On April 15, 1999 Phil Lesh opened a three night run at San Francisco’s Warfield Theater with Trey Anastasio, Steve Kimock, Page McConnell and John Molo. Here is Rob Turner’s review which ran on the site back in April 1999…

I just had one of the best weekends of my life, one of those experiences that makes you thankful to be alive right now. Before I review the Phil + Friends portion of the weekend, I have to thank David Saslavsky. He is a true friend who jeopardized his chance to see these legendary shows in an effort to see to it that I could also attend. He wrote a letter and mailed it in the air. He also gave me a voucher he had earned from Southwest Airlines so I didn’t have to hurriedly drive across country (believe me, I would have) to avoid paying $1300 for a last minute plane ticket. He also secured my ticket for the Neil Young Boston solo acoustic show that found me scampering back to the east coast just a few hours after the last notes echoed through The Warfield. Dave, you are a true friend, thank God for you, as I had convinced myself that I would miss these landmark shows weeks ago. Please check out his interview with Phil Lesh, also included in this month’s issue.

Please bear in mind that this was written from memory and notes, as I do not yet have a tape of these shows.

The shows commenced with Steve Kimock, followed by Phil’s kids and Mr. Lesh himself knifing through the Warfield curtain to grace the crowd front and center. When Phil came out, the roar in The Warfield was deafening. These were his first shows since last August, and he has had serious surgery since. Phil was visibly moved by this response, which seemed to continue for at least five minutes. A San Francisco Giant World Series Championship probably wouldn’t have elicited such noise, and it was very nice to be screaming for Phil with the Bay Area faithful. Phil then proceeded to deliver a very memorable and gentle version of Eric Clapton’s “Hello Old Friend” with his sons lending backing vocals, even the “aahs” in the instrumental section after each chorus. Great job kids, everyone around me was very moved by Phil’s performance with his children, who he introduced as “my best friends.” Phil, you are a class act! The table was set, and the anticipation was high.

Before I gush over these spectacular shows, I have to mention that a large part of the beauty and excitement of this event was the fact that these players had never before performed together in public. I think comparing these shows to the finest Phish, Grateful Dead, Other Ones, Zero, or KVHW shows is a bit presumptuous. One cavalier fan even took it upon himself to print up a bumper sticker proclaiming this band “The Better Ones.” Most of the clearheaded folk I spoke with considered this an act of an over-excited fan. This unit was outstanding, but let’s let them play ten or fifteen more shows together before we start seeking comparisons to established units. Thursday’s show opened with a “Viola Lee Blues,” which immediately set the tone for the run. Phil and his friends seemed eager to emphasize that these shows would be about ensemble playing rather than simply trading off solos. The band gradually moved through tempos and textures with each member finding his space. Anastasio was clearly laying low and mainly responding to Kimock and Lesh’s playing at first. Page was barely audible to those of us lucky enough to be up front, as he was for much of the run (although I understand he could be heard quite well in the balcony). At one point I caught Trey seemingly marveling at Kimock after Steve let a jaw-dropping series of notes spring from his fret board. There was another point that the band became quiet, and maybe a little confused, and for a moment I thought I heard strains of Phish’s “Piper” and “Prince Caspian” in the air. This eventually led to a bouncy rhythm that many around me said sounded like “Chinacat Sunflower,” but I felt it sounded more like the verse section of a 1973 era “Here Comes Sunshine” (not the opening riff, but the music behind Garcia’s lyrics). This only needed to be slightly altered and they were back in “Viola Lee Blues.” In hindsight, they were probably headed there all along. Clearly an epic version of the song, I heard everything from 30-39 minutes, but I don’t have a tape so I really don’t know. I would’ve timed it with a stopwatch, but I was very close to Trey and I understand he frowns upon such acts.

“Big Railroad Blues” was the first Dead song played that night that most in the audience had actually seen the Dead perform. Trey replicated Garcia’s low notes and sang in a Garcia style. I was first taken aback at Trey’s seemingly fearless jump into precious territory. Here at the Warfield, when a Garcia tune is sung by someone other than Phil, the air is thick with scrutiny. Trey was unaffected by this and his delivery impressed most of the Dead faithful that were in attendance. Even when he stumbled at one point, he did not let his vocal energy waver. I for one was almost knocked over. He nodded over to Kimock for the first solo, and Page even offered a lil’ electric piano on this one. The crowd responded to McConnell’s roadhouse style solo with roaring approval. Trey displayed his mastery of the low notes on the guitar during his solo, but he was more moved by Steve Kimock’s guitar work. At song’s end, Anastasio went for what seemed to be a complementary visit over to Kimock’s side of the stage, knocking knuckles with him before returning to his equipment to tune up for “Jack-a-Roe.” This was a hit and miss version, with some spirited lead work by Mr. Kimock. Three songs into the run it was clear that Kimock and Anastasio are each able to wander into the Garcia style of guitaring without sounding derivative..

Then came the real shocker for me: “Cosmic Charlie.” This song was so clamored for in the late 80s that a Cosmic Charlie Campaign was set up with the sole purpose of convincing the band (re: Garcia) to break this song out. (There was a period of a couple of years where flyers where handed out at many shows encouraging people to lean on the band to perform this nugget.) This was also a very huge choice to me, as it conjured memories of my very close friend Charles “Court” Heiss who lost a battle to Leukemia when we were in high school. Earlier in the day, I had wandered by The Bill Graham Civic Center where I had seen a Dead New Year’s run with Court many years before when it was called the San Francisco Civic Center. While wandering around the building memories of that spectacular run filled my head, especially playing hackeysack with Court in the hallways during set breaks. I also recalled reading the lyrics to “Cosmic Charlie” at his memorial service. Court was already in my mind, and they played his song, which I had never seen by any original member of The Dead, very strange indeed. I would love to tell you that it was a spectacular version, but I would term it a struggle with some great moments. It certainly benefited from McConnell and Anastasio’s vocals, which were right on for much of the song. This is a very difficult song to sing and play, and I was impressed that this new ensemble had the cojones to attack it in the first set of the run. The best moments were in the last jam, which lilted along in the style of some of the great 1976 Dead versions. Somehow everyone around me knew that “Wolfman’s Brother” was coming next except me. When I heard the familiar Page intro to the song I was amazed. Phil’s gonna play a Phish song!!!!!!! Wheeeeeee! Sorry, I’m not ashamed to find this very exciting. However, Kimock’s punchy steel work (I want to say pedal steel, as he was sitting down, but I didn’t see any pedals, consult your local musician on this one) gave the song a unique feel. At one point I saw Trey motioning to someone in the crowd, which I later learned was Phish bassman Mike Gordon, who wrote the song, and was understandably pumped to see Lesh play his song. I was surprised that Trey bailed on the little ring riff he usually does after “The Telephone Was Ringing” line. I was even more surprised that Phil stepped up to sing on the second chorus!!!!! I thought I heard Lesh offer some lyrics from Traffic’s “Surely Took More Than You Gave” while Trey was singing the final refrain. The jam coming out of the song started innocently enough, but then it swirled down into a dark little space jam (in stark contrast to the muscular jams Phish has come out of this song with recently) which surprisingly led into “Uncle John’s Band.” Kimock’s lively Caribbean guitar over the intro segment was reminiscent of the salsa-fueled version of this song that The Other Ones were performing last summer. He, Molo, and Lesh locked in hard as they did many times last summer with The Other Ones, particularly toward the end of the tour. Once they reached the body of the song, the band reverted to a more traditional Grateful Dead feel. Kimock wandered all the way to center stage to exchange licks with Trey and Phil. At one point the music built to a feverish level with Kimock seemingly bathing in the energy that was being created. They didn’t seem to know where to go with the song after the final refrain, so another space jam settled out toward the crowd before Trey produced a sound that was so stirring that Phil lifted his hand and ended the set gently with a lowering of his hand. I found this a fittingly unusual and challenging end to a very unusual and challenging set of music, although it may have been disappointing to those seeking a more traditional rock n roll rave-up ending.

The second set opened with Phil singing a groovin’ version of “Alabama Getaway” with Kimock stealing the show with some aggressive Gibson guitar plucking. “Sugaree” was outstanding, with Phil singing. Trey delivered a very nice Garcia-esque lead at the first guitar break. The jam before the “In Spite Of All You Gain” verse was a Kimock showcase, with Trey augmenting him with some sweet gentle feathered notes. I was so impressed with the blatant respect that Trey was showing for Kimock in his stage presence and his playing. The final jam is where it took off, as Kimock set a funky groove for Trey to first softly bounce off of, and then to gradually build to a very aggressive, almost Phishy “Sugaree” closing jam, which seemed to work Phil up as his lead vocal was extra spirited on the final refrain. Phil then tossed a bone to myself and the other Dylan fans in attendance with “Like A Rolling Stone,” Kimock’s playing behind Phil’s vocal sounded strikingly similar to Robbie Robertson’s “lead behind the vocals” style he used on this song on Dylan’s 1974 tour (you may want to check this with Carsten Wohlfeld, Bill Pagel, Glen Dundas or your local Dylan guru). “Like A Rolling Stone” was a fine example of how Phil’s singing is better than ever these days as he sang this seminal rock standard extremely well. This led into a very smooth transition jam into “I Know You Rider” with Phil taking the “I wish I was a headlight” verse. There were some rough moments with the harmonies on this one. Also, Trey ripped one pumpin’ solo, but he didn’t wrap it up in time for Phil’s verse, so they took it around one more time which created a slight energy lull mid song. The last solo belonged to Kimock, he seemed to build on Molo’s heavy drumming (this guy attacks those skins!).

Now it was time for Trey to remind these California folks that he is not shy. He stepped up to sing “Row Jimmy” and he offered some of his best singing I’ve ever seen. The slow Jerry songs are sacred ground, but who better to take a shot at them than Trey Anastasio, a man that is no stranger to performing under pressure (anticipation is incredibly high before Phish shows these days, especially their Halloween, New Years, and Clifford, Went, and Lemonwheel type gigs) He gave some slight twists to the song, instrumentally and lyrically (for example “Broken heart don’t seem so bad” rather than “feel so bad”). It was nice to hear Trey have a strikingly melodic presence. Kimock seemed a bit reserved on this one, leaving most of the solos up to Trey, and Phil (in his own subtle lead bass kinda way). Then an outrageous “Shakedown Street” with Trey singing and Page singing the backups. Phil seemed to really enjoy himself, smiling back at Molo who was producing a deep, funky groove and then beaming at Trey who was offering some quirky Garcia-esque guitar work. Strictly from an “energy of the moment” standpoint, this was the highlight of the night and when I began to transcend my awe and start to REALLY BOOGIE!! At one point, some dancing girl who was completely out of control and indifferent to everything except her own bliss came slamming up into a very nice couple who had waited hours for their space. The girl was scolded, as she should have been, and removed, but it definitely was a scar on an otherwise sensational “Shakedown.” The jam leading out of “Shakedown” seemed like they were trying to segue into “The Wheel” but they couldn’t quite get there, so they just kind of stopped the jam and started “The Wheel” (Saslavsky said they NAILED this transition in the sound check that he was inside for). This was the clunker of the night, as their vocals were not great, and the playing was ragged. There were a few missed lyrics, and many moments of hesitation. We were able to hear Page offer some gorgeous piano on “Wheel” but other than that, I think it was a bit of a throw away version. Then they charged into a very fun “Not Fade Away” that had one rollicking jam. The crowd started doing the ol’ “Not Fade” clap and yell, and the band went with it for a while, before Trey and Phil started a scat thing that drowned the crowd out, and eventually led to a more traditional rock and roll end to the song. The encore was “Mr. Tambourine Man” with a Byrd’s style intro, but once they were in the song it was more akin to a faster version of the one Dylan performed with The Dead (unrehearsed I might add) at Anaheim in 1987. Very fun encore, my favorite moment being when they came out of the last jam back to the Byrd’s-style riff to close the show.

The icing on the cake this night was running into my friend Darren Reynolds at the back of The Warfield after the show. Darren is a great old friend of mine that lives in San Rafael, and until just before the show he thought he would be missing the entire run. His friend, Eric Burns, came up with a ticket and my boy D got in for the first night, he was all smiles and bubbling with energy from the show. Darren used to be a regular presence up close at Grateful Dead shows, and has taken to String Cheese Incident, Phish, and The Disco Biscuits these days, a great guy who absolutely adores improvisational rock and roll. He and his wife Karen are expecting their first child in early September, and I assure you an SCI T-shirt will be on the child by late September!

When I went down to the Theater at 11 or so Thursday, expecting to sit in line all day, I was given a number on the back of my ticket (29) and told to come back at five. So, Friday I made my way down there somewhere around 7:30 am, and when someone showed up at the theater at 9, I was blessed with a #1 on the back of my ticket. I was totally jazzed to lead the line when they cued us up at 5. By the time 7 rolled around, at least ten people had been added to the front of the line by Warfield staff. The staff members were saying things like, “this one works for us” (why is he in line with his girlfriend rather than on a list) or “this guy is making me a tape” and pushing back the people who had waited in the morning and then waited again for a couple of hours in the afternoon. I spoke with some of the locals, and this is apparently par for the course at The Warfield. This was very disappointing to find out, reminding me of how Phish has taken up the practice of roping off the best section at Hampton Coliseum so a bunch of folks can be close to the band while they talk through the most intimate moments of the show. By the time I entered The Warfield, the only rail (front row) available was way over on the right. I later learned that there are a few people who get in pretending to be handicapped. This is offensive to people who waited in line, but downright detestable to people who are truly handicapped. None of the people immediately behind me who had actually waited got front row, and I only did because I stayed ahead of the folks cutting in line with some of my east coast aggressive behavior, which I don’t mind busting out if I’m feeling screwed.

I thought I was further to the side than I was, yet when the curtain came up I was directly in front of Trey as he sang the show opening “Help On The Way.” The exchange of leads between Kimock and Anastasio on the first guitar break was spectacular, and Trey’s singing was a little more low-key on this one. Trey didn’t offer the final line “Without love in a dream it will never come true,” instead he opted to repeat “Without love in a dream insanity’s king.” They then slid into an amazing “Slipknot” with Trey and Steve in each other’s heads improvising like they had been sharing the stage for years. Absolutely outstanding amazing stuff…until they returned to the body of the song which was completely botched more than twice. All was forgotten when they launched into “Franklin’s Tower” and to the crowd’s delight Page took a shot at singing! With the exception of a flub here and there, he did a fine job. Steve and Trey each lent spirited leads, and Page ripped through with some fancy jangle on his grand piano. This was a very fun version, but the lack of a strong rhythm guitar kept it from getting as intense as it clearly could have (coulda used that ol’ Weir sound here!). Trey played a sweet, sweet lead introduction into Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here” which Phil lending a strikingly soulful vocal. Anyone who didn’t think of Garcia at some point during this song oughta have their pulse checked. Trey was taking the delicate approach through the body of the song. Steve spun off a gradually building, mind-twisting solo after the last lyric, before Trey led the band into “Tennessee Jed” which Trey sang extremely well, even though I am more partial to Bruce Hornsby’s southern style lead vocal on this particular number. Kimock sat down at his table steel (What do you call a pedal steel that has no pedals? Somebody help me here!) and punched out some great guitar work as Trey stuck to a Garcia feel brilliantly once again. Then a gorgeous “Stella Blue” which was instrumental probably out of respect to Jerry, but I think it would’ve been stronger with a lead vocal (rumor had it Trey had sung it in rehearsal, I think Page might’ve been up to the task if Trey had opted out). It was still one of the more moving moments of the run, and Phil, Trey, and Page offered the “ooooh’s” from the “I’ve stayed in every moonlight cheap hotel” portion of the song. Just about everybody I talked to was very pleased with the decision to perform the song instrumentally. The set closed with an absolutely sick version of “Alligator.” Even though Phil has sung this at one show last year, I was really surprised to see it and it really kicked my ass, working me up to my first full-blown dripping sweaty, slimy mess of the weekend. This was the one song of the weekend that I feel they really could have jammed out a little bit more, but I’m certainly not complaining. We did get Phil stepping up for some very aggressive lead bass once again!

When the curtain was still closed before the second set, the band was tuning up with the house music on very quietly. We could hear some riffing coming through, it was probably teasin’ Trey. The strains of “Wilson” were heard first, which garnered scattered yellings of “WIIIIILLL-SSOOOONNN” in the same way that audiences respond to this riff at Phish shows (although not as loud, of course). We also heard “St. Stephen,” “Dark Star,” and even “Mike’s Song” hinted, but when the curtain rolled up, the band launched into “Bertha.” Donna Jean Godchaux McKay joined, and it was nice to see her, and not just because she is looking very fine these days. I found it very fun seeing Trey sing lead on “Bertha” and sharing the chorus with Donna. There was a extra guitar solo break, so each guitarist could get a chance to cook. By the time they were raving up the end, it seemed the whole room was groovin’, a quick glance behind confirmed this. Everybody loves “Bertha,” you gotta love that! Then it was time for “Prince Caspian” which Phil seemed to know more than the other three Phish songs played at the run. Steve was firing off slide guitar licks, and he took the jam in a different direction than I was used to from Phish. This was a perfect example of what was enjoyable about this run, Kimock lending his take on “Caspian.” I was thoroughly entertained by this trip through Steve’s mind. It was worth them bailing on the ending, and even more so when it settled down into “St. Stephen.” The opening notes brought a loud roar from the crowd, and Kimock stepped up to rip the lead for most of the song. Thank you Steve, a tremendous job! I also thought the vocals were very strong on this one, and after leveling the room, the band slid into a “The Eleven” jam. I melted into Phil’s bass many times during the “Stephen>Eleven,” finding his bass work absolutely outstanding. How I miss seeing you more Phil!!! Then Trey’s roadie (the Sandsio guy) set up a music stand for him, and the band went into “Unbroken Chain.” The playing during the verses was a bit tame, but the instrumental section was much better than any I ever heard the Dead perform (they only played this song in 1995, their worst year) and the room seemed overcome with rapture. Stunning, sensational musicianship from everyone in the band on this jam, perhaps my favorite moment of the entire run. Anastasio was particularly amazing toward the end, prompting Phil to exuberantly praise him for a job well done at song’s end. And it was followed by another Trey showcase, as he tore into Phish’s “Chalk Dust Torture.” While Trey was a little low-key on the vocal, he ripped the shit out of his guitar, and it was during “Chalk Dust” that this band came the closest to a Phish-level show energy. Even Kimock jumped into the fold toward the end after laying low for much of the song. The ensuing “Mountains of the Moon” may not, like “The Eleven” stand up to versions done by The Other Ones, but it is always nice to hear this old chestnut. Trey was lost, but Page lent some elegant lead and backing keys to this gentle, gorgeous tune. It did seem a bit fast, but again, I am not a musician.

Then Trey sang “Scarlet Begonias” with such unbridled bliss that is was infectious. Even the most stone faced “I’ve seen it all” Dead Head was forced to smile at this exuberant delivery. Donna was helping with the vocals again as well. I was surprised that Kimock hesitated to jump on the solo, when even at the first Other Ones Furthur show in Atlanta (and all of the others that I’ve heard) he attacked the song like a pit bull. He did get around to playing a sweet lead which built up to the stop/start version of the “Wind in the willows” verse ala The Other Ones. The transition guitar work out of “Scarlet” was interesting, not just because Donna was wooing me with her gentle sway as she danced behind Phil and Trey. Lesh seemed to wiggle between the two guitar lines, leaving me in a semi-trance. At one point I thought they were going to wander away from “Fire On The Mountain” territory, but Kimock and Lesh steered them back toward it, and Trey sang wonderfully again. Donna glided up to the mike to help out on the choruses. It was so nice to hear her voice as I never seen her sing live except for the few songs she joined The Other Ones for in Camden last summer. Phil was offering his familiar buoyant playing behind Trey’s vocal, and the first two guitar breaks which were all Trey. They staggered to the end of this “Scarlet>Fire,” but what a long, amazing set I tell you. Phil returned to give an impassioned plea for people to become organ donors, as he did every night. Then he introduced the band, as he also did every night. This night he referred to Steve Kimock as on “anti-gravity guitar,” and Trey Anastasio as being on “downright, nasty, dirty, funk guitar.” Nicely put Mr. Lesh!!

There were less of the fake handicapped people on Saturday, but the staff tried to set up a special area to stick their friends at the front of the line. I blew them off again, as today Dave had risen early in order to procure that #1 on the back of our ticket. I gradually positioned my body in front of the connected folk, and tonight some of the hearty souls behind me (who had also waited patiently) joined in as well. I was pleased that four or five people who waited reached the rail, although this is still not the amount that deserved it. I was particularly happy to be in the front row tonight because I was wearing a Disco Biscuits T-shirt, and it was my way of letting Phil know what band is tearing up my head these days the way the Dead used to, especially in the late eighties! Like the first two nights, the band cut to the chase immediately with a show opening “Dark Star,” instrumental which led into at times lively, and other times lovely instrumental led by Steve. The song sounded familiar, and I later found out this was a Zero tune (apparently KVHW performs it as well) called “Up To You.” I’m not familiar with Zero’s song titles, but I’ve seen them sporadically since 1987, so I must’ve caught it somewhere (I heard that they are now defunct, if this is true it is a very sad truth). This led into “The Days Between,” which started shaky and didn’t really recover, although there were some nice moments. Phil remembered every word, but there were a couple of parts of the song that his voice couldn’t quite handle. There was a long jam coming out of it which started with some interesting leads from Steve. Then Phil guided the band first into a slight “Other One” jam, and then back into “Dark Star.” Lesh was sucking the crowd in with his at times seductive, and other times sinister bass work. I started to hear Page more and more now, as he tickled the keys throughout the segue into “Dark Star,” and during the song itself. Phil, Trey, and Page traded verses for this one (in that order), all delivering their sections frighteningly well. The trio joined to sing the “Shall we go” portion in unison, and they finished the verse in this fashion. Kimock then led the band into “My Favorite Things” a jazz standard most closely associated with John Coltrane that originally appeared in the Sound of Music. Again, McConnell was breathtaking with his courtly messaging of the lilting rhythm of this song. Kimock and Anastasio traded jazz-fueled licks for a brief period before the jam stumbled into “Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo” with some rough spots and again McConnell stealing the show with his fingers. This song screams for piano and Page was more than up to the task. Lesh even twisted the lyrics with his Dylan-esque phrasing, and Donna returned to the stage to belt out some “across the rio grande-oo”‘s. Page then lent a perfectly delicate lead vocal and more piano finesse to the set closing “Bird Song.” Trey and Phil led the band into the mystic with some mesmerizing guitar lines, leaving this spectator virtually speechless for the beginning of the intermission.

The second set was where they really flirted with the amazing. Almost every little accident turned into a grand discovery as the music truly began to play the band. Lesh’s bass playing was nothing short of tremendous, as he seemed to be making the most of his final night with these amazing friends. The set opened with the much anticipated “Terrapin Station” (which Phish had performed in Virginia last summer on the anniversary of Garcia’s death) with the lead vocals being shared again, but Trey sang the key “Inspiration, move me brightly” portion of the song. They played through the refrain with considerable strength, although there were some minor stumbles. I was surprised once again as Trey conjured a familiar spacey sound and Lesh launched into his fluid version of Mike Gordon’s intro to “Down With Disease.” Trey accepted his moment to shine blissfully, as he tore through this full-throttle, creating a bubbling cauldron of energy at the front of the stage. The jam winded back toward “The Other One” briefly before returning to the second verse of the shared lyric “Dark Star.” Lesh’s playing is absolutely soul stirring throughout this whole section, but the “Friend Of The Devil” was a questionable choice to follow. Perhaps this is my own problem, but I can’t seem to enjoy anybody singing this song except for Jerry (with the possible exception of Mr. Dylan) and Phil probably could have chosen a song more conducive to his voice (“To Lay Me Down,” “Must Have Been The Roses,” or (gasp) JGB’s “I’ll Take A Melody” come to mind). The room started jumping again when the band started up “Casey Jones,” which had many great moments, especially when Trey sang “Trouble ahead, Phil in red,” and the crowd responded immediately with a loud cheer, causing Trey to chuckle through the “switchman sleeping train hundred and two, is on the wrong track and headed for you,” lines. After nailing the “Casey” the band boldly went for the “Morning Dew” a song I was not even expecting in the least. The whole band was amazing on this one, again Kimock and Anastasio displayed interplay that was downright stunning, especially considering it was their third gig together. Lesh buoyed the song with his mindbending bass lines. The final jam had a very nice build to it, with some truly inspiring moments along the way and Phil leading the charge. They seemed unable to come together enough to really slam the ending down hard, but they delivered an unforgettable version nonetheless. When they started strumming into “Goin’ Down The Road, Feelin’ Bad” I thought it was going to be “Big Railroad Blues” again at first, as it had a similar groove. Phil bounced along through this version, and after playing the end section too early, Trey spun off a sweet solo in the traditional vein. Seemingly as a tribute to the “Bid You Goodnight” coda that Garcia would usually play at the end of this song, this unit actually sang the entire verse through one time (The Dead would sing this verse through 3-5 times in most of their versions) to close the show with typical Lesh class. Phil’s plea for folks to become organ donors seemed even more emotional tonight, as did his lead vocal on a wonderful version of “Box Of Rain” a fitting close to a run that can best be described as “instantly legendary.”