Thursday, July 10, 2008
San Jose Center for the Performing Arts, San Jose, CA
Opening act: Gov’t Mule
(Show originally scheduled for the Mountain Winery in Saratoga, CA)

1. Casey Jones
2. Easy to Slip
3. Dark Star
4. Odessa
5. All Along the Watchtower
6. Catfish John
7. Hard Rain
8. Money for Gasoline
9. Shakedown Street
10. Morning Dew
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New on sales from Ticketmaster:

Now on sale:

4th Annual Christian Music Awards
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Save Mart Center
Fresno , CA

On Sale Friday, July 11, 2008 at 10:00 AM

Aphelion
Friday, August 15, 2008 to Friday, November 14, 2008
El Dorado Casino
Reno , NV

On Sale Saturday, July 12, 2008 at 10:00 AM

Alejandra Guzman
Friday, August 22, 2008
ORACLE Arena
Oakland , CA

On Sale Sunday, July 13, 2008 at 10:00 AM

SF Jazz Max Raabe And Palast Orchester
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Paramount Theatre
Oakland, CA
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(Darn, I was really looking forward to making my first trip to see the newly renovated Mountain Winery this week. Guess I’ll have to wait a bit longer. On the plus side, both the Flint and SJCPA are good venues. On the downside, the weather this week in the South Bay is IDEAL for outdoor evening concerts. Here’s the official skinny from the promoter:)

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - July 7, 2008 – As the Mountain Winery was preparing to open it’s doors for the first show of the 2008 concert season, production installation issues were discovered which have forced several upcoming shows to be relocated to alternate venues. These shows include the upcoming Boston and Bob Weir & Ratdog / Gov’t Mule appearances. The following shows are being relocated to alternate venues:

The BOSTON performances originally slated for Monday, July 7th and Tuesday, July 8th at The Mountain Winery will now be held at The Flint Center in Cupertino (21250 Stevens Creek Blvd) with show times moving to 8:30pm. Both show dates will remain the same (today and tomorrow). All tickets for Boston’s Mountain Winery shows will be honored at The Flint Center in Cupertino, located only 6 miles from the Mountain Winery. Your Mountain Winery ticket will be exchanged at The Flint Center Box Office for comparable seating locations on the night of the performance. Please allow extra time to exchange your Mountain Winery tickets. The onsite box office will open at 5:30pm.
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Stanley Jordan
July 7-9
Fusion is in the air. Bay Area fans just got to witness one of the genre’s all-time great bands, Return To Forever, and now they have the chance to see fusion titan Stanley Jordan in concert. The guitar virtuoso, known for his highly original “tap” technique,” has been thrilling fusion enthusiasts ever since the release of his 1985 debut, “Magic Touch.” He’s currently touring in support of “State of Nature,” his first mainstream release in over a decade. Appearing with Stanley Jordan will be his exceptional trio of bassist Charnett Moffett and drummer Kenwood Dennard. 8 and 10 p.m. Yoshi’s at Jack London Square, 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland, $10-$16, 510-238-9200, www.yoshis.com.

Yaz
July 7
OK, here’s one we didn’t see coming: a Yaz reunion show. Were there people actually clamoring for this? No matter. It will be great to see Alison Moyet and Vince Clark back together and performing songs from the seminal “Upstairs at Eric’s.” 7:30 p.m., Paramount Theatre, 2025 Broadway, Oakland; $39.50-$75; 510-625-TIXS, 925-685-TIXS or 415-421-TIXS, www.apeconcerts.com.
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If the wind seemed to smell a bit more strongly of patchouli in recent days, and your local Whole Foods felt a tad more crowded on your last visit, there’s definitely a good reason _ the hippie vibe has been very strong in the Bay Area lately.

In a single nine-day period _ May 13-21 _ fans had the chance to see nine concerts performed by local hippie-music legends in San Francisco. There was the five-night stand by the Grateful Dead’s Phil Lesh at the Warfield, which featured the Dead’s Bob Weir for much of the run. There were also two shows by Hot Tuna _ a band led by Jefferson Airplane vets Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady _ at the Great American Music Hall.

To top it all off, Bay Area guitar legend Carlos Santana kicked off a two-night stand at the Fillmore on Tuesday. Although Deadheads might disagree, the Santana gigs are, by far, the biggest of the tie-dyed bunch.

The reason is simply supply and demand. On the rest of his world tour, Santana is visiting mammoth arenas and amphitheaters. Yet _ in a bit of welcome hometown favoritism _ the 60-year-old guitar great chose to perform at the 1,100-capacity Fillmore. It was a treat to see him play such an intimate venue, and one that will seem all that more decadent when Santana returns to the Bay for shows on Oct. 11 at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View and Oct. 12 at Sleep Train Pavilion in Concord. (See www.livenation.com for on-sale dates and other information.)

Santana played two lengthy sets _ the first of which was far superior to the second _ in what amounted to more than three hours of music. He was leading his regular 10-piece Santana Band, which has greatly benefitted from the return of San Mateo vocalist Tony Lindsay.
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Phil Lesh & Friends
May 18, 2008
Warfield Theater
San Francisco, California

For the final night of the run, Phil and Friends broke from the established pattern (playing full-length albums during each set) and embarked on a night of just plain good ol’ songs. I got the setlist from music buddy Erik, who passed it along from philzone.org. Here’s what I hear that the played:

1st Set

Come Together
Dark Star
Loose Lucy
West L.A. Fadeaway
Wheel
Not Fade Away

On All-Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, John Molo
Joining during West. L.A.-Jeff Chimenti, Larry Campbell

Set Break

Mini Acoustic Set w/Larry Campbell & Jackie Green

Deep Elem Blues
?????
Good Night Irene

2nd Set
Phil Lesh, Larry Campbell, Jackie Greene, Steve Molitz, John Molo
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Warfield Theatre, Tuesday, May 12, 2008:

Wow, what a treat for Deadheads. If you missed the first night of Phil and Friends’ five-night stand at the Warfield, then you really missed something special. I highly recommend that you try to catch one of the four remaining shows. Visit www.livenation.com for more details.

OK, here’s the deal. The bassist’s band (featuring lead guitarist Larry Campbell, drummer John Molo, guitarist-vocalist-multi-instrumentalist Jackie Greene and keyboardist Steve Molitz - plus special guest, vocalist-guitarist Bob Weir) performed the Dead’s first album (1967’s “The Grateful Dead”), from start to finish, during the first set. Here’s the setlist for that set:

“The Golden Road (To Unlimited Devotion)”
“Beat It on Down the Line”
“Good Morning Little School Girl”
“Cold Rain and Snow”
“Sitting on Top of the World”
“Cream Puff War”
“(Walk Me Out in the) Morning Dew”
“New, New Minglewood Blues”
“Viola Lee Blues”

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New Ticketmaster on sales:

Thursday May 01, 2008 10:00 AM

Outside Lands Festival - Friday - Radiohead
Friday August 22, 2008 5:00 PM
Golden Gate Park Outside Lands Festival, San Francisco
$85.00

Outside Lands Festival - Saturday - Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
Saturday August 23, 2008 1:00 PM
Golden Gate Park Outside Lands Festival, San Francisco
$85.00

Outside Lands Festival - Sunday - Jack Johnson
Sunday August 24, 2008 1:00 PM
Golden Gate Park Outside Lands Festival, San Francisco
$85.00

Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker
Sunday December 21, 2008 3:00 PM
Flint Center, Cupertino
$65.00-$25.00

Friday May 02, 2008 10:00 AM

Sheryl Crow and Los Lonely Boys
Friday June 13, 2008 8:00 PM
Ironstone Amphitheatre at Ironstone Vineyards, Murphys
$226.00-$46.00

The Ultimate Jimmy Buffett Tribute Featuring Barrie Cunningham
Saturday June 14, 2008 3:00 PM
Chukchansi Gold Resort And Casino, Coarsegold
$20.00-$15.00

Bob Weir & Ratdog and Gov’t Mule
Friday June 27, 2008 7:00 PM
Ironstone Amphitheatre at Ironstone Vineyards, Murphys
$215.00-$45.00

Smokey Robinson
Saturday June 28, 2008 8:30 PM
Chukchansi Gold Resort And Casino, Coarsegold
$55.00-$45.00

Jim Gaffigan
Saturday July 26, 2008 8:00 PM
Reno Ballroom, Reno
$55.00-$30.00

George Thorogood & The Destroyers And Buddy Guy
Sunday July 27, 2008 7:00 PM
Ironstone Amphitheatre at Ironstone Vineyards, Murphys
$215.00-$45.00

Chris Isaak and Boz Scaggs
Saturday August 2, 2008 7:30 PM
Ironstone Amphitheatre at Ironstone Vineyards, Murphys
$225.00-$45.00

Steely Dan
Saturday August 9, 2008 7:30 PM
Ironstone Amphitheatre at Ironstone Vineyards, Murphys
$230.00-$45.00

Steve Miller Band and Joe Cocker
Sunday August 17, 2008 7:00 PM
Ironstone Amphitheatre at Ironstone Vineyards, Murphys
$230.00-$45.00

Willie Nelson& Family with Sara Evans
Friday September 5, 2008 8:00 PM
Ironstone Amphitheatre at Ironstone Vineyards, Murphys
$215.00-$45.00

Bonnie Raitt with Blind Boys of Alabama
Saturday October 4, 2008 7:30 PM
Ironstone Amphitheatre at Ironstone Vineyards, Murphys
$225.00-$45.00

Friday May 02, 2008 12:00 PM

Flight Of The Conchords
Thursday May 29, 2008 8:00 PM
Davies Hall, San Francisco
$32.50

Saturday May 03, 2008 10:00 AM

WWE presents Smackdown & ECW
Sunday June 8, 2008 7:00 PM
HP Pavilion at San Jose, San Jose
$70.00-$20.00

Sammy Hagar & The Wabos
Saturday August 9, 2008 7:00 PM
Harvey’s Outdoor Arena At Lake Tahoe, Stateline
$57.50

Reno Tahoe Blues Fest
Saturday August 16, 2008 to Sunday August 17, 2008
Reno Tahoe Blues Fest, Reno
$105.00-$58.00

Saturday May 03, 2008 12:00 PM

WWE presents Raw
Monday June 9, 2008 5:45 PM
ORACLE Arena, Oakland
$70.00-$20.00

Sunday May 04, 2008 10:00 AM

Fish
Monday June 9, 2008 8:00 PM
The Fillmore, San Francisco
$32.50

Lucha Vavoom
Sunday June 29, 2008 8:00 PM
The Fillmore, San Francisco
$27.50

Mike Ness
Wednesday July 2, 2008 9:00 PM
The Fillmore, San Francisco
$30.00

Chorus Line
Tuesday July 8, 2008 to Sunday July 27, 2008
Curran Theatre, San Francisco
$180.00-$50.00

Kathy Griffin
Saturday July 12, 2008 8:00 PM
Sleep Train Pavilion at Concord, Concord
$75.00-$35.00

Wolf Parade
Thursday July 17, 2008 9:00 PM
The Fillmore, San Francisco
$22.50

Bloc Party
Wednesday July 30, 2008 9:00 PM
The Fillmore, San Francisco
$27.50

George Thorogood & The Destroyers
Wednesday July 30, 2008 8:00 PM
Marin Veterans Memorial Auditorium at Marin Center, San Rafael
$75.00-$39.00

Dolly Parton
Tuesday August 5, 2008 8:00 PM
Greek Theatre UC Berkeley, Berkeley
$125.00-$39.50

Yes
Tuesday August 19, 2008 8:00 PM
Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View
$149.50-$30.00

Monday May 05, 2008 10:00 AM

Strikeforce
Friday June 27, 2008 8:00 PM
HP Pavilion at San Jose, San Jose
$400.00-$30.00

Rusted Root
Wednesday July 16, 2008 8:00 PM
The Grand Ballroom at The Regency Center, San Francisco
$26.00

Neil Diamond
Friday September 26, 2008 8:00 PM
ARCO Arena, Sacramento
$118.25-$53.25

The forecast called for rain. Mother Nature, however, decided to overrule the weathermen and deliver a sunny, warm afternoon.

Who can blame her? It was, after all, her day.

The surprisingly great weather, coming on the heels of Saturday’s steady downpour, was the most welcome guest at Sunday’s (April 22) big Earth Day concert held at Speedway Meadow in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park.

The free event _ known as the Green Apple Festival _ was part of a weekend-long, nationwide campaign to raise awareness about environmental issues. There were also major Green Apple concerts held on Sunday at Central Park in New York City and at Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago.

All Bay Area bias aside, the San Francisco concert had the best musical lineup of any of the three cities. It featured Jonah Smith, Martin Sexton, the Greyboy Allstars, Stephen Marley and Bob Weir’s Ratdog.

The question going into the concert was how many people would show up to see that solid bill? Cops said they were originally expecting 10,000-15,000 attendees, but it appeared that there was only a third that many when Sexton took the stage around noon.

As it became clear that the weather was going to behave, once-reluctant locals began turning out in droves.

Of course, it’s difficult to get an accurate body count at a free show in the park. Some estimated that the crowd peaked at roughly 30,000, which is probably high. Organizers went with a more conservative number _ 20,000-plus.

The folks that did turn out were treated to a splendid afternoon of music. I missed seeing the opener, NYC-based roots-soul singer Smith, but all of the other acts on the bill delivered solid sets. The best of the lot was Weir’s Ratdog, whose terrific set was nothing short of a revelation for those that haven’t seen the band in a few years.

The message, however, was not overshadowed by the music. There were plenty of green organizations with booths at the event, trying to sell people on ways to help the environment, and just about everywhere you went there were reminders to be kind to Mother Nature.

That included the hand-wash stands near the portable toilets, which pleaded with users to forgo paper towels and take heed of this advice: “shirts and pants make mighty fine places to dry your hands.”

The artists, as expected, talked the green talk from the stage. Backstage, they could also be seen walking the walk. For instance, they ate from a great lunch spread provided by chef Charlie Ayers, a Peninsula resident, and used plates and utensils that were all compostable. Not sure if you’ve ever used a soft, compostable knife and fork to eat with _ but it’s quite an adventure.

The vast majority of the crowd turned out to see Marley (one of Bob’s many talented kids) and Weir (the former vocalist-guitarist for the Grateful Dead), but everybody seemed to also enjoy Sexton and the G-Boy Allstars.

Sexton, a 41-year-old folk rocker from Boston, delivered a fine set that balanced original tunes with well-chosen covers. The vocalist-guitarist won over the previously uninitiated with revved-up selections from his recently released “Seeds,” including a solid take on “How Far I’ve Come,” and rocked our socks with a B-3-drenched version of Billy Preston’s classic “Will It Go Round in Circles.”

He also hit the crowd with a killer run through Johnny Cash’s classic “Folsom Prison Blues” and did a triumphant job with Bobby “Blue” Bland’s “Turn On Your Love Light,” a tune that the Dead regularly covered in concert.

A favorite of the jam-band nation, the Greyboy Allstars took the stage next and proceeded to knock out some heavy, heady funk-jazz grooves. The band is stocked with great instrumentalists, some of whom are better known for their work outside of the Greyboys. That number includes saxophonist Karl Denson (Tiny Universe) and keyboardist Robert Walter (20th Congress).

This set, which drew from the band’s new “What Happened to Television?” CD, provided a convincing argument that Denson, Walter and the other gents should concentrate their energies on the Allstars.

The G-Boys were followed by Marley, a reggae musician who is trying to follow in the footsteps of brothers Ziggy and Damian as well as his father, Bob. Thus far, he’s off to a great start.

His performance was stronger than what I’ve seen from Damian, the Grammy-winning artist who hit the big time with 2005’s “Welcome to Jamrock.” The 35-year-old vocalist _ who, bong-totting bakers will want to know, was born on 4/20 _ sounded terrific as he led his raucous band through contemporary reggae tunes from this year’s “Mind Control.” He also tossed in a few of his dad’s greatest hits, including “Buffalo Soldier” and “Could You Be Loved.”

The concert climaxed with Ratdog as the band delivered a 90-minute performance that left Deadheads scratching their noggins and wondering out loud, “Gee, when did these guys get so good?”

Those Dead fans who have ignored Weir since the passing of his old partner, Jerry Garcia, should give the tie-dyed troubadour another chance. Ratdog has gone through many lineup changes over the years, but this current one _ featuring sensational axe-man Mark Karan _ is worthy of attention.

On Sunday, Ratdog’s versions of “Eyes of the World,” “Jack Straw” and especially the traditional jam-up of “China Cat Sunflower” and “I Know You Rider” were quite possibly the best played Dead tunes I’ve heard since, well, the Dead played them.

It was an absolutely triumphant showing for Bob Weir _ good enough that we’ll award him the coveted AMVP award (Almost Most Valuable Player) for the Green Apple Festival.

The MVP, of course, goes to Mother Nature herself for blessing us with such a wonderful afternoon to enjoy the music.