went to the Band Together show last Thursday night in SF. left work late, parking was a nightmare, and got there in time to see full sets from Dead & Co. and Metallica. since this was a benefit show, with an eclectic lineup and crowd, it sounded like everyone had a good time. my thoughts on what i was able to see:
- Dead & Co.: i'm not a GD fan, though i don't hate the music. my younger brother has been into "jam bands" - i.e. GD, Phish, etc. - for most of his adult life, and has tried actively to recruit me to this style of music. sadly, i'm a metal head, so it didn't take. basically, Dead & Co. (with John Mayer) played for 35 minutes straight without a break in between songs. i recognized "Scarlet Begonias," "Not Fade Away," and "Touch of Grey". the fans were really into them, as might be expected in SF, and pretty much everyone around us was on their feet and dancing for the whole set. as soon as they walked on stage, the No Smoking/Vaping policy went right out the window. they did play "Fire on the Mountain" which is a song i'd never heard, and seemed a little out of place considering the show was to benefit survivors of the North Bay Wildfires. a buddy who's big into Dead & Co. said it's a staple in their catalog and lyrically wasn't offensive. i'll take his word for it. the entire band is really talented, and musically i was entertained. i did finally figure out why i don't "get" this style of music: there's no crash cymbal. ever. i guess i need more cowbell?
- Metallica: probably in my Top 5 favorite bands of all-time, and have seen them a number of times through the years. this was my wife's first time seeing them, and as a non-metal-type-person she "tolerated" it as best she could. i gotta say i was a bit disappointed in their choice of setlist, though i do understand this was not their "hardcore" fanbase in attendance. they started off great with "Hardwired," "For Whom The Bell Tolls," and "Fade To Black," and then it devolved into a Best Of The Black Album Fest, with "Master of Puppets" mixed in for good measure. and i do realize that the Black Album is what made them commercially viable (#ballads), and that's what this crowd was ready to hear. on the plus side, i got to whizz twice during "Nothing Else Matters" and "Unforgiven" and there were no lines at the restrooms. i guess hoping to hear "Seek and Destroy" was a bit too much.
happy to have seen it in person, and good on the bands + events organizers for doing this. nice to see community come together.
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