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The stage was dreamlike: cables holding small disco balls, bubble machines at either side of the stage, pussy willow branches here and there and a magnificent light show that included lasers. Gordon added to the homey, interactive vibe, allowing fans to contribute to the music by letting them press buttons on an effects pad, asking them to chant his cat’s name Izz so his daughter could hear it on the recording and meeting with concertgoers at the merch stand after the show.

Fittingly, Gordon and his talented band — Scott Murawski (guitar), Tom Cleary (keyboards), Todd Isler (drums) and Craig Myers (percussion) — opened with “Only A Dream,” bolstered by a clean, linear solo by Murawski and percussion textures. “Pretend,” a quirky and pleasant love song from Gordon’s 2008 album “The Green Sparrow,” flowed into an ambling jam.

A first-set highlight was a stunning cover of Radiohead’s “15 Step,” complete with the powerful and edgy bassline in the midsection. When “15 Step” melted into an airy jam, the taut but laidback feel of the music combined with most of the nearly 500-person audience swaying in the front of the stage gave the show a small club feel. Later in the set, the Latin-flavored “Cruel World” was amplified with green lasers and patterns projected on the walls and ceiling.

Set One: Spires, "Jimmy Stewart" > Linear > Mulche's Odyssey, Much Obliged > Hajimemashite > Glory > Hajimemashite, Hurt Bird Bath

Set Two: Professor Wormbog > Booth Love*, Cemetery Walk II > Making Flippy Floppy**, Gulf Stream > Miss Tinkle's Overture > Masoka Tango > Miss Tinkle's Overture

Encore: Got Your Milk (Right Here), Waiting Room

Notes
* with Get Up, Stand Up jam
** with Can't You Hear Me Knocking jam

Set 1 Acoustic: Ripple (BW), Lazy River Road (JK), Peggy-O (CR), Two Souls in Communion (CR), Brokedown Palace (JG), A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall (BW), They Love Each Other (CR), Mountains of the Moon (PL), Attics of My Life (All)

Phil Lesh (on Ritter bass), Bob Weir, John Kadlecik, Jeff Chimenti, Jay Lane, Sunshine Becker, Zoe Ellis, Steve Molitz, Chris Robinson, Jackie Greene

Set 2: Scarlet Begonias (JG), Minglewood Blues (BW), Easy Wind (CR) > New Speedway Boogie (JG), Viola Lee Blues V1 (All) > High Time (CR) > Caution Jam > Viola Lee Blues V2 (All) > Hard To Handle (CR), Viola Lee Blues V3 (All) > Like A Rolling Stone (CR) > Sugaree (CR)

Phil Lesh (on Ritter bass), Bob Weir, John Kadlecik, Joe Russo, Jeff Chimenti, Jay Lane, Sunshine Becker, Zoe Ellis, Steve Molitz, Chris Robinson, Jackie Greene

Set 3: Not Fade Away Jam (w/parade of floats) > Happy Birthday, Dear Phil! (w/balloon drop) (All, including audience and us) > Not Fade Away Jam > meltdown > break/popping balloons > Playin in the Band (BW) > Other One Jam > Jam > St. Stephen (All) > Other One (BW) > Elevator > Unbroken Chain (PL), Comes a Time (CR) > Cream Puff War (CR) (go-go dancers on stage) > Franklin's Tower (PL), Donor Rap, Johnny B. Goode (BW)

Phil Lesh (on Ritter bass), Bob Weir, John Kadlecik, Joe Russo, Jeff Chimenti, Jay Lane, Sunshine Becker, Zoe Ellis, Steve Molitz, Chris Robinson, Jackie Greene

Setlist via Philzone.org
Download Torrent: Furthur & Friends 3.12.2010 San Francisco, CA MK41

Set One: Time For Loving Is Now, Andelmans' Yard, Weekly Time, Cruel World, Soul Food Man, Wave The Ocean*, Voices*, Walls Of Time*^

Set Two: Sound > Another Door, Be Good And You'll Be Lonely, Sugar Shack, Country Boy, River Niger, Jones, Suskind Hotel

Encore: Intensified > Crumblin Bones

Show Notes:

* with Deanie Richardson on fiddle, Jeff White on vocals and stepdancers Nathan Pilatzke, Jon Pilatzke, and Cara Bultler (all currently touring with The Chieftons)
*^ with Jeff White on vocals and guitar

Setlist via Mike-Gordon.com

Read Scott Murawski's blog for his thoughts on the Philly show:

Last night was a great gig! We had some folks from The Chieftains sit-in with us during the first set, and that was cool but I thought that second set raged!

It was a rainy day in Philadelphia but I walked to a coffee shop anyway and skyped with Cheryl for a bit. South street is a pretty cool neighborhood.

Sound check was very minimal with most of the time spent doing jamming exercises. The jamming exercises are awesome. They really get the band playing like a band and they get everyone’s ears opened up.