Bob Weir & Wolf Bros returned to the ornate The Met in Philadelphia on Wednesday to deliver some fittingly opulent interpretations of Grateful Dead favorites.
After tailing Willie Nelson around the country on the traveling Outlaw Festival, as well as playing a guest-filled set at Farm Aid, Bobby is finally back to playing his customary two-set headlining shows. Sure, the multiple-act festival experience is great for a meal of musical tapas, but the true way to fill your stomach and your soul with Grateful Dead music is with the time-tested, two-set configuration.
The comfort of having plenty of time on the clock was apparent throughout the first set, which began with a take on Little Feat‘s “Easy To Slip”. Weir and his core Bros, Jay Lane (drums), Don Was (bass), and Jeff Chimenti (keyboards), augmented by The Wolfpack string/horn section along with Barry Sless (pedal steel), glided through a first set of typical Dead singalongs including “Greatest Story Ever Told”, “Mexicali Blues”, and “Althea”. Bobby helmed a pair of time-tested song pairings to close out the first frame, with “Lost Sailor” > “Saint of Circumstance” preceding “Weather Report Suite” > “Let It Grow”.
Related: Bob Weir & Wolf Bros Debut Merle Haggard Cover In Columbus [Videos]
Returning for set two, Weir and company eased audiences in with a slow-burning “Corrina” followed by a cover of Willie Dixon‘s “Little Red Rooster” that fit into the set as naturally as Bobby fit into a pair of jean cut-offs in the ’80s. Digging into the improvisational excavation that would guide the second set, “Playing In The Band” set the wheels in motion for the uninterrupted frame.
“Playing In The Band”‘s set two companion “Uncle John’s Band” came by for a riverside ditty, making a brief detour into “Supplication” ahead of a “UJB” reprise. Bob Dylan‘s “All Along The Watchtower” acted as a palate cleanser around the space where “Drums/Space” would normally go at a Dead/& Co show and prepared audiences for the somber “Days Between” to follow. Going out on a roar, Bob Weir & Wolf Bros closed the second set with a mighty good “Good Lovin'” before sending everyone home on their hands and their knees with a “Brokedown Palace” encore.
Check out some videos of Bob Weir & Wolf Bros featuring The Wolfpack at The Met Philadelphia on Wednesday. Bobby is off to Baltimore for a show tonight, September 28th, at Pier Six Pavilion, his last gig until his October 29th concert with the Stanford Symphony Orchestra in California. For tickets and a full list of tour dates visit his website.
Bob Weir & Wolf Bros ft. The Wolfpack – “Easy To Slip” (Little Feat), “Greatest Story Ever Told” [Pro-Shot] – 9/27/23
Bob Weir & Wolf Bros ft. The Wolfpack – “Corrina”, “Little Red Rooster” (Willie Dixon) [Pro-Shot] – 9/27/23
Setlist: Bob Weir & Wolf Bros ft. The Wolfpack | The Met Philadelphia | Philadelphia, PA | 9/27/23
Set One: Easy To Slip (Little Feat), Greatest Story Ever Told, Mexicali Blues, Althea, Lost Sailor > Saint of Circumstance, Weather Report Suite > Let It Grow
Set Two: Corrina, Little Red Rooster (Willie Dixon), Playing in the Band > Uncle John’s Band > Supplication > Uncle John’s Band > All Along the Watchtower (Bob Dylan) > Days Between > Good Lovin’ (The Olympics)
Encore: Brokedown Palace
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