“We just love playing in NYC!” – Ted Tilton

On Friday, May 2nd on a chilly night in Manhattan fans were entertained by the professional musings of the DeadPhish Orchestra on a party Rocks Off! Cruise on the nautical vessel, The Jewel. It was a successful night of splashing, singing, swaying and jamming.

DeadPhish Orchestra are Chris Sheldon (drums), Paul Murin (guitar), Brian Adams (bass) and Ted Tilton (keys) and they are a seasoned veteran act who showed off their skills while tackling the music of the two greatest jam bands in history. The energy from the band from Colorado, and their tight cohesive sharing of it, was evidenced in the fiery start through up-tempo and explosive, “Alabama Getaway.” The beauty of the proceeding is as soon as you are settled in enjoying a Garcia-led groove the band smoothly segues into a raucous Phish number, “The Curtain.”

Although many bands are only well suited to covering one of the juggernaut bands, DPO is adept at contrasting all styles and eras. An early highlight was the jump from the bouncy dance-a-thon of “Shakedown Street” to the frenetic pacing of the opening of “Tube.” The harmonies were luscious and in synch with Tilton leading the one in exemplary fashion with his high register offerings. The peak of audience adulation naturally pinaccled during the monster that is “You Enjoy Myself” complete with build up to full crescendo. The intricate jams and slick riffs relentlessly continued for hours straight, over the rocky seas, that offered an up close view of the Statue of Liberty. The cruise was an early offering from yet another stellar planned line-up by Rocks Off! including The New Mastersounds, Donna the Buffalo, Start Making Sense and The Machine.

DeadPhish Orchestra not only professionally delivered some of the best songs, from two vastly different storied catalogs, but they performed with an enthusiastic passion that was contagious. Any encore set that has both “Casey Jones” and “Lizards” in it must be respected. It was a joyous celebratory set that left those in attendance fully satiated.

– by Chadbyrne R. Dickens

 

Set List: Alabama Getaway > Curtain With > Shakedown Street > Tube, Prince Caspian > Uncle John’s Band, Back on the Train > Scarlet Begonias > YEM > Cumberland Blues, Theme from the Bottom > I Know You Rider > Roses are Free. E: Lizards, Casey Jones

Here is a video of the band performing “Theme from the Bottom>I Know You Rider” from Denver in 2012: