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Published: 2011/01/01

Furthur brought the New Years Eve spectacle traditionally associated with the Grateful Dead to the Bill Graham Civic Center in San Francisco. The New Year’s Eve countdown (which according to several observers, took place a few minutes too early), featured a circus theme with ringmasters and clowns as well as Bill Walton in the guise of Father Time. As for musical highlights, they started early, as the opening “Alligator” and third song “Caution” offered some initial highlights. The second set began with Bob Weir’s classic composition “Cassidy” before an extended segued sequence that began with “The Mountain Song” and led into an animated “I Know You Rider,” a high energy “The Other One,” a rousing “Let It Grow,” an emotionally charged “Stella Blue,” a psychedelic “Viola Lee Blues” and finally a crowd-pleasing version of “Golden Road to Unlimited Devotion.” The third set was preceded by the New Year’s Eve parade, which then saw the band interpret the Rolling Stones “We Love You” before moving into “Sugar Magnolia.” The final set also offered well-received takes on “Unbroken Chain,” a complete “Terrapin” suite and a closing run from “Help on the Way” into “Slipknot!,” “Franklin’s Tower” and then “Truckin’.”

Furthur returns to the stage on February 11 at the 1STBANK Center in Broomfield, CO.