Dead in the Dome 2.0 Review! (Night 1 at Wisdome LA)

Well, what a weekend in Downtown LA. For those of us that were there, there isn’t much more to stay, but for those who missed…just don’t miss the next one ok?

Night one was fantastic. What a cool venue. A really chill atmosphere right in the middle of the Arts District Downtown LA. Wisdome has everything. Food Trucks, booze, lots of open outdoor areas, and some of the largest cleanest port o’ johns I’ve seen (seriously). OK let’s get to the music.

Melvin Seals and JGB took the stage right at 9pm. And the proceeded to tear thru the next 80 minutes of classic JGB tunes with a little Grateful Dead sprinkled in. They began with How Sweet It Is, and by the time they started Cats Under Stars next, the place was rocking. The overhead projections were eye melting and the perfect compliment to the music. If you haven’t experienced it, it’s quite remarkable. You find yourself going between the music and the visuals overhead. It’s fun to explore the dome, and hear the differences in sound depending on the location. After the show Melvin and the rest of the band said that it was the best visuals they had seen in a very long time (and these guys play almost every night all over the country).

Steve Kimock really shined during the first set. He has another band with Melvin Seals called Zero, and you could see early how comfortable they were playing off each other, with Kimock really pushing Seals at times.

The first set ‘After Midnight>Eleanor Rigby>After Midnight’ was the highlight. Very reminiscent of the legendary Kean College JGB show in Feb 28th 1980 (worth finding the official release). They ended the first set with an intense ‘Cumberland Blues,’ not a typical JGB tune but they did the classic Dead song justice. Not to be overlooked was DJ Logic. Someone turned to me during the set and noted the added texture the DJ’s scratching was adding to the music. He also had a standout ‘solo’ during the set. After a long first set, everyone was ready to catch their breathe for the second set.

Second set got way more psychedelic than a traditional JGB show. And with the atmosphere in the Dome, that was a perfect choice. Although ‘Aint No Bread In The Breadbox’ was on the written setlist to open the set, they skipped and played a reggae cover ‘Johnny Too Bad.’ The Slickers song from The Harder They Come soundtrack was played a handful of times by JGB in 1994/95. John Kadelick really started to drive the show at this point. If Steve was the star of the first set, John was pulling the share of the jams the second set. Just unleashing blistering solos while pouring his soul into the vocals. It was quite the senses overload, in all the right ways.

After a beautifully poignant Sisters and Brothers (‘this world is not our own, we are only passing thru’), they closed the set with Deal. Now we’ve all heard Deal before, but this was a face peeler. Melvin, Steve, and John brining the jam to insane heights, and John nailing it shut with a perfect solo, really closing the night out on an incredible high.

It was one of those Grateful Dead nights in LA that people will remember and talk about for a long time. The crowd was fantastic, the energy was great, and the music stood out among it all. I have a good feeling these Dead in the Dome shows will become a regular occurrence.

 Set 1:

How Sweet It IsCats Under Stars

Wonderful World (Sam Cooke)

Run For The Roses

After Midnight>Eleanor Rigby>After Midnight

The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down

Get Out My Life Woman

Cumberland Blues

Set 2:

Johnny Too Bad

Knockin On Heavens Door

Expressway

Mission In The Rain

Tore Up

Sisters and Brothers

Deal