The degradation & bait/switch of the term "special guests"

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Checked out the wolf bros shows set list and noticed a whole lot of "special guests".  wondering how non-special and unknown musicians became "special"?  Phil's been doing this BS at the clubhouse for years and now it looks like Bobby is using the same strategy.  Is this to sell more tickets to the custies or is calling these people special the only way they can get them to play? 

with special guests; 

Greg Leisz; Pedal Steel Guitar 

Jeff Chimenti; Keyboards

 

Yes!

And what's with this "An Evening with..." bullcrap.   What, no opener? Isn't that what all the extra fees are for?

Thank you for this thread, JR.

"an evening with" many times translates to the headliner playing 2 sets...

YMMV

It's better than every Billboard song "featuring" some other artist.

Bill the Drummer's recent "special guests" were pretty special.   Bob Weir and Peter Rowan showing up at TXR as "special guests" was cool too.   But yeah, the special guests more often than not are a bit underwhelming.  

RJ JR

Greg Leisz; Pedal Steel Guitar 

Jeff Chimenti; Keyboards

In my opinion make that makes that band 100% better hands-down

I might even consider attending a wolf Brothers shoe with that lineup

 

I have a hard time with everyone that is going to every show that has something to do with the Grateful Dead

And likely spending a lot of money to do so with travel and such

 

 

"look at meism "

 

more power to them   Wtf

 

People that were on the bus and or missed the bus

 

 

 

 

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<<Greg Leisz; Pedal Steel Guitar 

Jeff Chimenti; Keyboards

 

99.99% of casual fans who make up probably 90% of the ticket buyers have no clue who those two guys are and don't care.  special guests to them mean the Robert Plant's and or the Willie Nelson's of the world might show to play with Rockstar Bobby.  How many of them bought tickets because it was promoted as Wolf Bros. w/ "Special Guests".  So you pay big money to see Bob Weir and the special guests, but instead have no-namer's show up who are only known to the fanatical die hards.  Phil used to (maybe still does) announce special guests and people would clamor for tickets, and then the guest turns out to be one of the part-time dishwashers who's played guitar for 4 years.  Lastly, its super cringy how many times Stu Allen has been called a "special guest".  He's got to have an awful big ego to not have told Phil how ridiculous it is announcing him that way.  

something rotten to the core about this type of disingenuous advertising by the GD community.  when other rock stars say they're having special guests, people like Elton John or Billy Joel show up.  not an amateur musician living in Petaluma. 

by the way, if this thread was on the real zone, it would already be at 200 posts and my inbox filled with hate mail.  just wanted to remind some of you of my greatness and the commitment I made to be one of the main builders of the Zone. ironic as that points to something "special".

You may not have heard of him but Greg Leisz has some resume 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg_Leisz

I’m sure the Wolf Pack is top notch too and who doesn’t love Chimenti 

 

Can't argue much here, especially since Phil and Bobby are go-fuckin-zillionaires at this point. Those peeps would probably feel a lot more "special" by showin' 'em the money these days, and skip the "feel good" accolades.

 

How many of them bought tickets because it was promoted as Wolf Bros. w/ "Special Guests".  So you pay big money to see Bob Weir and the special guests, but instead have no-namer's show up who are only known to the fanatical die hards.

How many of them bought tickets because of the way it was promoted? 

My guess is maybe 5 purchases. There is a core of Dead & Co fans who number in excess of 10k who pretty much go to every show that Bobby does, regardless of the lineup and to them, Chimenti, another member or Co., IS a special guest. I agree that the "special guest" advertising CAN be misleading to many but in this case, it didn't make a bit of difference in ticket sales. The Wolf Bros show sell just fine because of their built in audience. 

Special is in the eye of the ticket holder

You can't be friends with Phil, so we'll call you a "special guest"

 

 

I know that WALSTIB...I was just riding JR's dick.

This >>> You may not have heard of him but Greg Leisz has some resume 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg_Leisz

I’m sure the Wolf Pack is top notch too and who doesn’t love Chimenti <<<
 

Those guys are indeed special guests, since they are not part of the other groups on stage, and as great musicians they add something very special.

.

<<Those guys are indeed special guests, since they are not part of the other groups on stage, and as great musicians they add something very special.

LOL

Soon it will be like the Saturday Night Live cast's opening credits with "featuring," special guests," musical guest," featured player," "host", "starring," etc.....

This is a pretty derpy thread.

>>>if this thread was on the real zone, it would already be at 200 posts<<<

There were a lot of derps on the "real zone".

>>>"look at meism "<<<

Tell us again JJ about your belt buckle, and how you saw Jimi Hendrix at the Santa Clara Fairgrounds or the Grateful Dead at El Camino Park, or how Fake Jerry surprised you at the fake JGB show you just drove at least an hour & a half to see.

Again.

Ultimately, what I always think about when I read these silly whine threads is what Mike Watt says when people yell at him about what they want from him...

START YOUR OWN DAMN BAND!!!

Free Altamont Concert

Special Guests - The Hells Angels

Party at 10050 Cielo Drive Benedict Canyon

Special Guest

Tex Watson and Friends

Ford's Theatre presents

Our American Cousins

Special Guest

John Wilkes Booth

For the last 40 years, if someone sat in with any band i've been in (or leader of), they're referred to as a Special Guest, because they are!

Doesn't matter if they're a seasoned pro who could pack the house on their own, or some kids first time on stage, they're a special guest!

 

I believe the term goes back to the 1940's 

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d4nmrel-87d67f0f-25b2-4fbd-9cfc-9971fbe20ec7.jpg

 

what's ryan adams up to?

Point taken minimum goad

 

yes, Me me  me is an old fart

And; We all make our own choices for our own reasons

 

you say tomato I say tomato

And it is cool when you "talk about "obscure "  shows that move you

And I can be a damn hypocrite if I choose to so get off my lawn

Point taken minimum goad

 

yes, Me me  me is an old fart

and kimono boy was damn good  It's not my fault that you didn't go

And I can be a damn hypocrite if I choose to so get off my lawn

This is a youngster thing

 

everyone gets brushed up

everyone gets props 

everyone gets a trophy 

Greg Leisz and Chimenti make the band more bearable.

That's kinda special.

it's not special to recruit high level musicians just to play their chops (down) to one guy's personal trip.
 

I mean, I hope they're all having fun. But to me, weir is the least (Leiszt?) interesting person on that stage, musically.

 

yeah, I said it.

>>> What, no opener? Isn't that what all the extra fees are for?

Honestly, I prefer no opener.   Fine, there were a few exceptions including P-funk, the Band, Dylan, and others but many more that I would have been happy to miss.     

Man, sarcasm is completely lost on the interwebs. My bad.

Well shit.   Sorry Ned.  I'm on vacation time.   I think everyone else picked up on it but me.  I'll go back to watching from the sidelines.  

>99.99% of casual fans who make up probably 90% of the ticket buyers

You think Joe 21 year old is buying Weir tix?  Nah...   

 Weir has the douchiest of the douches of the GD scene that hang onto his every word.   They represent 99% of tix sold. 

Kudos to Bob for filling that the account. His daughters will appreciate every cent. 

 

 

>>  Weir has the douchiest of the douches of the GD scene that hang onto his every word <<

I recently "joined" a DeadCo facebook group and they were discussing how "everyone knows Stella Blue is a Bobby tune.." and Comes a Time is an Oteil song etc. It was weird.

how much are you swingin dicks paying for concert tix these days ....with all these "specialties"?

nedb- wow that's a big bowl of wrong

Caveat Emptor

"Since every pleasure’s got an edge of pain
Pay for your ticket and don’t complain" - Robert Hunter

due to special Guest, Alex Koford, ticket prices will be higher than normal. 

due to special Guest, Alex Koford, ticket prices will be higher than normal. 

TTB announced Beacon run with Special Guest openers Nels Cline on 9/30, Anders Osborne on 10/5 and Jorma Kaukonen on 10/6.

What % of TTB fans know all 3?

100% of them should know all three.

>>>>For the last 40 years, if someone sat in with any band i've been in (or leader of), they're referred to as a Special Guest, because they are! Doesn't matter if they're a seasoned pro who could pack the house on their own, or some kids first time on stage, they're a special guest!

Agreed! This implies they are special guests of the band... if they think that those appearing are special guests, well then, their special guests!

Thanks for shining a light on this problem, JR, and for your commitment to building this community.

Leisz was on the television with Jackson Browne.  He nailed the David Lindley  toanz.

Kimock might say Chimenti is the best musician on whatever stage he is on.  Shreds bebop.

Also,  DeadCo is weirder than a Scandinavian cop show. 

On the positive tip I found an ancient enameled Stealie medallion in a drawer today.  Pretty sure Jerry was alive when I got it so extra mo joe.

Not valuable or anything just an omen.  A sign if you will. 

Of what only time will tell.

Looks like sarcasm is doin' OKwink