I've been harping on this issue for some time, and was one of those who would be counted as greatly underwhelmed at last year's offerings, save a few high moments.

The sloppiness and lack of attention to detail last year was far outweighing the joy of the ride in the long jams, to the point that there is hardly more than three shows from last year that I'm interested in listening to all the way through (okay, maybe only two).

I've been pining for a return to early nineties tightness without losing the ground they've gained in other areas, but this requires a committment to excellence and confidence in each other while on stage.

This show has me absolutely stoked. Beyond any reasonable hope, they may just give me what I've been looking for.

I think it's a bit knee-jerk to suggest that GD50 is responsible for Trey's sudden scholarly adherence to the fundamentals of his craft, but how can we not speculate?

I don't care if they cover and Dead tunes (though I'd love it), but I DO CARE A LOT that they adopt a more serious approach to great musicianship and set structure and flow.

Agree with all the above the new material bodes very well for this tour and testifies to where these guys are at...and they haven't even incorporated any of Mike's interesting new material yet.