On the Road with Fred

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DEAD ON THE BEACH
Jones Beach, NY August 9-10, 2003

When lagging ticket sales resulted in the cancellation of Bonaroo Northeast, The Dead suddenly found themselves without a venue to host the end of their summer tour. While fans were disappointed to hear The Dead would not be able to close out what was to have been yet another historic moment in the band's illustrious career, their concerns were soon eased as it was announced the festival had been replaced by two nights of all Dead at Jones Beach Amphitheatre on Long Island. Better yet, the band would be performing three sets each night, including their first acoustic sets in the New York area since the famous 1980 at the Radio City Music Hall.

This time around, The Dead came equipped with as many new members as old. While music fans can often be leery of such dramatic change, few could argue that the newcomers were revitalizing the band. This was especially true of guitarist Jimmy Herring, whom most people would agree was by the far the MVP of not only these two shows, but of the entire tour, and vocalist Joan Osborne. Herring's guitar has become the defining sound in the band's new sound, while Osborne has a set of pipes that rivals the best of female vocalist on the road today.

The first show, which took place on the eighth anniversary of the death of founding member Jerry Garcia (marking the first time the surviving members of the band had performed together since Garcia's passing), started with a beautiful acoustic version of the Beatle's "Strawberry Fields Forever." The pace picked up considerably for set two, starting with a rousing "Shakedown Street." "Minglewod Blues" was especially impressive, as were "Tomorrow Never Knows" and "Playin' in the Band."

Standing outside, the rain pouring down, the crowd sang, hugged, kissed, and laughed as the show ended with an emotional, moving "Ripple," serving as a fitting tribute to the memory of Garcia. The show was over, but his legacy would always live on.

The second night, the final show of the summer tour, The Dead seemed intent on giving their fans their all. They were all at their best as "St. Stephen" began, leading to an inspired, and very lengthy, jam that was then followed by the rarely played "William Tell Bridge" and the always-pleasing "The Eleven."

Bassist Phil Lesh's performance of his signature "Unbroken Chain" led the band into a thunderous jam, and, once again, fans were being taken on a journey into "Space" that only The Dead may travel before the darkness gave way to the beauty and wonder that is the "Morning Dew." From there, the rest of the set was flat out Dead on fire - "The Other One," "Terrapin Station," and "Samson and Delilah," all classics done true justice by this band of American icons. "Lovelight," showcasing Osborne at her best," would close the set.

For the encore, standing on the shore of the beach, outside of Manhattan, the Dead, and their faithful, would sing the "U.S Blues,"

Wave that flag
Wave it wide and high
Summertime done come and gone
My oh My
Summertime done come and gone
My oh My

Fittingly, the show, the tour, would end with a "Touch of Grey." The Dead have gotten by; they have survived, and resurrected themselves in the process. With their new members breathing a new fire into the band, the performances on this tour have been their best in well over a decade. These innovators and creators of today's jam scene were indeed built to last.

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