Bob Weir & Wolf Bros returned to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on Friday for another concert with the National Symphony Orchestra. The midway point of the Grateful Dead guitarist/vocalist’s weeklong residency in Washington, D.C. featured more ornate arrangements of the band’s classic songbook. Last night saw the band settle into its home for the rest of the week, evidenced by Weir ditching his tuxedo from the previous evening in favor of more comfortable attire.
Beginning once again with an Overture by just the Symphony Orchestra, Weir and his Wolf Bros Don Was (bass), Jay Lane (drums), and Jeff Chimenti (piano) plus The Wolf Pack joined in on the following “Shakedown Street”. Though a repeat from the night prior, Thursday’s rendering showed that—just like with a Grateful Dead concert—no two versions of a song are exactly alike. While the Orchestra’s notes are dutifully mapped out, there is still plenty of sonic floorspace for Weir and Wolf Bros to do what they do.
“Playing in the Band” represented the first new venture of the evening, as the extended ensemble tackled one of the Dead’s most inherently exploratory pieces. Riding that spirit of improvisation, a swell of horns signaled a seamless transition into “Dark Star”. Though also a repeat from the night before, one would be hard-pressed to find a Deadhead that would complain about hearing the psychedelic masterpiece two nights in a row. This unique interpretation of the song allowed the wind section to handle the leads once supplied by Jerry Garcia.
After performing just the first verse of “Dark Star”, Weir, his Bros, and the Orchestra reeled back with “Jack Straw”. The serenity of the song’s opening chords was further softened by the string section, with the National Symphony Orchestra carrying this take on the crowd-pleaser before plunging down to the depths of “Wharf Rat”. The cautionary tale of August West was made all the more dire by the wealth of instrumentation before a rerun of “Cassidy” closed the first frame.
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Coming back from what the classical crowd calls “intermission”, the ensemble opted for the reliable second set opening pairing of “Lost Sailor” and “Saint of Circumstance”. The nautical rumination lofted along the waves as the wind section blew the vessel right into the second verse of “Dark Star”. Bobby kept the mood low for his reading of “Stella Blue” before reprises of the improvisational juggernauts “Dark Star” and “Playing in the Band” from the first set as well as “Uncle John’s Band” from the night prior.
With the second set winding down, the group delivered the Grateful Dead’s anthem of perseverance, “Touch of Grey”. The Dead’s most commercially successful song would prove the final offering of the evening from the National Symphony Orchestra, who left the paired-down lineup of Weir, Was, Lane, and Chimenti to finish off the second set with a cover of John Davenport (aka Eddie Cooley and Otis Blackwell)’s “Fever”, favored by Weir and Rob Wasserman and played just once by the Dead on 9/13/87.
Returning for the encore with the Wolf Bros and Wolf Pack on hand, Weir closed out his second of four Kennedy Center shows with a time-honored take on The Crickets‘ “Not Fade Away”, keeping the crowd clapping along as the band bid goodnight. Bob Weir & Wolf Bros will return to the Kennedy Center for another performance with the National Symphony Orchestra on Saturday, October 8th. Check out a gallery of images from last night’s show courtesy of Bolt of Sunshine. Revisit Live For Live Music‘s coverage of the first night here.
Setlist: Bob Weir & Wolf Bros | John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts | Washington, D.C. | 10/6/22
Set One: Overture [1], Shakedown Street, Playing in the Band > Dark Star [2], Jack Straw, Wharf Rat, Cassidy
Set Two: Lost Sailor > Saint of Circumstance > Dark Star [3], Stella Blue, Reprise [4], Touch of Grey, Fever [5]
Encore: Not Fade Away (The Crickets) [6]
[1] NSO only
[2] First verse
[3] Second verse
[4] Contained “Dark Star”, “Uncle John’s Band”, “Playing in the Band” reprises
[5] Bob & Wolf Bros
[6] Bob, Wolf Bros, & Wolf Pack
The post Drifting & Dreaming: Bob Weir Delivers More Grateful Dead Orchestral Renderings At The Kennedy Center [Photos/Videos] appeared first on L4LM.
