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One More Amazing Saturday Night! A Kweevak.com Rock Report by Rich and Laura Lynch It was Saturday night and everybody was dancing on Broadway at the Beacon Theater with Little Feat and Rat Dog as the two bands wrapped-up their 2-night, sold-out engagement in Manhattan on April 15 and 16, 2005. Outside, several fans who were clad in the traditional tie-dyes of Deadhead Nation, were looking for their miracle tickets. Inside, the Beacon is an elegant building with ornate fixtures, moldings and dark paintings. It is an intimate venue with good acoustics and it was a perfect setting to end a beautiful Spring day in New York City. The anticipation was high and the mood was intense before the sold-out double bill show got underway.
 Ratdog bandmates Bob Weir and Robin Sylvester! Bob Weir is best known for his work in the legendary Grateful Dead. Bob is revered for his singing, songwriting and rhythm guitar style that is an intricate part of The Dead's music. In the past and present, Weir has been involved in a variety of other musical projects and he is presently working with his band Ratdog. The current lineup includes well respected blues, jazz, and rock pianist Jeff Chimenti. Mark Karen, on lead guitar, is a well seasoned player as is Robin Sylvester, the bassist, who has performed with Dylan and many others. Kenny Brooks, a graduate of the New England Conservatory of Music, blows a mean sax and Jay Lane on drums also has an impressive resume. Ratdog has transformed itself from a three man band to a dynamic six piece orchestra with Weir as their conductor. Ratdog, with Weir at its helm, played a diverse set of offerings spanning the music of the Grateful Dead, Bob's solo projects and classic covers such as Little Red Rooster. The audience was in a playful mood howling back at the hound dog parts as Robin played a fat bass line. The song also included a guitar exchange layered over a sassy sax and animated keyboards. Ratdog's bark has more bite than the original 1995 inception. They are taking old favorites to new levels incorporating more blues and jazz into the arrangements. Mark Karen is a skilled lead guitarist. He captures some of Garcia's flair but seasons songs with his own unique flavor. Since Kenny is a permanent member of the group, his sax changes the tone of songs that once were psychedelic to more jazz based. It is interesting how favorites such as Cassidy can be redefined with a spacey, jazz texture giving it a fresh, contemporary tone yet the Beacon crowd sang happily along to this old friend. Eyes of the World had something for everyone with a wild bass solo that transitioned into an extended jam and more solos before returning to a funky groove and altered end. Friend of the Devil was another prime example of change. Bob played lead on an acoustic as Robin plucked a stand up bass. They were joined by a guest accordion player who added to this revised interpretation.
 Two Sold-out Shows — Bob Weir and Ratdog! Bobby seems very comfortable performing songs that his fallen GD comrade, Jerry Garcia, was better known for. The classics pleased the fans and served as a tribute to all that Garcia meant to this group of fans and musicians. Other crowd favorites performed over the two nights included West L.A. Fadeaway, Playin' in the Band, Iko Iko, Dear Prudence, I Know You Rider, Black Muddy River, Good Morning Little Schoolgirl, One More Saturday Night, and Brokedown Palace. Laura and I are always surprised at some people's unwillingness to experience music, especially quality performances put on by professional musicians. We also encounter that attitude amongst the supporters of local indie bands. You all know the story where at local rock festivals fans of one group notoriously come out to support their band and leave after their hero's set. Sadly, a lot of times people seem set in their ways and close minded when it comes to giving different artists a chance. While waiting in line for our tickets on Saturday night we overheard two conversations in the span of moments that underline this thought as pervasive through the musical subculture – even amongst the fans of jambands! One fan relayed to us the story about how a friend of his had said to him, "Why are you seeing Ratdog?" The Ratdog naysayer had seen the band perform in 1995 and had been unimpressed. But, as previously noted, Ratdog has grown and evolved and Bobby has taken on the role of conductor for a band that is noticeably changed since their earlier incarnation. That fan should have paid more close attention as this unit is earning rave reports and they have clearly become equal to the task, along with the likes of Phil Lesh and Friends, The Other Ones and The Dead themselves as a deliverer of the true Deadhead experience. The other conversation had to do with Little Feat and went something like this: Fan #1: Hey! You going in for the opener, Little Feat? Fan #2: Is Lowell George still not in the band? During an interview in 2004 with Kweevak Music Magazine's Rich Lynch, Little Feat guitar player and singer Paul Barrere addressed just this issue when asked how fans view the different periods of the famous band's career. "I think there are certain fans that have that inkling," Barrere said when asked by Lynch if fans prefer one incarnation of the band over others. "That they either like the Lowell era, or when it first started with the quartet, or whether or not they liked it from Dixie Chicken to Down on the Farm. Or, when we reformed and had Craig (Fuller) in the band for the Let It Roll era and those four records. And now, with Sean in the band, everyone has their own spins on that." Lynch then asking what lasting impacts the Little Feat founding member still has on the band. "The nicest thing about continuing to do Little Feat is that Lowell's songs are portrayed constantly and there's just a wealth of wonderful material there," Barrere continued talking about the much-loved and long-passed founder of the band. "Fred and I we're talking about this the other night. The reason we have so much fun onstage... It's not only the songs we created together or individually, it's all the old Lowell songs, too." It's too bad Fan #2 didn't trek inside for the Little Feat's 7:30 set becasue that influence and those songs most definitely live on! We have seen Little Feat twice in the last six months and can report that they are a well-oiled machine who clearly love making music together. They are well-known for their improvisational music, they are a well-respected live band and they are aptly paired with the jamming Ratdog. The current seven-person line up serves up an original blend of the blues, country, Dixie, funk, jam, jazz and rock. In other words, New Orleans funk meets the rest of the musical world. Sizzling guitars, steady rhythms and infectious grooves spice up Little Feat's diverse, flavorful arrangements. The band often plays hundreds of shows per year thus Little Feat is tight yet elastic allowing experimentation and opportunities for each artist to shine. The shining moment of their set came soon after Paul Barrere announced, "We're going to have a little fun," before setting out on a 20-minute-medley of 'Dixie Chicken/Tennessee Jed' in homage to Weir's Dead, all the while being joined onstage together with Ratdog's guitar player, Mark Karen. Ratdog started their 2005 tour in Anaheim, California and will conclude their spring leg in early May. Little Feat presently has tour dates scheduled through September '05 listed on their website.
 Paul Barrere, onstage in NYC, was interviewed by Kweevak in 2004! Originally Published: 04/19/2005 on Kweevak.com
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