On Sunday night, Bob Weir and Wolf Bros began the final stop on their inaugural tour with their first of two performances at the storied Beacon Theatre in New York, NY. While many of the shows on this tour have included special guests to augment the group’s core lineup of Bob Weir, drummer Jay Lane, and bassist Don Was, night one in Manhattan was all about the trio and the fantastic setlist they wove together throughout the night.
The evening began with a spirited “Jack Straw” that saw Weir and Lane trade lead vocals. A well-played rendition of “Maggie’s Farm” followed, marking the first of two Bob Dylan covers on the night. Live Grateful Dead favorite “Me and My Uncle” came in next. As Weir stepped to the mic to begin the next tune, he seemed to have a new idea, opting to put down his electric guitar and pick up his newer acoustic for “Looks Like Rain”. Bobby shined on lead vocals on this excellent rendition of the Grateful Dead ballad, commanding the room with a seasoned swagger.
Next up was Blue Mountain track “Gonesville”, a staple of Wolf Bros setlists throughout the tour. As the band readied themselves for the next song, Weir seemed to have some commentary on deck for the coming number. However, after taking a beat to collect his thoughts, he mused, “I’m trying to think of a story about this song. I guess I’m gonna have to let it tell itself.” The song in question was Jerry Garcia/Robert Hunter classic “Loser”, which saw Weir switch from acoustic back to electric mid-song. Finally, the band wrapped up the show’s first frame by rocking and rolling with “Josephine” and dancing and shaking their bones with “Throwing Stones”.
Set two got moving with “Deep Elem Blues” before moving into “Dark Star” to the audible excitement of the sold-out crowd. After an extended instrumental intro, Weir led his Bros through the first verse of the Dead jam vehicle before taking a detour into the second Dylan cover of the night, a slinky, subtle “All Along The Watchtower”, which once again saw Weir switch from acoustic to electric mid-jam. From there, the band landed back in “Dark Star” for the song’s second verse before moving into RatDog‘s “Two Djinn”, which saw both Was and Lane take their time to shine.
Next, the band moved into “Wharf Rat”, the hot Sunday crowd cheering and singing along. After an excellent reading of the song featuring some residual “Dark Star” licks from Weir, the trio moved into the final segment of the set: an emotionally potent “China Cat Sunflower” > “I Know You Rider”. Finally, after a brief break, the band returned to the stage for a “Going Down The Road Feeling Bad” encore complete with added elements of “China Cat”.
Bob Weir and Wolf Bros will wrap up their nationwide tour tonight with their second and final night at the Beacon, and considering it’s the final night of the tour—and it’s taking place in the Big Apple—you can likely expect some special guest Bros to make an appearance. Who do you think will join the party?
Check out a selection of clips from Bob Weir and Wolf Bros’ first night at The Beacon Theatre below:
“Throwing Stones” (Partial)
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@bobweir @beacontheatre @music_is_theanswer @liveforlivemusic #music #deadandcompany #wolfbros
“Dark Star” (Partial)
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@bobweir and Wolf Bros make their way to the @beacontheatre #darkstar #gratefuldead
“All Along The Watchtower” (Partial)
“I Know You Rider” (Partial)
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@bobweir I know you Rider @beacontheatre @music_is_theanswer @musicneverstopped #music #wolfbros
Setlist: Bob Weir and Wolf Bros | The Beacon Theatre | New York, NY | 11/18/18
Set One: Jack Straw, Maggie’s Farm > Me and My Uncle, Looks Like Rain, Gonesville, Loser > Josephine, Throwing Stones
Set Two: Deep Elem Blues, Dark Star (v1) > All Along The Watchtower > Dark Star (v2) > Two Djinn > Wharf Rat, China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider
Encore: Going Down The Road Feeling Bad
Notes: Weir switched from acoustic to electric during “Loser”, and again during “All Along The Watchtower”; “Wharf Rat” contained “Dark Star” teases; “Going Down The Road Feeling Bad” contained “China Cat” tease.