A (mostly) splendid night at Alpine
Parking and security, meh; but show itself was great
Welcome back, Alpine Valley Music Theatre. We missed you.
For the most part.
After an embarrassing no-show season during what would have been its 40th anniversary in 2017, the East Troy amphitheater reopened Friday with Grateful Dead spin-off Dead & Company kicking off a two-night stint.
It was like no time had passed — for the band, the fans or the venue. Regarding the latter, it was as wondrous, and aggravating, as remembered.
Nostalgic as people have been of late about Alpine, I’m guessing no one missed the long line of cars that once again returned to County Road D on Friday, or the tedious escape from the parking lot after the show was over.
Much worse Friday was the nearly hour-long wait just to get past the turnstiles. Safety is important, of course — but you’d think operator Live Nation would have more than six people waving security wands at an entrance.
(An actual line would have helped, too, instead of the chaotic cluster of people patiently waiting to enter.)
I’ve seen more security personnel checking guests at far smaller venues like the Rave, to say nothing of Summerfest.
Fortunately for Alpine staff, the Deadheads are a mellow bunch, with one patiently chomping on baby carrots, and another wee Deadhead showing off her hula-hoop skills.
But even the most good-natured fan base has its limits, and people started to get a bit peeved as the minutes ticked on and the sounds of jams echoed in the distance.
Once inside, the good vibes were overflowing, with hippie-dippie dancing all across the hill and in the seats as the six-piece band zestfully dug into the freestylin’ grooves.
The air was crisp, the sound spectacular. The orange sky from the setting sun, the green rolling hills that gradually faded into darkness, the glowing halfmoon peering through gray clouds — it was a beautiful backdrop for a carefree summer evening.
Those sights, and the atmosphere, ultimately overshadowed the hassles. At 41 years old, Alpine remains an incredibly special place to see a show.
Particularly for a band like Dead & Company. Sure, this supergroup — featuring John Mayer and former Grateful Dead members Bob Weir, Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann — may have seemed like a money grab at first, coming together just a month after the Grateful Dead’s blockbuster “Fare Thee Well” shows at Chicago’s Soldier Field in 2015.
But Friday night, those musicians proved they’re still determined to make each concert a distinct experience — and a long one, with Friday’s show clocking in at three hours and 10 minutes, not including intermission.
And they’re still musicians enthralled by sonic exploration.
Mayer did plenty of showboating but never tried to hog the spotlight, his buttery riffs always in service of the Dead spirit. Only for portions of “Going Down
the Road Feelin’ Bad” did his sonic blues guitar signatures tower over the jams, but Deadheads seemed to love the new ingredient in the mix.
And as much as Mayer clearly relished playing his guitar, Mayer seemed even more enamored by the guitarist to his left, Bob Weir, who anchored the band with gravitas, especially for the acoustic country stylings of show finale “Ripple.”
Weir’s fellow former Grateful Dead partners Hart and Kreutzmann kept the dance party going — and then went really out there, even by the Deadheads’ flexible standards, with a spacey drum and synthesizer jam that inspired sitting breaks and beer runs.
Along with Mayer, the “Company” included Oteil Burbridge, who complemented his crunchy bass lines with some of the sweetest vocals singing lead for “China Doll,” and Jeff Chimenti, who frequently emerged as the MVP, triggering several air keyboard solos in the crowd.
Complex and engaging as Dead & Company was Friday, the simple moments were the most exciting, particularly the spirited singalongs, with fans belting “Ramble on baby, settle down easy” for “Ramble On Rose,” and “I will get by/I will survive” for “Touch of Grey.”
That’s exactly what Alpine Valley Music Theatre is doing. Getting by.
Excusing last year, there’s only been two to seven concerts each summer at the venue since 2012.
Just a small handful of bands play there, including Dave Matthews Band, Phish, Jimmy Buffett and the Zac Brown Band. This summer, finally, Live Nation is bringing in someone new with Brad Paisley July 7.
It’s a start, but with so many large venues competing for tours in Milwaukee and the Chicago area, the remote and aging Alpine is facing an uphill battle.
For now, it survives. But as Friday’s show made it clear, it deserves to thrive.