Photo Credit Wes Orshoski

RatDog was joined by Warren Haynes for an intimate performance at the Canal Room to benefit HeadCount, a non-profit voter registration organization of which Bob Weir is a member of the board of directors.

Haynes opened the show with an acoustic set. Haynes’ acoustic performances tend to be nothing less than powerful, and in a setting as intimate as the Canal Room was this evening, his presence was all the more captivating. He opened with “Indian Sunset” and continued with staples such as “Glory Road” and “Fallen Down.” The highlight of Haynes’ set was his cover of “Wild Horses.” As a true veteran road soldier, he delivered the Rolling Stones’ classic to the core. Not to leave the crowd in too somber a mood, he closed with “Soulshine.”

The full RatDog lineup came out next and started searching for its groove in true Dead fashion. The audience waited, searching with their ears for those first notes, trying to figure out what the opener was going to be until the band locked into “Shakedown Street.” They proceeded with “Easy Answers” into “It’s All Over Now Baby Blue,” one of several Dylan covers of the set, which also included “Knocking on Heaven’s Door” and “Desolation Row,” during which Haynes joined the band; he also sat in for “Me and My Uncle.” Unfortunately, Haynes only contributed backing guitar during his time onstage with RatDog and while a vocal duet with Weir would have been nice, Haynes’ guitar work on “Desolation Row” was subtle but masterful nonetheless.

The tone of RatDog’s set was laid back, although the band played with as much energy as they would in another, larger venue. The pace picked back up with “Throwing Stones” and the exchange of energy between the crowd and the band was tangible as they drove an incredible heavy jam home towards the end of the song which closed the set. The band returned to the stage and encored with “Bertha,” and it was obvious that Weir and company were truly enjoying the close atmosphere and the energy that was surely raised from the environment.

RatDog’s appearance with Warren Haynes kicked off the start of Headcount’s 2007-2008 fundraising season, and in the end raised over $50,000 for the non-partisan organization through ticket sales and auctions.