Phil Lesh & Friends featuring guitarist Jorma Kaukonen played the first of two concerts at The Capitol Theatre on this date in 2019. The June 11, 2019 iteration of Phil & Friends also included guitarist Grahame Lesh, drummer John Molo and keyboardist Rob Barraco.
Phil and Jorma go way back as co-architects of the psychedelic San Francisco Sound in their respective bands the Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane and the concert at The Cap saw the legendary musicians delivering one of the main tenets of the San Francisco Sound, exploration, beginning with Barraco leading the way on a groovy, 13-minute “Here Comes Sunshine.” Phil then stepped to the mic for “Cold Rain And Snow” which saw a lengthy jam section as well. Both tunes accounted for about the first 25 minutes of the show.
The band then ran through “Loose Lucy” ahead of some more exploration on “Bird Song” before encyclopedic blues master Kaukonen sang Howlin’ Wolf’s “Smokestack Lightning.” Grahame would lead the way on “Alabama Getaway” before Jorma resumed lead singing duties on “Operator,” a song that suits both his voice and guitar playing well. Phil & Friends would bring the first frame to a close with a well-jammed (and sung) “In The Midnight Hour.”
The second set got underway with jam vehicle “Playing In The Band” which flowed into the first Bob Dylan song of the evening, “All Along The Watchtower.” Next, the quintet dropped into the funky “Viola Lee Blues.” The Grateful Dead covered Reverend Gary Davis number “Death Don’t Have No Mercy” came next with Jorma once again manning the blues standard, which his band Hot Tuna has also covered. Phil & Friends then served up an expansive “New Speedway Boogie” ahead of “I Know You Rider” which included a “Playing In The Band” reprise. Fan favorite “The Wheel” would count as the penultimate song of the second set ahead of closer “Liberty.” After the donor rap, Phil, Jorma and company delivered the second Dylan song of the evening, “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door,” for the encore.
Listen to the entire June 11, 2019 Phil Lesh & Friends concert featuring Jorma Kaukonen below via nico11104 for this edition of Full Show Friday:
Setlist:
Set One: Here Comes Sunshine, Cold Rain & Snow, Loose Lucy, Bird Song, Smokestack Lightnin’, Alabama Getaway, Operator, In the Midnight Hour
Set Two: Playing in the Band > All Along the Watchtower, Viola Lee Blues, Death Don’t Have No Mercy > New Speedway Boogie, I Know You Rider > Playin’ Reprise, The Wheel, Liberty
Encore: Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door
