Phil Lesh & Friends Pay Tribute To Grateful Dead 1981

By Scott Bernstein Aug 31, 2015 • 7:15 am PDT

terrapincrossroadslogo

Phil Lesh & Friends continued a series of shows honoring each year of Grateful Dead last night at Terrapin Crossroads in San Rafael, California. The Grateful Dead bassist and his band used the same setlist the Dead did at Berkeley’s Greek Theatre on September 12, 1981 for Sunday night’s performance.

For last night’s tribute to 1981 Grateful Dead, Phil was joined by guitarists Stu Allen and Rob Eaton, drummers Ezra Lipp and Alex Koford and keyboardist Rob Barraco. Allen filled the role of Jerry Garcia and sang each tune Jerry did at the Greek, while Eaton sang each of the Bobby tunes. Brent Mydland did not lead any songs on September 12, 1981; so Barraco was limited to harmony vocals on Sunday.

Before the band took the stage Jay Blakesberg led a conversation with Lesh about the year 1981 in both pop culture and Grateful Dead histories. Allen had plenty of time up front during a first set that included “Shakedown Street,” “Bird Song,” “Friend Of The Devil” and “China Cat Sunflower” > “I Know You Rider.” Stu also was in the spotlight for the majority of a second set that featured such classics as “Scarlet Begonias” > “Fire On The Mountain,” “Eyes Of The World” and “Wharf Rat.” The concert came to a close with a double cover encore of Bob Dylan’s “It’s All Over Now Baby Blue” and The Young Rascals’ “Good Lovin’.”

Phil Lesh & Friends will play a free show at Terrapin tomorrow night.

Setlist (compiled by Rob Scalcione)

  • Phil Lesh – bass, vocals
  • Stu Allen – guitar, vocals
  • Rob Eaton – guitar, vocals
  • Rob Barraco – keyboards, vocals
  • Ezra Lipp – drums
  • Alex Koford – drums

8:00pm – 8:15pm Discussion of 1981 w/Jay Blakesberg & Phil Lesh.

Set 1 8:30pm – 10:05pm

  • Shakedown Street sa
  • Greatest Story Ever Told re
  • Friend of The Devil sa
  • El Paso re
  • Bird Song sa
  • Cassidy re
  • Tennessee Jed sa
  • Looks Like Rain re
  • China Cat Sunflower sa >
  • I Know You Rider sa

Set 2 10:45pm – 12:45pm

  • Scarlet Begonias sa >
  • Fire on the Mountain sa
  • C.C. Rider re
  • Estimated Prophet re >
  • Eyes of the World sa >
  • Drums >
  • Not Fade Away all >
  • Wharf Rat sa >
  • Around & Around re >
  • One More Saturday Night re

Encore: donor rap

  • It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue sa
  • band intros
  • Good Lovin’ re

JamBase Collections