Carroll's 55th Street

1/21/2020

Everyone Is In for The Ace of the Show

This week we were fortunate enough to have the weather on our side and the whole band in town healthy and ready to play. Scott was back from Eurpore ready to go and Andy was back into Deadstein also ready to go. Rennie was also there with Drew and Scott and the pecussive duo and Deadstein was set to rock with Kevin, Rich and I.

Let the Good Times Roll is always a good way to get the groovin' going if it takes all night long. It didn't take all night because as is usually the case with us, from second one,we are playing and groovin' and it is for the most part all night long. The Greatest Story follow-up gave us another opportunioty to work on some of the Ace material and not that I want to jinx it, but we should be ready to Ace the Ace material if Greattest Story is any indication.

It was time to slow it upa bit and nothing like Peggy-O to give you peace of mind and confidence in the heart. That song felt good. I played a super steady stecato 2 and 4 thing locking inw with Drew's snare. We also really pulled of the ending of the Peggy-O which is not a given by and stretch of the imagination.

Hey, Trister was there with Rennie, why not take advvatage and try the Picasso Moon, it wasn't perfect but we made it through it and it did have it's moments. Duprees is an easy way to get some of the confience back that can so easily be shaken from you with the Picasso. Looks Like Rain and Row Jimmy gave Andy some time to try some slide material out while giving us more of the Ace treatment. A long Row Jimmy and a long Memphis Blues seemed to both go on forever and took some wind out of the sails. What do you do, you hoist them right back up and reach beyond your horizon with theh St. Stephen Eleven. I audibled on the pressumed Death Don't Have No Mercy and went for the Wharf Rat whichh seem like a good move. It kept Kevin in the game and close out of the 30-minute medley was a hot Music Never Stopped. That was enough music to knock Andy out for the second set, leaving me up to the lead guitar for set 2.

Second set started with a Deadstein first, Walking in the Sunshine, the only song on Ace that didn't make it to the Dead's rotation but we had to learn it fo the February 25 Ace ttribute gig coming up at the Bitter End. I charted it out over the weekend and we headed right into to it to start the second set and it felt and sounded great. While it's an easy song, it hard to imagine how good that sounded for a first time play by Deadstein. That was enough for the short segments as we launched into a 50-minute plus 2nd set type of creation. Terrapin, Other One, China Doll, Watchtower Crazy Fingers,, Around and Around Johnny B. Goode. A 7-song medley and most of it good and worthwhie. Exhausting stuff but quite a mountain to climb, glad everyone is along for thhe ride with me. Drew and I seemed to be clicking through most of the second set. We closed with the Black Muddy River and Hey Pocky Way with a great last note and a cap on the night to close the song and January 21, 2020 jam. It was a vry satisfyling and worthwhile Deadstein experience. Makes you want to come back for more.

Freak Out!