Furthur Brings Rock History to the Verizon

Furthur, the most recent band for ageless Grateful Dead veterans Bob Weir and Phil Lesh, wrapped up its Summer of 2011 tour with a resounding finish Sunday night at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre in Alpharetta.

Weir, 63, and Lesh, 71, pushed a group of younger musicians through their paces as they weaved through a set list that included songs from four decades, choosing some less-played Dead songs along with Bob Dylan's "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues" and even two Beatles tunes from "Abbey Road" – "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" and "The End." The latter, a second oncore, closed out well over three hours of jams, ballads and flat-out rocking.

The band opened with an emphatic "Not Fade Away" and closed the second set with a stripped-down version of the same classic, as if reminding the audience that this group is not about to quit. While the band will take a short break from the road, they're back in late September for yet another tour.

Just like the Grateful Dead did for decades, Furthur never repeats itself on tour, playing a totally different set list each night. Sunday night was no exception as the group launched into a radical departure from Saturday night's show in St. Augustine, FL. Some of Sunday night's choices were unexpected, especially the full "Terrapin Station Suite." The group managed to pull it off, despite lacking an orchestra as featured on the original recording. "New Speedway Boogie," a 1970 song about the violence that killed a man at a concert at California's Altamont Motor Speedway, was also a surprising choice.

Less surprising was the band transitioning the quirky "China Cat Sunflower" into the country-tinged "I Know You Rider," a longtime Dead concert song pairing.

With the concert just hours before the late Jerry Garcia's Aug. 1 birthday, guitarist John Kadlecik, founder of the nationally touring Dead tribute band Dark Star Orchestra, did a remarkable job of recreating the spirit and range of the legendary Dead guitarist. And Kadlecik sung many of Garcia's vocals in a strong, clear voice, even if lacking Garcia's folksy rasp. Kadlecik offered his own improvisational flair to many Garcia guitar solos, giving some Dead classics a fresh take.

Keyboardist Jeff Chimenti also energized some of the Dead's familiar jams, giving them new richness. He added skillful solos to many songs, including "I Know You Rider," a traditionally guitar-driven song, and "Deal."

Drummer Joe Russo was also a force, moving seamlessly from the simple, pounding beat of "Samson and Delilah" to more complex jazz rhythms in many jams.

Weir, who shared vocals for decades with Garcia, gave new interpretations to songs sung by the late guitarist.

But the night really belonged to Lesh. The unheralded bassist – one of rock's all-time best bass players, if not the best – calmly and precisely anchored the songs while throwing a constant musical counterpoint into the mix, guiding the band to stretch its limits into extended jams or jazzy dissonance. Lesh's six-string bass boomed throughout the show, ranging from the thick lows to high notes that often sounded like a second lead guitar.

And while the Dead seldom called upon Lesh to sing, he held his own Sunday night on "Tom Thumb's Blues" and his own composition "Unbroken Chain."

A liver transplant recipient, Lesh made an appeal for organ donors before the group's two encores.

While stars like Mick Jagger and Keith Richards get all the publicity, Lesh is the true rock survivor. On Sunday night, he and Further showed no signs they are going to give up the touring life.

And that's good news for one new fan – my 26-year-old son. A first-timer to any Dead-related concert, he asked later for some recommendations on their CDs. He was impressed, as was the capacity crowd of largely middle-aged fans, including some who brought their children to listen to a piece of rock history.