Phil Lesh & Friends spent the weekend in Colorado where the ensemble performed at Denvers Fillmore Auditorium on Friday and Morrison, COs Red Rocks on Saturday. Fridays performance found the quintet offering a mix of material ranging from Grateful Dead classics (Scarlet Begonias, Fire on the Mountain, Box of Rain) to Jackie Greene originals (Im so Gone) to covers (Bob Dylan/The Bands This Wheel’s On Fire) to material by former Lesh collaborator Ryan Adams (Let it Ride). The group also debuted some material, including the Beatles Mean Mr. Mustard and the new Lesh/Warren Haynes original Spots of Time. On Saturday Phil Lesh & Friends offered a bonus acoustic set between its two standard electric sets at Red Rocks, featuring Friend of the Devil, Greenes Sweet Somewhere Bound, Deep Elem Blues, Brokedown Palace, Tell Me Mama and Ripple. In addition to a first time reading of Sweet Somewhere Bound, the group also ran through the singer/songwriters Cold Black Devil for the first time and reinterpreted the Allman Brothers Band sing-a-long Midnight Rider.
While in the area, Leshs current keyboardist Steve Molitz also played a pair of shows with his longtime band Particle. On Friday the group performed at Boulders The Fox Theatre and, instead of taking a set break, brought out former New Groove of the Month Green Lemon for a instrumental swap beginning with Control. After taking a short rest, the members of Particle returned to the stage for a jam with Green Lemon which led into Eye of The Storm. After Leshs performance at the Fillmore Friday, Particle also played late night at the nearby Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom. Phil Lesh & Friends will perform at St. Louis, MOs The Pageant tomorrow.