Search - Phil Lesh & Friends - Live at the Warfield Theater on DVD

Something old and something new

The Delite Rancher | Phoenix, Arizona | 11/10/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

""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."

Thank you, Phil

Gary in New Jersey | Fair Lawn, NJ United States | 11/11/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I love Phil Lesh and Friends. I downloaded every free soundboard Phil has released over the past four or five years. They're excellent concerts. I went to their concert in NYC last February and it was superb. I looked forward to this DVD with great anticipation.

The music on the DVD is great and the playing is great also. Phil is among the best bassists around, Joan is a fantastic singer and adds a new dimension to the songs that wasn't there prior to 2006, when she joined the band. Larry Campbell and John Scofield are great guitarists, and Greg Osby is a good sax player. John Molo and Rob Barraco are a very tight drummer and keyboardist. The video is done well also. It focuses on the musician while he/she is doing a solo. It is not overproduced like most other concert videos.

But this DVD left me a bit wanting. First, I think the set list is weak. These are not the strongest songs performed by Phil and Friends over the years. I would have loved to see the band perform some of the more rockin' Lesh staples from the soundboard concerts such as Cumberland Blues, Shakedown Street, I Know You Rider, Touch of Grey, Sugaree, Fire on the Mountain, Althea, Truckin, and US Blues. The songs on this DVD have a slower tempo, and the band often goes into meandering, spaced-out jams. I found my mind wandering to other things during these parts of the songs. And who mixed the sound on the DVD? The volume of both guitars is much too low, and I agree with a previous reviewer that Greg Osby's sax is too loud and drowns out the guitars.

Overall, I think this is a great concert of Phil and Friends. It could have been a bit better."

Tremendous

Mike Lewandowski | 01/11/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Phil Lesh is an improvisational bass playing master, and this DVD shows him in all his glory. Every show he plays is different so you never know what to expect. While he cannot be spectacular every signal show expectations were high for this release because it is the first official Phil Lesh and Friends DVD release. We are treated to an excellent set list and great playing through out. Phil is at the top of his playing ability. Highlights are plenty and hard to choose but the Uncle Johns Band, New Speedway Boogie, Caution and The Eleven really stand out. Phil is tremendous during Caution and the Eleven. Bass playing at its very best, he is a true master of the instrument, without equal in his field. The supporting cast is top notch as well. John Molo is a drumming machine holding down the beat and whipping out rolls all over the place. Greg Osby is very good in spots taking the whole solo during Slipnot and whipping out great leads during Eyes of the World. Larry Campbell and John Scofield work well together as dual soloist. John Scofield's sound and style of play is fascinating and quite unique, he is a joy to listen too. And what else can be said about Joan Osborne. Her voice is so sexy and heartfelt, as if she was born to sing these great Robert Hunter (and one Bob Dylan song) songs. She sends chills down the back of my neck every time I hear her sing. What a version of Caution WOW yes that is just they Pig Pen would have wanted a woman to sing his song. All in all this release great. No way to go wrong with this DVD"