11/19/11 Furthur @ Alliant Energy Center Coliseum - Madison, WI

Furthur
11/19/11
Alliant Energy Center-Coliseum
Madison, WI

I: Golden Road (To Unlimited Devotion), I Need A Miracle > Wang Dang Doodle > I Need A Miracle, Althea, Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues, Money for Gasoline, It Must Have Been the Roses, Throwing Stones, One More Saturday Night

II: China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider, Jack Straw, Unbroken Chain, Viola Lee Blues, King Soloman's Marbles, Death Don't Have No Mercy, Bertha, Good Lovin'

E: Black Muddy River


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I made the drive up to Madison on Saturday by myself and chose to take two lane highways on the way there.  It was enjoyable with the rolling country and the autumnal scenery.  I passed the state semi-final football game in Morrison which they won.  When I was younger I spent a lot of time in New Glarus, WI so it was nice to drive through that area.  Before the show I had some pizza at my friends Sam and Jesse's place.  After a brief walk through the Shakedown area I made it inside the venue just in time for the opening song which I recognized from the compilation album, Skeletons in the Closet. 

Golden Road (To Unlimited Devotion) got things started nicely.  First I noticed was that they had changed up their stage format since last fall when I saw them in Ames.  Phil was now on the far right with Bobby next to him.  The arena was full on the floor and the first level but the top level was empty.  I had visited that venue ten years prior for Widespread Panic.  The Miracle/Wang Dang combo put me in the mind of something I saw from The Dead in Rosemont in 09.  Althea was nicely done by Fake Jerry (John Kadlecek).   I wasn't happy with his tone though.  I would prefer he have used more Jerry wah wah.  Dylan covers usually meander too much for my liking and this Tom Thumb's was an example of this.  I liked Money for Gasoline.  The backup singers helped out nicely on that one.  Kadlecek was good on It Must Have Been the Roses.  The end of the set with Throwing Stones and One More Saturday Night had me thinking perhaps it was a Bobby setlist.  I was happy with the first set though nothing really blew me away. 

For the second set I moved down on the floor and found some good people to surround myself with.  China > Rider was well executed.  Jack Straw is a song from the Europe '72 recordings that I have been enjoying lately so that was particularly sweet.  Unbroken Chain made the night for me.  Searching for the sound.  That's what it's all about.  I was impressed with the way they performed the complex King Soloman's Marbles.  Viola Lee Blues had a lot of energy.  However, things dragged to a crawl during the blues number Death Don't Have No Mercy.  Bertha was unusually placed so late in a show.  Good Lovin' wrapped up the set.  Black Muddy River is a rare encore for Furthur so that was special.  I had a good time celebrating the music of The Grateful Dead on Saturday in Madison.