In this post I want to cover the band's appearance at the Winery at St George back on May 5, 2016.
If you've never been the Winery, its an absolutely stunning venue for rock a roll - a former church with the band playing on the altar. They removed the pews and turned the rest into an upscale lounge and wine bar.
Appearing with the band for the first time at this show is vocalist Bianca Mancinelli shown in this photo on the left. Bianca balances out the band nicely in several dimensions.
First and most obvious is the all-male nature of the band calls for some balance and Bianca brings that. Bianca delivers a worthy counter point to Frank, complementing his vocals when required and just jamming out the rest of the time and having fun. Welcome Bianca and nicely done.
Set one started out with Shakedown Street, which an excellent intro and showcased Bianca's vocals nicely. Another interesting about this show is the fact the band never stopped between songs rather, there was always a transition of sorts but never a complete pause. This is another example of this band always trying to push the boundaries of what is normal and expected. Set one ended with Shakedown Street bringing the set to full circle.
Set Two started with Scarlet Begonias into Fire on the Mountain, which is a great 1+2 punch and Disneyland for fans of the Grateful Dead. Again the band never stopped and every song was a transition including some Dead classics such as Cassidy and Sugar Magnolia and original Overtime.
After a brief respite, the band finished the night with fan favorite "I Know You Rider" followed by the crowd-participation spiritual nightcap "We Bid You Goodnight" led from the altar by none other than the Disco Cowboy
A fitting ending to a great night of rock and roll.
