Live Review: Roses Grove Band - One Station Plaza Bayside, Queens 6/20/23

Roses Grove Band

One Station Plaza 

Bayside, Queens 6/20/23

On a gorgeous night in Bayside Queens, an event titled First Train We Can Ride saw hippie vendors, fans and local barfly's mixing in the warm evening air as the Hamptons Long Island based Roses Grove Band ventured west to play three sets of Grateful Dead tunes. 

RtBE are friends with the band, but we haven't seen them since pre-pandemic back in 2019, safe to say the group has improved, as they jammed out with freedom while singing with sweet harmonies. The group of Chuck Gallanti-guitar, Ben Chaleff-bass/vocals, Nick Epstein-guitar/vocals, Matt Lasurdo-keys/vocals, Adrian Mullins-drums began the show by easing into a roundabout version of "Let The Good Times Roll" a breezy opener that allowed everyone to get in tune and check out the various vendors. 

The band then rolled directly into the wah-wah laden "Estimated Prophet" as babies danced on the stage before the tempo picked up with an energetic "Throwing Stones". The interplay between songs is always engaging with RGB and this transition contained a Phish vibe as the band moved into the highlight portion of the first set with a pumping disco jazz infused "The Music Never Stopped" that displayed excellent group interplay. "Sugaree" ended with funky jamming which led into a blistering "Sugar Magnolia" that was pumped forward by the drums of Mullins and bass of Chaleff.

  

The first set wrapped up with a "Scarlett Begonias" > "Eyes of The World" > "Fire On The Mountain" sandwich that had the reggae scales sliding up and down to close as Mullins drumming kept it flowing perfectly. After a brief break, the band returned with "Jack Straw" that featured great vocals from Epstein, Lasurdo, and Chaleff before RGB delivered their mini-train set with "Casey Jones", whose outro jam featured soaring guitar lines from Gallanti, as RGB transitioned into a note perfect rendition of "Terrapin Station"; a show highpoint. 

Pausing to catch their breath RGB then hopped back in the saddle for "China Cat Sunflower" which found them galloping on different wave lengths, but things coalesced again for the following "I Know You Rider" as Lasurdo's keys and Epstein's rhythm guitar got loose and funky during the outro jam. 

The next large segue fest began as a short "Playin' In The Band" started things. "Uncle John's Band" got spacey to end as the group wove their way into a fast version of "Shakedown Street" that elevated the space funk by dipping directly into "Also Sprach Zarathustra" which was a complete delight before RGB closed the set by returning to "Playin", ending the strong run of tunes. 

RGB's third set almost didn't happen as the time limit was reached, but a thirty minute extension allowed them to deliver the goods as they opened with a peppy version of "Turn On Your Lovelight" before the band closed with one more segue fest as "Help On The Way" started things off but it was the "West L.A. Fadeaway" that shown brightest as Gallanti used his Garcia like tone and wah-wah effects gorgeously before the rhythm section dropped into "Slipknot!" and wrapped the whole show up with a bright and bouncy "Franklins Tower". 

A perfect early summer night of Grateful Dead tunes covered by the excellent Roses Grove Band, couldn't ask for much more out of a Tuesday night in Bayside Queens. 

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(from another night)