Bobby On Tour with Barry Sless in March

Great gig for Barry! Sless is more.....

Upstate NY & Western PA are as  close as they get to the Northeast?  I'd be passing, regardless. 

Does the Sless name actually help the band's sound and/or sell tickets?

Does the Sless name actually help the band's sound and/or sell tickets?<<<

Not sure about the latter, but I think Sless brings quite a bit more in the way of the potential for improv & psychedelic forays.   As to whether Bobby will allow this space to develop is another question?   On one hand, I can see how he might be interested in seeing how the scripted arrangements can be developed in even more novel ways, but at the same time can't help but wonder if he's maybe a little bored with so many notes being pre-ordained? 

> Does the Sless name actually help the band's sound and/or sell tickets?

The announcement says Sless on pedal steel. Didn't they have someone else on pedal steel last summer?

When Sless was with Lesh at Merriweather he only played pedal steel, underutilized really.

When I seen the Wolf Bros Bobby was the only guitar and I liked it

but this will add a lil booster shot to it

Sless is more!!!

i suspect They'll be at the Cap

The announcement says Sless on pedal steel. Didn't they have someone else on pedal steel last summer?

Yes, it was the great Greg Leisz, but he will be out with Jackson Browne in March of next year.

>>>Does the Sless name actually help the band's sound and/or sell tickets?

Fuck yes it does.   I'm considering and wouldn't otherwise.   

Every band needs more Barry Sless. 

Sless in the band will sell a few more tickets, but I think he'll likely "help" the sound of the band more.

Leisz is a great, nationally known player, but he wasn't well-versed in the GD catalog or the open, flowing style of the music. From what I've heard of the expanded band, I thought he did a very good job with it, but was mostly in the background of the sound, adding "color" but not pushing to the front.

With Sless, the GD songbook & flowing, in-the-moment style is imbued into his DNA, and I'm betting that even playing exclusively pedal steel he'll just naturally be more upfront and more dynamic/more confident in the sound.

The Wold Bros. isn't a full-on improvisational jam band and he's not going to be ripping off five-minute solo's, but especially once they added the extra musicians they do still play a flowing, in the moment style, which I think Sless will fit right into, and while his contributions may be subtle, he will likely add some things that weren't there before.

And a nice possible by-product of touring with Don Was is that he may get some good gigs out of the deal.

Hey Barry, I was having dinner with Robert Plant last week and he said he was looking for a pedal steel player. I'll hook you up! 

yeah good gig for Barry!

Wolf Pack just got some teeth...

Leisz is a great, nationally known player, but he wasn't well-versed in the GD catalog or the open, flowing style of the music. From what I've heard of the expanded band, I thought he did a very good job with it, but was mostly in the background of the sound, adding "color" but not pushing to the front.

With Sless, the GD songbook & flowing, in-the-moment style is imbued into his DNA, and I'm betting that even playing exclusively pedal steel he'll just naturally be more upfront and more dynamic/more confident in the sound.

The Wold Bros. isn't a full-on improvisational jam band and he's not going to be ripping off five-minute solo's, but especially once they added the extra musicians they do still play a flowing, in the moment style, which I think Sless will fit right into, and while his contributions may be subtle, he will likely add some things that weren't there before.<<<

This.

What I'm now curious about is how short of a leash Bobby will demand of Sless?  Likewise, will Sless test limits or stay within the box that Bobby spells out?

I think the big question is whether Bobby is looking for a more wholesale change or an incremental step in the improv direction?  I think there's a lot of potential here, and really hoping they're both open to seeing where it goes.  I like the idea of a hybrid of arranged structure that allows for big pockets improv & going "sideways" if that's where the music takes the band.   In a certain way, I think this ensemble is something akin to a much more nimble version of Warren's symphony dealio's.

I'm guessing Bobby will be 100% in charge and keeping Barry on a relatively short lease, but due to his background Barry will make a more audibly pleasing use of his time and maybe bobby will give him more space in the portions of the show where the Wolf pack is sidelined.

Dire Wolf gonna howl! 

I bit.   Considering I don't see dead and co this may be the last time for me seeing Weir and Sless on the east coast is too good to pass up.  Agree he'll be on the leash but I know what I'm getting with his tone and talent.  Need to add molo next.   

Just checked out tickets for the Pittsburgh Show... GA Floor is $313.50 each, and reserved balcony seats range from $372.00 for front balcony, to $280.00 for mid balcony, and $210.00 for back of the balcony.

Thats about triple what I'm willing to pay. Not gonna do it.. wouldn't be prudent... at this juncture....

For those that are going, have fun!

are all the shows that much?? that's banannas.

My tix were under $100 for fourth row balcony in 'Nooga.  More than I wanted to pay but .....it may be the last time, I don't know.   

There was a note about ticket prices may change due to demand.     

Anything well over $100 is Ticketmaster's "platinum" tickets. Which are tickets TM scalps themselves. The price range for this tour (for the shows I've checked out) is $60-100, which is reasonable.

Ticketmaster also releases tickets as the show approaches for face value. This tour should be an easy ticket for most shows if you're patient. 

passed on tickets for Syracuse today…. Tony Levin is playing a couple barroom gigs with one of the king crimson drummers the same weekend(hometown gigs for him)