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Phil Lesh’s 60th Birthday Bash (Relix Revisited)

After a generous set break, the band returned and sang “Happy Birthday” to Phil before breaking into a joyous rendition of “Eyes Of The World.” As the song commenced, the arena was showered with a balloon drop, the likes of which hadn’t been seen since the New Year’s Eve concerts of days gone by. Barrere and Ford traded licks as Molo unleashed a pounding, poly-rhythm beat to the familiar Grateful Dead number. One of the highlights of this historic show occurred when Ford performed an explosive “Ain’t Nothing But The Blues” that literally shook the foundation of the Henry J. Kaiser before Phil Lesh and Friends dished out a sumptuous “Dixie Chicken.” During one of the song’s verses, Barrere sang, “I came down to Phil’s party, and my money flowed like wine.” It was one of those moments when the band and the audience became one as the hypnotic jamming reached a new zenith. “Terrapin Station” benefited from a faster arrangement, and the song’s middle passages were stunning.

The space that flowed into “I Know You Rider” was about as thrilling as one could imagine, and Gordon returned during a spacy jam during which he and Lesh engaged in a mesmerizing “Bass Duet.” The two bassists explored every nook and cranny of improvisational space before literally exploding into “Morning Dew.” Lesh certainly shows an affinity towards the more emotional Garcia-sung songs of the Grateful Dead repertoire, and his passionate rendition of this classic brought tears to the eyes of many in attendance. The tune featured some equally emotive playing by Ford and Barrere as the band nailed the song’s stunning ending coda with ease.

The emotional “Morning Dew” would have been a fitting end to this marathon show, but the opening strains of “St. Stephen” were met with a delirious response. The jamming was non-stop and heart-pounding as Lesh, Molo, Payne, Barrere and Ford gave the song a majestic reading, capped by a ferocious “Eleven Jam” that pounded exquisitely into the timeless, set-ending “Not Fade Away.”

The nearly two-hour set was as good as it gets and the crowd acknowledged the performance with deafening applause. Gordon returned for the encore of Phish’s “Wolfman’s Brother” before Phil Lesh and Friends came full circle with a reprise of “Playin’ In The Band” that left a smile on the faces of all in attendance.

There was a special VIP party held in the Henry J. Kaiser’s Upper Ballroom following the concert for those who contributed $150 to The Unbroken Chain Foundation. Each of the donors received a goodie bag that contained the Stanley Mouse poster and T-shirt for the event, along with a bottle of bubbles and an authentic Phil Lesh wrist sweat band.

Attendees were entertained by a string quartet as they noshed on gourmet desserts and coffee, while the members of the band mixed and mingled with the patrons. In what was a beautiful touch to a great evening, a festive parade led by Wavy Gravy as Ludwig Von Beethoven and Lesh associate Goldie Rush dressed as Marie Antoinette snaked through the small crowd. A giant wrapped gift with local country music legend Woody Vermeer sitting on top playing fiddle followed them. The string quartet accompanied Vermeer on “Box Of Rain” as the parade approached Phil who sat on stage in a King’s Chair. Gravy and Rush presented Lesh with a birthday cake, which was shared with all in attendance. Wavy Gravy, who called himself “Wolfie” for the occasion, roasted the clearly touched Lesh and brought about one of the funniest moments of the evening when he implored the crowd—“Don’t eat the brown strudel.”

Hopefully, the show will become an annual event, as it is Lesh’s hope to raise consciousness regarding this deadly disease, and also help prevent and eradicate it.