Set Review

Taking Miami Furthur

by Tracy Block on February 08, 2010 at 12:52PM

Super Bowl weekend drew quite a crowd to Miami, but music lovers of a specific genre were treated to an entirely different ballgame. Furthur, a Grateful Dead side project – featuring Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, John Kadlecik, Jeff Chimenti, Joe Russo and Jay Lane – jammed out at Bayfront Park Friday night. The breathtaking Miami skyline had eyes on the wander but ears were fully focused on the smooth, organic beauty that deadheads are known to live for.

It’s a true testament to the music when a threat from the weather gods can do no harm. Friday night’s downpour was said to only enhance the free-flowing soundscape. At a time when electronic sound manipulation has conquered the current generation of music makers and their following, Furthur takes a step back, reintroducing the art of simple sound. The earthy and peaceful blend created a carefree zone where oldschool-lovin’, barefoot dancin’, rain-drenched appreciators danced with eyes closed, spinning in circles as if they were taking a DeLorean straight back to a time where Jerry and the boys once melted minds, hearts and souls.

It was “Born Cross-Eyed” that got the dance party going. The second jam of the night brought Lesh’s thumping basslines, combined with the energetic drumming duo of Russo and Lane. The segue into “The Music Never Stopped” rang in a funkier tone and as Lesh and Weir melded together, the vocals and riffs of Kadlecik laced with a band of harmonies brought nostalgia into the damp air. Warming up well into the first half hour of the first set, “Ramble on Rose” finally aroused the crowd, with sing-along and approving whistles resonating strong. The rain added a nature-loving touch to the 15-minute “Dear Mr. Fantasy,” and Chimenti's jazzy blues chops held down the soulful display.

A set break brought the rainfall, which extended into the evening, but politically-charged “Throwing’ Stones” was the perfect offering for the audience to sway in every which way, remembering the night was intended for music appreciation and joyous renditions of old classics. The second set fueled more fire to the city lights, weaving some ever-so-appropriate Latin love into “Good Loving’” an easy favorite of the evening’s set list, Chimenti’s organ-drenched melodies and Lane’s timed beating a real reason to get up and shake. “Terrapin Station” was a more subtle delivery, and the night’s wave gained height with an epic “Shakedown Street” that earned cheers for it’s filthy funk and dip into the darker side of psychedelia.

Winding down the second set, “China Cat Sunflower” into “I Know You Rider” truly showcased Kadlecik’s replication of Garcia himself, channeling the late grate musical genius, who must have been praising the musical artistry occurring here on Earth. While some would truthfully describe the show as a heavenly experience, it was a clear representation of why jam exists today and how something so blissful and natural has blossomed magically through time.