the Way (T/B) »
4. [11:25 PM] Slipknot! » [11:31 PM] chaos/drums »
5. [11:33 PM] the Other One (B) »
6. [11:43 PM] Wharf Rat (B) »
7. [11:54 PM] Iko, Iko (B)
   [set ends 12:02 AM; back in 3]
    
   Encore
8. [12:05 AM] Workin' Man Blues (B)
   [show ends 12:12 AM]

Billy & the Kids

• Tom Hamilton: guitar, lead & harmony vox;
• Bill Kreutzmann: drums;
• Aron Magner: keyboards, harmony vox;
• Reed Mathis: bass, lead & harmony vox;
  - with special guests -
• Eric Krasno: guitar, lead & harmony vox.
• Bob Weir: guitar, lead & harmony vox.

A hot time in Mill Valley tonight. Bob Weir was all over it. Bravo!

Fashion summary: Weir rockin' in hemp manpris, a Zuckerberg-inspired grey top, and classic brown leather 3-strap Birkenstocks.

I was expecting the show to be a bit more high energy – manifesting that intensity I associate with East Coast rockers – but in retrospect, I think I might have been letting my recollections of JRAD overly color my hopes for tonight. Which isn't to imply I was unhappy with the show in any way. Rather, I was surprised that the setlist seemed to rely on steady Kreutzmann-powered slow shuffles rather than more up-tempo screamers. I was also surprised that Reed played 'straight' bass the whole night – no pedals, no octave doubling, no crazy two handed solos – just solid work in the pocket with Kreutzmann – a refreshing change of pace! While the rest of the band performed admirably, I was particularly happy to hear the guitar work from Weir. He was really solid tonight, consistently adding those interesting licks and fills that make him such an essential (and difficult to replace!) part of the Grateful Dead experience. Yay!

And the encore, Workin' Man Blues? Holy Shit! Weir just owned it. I don't recall hearing him play that tune before (and the Internet tells me that the Grateful Dead only tried it once, at soundcheck on Dec 1, 1973), but if the report from the Boot is correct, maybe Weir's been working on this for his as-yet-unreleased album of cowboy rock. If so, this sample bodes well!

Back to the previous event! ☸ Up to the 2016 yearbox! ☸ Up to the 2016 event list! ☸ On to the next event!