I attended the Monday evening show at Roseland. I have been a fan since 1974 and have seen many shows over the years, including a Wall of Sound and many of the '77 gems. This particular show was not enjoyable for me. The reason was the very poor quality of the sound. Phils bass was overpowering with heavy lo frequency muddled tones. The volume was excessive, and the throbbing was actually painful. I found myself standing behind the pillars at the bar trying to escape. I could not stand it any more so I left halfway thru the second set. Phil never seemed to play any notes of higher register, everything was super low thudding, not a hint of sweetness.
One might say I should be able to appreciate the artistry in spite of the sound, and I might agree, except the sound was so totally poor that for the Band to ignore it was an endorsement. Part of the trip for me is the absolute beauty of the sound of Phil's bass, the unique woodey tones (BEW), sadly on this night it was subsonic and not much more. This show was physically painful to be at, my chest was vibrating from the low frequency sound waves, and I feared that I might be doing myself harm.
I had been to 2 of the shows at the Beacon last year, and did not like them very much either, with Bobbys thin metallic sounding guitar, and overdone keyboards. I much prefer the runs at the Nokia, and Beacon from a few years back.