It's not the Real Thing, but it's Close Enough to Pretend

Furthur – 9/17/2010 – The Cuthbert Amphitheater, Eugene OR

On a rainy September evening in Eugene, Furthur—the latest iteration of the post-Jerry Garcia Grateful Dead—played to a sold-out crowd.

Mini Me

The Grateful Dead are a significant element of my own personal musical history. I went to my first concert when I was six weeks old, and grew up with Jerry and the boys accompanying me on most every car ride with my parents. As such, the music of the Grateful Dead has a special place in my heart.

To say the least, I’m an educated critic, and on this particular September evening I was absolutely floored by the music. Phil Lesh, bass, and Bob Weir, rhythm guitar, are the only two original members of the Dead in this band, which is one of many to come after lead-guitarist Jerry Garcia’s death.

John Kadlecik

And, after some fifteen years of miscellaneous groups all drawing from the Dead repertoire, it would seem that a group has finally been formed that can not only play the music but can truly take it further. Phil and Bobby are accompanied by John Kadlecik, long-time lead-guitarist of renowned Grateful Dead cover band Dark Star Orchestra. John brings much experience with the music to the group, whose previous iterations included lead guitarists, such as Warren Haynes, of the Allman Brothers, that brought too much of themselves along, and left not enough of the original sound in tact.

In other words, the band manages to not only do the old favorites justice, but to take them to the next level, adding a modern twist and modern tones that are beautifully intertwined with the much more dated core of the music.

During the first set, I was particularly struck by a line in the second to last tune, “Saint of Circumstance.” “It’s not the real thing,” the line goes, “but it’s close enough to pretend.” What a fitting commentary on the band and its members, who struggled for so long with the ghost of their sound, left hallow by the death of its creator and prime originator. It’s heartwarming to hear something new and special be born out of the ashes of the phoenix, so to speak.

This was really apparent in moments when John took control of the band. One such moment was particularly striking in “Golden Road to Unlimited Devotion,” the last tune of the first set. Flying through the form of the tune in an up-tempo interpretation, John broke through audiative echo of Garcia, pushing the song to a new and modern climax.

After the set break, the rain really started coming down, as we were all reminded that yes, we were in Oregon. The band continued on its way, through a very pretty “Bird Song,” which, I was pleasantly surprised to hear, included a swung section with walking bass line and a very jazzy feel. Quite unlike the Grateful Dead. The mastery of Joe Russo, drummer, really shined in this section, as his carefully executed breaks added rhythmic intensity and diversity.

I was also quite pleasantly surprised to hear a song I hadn’t heard before in the set: “The Mountain Song,” originally recorded by Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh, and David Crosby in 1971. The song, which, I later learned, was originally recorded acoustic, is a folky up-tempo rock ballad that peaked on Friday with a very tasty solo by John. The rain falling through the colored lights was beautiful, and I remember reflecting on the technician’s skill.