Back in April 1999, Phil Lesh returned to the stage following his December 1998 liver transplant fir three shows at the Warfield Theatre, benefiting his new Unbroken Chain Foundation. This was the beginning of the era when he would actively gig with a rotating collection of musicians as Phil Lesh & Friends. The three shows on April 15-17, saw him enlist Phish’s Trey Anastasio and Page McConnell along with guitarist Steve Kimock and drummer John Molo, who would go on form a steady rhythm section with Lesh for years to come.

In May 1999, Lesh told Jambands.com that the manner in which the group came together was “kind of cosmic in a way. I wanted to come back on stage and perform and really demonstrate my gratitude for my new vigor. We were talking about maybe doing an Other Ones gig. Then that couldn’t happen because people weren’t available. Then I wanted to do it with Bob, but he couldn’t do it because he was making a record. Then we just sort of started casting around. Someone mentioned Phish, and I thought “I don’t really know their music that well,.” So I got some CD’s, and I was listening, then some people sent me live tapes, and I heard Trey play this one thing, and I thought, “Jeez, I could play with that guy.”

While the oft-discussed multi-CD set of the three show run has yet to be released, The Loop will send everyone off on this long Labor Day weekend with a look back at some of the music that emerged over those three nights…

“Shakedown Street”, 4/15/99

The setlist for this show was

Set 1: Viola Lee Blues (39 min), Big Railroad Blues, Jack-A-Roe, Cosmic Charlie, Wolfmans Brother> Space> Uncle John’s Band> Jam

Set 2: Alabama Getaway, Sugaree, Like a Rolling Stone> I Know You Rider, Row Jimmy, Shakedown Street, The Wheel, Not Fade Away

E: Mr Tambourine Man

“Row Jimmy,” 4/15/99

Here’s the setlist for 4/16/99:

Set 1: Help On The Way > Slipknot! > Franklin’s Tower, Wish You Were Here, Tennessee Jed, Stella Blue (instrumental), Alligator

Set 2: Bertha*, Prince Caspian, St. Stephen> The Eleven, Unbroken Chain, Chalkdust Torture, Mountains of the Moon, Scarlet Begonias* > Fire On The Mountain*

E: Ripple (acoustic)

*with Donna Jean Godchaux-MacKay

“Big Railroad Blues,” 4/15/99

Here’s the setlist for 4/17/99:

Set 1: Dark Star (instrumental)> It’s Up To You (instrumental), Days Between> Dark Star (1st verse)> My Favorite Things (instrumental), Mississippi Half-Step*, Bird Song*

Set 2: Terrapin > Down With Disease > Dark Star (2nd verse-Page on lead vocal), Friend Of The Devil, Casey Jones, Morning Dew> Going Down The Road Feeling Bad* > And We Bid You Goodnight

E: Box Of Rain

*with Donna Jean Godchaux-MacKay