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On July 12th, 2008 I shunned the Ottawa Bluesfest for the day and pointed my car south. Though there were a lot of good bands on the bill I would’ve enjoyed (Redd Volkaert, JJ Grey & Mofro, and Anders Osborne would have filled the day nicely) the lack of any heavy-hitters in the days lineup made the trip to Rochester a pretty easy decision.
After all, Phil Lesh is always worth a road trip, and with Levon Helm opening the show making the drive was a no-brainer. The show was in a park downtown and it started mid-afternoon so I got down there shortly after hitting town.
I know this can’t be right, but I remember only a small fence separating the inside from the outside at this show; I’m picturing quaint, park-style fencing about two feet high. If that was indeed the case then the show was ticketed on the honour system, which seems unlikely in the middle of Rochester.
Either way, my ticket was honoured and I spent a sunny afternoon standing in a pretty downtown park listening to Levon Helm (1940-2012) lead his band through a set of understated brilliance that is indicative of the man and his former Band. Trees and flowerbeds punctuated a happy, groovy crowd with a blue sky overhead and crispy sound from all around. Not a bad way lead-in to the evening.
Which of course was Phil Lesh. Probably the most interesting and creative bass players in the history of rock music, Lesh has persevered through the topsy-turvy world of rock and roll and even an organ transplant with his wits, skills, and dexterity remarkably intact. Even when he’s not ‘on’, even when his voice strains his bass playing is always sublime. With a jazz-like sensibility and a refined appreciation for discordance Phil Lesh manages to milk a chord like he’s squeezing blood from a stone. Bouncing exploratory lines that are wildly melodic anchor the band and lead them at the same time, and all the while the skinny senior citizen smiles like a surprised child playing with a wondrous new toy.
And of course the material he draws upon is some of the best of the genre. He’s Gone, Brown-Eyed Women, Help/Slip/Franklin’s, I mean these are some great, great songs. In all it was just a wonderful day and when the night closed with Truckin’ I certainly felt like I had gotten my $50 worth.
This was the first time I’d meet my hosts Rachel and Nick, two great people who are now good friends. They put me up for the night in their cool old house and generally bent over backwards to make sure I had an awesome time. Feeling it would be both irresponsible and downright rude not to comply I responded by doing exactly that.
Todd Man Out 