doodledee

Terrapin Station was a great time. Everybody I saw was behaving themselves and just having fun. I don't see how anybody can claim otherwise. Grossie and I both have zero regrets on making the drive.

The Good

First and foremost, day's biggest highlight was clearly the music. The Phil and Friends set that opened the show was a perfect welcome. Phil's playing was tight and his singing was stronger than ever. As a bonus, nobody went too crazy/spacey right out of the gates, so the crowd stayed with it the whole time. Mickey's set in the afternoon was solidly enjoyed even though we didn't actively listen. The Other One's sets, running from 8 to midnight, were everything I had been hoping for and more. He's Gone tease to open, a huge Dark Star devouring the back half of the second set, and a Help > Slipknot > Franklin's encore?! This is not the last-tried-in-1991 Grateful Dead, they were pushing hard all night. Yee-haw!

Also worth a positive mention: the outstanding weather and the lemonade, which was delicious, if not a little pricey.

The Bad

Phil and Mickey sing too much. Morning Dew was and is a Jerry song -- retire it.

Food lines were way too long. There were 500 places to get a beer, but only a small handful to get something to eat. Stories of people waiting over an hour for a burger were common. We had much better luck, but some lines were unavoidable. Also, it took us 3+ hours to get out of the lot after the show. Ouch.

The Summary

Great tunes, great vibe, great energy, crazy setlists, freaks wherever you looked. Turn it up and dance like nobody is watching.

Big thanks to Carl for the floor space.