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Dead, Phish, Allmans Members Serve as “House Band” for Pelosi-palooza |
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Written by Tom Pryor
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Saturday, 06 January 2007 |
They say politics makes strange bedfellows, but sometimes it makes even
stranger bandmates – as evidenced by the all-star lineup at House
Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s swearing-in party last night in Washington, D.C.
On hand to celebrate Pelosi’s becoming the first female Speaker of the
United States House of Representatives (part of a four-day celebration
that Washington wags dubbed “Pelosi-palooza”) was a diverse crew of
musical luminaries including Tony Bennett, Carole King, Wyclef Jean and
a very San Fran-centric house band starring Grateful Dead alums Bob
Weir, Bill Kreutzmann, and Mickey Hart and longtime co-conspirators
Bruce Hornsby, Warren Haynes (The Dead, The Allman Brothers Band, Govt.
Mule) and Mike Gordon (Phish).
But the evening’s festivities, held at the National Building Museum,
were kicked off by a real unknown: 5th grader Elijah Lawrence (son of
Pelosi’s Chief of Staff John Lawrence) treated the crowd of Democratic
machers and Washingtonian worthies to a sweet, solo performance of “God
Bless America.”
After a short introduction by actor Richard Gere, Weir and the gang –
officially designated “Your House Band” - took the stage and dove into
a serviceable set of Dead classics (“Shakedown,” “Truckin’,” “Touch of
Grey”) and a stray Bruce Hornsby hit (“Down the Road”). Hornsby’s
performance was especially inspired, with Haynes’ guitar adding some
down-home twang that underscored just how much Hornsby has grown into
his countrified voice.
When the house band’s short opening set ended, it was time for Tony
Bennett’s star turn. Tanned, beaming and looking like he was born in a
tuxedo, Bennett took the stage with his own four piece (a bit of a
disappointment for those in the audience who were hoping to see The
Voice jam with The Dead) long enough to knock out two songs and briefly
distract the audience from their thousand dollar-a-head buffet.
Bennett’s performance of his signature “I left My Heart In San
Francisco” was a nod to Pelosi’s home district – but it was “The Best
Is Yet To Come” that had the Democratic faithful on their feet and
cheering.
Pelosi herself took the stage soon after Bennett, and summed up the
mood in the room with a succinct “Democrats are back!” She proceeded to
deliver a rousing celebration speech, citing diversity, imagination,
creativity and the arts, stating “without diversity we never would have
had a woman at the top – and that’s enormous cause for celebration.” In
keeping with the heady spirit of the evening, Pelosi left the stage to
the strains of U2’s “New Day.”
More music followed, including a second set from the house band that
included “Way It Is,” “Sugaree,” and “Iko Iko” – which saw Wyclef Jean
and his band joining the stage, before transitioning into a short set
of their own. The former Fugee’s set included his hit “Gone Till
November” and the Bob Marley classic “Redemption Song,”
But it took legendary singer-songwriter Carole King to add some real
woman-power to the commemoration of this historic milestone. The
one-time Brill Building icon took the piano and topped off the evening
with rousing, foot-stomping versions of her hits “Natural Woman,”
“Earth Move” and a closing coda of “You’ve Got A Friend” which brought
Pelosi back to the stage for a display of solidarity and the evening’s
final bows.
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 09 January 2007 )
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