Last Thursday I drove out to Ames, IA for Bobby Weir & Wolf Bros. at Stephens Auditorium on the campus of Iowa State University. It was nostalgic having gone to college and gotten my degree there. I couldn’t help but think of the very first time I visited Ames seeing Phish in 1999. The Des Moines metropolitan area has exploded lately. Over time I’ve come to really appreciate the lyrical power of the Grateful Dead. This was on full display with a reinvigorated Bobby and a versatile band in one of my favorite music venues.
The show started pretty early by live music standards around 7:15. “Across the lazy river”. My journey saw me cross the Mississippi so the opener was appropriate. Salt Lake City mentions Des Moines so again it worked on this occasion. He’s Gone post 1995 should make any fan think of Jerry. I’d never noticed the agrarian lyrics in Brown Eyed Women. “Pick up the yoke and plow the fields around”. Passenger was a major highlight though it misses Donna Jean. This show tonight was "the only game in town". Maggie’s Farm, Weather Report Suite > Let It Grow was obviously a nod to Iowa State University being an ag school. Weather Report Suite sounds great with this band.
It was really fun to see a few familiar faces from the past. I’d seen Further in this same room in 2010 in addition to several Widespread Panic performances, and moe. Also, the Nutcracker Suite. It is a very acoustically sound room with interesting architecture. Playing in the Band opened the second frame. This choice from the 50 year old “Ace” album went on to become a Grateful Dead staple. It’s ethos captures the whole experience pretty well. It’s rough to not include Fire on the Mountain after Scarlet Begonias but Viola Lee Blues was the call. They’ve done a solid job with Come Together on this tour. This version included a jazz cover in the middle to honor a fallen musician, Wayne Shorter. Josephine isn’t played very often these days in any of Bobby’s groups so that was unique. I Need A Miracle was probably my favorite part of the second set. I could have done without the second Dylan cover. I’ve seen Dead and Co. do that one. Black Peter was a slow selection for that juncture of the evening. Casey Jones was an accessible anthem for the crowd to end the set on. Liberty works in Iowa as there are several towns with that word in their name. The reprisal of Playing in the Band wrapped up the music for the night. Bobby is in pretty good shape for his age. I appreciate him still bringing this music to the people.
