Jerry Garcia Symphonic Celebration, featuring Warren Haynes, Red Rocks, Morrison, CO- 8/1

If you are familiar with the significance of August 1st, you will thoroughly appreciate what went down at Red Rocks this year on that date. Guitar virtuoso and Gov’t Mule lead man Warren Haynes brought back the Colorado Symphony for a tribute to the late great Jerry Garcia. This collaboration has happened before but this year was the ultimate Jerry Garcia Birthday celebration, as the symphony wasn’t all that Warren brought with him. For its first time in play, since the last Grateful Dead show in 1995, Garcia’s famous Doug Irwin guitar, Tiger, was let out of its cage. Haynes also welcomed old friends Jeff Sipe, Lincoln Schleifer and Jasmine Muhammad along with Jacklyn LaBranch and Melvin Seals of the Jerry Garcia Band.

The show was originally booked as two sets with Warren and the Symphony, but a third set was later added featuring Melvin Seals without the Symphony. The first two sets took us on a uniquely magical journey through such Grateful Dead classics as “Scarlet Begonias,” “China Sunflower” and a unique arrangement of “Terrapin Station>Slipknot>Terrapin Station.” The JG Symphonic celebration encored with Warren’s original, “Patchwork Quilt,” which was penned as a letter to Jerry the day he passed away, and a final, sing-along of the beautiful “Ripple.”

A quick break followed, and after bidding the Symphony a fond farewell, Melvin’s Hammond B3 was rolled out. The third set focused on material from the Jerry Garcia Band catalog with exploratory versions of “(I’m a) Road Runner,” “Stop that Train” and “Harder They Come.” A couple more unexpected surprises manifested in the form of Rich Daniels who lent his sax skills to a funky combo of “That’s What Love Will Make You Do” into “Fire On the Mountain.” The guests kept coming with Anders Beck and Dave Bruzza, of Greensky Bluegrass joining in for “Don’t Let Go” and “Deal” to close out this otherwise ethereal night.

It was a perfect evening and a heartfelt tribute to a man who had touched the hearts and souls of everyone in attendance. It was impossible not to feel the spirit of Garcia whipping through the most majestic venue on earth. A truly momentous celebration of the man who has touched our lives, with his melody and soul, for all these years and long past his time. “Such a long long time to be gone, and a short time to be there.” Cheers Jerry!

Set One: Dark Star > Bird Song, Crazy Fingers, Shakedown Street, China Cat Sunflower, Scarlet Begonias, Morning Dew

Set Two: Uncle John’s Band, West L.A. Fadeaway, Black Peter, Touch Of Grey, Blues For Allah, Terrapin Station > Slipknot! > Terrapin Station Encore: Patchwork Quilt, Ripple

Set Three: (I’m A) Roadrunner, Stop That Train, That’s What Love Will Make You Do* > Fire On The Mountain*, Loser, The Harder They Come > Tough Mama > Sugaree > Don’t Let Go^, Deal^

*with Rich Daniels on sax
^with Anders Beck and Dave Bruzza of Greensky Bluegrass