Bobby Weir & Wolf Bros: One Show at a Time
By Tara Phillips
Bobby Weir and The Wolf Brothers played at The Capitol Theater in New York from December 12-17. Just 5 months after the Dead & Co.’s (second) Final Tour, Weir is back on stage jamming out. He is addicted to performance.
I attended the last show of his Capitol Theater gig on the 17th. Weir took to the stage 45 minutes late, walking out barefoot and with an acoustic guitar slung over his shoulder. Set one began with Bobby’s solo ballad of Darin’s ‘Artificial Flowers’. It was slow and mellifluous. As the night continued, the band picked up. My favorite songs from the first set were ‘Friend of the Devil’, ‘Samson and Delilah’, and ‘Weather Report Suite’. Omar Hakim, drummer, and special guest, joined the band on stage just before set break.
The energy inside was great. The Capitol Theater is a classic, historic venue. It seats just under two thousand spectators, which gives it an intimate feel. With velvet drapery and seats, the theater with its arches emits an element of class. As an indoor venue, it allows for a dynamic light show. Pairing the traditional ambiance with the hallucinogenic lights, the audience was swept away in a “sunshine daydream.”
Bobby has his own style, combining bluegrass, blues, and rock n’ roll. The only thing missing from his solo performance is a lead guitarist. Bobby is more comfortable playing rhythm guitar than lead. In comparison to Dead and Co., Bobby and The Wolf Brothers perform with a calmer, more serene energy. Bobby was joined with a horn section, comprised of six musicians which added impact to the jamming Dead sound.
Set two was higher energy. The band played some of my favorite songs, ‘Shakedown Street’, ‘Franklin’s Tower’, and ‘Morning Dew’. The night ended on a high, with ‘Brokedown Palace’ as the show’s encore.
It is a far cry from the Grateful Dead in their heyday during the 1960s, but the overall experience was tremendous, and the song selection was special. Weir and the Wolf Bros play Grateful Dead hits that appeal to both a new generation and an older generation of Dead Heads. It is special to watch everyone connected in a spiral of psychedelic sound.
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Set 1:
Set 2:
Encore: