# Phil Lesh at the Grate Room at Terrapin Crossroads, January 7, 2020

[Terrapin Crossroads](https://www.terrapincrossroads.net/tickets) presents [Phil Lesh](http://www.phillesh.net/), with [Stu Allen](http://www.stuallen.net/), [Jason Crosby](https://www.facebook.com/jasoncrosbyband), [Grahame Lesh](http://grahamelesh.com/), and John Molo  
[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, Tuesday, January 7, 2020

[[2020-01-05|Back to the previous event!]] ☸ [[:#section2020|Up to the 2020 yearbox!]] ☸ [[:2020#January_events|Up to the 2020 event list!]] ☸ [[2020-01-12|On to the next event!]]

## Soundcheck

[7:01 PM] _Let It Grow_ (multiple takes)  
[Consequently, we don't get inside until around 7:30 or so. Not the end of the world, but it's kinda cold to be standing around outside tonight: would have worn a warmer coat if I'd expected that problem!]

## Set One

[8:13 PM lights down, band out after about 30 sec; 8:15 teasin... JC starts on B-3; Spacey noodles, false start]

01. [8:16 PM] _Alligator_ (PL) (rippin' fast) » [8:24 PM] JC swaps to keyboard; the band drops into an unusual jam, reminiscent of _China Cat_ »
02. [8:27 PM] _Brown-eyed Women_ (SA)
03. [8:35 PM] _Reuben & Cerise_ (SA) »  
[JC swap to B-3]
04. [8:45 PM] _Liberty_ (GL)  
[JC swap back to keyboard]
05. [8:55 PM] _Box of Rain_ (PL)  
[set ends 9:03 PM]

[I head to the bar, and catch a minute or two of _Fiyo on the Bayou_ from Mark Karan, Danny Eisenberg, Robin Sylvester, and a drummer who I failed to pay attention to (oops!)]

## Set Two

[9:23 PM] lights down;  
[9:26 PM] band out;   
[9:28 PM] noodling; JC starts on keys]

01. [9:29 PM] _Playing in the Band_ (GL) »
02. [9:38 PM] _Ripple_ (PL)  
[Molo takes off his flannel shirt; JC playing both keys and B-3 during next... sometimes simultaneously!]
03. [9:44 PM] _He's Gone_ (SA) » [9:54 PM] Spanish jam » [9:56 PM] Phil exclaims "oh no" as the jam comes briefly unglued before they regroup and head back into that Spanish thing »
04. [9:58 PM] _Let It Grow_ (GL)
05. [10:14 PM] _Uncle John's Band_ > chaos; JC swap to B-3 >
06. [10:25 PM] _Goin' Down the Road, Feeling Bad_  
[set ends 10:34 PM; group bow & posing for pictures]  
[Phil does the donor rap; 10:36 PM done, no encore tonight]

## Performers

* [Stu Allen](http://www.stuallen.net/): guitar, lead and harmony vox;
* [Jason Crosby](https://www.facebook.com/jasoncrosbyband): keyboard, Hammond B-3 organ;
* [Grahame Lesh](http://grahamelesh.com/): guitar, lead and harmony vox;
* [Phil Lesh](http://www.phillesh.net/): bass, lead and harmony vox;
* John Molo: drums.
## Notes

We're way farther back in line tonight -- past the corner, by the front of the TV -- but happily, once inside, we end up in the exact same spot as last week. Must be some sort of magic spell spun by Ting on the fabric of spacetime! Works great for me!

The band comes out a bit later than expected, and I can't put my finger on the spacey teases that I hear ... it sounds old, but what will it be? There's a last-minute consultation between Stu, John & Phil, and then BLAMMO! Off like a jet-boat, screaming across the everglades! Why, it's _Alligator_, attempted at a hellaciously fast tempo. But it falls apart after a few seconds. Molo apologizes, mumbling something about listening to the album version of the song. No worry. It's exciting to see grand failures too! They regroup, restart, and rumble through a powerful rendition of the tune. That's the spot I like! Eventually they come to the end where the band would traditionally drop into _Caution_, but tonight they veer off into uncharted territory. As noted above, this outro jam reminds me of _China Cat Sunflower_, but instead of coalescing on that gem, a few minutes later, Stu steps up to the mic, and suddenly we're in _Brown-eyed Women_. Wow! Didn't feel that coming, but the transition was totally smooth ... like buttah! Nothing like the cringe-worthy train-wrecks of that other well-known band.

The rest of the first set is fine, if not nearly as exciting as the first ten or fifteen minutes. Compared to last week, the feel is looser and less driven. No matter. I'm happy to be here!

Second set starts with a magnificent take on _Playing in the Band_, and they get way out into some crazy spaces before reining things back in and landing on ... something ... uh, what's this? An electric _Ripple_! How unexpected! Cool! Fun! Bravo! Bravo! I'm really happy, and the rest of the set keeps me hopping in my head from star to star. Grahame does a really good job singing _Let It Grow_, and the jamming from the band is simply divine. I twirl. I toss sparks. I sweat. I smile. This is the place to be tonight!

All too soon, the show has ended -- barely more than an hour for the second set tonight, and no encore. Yet I'm happy. Sometimes the measure of an event is best made by parameters other than duration! I'm kinda bummed to note that I'll be missing the next two shows due to pre-existing conflicts, but hopefully, Phil will continue to add gigs to the schedule in the months ahead.

With a start like this, 2020 looks to become a very fine year!

## Photos

Big thanks to Ting for the photo gallery!

{{gallery>:2020:2020-01?20200107-*.jpg}}

{{:wip.png?nolink}}  **Whoa!**  This section is incomplete for now, sorry! {{:wip.png?nolink}}

{{tag>music Phil_Lesh Stu_Allen Jason_Crosby Grahame_Lesh John_Molo the_Grate_Room_at_Terrapin_Crossroads}}

[[2020-01-05|Back to the previous event!]] ☸ [[:#section2020|Up to the 2020 yearbox!]] ☸ [[:2020#January_events|Up to the 2020 event list!]] ☸ [[2020-01-12|On to the next event!]]