Phish’s Mike Gordon, Goose & Dopapod Members Help Dobbs’ Dead Close April Residency At Nectar’s

Dobbs’ Dead completed a five-week April residency at Nectar’s in Burlington, Vermont on Tuesday night. A number of guest musicians contributed to the “Grateful Tuesdays” Grateful Dead tribute show including Phish bassist Mike Gordon, Dopapod guitarist Rob Compa and bassist Chuck Jones and Goose drummer Cotter Ellis among others.

The core band for the residency featured Burlington vets keyboardist and namesake Josh Dobbs, Strange Machines drummer Ryan Clausen, guitarist Joe Agnello of Swimmer and All Night Boogie Band vocalist Jessica Leone. Rob Compa and Chuck Jones rounded out the ensemble on Tuesday with surprise guests Gordon, Ellis, vocalist Ali McGuirk and guitarist/vocalist Lara Cwass of Lara Cwass Band each joining in at points of the evening.

Dobbs’ Dead kicked off the residency finale with an extended “Dancing In The Street” and then delivered the oft-paired “Lazy Lightning” and “Supplication.” Mike Gordon emerged hot off the heels of Phish’s celebrated Sphere run to play bass on “He’s Gone.” Gordon stuck around for the 17-minute “Scarlet Begonias” that followed.

Tuesday’s “Scarlet” featured a metal-tinged jam that saw Compa and Agnello shred. The show continued sans Mike Gordon and with Cwass and McGuirk aboard for a run of frequent covers played by the Jerry Garcia Band to end the first set: “Don’t Let Go,” “Lucky Old Sun” and “Tangled Up In Blue.”

Dobbs’ Dead dug deep into “Fire On The Mountain” to get the final set of the residency underway. Next came “Feel Like A Stranger” before Cotter Ellis came out to join his fellow Burlington-based musicians on the last three songs of the set. Ellis contributed to lengthy versions of Grateful Dead classics “Let It Grow,” “Dark Star” and “Estimated Prophet.” Dobbs’ Dead went on to seal the residency with a “Johnny B. Goode” encore featuring Rob Compa on lead vocals.

Watch a clip of Gordon on “Scarlet Begonias” and stream Dave Kemp’s audience recording of the show below:

Setlist (via Relix.com and Dave Kemp)

Set One: Dancing In The Streets, Lazy Lightning > Supplication&, He’s Gone* > Scarlet Begonias*, Don’t Let Go** > Lucky Old Sun** > Tangled Up In Blue**

Set Two: Fire On The Mountain > Feel Like A Stranger, Let It Grow% > Dark Star% > Estimated Prophet%

Encore: Johnny B. Goode

• * – w/ Mike Gordon on bass
• ** – w/ Lara Cwass on vocals/guitar and Ali McGuirk on vocals
• & – Unfinished
• % – w/ Cotter Ellis on drums