Date: Sun, 6 Apr 1997 04:39:33 -0700 (PDT)
From: Charles Dirksen <dirkch00@dons.ac.usfca.edu>
To: leftover@Colorado.EDU
Subject: LoS Fillmore April 5, 1997
April 5, 1997
Leftover Salmon at the Fillmore
with Pete Sears on keys and accordian for whole show!!
McGraw Gap (from Virginia) opened
I'm exhausted, but figured I could spew out something for y'all before
bedtime. Most amazing Slammon show I've ever seen or heard. Two
words: PAUL F**KING MCCANDLESS!!! =^] =^] =^] (various flutes and
pipes.. many of you may know him based on his work with Bela Fleck)
McGraw Gap opened more spiritedly than they did on Friday. Mark came
out and joined them on two tunes to close their set, including "Midnight
Moonlight," which I really hope someone taped. Mark was basically
warming up, but, as expected, he still smoked and picked out some kind
solos.
Heeding Bryant's concern, I did not borrow the band's setlist, so do not
rely on this setlist, although I think it is pretty accurate.
Set One (I don't know.. about an hour and twenty mins)
Been A Long Time?
?
River's Rising
Rocky Road Blues (aka Road is Rocky)
Squirrel Heads and Gravy
Baby Hold On
Six Days on the Road =^]
Get Me Outta This City
** PAUL McCANDLESS SHOWS UP!!!!! **
Blue Green Algae, I think (Irish gig of sorts!)
Doin My Time -->
When the Levee Breaks (reggaefied) -->
Doin My Time!!!!!!!
Set Two (about an hour and twenty mins plus a 10 min Rise Up)
** Paul McCandless is with them **
Hey Joe
This Old Rounder
(I forget.. sounds like FRAGGONIA..:)
Breaking Through
** Paul leaves **
Redneck Friend
Muddy Water Home
Monday's Coming Back Too Soon
HOT BURRITO BREAKDOWN
** Paul returns **
Euphoria
Bettah
Highway Song
** McGraw Gap's guitarist, banjoist and mandolinist show up!! **
SALTY DOG!!!
REACH!!!!!!!!
Rise Up (E) (jammed, with Paul & Pete playing it out!!!! =^)
Absolutely spectacular show. Honestly, Friday night's show was like a
bloody Yanni concert next to tonight's gig.
First set was typically excellent Salmon, only the closing few songs
with Paul McCandless were Especially Awe-Inspiring. The band was
clearly PSSSSYYYYCHED to be jamming with Paul, particularly Mark (it
seemed to me), and everyone played with such passion and fire that the
closing few songs of the first set (all drawn out and spine-tinglingly
jammed) made many people in the audience wonder whether That Would Be It
for the night. It was THAT INCREDIBLE!! People thought the show HAD to
be over after the amazing close. The first set was around an hour and
twenty mins or so, and the Doin My Time -> Levee -> Doin My Time was
probably at least 15 minutes. SPECTACULAR!!!!!!!
Setbreak was pretty short. Perhaps twenty minutes or so.
Hey Joe and This Old Rounder were both QUITE inspired, with Paul fluting
out some gorgeous solos, and practically everyone else soloing well,
too, if I recall. I think it was This Old Rounder where TYE took a
solo! I'd never seen that before. I wasn't impressed by it, but I
don't think Tye was, either. It was pretty mellow and soulfull (a
contrast to the fierce picking of the others). Someone recently praised
Tye profusely on this list, and well. I think he played extremely well
these past two nights, but I still consider him the weakest link in the
band. I imagine he's a wonderful person, but he's not as proficient on
bass as the other musicians of Salmon are on their instruments, in my
opinion. Tye is still a solid player, and I have difficulty imagining
another bassist in Salmon, so please don't misinterpret me. Just my two
cents.
It is bewildering how much Pete Sears adds to Salmon, in my opinion.
The solos that Pete took (practically every song, by the way), were all
quite compelling. I had never heard "Breaking Through" before (Drew
tune), and well, it was WONDERFUL!! I LOVED IT!!! What's crazy is that
the primary melody of the jam of this tune has a progression that is
Extremely Similar to the closing jam of the Rod Stewart song "Maggie."
I started singing Rod Stewart's lines in that outro-jam to "Maggie"
during this tune (to myself). And I love that closing jam! :)
Beautiful song. I can't wait to hear it again, and even more thoroughly
slamgrassed than it was earlier tonight. Those of you who have yet to
see Salmon on this tour should get PSYCHED, although I realize that you
may not be blessed with Paul and Pete.
Hot Burrito Breakdown was Serious, even though Paul wasn't there.
Drew's prowess on the mandolin and violin never ceases to amaze me. I
was laughing at times at how brilliant he is on these instruments (not
to mention the damn guitar). I'd never heard them do this breakdown
before, and loved it!
Euphoria, Bettah and Highway (repeats from Friday) were with Paul
McCandless (and Pete Sears, of course), and were improved on from last
night. Euphoria and Bettah *RAGED*, and though I, too, like Vince, was
excited to hear Paul perform on Highway, it wasn't quite as serene as
I'd hoped. But it was still profoundly moving, and certainly a
Recommended Version.
McGraw Gap's guitarist, banjoist and mandolinist came on stage after
Highway. That's right. On stage there was: Pete Sears on keys, Drew
and a McGraw Gap guy on mandolins, Mark and a McGraw Gap guy on banjos,
Tye on bass, Vince and a McGraw Gap guy on guitars, Michael on drums and
Paul McCandless on transverse flute (and a pipe thingy). 10 people on
stage. AND IT SOUNDED WONDERFUL!!!! MAJOR KUDOS TO THE SOUND MAN!!!!
=^]
Salty Dog and REACH were both so thoroughly jammed and so magnificent
that your jaws will drop and your eyes bulge upon hearing them.
Everyone took solos, except Tye and Michael. Some people more than
once. Just get the tapes, ok?
The Rise Up was also spirited, and grooved on (unlike Friday's, which
was acapella), but the highlight was that Pete Sears and Paul McCandless
actually GROOVED OUT the ending, once everyone had left the stage. Pete
did this, by himself, at the Fillmore in March 1996, but damn. With
Paul there soloing with him this time, though, this "Rise Up" was
remarkably kind.
What an profoundly magical night of music. EUPHORIAAAA!!!!! =^]
In closing, get these tapes at all costs. I will eventually get them,
and will thoroughly weed them on this list. Both sets need to be heard.
Please, no grovels. When I get the tapes, they will spread, and spread
quickly.
One of the greatest shows I've ever seen (of several hundred,
all sorts of music).
Thanks VERY MUCH to Vince, Mark, Drew, Michael, Tye, Pete and
Paul for one of the most blessed musical experiences of my
life so far.
two cents
charlie