Bob Weir continued his Campfire tour with a stop in New Orleans. The show featured the same format as it has in the past with Bobby opening up the show solo on the acoustic guitar. What was different about the NOLA show was his song selection. Instead of opening with a couple of ballads or Dylan tunes, Bob got the Saenger Theatre rocking right from the opening “Walking Blues.” Bob didn’t wait to drop the funk on New Orleans either and busted out an acoustic version of “The Music Never Stopped.”

Per the tour format, the rest of the band joined Bob for the rest of the set for a variety of tunes, mainly from Weir’s 2016 release Blue Mountain.

For the second set, Bobby and gang played one hell of a setlist including “Me and Bobby McGee,” “Friend of the Devil” and a “China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider” to finish out the set. The real treat came when NOLA native and founding member of The Meters joined Bob and the Campfire band on stage for “Sugaree” and “Birdsong.” Porter Jr. last joined Bobby on stage at the Christmas Jam last December for a killer “Sugaree” as well.

Set I
Walkin’ Blues
The Music Never Stopped > Shaky Ground > MNS
Blue Mountain
Cottonwood Lullaby
Ghost Towns
Darkest Hour
Gallop on the Run
Jack-A-Roe
Only a River
Lay My Lily Down

Set II
Me and Bobby McGee
Friend of the Devil
Truckin’
Passenger
Sugaree [a] Birdsong [a] China Cat Sunflower >
I Know You Rider

Encore
Peggy-O

Lineup:
Bob Weir, Guitar
Steve Kimock, Guitar
Jon Shaw, Bass
Josh Kaufman, Guitar
Bryan Devendorf, Drums
Scott Devendorf, various instruments

a – George Porter, Jr., Bass

Thanks to nolamule for the excellent recording.

Photo credit: fonaldphotography