Further @ The Mann Center.

Text and images by Andrew L. Mendelson.

Despite some lightning and thunder, which was loudly cheered, the predicted storms stayed away Saturday night from a packed Mann Center for the Performing Arts for the Furthur concert, a band fronted by Bob Weir and Phil Lesh of the Grateful Dead. And the Deadheads were out in full force to hear new versions of their favorite songs. Most people were on their feet from before the first note to the end of the show nearly four hours later, using the 45 minute intermission to rest, dancing and singing along to nearly every song.

Rounding out Furthur are Jeff Chimenti on keyboards, John Kadlecik on guitar and vocals, Joe Russo on drums, and Sunshine Becker and Jeff Pehrson on backing vocals.

The band opened the first set strongly with “Truckin’” followed by their arrangement of the traditional “Nobody’s Fault But Mine” which flowed into the Dead standard “Fire on the Mountain.” Other first set highlights included a very bouncey “Peggy-O” and an enthusiastic “Deal” to close the set.

The second set featured a slew of Dead classics from the “China Cat Sunflower/I Know You Rider” opening to “Dark Star” and “St. Stephen.”

The crowd roared with the first notes of each of these songs. Weir’s voice was strong throughout the night, especially on the Beatles’ Dear Prudence. In traditional fashion for the Saturday concert, the band closed with an encore of “One More Saturday Night.”