Bob Weir & Wolf Bros found their new home for the week on Tuesday at The Capitol Theatre, setting up a four-night run at the Port Chester, NY music haven. The encore-less concert featuring The Wolf Pack saw the addition of more horns in the second set with Mitch Marcus sitting in on tenor sax.
Weir, his Bros Don Was (bass), Jay Lane (drums), and Jeff Chimenti (piano), and the Pack featuring Brian Switzer (trumpet), Adam Theis (trombone), Sheldon Brown (saxophone), Mads Tolling (violin), and Alex Kelly (cello) along with Barry Sless (pedal steel guitar) opened the show with what would prove some of the deepest improvisation of the evening, “Cassidy”. The 15-minute take on the Bobby Ace original allowed the ensemble to plunge deep into the waters of exploration to start the show, only to wade back to the shallow end with brisk takes on “My Brother Esau”, Bob Dylan‘s “When I Paint My Masterpiece”, and Jerry Garcia‘s “Catfish John”.
A leisurely Southern saunter through “Tennessee Jed” followed, only for the journey to continue by hitching a ride down the highway with “Black Throated Wind”. Reaching the end of the road, Bob Weir & Wolf Bros left port on the intertwined vessels of “Lost Sailor” and “Saint of Circumstance” to close the first set.
Related: Bob Weir Confesses To Stage Fright In New Interview: “Like Walking Into A Torture Chamber”
Coming out of the gate for set two, Weir and company saddled up for a cowboy tune with “Mama Tried”. The Merle Haggard cover was born for Barry’s pedal steel, with Jeff’s honky-tonk grand piano taking it home. The traditional pairing of “China Cat Sunflower” and “I Know You Rider” put set two in full swing, but it didn’t stop there. “He’s Gone” emerged out of “I Know You Rider”, only for the mournful lament for Mickey Hart‘s huckster father to get a shot of adrenaline by way of a segue into “Going Down the Road Feeling Bad”.
Tenor saxophonist Mitch Marcus emerged from the wings to lend his horn to the rollicking Henry Whitter cover, sticking around for the transition into “I Need A Miracle”. Following Weir’s plea, which has become a staple catchphrase of the Grateful Dead lot scene, a rhythmic uptick took the band into Bob Dylan‘s “All Along The Watchtower”.
The crystalline delicacy of “Stella Blue” very well could have frozen time inside The Capitol Theatre, though unfortunately the laws of nature still applied in the outside world. As the ballad came to a close, time was running short, so Bobby and his band eschewed the typical encore break and instead played straight through “Sugar Magnolia” to close the show.
Bob Weir & Wolf Bros return to The Capitol Theatre tonight, February 8th, for their second of four shows. Tickets are on sale here. Scroll down for a gallery of images of Tuesday’s show courtesy of photographer David Gray.
Bob Weir & Wolf Bros – “Cassidy” [Pro-Shot] – 2/7/23
Bob Weir & Wolf Bros – “When I Paint My Masterpiece” (Bob Dylan) – 2/7/23
[Video: marc millman]
Bob Weir & Wolf Bros – “Mama Tried” (Merle Haggard), “China Cat Sunflower” > “I Know You Rider” (Traditional)” [Pro-Shot] – 2/7/23
Bob Weir & Wolf Bros ft. The Wolf Pack – The Capitol Theatre – Port Chester, NY – 2/7/23 – Full Audio
[Audio: Keith Litzenberger]
Setlist: Bob Weir & Wolf Bros ft. The Wolf Pack | The Capitol Theatre | Port Chester, NY | 2/7/23
Set One: Cassidy, My Brother Esau, When I Paint My Masterpiece (Bob Dylan), Catfish John (Jerry Garcia), Tennessee Jed, Black Throated Wind, Lost Sailor > Saint of Circumstance
Set Two: Mama Tried (Merle Haggard), China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider (Traditional) > He’s Gone > Going Down the Road Feeling Bad (Henry Whitter) [1] > I Need a Miracle [1] > All Along the Watchtower (Bob Dylan), Stella Blue, Sugar Magnolia
[1] w/ Mitch Marcus on tenor sax
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