# Phil Lesh & Friends at the Grate Room, January 31, 2018

[Terrapin Crossroads](https://www.terrapincrossroads.net/calendar/2018/1/31/phil-lesh-friends) presents [Phil Lesh](http://www.phillesh.net/) & Friends featuring [Karl Denson](http://karldenson.us/), [Chris Gelbuda](https://www.facebook.com/chrisgelbuda/), [Scott Metzger](http://scottmetzger.com/), John Molo, [Robert Randolph](http://www.robertrandolph.net/) and [Barry Sless](https://www.facebook.com/barry.sless)  
[the Grate Room at Terrapin Crossroads](http://terrapincrossroads.net/)  
[100 Yacht Club Drive, San Rafael, CA 94901 USA](http://maps.google.com/maps?q=100+Yacht+Club+Drive,+San+Rafael,+CA+94901+USA&hl=en)  
8:00 PM, Wednesday, January 31, 2018

[[2018-01-28|Back to the previous event!]] ☸ [[:#section2018|Up to the 2018 yearbox!]] ☸ [[:2018#January_events|Up to the 2018 event list!]] ☸  [[:2018:2018-02:2018-02-01|On to the next event!]]

## Set One

[8:22 PM lights down, band out; KD starts out on alto saxophone]

01. [8:23 PM] _Mason's Children_ (CG/PL/SM) @
02. [8:33 PM] _Dire Wolf_ (CG) @  
[8:37 PM Gospel-tinged noodling from RR; KD swaps to tenor for the next few tunes]
03. [8:39 PM] _Easy Wind_ (KD)
04. [8:46 PM] _Feel Like a Stranger_ (SM) +  
[Another noodling start]
05. [8:56 PM] _Pride of Cucamonga_ (PL)  
[Noodle again; KD swaps to flute]
06. [9:05 PM] _Bird Song_ (CG/PL) £  
[KD back to tenor saxophone & percussion]
07. [9:17 PM] _Throwing Stones_ (SM) +  
[set ends 9:28 PM]

## Set Two

[10:17 PM lights down, band out, KD on tenor saxophone except as noted, noodling]

01. [10:20 PM] _Help on the Way_ (CG) » [10:24 PM] _Slipknot!_ »
02. [10:36 PM] _Franklin's Tower_ (CG)  
[_Looney tunes_ tease; KD on flute for the next tune]
03. [10:49 PM] _Greatest Story Ever Told_ (SM) £
04. [10:59 PM] _Can't You Hear Me Knockin'_ (KD) » [11:09 PM] space jam (cg swaps to keys for awhile) »  
[KD on percussion next few tunes]
05. [11:11 PM] _the Other One_ (PL)
06. [11:21 PM] _Scarlet Begonias_ (CG) »
07. [11:32 PM] _Fire on the Mountain_ (CG)  
[KD switches from percussion to alto saxophone]
08. [11:43 PM] _Going Down the Road, Feelin' Bad_ (SM) @  
[set ends 11:51 PM]  
   
**Encore**
[11:54 PM] Phil does his Inspector Clouseau impression; donor rap
09. [11:57 PM] _(Turn On Your) Lovelight_ (CG)  
[show ends 12:07 AM]


## Performers

* [Karl Denson](http://karldenson.us/): @ alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, £ flute, + percussion, lead and harmony vox;
* [Chris Gelbuda](https://www.facebook.com/chrisgelbuda/): guitar, keyboards, lead and harmony vox;
* [Phil Lesh](http://www.phillesh.net/): bass, lead and harmony vox;
* [Scott Metzger](http://scottmetzger.com/): guitar, lead and harmony vox;
* John Molo: drums;
* [Robert Randolph](http://www.robertrandolph.net/): pedal steel guitar;
* [Barry Sless](https://www.facebook.com/barry.sless): guitar.

## Notes

Phil's first night with a new smaller, lighter bass from alembic, "green fire". Hard to tell that it's different without having the earlier versions to compare side by side. Doesn't sound appreciably different to me!

It's strange hearing a band with so many guitarists. They do a pretty good job not stepping on each other's toes, but that could also be interpreted as "they were too polite, and no one really stepped up to blow the doors off." There also wasn't as much dual-lead or call-and-response interplay as I expected, but maybe it boils down to a lack of rehearsal time: if you haven't really played together (ever!), then you might not want to be the jerk that induces a train wreck!

Chris Gelbuda is a pretty strong vocalist -- he reminds me a bit of Greg Allman, what with the blond hair and the cigarette-scratchy voice. I'd be interested in hearing how he got connected with Phil!

## Photos

Big thanks to Ting for the photo gallery!

{{gallery>:2018:2018-01?20180131-*.jpg}}
{{gallery>:2018:2018-01?20180201-0*.jpg}}

{{tag>music Phil_Lesh Karl_Denson Chris_Gelbuda Scott_Metzger John_Molo Robert_Randolph Barry_Sless the_Grate_Room}}

[[2018-01-28|Back to the previous event!]] ☸ [[:#section2018|Up to the 2018 yearbox!]] ☸ [[:2018#January_events|Up to the 2018 event list!]] ☸  [[:2018:2018-02:2018-02-01|On to the next event!]]