Ratdog show review

my birthday present this year was the Ratdog show at HRL on Weds 11/19 - one day after my birthday! Ratdog is a special show because it was a Ratdog show in WI that I met Beth (technically I met her a couple hours before on the ride there).

I was super excited about this show - it had been a couple years since we had gone to see Ratdog and this show was at HRL instead of the traditional HOB - the site lines at HRL are so much better than HOB and I think the beer is cheaper and a better selection!

Any way - we started off with dinner at Jimmy Buffet's with some friends then Beth and I walked over to the show. It started promptly at 8:00p and we were only a few minutes late - coming in during the first song. The crowd was a late arriving group (hippies are usually late) so we made our way to the bar for a beer and to the floor to see the action. We had a comfy spot about 15 feet from the stage and the show was tuning up to be a good one already.

They opened with

Set 1
Help on the Way
Slipknot!
It's All Over Now - Bobby Womack cover that is a fun song!
She Says
Wrong Way Feeling
Tennessee Jed - one of my favs - it never disappoints
Watchtower - the Dead have covered this Dylan song for years - I have heard better before but good none the less
Weather Report Suite Prelude / Part 1
Let it Grow

set one was a good one - some really good songs and the band was tight and playing well together

Set 2
Big Iron - a Marty Robins song
Mexicali Blues
The Weight - this is a great song by The Band - I liked it better when the dead covered it because Phil got to sing a verse - the Dog covered it well though
West LA Fadeaway - the ever eerie song - ever more eerie when Jerry sang it
Woman are Smarter - what a fun song by Harry Belafonte - this version is 10 times better
Stella Blue - love this tune - too bad the lighting was not better - it is so cool when there is a single blue light on the stage - weird hearing Bobby singing this song instead of Jerry
Throwing Stones - awesome!
Not Fade - this Buddy Holly song had the crowd rocking at this point

E: Slipknot! Franklin's Tower - awesome ending to a great show - about 3.5 hours of music and a great crowd and atmosphere - RATE IT 7-8 out of ten!

Some cool song choices considering the elections and the state of the country -

Throwing Stones
Heartless powers try to tell us what to think
If the spirit's sleeping then the flesh is ink
History's page will be neatly carved in stone
The future's here, we are it, we are on our own
On our own, on our own, on our own

Franklin's Tower
God save the child who rings that bell
It may have only one good ring, baby, you can't tell
One watch by night, one watch by day
If you get confused, listen to the music play!

Awesome fun and a great birthday - can't wait til they come again - I think I am now well over 100 shows for The Dead, The Other Ones, Jerry and Ratdog. Looking forward to adding to the list!