[1960strat]

Saw Bobby and the Rat at the Beacon last night. I am kinda bummed i went to the first show of the run however. They did not have the sound right for the "guests". Jimmy Herring came on and played the first set and them Warren Haynes came on and played the second, with a couple of tunes with both of them there. There was some really nice interplay between Mark Karan and Herring...But they just didnt have the sound right (Feedback, could hear herring or Haynes' guitar and warrens vocals were feeding back all over.) Cool show nonetheless.

[Tennessee Jedi]

Did you catch up to any other RUKINDERS?

[High Peaks]

Did Karan play the whole night, or sit out some? ALso, did you notice if he was playing his hardtail SG? That guitar is so sick.....

[strumminsix]

I was there Thursday and Friday.

The other Beacon thread didn't finalize with a meetup loc.

Simple reviews:
Thurs: Great music, band sounded good together, minor trouble with overall sound, awesome musical guests
Frid: horrible sound, band was good, awful rappers in second set. yes, you read that right, rappers. WTF?! The soundguy should be fired. Yes, fired. Incompetent.

[krzykat]

I saw all three nights and have to tell you thta thursday was the most solid! Warren and Jimmy!! Fri Rappers??? Sat I don't know what Bobby is thinking changing the arangement to Franklins. He started it on an off beat and slowed it down to about 1/4 the tempo. it is no longer the triumph that it once was After this show I was at the west end brewing co. on 76 and amsterdam anad Bobby was there, (so were Jiimmy and Dave Schools) Bobby looked so strung out his eyes were void and he looked like he didn't care any more (kinda like Randall Patrick McMurphy in cukoo's nest after the labotomy) The instant i looked in his eyes i knew what the franklins was about, and it made me very sad.

We all need to send positivity to Bobby to help him get out of this funk that he is in!! Lets help him to roll away the dew and bring a smile back to his face. when i download the pic i have i will post it

[High Peaks]

C'mon, your not saying Bobby is still blowing lines or on junk are you? I would think maybe he's just stoned or drunk after hanging out with some buds he doesn't get to see to often. He was at a brewery, right?

Ratdog has always slowed the tempos down. They hit a decent stride right before Karan was diagnosed, but for the most part they sound like the Grateful Dead as a lounge act. Good interplay between the musicians though. You just have to expect that it won't sound like the Dead because its not supposed to.

[pfarrell615]

read the bob weir website hes totally strung out and loven it

[krzykat]

I'm saying that he is manic depressive. there is nothing when you look in his eyes. I've heard ratdog do franklins before and the meaning of the song was totaly changed in this version. lounge bobby . . . whatever man, this was beyond fucked up this was lost!

[Tennessee Jedi]

Yo
KrzyKat
Cool avatar
Which one is you ?
Hey never seen Ratdog- just been going by what people are saying.Heard (hearing) some bad reviews.
Saw J Darks backstage vid of one of the Beacon shows.
Gotta say I thought they sounded good.Sounded cool.
Never heard a second before I heard the Darks thing.I liked what I heard,though.Seemed like some good jamming....
M.Karan sounds good.I've seen Phil with Warren and it didnt really do it for me.(Warren is one of my favs,though.)
I should have checked 'em out when I had the chance.
I really love Bobs deal- the guitar the tunes.
Glad hes still out there.
Insert words to "Black Throated " here.....

[strumminsix]

I'm saying that he is manic depressive. there is nothing when you look in his eyes. I've heard ratdog do franklins before and the meaning of the song was totaly changed in this version. lounge bobby . . . whatever man, this was beyond fucked up this was lost!

Do you have any proof or first hand knowledge of this claim?

What meaning are you inferring?

[Mick]

read the bob weir website hes totally strung out and loven it

Gotta link?

I doubt Bobby is "strung out", he looks way to healthy to me.

And, I've never met the man personally, but I have seen him in numerous interviews as well as seeing him on-stage many times, all over the course of three decades or so, and he always seems to look like that. When he is just standing or sitting there while an interviewer is asking someone else a question, he has always had a very blank kind of look on his face. Others here have also said he was "arrogant", I never got that. He looks like he would probably be more accurately described as very "self-concious", which I think also makes him come across as a little blank in interviews sometimes.

But then there are those who look for a way to rip a guy.....

[I'm on the Bozo Bus]

FWIW....
I work with a guy who knows Bob as well as other family members. I know... yea right... sure you do Bozo...

The way it was explained to me,
A few things:
Bob is a runner... literally. Always has been, Runs for hours early in the morning. From the KRZYKAT post, his "sighting" was after a gig, at BrauHaus.... likely a couple of hours after a show. My guess he was just beat... Bob is getting old. Not a bad thing, just the way it is.

He HATES the music industry with a couple of specific exceptions: playing music, some (Industry) friends made over the years and writing music when the mood/inspiration hits him. That is probably not a big surprise... at least it wasn't for me.

Dazed and confused during interviews...
Do you think those filmed / video'd interview questions were the first time they were asked?
"So Bob, whats it like (Insert Bob thinking cartoon balloon here - "Here it comes") without your good 'ol buddy Jerry leading the band?"

Can you imagine hearing variations of that question perhaps once every few days (While touring) and not getting a little dispondent?

Sorry for the hi-jack, but the Bobby bashing (Perhaps that is a little strong....) or the insuation of him riding the horse, or blowing lines etc... is un-founded speculation. He has been doing what he wants, at his speed, for himself and the shared love of music for 40+ years.

I once asked a great-uncle ... Why do you act like a jerk most of the time when you are really a nice guy... His answer.... I'm old, I do what the hell I want when I want. I don't have to be nice.
I understand.
More than enough of me.... in spades....
PEACE,
Phil

[krzykat]

I mean that when i looked in his eyes it wasn't tired that i saw it was emptiness, void.

As far as Franklins, its is supposed to be a triumph (at least to me) God save the child who rings that bell, now its god save the child . . . . who rings that bell . . . . maybe i am over analyzing this but there were about 100 people that i talked to after the show that agreed with me.

this was only about an hour after the show let out, and the whole time i was in the back of the bar Bobby didn't touch a drink so he wasn't drunk he was down. Even when he was talking to Jimmy Herring and Dave Schools a smile never crossed his face.

to answer your question Jedi I am the one in the middle

[1960strat]

I know one thing. If the sound isnt right in my band after a show i am despondent and pissed that we didnt get it exactly right. Maybe after 40 years that shit doesnt bug Bobby, but he is a professional and i bet if he has an off night it does bug him. I doubt very highly he is using.

[krzykat]

i'm not saying that he IS using, i'm saying that he is majorly depressed