Phil and Friends

Ah the joys of living in San Francisco. Seth and I bravely ventured forth through the tenderloin to enjoy a random one off Phil and Friends show, celebrating Jackie Green's birthday. He's 27, and undeniably a rock star. I ran into a ton of peripheral people - folks from Oberlin, other bands, and Los Tortugas on this fine Tuesday evening. The show was loooong, with three sets and all. Started before 8, I bailed at 12:20, and it wasn't over.

The first set was en feugo. I don't believe there was single ass to chair moment. They just tore up Cumberland Blues. Some dude (Steve Berlin) was wailing on Baritone Sax. Clearly the month long tour created some deep musical psychic connections, cause they we're able to pull some cirque du soliel style moments through the meandering jams. Steve Molitz (keys) never ceases to impress me in Phil's pocket - much more so then in Particle, which seems to be on their last gasp anyways. Jackie crept from guitar to organ and back all night long. The keyboard interplay was sublime.

The bonus acoustic second set was a treat. This video depicts two things of interest:



That spinning ball of lights is Rob, my old landlord cruising around the Warfield. He was, and is, an omnipresent figure in the Dead scene. He owns many houses in Palo Alto, all named after Dead tunes. We lived in Shakedown St for 3 years. It was nice hanging with Seth when the band busted out Shakedown. The other notable thing is that Phil is playing an upright bass. Who knew he could do that?

Set three started with a bang, lots of balloons dropping, a Mexican Girl surprising Jackie by jumping out a cake (appropriate as they were playing his composition - "Mexican Girl"). Then it got super spacey, Dark star into feedback into Dark star feeding into . . well, me getting sleepy. So I left. I probably should have stayed for Franklin's Tower. Guess I'll have to hope for a Franklin in January, when they play the Civic Center.

November 27, 2007
Warfield Theater
San Francisco, CA

Set 1: @Bertha
*Ball And Chain
*Cumberland Blues
*Mississippi Half-Step
*So Hard To Find My Way
*Chest Fever
*Sugaree

Set 2 (Acoustic): Peggy-O
Deep Elem, Friend Of The Devil
Seven Jealous Sisters, Ripple

Set 3: Shakdown Street>
Althea, Mexican Girl
%HAPPY BIRTHDAY JACKIE!
Jam> Dark Star> China Cat>
Dark Star> Feedback Jam>
Unbroken Chain
Help on The Way>
Slipknot!>
Franklin's Tower

Donor Rap/Intros
E: Box of Rain
Brokedown Palace
@Steve Berlin On Piano
*Steve On Baritone Sax
%Balloon Drop, Bday Song, Girl Out Of Cake

Setlist courtest of Philzone