Rat Dog mixed original songs, covers and radical reinterpretations of Grateful Dead pieces for a distinctive, surprisingly tuneful set.

Often sounding like "Bitches Brew"-era Miles Davis interrupted by bluesy folk and rock songs, Rat Dog's flowing stream of music sparkled. One highlight was a vocal-harmony-fueled version of the Dead's "Corrina" that alternated between restrained verses and joyous refrains. Karl Denson also joined the band to add a searing sax coda to an already lush, beautifully reverent "Dear Prudence."

All of the night's music added up to much more than noodle dancing and mindless good vibes. The acts on this year's So Many Roads tour truly took their music "further" than even dedicated listeners might have expected.