! Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler !

Well, another fantastic road trip is in the books! Although the weather called for snow on show day (and for days ahead) we lit outa Tahoe in a sunshiney daydream and took a short side trip to see our new granddaughter (yep, I am a grandpa now) in Placerville and then on our way nonstop to see Phil & Friends at the Mardi Gras Ball at the Bill Graham Civic in San Francisco.

We got to our motel in Berkeley (same one as last show at the Greek. even the same room) with 90 minutes to spare to get downtown. Rolled into the civic and got parked whithout a hitch (except the $12 fee) and got treated super well by the staff at the show, being disabled got us great seats on the balcony so we were able to catch all the excitement unobstructed.



For most of the shows we have attended in the last couple of years, it has been pretty much shoot from the hip aand usually by showtime funds are running low, well this time I planned ahead so's we had plenty of duckets to spend, and good thing we did, it cost us $20 for 2 domestic Miller beers (24oz.) to wash down our shrooms.



Just as I started coming on Dumpstaphunk opened the show, and damn were they smokin hot, they tore the roof off, if I was Phil, I wouldn't wan't to follow these guy's too often, Ivan Neville has quite a crew put together, and it just jumped with Louisiana soul.



Give San Franciscans a reason to dress up in costumes and the will not disappoint you, there were costumes of all sorts and during Phils break there was a contest for best costumes and was won by a giant blue bear!

Phil opened the show with a Jackie Greene fronted One More Saturday Night, and on with the show!
Set One: (1 Hour 18 Mins. 9:21pm - 10:39pm)

One More Saturday Night
Brown Eyed Women
Pride Of Cucamonga
Cold Black Devil >
Golden Road To Unlimited Devotion >
In The Midnight Hour*
Viola Lee Blues >
Caution >
Viola Lee Blues



Phil: "More music and special treats on the way!"

Costume Contest w/Phil as MC (11:07pm - 11:18pm)
Won by The Dancing Bear!

Set Two: (2 Hours & 15 Mins. 11:34pm - 1:49AM)

Shakedown Street > #
Iko Iko > * # (MARDI GRAS PARADE w/Floats, Dancers, Stilt walkers, Dragons, & Costume contest participants dancing in front of the stage)
Truckin' > * #
Jack Straw
St. Stephen >
The Eleven >
Unbroken Chain
Fire On The Mountain >
I Know You Rider
Morning Dew >
Uncle John's Band

E: (1:55AM to 2:08AM)
Phil w/Family member of Jeff Setzekorn (who died, but saved 4 lives) doing the Organ Donor Rap
Box of Rain

* First time played (with this lineup)
# With Ivan Neville on Keyboards & Vocals



It was one hell of a show! And my only criticism was, OK Jackie is the front man, but he spends too much energy trying to outplay Larry Campbell instead of playing rhythm. And I wondered after a whole tour why he still needs to use charts to play? I usually don't criticise so these are merely observations and didn't affect our enjoyment at all, Rubi loves Jackie Greene and has nothing bad to say about him.. And even though it was dumping rain in the city and we had to drive through a whiteout to get home, nasty blizzards again, we made it safe and sound by 6 o'clock Sunday night.




If you went to this show and didn't have a great time something is wrong with you! We go to see our friend Melvin Seals next weekend can't wait for that one! And Jackie Greene is doing a show here in South Lake on Feb 17 and you can bet we will be there, (I work it that night for Renegade Productions anyway).

Well, another for the books, and a pair of happy hippie deadheads waiting for the next show...