Further Festival, The Other Ones, Riverport Amphitheater, Maryland Heights, MO, 7/17/1998

Having skipped Chicago, we got to St. Louis the day before. We found a gravel service road near a power plant or water tower somewhere in the country near the venue and car camped. A beautiful girl arrived, traveling solo in her Westphalia, and I spent the rest of the evening completely transfixed by her. I don't even remember what my car companions did. This girl sang Terrapin and played her guitar at makeshift campfire and she had my undying attention. 

We met another couple, first show since Garcia's death, and they were nice folks. Unfortunately, our campfire smoke must have alerted folks cause private security arrived and kicked us all out as the sun was setting. My car probably went to rest area and spent the night, as we were prone to do. The day of the show we hit the venue early and worked the lots all day. I remember vividly flyers for Bruce Hornsby's  newest record, "Spirit Trail", littered everywhere in the parking lot. That album would be released in October of 1998.

The show itself was fantastic. Good Lovin' had a great jam, the Sugaree soared, and Phil singing Half Step did it for me. I didn't like Baba Jingo, but Kimock had a latin flair in his guitar work for that song that I came to love, despite the song being cheesy. I was also thrilled that Bob brought out original writer of Johnny Be Goode and former Chuck Berry/Ratdog alumni Johnnie Johnson to sit in on Goin' Fishin and Little Red Rooser and Lovelight. 

This show I began to love Preacher in the Ring and Across the River, and honestly, considering there was a serious drought of live Grateful Dead music for previous two years (no Phil band, Ratdog basically an acoustic trio) hearing full band treatment of Box of Rain, St. Stephen>The Eleven>Lovelight was so, so, so very special. 

After the show we headed onward to Denver. Also , the girl I met the night before didn't make plans to fall in love and run off together with me as hoped, and I didn't see her again until later July in Northern California. 

Further Festival, The Other Ones, Riverport Amphitheater, Maryland Heights, MO, 7/17/1998

Good Lovin, Sugaree, Mississippi Half-Step, Baba Jingo, I'm Goin Fishin*, Little Red Rooster*, Tennessee Jed, Easy Answers > Drumz/Space > Preacher in the Ring > Across the River, Box of Rain, St. Stephen > The Eleven > Turn On Your Lovelight*

*- with Johnnie Johnson ; Only ''Goin Fishin''