The Slip Welcomes Marco Benevento At Levon Helm Studios

The Slip concluded their most extensive tour since 2007 last night at Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock, New York. Woodstock area resident Marco Benevento was The Slip’s special guest on organ for the majority of Saturday’s second set as well as an encore featuring a tribute to venue founder, late The Band drummer Levon Helm.

Consisting of bassist Marc Friedman, guitarist Brad Barr and drummer Andrew Barr, The Slip opened with “Suffocation Keep” at Levon Helm Studios. The song featured on 2006’s Eisenhower was one of three tour debuts played last night and hadn’t seen action since January 20, 2010. Tour staple “Trane-ing” was then followed by an original debuted at Brooklyn Bowl in New York City the previous night tentatively titled “Bloodstone.” Oldie “Aptos” came next before the trio closed the set with the pairing of “Sometimes True To Nothing” from Angels Come On Time’s and the rocker “Motherwolf.”

Brad, Andrew and Marc emerged for the second set with Benevento. Marco was a member of The Slip’s Surprise Me Mr. Davis project with Nathan Moore for a period that started in 2009. The keyboardist is featured on SMMD’s That Man Eats Morning For Breakfast EP and played on a tour in support of the record as well as at sporadic gigs since. The four musicians last collaborated this past August during Joe Russo’s Almost Dead’s mini-festival at LOCKN’ Farm in Arrington, Virginia.

Classic “If One Of Us Should Fall” saw its first play of the tour to kick off Saturday’s second set. The Slip and Benevento then dug in on an expansive “Chasing Rabbits,” the anthemic “Jumby” and beloved “Yellow Medicine.” Next, the trio went it alone for “Through The Iron Gate” and “Life In Disguise.” The latter was left unfinished as Benevento returned to add to a soul-laden cover of John Lennon’s “Jealous Guy.” The four musicians closed out the second set by dusting off fan-favorite “Honey Melon” to the delight of the crowd. “Honey Melon” was last known to be performed publicly on New Year’s Eve 2005 with a version played the following year at a private wedding as per Slipbase.

On opening night of the tour, The Slip unveiled a completely reworked version of “The Weight.” The trio’s reimagined “The Weight” was played regularly by the group over the course of the run. Fittingly, The Slip and Marco Benevento concluded the night and tour with a “The Weight” encore dedicated to Levon Helm complete with a “Dogs On Bikes” outro.

Watch fan-shot video footage from last night’s show below:

Setlist (via Scott Marks)

Set One: Suffocation Keep, Trane-ing, Bloodstone ^, Aptos, Sometimes True To Nothing > Motherwolf

Set Two: If One Of Us Should Fall @, Chasing Rabbits@, Jumby @, Yellow Medicine @, Through The Iron Gate > Life In Disguise% > Jealous Guy @, Honey Melon @

Encore: The Weight @ > Dogs On Bikes @#

• ^ – new song from 11/19/21; tentative name
• @ – with Marco Benevento on organ
• % – unfinished
• # – outro