The Mishawaka
Bellevue, CO
Words, Photos & Video By Nicholas Stock
After shooting Bob Weir with Chris Robinson and Jackie Greene at Summer Camp, I was incredibly excited to see them at my summer home, Mishawaka. For those that don’t
know, The Mishawaka is a gem in the Poudre Canyon which holds just around 800 people. It’s like a rustic log cabin of a stage set on a flowing river. It is a picturesque bucket of love. Amy and I took the early bus up and there was already a nice sized crowd getting set for this acoustic blowout. The three troubadours took the stage with a beautiful “Bertha.”SET I: Bertha, Friend of the Devil, Oh Boy!, Deep River Blues, I Don’t Live In A Dream*, Tell Me Mama Tell Me Right*, Sunday Sound**, Appaloosa**, Blackbird***, Jack Straw***, I Am A Pilgrim, Tennessee Jed
SET II: Goin’ To Acapulco, Big Boss Man, Nobody’s Fault But Mine, Poor Elijah, Dear Prudence, China Cat Sunflower> I Know You Rider
ENCORE: Uncle John’s Band
*Jackie Greene Solo
**Chris Robinson Solo
***Bob Weir Solo
This show had a laid back vibe and a relaxed delivery that demonstrated Bobby’s softer side. If Further is a high octane burn through all things Grateful Dead, then
this project is the dancing bear in the rocking chair. After a quick three-song slash that included the classic “Friend of the Devil” the band broke up for each member to take a turn solo. Jackie Greene was up first with a pair of originals starting with his take on modern realism “I Don’t Live In A Dream” and his star-crossed love song “Tell Me Mama Tell Me Right.” Jackie is an amazing protégée of Dead music, but it’s awesome to see him singing in his own voice. Chris Robinson was next to the stage with a pair of self-penned tunes. “Sunday Sound” and “Appaloosa” which both felt appropriate for a Sunday in the mountains. Finally it was Bobby’s turn and his two unaccompanied songs were a distinct highlight from the entire show. Starting with a beautiful rendition of The Beatles “Blackbird” I absolutely got chills from this performance. He opted for an amazing “Jack Straw,” a song the may have lent itself to the dynamic between the three, but Bobby simply
nailed it for the crowd at Mishawaka. They closed out the first set with a stellar “Tennessee Jed,” which really got the crowd pumped for the remainder of the show. The second set began with a cover of Dylan’s “Goin’ To Acapulco.” They have such a great body of acoustic work to pull from so it was nice to see a Dylan tune in the mix. “Big Boss Man” was a powerful version and really showed how amazing these three musicians really are together. I have to say seeing Bobby with both Jackie Greene and Chris Robinson in such a small venue I was almost star struck, which is a rare occurrence for me. “Nobody’s Fault” a traditional gospel tune made famous by Led Zeppelin was another great choice from the band. This was a broken down version that
was fun to hear. They ripped up a solid “Poor Elijah” before going into yet another Beatles’ cover with “Dear Prudence.” At this point I was blown away, but they closed out their second set with a quality “China Cat” “Rider.” They encored with another Dead deep cut with “Uncle John’s Band.” The entire show was everything you could want from this lineup. Wonderful Dead tunes mixed with some rare covers made my second night with Weir Robinson Greene amazing. This night at The Mish was enough to fill anyone’s hear with goodness. Note: The Mishawaka is currently in danger from the High Point Fire. Please send your positive thoughts in their direction. You can also contact the Red Cross to volunteer or to send donations.
www.redcross.org
www.themishawaka.com
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