Phil Lesh and Friends 7/3/02 Riverbend Music Center, Cincinnati, Oh

Review

I arrived at the venue around noon, there was a lot across the street that was already open. First off, this is THE HOTTEST show I have attended in years. 95 degrees, with 90% humidity, a scorcher. I go to school, and live no more than 15 minutes away from Riverbend, so It felt good not having to make a long drive. Cincinnati is very conservative, so the lot scene was very small, as usual. By the time five rolled around, I headed inside to hear an afternoon of Phil. Govt. Mule was finishing up their set, which was very good. Phil hit the stage at 6:45 pm, and Phil bombs were heard for miles.

Cosmic Charlie: A great tune, I have been waiting a while to hear this one. The boys jammed this tune out, very strong jamming. I could tell that this show was going to be different from Deercreek, which seemed to be very mellow, and spacey.

Help on the Way: Ok, this is what I have been waiting for. The boys came right out of the Cosmic jam to tear into a solid Help on the Way. I hadn’t heard Phil do this one yet either, and they did a great job. I think Rob took care of the vocals.

Slipnot: They played a short Slipnot, and started to jam out of it. I was a little disappointed because I wanted the whole Help>Slip>Franklin. All I had to do was waitJ

I Know You Rider: At first I thought it was “Hes Gone”, but to my surprise, a nice “Rider”. Not too jammed out. This tune really woke the crowd up. Strong tune.

 

The Real Thing: Slipnot segued into this nice new Warren tune. I have heard this tune before, and I like it a lot. Phil’s new material is REALLY good, and should not be underestimated. This song is very slow, and sweet. A nice bring down from the Slipnot.

Strawberry Fields Forever: I am not the biggest fan of anyone doing the Beatles, but the Beatles, but Rob did a nice job on this one. By the middle of the tune, I was already impressed with Robs voice. Like I said not the biggest fan, but I can sit through this one.

Here Comes Sunshine: Ok, this was the highlight of the show for me. First off, the sun was just beating down on me in the lawn, and I cant remember the last time I saw a show so early in the day. It felt great to hear this tune. I had heard this at my first Grateful Dead show, and it remains a favorite. They did a nice job, and once again they didn’t jam it out too much. Just a rockin’ song. I could have walked out then happy.

Playin in the Band: There where a lot of teases in the jam before this tune. I heard “Hes Gone”, “Truckin”, and heavy “Terrapin” teases. When they finally decided on “Playin”, I was happy. Although I do prefer Weir singing this tune, Phil did an excellent job.

 

Slipnot: Oh yea!!! They jammed back into Slipnot, and the only question was WILL I GET MY FRANKLINS.

Franklins Tower: Yes. They ripped right through this tune. A very solid tune. The crowd was really into it. Once again, not to jammed out, very straight forward rock and roll. A nice set closer.

Masons Children: I love old Grateful Dead, so I was elated to hear this one. A very well played song. Nothing very special, but very solid.

 

 

All in all, I think Phil is sounding better than ever. This was by far the best show I had seen Phil play. I stuck around for a little of the ABB, but Iam not a big fan. The Coney Island next to the venue had a huge 20 minute plus firework display right in the middle of the set. I thought is was fun. I searched for the automobile forever, but I found it, and I was out. A great evening with Phil.