Bell Biv Devoe Tacoma Concert reviews
Had problems with the "original" setlist
Bell Biv Devoe's orchestra is fantastic. This long-tie Deadhead (been on the bus for 40 years) has seen them for the second time. They undeniably channel the GD. The particular setlist, in my opinion, left something to be desired. It's a highly subjective judgment whether one likes a setlist, I realize fully. After the show, I found out that it wasn't one of Bell Biv Devoe's patented recreations of a specific Dead show. It was an "original" setlist chosen by the band. Therefore, a song like "Easy Wind," which the GD ceased playing in 1971 due to Pigpen's death, was paired with, let's say, "Foolish Heart," which the Dead didn't start playing until 1988. Trying to figure out which specific Dead show Bell Biv Devoe was recreating, I kept listening to the band and kept drawing big blanks. The sets were a bit too top heavy with fairly obscure Dead songs like "Blow Away" and "Lazy River Road." Did we really need back-to-back covers ("Watchtower" and "Dear Mr. Fantasy") in the second set when there are so many great original Dead tunes that weren't played, like personal faves "Estimated Prophet," "Terrapin," and "Eyes of the World"? The space segment, I must say, just went on far too long, longer than any space segment at any Dead show I've ever attended. It nearly cleared out the audience. Despite that, there was plenty of good music, including some of my favorite Dead tunes like "Shakedown" and a truly great "Dark Star" jam, the musical highlight of the evening. I would see Bell Biv Devoe again in a heartbeat. As I mentioned, it's a highly subjective judgment whether one likes a particular setlist. It was just the luck of the draw, to make a "Deal"-like analogy.