I’m usually kind of a hard rocker/ metal head type, and wouldn’t consider myself a Deadhead in the least.   And although I really appreciate some of the musicianship involved, I haven’t exactly been too fond of jam bands.

Having said that, I read the description of the show and immediately decided I needed to see it.  The thought of seeing someone’s brain while they perform was way too cool to pass up.

Mickey Hart has an incredible DVD single that I bought about 15 years ago called Planet Drum: Indoscrub.

I only bought it because it was one of the very few 5.1 dts DVDs at the time in the world of audio surround sound recordings and it actually turned out to be quite a gem.

PICTURES OF MICKEY’S BRAIN WHILE PERFORMING THE SHOW AT THE HOUSE OF BLUES SUNSET STRIP

This may have been the coolest thing I’ve ever seen in concert.   Incredible!!

Here are more pictures (part II/ III)

This show was incredible…      It had such a good groove and vibe to it.   The technological aspect was like nothing else.   Even a semi-jam band skeptic such as myself cannot deny how futuristic and impressive this music and stage show were.  I’m really trying to find the words to describe it.   Go experience this show if you can!!

The music is joyful, inspirational and very uplifting.  I loved how all the people were so into it.  Most of the dancing was pretty funny, but it was great to see people so connected to it.   That doesn’t happen with all the shows I attend.     It took a few songs for me to get into jam band mode (and I could only tell when they were playing GD songs when the crowd cheered louder during intros), but by the end of the show, I really didn’t want to leave and would have stayed another hour or two.   This was another pleasant show of the year surprise.  

The end:

This was the best video I could dig up to describe SUPEROGRANISM:

His website also kicks ass and clearly this dude knows what he’s doing..

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JOHN HIATT    

I’ve seen MTB twice now and this was a really good show.    Like Steely Dan and Jethro Tull, there is no MARSHALL TUCKER in the Marshall Tucker Band.    They saw that name inscribed on the key to their music studio (apparently, the person that used it before them was named Marshall Tucker) and named their band accordingly.  Sort of like Leonard Skinner (look that one up if you don’t know and think a correction is needed) and like Steely Dan, they’re named after something kind of odd and random (look that one up, too).   And like Jethro Tull, they have kick ass flute playing, guitar work and drumming.  

It was packed and hot inside (the temperatures in Agoura have been extremely high for a while now).   I think the first song (at least it’s the first song I heard when I got to the box office) was “This Ol’ Cowboy”.   “Fire On The Mountain” sounded fantastic as I made my way in.  The band was rocking.  Everyone in this band rocks.  There were great flute solos, drum solos, guitar solos, crowd participation and a great set of tunes.  A total win.  Especially if you were positioned by one of those big metal fans (circulating throughout the venue).  

     

Tons of MTB Fans:

The flute playing and saxophone parts were probably the highlight of the show for me.   

 

 

Approximate Set List (no charge for mistakes!)

This Ol’ Cowboy

Fire On The Mountain (the band’s second-highest hit – just one of their only two top-40 hits).

Dog Eat Dog World

 

Take the highway  _ KILLER DRUM SOLO

Heard it in a Love Song (MTB’s greatest hit)

 

Blue Ridge

 

Midnight promises

Can’t You See?

“I’ll Be Loving You” ????

 

“Tell the Blues to Take Off the Night” ???? 

????- I bailed after “Can’t You See”.   I didn’t want to get stuck in a sea of people getting out of the parking lot on a holiday weekend, if you catch my drift.     after the applause died down, I think they called out “I’ll Be Loving You” as I got to my car.   Judging from recent set lists, they may have played “Tell the Blues to Take Off the Night” as closer.   But I wasn’t there, so for all I know, they could have played a Slayer or a Metallica song (“MTB” could also stand for “Metallica Tribute Band” – ha ha) to close out the set. 

 

“Can’t You See?” was never a Top 40 hit.   It was featured in the movie “Blow”. 

 

THE BAND:

DOUG GRAY – Lead Vocals and Tambourine

MARCUS JAMES HENDERSON – Keyboards, Saxophone, Flute and Vocals

CHRIS HICKS – Guitar and Vocals

RICK WILLIS – Guitar and Vocals

B.B. BORDEN – Drums

PAT ELWOOD – Bass and Vocals