Furthur on down Abbey Road: post Grateful Dead band jams The Beatles Classic

by happycat! >^.^<m~ | Mar 16, 2011 | Uncategorized

Enjoy this video playlist – Furthur “Abbey Road”

Furthur – Phil Lesh and Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead and their dynamite band (Joe Russo – drums, John Kadlecik – lead guitar, Jeff Chimenti – keyboards, and additional vocals by Sunshine Becker and Jeff Pehrson), take The Beatles classic Abbey Road and redefine it as their own!

Playing with their fans expectations, Furthur opened their Spring Tour 2011 on March 4th, at The Orpheum in Boston, Massachusetts with The Beatles”Come Together”.  A surprise for the much debated tour opener – but not unheard; Furthur, as well as Phil and Bob’s other bands have covered this one before. 

Night 2, also at The Orpheum, second song in Furthur busts out  the George Harrison penned “Something”.  Well this was a surprise!  Though the band has done Harrison in the past, covering his more recent song “Any Road”.  Well we know by now the band likes to cover  The Beatles, and maybe George Harrison is someone’s fave fab?  That would be totally gear!

Then… night three, so beyond the expectation of any head – in the third song of the first set… clang clang! “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer” came down upon the deadheads!  It was at this point some added it all up and realized all signs pointed to Abbey Road! 

Sure enough – Night 4 (Tuesday 3/8/2011 Wallingford CT) – 4th song, “Oh! Darling”.

Furthur arrived in New York, for their 5 night run at the Best Buy Theater (formerly the Nokia),  Thursday night 3/10/2011, 5th show of tour 5 songs in: ”Octopus’s Garden”.

So now we know, right?  Sure enough, Night 6, Friday 3/11/11 – “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” – in the sixth spot, with Phil’s 6-string bass dropping the so heavy bombs!  Night 7, Saturday 3/12/11 "Comes The Sun” spot number 7 in the set.  And because the run was going so well, on night 8, position 8, Furthur did “Because”.  

And because they played their hearts out for 4 nights straight, the band took Monday off.

Night 9 in the tour was especially auspicious – not only is it the Ides of March, but it is Phil’s 71st birthday!  We knew the band would do something special for Mr. Lesh on his day… but what?  Well first off, free cupcakes for everyone as they came in.   

The band usually does 8 or 9 songs in a set… and when set 1 had exactly 8, we all thought we knew what we would hear to open set 2… “You Never Give Me Your Money”. The “debate” at setbreak – both at the show and online at  Deadheadland’s Facebook page was:  Will they play only YNGMYM – or will they do the whole Abbey Road Medley, which is really made up of several very short songs…

Well never wanting to totally give in to our expectations… they opened the second set with something else!  A freaking Grateful Dead song!?!  go figure!  “Golden Road” and then another Dead song… ok, it was a great set, creative and all – “Scarlet Begonias > China Cat Sunflower > Ramble On Rose”?  C’mon!  Go Furthur!  But where was The Beatles we had been expecting?

Next up was “New Potato Caboose” – and at this point most heads had all but forgot Abbey Road…

And there it was: “You Never Give Me Your Money”.  Threw me off,  not where or when I expected it, though it was a most welcome tune.  And then… “Sun King”  – the notes of which confirmed we we’re getting the whole  Abbey Road Medley: 

You Never Give Me Your Money >
Sun King >
Mean Mr. Mustard >
Polythene Pam >
She Came In Through The Bathroom Window >
Golden Slumbers >
Carry That Weight >
The End

What a great way to celebrate Phil’s 71st!  But wait, there is more:  Furthur followed the Medley with “Built To Last” and “Truckin’”!    Give me something built to last, or something built to try – and what a long strange trip it’s been…  Indeed!

The crowd sang Happy Birthday to Phil, and the  band encored with “St. Stephen”  -with one more surprise….

Her Majesty’s a pretty nice girl, but she doesn’t have a thing to say!