Grateful Dead News

25% of Vualt Missing!

2007-04-01T15:50:00.000-06:00

APRIL FOOLS!

hee hee

I haven't been able to find out the whole story yet, but it appears that at least 25% of the Vault is missing...or "mis-placed," depending on the story.

Most of you know that the Vault was moved to Burbank last year after Rhino took over responsibility for running the business side of the Grateful Dead.

"The Dead all started individual endeavors," said Mr. Edwards of Rhino, "and they needed a partner to provide infrastructure." Part of the arrangement said: "Under the landmark license agreement, Rhino assumes the primary responsibility for the full range of Grateful Dead assets, recorded and otherwise, including the vast archive of unreleased live concert recordings, the band's official website (dead.net), all related direct-to-consumer and merchandise businesses, the growing variety of digital initiatives, and select band-related name and likeness licensing."

That meant moving the vault. In August, the Marin Independent Journal reported on the transfer:

"The musical legacy of the Grateful Dead - some 13,000 live audio and video recordings spanning the band's 30-year concert career - left Marin County in a temperature-controlled truck and is now being stored in a huge Warner Brothers Music vault in Southern California.

The transfer of the priceless 'vault' recordings - from a Novato warehouse to a Fort Knox-like facility in Burbank - is a physical manifestation of a milestone deal that effectively dissolves Marin-based Grateful Dead Productions and turns over the Hall of Fame band's business operations to Rhino Entertainment, a subsidiary of giant Warner Music Group."

Ironically, the article then quoted Grateful Dead Archivist David Lemieux saying "It's sad to see it go...but it couldn't be in better hands."

This wasn't the first time the Vault was moved and, last time, Lemieux was in charge of the transfer. "About two years ago, we had to move The Vault. It meant going from 2,400 square feet of space, which was sizable, about 60 by 40 and then we went down to 18 by 40" said David Lemieux in a 2005 interview. The Archivist went on to explian how choices were made on what to store:

"At that point, I really had to make some decisions. Obviously, I wasn't going to get rid of any Grateful Dead. It's their Vault. I realized Mickey had about a 1/6 of the entire 2,400 feet. I talked to the band and the CEO and the decision was made that each band member would take responsibility for their own stuff. Phil doesn't have a lot of stuff, but what he has is very safe. Mickey has built himself a vault. Terrific little place. Bobby has his in a specialized facility. Hunter same thing. Garcia [estate] has theirs in a very specialized facility. What we do get is The Dead, all the audiotape they do for the CDs they sell, the hard drives, the videotapes. They pull video off the big screens. All that ends up in the Vault."

Parts of the vault have been lost and recovered before. Dick's Picks 35 was nicknamed "The Houseboat Tapes" because the material came from some tapes found on the Houseboats owned by Grateful Dead keyboardist Keith Godchaux's parents.

"Tapes from the shows were assumed to have been long lost. No soundboard recordings existed, either in the band's vault or among fans. Then family members of the former Dead keyboard player Keith Godchaux were cleaning out the family's old houseboat and found a box of tapes. Inside were original soundboard recordings given to Godchaux by Jerry Garcia as a way for the new band member to learn the music" reported the Associated Press. The tapes were a giant 1971 gap that, before then, the Dead had accepted as lost.

Some of the most popularly traded Grateful Dead concert tapes are called "Betty Boards" by traders. They are called this because the tapes were recorded off the Soundboad by Betty Cantor-Jackson. Most of these found their way into circulation when autioned to the public by a storage company.

So there is hope the tapes will surface. What exactly is missing is unknown. Archivist David Lemieux has not replied to emails inquiring about the Vault. Rhino is not responding to queries either.

The message board over at Archive.org has a couple posts from Brewster Kahle in which he acknowledges that he's been contacted by Rhino about possibly providing them with copies of a few of the missing shows. They have not indicated which shows these would be. And, if they are wanting SBDs, they might have some trouble. "They didn't want Archive.org to have them, and now Archive their best hope!" pointed out an anonymous poster.

Hard Truckers Update

2007-03-26T20:11:00.000-06:00

Here's the latest from our friends @ Hard Truckers.

“The Isolator” by Brian Brown.
Find potential problems in your rig BEFORE they happen.
Most electronic problems start with symptoms. Oxidation, faulty wires, power supply problems, bad tubes and the like create dirty signal problems and impurities in your guitar signal. The guitar signal in its natural state is a small fragile signal. Pure Tone is achieved thru a Pure Signal Path. A Cleaner Signal equals a fuller richer tone and better sustain at low volumes. 100% Reliability in your gear show after show is a beautiful thing.

Also new from Brian: Stereo (TRS) Guitar and Instrument Cable and Heavy-duty 12 Gauge Speaker Cable, the fire hose that Brian recommends for amp to cabinet connections.

Celestion Gold Speakers, a 50 watt 12” alnico speaker that we found in our testing to have a fabulous low end, with bell like glassy highs. Smooth, yet not overbearing. The Gold’s are perfect for single coil rhythm players who love the second and fourth pick-up position of the strat. A great choice for the Bob Weir style player.

Jensen Jet Speakers – Jensen’s “Blackbird”, of Jet Series is a 100-watt 12” Alnico speaker that is also now available in all Hard Truckers Speaker Cabinets. Described during testing as the powerfully perfect rock-n-roll speaker. Ballsy Marshall 4x12 tones with great sustain. Les Paul blues-rock and Duane Allman fans are sure to like this warm, full spectrum, beast of a speaker.

Both Celestion Gold’s and Jensen Jet’s Speakers are available in all Hard Truckers speaker cabinets at the same listed prices, simply state; “Celestion GOLD’s” or “Jensen JET’s in the notes section upon checkout. Two more High-End options for the Hard Truckers classic cabinets. As always please call or email for more details.

Road Cases: Insurance for your investment. Wheel in, pop the top, and plug-and-play. Protect your Hard Truckers cabinet with a custom high quality road case. No need to trust your unprotected gear with the local crew. Single and Double Cabinet Models are available. ATA approved and made for the road.

“The Hard Truckers Custom Shop” is now open. Purchase a Classic Hard Truckers Cabinet not normally kept in stock; the JG-3 “THE” vertical Baltic Birch 3 x12” cabinet, the JG-4 “THE” vertical Baltic Birch 4x12” cabinet, the BW-1 a single Hemp 1x12” cabinet and the JW-1 a mini Baltic Birch 1x4” cabinet. Email us at sales@hardtruckers.com for more details or to have your custom cabinet built.

Tee Shirts - Super comfy, organic cotton long sleeve and short sleeve t-shirts are now available online.

Grill Covers – Our gorgeous gals keep churning out amazing grill covers and now they are retrofitting combo amps and heads with their one-of-a-kind artwork. Contact them at whitchywhoman@hardtruckers.com and erin@hardtruckers.com for more details on their custom work.

Be sure to - Check our flickr photos page regularly for a preview of cabinets, new grill covers and assorted road gear before they are formally released. http://www.flickr.com/photos/hardtruckers/

Guitar cables (see article @ their website) and organic cotton T-Shirts! And, we now offer Empty Cabinets. Load a Classic Hard Truckers cabinet with the speakers of your choice. Custom Screenprinted grill screens are now available. Put your full-color art on your cabinet. Contact us at sales@hardtruckers.com for more details.

New Artists — Jimmy Herring of Widespread Panic, Rob Eaton of Dark Star Orchestra, Ed Rollins of Collective Soul, Ted Norton of the Grapes and Bob Stirner of Boris Garcia.

Coming in March — Hard Truckers Custom Shop, featuring 1x12, 3x12 and 4x12 custom cabinets. Also we'll have two new products from Brian Brown: the Isolator™ and the A/B box that Trey Anastasio swears by (not at).

Grill Covers - Our girls (Samantha and Erin) have been experimenting with replacing Stock Combo Amp Grill Covers with their Tie Dye and Batik works of art and the results have been spectacular. The girls can now do custom jobs just for you on your combo amps or heads. They have come up with a six step process to transform your amp into a one-of-a-kind custom amp. You choose the grill fabric and they will meticulously attach it to your amp. Email them at whitchywhoman@hardtruckers.com or erin@hardtruckers.com for more info.

SLC Library Boy will not turn down donations of any Hard Truckers products! ;^D

Donna Jean "still Grateful" to be Singing

2007-03-26T20:00:00.000-06:00

Pic from Southern Connecticut Newspapers, Inc
Big thanks to Jeff Pardo for alerting me to this story. I'm still playing catch-up so this post comes after the 3/23 show it promotes, but it's still a good read.

From The Advocate:

Donna Jean still Grateful to be playing music
By Ray Hogan
Staff Writer

Donna Jean is on the stage of the Beacon Theater with Bob Weir singing "One More Saturday Night" on, not surprisingly, a Saturday night.

It's not archival footage of The Grateful Dead in the 1970s. It was two weeks ago with Weir's band, Ratdog.

Donna Jean MacKay (known during her decade with the Dead as Donna Jean Godchaux) is in the midst of her most publicly musically creative period since she and her late husband, Keith Godchaux, left the iconic rock band more than 25 years ago.

MacKay has teamed with The Zen Tricksters (who, in addition to creating their own music, were regarded as among the tristate area's best interpreters of Grateful Dead music for two decades), Mookie Siegel and Wendy Lanter in Donna Jean and the Tricksters - recently changed from Kettle Joe's Psychedelic Swamp Revue.

The band plays The Acoustic Cafe in Bridgeport tomorrow.

MacKay wasn't looking to put a band together when she first played with The Zen Tricksters last year. But she felt a bond during the rehearsal period for that maiden voyage, which was a benefit for The Rex Foundation, the Grateful Dead organization's charitable arm named in memory of roadie Rex Jackson.

"We were starting to kind of hone in on a special feeling that was going on between the Zen Tricksters and myself, both musically and personally. It's so hard to put a band together and here was this band that was already made and was a perfect fit for me."

The group is recording 16 original songs for a future release.

"Everybody in the band is a lead singer. So we have a lot of vocal strength."

With MacKay, The Zen Tricksters (guitarists Jeff Mattson and Tom Circosta, bassist Klyph Black and drummer Dave Diamond) and Siegel (who has played with Phil Lesh and Bob Weir), the ties to extended Grateful Dead family run deep. It isn't a connection the band is running from.

"Garcia and The Grateful Dead introduced improvisational music to all genres outside of jazz. That's why all the jazz musicians love the Grateful Dead. (Before them), everything was pretty much settled as it was going to be played. With the addition of spontaneous improvisational music woven into all of it, the result was the most unique band. They attracted a whole generation of people who were looking for something more in music than they had experienced. I believe this music will continue. The jam-band scene in itself will never go away. There will never be a reason to put music back in a box again."

MacKay was born and now lives in the musical-rich Muscle Shoals area of Alabama. As a singer at Muscle Shoals Sound and Fame studios, she sang on records such as Elvis Presley's "Suspicious Minds" and "In the Ghetto" and Percy Sledge's "When a Man Loves a Woman." A move to San Francisco, where she met and married Godchaux, opened her mind to music's possibilities.

"I changed radically as a singer. The improvisational aspect wasn't in my musical repertoire at all. I got out to California and that was radically changed. I saw The Grateful Dead and thought, 'If I ever sing again, it's going to be with that band.' It introduced a spirituality and was revolutionary to me. It was exactly what I had been wanting, but I didn't know it was what had been missing."

With her husband, Keith, Godchaux spent 1972 to 1979 singing with The Grateful Dead, appearing on albums such as "Shakedown Street," "Blues for Allah" and "Terrapin Station." During the same period, she served as a backup singer in the Jerry Garcia Band. The couple left the band in 1979 (whether they quit or fired depends on who you ask). Keith Godchaux died in a car accident the following year.

Aside from bringing improvisation to a melange of American music styles, The Grateful Dead forever influenced MacKay's view of rock lyrics. Using Robert Hunter and John Barlow as primary lyricists, the Dead's songs helped personalize the Deadhead experience.

"Lyrics to the songs were so deep and transient and nondefinitive. Each person could interpret the lyrics for themselves. It didn't rule anybody out. The music was made available to them in such a personal way."

Like the Dead, Donna Jean and The Tricksters bring an ensemble approach to their playing and singing.

"Nobody is looking to be the big deal. We don't treat it that there is a lead singer and background singer."

News Briefs 03/21/07

2007-03-21T20:57:00.000-06:00

Apologies to any regular readers who've checked this blog over the last week and a half only to find no new news. I have quite a few excuses (including a couple good ones).

I wasn't even able to post about Phil's birthday last week. : ( Happy Birthday Phil!

And apologies to my fellow net-deadheads who've been working on the "Deadpedia" project. I'll be back at it soon...

And on to the Dead News:

Custom Kids Clothes for a Little Weir

The following quote is from an eMediaWire article about Rachel Culp and her Custom made children's boutique clothing on Ebay:

Natasha Weir, Wife of Grateful Dead Guitarist Bob Weir, had Rachel make her Baby Daughter, who refused to put Pajamas on, a fun and interactive pair of P.J's out of 2 of her favorite cashmere Sweaters, with little flaps and pockets that revealed a Teddy Bear, a Hula Girl, and some Balloons.

Grateful Kids

Speaking of children of the Dead, both Donna Jean and Phil have a musician son with a rock band of his own.

Grahame Lesh

Here's an excerpt from Therin Jones' article about Stanford's Phi Kappa Psi’s “Battle of the Bands”:

When Vice took the stage at ten, little standing room remained in the Phi Psi lounge. Of all the Stanford bands, Vice is distinguished by the unique personal histories of its band members. Guitarist Grahame Lesh is the son of the Grateful Dead’s Phil Lesh, and lead singer Brodie Jenkins had a short-lived country music career with her mom and older sister prior to coming to Stanford. This country background couldn’t be more obvious in Vice’s music. No matter how gritty Jenkins takes her voice, you still can’t help but liken her tone to that of LeAnn Rimes.

Zion Godchaux

Donna Jean’s son Zion is in a band named Boombox. You can read about it over at JamBase.

Formed about three years ago, BoomBox is not your traditional group. It only has two members - a guitar player/vocalist and a DJ - that combine live instruments with multi-track sequencing, turntables, and samplers for a unique brand of infectious music. Zion Godchaux and Russ Randolph came together while working on an album that Zion was collaborating on with his mother, former Grateful Dead member Donna Jean Godchaux. Russ was engineering the record and the two connected immediately.

Read the entire article here

Jerry's Art

Jerry's art sure gets a lot of attention these days. NewWireToday has the latest:

Original Jerry Garcia Paintings the Latest Addition to EIL's Blue Chip Store

NewswireToday - Eil.com the world's leading provider of rare music & music memorabilia have secured two stunning pieces of original artwork from the legendary Jerry Garcia that they are pleased to offer to the music and art collecting marketplace.

Mike Cambridge Eil.com’s senior Memorabilia buyer based in Lancashire commented: “These kinds of pieces complete with such amazing provenance are virtually impossible to find, so for us to be able to offer two unique pieces of Garcia artwork to the marketplace is something we are extremely proud of.”

The first piece is an original watercolour titles ‘Purple Rat Dog’. Painted in 1985, it depicts a dog characteristic of the artist’s style and humour. This is one of only 2 known versions, with the other titled simply Purple Dog.

On the reverse of the painting there is a pencil inscription in Jerry's hand detailing 'Purple Rat Dog' #2 1-5 Jerry Garcia 85 w/c, with the 1-5 seeming to indicate that he intended to produce more versions, though only 2 are confirmed at this time.

The second piece painted by Garcia in 1993, shows his unique interpretation of San Francisco & the Golden Gate Bridge backed by a landscape of buildings and watery abstractions in brightly coloured forms outlined in black.

As with the previous piece this also has a pencil inscription on the reverse in Jerry's hand detailing 'Frisco View/J Garcia/For Hedge/A.G.G.A' and signed by Jerry on the lower right front of the painting J Garcia 93.

Both of these fabulous items have been fully authenticated by Garcia’s first and primary art dealer 'The Weir Gallery' and comes complete with their detailed Certificate Of Authenticity with embossed stamp and signed by the director Roberta Weir who is highly regarded in the 'Art World' as the foremost expert and authority on Jerry Garcia.

Mike continued, “Jerry Garcia’s work in his own band and of course the Grateful Dead created his reputation as a superb and versatile musician but he was also a dedicated and prolific visual artist. He created nearly 500 pieces of art between 1985 and 1995 and sold hundreds of his original works.”

All prices & items are correct and available however the rare and limited nature of these items does mean we cannot guarantee their availability after the time of release. All items come with certificates of authenticity & full provenance.

Gone But Not Forgiven

The Archive.org controversy made #7 in Earvolution’s Top 10 Corporate Moments in Rock:

7. The Grateful Dead Removes Their Soundboards From the Live Music ArchivesInherent to The Grateful Dead's mystique was their willingness to permit their fans to bootleg and trade their live shows. Long before other bands would recognize the benefits to be reaped from the free exchange of live music, The Dead created the model from which they would work. With the advent of the Live Music Archives at archive.org, Deadheads entered the digital age, flooding the site with multiple copies of nearly every Dead show ever played; all with the permission and consent of the venerable San Francisco band. The Grateful Dead were not the first band to change their mind about the availability of their shows on the Archives, but their about-face stung their fans the most.

Citing the detrimental effect on present and future archival CD and DVD releases, the Grateful Dead, upon the initiative of Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart, revoked the consent that permitted the Archives to act as a conduit for the exchange of the Dead's shows, denying fans the opportunity to obtain the music for free so that it could be sold to them in the future. "When the music was given away for free to trade, the band was making so much money touring that the music was not as valuable to them," explained Marc Schiller, who assists the Dead with their online marketing. "Apple iTunes has made digital downloads a business." The Dead underestimated the angry, aggrieved response from their fans: like dire wolves they howled vociferously, adamantly pointing to Jerry Garcia's numerous statements that the music belonged to the fans. Bassist Phil Lesh even chimed in to express his bewilderment over the entire issue. Ultimately, a compromise was reached: fans would still be able to freely download shows recorded by their peers but the better-quality soundboard recordings would remain available as streaming audio only - that is, until the Dead decide to release the show commercially and remove it from circulation.

A Pro Nuclear Energy Merry Prankster

Greenie Watch, at antigreen.blogspot.com, has an article about Stewart Brand and his “affection” for nuclear power in which it gives this history on Brand:

He divides environmentalists into romantics and scientists, the two cultures he's been straddling and blending since the 1960s. He was with the Merry Pranksters and the Grateful Dead at their famous Trips Festival in San Francisco, directing a multimedia show called 'America Needs Indians.' That's somewhere in the neighborhood of romantic. But he created the shows drawing on the cybernetic theories of Norbert Wiener, the M.I.T. mathematician who applied principles of machines and electrical networks to social institutions.

Losing Jerry

The following quote is from a SeacoastOnline article about movie making in their neighborhood:

Take "Losing Jerry," a film about Jerry Garcia fans, which is scheduled to be shot entirely in New Hampshire -- and will include a finale scene at the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom.

"Losing Jerry" likely wouldn't be shot here if director Mitch Ganem wasn't from Wolfeboro and producer Mark Constance didn't move to Brentwood from Los Angeles.

Constance is part of small but growing network of filmmakers who are giving a much closer look to the state and the region.

Don't Forget Jerry!

A bunch of Poughkeepsie Journal readers wrote in to defend Jerry.

We ran a story called "Gods of the guitar" Friday, listing such great ax players as Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton and Carlos Santana among the best of all time.

We also asked readers to let us know their choices.

Many thoughtful and adamant replies came in. They wanted to know: How could we forget Jerry Garcia?

— Jerry Garcia.
I'll take a quote from Bob Dylan to describe good ole Jer.
"His playing was moody, awesome, sophisticated, hypnotic and subtle.
Bob Geis
LaGrangeville

— I would think Mark Knoffler and Jerry Garcia would be a must on anyone's list.
Michael Brady
Dutchess County public defender

— I literally can't believe you left out Jerry Garcia. Garcia was perhaps the most witty, accomplished guitarist of his generation. As far as jamming goes, Jerry was the father of all jam bands that have come since, a virtuoso who could weave Miles Davis' "So What" into the middle of a playing of "Dark Star" or "Truckin'. " He played jazz, country, bluegrass, folk and rock all at once, and with the Grateful Dead, created the jam music of today.
Steven Levine
Poughkeepsie

Merlefest 2007

Not only does rhadish.com have the line-up for Merlefest, but a Rhapsody playlist that contains one song by all 47 artists who will be performing this year at Merlefest 2007.

Here's the list, but you'll have to go to rhadish.com for the playlist

Merlefest 2007 Line-Up
1. Tough Luck Man - Doc Watson
2. Alison - Elvis Costello
3. Restless - Alison Krauss
4. In Another World - Donna The Buffalo
5. Out of the Rain - The Duhks
6. Old Train - Tony Rice
7. Fishin’ In The Dark - Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
8. Press On - Robinella
9. Born With A Hammer In My Hand - Blue Highway
10. Girl Of The North Country - Sam Bush
11. Blue Mountain Hop - Bela Fleck
12. High On A Mountain - The Del McCoury Band
13. Let’s Call It A Life - Darrell Scott
14. Devil Woman - Toubab Krewe
15. Been Around - The Waybacks
16. Who Thought The Railroad Wouldn’t Last - Jim Lauderdale
17. Could You Love Me One More Time - The Lonesome Sisters
18. Eight More Miles - Laurie Lewis
19. Mississippi Blues - Roy Bookbinder
20. Shady Grove - Laura Boosinger
21. Miracle - Andy May
22. How Long? - Cherryholmes
23. Changing Lanes - Circuit Riders
24. Red Clay Halo - Nashville Bluegrass Band
25. Flora - Crooked Still
26. That’s What I Like About The South - The Red Stick Ramblers
27. Voyage of the Dunbrody - Jim Ronayne
28. Big Bug Shuffle - Jerry Douglas
29. Foggy Mountain Breakdown - Earl Scruggs
30. Sundown - Pat Flynn
31. Goodbye Bottle Of Whiskey - Steep Canyon Rangers
32. Heal Yourself - Ruthie Foster
33. Minor Swing - Bryan Sutton
34. Diggin’ Uncle Sam’s Backyard - Paul Geremia
35. Arlo Buck - Tut Taylor
36. Sweet Wild Turkey - Mitch Greenhill
37. Maybe It Was Memphis - Pam Tillis
38. I Choose You - Buddy Greene
39. Step It Up And Go - Happy Traum
40. Abilene - George Hamilton IV
41. Warfare - Uncle Earl
42. Push Comes To Shove - John Hammond
43. Your Lone Journey - Ginny Hawker & Tracy Schwarz
44. Now Is The Time - Tony Williamson
45. Bear Tracks - Clint Howard
46. Now Is The Time - Tony Williamson
47. No More To Leave You Behind - The Infamous Stringdusters

One Guy's Story

Rich Shea (who says he’s not a Deadhead) has a great story about his first Dead Show, when he met Jerry and asked if he’d play “Eyes of the World.” Make sure to check it out at his blog.

Grateful Dead Roadie Update

2007-03-21T18:40:00.000-06:00

Paul Woods

Here's the story from StarPulse:

Grateful Dead Roadie Is Lawnmower Man Hero
Former Grateful Dead roadie Paul Woods is making headlines in America after embarking on a 3,500-mile trek to claim a home left to him by his late mom - on a lawnmower.

Woods set off on the trip from Alaska to Virginia back in 2005 but his adventure has only just come to light after well-wishers in Utah discovered who the lawnmower man was. Woods is expected to reach the home he has inherited some time in 2009.

A Utah paper has a bigger story and some audio. This is from HJNews:

On ‘a long, strange trip’
By Aaron Falk

Man traveling from Alaska to Virginia on riding mower stops for repairs, movie watching at Beaver Mountain

BEAVER MOUNTAIN — Paul Woods hunches over his broken-down Toro mower, his blue eyes piercing through his soot-covered face. Caked with oil, his rough fingers tinker with the shot brakes that landed him in this ski resort parking lot.

Woods, 44, said he has traveled from Point Barrow, Alaska, and is on his way to Virginia. As the crow flies, the trip covers more than 4,500 miles — a lengthy journey made even longer by the fact that Woods is traveling mostly by lawnmower.

“Literally, it’s been a long, strange trip,” he said.

It’s a fitting analysis from the self-proclaimed “Dead Head” who stopped counting how many Grateful Dead shows he’s seen. At one point, he even acted as a body guard for the band, he said, displaying the green-ink Grateful Dead tattoo he gave himself.

“You’ve got to be pretty strange and pretty weird to be driving a tractor mower across country,” he said.

Woods said he moved from Los Angeles to Alaska to care of his ailing mother. When she died, Woods said his mother left him a house in Virginia — the reason for his journey.

He said he flew from Barrow to Fairbanks, Alaska, and then traveled to Dawson, Alaska, in the back of a pickup truck. Since then, Woods said he has come the rest of the way by mower.

The machine — an old, beige riding mower — sits just inches off the ground. Only three of its five gears work and the mower goes about 15 mph when it isn’t weighed down by the shopping-cart-turned-trailer that holds tools, Doritos and Woods’ traveling companion, a terrier mix named Yoda. Woods said he’s gone through three motors since coming from Alaska.

His wallet, along with his driver’s license, was stolen in a small Oregon town, he said, preventing him from taking an airplane or a train.

“I kind of like driving slow anyway,” he said, “you know, meander across the United States.”

The last couple of weeks, Wood said he stayed in Green Canyon and Logan, working odd jobs for gas money. He planned to drive through Idaho, Montana and South Dakota on his way to Virginia. The detour, detour, he said, is designed to avoid Wyoming.

“I try to avoid long distances when the towns are too far apart,” said Woods, whose mower’s gas tank only holds a quarter of a gallon.

But on his way to Bear Lake, Woods’ brakes went out. He drove into the Beaver Mountain parking lot to make repairs and plug in his one electronic amenity — a portable DVD player — so he could watch the movie “Billy Jack.”

“I’ve spent more time fixing it than driving it,” he said of the mower.

Woods spends most of his nights with his dog in a one-man tent. He dresses in layers, topped by an old black sweatshirt and ski pants. He uses a propane tank to cook his food and heat his engine.

When he drives, he warms his hands on the exhaust from the lawn mower. Still, he said, the cold doesn’t bother him much.

“This is not cold,” he said. “Alaska can be cold. ... You have to wear goggles or your eyeballs will freeze.”

Driving through the windy canyon roads, Woods said conditions can be dangerous.

“I drive as safe as I can even though I’m from California,” he said. “I pull over when I hear them coming. They don’t slow down.”

Woods said he’s not sure how long it will take to reach his destination, and the home willed to him by his mother. But when he gets there, he said, he plans to turn the house into apartments for low-income families and medical students.

“I want to do something with my life that means something,” he said. “When you’re strange, nobody remembers your name.”
———
E-mail: afalk@hjnews.com

click here to listen to Paul Woods talk about his trip

Ramrod

Scooter McGavin blogged about the 2007 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. His post included a mention of the "token" In Memoriam package. He wrote that the presentation "obviously goes beyond just those inducted as they included the dude from Molly Hatchet. But why was a roadie for the Grateful Dead included?"

I haven't been able to find out any more details (or mention of it) but my best guess is that they honored Lawrence 'Ramrod' Shurtliff, who passed away May 17, 2006. And why would the R&R Hall of Fame give him respect? Well, he was one of the more famous roadies in Rock 'n' Roll! In fact, how many fans of other bands know the name of a single roadie, let alone several, as most Deadheads do?. And Ramrod participated in many historic Rock 'n' Roll events. From 710 Ashbury to Woodstock to Egypt and on and on...

While there wasn't much info about the "in Memorium," much press has been given to an auction of Ramrod's possesions.

Here's what Mike Green wrote in Relix:

Lawrence "Ram Rod" Shurtliff (1945-2006) served in a number of capacities with the Grateful Dead. He began as truck driver and later fuctioned as crew chief as well as the President of the Grateful Dead's corporate entity. On May 8 (the thirty year anniversary date of the group's celebrated Cornell University Barton Hall show), much of his Grateful Dead memorabilia will appear for auction at Bonhams & Butterfields in San Francisco.

The auction will feature a range of gear and artwork. Of particular note are several guitars formerly owned by Jerry Garcia. These include the electric made for him by Doug Irwin, a second electric guitar made by Travis Bean and a custom built acoustic created in a collaboration between Modulus and Alvarez. Some original Garcia art will be in the auction as well, including an ink drawing of Hot Tuna from the late 60's. Tie-dyed speaker covers, amplifiers, and mixers from the Wall of Sound will be available, as will arrange of road cases. Other items include concert posters, original Grateful Dead photographs, signed Stanley Mouse artwork, a custom-made leather jacket, and a framed and mounted ticket stub from the last concert in which Garcia performed (7/9/95 at Soldier's Field in Chicago).

In the days before the auction, a free preview of items will take place and an illustrated catalog is expected as well, with information to follow at http://www.bonhams.com/us

Bob Weir & his Ratdog

2007-03-17T17:06:00.000-06:00

The Green Apple Fest is getting a lot of attention. It's a three-city Free Festival on Earth Day (April 22nd), and Bob & Ratdog are headlining the one in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. Relix has an article about the festival, and so does Billboard. Those are just a couple...The complete lineup for the festival is here.

Ratdog is on tour, of course. Here's the rest of the March Tour Schedule:

March 22 (Thu)
Classic Center
Athens, GA

March 23 (Fri)
Thomas Wolfe Auditorium
Asheville, NC

March 24 (Sat)
War Memorial Auditorium
Greensboro, NC

More details, including links for tickets is at Ratdog.org Meanwhile, here are some articles...

Gordon Hensley's DCspectator has this review:

Bob Weir, RatDog, Pull Off Historic Three Night Run at NYC's Beacon Theater

When I tell my musically-literate friends that Grateful Dead guitarist/vocalist Bob Weir’s band, RatDog, is the hottest band on the planet, I routinely get glazed-over looks of skepticism, incredulity and outright derision. They just don’t know any better -- and they would see things differently if they had been fortunate enough to catch the band’s three night run at New York City’s venerable Beacon Theater last week.

In short, Ratdog’s marketing guys and fans alike have every legitimate right to characterize this run as “historic” – and the Thursday and Saturday night shows, in this listener’s opinion, even surpassed the blowout energy level of the prior “threshold” Beacon show: 10/25/03. That, in and of itself, is a major feat. And luckily, unlike past Beacon gigs, these three shows are available from www.ratdoglive.com in soundboard/matrix. There are also plenty of high quality auds already proliferating on the internet.

With Bobby Weir’s sixtieth birthday just around the corner, it’s impossible not to have been inspired and uplifted by his utterly contagious energy and vigor; he was a happy man, with a happy band, intent upon blowing the roof off the Beacon, and that was accomplished the first night with monster renditions of the Grateful Dead classics, Estimated Prophet and Sugar Magnolia. Interesting song placements – Black Muddy River out of “stuff” and Uncle John’s Band as the encore – added to the show’s irresistible appeal.

On both Estimated and Sugar Magnolia, Weir and guitarist Mark Karan came right down
to the front of the stage to shred both tunes, and the crowd was treated to several intense, perfectly- timed Bobby lunges that sent the crowd into a collective frenzy. Weir has generally avoided charging the crowd in this manner, for all practical purposes, since the 80’s, and watching him come down front from our 8th row seats – especially on these two tunes -- was a time warp rush. It was great.

But as hot as the band was for the 3/8 and 3/10 shows, one of the big headlines of the entire three day run is the still under-appreciated Mark Karan, who has stepped up in a huge manner over the past several years. With all of the other mesmerizing aural chaos being generated around them by Kenny Brooks on horns, Jay Lane on drums, Robin Sylvester on bass and Jeff Chimenti on keys, the ability of Weir and Karan to lock so singly into soaring sonic jams is spectacular.

In this Beacon run, and as he does now routinely, Karan demonstrated he can summon the power of an incendiary Jerry Garcia guitar solo, but without mimicking Garcia’s signature style and sound. Karan’s own sound is huge, and the ever-growing size and sophistication of his rig is bringing out the best in him and his band mates. Several years back, Weir, in an interview, likened Mark’s playing to an unfolding flower. He’s now in full bloom.

Other Beacon run highlights:

4 Despite the fact Kenny Brooks’s talented trombone-playing buddy, Josh Roseman, didn’t show up, Chuck MacKinnon’s improv trumpet playing during the pre-Other One jam on 3/8 was a mind-blower. He’s damn good, and unfortunately didn’t have as much room or time to stretch out during the 3/10 show. The only other trumpet player I’ve seen play like that with RatDog is New Orleans jazz superstar, Irvin Mayfield.

4 A different version of Stagger Lee was played each night: a generally botched acoustic version on 3/8; a rockin’ traditional electric arrangement on 3/9; and a Grateful Dead-style electric version on 3/10. The fact the band has the self-confidence and chops to throw these three versions out there before being perfected in successive sound checks speaks volumes about the creativity we’re seeing on this ’07 spring tour and the just-completed west coast run.

4 The return of Gloria, Bobby’s Vegas “lounge act” version of My Funny Valentine, killer versions of Looks Like Rain and Black Throated Wind, a Quinn the Eskimo breakout, a super-slithery Althea into da bomb version of Scarlet Begonias, Jerry Jemmott on Milestones>Lovelight, and Tom Pope’s percussive explorations with Jay Lane all three nights, rounds out the highlights. Just too many to list.

One other thing that’s apparent over the past year is how well RatDog’s three new tunes – Jus’ Like Mama Said, Money for Gasoline and Tuesday Blues – have, with such facility, worked their way into the set lists. The jam in Money for Gasoline is different and interesting, and the band clearly enjoys working this tune over as it evolves. The 3/8 version was creative and rippling with energy.

In 1976, some young teen-age friends and I went to see Kingfish at the Beacon, and one year later, saw my first Grateful Dead concert at the Boston Garden. I was hooked. And now, some 30-odd years later, this special ensemble rolls up and down the east coast, west coast and through the American heartland, year in and year out. The fact this still occurs, and does so at this lofty level of performance, is an amazing testament to Bob Weir’s talent, work ethic and spirit; that he’s been able to draw such talented and passionate musicians into his post-Grateful Dead musical universe is special in and of itself. Enjoy the ride while it’s still here.

This review, by George Lenker, is from TheReupublican:

Ratdog hot, even when it's cold outside
Thursday, March 15, 2007
By GEORGE LENKER

Even when it's freezing outside, Bob Weir's California demeanor comes through onstage through his clothing: He almost always wears shorts during a Ratdog concert.

But during a recent show in frigid Syracuse N.Y., Weir startled some folks by wearing long pants during the show. It wasn't the weather that caused this change, however.

"The airline we flew into Syracuse with mishandled our luggage. Otherwise, it's always July under the lights," Weir said.

So whether or not the recent local warm spell holds, Weir will probably be back to wearing shorts when Ratdog plays the Hippodrome in downtown Springfield tonight at 7:30. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and tickets are $49.50.

As a founding member of the Grateful Dead, Weir spent more than 30 years with that band - an astounding feat of longevity for a rock band by any standards.

Yet Ratdog is hardly a slouch in terms of sticking around. The band has now reached the 12-year mark, playing approximately 700 shows in that period. Weir noted that the band's ongoing success can be attributed to one basic idea.

"The secret to success and longevity is simple; we enjoy what we do," he said. "That enables us to stick together."

Weir added that in terns of the music, this longevity also produces a juicer, tastier creative fruit as well.

"We've learned to hear each other think, and intuit each other's moves. It takes a while to form this kind of bond, but once it's there, it's a wonderfully creative place to live," he said. "The more we play, the better we get."

Although Ratdog released a couple of conventional albums earlier in the decade, the band remains largely a live act. But fortunately for fans who want a permanent record of the songs, the group accommodates them in a method that has become increasingly popular among rock bands these days: They record and sell CDs of their live concerts.

The band started doing this in 2003 and continues doing it today. With modern technology allowing rapid reproduction of discs, the CDs are usually available for fans right after any given show. The discs are recorded straight from the soundboard, so they offer high-quality recordings of the show fans have just seen.

This fits right into the Ratdog fan psyche, many of whom are such fanatics that they even collect set list information for shows they haven't heard. But Weir said that is not the band's bailiwick.

"We have nothing to do with this. The DogHeads do it all," he said, using the nickname for the band's avid followers.

And speaking of canine nicknames, Weir shrugged off a question about the origins of his band's moniker.

"Stuff just comes to me" he said.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch has an article by Tom Netherland:

Weir spits fire and finds groove
BY TOM NETHERLAND
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

Listen to the Grateful Dead circa 1966. Then listen to the Dead of the late 1980s or early'90s. The group's style changed as more sounds were added to the mix and went from good to great. Greatness takes time.
Bob Weir ought to know.

The longtime member of the Grateful Dead leads Ratdog nowadays. Fans can see Weir & Co. on Tuesday at the NorVa in Norfolk.

With Ratdog, and much as he and the Dead's Jerry Garcia learned, great bands don't become great bands overnight.

"It's been a slow process," Weir said by phone Monday afternoon from Concord, N.H. "It takes a long time to learn the telepathic way to learn the nuances of the components of a band. The last few years, we've been spitting fire."

Weir assembled Ratdog in the spring of 1995. Shows were scant at first as the band took tentative steps into the world of rock. Gradually, those steps turned to leaps.

Over time, Ratdog's members have learned an unspoken musical language that blooms onstage, Weir said. "Tiny movements or a flick of a finger between themselves can say much more than words can.

"You develop it over the years," he said. "I can play a lick on the guitar onstage, and they'll know what I'm talking about." That's exactly what Weir had with Garcia.

"It comes down to learning how to listen to your brothers onstage," Weir said. "You know how they say that blood is thicker than water? What's beginning to happen with Ratdog was what Jerry used to say we had with the Dead -- that the blood is thicker than the blood."

Perhaps that explains why Weir said that nary a day passes when he doesn't think about Garcia, his musical father. "I can still feel Jerry onstage with me sometimes," Weir said. "He's there. I can feel him in certain songs that we play."

Comparisons with the legendary Grateful Dead are inevitable. Both classify as jam bands. Each features sounds including and well beyond rock. And as with the Dead, Ratdog never plays the same show twice.

"I have a database of 10 years or so," Weir said.

He assembles the set list for each show. When Ratdog rolls into a city for a show, he summons the database.

"First I bring up the last few times I've played the town, and those songs are automatically out," he said. "Plus, like we did in the Dead, if we play more than one night in a town, we won't repeat songs. Our repertoire is about 200 songs."

Dead fans will instantly recognize many of those 200 songs as songs culled from the Dead's repertoire. On any given night, Ratdog may perform Dead classics such as "Sugar Magnolia" and "Uncle John's Band." Ratdog also covers some of the covers the Dead were known to feature, including Marty Robbins' "Big Iron" and Merle Haggard's "Mama Tried."

And also as with the Dead, there are occasional shows and moments onstage that exceed greatness, Weir said.

"It does happen with some regularity. Over a period of time I'll feel weightless. It's like my mind has become elastic. At that point, I'm in a total hallucinogenic state. That happened a lot with the Dead, and it does now with Ratdog."

Ratdog's leader may look like an aging hippie with nary a care, but that's inaccurate.

"I've got a job to do, and I take it very seriously," Weir said. At 59, he has no desire to hang up his guitar anytime soon.

"I asked Johnnie Johnson one time had he ever thought about retiring or coming off the road. He said that'll only happen when his boots were pointed to high noon," Weir said.

"I feel the same way. I've got nothing else better to do. Playing music is all I've ever really wanted to do."

Here's an article by Jeff Maisey from HamptonRoads.com:

AFTER AN INITIAL warm-up jam, what song will Ratdog begin with at The NorVa on Tuesday? Will they follow it with "Bertha" or "Shakedown Street"? How about the encore? Could we expect "Franklin's Tower" or "Touch of Grey"?

Keeping fans guessing and making each concert unique through creative song selections and order of performance was a Grateful Dead tradition continued today by its founding rhythm guitarist, Bob Weir, and his band, Ratdog.

Ratdog, which counts Weir (guitar, vocals), Jay Lane (drums), Jeff Chimenti (keyboards), Mark Karan (guitar), Kenny Brooks (saxophone) and Robin Sylvester (bass) as full-time members, has an incredible 170-song repertoire to shuffle from city to city.

"I have a database of all the shows since Ratdog started," said Weir by telephone from his home in California. "Generally speaking, what I do is I bring up the last two or three times we played in a given town, and those songs are automatically out. Then I bring up the last seven or eight shows that we have done, and those songs are automatically out. And I start working from there so that we get a big rotation on all our material."

Ratdog's most recent performance in Hampton Roads was last year on March 18. According to Ratdog.org, a fan Web site that documents and catalogs each concert set list, the songs played included "Cassidy," "Railroad Blues," "Tomorrow Never Knows," "Mississippi Half-Step," "Dark Star," "Dear Prudence," "The Other One" and "One More Saturday Night," among others.

Considering Weir's set list explanation, those are all but ruled out this time around. But in addition to a few recent originals and an interesting array of cover tunes, the set is sure to be weighted on the Dead side.

The Grateful Dead emerged from the psychedelic, counter-culture scene of the late 1960s, which had its epicenter in the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco. It was an "artist ghetto" where music, art and literature thrived. Weir says the members of the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Big Brother and The Holding Company, and Quicksilver Messenger Service felt a sense of camaraderie.

"Those bands, we were all thick as thieves. We enjoyed each other as company and had a whole lot of fun."

Not long after The Dead's self-titled debut album was released in March of '67, the environment in the city changed.

"The year of the Summer of Love, the summer of '67, everything went to hell because every loose screw and nut in the country flocked there, and the Haight-Ashbury turned very sour very quickly."

The Grateful Dead would go on to create such album gems as "American Beauty" and "Workingman's Dead." They also embarked upon national tours that resembled a traveling caravan at times, peopled by diehard fans dubbed Deadheads.

"That started happening in the late '70s," said Weir. "It was ingratiating. It was like having family, pretty much, with you everywhere. Later that following became a little out of control once we started cranking out hit records and stuff.

"When it first started happening, it was like a tighter and more focused group of folk, and it was like being followed around by a gypsy carnival. We'd land in a city and they'd set up a little town outside the gig, and after a few years some of the locales weren't hospitable to that."

Between tours and recording sessions, the members of the Dead explored side projects. Weir explored new musical tangents as Weir/Wasserman and Scaring the Children with fellow bandmate Rob Wasserman on bass.

Wasserman and Weir played their first show as Ratdog on Aug. 8, 1995, the day before Grateful Dead lead guitarist and singer Jerry Garcia died.

Without Garcia, the surviving members of the Grateful Dead decided to disband in December 1995. They have reunited for occasional tours as The Dead and will continue to do so.

"We owe it to ourselves to reconvene every now and again," said Weir, "but I don't see it this summer."

The Grateful Dead was presented a Grammy for Lifetime Achievement in February. Weir said he isn't ready to slow down.

"I'm certainly not done now that I've got my Grammy."

Reach Jeff Maisey at (757) 222-3934 or jmaisey@pilotonline.com.

And if that's not enough, here's an interview from News-Record.com:

First Grateful Dead, now Ratdog, Weir still touring
By Jeff Hahne
Staff writer

After more than 40 years in the music business, it's difficult to summarize Bob Weir's place on the musical landscape.

As a founding member of The Grateful Dead, he's been a fixture of the hippy culture, a voice for the environment, the conductor of three-hour concerts and an instrumental god to jam bands across the world.

His current project, Ratdog, which was formed in 1995, will make its first stop in Greensboro on Saturday.

The News & Record spoke with Weir by phone from his home in California where he discussed the magic of creating a setlist, his thoughts on receiving a lifetime Grammy and the future of The Dead.
How much touring are you doing these days?

"You know, our average is about four to five months a year."
Do you know how many shows you've played over the years?

"I heard that we've done just under 1,000. I have no idea. We've done more than 700, I'm quite sure. That being said, I think we've done some 3,500 with The Dead and maybe more."
How do you keep this fun and fresh for you? Is it the variety in setlists and having so much material to pull from?

"Yeah, it takes work, basically, but it pays off. We have a fairly large repertoire. I guess at this point, if I was looking at our song lists and stuff like that, I'd say we probably have worked up and ready to go about 170 tunes and there are constantly more.

"For instance, when I do a setlist for a given evening, I generally will bring up the city ... we're playing in and the last two or three shows that we played there and automatically rule out all of the tunes we played our last few visits to that city.

"And then I bring up the last five to seven shows that we've done -- and those tunes are automatically ruled out.

"And everybody in the band knows that when a tune comes up on a setlist, it's, in all likelihood, our last crack at it for a while. So everybody just sort of leans into it."
Are you writing much new music these days?

"Yeah, we are. We've got a bunch of stuff that's more than half written, but it's not quite ready to bring out yet. As a matter of fact, for a lot of today I'm going to be working on some new tunes that maybe we'll be able to play on this tour."
Recently, The Dead received the Lifetime Grammy -- what did that mean to you?

"Well, it's kinda edifying. I was playing a show that night so I wasn't able to make the presentation. ... I imagine it will look nice when it gets here and I put it on my mantel or something like that."
When you're performing Dead songs with Ratdog, how is it different for you from playing with the Dead?

"The songs all have their own character and the character is the same, pretty much, for any band that I'm playing with. ... So the major difference is the personnel that I'm playing with, but the song is the same."
I read an interview where you talked about the possibility of hitting the road as a quartet or trio at some point. Do you think that's still an option?

"Do you mean The Dead or me?"
You. I don't know if that means The Dead, or if it means as a new quartet or trio.

"I've felt for some time now that the most meaningful way for The Dead to go back out would be as a quartet. Just the four guys that are still alive with no hired guns this time.

"As for me, I enjoy playing trios."
So, at this point, there are no plans for a version of The Dead to hit the road.

"No, not right now."
What comes to mind when you think back on this legacy that you've created?

"Well, it's the only life I've ever known, so I just look at it as a life, you know ... as my life in particular. And, uh, (laughs) I don't spend a lot of time thinking about that 'cause (laughs) I'm a fairly busy guy. My plate is full with other stuff to think about."
So what are your plans for the rest of the year and further down the road?

"More touring this year. As for next year, we'll just see. At some point, I'd like to get into film scoring a little bit. I think that might be fun, but it certainly never would replace playing live on stage."
Contact Jeff Hahne at 883-4422, Ext. 228, or jhahne@guilfordrecord.com

This Ratdog Review Wants You!

2007-03-07T20:28:00.000-07:00

Did you see Ratdog at the Paramount Center for the Arts in Peekskill Tuesday night? If you did, Journal music writer John W. Barry would like to know what you thought of the show. After reading his review, concertgoers are invited to post their comments on the performance and, for that matter, their thoughts on his review.

Here's the link

Here's the story from the Poughkeepsie Journal:

RatDog barks and bites
By John W. Barry

On one of the coldest nights of the year, former Grateful Dead guitarist
Bob Weir in a roundabout way Tuesday reminded winter-weary Hudson Valley
residents that daylight savings time is just days away and spring starts in two weeks.

As roughly a thousand people shook off their winter parkas and the cold in a
packed Paramount Center for the Arts in Peekskill, Weir took the stage with
his band RatDog in shorts and sandals. Throughout the night, green and
orange lights projected on a screen that could cover the side of a barn gave
Weir and his band mates a stunning backdrop and could have given anyone
tired of zero degree days the sense of a lush green field or sizzling summer
evening sunset.

Capping this grand illusion that the crowd indulged in with Weir was his
churning, massaged rendition of Jamaican reggae superstar Jimmy Cliff’s
“Sitting in Limbo," which summoned the spirit of the Caribbean, tall drinks with
tiny umbrellas and beachfront bonfires at dusk.

“Sitting in Limbo” was one of the night’s highlights, but a pair of bluesy
tunes from the Grateful Dead catalog anchored the evening from the outset.
Weir led the crowd through a session of “howl”-and-response during “Little
Red Rooster” and band and crowd alike watched as “Wang Dang Doodle” inched
slowly toward explosion, much like the lit fuse on a stick of dynamite.

Though the RatDog repertoire is made up largely of time-tested songs the
Grateful Dead performed over four decades, Weir, keyboard player Jeff
Chimenti, saxophone player Kenny Brooks, guitarist Mark Karan, bassist Robin
Sylvester and drummer Jay Lane by no means rested on any laurels.

In fact, this San Francisco Bay Area-based ensemble seemed to wander far out
of its comfort zone Tuesday night by bringing a taste of the middle east
to the Hudson Valley. They tweaked guitar chords and worked repeated musical
phrases — sometimes simply playing two notes over and over in a rhythmical
mantra — to create rock 'n' roll ragas.

Judging by the flailing arms and wide smiles, many in the audience seemed to
hope that this concert would last a thousand and one nights.

Weir, on the other hand, might have been wishing he was somewhere other
than Peekskill during the first set closer, “Might As Well," a Grateful Dead
rocker. He forgot many of the lyrics and watched helplessly — in front of a
packed house - as the song caved in around him.

The subject of the song was fitting for the moment from which Weir sought to
extricate himself. “Might As Well” is about a 1970 locomotive ride across
Canada that carried the Dead, The Band, Janis Joplin, Buddy Guy and many
other notables to concerts throughout the provinces. And Weir’s rendition of
"Might As Well" last night was truly a train wreck.

But in true Grateful Dead fashion, he salvaged the song and finished with a
bang.

Standouts of the evening were Brooks, whose horn playing stole the spotlight
every time he put his lips to his mouthpiece. And Chimenti played piano like
Hoagy Carmichael in a gin joint, tickling the ivories during “Ship of Fools”
and offering what might have been the only bright spot of “Might As Well.”

RatDog finished out the show with several long, improvised rock 'n roll jams
that offered Weir and the band a lot of room to experiment, which was truly
where this dog maintained its bark and its bite.

RatDog is scheduled to play the Beacon Theater in Manhattan Thursday, Friday
and Saturday. For information on the band, set lists and tour schedule,
visit www.ratdog.org and www.rat-dog.com.

Grateful Yid

2007-03-07T19:45:00.000-07:00

From Chabad Lubavitch Global Network:

Rabbi in Profile: The Frisco Kid, the Grateful Yid, The Rally Rabbi
By Lisa Alcalay Klug

A married father of five grown children, Rabbi Yosef Langer looks every bit the Chabad Chasid. Like many Chabad shluchim or emissaries, he spends his days involved in Chabad outreach. He also organizes community events, leads educational programs, fund raises and aims to spiritually nourish local Jews and visitors to the Bay Area. But that's where the similarities end. Rabbi Langer is not, by any means, your typical Chabad rabbi.

"The image of me is that I am an ex-hippie and my forte is dealing with fringe," says Rabbi Langer, who gave up his freewheeling ways in the 1970s for Orthodox Judaism. "Because I'm a loving, out-of-the-box thinking and soulful individual, I hook up with all kinds of different people in the world. It's all about touching every Jew, and every human being, in a real way that moves them closer to themselves, and myself and the Almighty, the Infinite Source of Life."

His annual ritualized "Purimpalooza" event is perfect example of how Rabbi Langer integrates Jewish tradition with mainstream interests. Last year's headliner was Matisyahu. This year's line-up of performers includes DJ/VJ Stefan G, rocker Rebbe Soul, puppet rapper Queen Esther, premier pianist George Michalski, spoken word performer Luna Angel and her brother rapper Moise Angel. Both call themselves "Jewmaican." As Rabbi Langer explains, "Hipster is about being in touch with your soul, expressing yourself through music, joy, creativity, just out there without any inhibitions, in a way that is real and spontaneous."

Back in the mid-70's, rock 'n' roll concert promoter Bill Graham, a secular Holocaust survivor, partnered with a few Lubavitch rabbis to create the first public menorah lighting outside Israel. This 22-foot menorah still burns every Chanukah in the heart of S. Francisco. And from this home of the Golden Gate Bridge, crooked Lombard Street and the TransAmerica Pyramid, the annual menorah tradition has spread to countless other cities around the world.

Chabad's association with this very public ritual is well-known today, and the visionary who conceived the “Mama Menorah,” says Rabbi Langer, was Rabbi Chaim Drizin, then-director of Chabad of Berkeley, California. Rabbi Langer, his protege, produced the event.

"It's one of the greatest things Chabad has ever done," says Langer, 61, who now serves as director of Chabad of S. Francisco, which he founded in 1985. Over the years, Rabbi Langer's playful, innovative and eclectic working style has earned him a host of monikers, starting with "The Frisco Kid."

Rabbi Langer became director of Berkeley Chabad in 1979. That same year, Jewish actor Gene Wilder starred in a feature length comedy as a pioneering Old World rabbi wandering through the wild, woolly west on his way to lead a synagogue in San Francisco. The parallels were wacky and uncanny.

The image of me is that I am an ex-hippie and my forte is dealing with fringe," says Rabbi Langer, who gave up his freewheeling ways in the 1970s for Orthodox Judaism. "I hook up with all kinds of different people in the world. It's all about touching every human being, in a way that moves them closer to themselves, and myself and the Almighty, the Infinite Source of Life."

Then, in 1991, Rabbi Langer approached rock promoter Bill Graham with a new idea. His goal? To reach out to the legions of Jews attending Grateful Dead shows at nearby Shoreline Amphitheater. Soon, the dancing image of the "Grateful Yid" began gracing t-shirts. Over the years, the Grateful Yid's friends and supporters have grown to include a wide range of celebrities, including performers Wycliffe John, pianist George Michalski, radio host Michael Savage, a close personal friend of Rabbi Langer and Chabad for over 30 years, and an active participant in Chabad Programs from High Holiday services to Shabbos dinner to Purimplaooza.

“Michael’s voice of advocacy on behalf of Israel, is unparalleled,” says Rabbi Langer. “He is also known to plant a ‘smooch’ on the mezuzah affixed to the doorpost of his many homes.” Men's Warehouse founder George Zimmer and David and Alex Graham, sons of the late rock promoter Bill Graham; performers Perry "Peretz" Farrell, who learns Torah regularly and puts on tefillin, and Santana are among the celebrities who have lit the Mama Menorah during public Chanukah lightings, drawing crowds to downtown Union Square.

Rabbi Langer's public persona grew once again when, at Jewish Heritage Night at AT&T Park last August, the S. Francisco Giants professional baseball team invited him to blow the shofar before the first pitch. When the team fell behind, he was invited back to home plate. His job was to blow the shofar and rally the stadium with the cry of "Charge!" The Giants surged ahead temporarily, then lost the game. But before the night was through, they had gained a new mascot: the Rally Rabbi.

"They got all the technical stuff to picture me and had me blow the shofar over the PA system. They showed me up on the scoreboard with all the bells and whistles. And the whole stadium was rocking, giving the charge," Langer says. "It was a special moment." It was such a hit that next summer, on August 8th 2007, at the next annual Jewish Heritage Night, the Giants organization will present guests with a bobble head doll modeled after Rabbi Langer. Chabad will celebrate the night with a parking lot tailgate party with live entertainment and complementary He'Brew, The Chosen Beer, courtesy of local entrepreneur Jeremy Cowan.

Rabbi Langer sees his role as the Rally Rabbi as a spiritual endeavor. "Sport has gotten so bizarre with the high salaries, big egos, taunting from the fans and brawls from the stands. So the message of the Rally Rabbi is, in order to make a team of this world of ours, we have to increase acts of goodness and kindness among each other, as the Lubavitcher Rebbe wanted us to."

A natural extension of this campaign is a mitzvah tank. But in S. Francisco, not just any vehicle will do. So at the end of March, on the anniversary of the Lubavitcher Rebbe's birthday, Rabbi Langer and his son, Moishe, who recently received Chabad rabbinical ordination in Miami, will cut the ribbon on the world's first Cable Car Mitzvah Mobile. Their mission: to carry sightseeing guests in a "Acts of Goodness and Kindness Tour," in which participants pledge to complete a gesture that helps foster peace and understanding, to help bring Moshiach.

As Rabbi Langer explains, in addition to refreshments and an espresso bar, the cable car will be equipped with a library, tefillin and "a warm heart to greet everyone who comes aboard."

In his latest burst of creativity, the official Chabad House (2950 Anza Street) is also being rebuilt with what Rabbi Langer and his wife, Hinda, call the Bay Area's first "mikveh-spa." Likely offerings include a sauna, jacuzzi, with other amenites. "The mikveh," says Rabbi Langer, "will be the centerpiece." In addition to running a preschool and a yeshiva day school for about 75 boys and girls with his wife, the Langers are also looking to establish a downtown restaurant for Shabbat hospitality. So they are teaming up with a group of local and New York entrepreneurs. The menu will feature daily services and Shabbat meals in one of the country's most popular tourist and conference destinations. As Rabbi Langer explains, "Until we're in the ‘Promised Land’ it's really never enough."

The Langers' children are carrying on the work of their parents. Daughter Chaya teaches in the school. Another daughter, Miryum Rochel, "Yummy," works with special needs children throughout the city to "bring Judaism to a place not really being addressed," Rabbi Langer says. And her husband, Rabbi Peretz Mochkin, will begin serving as educational director for a new program, North Beach Chabad, "NBC," under the auspices of Chabad SF in the neighborhood where the Beatnik era began. Another married daughter, Nechama, an artist, drummer and dancer who lives at Bat Ayin in Israel, is slated to work at Camp Gan Israel this summer with her husband, Micha.

"We don't look for riches or a more prestigious job. To have your children continue on with your work is the biggest pay off all," Rabbi Langer says. "It's given me so much joy and fulfillment."

Rabbi Langer counts as his influences Rabbi Drizin and his wife, Leah. "They brought me into the Chabad world," he says. Another inspiration is the support of Rabbi Shlomo Cunin, director of Chabad of Los Angeles, and initiator of the Chabad telethon and other innovations. Rabbi Langer credits Rabbi Cunin as the one who "fed me my first Jewish soul food, my first cholent. He has been the inspiration for the enormous outreach organization Chabad has become in California and Nevada."

What's next for Rabbi Langer? "I want to go to the sports world and the entertainment world and get endorsements, signatures on the Rally Rabbi bobble head and its mission statement. The Rebbe gave this message of increasing acts of goodness and kindness. Everyone gets in on this mitzvah. It's a real opportunity to rally the world."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lisa Alcalay Klug is a contributor to the New York Times, Forward and many other publications. Her book, Cool Jew: The Ultimate Guide for Every Member of the Tribe, will be published next spring by Andrews McMeel.

Review of Ratdog in Syracuse

2007-03-07T19:34:00.000-07:00

Here's a (cheesy but fun) article from The Post Standard:

No Rest for RatDog
What a long, strange trip band took to Friday show
By Mark Bialczak Staff writer

Question: How do you crank up the heat on an already steamy RatDog concert?

Answer: Have singer-guitarist Bob Weir lead his band into one of the classic songs from the Grateful Dead.

Still in full winter beard as RatDog took up the touring torch after a two-week break on Friday night at the Landmark Theatre in Syracuse, wise man Weir ended the first of two sets by directing RatDog into the golden goodie "Scarlet Begonias."

His band mates responded with love and affection for the song that Weir, Jerry Garcia and mates made famous.

Weir sang clear and true, "She wore scarlet begonias tucked into her curls. I knew right away she was not like other girls," as Mark Karan carried the lead on guitar, Robin Sylvester thumped on bass, Jeff Chimenti worked the keyboards, Jay Lane walloped the drums and Kenny Brooks stood ready with his saxophone.

And the crowd went crazy.

Already on their feet and dancing since the moment RatDog started the set jamming into "Help on the Way," the happy hippies that remembered Weir from the 1960s on and the new breed that's adopted RatDog as the official keeper of the torch for that special blend of folk, rock and roots music let out an audible "aaahhhh" and raised the emotional ante.

Weir and the band seemed as happy as their fans, and the smiles were definitely because of their chemistry playing music.

They had endured a nightmare flying from California to the East Coast on Thursday night. The ice storm forced their pilot to divert their plane to Harrisburg, Pa., from where they bused through the night to Syracuse. And as they took the stage at 8 p.m., their luggage had yet to catch up with them.

No matter. All seemed well as Weir led them through a stew of RatDog songs ("She Says," "Odessa" and "Tuesday Blues") Bob Weir songs ("Supplication"), Jerry Garcia solo songs ("Bird Song") wonderfully selected covers, and, of course, a Grateful Dead favorite or two ("Peggy-O").

In the first set, they paid tribute to the Rolling Stones with "It's All Over Now." Weir and mates took the 1964 song and turned it country, brimming with twang and bite.

In the second set, the cover spotlight shined on Bob Dylan, and Weir wonderfully and triumphantly spit out all of Dylan's complicated lyrics in "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall."

Weir stands as the unconditional leader onstage, proud at front and center and quick to use hand signals to direct the rest of them where he wants them to go musically in his vision of the song at that moment.

But one reason RatDog has become such a solid member of the jam music scene - the band sold out the Landmark despite playing in Central New York five times in the past four years - is because Weir isn't afraid to let the other musicians stretch themselves out, too.

Karan's tasty guitar, Sylvester's jazzy/funky bass, Chimenti's honky-tonk keyboards, Lane's sturdy percussion and Brook's spicy sax all add special textures to RatDog's repertoire, no matter the song source.

Mark Bialczak can be reached at mbialczak@syracuse.com or 470-2175. His blog "Listen Up" is at http://blog.syracuse.com/listenup/

Maestro Phil

2007-03-07T19:19:00.000-07:00

From David Gans' GD Hour Log Blog:

Phil Lesh to conduct 3/18
Gala Benefit Concert for Young People’s Symphony Orchestra & the Jazzschool Set for Sunday, March 18

Grateful Dead Bassist & YPSO Alumnus Phil Lesh to Guest-Conduct

Two unique Berkeley music institutions — Young People’s Symphony Orchestra and the Jazzschool — will benefit from a fund-raiser concert to be held Sunday, March 18 at 7:30 pm at the First Congregational Church of Berkeley, 2345 Channing Way. Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh, who once played violin and trumpet with YPSO and credits the organization with starting his career, is the evening’s guest conductor. Composer Jake Heggie is the Master of Ceremonies.

The concert, Classical Meets Jazz Meets Phil Lesh, will open with the Young People’s Symphony Orchestra performing Berlioz, Mussorgsky, Ellington, and Mancini. The Jazzschool Advanced High School Jazz Workshop, under the direction of Jazzschool faculty member Michael Zilber, will play a set, and the concert’s grand finale (”Trane of Thought” by Jack Perla, and an arrangement of Jerry Garcia’s “Shakedown Street”) will be performed by all. A dessert reception to meet the artists follows the concert.

“One of the biggest reasons I’m so excited about the collaboration with YPSO,” says Jazzschool Director Susan Muscarella, “is that I feel it’s a wonderful opportunity for students in these two stylistically diverse groups to be exposed to each other’s music.”

Tickets are $75 general admission and $25 for ages 21 and under. They may be purchased by check or credit card; online, by phone (510-845-5373), or by fax (510-841-5373). Tax-deductible contributions enable YPSO and the Jazzschool to maintain and expand their commitment to excellence in music education and community outreach programs.

http://jazzschool.inhousetickets.com/evinfo.php?eventid=14136

News Briefs 02/28/07

2007-02-28T19:48:00.000-07:00

Bob On Boomers

According to KnoxNews, a national survey of 1,008 adults conducted by Scripps Howard News Service and Ohio University found that boomers are not regarded as the most generous, self-sacrificing or hardworking generation, but are credited for enjoying life and for producing the best music of any recent generation. The article quotes Bobby (a frequent pundit of music & culture who was on a Disco documentary I recently watched):

"Our music had the most eclectic roots. We listened to everything," said Bob Weir, 59-year-old founding member and a lead vocalist for The Grateful Dead. "The stuff that gets played today is heavily produced and formulaic. The melodies are all almost identical. Selling records today is only about business. Back in our day, it was a marriage of business and art."

"We were just more footloose and intoxicated with all of the possibilities of life," said Weir.

Forty-three percent also thought boomers "had the best music," significantly more than the other two generations, a finding that surprised Weir.

"After all, the generation before the baby boom produced Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Fletcher Henderson, Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett - pretty cool stuff," Weir said. "Really they were the ones who produced rock and roll. We inherited it. Little Richard and Chuck Berry were not of the boomer generation."

Cops Undercover as Deadheads

I had to chuckle when reading an article on amny.com. "It is clear from recently released police documents that the NYPD was preparing for the 2004 Republican National Convention as if the world were about to end" begins the article. But at the end it quotes a protester:

"I could easily pick out the undercover police officers in the room," he says. "They were so obvious. They were wearing Grateful Dead shirts."

A Little Humor

Minyanville posted a "spoof" article that plays with using the word "jam":

Boeing Co. (BA) is offering to install advanced anti-jamming technology on some future commercial satellites for the first time, The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday. “Some of our customers are looking for technology to potentially reduce the threat of jamming,” said Craig Cooning, deputy general manager of Boeing’s Space and Intelligence Systems unit. “Inevitably, we’re going to see more jamming in the future.”

“The threat of jamming?” Does this mean jamming will be blocked on satellite radio, like XM (XMSR) and Sirius (SIRI)? If so, will Boeing’s anti-jamming technology spread to other media delivery formats, like mp3 and compact discs? Perhaps the deeper question at hand is why Boeing is leading the charge against jamming? Is legendary jam band Phish dangerous to society? Is the String Cheese Incident just a homegrown al-Qaeda in tie-dye? What will this mean for the annual Jammy Awards? Or the Bonnaroo festival? Or for Ratdog fans?

Read the rest of the Jamming piece here

Another story, which also tried to be funny (but failed miserably in my opinion) is over at the Second Supper.

Rolling Stone Bashes Dylan & the Dead

Also not funny was the Rolling Stone article that listed Dylan & the Dead as one of the worst albums by good artists:

2. Bob Dylan & The Grateful Dead Dylan & The Dead

What looks incredible on paper sounds lazy and half-baked on record. We’re still curious as to why only Dylan standards were played, cold-shouldering an entire GD catalogue.

Now I like that album (and that's not because I like all the Dead CDs, in fact I don't). But having Dylan do complete sets with the Dead as backup is great on paper and was even better on stage. And I can answer his curiosity as to why they did Dylan standards. Because it was a Dylan set! Dylan sang Dylan songs, and the Dead backed him up.

Update on the Grateful Dead Stories Project

I've been busy doing a bunch of other things this week (including dancing to a 4 hour & 15 minute George Clinton & Parliament/Funkadelic set) but plan on getting back on it (and my overly detailed reviews, as promised). If there is anyone who's an expert at Wiki software and would like to help, I would certainly appreciate it. I need to learn what can and can't be done, and then how to do it.

Contact me here: slclibraryboy@yahoo.com

Update on "Losing Jerry"

2007-02-28T19:37:00.000-07:00

From left, Mark Constance, Tracey Becker and Mitch Ganem are working on a film
about Grateful Dead singer Jerry Garcia’s death and how the Seacoast responded.
Courtesy photo

Back in December of "Oh-Five," this blog featured an article from Seacoast Online about the making of a movie called "Losing Jerry." Here's a new article from the same source:

Remembering Jerry Garcia
By Karen Dandurant
kdandurant@seacoastonline.com

RYE -- Get out your autograph book, because the Seacoast will be the location for a movie about those who love Jerry Garcia.

"Losing Jerry" is based, in part, on a true story. When Garcia died on Aug. 9, 1995, Grateful Dead guitarist Bob Weir and his band, Bob Weir, Rob Wasserman and Ratdog, were playing at the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom. Thousands of Seacoast "Deadheads" flocked to the Casino for a candlelight vigil.

The film will be co-produced by Mark Constance and Tracey Becker. Mitch Ganem is the writer/director. The production company is Terrapin Station Films.

"The movie is about three friends whose love of the Grateful Dead brings them together," said Constance. "The characters are a compilation of Mitch's friends, because he's a big Deadhead. The movie culminates on the night Jerry died."

Constance said the film will bring millions into the local economy: About 40 percent of the film's budget will be spent here.

"We need cars, hotels, supplies, groceries and lumber," he said. "We'll eat at restaurants and bars, go to movie theaters and use caterers. We'll be here four months with people from all over the country and world. If they are not from here, they are not flying back and forth every day. They'll be here."

Matt Newton, film specialist for the New Hampshire Film and Television Office, worked to facilitate production and bring the film into the state. His office supports film makers in the state.

Newton said his office does not have the final budget numbers yet, but he said the film is one of the larger the state has seen in a long time.

The film will be shot on the Seacoast and in Manchester. Constance said he and his crew are tying up details and hope to begin "very soon."

"We are casting now," he said. "We're waiting for a couple of pieces to fall one way or the other before rolling out a major announcement. We're based out of the Seacoast now, but it's a spread-out process. I'm here. Tracey is in L.A., and Mitch is in New York."

They are looking for a studio banner -- a major studio to lend its name to the film. The Grateful Dead Corp. licensed 25 songs to the studio for a soundtrack, and the stars will be known.

"I want people to look and say, Whoa, he's in the movie," he said. "Local people can be extras. We'll be releasing to major theaters.

"My goal is to bring more and more filmmaking to New Hampshire. I love driving to work instead of hopping on a plane."

THE PRODUCERS

Tracey Becker, co-producer of "Losing Jerry," is a former stage actress. She was a producer on the movie "Finding Neverland."

Writer and director Mitch Ganem is from Wolfeboro and now lives in New York. This is his first foray into film as a director.

Co-producer Mark Constance grew up on the Seacoast, moved to L.A. in 1989 and returned in 2001. He did a film in New Hampshire called "The Sensation of Sight."

More Than Ties

2007-02-28T19:19:00.000-07:00

The Baltimore Sun reviewed a Jerry Garcia art show. It menitons his piece "Reluctant Dragon" which is pictured above.

Garcia's legacy goes corporate
About 70 examples of counterculture icon's artwork on display at White Marsh hotel

By Gadi Dechter
Sun reporter

A long, strange trip it's been from hippie Haight Street to a White Marsh Hilton, but more than a decade after his death, Jerry Garcia's legacy keeps on keeping on - and commanding $70,000 for a signed watercolor.

So perhaps it's fitting that a touring show "featuring one of the largest collections ... ever assembled for public display" of the Grateful Dead bandleader's artwork made its local stop yesterday at a business hotel tucked between Corporate Drive and Mercantile Road.

A musical icon of the 1960s counterculture movement who commanded a massive, multigenerational following until his death in 1995, Garcia cultivated a folksy, anti-establishment, papa-bear-on-pot image.

"I don't think this would be Jerry's style," said Kathy Krueger, 44, of the small corporate meeting room where about 70 Garcia pieces - ranging from sentimental landscapes to surrealistic watercolors - lined the walls.

Though the prices, averaging in the low five-figures for signed prints, were beyond Krueger's budget, the self-described "Deadhead" says she believes Garcia's artistic abilities merit them.

"I really like the Reluctant Dragon," she said, pointing to a $3,500 lithograph of a cartoonish green monster. "If I could afford it, I would buy it."

Her 9-year-old daughter, Molly, approved the choice, though she only knows of Garcia as "a famous person" and prefers the music of pop singer Hilary Duff.

Show organizer John Sozanski, who has been selling Garcia's artistic output since 1992, says prices have appreciated by about 25 percent every year and are still a relative bargain.

"Getting a Garcia now is like getting a Picasso at the beginning of the 20th century," said the Pennsylvania-based dealer, who specializes in art made by musicians and actors.

Garcia studied at the San Francisco Art Institute before joining the band that became the Grateful Dead. Perhaps best known artistically for making zany neckties that were an ironic comment on business attire, Garcia didn't begin painting in earnest until awakening from a diabetic coma in the mid-1980s, Sozanski said.

In 1995, after a long battle with heroin addiction, the 53-year-old Garcia died of a heart attack at a California drug-rehabilitation center. Before his death, he had signed only about half of the 500-edition lithographs made of his artworks, Sozanski said.

Prints with the artist's signature are more highly prized, the dealer said, while the most ever paid for a Garcia original is about $100,000.

The first signed edition of Paris in the Rain, a somber drawing of a woman strolling along the Seine, was on offer yesterday for $8,000. A later edition, with a silk-screened autograph, could be had for only $600.

Even that was a bit steep for Bryan Kocsis, 46, of White Marsh. Still, the veteran of a dozen Grateful Dead concerts said he and his wife, Patty, enjoyed getting a sweeping look at Garcia's artistic oeuvre.

"We're excited to be able to see the whole collection in one spot," said Kocsis, as the Grateful Dead's "Black Muddy River" played softly in the background.

The multimedia director for Union Memorial Hospital said he had attained insight into the "mind of the musician."

"The art helps you better appreciate the music," Kocsis said. "He had a very vivid imagination. It's sad that he's gone."

gadi.dechter@baltsun.com

Garcia Birthday Band

2007-02-21T20:42:00.000-07:00

The Oregonian has an article on the Garcia Birthday Band:

sound check
By LEE WILLIAMS
The Oregonian

A DEAD-ISH WAY TO PLAY -- Inspiration sure burns longer than incense. Just ask two of the members of Portland's Garcia Birthday Band if they can recall their first Grateful Dead shows.

The responses come faster than a lightning bolt through a skull.

"Red Rocks, 1982," says guitarist Jon Sokol, who went on to attend hundreds more Dead shows during the '80s.

"Hanover, Michigan, April 1989," says bassist Scott Gillan, speaking recently with the tie-dye-T-shirted Sokol at the Barley Mill Pub in Southeast Portland. "It took going to one show, and that was pretty much it," says Gillan, who would notch 44 more Dead shows through the '90s.

"But I really wasn't playing many Grateful Dead songs until after the Dead wasn't a band anymore," adds Sokol. "Why see us when you can see them? Now that you can't see them, I feel OK with sort of carrying on the genre, that same inspiration."

Many folks in fact have been clamoring to see the Garcia Birthday Band, who got their start playing as a loose collective at the annual bash held on Jerry's birthday (Aug. 1) at McMenamins Edgefield. GBB took firm shape in 2000, settling into the current six members. On Thursday, they launch a new free monthly show at the White Eagle Hotel in Northeast Portland.

Pretty good for a group that doesn't consider itself a cover band per se. GBB plays loose interpretations of Garcia's canon, vs., say, Chicago's Dark Star Orchestra, which strives for note-for-note accuracy.

"I think that's what makes us unique," says Sokol. "I'm not trying to sound like Jerry when I play! Scott's not trying to sound like Phil Lesh when he plays, but we all know the music and we end up sounding Dead-ish, I think, because we're out there jamming, and just trying to have fun."

Garcia died 11 years ago, but the Dead lives on. The Grammys, for instance, just recognized the band with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

And the motivations that kept Sokol and Gillan following the Dead back in the day seem to be driving their own musical collaboration.

"What I always liked about Jerry is that it seemed like he didn't seem to care," says Sokol. "He'd play the lead wrong, or miss a break or drop out of key, and it didn't seem to bother him, because somewhere along the way, even if just for a minute or two, he'd hit this space where it was just magic. And those notes would cut right through my soul."

And if GBB happens to miss a note in their rendition of "Althea" or "Truckin' "?

"We have a phrase we use in this band. We say it after a sloppy version of something, or if I forget the vocals," says Sokol: " 'It's just so very Jerry.' "

Lee Williams is a Portland freelance writer; lwilliamsd@gmail.com.

Check out Garcia Birthday Band videos here

Grateful Dead Caucus 2007

2007-02-21T20:30:00.000-07:00

Steve Gimbel, a philosopher at Gettysburg College, blogged about this year’s Caucus over at Philosophers’ Playground

Check out his blog!

A wonderful conference last week in Albuquerque, the 10th annual gathering of the Grateful Dead Caucus as a part of the annual meeting of the Southwest/Texas Association of Popular and American Culture. Reflections from my first time as a part of the caucus:

Paper
Covering four days -- from 8 am to 8 pm on Thursday and Friday -- there seems to be no lack of interest in taking the Dead phenomenon seriously by academics. Covering a very wide range of methodologies in the humanities and social sciences, the papers were universally of a very high quality. Papers generally grouped themselves around a couple of general themes:

History
A wonderful series of papers discussing historical aspects of the Dead, the Haight, and the movement. Starting off was co-chair Gary Burnett's examination of the complete run of the neighborhood newspaper the Oracle and its relation to and mentions of the Dead showing at first a bi-polar stance both embracing and deprecating hippie music showing a tension between the beat and hippie factions of the early counter-culture. Rick Dodgson read "From Soquel to San Jose: The First Acid Tests"

Grateful Dead and Spirituality
Several papers discussing the spiritual nature of the Dead experience. Thursday's panel featured Mary Goodenough's "In and Out of the Garden: Sacred and Profane in Deaddom," Paul Gass' "Buddhism Through the Eyes of the Dead," and Dave Bryan's "Grateful Dead Theology," while Saturday brought Kent Elliot's "The Lie Breathed Through Silver." All began from the fact of broad spiritual experience amongst Deadheads at shows and then tried to make sense of this phenomenological data. By examining the relation between lyrics and religious traditions or looking at the experience itself, the hope was to make the "it" that so many point to more clear. Discussion around this topic was spirited, if not spiritual.

Deadhead Culture
Sociologists Rebbecca Adams and Alan Lehman gave fascinating discussions of Deadhead demographics, the former from data gathered at the 1998 Further festivals and the latter at 1991 shows at RFK and Giants Stadium. Nicholas Merriwether gave an incredibly well documented discussion of Deadhead pipecraft, locating it in the historical tradition of pipecraft through the centuries. Elizabeth Carroll gave a fascinating approach to interpreting the scene as a whole (both good and bad) viewing through the Greek notion of a pharmakon -- the word for both remedy and poison -- in her paper "Is Destruction Loving's Twin?: The Grateful Dead Pharmakon." The continental philosophical duo of Jim Tuedio and Stan Spector read their papers "All Ears, All Body: The Strange Attraction in Nonlinear Musical Embodiment" and "And The Music Played the Band: The X Factor, Merleau-Ponty, and the Chiasm" that sought to understand the phenominological embodiment of the process of Being when engaged in what the Germans call Mithoeren (hint: if you don't understand continental philosophy, just say something in Greek, German, or French). My own contribution looked at the nature of the economy in the parking lot.

Comparative Musicology
There were a number of papers that sought to reconcile the music of the Dead with the larger body of American popular music. Eric Levy and Jay Williams both compared the Dead to representatives of the experimental and avant-garde movements, Eric focusing on John Cage and Jay upon Frank Zappa, while Matt Armstrong looked at the Dead's influence in the work of Ryan Adams. Chris Norden compared the lyrics of Bob Dylan and Robert Hunter in terms of their use of weather metaphors. Christian Crumlish examined the unmentioned influence of the Dead on artists through the decades in his "Please Forget You Knew My Name: Secretly Influenced by the Dead." Pam Hunt, Liz Yeager, and Jake Cohen gave contrasting views of the political presuppositions in post-Dead, contemporary jamband culture with their papers "Are You Kind?: The Relationship between Behavior, Meanings, and Levels of Involvement and Ideological Embeddedness in the Jamband Subculture," "My Band is Better Than Your Band: Inside America's Jamband Scene," and "Jamband's and Sonata Form." Barry Smolin focused on freak folk, contemporary psychedelic music that eschews improvisation and David Gans in "Anti-Dead and Meta-Dead" looked at music about the band both laudatory and negative.

Other
Papers that defy categorization included Mark Mattson's magnificent cataloging of every performed error in the playing of "Here Comes Sunshine" and Mel Belleville's fictional expansion of the storylines of "Jack Straw," "Loser," and "Friend of the Devil."

Rock
We were treated to several wonderful performances. Wednesday night was a triple bill at the District Bar and Grill of Dave Bryan's Chickenstand Throw-DownBand, David Gans, and Liquid Gypsy. David Gans played a second set at Friday night's house party and if he wasn't completely pleased with the performance, his opinion was far in the minority.

Scissors
Perhaps the highlight of the conference was the appearance of John Perry Barlow as the conference's keynote speaker. Mesmerizing the crowd with wit, intelligence, and his abilities as a storyteller, Barlow was simply amazing. Generous with his time as well, he hung out and shot the breeze with us at the infamous Hotel Blue on Thursday night and at the airports in Albuquerque and Houston on Saturday.

An incredibly successful conference by any measure. I want to personally thank everyone there for being so incredibly welcoming of the new folks like myself and especially to the session chairs, Nick and Gary, I just have to say thank you for a real good time.

All I can say is WOW!

News Briefs 02/21/07

2007-02-21T20:05:00.000-07:00

Well, I was away for a few, and now I got some catchin' up to do!

Kantner On Garcia

Robert Tacker alerted me to an upcoming broadcast of an interview with Paul Kantner that he says has lots of Jerry content. From the Radio Memeworks blog:

"To celebrate this and to kick off our year long celebration of the magic that was that pivotal year in the evolution of music, we offer up SteveSilberman's fantastic 2005 interview with Paul Kantner. It originally aired on KPFA in Berkeley, CA during David Gans's Dead To The World. We are indebted to David for providing these discs.

Airs this Saturday, 2/24/07 at 9PM PST, immediately following the Grateful Dead Hour, hosted by David Gans."

More info here

***

Other Commitments

Here’s part of Paul Liberatore’s article about the Grammys that I didn’t quote last week:

"'You Better Have a Good Excuse' Libby will be mailed to Bob Weir and Phil Lesh of the Grateful Dead for not showing up in person or via video to accept their lifetime achievement award. I was a little worried about Phil, who recently had prostate cancer surgery, but his office assures me that he's doing great. He just had "other commitments" that night. Weir was performing up the coast in Ventura with RatDog."

***

About the Term “Jamband”

And on the topic of the Grammys, Allen Ostroy of JamBands.com wrote a piece about the “J-Word” after the Dead were called the “Mother of all Jambands” It’s an interesting article in which Mr. Ostroy asks “When are we going to start feeling comfortable with calling and being called Jamband?”

***

Rock Scully Speaks

A strangely short article at KCBS.com ends with the line “Former manager of the Grateful Dead, Rock Scully pointed out that communal farms, organic gardening and recycling all came out of the 60s.”

***

Young Heads

Kate Adams, 17, of New York City and Rhiya Trivedi, 16, of Toronto talk about their love of great record albums in the Concord Monitor. At one point they discuss up the Dead:

"Kate: People just aren't used to listening to the 12-minute songs.

Rhiya: Song ADD is a big thing. I've been using the term for a while. I'm not sure who came up with it, really, but it's probably the best way to describe it. Grateful Dead jams for, like, 30 minutes, I'm good. You don't stop in the middle of Dead concerts.

Kate: That's, like, sacrilegious.

Rhiya: I don't think any song is worth cutting off, 12 minutes or 2 minutes. You gotta listen to it the way it was meant to be, in its entirety."

And a little bit later:

"Kate: I like the revolutionary spirit (of the '60s and '70s).

Rhiya: People were a lot more optimistic back then. They were a lot more open. Everything was new every day.

Phil Lesh, the bassist for the Grateful Dead, wrote a book called Searching for the Sound about the Grateful Dead and their journey. The first 100 pages were about San Francisco in the '70s, and I wanted to be there with all my heart.

Kate: I think that's one of the reasons I listen to albums. I love that time period, and I sometimes wish I could be back in there. It gives it another connection once you're listening to albums.

Rhiya: (I'd live back then) in a second.

Kate: In a heartbeat."

***

Nader & Weir

"While speculating about whether Nader will run again, Michael Hussey blogged about the time when Bobby spoke out about the former Presidential Candidate at a Ratdog show:

Nader has a history of doing things that he knows pisses people off. Former Grateful Dead guitarist Bob Weir has met Nader.

The Grateful Dead's Bob Weir is pleading with Deadheads everywhere not to vote for Ralph Nader. Performing on Saturday in Boston, Weir told the band's followers to be sure to vote, but then exorted, "Don't vote for Nader. I know him. He's an a--hole," our spies tell us. The band then broke into "Johnny B. Goode," a theme song of the Kerry-Edwards campaign ..."

The quote came from a 2004 article in the New York Daily News

***

Dennis Larkins Art Show

The La Luz de Jesus Gallery in Los Angeles is featuring art by Dennis Larkins. Their website says “A refugee of the Kansas Bible Belt, Dennis Larkins has lived life on the front lines of radical times, emerging from Grateful Dead artist to a chronicler of skewed and alternative realities” and shows some of his work."

“From the Grateful Dead to Disney,” Dennis Larkins’ art can be seen at:

CannibalFlower.com

SkeletonArt.com

TNTGallery.com

NitroSyndicate.com

HotRodCityCustoms.com

StreetWalkerExhaust.com

dead.net

Tangento

Links thanks to StartlingArt.com

***

The Relix Empire Expands

The famous blog Huffington Post had this little Newsbrief:

"Current Relix owner and Grateful Dead fan Steve Bernstein adds Metal Edge and Metal Maniacs to his roster: If Jerry is indeed still alive, we can't wait to read his views on The Haunted and Dark Tranquility joining forces with Into Eternity and Scar Symmetry for their upcoming tour. [FishbowlNY]"

To know what that blurb is talking about, you can read the press release at NewsWire.com.

***

Need Tunes?

Over at Digg.com there is this announcement:

"Grateful Dead downloads

In this space, every Monday, you will find information on the recorded history of the Grateful Dead ’s music as it pertains to that week, specifically focusing on the shows for that week, through the band’s 30 year performing history, that reside in the Grateful Dead’s storied tape vault."

***

Grateful Dead Business Sense

There have been quite a few articles lately that use the Dead as a positive example for businesses and corporations. The latest was in a Paul Williams article at Idea-Sandbox.com:

"Although we don’t normally think of them as a company, the Grateful Dead sustained its revenues for decades building an experience that connected with its fans’ desire for oneness. Similarly, organizations that connects their members into nature or a broader sense of the world and are capable of evoking a meaning of oneness."

***

Raspy Bob

A blurb over at HeraldNet.com says:

"Bob Weir & Ratdog: A guitarist and raspy-voiced vocalist, as well as a founding member of the Grateful Dead, Weir has been touring with Ratdog since Jerry Garcia died in 1995. He started as a rhythm guitarist but now plays a classic blues slide. Ratdog performs Weir's song list from the blues to his psychedelic and rock Grateful Dead classics."

The 1980 Warfield Poster is by Dennis Larkins and can be found at SixtiesPosters.com with many other cool posters

News Briefs 02/15/07

2007-02-15T19:59:00.000-07:00

Grammys: A Wasted Oportunity

The great journalist Paul Liberatore (who writes about the Dead quite often) had this to say about the 49th Grammy Awards:

"Wouldn't you rather have heard Joan Baez sing at least one song than listen to Mary J. Blige sing what felt like every song all night?

The same goes for our own Booker T. Jones, his partner in the MGs, the great guitarist Steve Cropper, and Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann of the Grateful Dead. They were all there to accept lifetime achievement awards. They haven't retired. Why not have them actually perform instead of just sitting on their hands in the audience?"

Good point, Paul!

***

Shakedown Street

The Summit Daily News had a piece about the tribute band coming to the Silverthorne Pavilion:

Calling all Deadheads to Silverthorne
Summit County, CO Colorado

"The Silverthorne Pavilion welcomes Grateful Dead tribute band Shakedown Street featuring Melvin Seals, former musical director and keyboardist for the Jerry Garcia Band, on Thursday.

Shakedown Street, which consistently draws large crowds in the Rocky Mountains, has garnered a national reputation as being the mother of all Dead bands. The band has been performing for over 19 years and still includes original member Ted Galloway from Manitou Springs on guitar and vocals, David Recker from Evergreen on guitar and vocals, Joe Weisiger from Denver on keyboards, organ and vocals, Trevor "Bones" Davis from Salida on drums and vocals, Jim Allard from Denver on bass and vocals and Jake Wolf from Denver on drums and vocals.

Melvin Seals has been a powerful presence in the music industry for over 30 years with a long-established reputation as a performer, recording artist and producer. He has played with legends such as Chuck Berry, Charlie Daniels and Elvin Bishop. But perhaps Melvin is most revered for his powerful and high-spirited Hammond B-3 organ and keyboards in the Jerry Garcia Band, adding his gospel-soul touches to the rhythm and blues base of the JGB. Melvin continues to treat music lovers to his unique brand of melodic flavor with his latest projects, Vitamin B-3 and The Mix, Melvin Seals JGB Band and Melvin Seals Rhythm Factory.

Doors to Thursday's show will open at 8 p.m. with music beginning at 8:30 p.m. Advance tickets are $15 and available at the Silverthorne Recreation Center by calling (970) 262-7370 or at Affordable Music in Dillon. Tickets will also be sold at the door. The concert is open to all ages."

***

Let Phil Sing!

Speaking of shows, Mr. Lesh will be playing in San Fran on February 17th:

Phil Lesh. 8 p.m. Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, 99 Grove St., San Francisco. (408) 998-8497

***

Talking To the Kids

Speaking of Phil, Michelle Euganks wrote a cute article about how she spoke with some 5th Graders about her experiences being a journalist. She wrote:

"Although they had no idea who Phil Lesh or David Sedaris were, they all were pretty taken aback when I told them I often cry with people I interview if the story they're sharing with me is particularly touching."

That got me thinking - how cool would it be if David Sedaris opened for Phil. Opening acts don't have to be bands (remember the Flying Karamazov Brothers?).

***

Lessons From the Dead

Brain Fuller wrote a piece called "Steve Jobs and the Grateful Dead." Here's the Dead part:

"The older I get, the more the lessons of the Grateful Dead resonate in our hyper-technological era.

What do the Dead have to do with this? Decades ago, the Dead actually let tapers into their concerts and set aside a prime spot in the venues to set up their mics. From the back it always looked like a congregation of alien robots. Into these mics flowed Dead tunes which flowed out into the world at large through bootleg cassettes. As long as bootleggers didn't profit, all was good. Didn't hurt Dead record sales; didn't hurt Dead concert ticket sales. They were always sold out, and by the time they broke up after Jerry Garcia's death in '95, they were one of the highest-grossing bands in the history of American music. The lesson? It's not the technology that's throttling the music industry. Today's music is throttling the music industry: it sucks. It's soulless, violent and misogynistic, and, yes, I am over the age of 35.

How did you know?"

We Need Your Help

Last week I blogged about my desire to make a site for Grateful Dead Show memories and stories. I got some great responses. With the help of some new friends, the idea has evolved into a Wiki-Grateful Dead project. The goal is a site where there'd be a page for each show that includes the setlist, photos, reviews, stories, etc. All of these things can be found on the web, but never all in one spot. And the stories are real hard to find. We're working on the format first. I'm going to try to get permission to reprint some stories from books, magazines, and other sites and permission to display at least thumbnails of photos, tickets, posters, etc. Then we are going to need people to contribute by inputing the info for the many, many Dead shows. The hope is that, once the ball is rolling, folks will get inspired and hop on the bus. Wouldn't be cool to be able to pick a date and have everything about that show right there in one place? Please email me at slclibraryboy@yahoo.com if you have any ideas, materials, stories, or want to offer help. And thanks to those who have sent stuff already. I'm keeping it all safe...

Never Enough Shows

2007-02-15T19:31:00.000-07:00

Alexander Varty wrote an article that starts by mentioning the reissue of the Dick's Picks series, but is mostly about how 188 Ratdog shows are available on the Ratdog website (known as "dot org" by those who hang out there). Here's the article from straight.com:

Fans of Weir’s Ratdog can opt for an instant replay
By Alexander Varty

As of last week, devotees of the Grateful Dead have their choice of 36 historic concerts, reissued on CD as part of the psychedelic pioneers’ Dick’s Picks series. That’s a lot of listening—but not as much as former Dead guitarist Bob Weir has made available to fans of his latter-day Ratdog project. Visit that band’s Web site (www.ratdog.org/?) and you’ll find a link to a total of 188 live recordings—available in triple-CD, MP3, or FLAC formats—documenting every concert the Bay Area–based sextet has played since October 11, 2003.

And those who are truly dedicated to reliving the Ratdog experience have an additional option: if you visit the group’s merch table during one of its marathon live shows, you can preorder a recording of that night’s music and it will be waiting for you within minutes of the concert’s end. New advances in CD-recording and -mastering technology have turned the Ratdog tour bus into a miniature pressing plant, and Weir reports that the band’s fans are increasingly taking advantage of this instant-replay option.

“I’d say about one in 10 end up buying a recording, so it’s working out real well for us,” he says via cellphone, while navigating the clogged streets of rush-hour San Francisco.

Going over past set lists, it’s easy to see why listeners might want to collect multiple Ratdog live recordings: the band’s signature mix of Grateful Dead tunes, Americana standards, R?&?B covers, and Weir originals changes radically from night to night. Staples include the singer-guitarist’s enduring, anthemic “Playing in the Band”, Bob Dylan’s “When I Paint My Masterpiece”, and the jug-band classic “Minglewood Blues”, but on this tour Weir plans to switch things up by featuring some new compositions.

Maybe it’s the traffic or the less-than-perfect cellphone reception, but this never-prolific songwriter is reluctant to disclose too many details about Ratdog’s new songs. But he does let slip some of the topics they cover, before signing off to attend to the road.

“Oh, you know, we’re going through a romance in one tune,” he says, laughing. “We’re going for sort of a take-the-money-and-run story in another one, and there’s one about a dragonfly tattoo. We’re trying to hit all the bases we can.”

Ratdog plays the Commodore Ballroom on Sunday (February 18).

Last time I saw Bobby (here in Utah last summer) I wore a CD wristband during their set, happy with the knowledge that I'd have a copy of the show right afterwards. That night, in a little tent, my buddies and I passed stuff around which included my walkman. Someone would take a turn listening to the show and would inevitably exlaim (in that really loud voice people with headphones use) "Dude...This is dope!!!"

In the early 70's, the Grateful Dead looked into doing something like the "Live CD Series" and hoped to offer live show recording by mail order as a part of their "fan club" project. But the idea was too ahead its time. It was when they realized they couldn't offer all the shows to fans that they began to allow taping. Before that, tapers had to be sneaky, or they might find their equipment confiscated or even destroyed by an outraged crew guy.

Jerry's T-shirt For Sale

2007-02-14T19:07:00.000-07:00

eil.com is selling "Jerry's T-shirt" - they say he wore it in Egypt and then signed it (and they have the photographic evidence). Here's the pitch:

GRATEFUL DEAD Jerry Garcia's Own T-Shirt (Rare Black T-shirt originally owned by Jerry Garcia and worn during the 'Egypt' live concert tour, September 1978. Jerry has also signed the front of the T-Shirt underneath the gold 'Dead' slogan. Additionally this comes complete with pictures showing Jerry wearing it - Be a 'Deadhead' for the day!!)

**Complete With Certificate Of Authenticity**

£ 395.00, USD 778.15, € 600.40

I don't know what's up with that "be a 'Deadhead' for a day" suggestion...but if you think wearing Jerry's old shirt is kinda gross, remember that it was his toilet that was up for auction last year!

News Briefs 02/13/07

2007-02-13T13:01:00.000-07:00

Phish’s Phriend

Trey Anastasio told Rolling Stone that he’d like to do more work with Phil Lesh. That's what I'd like to hear from Bobby, Billy & Mick!

Tom Constanten

A Chris Azzopardi article about Reuben Butchart’s sophomore album “Golden Boy” talks about Butchart taking piano lessons from T.C.

“After weeding through piano teachers at the community center who rejected his unstudious style, he landed with Tom Constanten, the Grateful Dead's original keyboardist. "At that age I had no idea who the Grateful Dead was," he says, bashfully laughing.

Constanten knew the pop realm well and he also knew that Butchart, who created collages from other composers' musical notations, didn't want to practice. The keyboardist didn't care. He knew the youngster's passion was for composing. And so Butchart did.”

Mouse & Kelley

ArtDaily.com reviews a Minneapolis art show that includes work by Alton Kelley & Stanley Mouse:

"Two new exhibitions at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts (MIA) celebrated the unique “San Francisco sound” that came out of the Bay area in the mid-1960s. Drawn primarily from the MIA’s permanent collection, San Francisco Psychedelic provides a rare opportunity for visitors to view sixty photographs of some of the seminal bands from this movement, such as the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, and Janis Joplin with Big Brother and the Holding Company.

Highlights include Mouse’s iconic 1966 Grateful Dead poster featuring a skeleton picking a rose..."

The Curse of the Keys

And here's an article by Martin Vengadesan about the Dead's "keyboard curse" (which is the only good reason why Bruce never became a "full time" member of the band).

The poisoned chalice
A succession of four tragic deaths underlines the cursed seat in The Grateful Dead.

MUSIC, MYTHS & LEGENDS
By Martin Vengadesan

IT’S one of the classic jokes about the fictional rock band Spinal Tap that the drummer’s seat is something of a curse. While every other band member came through the “heavy years” relatively unscathed, the drummers succumbed to a variety of afflictions including a gardening accident, choking on (someone else’s) vomit and spontaneous combustion!

While Spinal Tap was indeed fictional, I’ve just found out about something that reminded me of a very real phenomenon that reads almost like a curse. It may not seem like a big deal to you, but earlier last week I found out that Vince Welnick had committed suicide last June. I admit that aside from the tragic loss of Welnick himself, I was rather spooked at how his fate seemed to echo that of his predecessors. For Welnick, who spent five years as keyboardist of the legendary improvisational psychedelic band The Grateful Dead, wasn’t the first Dead keyboardist to die.

He was the fourth!

Seriously, for all the theories that tend to pigeonhole a rock group’s keyboardist as its most intellectual and least wild member, the Dead sure had a habit of losing them to tragic early deaths.

Of the lot, perhaps none was quite so legendary as the man who first occupied the seat. A colourful character, Ron McKernan was obsessed with the blues, and his lifestyle reflected that. An intimidating appearance (which earned him the endearing nickname Pigpen) belied the fact that he was a rather shy fellow with an interesting outlook on life. A brief dalliance with the equally self-destructive Janis Joplin was followed by an interracial relationship with one Veronica Grant.

However, even while in his early 20s, Pigpen’s heavy drinking undermined his position in the band he helped form. While there are some classic recordings that feature him on lead vocals (covers of Good Morning Little Schoolgirl and Smokestack Lightning as well as the original Operator), Pigpen’s talents were never truly captured by the Dead. Originally a blues harmonica player, he had moved on in the mid-1960s to the then in-vogue organ, but found that by 1968, his position was under threat.

Pigpen’s instability (ironic in that he was a heavy drinker in a band notorious for its use of psychedelic drugs) led to the addition of pianist Tom Constanten, and he was relegated to congas for a while. Even when Constanten (who despite playing on important albums like Aoxomoxoa barely figures in the group’s history) departed in 1970, Pigpen was unable to regain his original presence.

By the time of the seminal live album Europe 1972, the Dead had added Keith Godchaux on piano to supplement Pigpen’s organ-playing. However, despite being only 27, his drinking had aged him beyond his years, and he died of a gastrointestinal haemorrhage at his home in Corte Madera, California, on March 8, 1973.

That meant that Godchaux took full rein. He had leapt on board the Dead train with his wife Donna-Jean, who a fine vocalist though she could be, always seemed wrong for the Dead. Keith, on the other hand, provided some much-needed impetus adding a jazz-rock touch to the group’s music, fuelling interesting albums like Wake of the Flood and Blues for Allah. However, by the late 1970s, it was all tired, and both Godchauxs were asked to leave. Keith died soon after his 32nd birthday, following a car crash in Marin County, California, on July 23, 1980.

Brent Mydland may have looked cool and been technically proficient, but his soft-rock contributions to the group were really quite lame. It may not have been his fault, but he sat through its weakest phase when the band cut just three studio albums (Go to Heaven, In the Dark and Built to Last) in 11 years. Nonetheless, he was the Dead’s longest-serving keyboardist, when at the age of 37 he died of a speedball (mixture of heroin and cocaine) overdose at his home in Lafayette, California, on July 26, 1990 (that’s right, almost exactly 10 years after Keith Godchaux’s death).

By that time the legendary rockers were on their last legs, more a touring concern than a viable creative entity (that’s despite a surprise hit single, Touch of Grey, in 1987). Band leader Jerry Garcia had his own battles with his health and there were some fears that the band would fold. Instead, pop star and long-time Dead fan Bruce Hornsby sat in while auditions were held.

Welnick was selected for the “hot seat”. Unfortunately for him, the Dead was no longer recording albums, and while his composition Long Way to Go Home became a crowd favourite, he never got to record as Garcia himself died of a heart attack in August 1995.

Unfortunately, Garcia’s passing and the subsequent disbanding of the Grateful Dead triggered a lengthy battle with depression for Welnick and he was hurt when he was not invited to any major post-Garcia reunions. When he slit his throat on June 2, 2006, he was 55. He died in Sonoma County, which neighboured Marin County and Contra Costra County where his three predecessors had died!

Martin Vengadesan, a music lover and history buff, combines his two passions in his fortnightly column. If you have any interesting stories you want him to research, do drop him a line.

***Late Addition***

Check out this cool bit torrent. It's called "Jamming At the Edge of Magic, Volume 3" and it features jams, jams, and more jams. These are "designer jams" with cute names like "Good Grief Jam" and "Moon Boots Jam." There are also classics like the "Mind Left Body Jam" (what did Dick call it? Mud Love Buddy?).

40th Anniversary of the Summer of Love

2007-02-13T07:06:00.000-07:00

"The Summer of Love was not all that great," Bobby is quoted as saying as news outlets cover the 40th Anniversary of the Summer of Love.

Here’s the first in a series of articles by Jim Harrington:

Flashing back to the Summer of Love

Has it really been four decades since the flower children invaded San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury? What a long, strange trip indeed
By Jim Harrington, STAFF WRITER

This is the first in an occasional series of stories about the people and events of the Summer of Love, which turns 40 this year.

For everything, there is a season.

And for love, it was the summer of 1967. Or, at least, that's what folks were told - and that's what many believed. That's why thousands of young men and women, known to the world as hippies or flower children, descended on San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury district for months of fun, live music and mind-altering substances. That time came to be known as the Summer of Love.

Some indeed came looking for love, the kind where all people - regardless of race, political affiliation or economic status - would accept one another as true brothers and sisters. Forty years later, that dream still sounds pretty good, doesn't it?

Yet, the reality was closer to a nightmare for many who lived in the Bay Area before that summer. Surprisingly, one person who doesn't have such warm memories is Bob Weir, who - as a founding member of the Grateful Dead - was one of Haight-Ashbury's premier attractions. When asked what he first thinks of when he hears a reference to the Summer of Love, he says, "It was time to get out of the city."

"The Summer of Love was not all that great," the 59-year-old vocalist-guitarist said during a recent interview at his home of 35 years in Mill Valley. "The summer before was wonderful."

Looking beyond the cultural implications, the Summer of Love was thought of by many as the ultimate party. But, like most good parties, it soon grew too crowded. And some of the folks clearly weren't on the guest list.

Drawn by the intense media coverage of the hippie movement, including a cover story in Time magazine, the Haight was bombarded by an estimated 100,000 new arrivals that summer. That number included a fair share of teen runaways, con artists, thieves and drug dealers - who would combine to irrevocably change the very essence of the neighborhood.

The neighborhood was on another radar as well - that of the police. The cops followed the newcomers into the area, looking for - and finding - plenty of easy busts.

Those things combined to push many locals out. The neighborhood's most famous residents - the Grateful Dead - would hightail it across the Golden Gate Bridge to Marin County not long after a well-publicized drug bust at the band's house at 710 Ashbury St. in late '67. No wonder Weir isn't exactly fond of that time.

Yet, despite those things, the summer of '67 would be romanticized as nothing short of a cultural revolution. Indeed, social, cultural and political change was in the air, blowing through big cities like London and New York City as well as college campuses across the nation.

The focal point, though, was San Francisco.

Great human experiment

Some saw the whole thing as a great human experiment, an attempt to create a gentler, more enlightened society that would value flowers over firearms and poetry over possessions. That was the dream. The reality, as Weir pointed out, was a little less lovely.

But why let reality get in the way of a good story? Let's, for the moment, focus on the positive elements that sprung from the Summer of Love. The season gave birth to, or helped solidify, several key movements - including the Free Speech, Gay Rights and Civil Rights movements.

Those are some of the reasons why many people will be celebrating the 40th anniversary of San Francisco's most famous season for most of this year. Just recently it was announced that there will be a Summer of Love celebration concert Sept. 2 in Golden Gate Park. The lineup has yet to be set, but there should be no shortage of willing participants. Organizers will give a public launch party for the event from 6 to 10 p.m. Wednesday at 3075 17th St., San Francisco.

Don't expect Weir to be there waving a heartshaped Summer of Love banner on Valentine's Day. He'll be busy that night fronting his current band, Ratdog, at the most hallowed of all '60s venues, the Fillmore. Plus, 40th anniversary or not, the Summer of Love feels pretty distant these days to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee.

"It's back there a ways," Weir said. "Other stuff that proceeded that seems a little closer. I don't know. Stuff gets mixed up."

Well, let's clear things up a bit. Weir, whether or not he wants the credit, is at least partially responsible for there having been a Summer of Love. One of the biggest draws to Northern California during that time was the live music scene, of which the Grateful Dead was arguably the most significant member.

Peninsula roots

Intriguingly, for a band forever linked with San Francisco, the Grateful Dead got its start on the Peninsula. There are several jumping off points for the story, but, for our purposes, it makes sense to begin in 1963 - New Year's Eve 1963, to be exact. That's when young Weir, just 16, was strolling through Palo Alto and heard some acoustic tunes ringing from Dana Morgan's Music Store. He followed the sound and found Jerry Garcia, who would become his musical mentor.

Those are the kinds of memories that remain fresh in Weir's mind. And it's hard for him to fathom what he'd be doing today if he hadn't hooked up with Garcia that night.
"I have no idea," said Weir, who attended several schools on the Peninsula, including Menlo- Atherton High School. "I know that I would probably still be doing music. It's all I've ever wanted to do since I was 8 or 9."

Fortunately for Deadheads, Weir and Garcia became fast friends and, along with bassist Phil Lesh, drummer Bill Kreutzmann and vocalist-keyboardist Ron "Pigpen" McKernan, formed a band in 1965 that would later take the name Grateful Dead.

Influenced by a huge array of musical styles, from bluegrass and country to avant-garde classical and electric-guitar rock, the group sounded vastly different from everything else in the music business. The Dead would find an audience for its eclectic mix when it began performing at author Ken Kesey's famed acid tests, which marked a marriage of mind-bending jams with mind-altering substances that is still going strong today.

Along with such fellow sonic adventurers as Jefferson Airplane and Quicksilver Messenger Service, the Grateful Dead would pioneer a style of music that would become known as the "San Francisco Sound." In turn, the band would help usher in the psychedelic era and indirectly influence everyone from the Beatles and the Beach Boys to Pink Floyd and the Rolling Stones.

The Grateful Dead was the de facto house band for San Francisco's psychedelic period. Notably, the group performed at the Human Be-In, an event that drew more than 20,000 flower children to Golden Gate Park in January 1967. The Be-In was widely considered to be the kickoff to the Summer of Love, and it featured several other local bands, including Quicksilver Messenger Service, as well as notable poets and personalities such as Allen Ginsberg and Timothy Leary (who was making his first appearance in San Francisco).

The event introduced the term "in" to popular jargon, and soon every imaginable type of gathering was being described as an "in" of some type. Even television would later get in on the act, when NBC began broadcasting "Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In."

Five months after the Be-In set things in motion, the Grateful Dead performed at the year's most famous concert, the Monterey Pop Festival. Held in June, the festival drew some 200,000 music fans to the Monterey County Fairgrounds to see a dizzying array of talents, including Jefferson Airplane, Otis Redding, the Who and the Jimi Hendrix Experience. (The occasion would be documented in director D.A. Pennebaker's memorable film, "Monterey Pop.") The Dead, famously, were given the unenviable task of taking the stage between the twin titans - the Who and Hendrix.

Two years later the Dead was on hand for both the apex of the Summer of Love movement (Woodstock) and its nadir (the tragic Altamont Free Concert, where the Dead didn't take the stage).

After the love

The Dead, of course, would far outlive the Summer of Love and become one of the most successful touring acts of all time. The band kept right on truckin' until its hesitant bandleader, Garcia, died in 1995. All of the surviving band members, however, have remained active in the music business. Weir still sees a lot of old Deadheads when he's out on the road with Ratdog. But it's not all familiar faces.

"There's a huge influx of 19- to 24-year-olds in our crowd now," he says. "That's great to see, because we are hitting a new generation."

In that regard, a little bit of the Summer of Love lives on.

For more information about the Summer of Love 40th anniversary celebration or Valentine's Day launch party, visit www.2b1records.com/summeroflove40th. For details on Bob Weir and Ratdog's show at the Fillmore, visit http://www.livenation.com/.

Rock Scully emerges from obscurity as Harp Magazine reports:

Non-profit organization The Council of Light will be holding a launch party on Feb. 14th for their forthcoming 40th Anniversary Summer of Love concerts in San Francisco and London. The party will feature Doc Kraft (his website describes his band’s range from “quiet ‘Cocktail and Dinner Jazz’ to raucous ‘Rock'n Roadhouse’ music”) and live soundboard concert recordings from—appropriately enough—Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and the Grateful Dead.

That’s from 6pm to 10pm at 3075 17th Street if you plan on attending.

The Council of Light includes members of the original Family Dog, original Grateful Dead management, FM programmers, and many of the poster artists from the ‘60s. Former Family Dog partner Boots Hughston is the event coordinator, while former Grateful Dead manager Rock Scully and David Bean (ex-president of CTI Records and manager for Jesse Colin Young) are organizing bands, licenses and sponsors. In a statement, the promoters indicated their intentions “to utilize the best in concert production for the musicians involved, from sound, to stage, to travel and lodging. While noted musicians from the era will be featured, organizers welcome bands from the past four decades inspired by the San Francisco music scene of the ‘60s. It is anticipated that there will be worldwide media coverage with live broadcast and streaming possibilities.”

The San Francisco show will be held at Speedway Meadows, Golden Gate Park on September 2, 2007. More information on the event including participating bands, will be announced at a later date. For now, visit the Summer of Love 40th website to pique your interest.

The Dead's Lifetime Achievement

2007-02-13T06:51:00.000-07:00

The Grateful Dead were awarded a special Lifetime Achiement Grammy the other night. Here are a couple quotes that were in the news.

The Associated Press said Phil Lesh was “very excited” to get his first recognition from the recording academy and quoted him as saying “It’s kind of a wonderful thing, after however many years of neglect, to be recognized.”

Reuters quoted the drummers. "The thing about a lifetime achievement award is being here. We made it and we're alive," said the Grateful Dead's Mickey Hart, who stood with co-drummer Bill Kreutzmann to receive the honor on behalf of the group. "I wish the rest of my brothers in the band could be here," said Kreutzmann.

Chuck Crisafulli reported:

Drummers Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart represented the Grateful Dead this night, and Kreutzmann made a point of sending out a special thanks to his bandmates, both living and deceased, "Especially Jerry Garcia, who I miss dearly." Kreutzmann also expressed heartfelt thanks to the bands fans, "Deadheads": "God bless you — you know who you are." He also pointed out one large, particular fan in the audience this night —basketball great and well-known Deadhead Bill Walton. Hart jokingly expressed some confusion, claiming that he'd been under the impression that the Dead were receiving a "Lifetime Pardon" rather than a Lifetime Achievement Award. He described the band's career as "Desperate men in desperate times doing desperate things," but said that, "I loved every minute of it." He also emphasized how much he appreciated the support of fans over the years, pointing out that while so many fans would do anything to get to a show, the band itself "Would do anything to get to making the music for you."

Photo by REUTERS/Max Morse

And More DSO...

2007-02-08T20:21:00.000-07:00

GoTrida has a little piece on the Dark Star Orchestra:

The Dark and the Dead
Jeri Rowe - Staff Writer

For the third time in four years, The Grateful Dead is coming back to The Carolina Theatre.
Sort of.

Dark Star Orchestra, one of the country's most talented Grateful Dead tribute bands, will perform Sunday night at the Carolina Theatre in Greensboro. The band will recreate a particular show from the Dead's 30-year history and recreate an experience that's considered one of the most improvisational moments in popular music.

What show will they play? You'll find out after the show. You can listen to the Carolina Theatre show live from its Web site through what's known as Streamernet. Or check them out Sunday night at the Carolina where tie-dyed legions will dance in the aisles and remember what used to be.
Dino English knows those times well. He first caught The Grateful Dead in June 1991. Now, he's one of the band's two drummers. What does he think?

Describe your first Dead show.

I had several friends who tried to tell me how cool they (the Dead) were, and every time they did, I told them, "I don't get it." Then I went to the second night at the Sandstone Amphitheatre in Kansas City. The only tunes I knew were "Good Lovin'" and "Truckin'," but I enjoyed the whole thing. It was like I got struck by a bolt of lightning.

How did you pick a show?

It's pretty difficult. Rob Eaton (one of the band's guitarists) is in charge of that. The goal is no repeats from night to night, and we work to push from different eras. We search by going through the Deadbase (the encyclopedic book of past set lists from Grateful Dead shows) to make sure we meet all the requirements, and that can be a chore. But by the time we go out on tour, we have a booklet of things Rob has picked. It's not beyond changing, but we stick to it.

What's Streamernet?

We're moving into the future, and that's what I always admired about the Grateful Dead. They wanted to explore new areas, and this streaming the shows live from any venue we can is a way of pressing the folds. Plus, when you've got a lot of interest in what we play every night, we'd figured we'd let them find out and listen to it. I believe we're the first band to do it on a regular basis.

So, will the music ever stop?

I don't think so. I think the music is too powerful. It's a living entity. After all the members of the Dead and the members of Dark Star Orchestra are gone, someone will pick up the torch and carry on. It's like folk music passed on through generations. There's something special about these groupings of songs. It goes beyond music itself. Like a living, breathing entity. It'll do what it can to survive.

Jeri Rowe is a metro columnist with the News & Record. Contact him at 373-7374 or jrowe@news-record.com.

Here's the Carolina Theatre's Press Release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Corey Pitz
Marketing and Public Relations
corey@carolinatheatre.com
Administrative: (336) 333-2600 ext.4
Box Office: (336) 333-2605

Location: The historic Carolina Theatre, 310 S. Greene Street, Greensboro, NC 27401

Prices: Tickets are $20.00 in advance and $22.00 day of show.

Back by Popular Demand: Dark Star Orchestra at the Carolina Theatre !

GREENSBORO, NC - Dark Star Orchestra Offers Live Perspective on the Dead

On Sunday, February 11 at 8 pm, Dark Star Orchestra returns to light up the stage of the Historic Carolina Theatre of Greensboro. The group performs critically acclaimed live performances of Grateful Dead show re-creations to venues all over the United States.

DSO is drawing national attention with their true-to-life performances. Rolling Stone recently praised "Dark Star Orchestra's fanatical attention to detail." USA Today says DSO is "channeling the Dead" and the Washington Post declared them "the hottest Grateful Dead tribute act going." Dallas Morning News affirmed DSO was "the next best thing to being there."

Each night, the Chicago-based band decides on performing one show from the 2,500 that the Grateful Dead performed during their 30-year tenure as fathers of improvisational rock. As a chamber orchestra interprets Bach or Mozart, Dark Star Orchestra presents the complete original set list, song by song, and in order, with uncanny faithful interpretation. The group has its craft so well-refined that even members of the Grateful Dead themselves, rhythm guitarist/singer Bob Weir, drummer Bill Kreutzmann, vocalist Donna Jean Godchaux, and keyboardists Vince Welnick and Tom Constanten, have appeared on stage and performed with these extremely talented musicians.

Tickets are $20 in advance and $22.00 day of show. A $1 Restoration Fee is added to the price of each ticket.

The Carolina Theatre is a non-profit organization that provides a state-of-the-art downtown performance, film, and rental facility to the greater Greensboro community. It is a member of the League of Historic American Theatres and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. For more information or a complete listing of events, please visit www.carolinatheatre.com or call the Theatre Box Office at (336) 333-2605. Additional press materials, including photographic images, are available calling (336) 333-2600 ext. 4.

Koons Involved in Another Lawsuit

2007-02-07T18:54:00.000-07:00

Deborah Koons Garcia, Jerry's "last" wife (who was recently sued by Jerry's "last" daughter), is apparently suing...herself. Well, kinda. The Associated Press reports:

Jerry Garcia's Widow Sues Over Estate
By Associated Press

SAN RAFAEL, Calif. -- The widow of Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia is suing to gain access to unpublished tapes of her late husband's musical performances.

Deborah Koons Garcia filed a civil suit Jan. 31 in Marin County Superior Court against a limited liability corporation, comprised of the rocker's beneficiaries including Koons Garcia, that oversees business involving his estate.

According to the lawsuit, Koons Garcia wants to professionally restore the so-called "Garcia Tapes," but others in the limited liability corporation have stalled the process. The suit asks a judge to clarify the terms of the agreement that led to the formation of the business entity.

Koons Garcia claims the corporation had been scheduled to dissolve by Dec. 31, 2005, but continues to exist.

The lawsuit is just the latest in a prolonged legal battle among Jerry Garcia's beneficiaries.

Some have filed their own lawsuit against Koons Garcia in an effort to maintain the corporation. The rocker's daughter, Keelin Noel Garcia, 19, also has sued Koons Garcia for allegedly shoddy financial oversight of the estate.

Attorney Lawrence Rockwell, who represents several of the defendants in the Jan. 31 lawsuit, could not be reached for comment.

A hearing is scheduled for April 13.

The AP story has been carried by the Chicago Tribune, the Toronto Star, the Gainseville Sun, the Baltimore Sun, the Mercury News, the Herald Tribune & MSN Music News (as well as over 160 other news outlets).

The Marin Independent Journal has a little more info...

Koons has been involved with many Jerry related lawsuits over the years, especially since she is co-executor of his estate (further referred to as "The Estate"). Here are a few:

1997 - Koons is sued by Carolyn "Mountain Girl" Garcia over money MG was to receive based on her divorce terms. A court awarded MG $5 Million but, during appeal, she accepted a $1.25 - $1.5 Million settlement.

1998 - Former Office Manager Suzanne Stephens sues The Estate over an alleged promise by Jerry to pay her half the royalties from the "Cherry Garcia" ice cream.

2005 - The Estate sues Moe's Southwestern Burritos for using Jerry's image unlawfully to sell tacos and Southwestern food.

2006 - Keelin Noel Garcia sues The Estate over child support/Estate division misallocation.

Attention Deadheads!

2007-02-05T17:18:00.000-07:00

I have always enjoyed folk's stories and memories about Grateful Dead shows. I have been unable to find a website that collects these.

First of all, is anyone aware of a good, comprehensive website? I would like to see a site where you choose the date and then read stories by Heads who were there.

I don't think there is one...and so I'm thinking about creating one. I would welcome stories and memories about shows you attended. It can be a review of the show or just random things that happened. Please send any ideas, links, suggestions, and/or stories to slclibraryboy@yahoo.com

Thanks...and PEACE!

Ratdog Tour in One Week

2007-02-02T12:43:00.000-07:00

LiveDaily blurbed Ratdog's Spring Tour and added the Valentine's Day show to the itinerary:

Ratdog firms up spring tour plans
by Tjames Madison, LiveDaily Contributor

Bob Weir's Ratdog (tickets music) has laid down plans for a spring tour, and added a Valentine's Day date in San Francisco to its already announced itinerary.

The group, led by former Grateful Dead singer/guitarist Bob Weir, is scheduled to hit the road Feb. 9 in San Diego and play through late March. The first half of the band's schedule features West Coast appearances, while the latter portions skews heavily toward Northeastern shows, including a three-night stand at New York's Beacon Theatre beginning March 8.

Weir formed Ratdog--originally known as RatDog Revue--in 1995 with bassist Rob Wasserman, who is no longer involved with the group. The band unexpectedly became Weir's primary musical vehicle following the death of Grateful Dead co-founder Jerry Garcia in 1995.
Though Ratdog has always been a strong draw on the concert circuit, the group's only studio album is "Evening Moods," released by Arista Records in 2000.

Joining Weir in Ratdog's current lineup are drummer Jay Layne, keyboardist Jeff Chimenti, guitarist Mark Karan, saxophonist Kenny Brooks and bassist Robin Sylvester.

Tour Itinerary

February 2007
9 - San Diego, CA - House of Blues
10 - Ventura, CA - Ventura Theater
11 - Las Vegas, NV - House of Blues
13 - Anaheim, CA - The Grove
14 - San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore
16 - Portland, OR - Roseland Theater
17 - Seattle, WA - The Moore Theatre
18 - Vancouver, British Columbia - Commodore Ballroom

March 2007
2 - Syracuse, NY - Landmark Theatre
3 - Rochester, NY - Auditorium Theatre
4 - Greensburg, PA - Palace Theatre
6 - Peekskill, NY - Paramount Center for the Arts
8-10 - New York, NY - Beacon Theater
12 - Concord, NH - The Capitol Center for the Arts
13 - Boston, MA - Orpheum Theatre
22 - Athens, GA - Classic Center
23 - Asheville, NC - Thomas Wolfe Auditorium
24 - Greensboro, NC - Memorial Auditorium

July 2007
20 - Detroit Lakes, MN - 10,000 Lakes Festival

Grateful Dead Marathon!!!

2007-02-01T20:44:00.000-07:00

I was just bloggin' 'bout it, but David Gans wants everyone to tell their friends about the Grateful Dead Marathon on KPFA on Saturday. And I don't want to let David down...

Over @ his GD Hour log blog, he said:

Do me a favor - please let your friends know about the annual KPFA Grateful Dead marathon this Saturday, 10 am to 1 am pacific time. The more listeners we have, the better it’ll be for KPFA. This is a fund-raiser for America’s first listener-sponsored radio station. It’s also the station where I do a two-hour program every week called Dead to the World, and where we get to present live music absolutely free several times a year.

The details are posted on DeadNet, but I’ll repeat them here:

The annual KPFA Grateful Dead marathon takes place this coming Saturday, February 3, from 10 am to 1 am pacific time.

We’ll have live music from the Waybacks, and possible surprise guests.

Broadcast live on KPFA 94.1 fm in Northern California and KFCF 88.1 in Fresno CA
Webcast via nugs.net, kpfa.org, and kfcf.org

Featured will be unreleased music from the Grateful Dead archive (with thanks to David Lemieux); highlights from a benefit show 4/28/86 with Bob Weir and Kingfish et al; highlights from the recent “American Beauty Project” show in New York City; new music from Wake the Dead; and more.

Playlist and program notes will be updated as the day progresses right here at logblog.gdhour.com

Live chat room hosted by Marc Evans: http://www.gdhour.com/chat
Many parties have contributed gifts for those who pledge support for KPFA, the nation’s first listener-sponsored radio station. Featured premium will be Grateful Dead Live at the Cow Palace, New Year’s Eve 1976, just released by Rhino Records.

More information available at dttw.gdhour.com

Billy Wants Us To All Get Along

2007-02-01T20:23:00.000-07:00

TheRockRadio quotes Bill Kreutzmann as telling them:

"I want people to really be able to look and be in each other's hearts, and not have this horrible war -- but I don't mean just the war in Iraq, I mean war in our country, people not getting along, you know? And so, that's what I want people to get. I always want people to get happy and be with each other. That was the most fun about Grateful Dead concerts, is that you could really see people relating to each other. They really had heart for each other. It was truly an extended family."

The short article goes on to say "While there will be more releases from the Grateful Dead vaults, there are no plans for Kreutzmann, bassist Phil Lesh, singer-guitarist Bob Weir, and drummer Mickey Hart to work together again."

Now that sounds like they're saying that the Dead will never play together again. Of course, all it really says is "there are no plans," just like when Bush kept saying there were no "plans" to invade Iraq on his "desk."

Not too long ago, Jesse Jarnow wrote in Jambase "With Phil Lesh's retirement imminent, the Dead seem to be maybe, actually done." But since Phil plans to play at the Rock to Relief concert in a little over a week, I wouldn't call his retirement "imminent." And I wouldn't say a lack of "plans" means Bobby, Billy, Mickey & Phil (and hopefully Bruce) won't play together again...

Phil Returns! / Rock to Relief 2

2007-01-29T18:32:00.000-07:00

As JamBase put it:

Last February 5, at Slim’s in San Francisco, Phil Lesh participated in the Rock To Relief benefit show initiated by the students of the Branson School. Proceeds from that evening were directed to victims of Hurricane Katrina and the Pakistani earthquake. On Friday February 9 Lesh will once again appear with Rich Price & the Foundation at Slim's, for Rock to Relief II: A Benefit for Darfur/Doctors Without Borders. This is the first announced gig for the bassist since his surgery in early December for prostate cancer.

As reported in the Marin Independent Journal:

Branson students hope to raise more than $10,000 at benefit concert
Sara Morehouse
Marin Independent Journal

An idea that started brewing at a Branson School assembly about Hurricane Katrina in 2005 resulted in a benefit that raised $10,000 the next year - and could double that this time around.
The second annual Rock to Relief benefit concert is scheduled for Feb. 9 at Slim's in San Francisco.

In 2005, Branson students Brad Alvarez, Chris Campbell and Nate Mihalovich all had the idea to raise money for Hurricane Katrina and Pakistani earthquake victims, said Mihalovich, 17.
"Just to send money seemed too impersonal. We just felt like something needed to be done," he said.

The 600 tickets sold out in two weeks and raised $10,000 last year. This year, Mihalovich said that they hope to meet that and possibly double it.

The headline band, Rich Price and The Foundation, on which their faculty adviser Jeff Symonds has been a bassist since 2003, returns to perform a second time, in addition to Phil Lesh of the Grateful Dead, Jeff Narell, The Joe Deveau Band, the Megan Slankard Band, the Bittersweets and student performers.

Symonds, a teacher at Branson for 16 years, organized the music.

"We are so much more prepared this year. If people enjoyed last year, they will love this year," Symonds added.

Symonds said that about half of the ticket sales last year came thanks to Lesh's fans, who were excited to see him perform locally.

"Phil is a wonderful guy; he's so giving of his time and talent in the Marin community," Mihalovich said.

Alvarez performed as a pianist and singer last year, and Campbell performed on saxophone. Campbell, though unable to help in planning this year, will be performing with the student band, 21 Aces.

This year, both Alvarez and Mihalovich will be on stage in the band Senior Explosion Ensemble.
"For me, it's another opportunity to perform, and if I can help someone while performing, that is two bonuses," 17-year-old Alvarez said.

This year, all proceeds will support the Save Darfur Coalition, an alliance of more than 170 faith-based, advocacy and humanitarian organizations that raise awareness of the Darfur genocide, as well as Doctors Without Borders, an international organization that provides emergency medical aid to more than 70 countries.

Mihalovich said they chose the charities, both focused on Darfur, because the crisis in the country has been mostly ignored by many.

"There has been a lack of press and understanding of the catastrophe where hundreds of thousands of people are being killed every month," he said.

Alvarez, student body president, said the concert coincides with Branson's annual awareness day, a day where all classes are canceled and speakers come to prompt discussion. This year, sub-Saharan Africa is the theme, and Alvarez hopes students will put their money where their awareness is and support Rock to Relief.

T-shirts, designed by Branson art teacher Eric Oldmixon and Branson senior Sophie Greenberg, will also raise funds. They feature the Golden Gate Bridge connecting California and Africa, and cost $15.

Alvarez and Mihalovich hope that the tradition is carried on after they graduate this year.
"Hopefully, it will be held up by the younger students," Alvarez said.
---
IF YOU GO
Tickets for Rock to Relief are $25. Call Slim's box office at 255-0333 or the Branson School at 454-3636, ext. 274, or visit www.virtuous.com or www.tickets.com.

KPFA Grateful Dead Marathon

2007-01-29T18:27:00.000-07:00

The Grateful Dead Hour's Log Blog has this reminder:

The annual KPFA Grateful Dead marathon takes place this coming Saturday, February 3, from 10 am to 1 am pacific time.

We’ll have live music from the Waybacks, and possible surprise guests.

Broadcast live on KPFA 94.1 fm in Northern California and KFCF 88.1 in Fresno CA
Webcast via nugs.net, kpfa.org, and kfcf.org

Featured will be unreleased music from the Grateful Dead archive (with thanks to David Lemieux); highlights from a benefit show 4/28/86 with Bob Weir and Kingfish et al; highlights from the recent “American Beauty Project” show in New York City; new music from Wake the Dead; and more.

Playlist and program notes will be updated as the day progresses right here at logblog.gdhour.com

Live chat room hosted by Marc Evans: http://www.gdhour.com/chat

Many parties have contributed gifts for those who pledge support for KPFA, the nation’s first listener-sponsored radio station. Featured premium will be Grateful Dead Live at the Cow Palace, New Year’s Eve 1976, just released by Rhino Records.
More information available at dttw.gdhour.com

News Briefs 01/27/07

2007-01-27T14:10:00.000-07:00

The American Beauty Project

Over at Relix, Mike Greenhaus reviewed The American Beauty Project, which was at the World Financial Center in New York on January 20th & 21st. Another review, this one by Todd Simmons, can be found at DowntownExpress.

Jerry Garcia Biopic

Both Jewtastic & ContactMusic report the latest on Malcolm in the Middle actor Justin Berfield's efforts to make a biographical movie about Jerry Garcia. While the director and star of the movie is still being decided, Berfield (who played "Reese" on the sitcom) says he has someone in mind to play Jerry: “I’ve spoken with one person and he’s very interested in taking on the role. I can’t say too much because I’m not ready for this to become major news yet. He’s a very well-known actor.” A different article can be found at Cinematical.

Investment Advisor to The Dead

Monee Fields has an article atBloomberg.com about Silicon Valley investor Roger McNamee. Besides working with Bono, McNamee gave financial advice to the Dead:

"Once a week, he advised the surviving members of the Grateful Dead -- Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, Phil Lesh and Bill Kreutzmann -- on their investments.

McNamee says he built a plan -- called Bandwagon -- for the Dead, which would have allowed the rock legends and other bands to sell their music, concert tickets and T-shirts directly to fans."

Koons' The Future of Food

Deborah Koons Garcia's documentary on genetically modified foods "The Future of Food" was reviewed at TransWorldNews. I'm not sure why they focused on it now, since it came out about a year and a half ago. Here are a couple previous post I did about her movie: Deborah Koons & the Future of Food, Deborah Koons Garcia's Food Film, & Fox News' Steven Milloy criticizes Deborah Koons Garcia's film.

Getting Your Audio Fix

Check out the Sunshine Daydream Podcast.

***ADDED 1/29***

ClassicRockCentral has part of a promo/interview radio show. Here's how their site describes it:

This 2-Hour program originally aired in 1981 to celebrate their 15th year, from "Mother McCree's Uptown Jug Champions" to the album "Go To Heaven".. This is a great show that has interviews with all Grateful Dead members. However, it is only two of the parts of the program, so you are only going to hear the first hour. We are still searching for the other two parts and will put it up as soon as we find them. But this first half is so great, we thought you would enjoy it for now. Sign up to get alerted when the other half is posted. Listen
Or, listen to the individual parts:
Grateful Dead Special - Part 1
Grateful Dead Special - Part 2

Coming Up on this Blog

I'm still working on my reviews of Grateful Dead Gear and the new "Live at the Cow Palace) (12/31/76) CD.

Interview with DSO's Dino English

2007-01-27T13:25:00.000-07:00

David Hyland interviewed DSO drummer Dino English for the WISC-TV:

Interview: Dark Star Orchestra Brings Life To Dead Experience
Grateful Dead Tribute Band Comes Truckin' Into Madison, Chicago
David Hyland, Staff Writer

MADISON, Wis. -- It's a macabre joke that many of the dancing skeletons that once populated the Grateful Dead's album covers and promotional material can now be assigned to represent deceased band members.

The legendary classic-rock band became more famous for their hippie-hypnotizing live shows than their recorded output, but it officially dissolved in 1995 after guitarist/singer Jerry Garcia suddenly passed away. For many, however, the Dead's concert experience was a trip worth reliving.

While some of the Deadhead flock would rally around the remaining members of the Dead playing in assorted combinations or move on to Phish or other luminaries of the jam-band movement who emerged in the '80s and '90s in the Dead's wake, other fans sought a show closer to this original psychedelic-rock ritual. Much closer. Enter the Dark Star Orchestra.

The seven-piece group is perhaps the country's most successful Grateful Dead tribute band. It is so successful that the band has been able to lure keyboardist Rob Barraco, who toured with the reformed Dead in 2003 and 2004, to sometimes join it on the road. The group will play Thursday night at the Barrymore Theatre in Madison followed by a two-night stand at Park West in Chicago on Friday and Saturday.

In a recent phone interview from his hometown of St. Louis (and the first stop in the band's latest tour swing), longtime drummer Dino English said that his group strives to authentically recreate the experience of the Dead on stage. He said that for each show, the band members will select a particular show from the hundreds of gigs that the Dead performed during their 30 years on the road (He said that occasional performance is culled from among the group's favorite numbers). English said that they attempt to duplicate musical arrangements, utilize particular equipment and reproduce instrumental tones from that period so as to come close to the original.

But, rather than being professional copycats, the 38-year-old English said that the band walks a fine line between reproducing the Dead material and attempting straight-out mimicry. He also acknowledges the irony in attempting a night-by-night homage to a band equally renowned and reviled for its improvisations.

"We're not trying to copy jams. We are trying to evolve with the music," he said. "It's very much a live beast. When the music plays, it becomes this organic entity. We are here to let that grow."
He said it is in the improvisations that the Orchestra's members can stretch beyond the mandate of their mission and offer glimpses of their own sensibilities.

"Improvisation is a large part of what we do," English said. "We don't do shows note-for-note. Some people think we do. That's not our approach at all. We do a show in the style of that time. We make sure all the harmonies and melodies (are there). But, when it comes time to do the jams, it's us."

"To do shows note-for-note would not be what the Dead were doing at all," he said. "We stay away from that kind of thing."

English, who saw about 20 Dead shows himself, said that the Orchestra's performances tend to focus on the Dead's '70s and '80s period when the original group was at its jamming zenith. Curiously, although the Dead represents the epitome of '60s rock and the later part of that decade saw the Dead record their most seminal albums, English said the Orchestra steers clear of those years when selecting performances. He said that the Orchestra also tends to omit the blues-ier material performed by keyboardist/vocalist Ron "Pigpen" McKernan -- typically a highlight of the Dead's late '60s and early '70s concerts.

"We don't do any shows from the '60s because their song repertoire was fairly scaled down," he said. "It's a little garage band-y. They refined their sound going into the '70s."

English said that the band's open-arms approach to different genres of music goes a long way to explain the Dead's enduring appeal.

"I thought they were really clever about bringing all these musical styles together and putting it in a forum where people were willing to listen to music," he said. "They were really good at turning other people on to other kinds of musical styles. Someone could find something they liked about something."

Likewise, English said that most of the remaining members of the Dead and their organization have responded warmly to the Orchestra's efforts. English said that members of the Dead's road crew routinely come to the Orchestra's Bay Area shows and drummer Bill Kreutzmann and guitarist Bob Weir have both sat in with the group. Drummer Mickey Hart has yet to share the stage but has reportedly given them the thumbs-up.

"That's what gives us joy. It's nice to supply a place for these guys who worked together forever to come back. It's kind of like a family reunion," he said. "It really gives us a special feeling to be able to facilitate that."

English said that only bassist Phil Lesh has kept the Orchestra at arms' length.

"Phil is another story," he said. "He's the only one who is really standoffish to us. I believe it's because he hasn't checked us out. I think if he does come check us out, if he just gives us a chance, he'll have a good time. He doesn't understand what's going on."

One area in which Dark Star Orchestra seeks to introduce something uniquely its own is by streaming all its concerts through the group's Web site. English said that the band is pioneering an effort so that each of its performances will be available via download on a pay-per-view basis and that those who buy the download beforehand can listen and, in some cases, watch the concert streaming live over the Web.

He said that a video feed will initially occur only 10 to 20 percent of the time, depending on the venue's Web connection and whether the group can spare the manpower to run cameras.
Another important difference that separates the Orchestra from the original Dead is its commitment to the road. Like its inspirations, the Orchestra has refined its repertoire by being road dogs. Begun in Chicago in 1997 and enjoying a mostly solidified lineup since 2001, the band now tours year around, playing about 160 shows and averaging 225 days on the road per year. This is a more ambitious exhaustive itinerary than what the Dead attempted.

"We do twice as many as the Grateful Dead typically did (every year)," English said. "We're on track to do the amount of shows that they did in half the amount of time."

But as was the case with the Dead, English cites the costly overhead of supporting a large road crew and a seven-piece band that has kept them chained to touring. At the same time, he reiterates their commitment to the music.

"What keeps us here is our love of this music. We're all basically addicted to it," he said.
Perhaps like the Dead's concert experience itself, English finds the reasons for his ongoing loyalty and preserving passion for the music is a bit nebulous.

"People who attended Grateful Dead shows know that something very magical happened," he said. "People would go to shows and get this magic feeling. It's the reason that people kept coming back night after night. We are here for that same reason. We hope to give the listener a cathartic experience. All these things come together to … hopefully create an atmosphere where this special thing can happen. And that's what we're here for."

For More Info:
Dark Star Orchestra's Official Web Site
Dark Star Orchestra's MySpace Page

***graphic from RehcerTheatre.com***

Deadheads for Darfur

2007-01-23T18:34:00.000-07:00

Here is a book that appears to have a noble purpose and grassroots origins:

The Easiest Best Thing Is Be Kind

M. Luke Myers has put together a book that is "a study in the causes of genocide and the importance of compassion with help from many of the important figures from the Grateful Dead family."

Myers is the author of the article "Why Be Kind" in which he writes :

"Cynicism suggests that the victims of the Holocaust elicit some sympathy from Americans because they look like "us." If we can locate Darfur on the map, we know that it is far away. If we can track down pictures, we know its peoples do not look like "us." They are... black. Surely then, these killings do not affect us.

How can we connect to an unfamiliar people in an unfamiliar situation? This is not the first genocide, but most of us are fortunate enough to know little of this horror. Moreover, the survivors continue to leave us. Consciousness comes at a high price: suffering."

The 60 page book includes the following contributions (in alphabetical order by author):

Ken Babbs: "I Shook"
John Perry Barlow: "Dad's Invisible Guard-All Shield"
David Dodd: "Turn the words: Disprove a Maxim"
Candace Cunard: "Scream"
Michelle Faerman: "Dismal as She May Be", "Dying Slow"
David Gans: "Light That is One"
Robert Hunter: "Great Bell of the Atlantic"
Jordon Kalilich: “I Am a Murderer”
Grisha Krivchenia: "Must We Ignore Darfur?", "Beneath Ashes"
M. Luke Myers: Introduction
John W. Scott: "Answers"
Steve Silberman: "Original Face"
Michael Svensson: "How Dare I?"

Both Hardcover and Paperback versions are available at Lulu.com.

100% of the royalties will be paid to:
Save Darfur Coalition
Post Office Box 18176
Washington, D.C. 20036

You can read more about it at the blog Deadheads for Darfur, where it is announced that:

"Deadheads for Darfur will be in Boca Raton, FL on Sunday, January 28, 2007. We will have the first paperback copies of the book on sale. Because we placed a large order, our manufacturing costs were lower. Buying at the rally is cheapest for you, and even more money goes to Save Darfur! You can find more information here. We will share a table with Coral Springs for Peace (look for the paper dolls)."

**********************************************************************************

"F. Luke Myers has put together a small book entitled, 'The Easiest Best Thing Is Be Kind.' It's from a quote by Ken Kesey...Deadheads for Darfur is the small group of writers and sometimes writers that will publish the book. Many of the writers are famous in the Grateful Dead community. The hope is that we can mobilize this loyal and active group for good." -'Kapn' Ken Babbs

"I've contributed a poem to a new anthology of writings by Deadheads and members of the extended Grateful Dead family that is menat to raise money and awareness for Darfur." -David Dodd

"My friend Luke has been spearheading a project to compile an anthology of poetry and prose in reaction to the Darfur conflict. He asked me to contribute, and I agreed. It's a really noble cause. The deadline for submission was pushed back to New Year's Day, so I decided to get it done with. It really only took me a few minutes to come up with something meaningful (and slightly meta -- it was about how my not writing was responsible for more deaths)." -Jordon Kalilich

NYT Reviews the American Beauty Project

2007-01-22T18:28:00.000-07:00

Reader Damian Bebell pointed out this New York Times article that reviewed the much anticipated American Beauty Project:

One Concert, Multiple Bands and a New Life for a Dead Classic
By JON PARELES

Even in their absence, the Grateful Dead can pack a hall. On Saturday night, the World Financial Center’s Winter Garden was filled to capacity for the first night of the American Beauty Project: various groups performing all the songs on “Workingman’s Dead.” (Sunday’s concert covered “American Beauty,” the other album the Dead released in 1970.) None of the Dead were on the bill; the aura was enough.

“Workingman’s Dead” and “American Beauty” were the kind of music few had expected from the San Francisco band devoted to sprawling psychedelic jams. They were carefully rehearsed collections of concise songs, rootsy and pensive, somberly reconsidering the late 1960s. “Workingman’s Dead” was the bleaker of the two: a collection of songs about jobs, duty and death, topics that weren’t a big part of the hippie agenda.

The concert lineup, produced by David Spelman (who also played guitar in an instrumental duo between songs), mirrored the eclecticism of the Dead and generally recast the songs.

Catherine Russell, a longtime backup singer, was the concert’s discovery. With the Holmes Brothers, she turned “High Time” into wistful, sultry rhythm and blues. She sang “New Speedway Boogie” over a jazzy bass vamp and Larry Campbell’s mandolin, in a skeletal arrangement that only heightened the song’s philosophical reflections. And she merged her voice precisely with Jim Lauderdale’s classic country twang when he sang the deathbed testimony of “Black Peter” in a string-band arrangement.

In the concert’s biggest stylistic stretch, the Klezmatics jovially relocated the bluegrass oompah of “Cumberland Blues” to somewhere in Eastern Europe, where it could take on a hora interlude. Another klezmer musician, the clarinetist Andy Statman, played an instrumental interlude backed by the twangy drone of a Brazilian berimbau. There was no discernible Dead content but plenty of sinuous melody in a long, modal, Greek-flavored improvisation allegedly based on “Uncle John’s Band.” The banjo virtuoso Tony Trischka turned up with a Jerry Garcia rarity: a minor-key banjo tune, “Jerry’s Breakdown,” from 1964.

Mr. Campbell on guitar and Rob Barraco on vocals (who have been in the band led by the Dead’s bassist, Phil Lesh) carried “Dire Wolf” back toward ragtime picking. Ollabelle, less successfully, tried “Uncle John’s Band” with the lilt of “Sugar Magnolia.” And Tim O’Reagan shifted “Easy Wind” from blues to brooding ballad. The concert’s full-ensemble encore was also death-haunted: Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door,” with a ghostly falsetto by Popsy Dixon of the Holmes Brothers.

One band was happy to emulate the Dead: Railroad Earth, a jam band with the lineup of a traditional bluegrass band plus a drummer. It started “Casey Jones” with a folk version of the song about the dying railroad engineer, then switched to the Dead song, using its rhythm and instrumental hooks (though they were played on mandolin and fiddle with banjo counterpoint). As soon as the song turned familiar, Dead fans in the crowd were up and dancing.

***Picture by Hiroyuki Ito for The New York Times***

AllAboutJazz Reviews Jerry Discs

2007-01-22T18:23:00.000-07:00

AllAboutJazz.com reviewed to Jerry Garcia albums:

Jerry Garcia: Renaissance Musician
By Doug Collette

Two recently released albums reaffirm much about the solo career of the late, titular leader of the Grateful Dead, Jerry Garcia. The Very Best Of Jerry Garcia brings practically nothing new to the marketplace, unless you know very little about Garcia's activities outside the Dead itself. As an introduction to the varied and diverse projects the multi-instrumentalist/songwriter/singer engaged in, however, it succeeds admirably on its own terms. The Jerry Garcia Band's newest archive live set, Coliseum, Hampton, VA November 9 1991, demonstrates how the leader loved playing good songs with good musicians, on this particular date, with special guest Bruce Hornsby.

Jerry Garcia
The Very Best Of Jerry Garcia
Rhino
2006

This double disc set touches every significant point of Garcia’s career apart from his work with the Grateful Dead. The uninitiated may be surprised to find that tracks such as “Sugaree” and ”The Wheel,” staples of the latter-day Dead repertoire, came from his earliest solo work. The breadth of experimentation in the various studio works may also leave the novice taken aback. Far from the let it all hang out hippie of common (mis)perception--not to mention Dead lore--Garcia was a disciplined craftsman. He was also willing to take risks in the studio.

Superb original material like the evocative “Mission In The Rain,” one of the finest Garcia-Robert Hunter collaborations in their estimable canon, resides next to widely diverse choices of cover songs. Even the most devout fan might ponder what’s in common between Allen Toussaint’s “I'll Take A Melody” and Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door,” but having them juxtaposed on disc one makes the point clear: Garcia loved a good song for its own sake.

The guitarist/songwriter/singer's pinpoint precision on the frets and lovably vulnerable singing voice are both well known--as a departure point for improvisation--and the live recordings comprising the second disc of this set illustrate how astute was Garcia in choosing material that stood up on its own terms, as well as being a vehicle for the jam. The extended musical journey could take the form of traditional compositions as performed by the Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band, such as “Deep Elem Blues,” some of Dylan’s most emotionally volatile tunes, like “Positively Fourth Street,” and, a recurring theme in the later JGB years, reggae stylings, as represented by Jimmy Cliff’s “The Harder They Come.”

Coming so soon after the announcement of the reorganization of Grateful Dead business structure, The Very Best Of Jerry Garcia may strike some as redundant, particularly if you own the lavish box set All Good Things and/or a wide selection of the “Pure Jerry” sets and companion anthologies like Ladder To The Stars: Garcia Sings Dylan. The single rarity here is a cover of the Beatles’ “Dear Prudence,” recoded by a band dubbed Reconstruction, that, like Legion of Mary, represents one of the more ephemeral units within Garcia’s musicological expeditions.

The Very Best Of Jerry Garcia precisely outlines the main themes of a man as serious about making music as any individual in his generation. If the title furthers that perception, rather than the one-dimensional stereotype, it will have served an important purpose. And for the dilettante serious to rise above that level of knowledge, the set may be the ideal jumping-off point.

The first landing spot might well be the seventh issue in the “Pure Jerry” series of performances available from jerrygarcia.com. Recorded in Hampton, Virginia in 1991, this two disc set features the usual cast of JGB characters, significantly augmented by pianist Bruce Hornsby....

Jerry Garcia Band
Coliseum, Hampton, VA November 9 1991
Pure Jerry
2006

Grateful Dead lore and biographical accounts of Garcia’s life--contained in Dennis McNally’s What A Long Strange Trip It's Been and Blair Jackson’s Garcia: An American Life--make no little note of the profound influence Hornsby had on Garcia as they began to play together. Though never officially a member of the Dead, Hornsby regularly played with the group for close to three years through 1991, and effectively rekindled the unusual live chemistry of the group, particularly as it was channeled, as it had been throughout the band’s career, through their lead guitarist, chief composer and singer.

The effect Hornsby has on the musicians in the Jerry Garcia Band is much the same, his effervescent playing imbuing the musicianship with a sparkling, fresh sense of rediscovery. Having peaked from the rejuvenation that followed in the wake of his brush with death in 1986, Garcia was beginning the inexorable slide into a mental and physical ennui from which Hornsby’s imaginative positivism at least temporarily rescued him. Organist Melvin Seals never played anything less than the soulful foil for Garcia, but the rhythm section here, of drummer David Kemper and long-time partner bassist John Kahn, are particularly punchy on a fairly standard set of material from the JGB repertoire.

As with any band given to improvisation, however, the list of titles hardly tells the story of the performance. While there are no mammoth jams or extended segues of material a la Grateful Dead marathons, Garcia and Hornsby are mutual inspirations and ignite everyone else on stage too. The life-affirming sensation of “Run For The Roses” is echoed time and time again here, literally in a bouncy cover of Van Morrison’s “Bright Side Of The Road” and the piquant choice of the show-closer, “ What A Wonderful “World,” but also in the flexibility and nuance contained in Garcia’s singing: at this stage of his life the vulnerability in his voice was augmented with a hoarse quality symbolic of the difficult times he had survived. In this performance, the vocals represent strength of experience, in keeping with an accurate image of the man as a cultural icon.

Such a legacy wouldn’t matter much if the bulk of Garcia's musical enterprise did not support it, and Coliseum Hampton VA November 9, 1991 is definitely a high caliber entry into that canon. This despite its less than standard audio quality: pay attention to the disclaimer on the back cover, for it truly signals sound lacking the usual depth and clarity.

Long before he punctuates the gentle benediction of “What A Wonderful World,” Hornsby’s piano forays match the delicacy and precision Garcia brings to his guitar playing, especially as he unreels his imagination on ”Ain’t No Bread In The Breadbox,” “Don’t Let Go” and “I Second That Emotion. ” Hours spent mastering the banjo transpose into a filigreed instrumental language that will impress even the most jaded or sceptical listener of the man’s abilities. The high-level of playing from Hornsby and Garcia in turn unifies the rest of the group: hear the common ground they find on Chuck Berry’s “You Never Can Tell.” Consequently, the band turn their setlist into less of a collection of individual tunes than a single piece of music.

It’s testament to the strength of Jerry Garcia’s own musicianly persona that, even under the duress of personal problems, he was able to forge such unique productive alliances as documented on these two packages.

Tracks and Personnel

The Very Best Of Jerry Garcia

Tracks: CD1: Studio Tracks: Deal; Bird Song; Sugaree; Loser; The Wheel; Let It Rock; Russian Lullaby; Might As Well; Mission In The Rain; I’ll Take A Melody; Rubin And Cherise; Cats Under The Stars; Rhapsody In Red; Run For The Roses; Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door; Without Love. CD2: Live Tracks: Catfish John (1973); Deep Elem Blues (1987); Ripple (1987); Positively 4th Street (1975); The Harder They Come (1977); Gomorrah (1990); Dear Prudence (1979); Señor (Tales Of Yankee Power) (1990); Evangeline (1990); Deal (1980).

Personnel: Jerry Garcia: vocals, acoustic and electric guitar, banjo, bass, pedal steel, piano, organ, synthesizer, percussion; Bill Kreutzmann: drums; Bob Weir: guitar, vocals; Keith Godchaux: Fender Rhodes, tack piano, keyboards; Phil Lesh: bass; Mickey Hart: drums, percussion, fire extinguisher; Donna Jean Godchaux: vocals; Merl Saunders: organ; David Kemper: drums; Arthur Adams: guitar; Michael Omartian: piano, tack piano; John Kahn: bass, acoustic bass, organ, synthesizer, vibes; Ron Tutt: drums; Bobbye Hall: congas, shakers, bells; Amos Garrett: trombone; Joel Tepp: clarinet; Richard Greene: violin; Nicky Hopkins: piano; Larry Knechtel: Fender Rhodes; Jimmy Warren: piano, clavinet; Melvin Seals: organ; Gloria Jones, Jackie LaBranch, Julie Stires & Liz Stafford: vocals; Roger Neuman: trumpet; David Grisman: mandolin, vocals; Peter Rowan: guitar, vocals; David Nelson: guitar, vocals; Sandy Rothman: mandolin, vocals; Vassar Clements: fiddle, Kenny Kosek: fiddle; Gaylod Birch: drums; Ed Neumeister: trombone; Ron Stallings, Ozzie Ahlers: keyboards; Johnny D’Fonseca: drums.

Jerry Garcia Band: Coliseum, Hampton, VA November 9, 1991

Tracks: CD1: How Sweet It Is; He Ain't Give You None; You Never Can Tell (C'est La Vie); Run For The Roses; The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down; I Second That Emotion; My Sisters And My Brothers; Ain't No Bread In The Breadbox. CD2: Bright Side Of The Road; Shining Star; Waiting For A Miracle; Think; I Shall Be Released; Don't Let Go; Midnight Moonlight; What A Wonderful World.

Personnel: Jerry Garcia: guitar, vocals; Gloria Jones: vocals; John Kahn: bass; David Kemper: drums; Melvin Seals: organ; Bruce Hornsby: Fender Rhodes.

Visit Jerry Garcia on the web

The live in Hampton disc is definately on my list...

Wisconsin Looking Forward to DSO

2007-01-22T18:12:00.000-07:00

The Wisconsin State Journal gives love to the Dark Star Orchestra:

Dead ahead: When it comes to Grateful Dead tribute bands, none do it better than Dark Star Orchestra
ERIK ERNST
For the State Journal

Unless the late Jerry Garcia steps on stage at the Barrymore Theatre on Thursday night, Dark Star Orchestra could not recreate Grateful Dead concerts more faithfully than it does.

Dark Star may not look like the Dead, but the group is the ultimate tribute act, putting such attention to recreating the band's notable live show that it borders on obsessive. Yet that is what Dark Star/Grateful Dead fans love.

Since its first show in Chicago in 1998, Dark Star has played worldwide with a mission to perform identical shows of the Grateful Dead.

Paying meticulous attention to details - down to placing microphone stands in the same place onstage as the Dead did in its different eras - Dark Star is embraced by nostalgic Deadheads, young fans who want to experience a Dead show and even former Grateful Dead members.

So what makes several talented musicians decide to spend their careers covering Grateful Dead music?

"Well, there are really two main things," drummer Rob Koritz said from his St. Louis home. "First, the lyrical content and the message of these songs can't be beat. They're uplifting, positive and full of love.

"Second, you can play these songs over and over again, any amount of times and they will never be the same. The level of improvisational opportunities is amazing. As someone who comes from a jazz background, it's a perfect fit. The Grateful Dead were always playing rock music in a jazz idiom."

For Koritz, his place in Dark Star feeds a deep personal connection to the Grateful Dead that can be traced back to his days as a fan that, like many Deadheads, followed the band to dozens of shows.

"During my senior year of high school, I really wasn't that into the tie-dyed, hippie scene," Koritz recalled. "I remember being at a friend's house and I heard some band playing this song (Buddy Holly's 'Not Fade Away') that just had this amazing drum line. I asked what it was and when they said it was the Grateful Dead, I said, 'No way.'

"Well, they happened to be playing in Chicago later that week, so I made my way up there from St. Louis and they played that same song and I guess you could say that was either the beginning or the end for me. After that first time in 1987, I saw 100 shows."

Most of Dark Star's members took a similar performance path, combined with Grateful Dead fanaticism, to join the band.

Koritz plays the part of drummer Mickey Hart, opposite drummer Dino English who takes Bill Kreutzmann's spot. For 1970s shows, Lisa Mackey performs Donna Godchaux's vocal roles and Dan Klepinger fills a host of keyboard roles in the wake of founding DSO member Scott Larned's death in 2005. Bassist Kevin Rosen is the band's Phil Lesh. Guitarist Rob Eaton plays Bob Weir's role. And, John Kadlecik's guitar style and voice are uncannily similar to Garcia.

In the past eight years, the band has performed more than 1,300 shows, and with the exception of a few original set lists, most of them have been culled from the more than 2,300 shows that the Grateful Dead played between 1965 and Garcia's death in 1995.

Dark Star emulates the Dead's live show, but not precisely note-by-note. Instead, they stay stylistically true to each era, while still maintaining the improvisational, free-form atmosphere that fostered the counter culture and an army of nomadic fans. Each show's original date is kept secret until the encore, creating a bit of a challenge for diehard fans to guess what show they are "re-experiencing."

"There's a huge formula to choosing the right show for each night," Koritz said. "First we see how big the stage is, to see how elaborate of a drum set it can hold. Next we see what we did last time we were there and try to find a different time period to choose from. Sometimes we'll match a date; sometimes we'll match a city.

Like the Dead, Dark Star embraces the road, playing more than 100 shows each year. So preparing for the different styles the band experimented, from the roadhouse blues of the 1960s to the more synthesized sounds of the 1990s, has become almost second nature.

"Our preparation is mostly listening to the music and getting our heads into the groove of that particular time," Koritz said. "Most of our rehearsal is done during soundcheck. During the day we'll listen to tapes from the year we are going to be playing that night."

Real Grateful Dead members enjoy Dark Star. Weir, Godchaux, Kreutzmann and others have joined the band onstage - always replacing their respective Dark Star counterpart. Koritz said he has also met and received kudos from Hart numerous times.

"More than anything, it's an honor that those musicians have let us know that they appreciate what we are doing to keep the spirit of the Grateful Dead alive," Koritz said. "That's a testament to what the band has become as we roll along."

If you go

What: Dark Star Orchestra, Grateful Dead tribute band

When: 8 p.m. Thursday

Where: Barrymore Theatre, 2090 Atwood Ave.

Tickets: $20 in advance, $22 day of show. Go to
www.barrymorelive.com or call 241-8633.

Three members of the Dark Star Orchestra pick their favorite Grateful Dead song.

Drummer Rob Koritz:

"The Music Never Stopped"

Studio Album: 1975's "Blues for Allah"

"There are some songs that I loved when I was going to shows that I still love now and some songs that I didn't think I'd like to play, but I love now. I guess 'The Music Never Stops' is one of the tops for me. I love the jam, the lyrics, the groove - it never gets old."

Keyboardist Dan Klepinger

"Dark Star" and "Bird Song"

Studio Albums: 1969's "Live Dead" ("Dark Star") and Jerry Garcia's 1972 "Garcia"

"I like the songs that stretch out a bit and allow a bit more improvisation. With these particular songs, we get to do our own thing and on any given night get to approach them from the way the Dead would have during that era."

Drummer Dino English

"Scarlet Begonias"

Studio Album: 1974's "From the Mars Hotel."

"'Scarlet Begonias' is always a favorite for me, because it usually comes around in the set when we are all warmed up and the room is all warmed up, too. It's just a great dance number for everyone to move around to."

***Stephen Dorian Miner photo; State Journal photo illustration***

See if DSO is coming to your town at their website

Grateful Garcia Gathering 2007

2007-01-22T18:04:00.000-07:00

JamBase give the heads up about the Grateful Garcia Gathering:

GRATEFUL GARCIA GATHERING

"There Ain't Nothing Like A Grateful Garcia Gathering", and with a warm summer just six months away, the bus is up and running again! Its next stop will be the Grateful Garcia Gathering 2007 being held once again on August 2 - August 5. The 3G's will celebrate and pay tribute to the life, art, and music of legendary guitarist Jerry Garcia on what would be his 65th Birthday.

This music and camping festival will once again take place at the picturesque Camp NCN Campground located in beautiful Black River Falls, Wisconsin. The campground features 60-plus acres of brilliant surroundings with tall trees that shade your camp site. For your fishing, swimming, and water sports pleasures we have a five-acre natural spring fed lake with sandy beaches, modern bathroom facilities with showers, and other luxurious accommodations.

Campers will be able to have campfires at each individual campsite and firewood is available at the campground! There will be plenty of awesome vendors on-site for you to check out, a kind and friendly atmosphere, and a stellar musical lineup for all to enjoy! In addition, there is going to be a memorabilia "Jerry Garcia Shrine" near the main stage. All attendees are encouraged to bring pictures, candles, ticket stubs, tie-dyes, old posters with Jerry's signature, any and all related items related to Jerry Garcia, or the Grateful Dead! You can place it at the shrine for all to enjoy!

Festival attendees will be able to enjoy the sounds of local and regional bands who were influenced or inspired by The Grateful Dead such as, Waterband, Baghdad Scuba Review, Bowser, Grateful Beth & The Volunteers, Jana Holland, Covert Operations, Macyn Taylor, The Northwoods Band, The Weavils, Bar Tab Band, Run Side Down, and many more bands! We are also opening a second stage for more live music to fill the air! All these bands will all be performing their own original tunes, plus a few covers of The Grateful Dead and the Jerry Garcia Band. All this, in tribute and honoring of Jerry Garcia, which will also mark the 12th Anniversary of his untimely passing. Singer/Songwriter Bear, will emcee and perform in between set-ups and take-downs of the performers. In addition, there will be a very special fireworks display for this exciting weekend of camping, music, friendships, harmony and love!

The real thrill of the Grateful Garcia Gathering is the return of Melvin Seals & JGB for TWO NIGHTS! The 3G's just wouldn't be complete without a musical cohort and true friend of Jerry's to be part of these wonderful festivities. Melvin Seals, longtime friend, vocalist and organist of JGB and The Jerry Garcia Band from 1980-1995, will headline the first two nights of the gathering, August 3-4. The vision of the Grateful Garcia Gathering is to keep the spirit of Jerry Garcia's music alive by bringing the music and the Deadhead fans together as family!

Opening for Melvin Seals & JGB (For Two Nights) is the Grateful Dead's Donna Jean Godchaux, Mookie Siegel of the David Nelson Band (and formerly a member of both Phil & Friends and Ratdog), Wendy Lanter of Hope in Time, and Jeff Mattson, Tom Circosta, Klyph Black and Dave Diamond, all of the Zen Tricksters, now create music together as "Donna Jean and The Tricksters."

MoonAlice is a powerful and talented bunch of musicians many of you have seen and heard jamming throughout jamband scene! This new band will open be opening for "Donna Jean and The Tricksters," featuring Roger & Ann McNamee, Barry Sless (pedal steel and lead guitarist from the David Nelson Band, Phil Lesh and Friends, Kingfish, Cowboy Jazz, The Rowan Brothers (Peter, Lorin & Chris), Pete Sears (Rod Stewart, Jefferson Starship, Hot Tuna, John Lee Hooker, Steve Kimock, Jerry Garcia), G.E. Smith ( click link http://www.greenmirror.com/gebio.html), Jimmy Sanchez (Dr. John, Roy Rogers, Bonnie Raitt, Maria Muldaur, Tom Waits, Boz Scaggs). Lots of musical talent in this band!

Boris Garcia(For Two Nights) will be opening for "MoonAlice." Here's what Dennis McNally (Bob Weir and Ratdog publicist) had to say about Boris Garcia: "During my 25 years with Grateful Dead Productions, I listened to a lot of jamming, both electric and acoustic. Recently, though I still work with Bob Weir, I've been approached by a fair number of bands to help them, and have usually not been moved enough by the music to say yes - until I heard Boris Garcia. They fuse a bluegrass/country/folk sound with a jazzy rock improvisation mode and really excellent songwriting. Some say it reminds them of Tom Petty, others of old Byrds. Either way, I like them, and want to share them with my larger family. So here y'are!"

Early Bird Special Weekend Passes for the Grateful Garcia Gathering are on sale on-line NOW at www.GratefulGarciaGathering.com.

Ticket Price:
$55 before April 30th
$60 before May 31st
$65 before June 30th
$70 before July 31st
$80 Day of Show
~All Ages~
12 years old and under free with parent!
If you want to volunteer send an e-mail Mondo at:
Mondo3G@yahoo.com

The story has additional links so check it out over at JamBase!
And go to GratefulGarciaGathering.com

Trey's Guitar Tech joins Hard Truckers

2007-01-18T13:10:00.000-07:00

Hard Truckers, the Speaker Cabinet & Road Gear company run by Grateful Dead Crew alumni, have issued the following press release:

Brian Brown, Trey Anastasio's personal guitar tech and roadie extraordinaire joins the Hard Truckers and their Organization of Sound Specialists.

Introducing, Hard Truckers Guitar and Instrument Cables Hand-Made by Brian Brown.

The Hard Truckers are honored to announce that Brian Brown has joined their creative team. Brian, like the original Hard Truckers has spent his life on the road working for one of the biggest touring acts. For the last decade Brian has been working with guitar legend Trey Anastasio (formerly of Phish.) A guitar and electronics wizard, Brian has dedicated his life to the science behind the music. One of Brian's duties with Phish and Trey is to build all their instrument and guitar cables.

Brian and the Hard Truckers are using Canare Cable along with Switchcraft connectors in their guitar and instrument cables. Available in standard lengths with straight or right angle connectors and starting as low as $ 19.99 the Hard Truckers are out to prove that you don't have to spend a fortune on your cables to get the best tone. Industry wide Brian's cables have a reputation for; being very durable (due to good strain relief and an extra thick and flexible core), low noise (due to an innovative shielding design built into the GS-6 cable), and 100% reliability. Durable high-end cable and road standard connectors are combined by one of the industry's best techs, to give you the touring professional's cable.

Brian will also be lending his talents to the Hard Truckers in the coming months as he creates some of his road tested gear and gadgets, never before available to the general public.

Now you don't have to be a music insider to have your guitar cables made by one of the world's best guitar techs. Brian has worked with every brand of cable available and chooses Canare GS-6/Switchcraft cables to make on the road, because each cable REALLY MATTERS and it HAS TO BE PERFECT, every note. You will not believe the difference in your tone and ultimately, how much better you sound with the Hard Truckers top-of-the-line guitar and instrument cables hand-made by Brian Brown.

Hand-made works of art, the Hard Truckers are the professional answer to generic gear. Musicians of all levels will benefit by using road gear from the Hard Truckers. www.hardtruckers.com.

If you would like more information on this topic or to schedule an interview with any of the Hard Truckers, please contact Glenn Goldstein at (404) 496-4049 ext. 5 or email Glenn at glenn@hardtruckers.com.

Coran Capshaw & Musictoday

2007-01-18T12:57:00.000-07:00

Reader Steve Woskow from Simi Valley, CA pointed out this article from FastCompany.com by Chris Buck, saying "The influence of the Dead reaches far beyond the music." The article is about Coran Capshaw and his company Musictoday, which uses the internet to market Bands' products and concert tickets directly to the fans. His goal is to cut out the Music Industry biggies and give fans more of what they want, and a bigger cut to the artist. Capshaw's a Deadhead and, though the article mentions Tapers, it seems like he got a lot of his philosophy and ideas from the microcosmic free market that was found on "Shakedown Street" in "The Lot."

Capshaw's long, strange journey from fan to mogul began years earlier with the Grateful Dead. "I went to a lot of their shows," he says, "and was exposed to the do-it-yourself model." Jerry Garcia and the boys, whose instrumental jams shot the bird at the radio-hit formula, were a touring tour de force. But behind the reefer haze was a larger, iconoclastic strategy. Deadheads were encouraged to tape shows, which fostered a tribe of bootleggers. The Dead shrugged at the lost record revenue and cashed in by selling its tickets and merchandise directly to fans.

Dave Matthews's crew reminded Capshaw of the Dead. How they thrived onstage, improvising, giving a different performance each night. How the crowds grew, attracting fans from around the state. How they taped shows, which Capshaw and the band encouraged to gin up word of mouth. It was a prototypical social network. "I remember talking to Coran once, and he held his phone outside his office for me to hear them," says Donohue. "He said they were going to be huge."

While that's pretty much the only part of the article that directly mentions the Grateful Dead, it's a fascinating article and I definitely suggest reading it in its entirety. I was also very pleased to read this part of the article:

By mapping merch or ticket sales by geography, for instance, Musictoday can identify where marketing dollars are needed or where an artist should tour. "If you know you're drawing fans from Utah to drive to shows out of state," says Hubbard, "you need to add that 43rd tour date in Salt Lake City."

I love Salt Lake City but my one, main issue is the lack of bands and House DJ's that come to town to play. I can't really afford to go on road trips to see shows...in the last 8 years or so the only special concert trips I've gone on were to see The Other Ones in Vegas, and Simon & Garfunkel @ the Hollywood Bowl. Otherwise, I just have to hope they come here or miss out. When Phil & Friends headlined the Furthur Festival I was excited that there was a Salt Lake date and got my ticket immediately. Then we found out Phil wouldn't be appearing at the Salt Lake show! And I'm still upset I wasn't able to make it to Comes A Time!!!

Thanks for the heads-up Steve!!!

2007-01-14T14:58:00.000-07:00

Starpulse reports that John Perry Barlow wrote lyrics for Mr. Blotto's new album "Barlow Shanghai."

Mr. Blotto Collaborates With Long Time Grateful Dead Songwriter John Perry Barlow

Mr. Blotto are proud to announce the release of their new album, entitled "Barlow Shanghai." This latest effort from the Chicago-based five-piece is the fifth in the hard-touring rock outfit's discography, and features music and lyrics from longtime Grateful Dead collaborator John Perry Barlow.

In a unique move befitting Mr. Blotto—a band who has played over 2,000 shows together—Barlow Shanghai has been released as both a studio album and a live album with both versions available on CD and for download at www.blottolive.com.

Much in the fashion of the Grateful Dead, Mr. Blotto saw success in having an open taping policy and a songwriting team prolific enough to create a large song catalogue that allows the band to play consecutive night theatre runs without repeating a single song. In response to high demand for Mr. Blotto bootlegs, the band began making full-length studio and live albums in 1992.

Now, some 14 years later, Mr. Blotto has truly come into its own, heartily surviving the occasional lineup change and the whimsy of the music industry. The band caught the attention of Barlow during one of his visits to Chicago. Impressed by, as he put it, "their modesty, wisdom and musical energy," Barlow soon became a friend and collaborator of the band, with unique and outstanding results.

"Fans on the jam scene should enjoy this latest release from the Chicago quintet. Part Dead, part String Cheese Incident and part Phish, with rolling soulful grooves, Mr. Blotto is definitely one to watch for in 2007." -Starpulse

picture by Ed Kashi

News Briefs 1/13/07

2007-01-13T14:21:00.000-07:00

Phil Lesh's Urologist

Phil Lesh was mentioned in Neal Rubin's article Dr. Menon: Our urologist to the stars on detnews.com:

Three weeks ago, the bass player for the Grateful Dead sang to me the praises of his robotic prostate surgery in Detroit. Phil Lesh jetted in, had his prostate whisked away at Henry Ford Hospital and was back in Northern California in time for Christmas shopping.

Since then, I've heard a small chorus of discontent regarding the hospital's Vattikuti Urology Institute. So as the owner of a prostate -- you might say it's factory-installed equipment -- I figured I'd best make some follow-up calls.

What I now know is that the callers were correct but out of date when they said Lesh's surgeon didn't take insurance and asked for payment up front.

Dr. Mani Menon, director of the institute and one of the pioneers of the surgery, prefers to handle wealthy people's prostates. In the past year or two, however, he has begun dealing with insurance programs, as long as their names aren't Medicare or Blue Cross.

Jerry Garcia Was a Fan of The Parker House

John Moore mentioned Jerry Garcia in his Toronto Star article on The Parker House, the oldest continuously operation hotel in the US:

Apparently, Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead was a particular fan. The oak-and-leather ambience of the hotel's foyer and the tasteful grace of the rooms seem better suited for Boston brahmins or the business elite than chemically-charged rockers (not to mention the inevitable troupe of Deadheads). But guest services manager Seamus Murphy insists that Garcia "was a true gentleman and a model guest."

Silent Auction of Autographed Guitar

Union Leader's sports page had an article about the Granite State Baseball Dinner by Kevin Gray that included the following:

A massive silent auction featured a Fender guitar signed by the late Jerry Garcia and members of the Grateful Dead. An anonymous bidder took home the guitar after spending $8,100.

American Beauty Project

JamBase has an update on the American Beauty Project.

You can read the JamBase article here and read previous Dead News posts: Line Up & Set Lists and the interview with event coordinator David Spelman.

Coming up on this Blog

Besides any new articles on the Grateful Dead to be found in cyberspace, I will be posting my own review of the book "Grateful Dead Gear" (I'm still waiting for my order to come in) and a piece on the upcoming Rhino release of "Live at the Cow Palace," New Year's 1976 (I'm still doing some research).

Weir Helps Make Magic in a Music Bus

2007-01-13T13:56:00.000-07:00

Here's another article by Paul Liberatore, the most prolific Grateful Dead journalist:

Paul Liberatore: Weir helps make magic in a music bus
Paul Liberatore
Marin Independent Journal

When you're at Macworld, you're not only in a different world, you're on another planet entirely. Call it the Planet of the Geeks.
I had ventured into Macworld at Moscone Center in San Francisco this week to interview Marin's Bob Weir, the Grateful Dead singer/guitarist/songwriter, about a recording project he did with high school kids on the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus.

Not being much of a techie myself, I was so tense from all the bells and whistles going off around me that I just had to stop for a chair massage at a little bodywork oasis by the escalators.

"This is an oddball group of people," massage therapist Melissa Eller informed me as she pounded a knot of anxiety out of my neck.

"Everyone here's a little bit off kilter," she went on, then added with a giggle, "But in a good way."

Parked in the north wing of the cavernous Moscone convention hall, the bus is a cutting-edge mobile recording and multimedia production studio outfitted with the latest gear, including some very cool musical instruments - MIDI guitars, basses, vocal mikes, a gleaming electronic trap drum kit.

While waiting to interview Weir, I played a little blues shuffle on a guitar hooked up to an Apple Garage Band program and an electronic keyboard, and I miraculously sounded like Alexander's Ragtime Band.

The bus itself is painted a dreamy blue with white clouds and Lennon's familiar caricature of himself on it. It's operated by a bunch of hip young "on-board engineers" in black T-shirts with "Imagine Peace" written across the front.

With the blessing of Yoko Ono, the bus, a nonprofit project funded by corporate grants, travels around the country, stopping at schools, concerts, music festivals and conferences.

Young people are invited aboard to try their hand at songwriting, multitrack recording and multimedia production workshops.

When it was my turn to talk to Weir, I was ushered into the claustrophobic little recording studio in the back of the bus, where he was ensconced, finishing up an interview with a radio reporter.

A longtime supporter of music in the schools, the 59-year-old Rock Hall of Famer had come down from Mill Valley for a couple of days, donating his time to mentor a half-dozen high school students, three of them - Sam Toizer, Cody Zeger and Ten Mowrey - from Redwood High in Larkspur.

"We wrote, recorded and filmed a music video in here yesterday and this morning," he explained. "It was a great deal of fun. And it sounds pretty damn good."

The overarching point of the project, Weir went on, is that "it gives these kids a little taste of what it is to make reasonably professional-grade music. And it helps galvanize their writing abilities and their collective abilities. They have to work with each other. Everybody has to make room for everybody else. Everybody has to listen to everybody else."

Weir insisted that he stayed out of the process as much as possible.

"I didn't even make it yesterday for the beginning of the songwriting," he said.

"I didn't want to influence that in any way. I want them to have to do that themselves. I wait until they get the ball rolling. Then I come in and say, 'What are you guys up to?' I give ideas here and there, I'll give them a line or two of the lyrics, but I try to keep quiet as much as I can."

I wondered what these teenage musicians came up with as the subject of their song. It turns out that they chose the eternal garage band lament.

"We wrote about playing music in the backyard so loud it made the neighbors so mad that they call the cops," said Toizer, a 14-year-old keyboard and guitar player from Kentfield.

"I thought the bus is a novel idea, and Bob Weir was so great and easy to get along with. We're all decent musicians, and he added a guitar solo at the end of our song. It gave me an insight into how musicians are turned out and what their life is like."

For his 15-year-old Redwood classmate Zeger, who was thrilled when Weir let him play his 1956 Fender Telecaster, the experience was his first in a recording studio.

"I had never recorded anything before, so it was amazing to do a real recording in a real recording studio," Zeger said.

"And then to have Bob Weir come in. He helped us write our song, and then standing there singing it right next to someone who's that famous was even more amazing."

I wondered if these kids were Deadheads, or knew much about the Grateful Dead's music.

"For most of them, the Grateful Dead is their parent's music, or their grandfolks," Weir answered with a smile.

What he and I found fascinating is that the youngsters were most interested in the beatniks - Ken Kesey's sidekick, the legendary Neal Cassady, for instance - who influenced Weir and the Grateful Dead and the generation of '60s psychedelic rockers that succeeded the beats.

"Half of them had heard the legends, the urban lore," Weir went on. "Two or three of them had read Kerouac's 'On the Road.' When I read that book, I immediately left home."

The Lennon Bus is the kind of potentially life-changing opportunity that Weir would like to see more young people have.

When I broached the subject of the federal government committing more resources to music education rather than sending young people to war, Weir snapped out of his usual laid-back disposition.

He and the Grateful Dead have connections with liberals like new House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and he's hopeful that the benighted political period of the past six years may be ending now that the Democrats are back in power in Congress.

"I'd like to get our government to support stuff like this so we don't come up with yet another generation of idiots," he said, his voice rising.

"I'm gonna wait for a few months while they clean up the mess the last Congress made, then I'm gonna go knock on some doors and pound on some desks in Washington because this needs to be on a national level.

"It's been the attitude for so goddamn long that people who can afford to give their kids a musical education say, 'My kid's OK. We've got money. And to hell with everyone else. People who work in my factory don't need music. They just need gloves.' It angers me so much when I think of that attitude."

The Lennon bus and the activity that went on in it at Macworld was a prototype of what could be commonplace if the country would at long last get its priorities in order.

"If they hadn't known already, the kids discovered yesterday that if they want a career in music, it's there for them," Weir said.

Apparently, that message got across. "He told us some stories about his life, what goes into making a song and being a musician," Zeger told me. "He said we could do whatever we wanted. The main thing was to stick with it and keep going."

By the end of the day, I realized that the folks at Macworld aren't off kilter after all.

Paul Liberatore can be reached at liberatore@marinij.com

Here's a 2006 article about Bob Weir and the John Lennon Songwriting Contest

Picture from Active Music

Your House Band - Nancy Pelosi Party

2007-01-07T03:06:00.000-07:00

There has been much interest in the Grateful Dead guy's gig at Nancy Pelosi’s dinner party at the National Building Museum in Washington D.C. I'm not surprised because it was an historic event in many ways. If you haven't, make sure to read my run down of the different reviews.

I did several posts about the event and many websites (including, surprisingly, the Drudge Report) linked to my site. Cyberspace is still not used to blogs so, as is common, many links were to my main URL, and not the article specific URL's. If you are looking for one of the posts about the party, here are links:

Pictures, updated Setlist, links to News video on the event, Imbeded YouTube footage.

Pictures, my article on all of the different impressions/reviews (with links to the various reviews).

More Pictures.

The "as it was happening" setlist.

The original announcement (at the time, only Mickey was scheduled to play)

And here is the footage that has circulated so far:

U.S. Blues

Touch of Grey (part 1)

Touch of Grey (part 2)

Come Together

Somebody anonymously posted a comment on this blog that he/she had a "smokin" audience recording of the whole show and will upload it within the next few days. I hope so, and I hope he/she alerts me where & when!

SF Chronicle Reviews Grateful Dead Gear

2007-01-07T02:51:00.000-07:00

Santa forgot to get me the book "Grateful Dead Gear" so I'm going to have to take matters into my own hands. I'm a Deadhead and I'm a gearhead so this one's got me excited.

Here's the San Francisco Chronicle review:

The Grateful Dead was about a lot more than just Jerry Garcia and the others in the band: It was also about the extended family of Deadheads, whose devotion has made them apostles and messengers of the creed. Oakland resident Blair Jackson, senior editor of the audio production magazine Mix, former managing editor of BAM magazine, and founder and editor of the late fan magazine the Golden Road, has been one of the foremost Grateful Dead journalists for more than 25 years. The author of the biography "Garcia: An American Life," Jackson has written a new book, "Grateful Dead Gear: The Band's Instruments, Sound Systems and Recording Sessions From 1965 to 1995," about another major part of the Dead's history: its innovative use of technology. Covering everything from the Acid Tests of the early years through the band's famous Wall of Sound in the '70s and beyond, Jackson's book (Backbeat Books, $34.95, 287 pages, illustrated) goes onstage, backstage and into the studio to reveal how the music was made. An excerpt appears below:

The Grateful Dead's eponymous first album had been recorded and mixed in less than a week at RCA Studios in Los Angeles in the winter of 1967. When it came time to record the second album, "Anthem of the Sun," the band, influenced by the Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper" and other highly crafted studio works, wanted to take its time recording and also experiment, much to the chagrin of producer Dave Hassinger.

Weird Times in the Studio

The Dead, with new drummer Mickey Hart in tow, returned to RCA Studios in October to continue sessions on the new album, working on "Alligator" some more and also dipping into "Cryptical Envelopment" and "The Other One." There was no question that adding the second drummer took these songs to new and exciting places, but things still progressed slowly in the studio, and increasingly there was friction between the band and Dave Hassinger. Believing the Dead might do better in a different studio, Hassinger shifted the action to American Studios in North Hollywood (which was "as tiny as RCA was big," bassist Phil Lesh remembered) when the band came down for more studio work in November. They tackled "Born Cross-Eyed" and "New Potato Caboose" at American, but Hassinger was not pleased with the way the sessions were progressing. The Dead had been smart enough to put a clause in their Warner Bros. contract granting them basically unlimited (though not free) studio time to make their albums, but this clearly went against Hassinger's instincts.

With Warner Bros. pushing for the Dead to complete the album sooner rather than later, Hassinger decided to try his luck in New York, booking time at various Manhattan 8-track studios while the band gigged in the area, and lugging 8-track reels across the country to work on vocals and more basics. They spent a couple of days working at Olmstead Sound in midtown Manhattan, which had a solid reputation as a good "live" room, having hosted scads of jazz sessions through the years for the likes of Jerry Mulligan, the Modern Jazz Quartet, Buddy Rich and Jimmy Guiffre, and other acts ranging from the Four Seasons to Richard & Mimi Fariña. The Dead also tried their luck at Century Sound, which was co-owned by the fine engineer Brooks Arthur, who'd worked on hits by the Chiffons, the Dixie Cups, Marvin Gaye, Neil Diamond, the McCoys, Astrud Gilberto and others.

"We'd work at Olmstead during the day," recalls (then roadie and future GD producer) Bob Matthews. "Then I'd pack all the equipment, go down a narrow staircase, put everything into the GM Metro van, and go over to Century, where we had a helluva time double-parking; you'd have cops all over you. Then we'd set up at the other building, where at least there were elevators. Plus they were playing shows at night. There was a lot of tension between Hassinger and (GD engineer Dan) Healy, but it was Bobby (Weir) who eventually sent him over the edge."

Engineer Brooks Arthur, who co-owned Century Sound, remembered, "Working with the Dead was my first experience with what I can only call pre-Woodstock Woodstock. I'd worked with Neil Diamond, I'd worked with Van Morrison, and I'd never seen anything like the Dead before. The Dead moved in there lock, stock and barrel -- guitars, drums, and family and children and friends and roadies and breastfeeding ladies and people sitting on the floor. It was flowers, peace symbols, beads, bells; the whole thing. Pot was everywhere. There was so much pot, the accountants upstairs would get high from the smoke going up through the air-conditioning system.

"Although I was helping Dave Hassinger, I didn't really hang out much with the group," Arthur continued. "What I remember most about those sessions was that everything took forever to do. I think Dave and I spent 48 hours just on the drum sound, getting the cymbals right, getting the imaging right for those guys. That was their M.O.; that was their style. Normally I could get an orchestra recorded -- I could get two albums done in the time it took to get a drum sound for the Dead. But I understood their logic. It was a different room for them, and they wanted to get a certain sound that was a departure from their old sound, so they took their time with their bass and drum sounds. Which microphone sounded better with this cymbal? What does it sound like when we stuff the kick drum, or unstuff the kick drum, or pop a hole in the head of the kick drum? You try a microphone in-phase, out of phase. Then you take a long coffee break, get high, and then there's lunch.

"Actually, the way the Dead worked then was more the way people did it in the mid- and late '70s. I had seen this a little bit working with the Lovin' Spoonful, who really cared about how their sounds went down to tape, but the Dead took it to a new extreme for me. This was also my first experience of a studio lockout -- where the room was booked by only one group for a while. I actually had to go and book time for myself at other studios around town to complete my own work while the Dead were there."

This East Coast jaunt was also notable because it was the first to include the roadie who would become the solid foundation of the Dead's road crew for the rest of their history: Larry

Shurtliff, known and loved by everyone as Ram Rod. Raised in Oregon, Ram Rod connected to the Dead through Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters (who had gravitated up to Oregon following the Acid Tests). A number of other Oregon folks would become part of the crew at different times.

By the end of their East Coast stay, relations between the band and Hassinger had deteriorated to the point where he wanted off the project. "I gave up in New York," he recalled. "We'd been working for a long time on that second album, and they had put down some new tracks in New York, and nobody could sing them (reportedly "Born Cross-Eyed"), and at that point they were experimenting too much in my opinion. They didn't know what the hell they were looking for. I think if you experiment you should have some sense of what you're ultimately going after, but they were going from one end of the spectrum to the other.

"One time during the making of the record, I went into American Recording (in L.A.), and the Dead had ordered so much equipment from Studio Instrument Rentals and other places you literally could not get into the studio! The whole album was that way. It was like pulling teeth, until finally I couldn't take it anymore. When I came back to L.A., the head of Warner Bros. asked me, 'Have you had enough yet?' and I said, 'Yeaaaah!' " Hassinger laughed.

From "Grateful Dead Gear" by Blair Jackson, © 2006, Backbeat Books. Jackson is married to Chronicle Deputy Book Editor Regan McMahon.

Here's a bunch of stuff about Grateful Dead Gear
Here's a Jerry Garcia guitar history
Here's an interview with Doug Irwin
Here's a bunch of info on the Wall of Sound
And don't forget, former Grateful Dead rodies have restarted the company Hardtruckers.

Grateful Dead Preacher

2007-01-07T02:35:00.000-07:00

Chip Roush is the Senior Minister of the Unitarian Universalist Congregationof Grand Traverse. He likes to incorperate the Grateful Dead into his sermons.

He had this to say on his blog "The Yes Church":

As preparation for the upcoming three-sermon series, "Searching for the Sound: the Spirituality of the Grateful Dead," I met with the band leader this morning. He sang for me the new verse he'd written for "Lovelight," wherein the singer exhorts his partner to extend their love over a lifetime. *AND* instead of ending with "let it shine on me," he sings my version of amen, "so may we be!"Not only are we exploring the Grateful Dead's spirituality, we're making our own spirit more explicit, with their powerful music. I. Love. My. Job.

The Traverse City Record Eagle just did an article on him:

Message in the music
Pastor explores spiritual themes in Grateful Dead tunes
By Gretchen Murray

It was a clear-cut decision back in the '60s, either you loved the Grateful Dead, the bluesy folk band that got its start in San Francisco, or you went for the Beatles and the rest of the British Invasion.

Those who were "Deadheads” were the ones who pledged allegiance to the band and spent incredibly large quantities of time riding around in Volkswagen buses, tie-dying T-shirts and following the group from concert to concert.

Considered a part of a controversial youth culture movement that drifted into the 1970s and '80s, the Grateful Dead rose to icon status in the psychedelic era by selling its message of peace, love and understanding to adoring concert crowds. History doesn't deny that the concerts were venues for the emerging free drug, free love culture during those years, but fans who went to hear the music came away with a message.

Now, 40 years since the group got its start and 12 years after the death of lead guitarist Jerry Garcia silenced their music, some people who didn't get the message then are revisiting the Grateful Dead and finding a lyrical connection to religion and spirituality. That link is something Pastor Chip Roush of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Grand Traverse discovered. He plans to share it with his congregation in an upcoming three-part series, "Searching for the Sound: The Spirituality of the Grateful Dead.” The worship series begins Jan. 14 with "Fire from the Ice: The Religious Humanism of the Grateful Dead.”

"I use the Grateful Dead as a connective theme for several reasons,” Roush said. "It helps make our religious message relevant and accessible. We can derive wisdom from the Grateful Dead by first realizing that they were not all wasted drug users and secondly, there can be a human approach to religion. Because it comes from a 'surprising' source, people may be open to this wisdom in a different way than they would be to the usual Sunday sermon.”

Roush said that as the band's style evolved from blues, to country, to rock, they wrote about the common man and spoke to the human experience with its everyday glories and disasters.

"You know, each generation has a band or a movement that annoys the parents,” Roush said. "As individuals mature and get a better sense of the message, many people have probably thought, wow — I shouldn't have thrown away my Grateful Dead albums back in the '70s.”

A self-proclaimed Deadhead since college in the early 1980s — Roush said he's seen about two dozen shows — Roush finds the lyrics prompt individual responsibility to a fault and are laced with Christian metaphors.

"They use 'fate' instead of 'religion' and often refer to a higher being by using nature images such as, ' … a fountain, not made by the hands of man' in 'Ripple,' and even though they don't say who, they acknowledge that something is bigger than us,” he said. "There's a lot of different metaphor there for what we should be doing in our lives.”

Although the Unitarian Universalist Church is a liberal, open-minded religion that emphasizes individual responsibility, Roush expects the series to generate some raised eyebrows.

"I suspect a number (of people in his congregation) are excited about this series. Some know the music and have already made the connection. Others are skittish about references in the songs,” he said.

His sermon on Jan. 28 will be "Unbroken Chain: Individualism, Western Culture and the Grateful Dead.”

"Enlightenment gave birth to culture — a culture of individuals. But if we were to live as 260 million individuals in this country, that would not be a sustainable way of living. I plan to use the band's progression of thought in the lyrics of songs such as 'Althea' to talk about the need to work as a culture movement as the Grateful Dead did, as the Unitarian Universalists do and as the country does with respect to responsibility for its own beliefs.”

Roush plans to make the Feb. 4 installment as much like a Grateful Dead concert as possible — and still be a worship service.

"There will still be a deep connection to the Holy; it will simply manifest through lots of music and readings, bright colors and balloons. Like most Dead shows, it will be intergenerational,” he said.

The lecture "Move Me Brightly: The Inspiration Message of the Grateful Dead” will describe the "larger-than-us concept of how God works through us for bigger projects and asks the question, 'How do we organize to do good in the world?'

"I love the deep spirituality of the band — not just their lyrics, but the way they lived their lives, demonstrated a commitment to democracy, compassion and the right and responsibility of the individual conscience, and I celebrate their belief that there definitely IS something larger than ourselves,” he said.

He acknowledges that a lot of people in all walks of life are still drawn to the group.

"I know a huge number of people from laborers to professionals — mainstream Americans who are fans, and I think they heard the message.”

The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Grand Traverse is located on the base of the Old Mission Peninsula at 6726 Center Road. Services are at 9:30 and 11 a.m. Dress is casual. Tie dyes are welcome. Call 947-3117.

You can read a sermon of his called "What a Long Strange Trip it's Been" here

Best Interview Subject: Mickey Hart

2007-01-07T02:25:00.000-07:00

Graham Haworth reflected on his "more colorful" interviews in 2006. He had this to say about Mickey Hart:

Best interview subject: Mickey Hart. I'd heard that Hart, former drummer for the Grateful Dead, is a notoriously hard interview. I guess I asked him the right questions, because he was friendly and forthcoming with me. He was in town for a reunion of Planet Drum in September. I think he was relieved I didn't ask him anything about the Dead, instead sticking to his historic Planet Drum project and his work exploring the physiological effects that rhythms have on the body — he serves on the board if the Institute for Music and Neurologic Function at Beth Abraham Hospital in the Bronx

Hart on Planet Drum: "Planet Drum is about the neurology of rhythm. We want to find out what parts of the brain light up with what rhythms. This isn't a band as much as it is a rhythmic genome project."

Hart on rhythm: "The Big Bang was a rhythmic event. Scientists have figured out that the Big Bang resounded at 52 octaves below middle-C, and continues to vibrate throughout the universe at a
B-flat tone. That's the sound of the birth of you, the planets, the universe."

***photo by David Gans***

American Beauty Project Interview

2007-01-07T02:12:00.000-07:00

The American Beauty Project is coming up and it looks like it's going to be a fascinating and fun event.

You can see the details here and check out this interview with David Spelman, the man behind the Project. Interview by Gary Wien for Upstage Magazine.

THE AMERICAN BEAUTY PROJECT
by Gary Wien

The Jersey Shore is literally filled with people deeply involved in the music industry that largely go unnoticed when they walk down the street or order a pint at the local bar. For every Bruce Springsteen or Jon Bon Jovi that attracts attention wherever they go, there is a David Spelman, a man known across the world for his work with the guitar. Spelman's the Artistic Director for the New York Guitar Festival, oversees the Wall-To-Wall Guitar Festival at the University of Illinois' Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, and is now adding to his resume the title of Artistic Advisor of the Adelaide International Guitar Festival, an Australian festival launching in November 2007.

In addition, he produces concerts - epic concerts. These are shows which pay tribute to classic albums. Past shows have involved star-studded tributes to Bob Dylan's "Blood On The Tracks" and Bruce Springsteen's "Nebraska." And on January 20th, his next show will pay tribute to the two classic albums recorded by the Grateful Dead in 1970 - "Workingman's Dead" and "American Beauty." We recently spoke with David about how this show came about.

What inspired The American Beauty Project?

The idea came from Brendan Canty, an old friend from Washington, DC, where we both grew up. Brendan is probably best known from his days in Fugazi, but he runs a company now called Trixie DVD and is producing some excellent music films. His team was shooting our Nebraska Project last year and he admitted that he only recently "discovered" the Grateful Dead. I think he went out and got every one of their studio albums, to try to get a handle on what their music was all about. He suggested Workingman's Dead as a great album to consider. He also suggested some albums by folks like Elvis Costello, Nirvana, Bowie, Townes van Zandt, Gram Parsons, and Pink Floyd, but it was the Workingman's Dead idea that got me thinking. I'd always loved that album - I'm pretty sure it was the first LP by the Dead that I owned -- and when I recalled that it was made in the same year as American Beauty, it seemed like a cool idea to honor both albums with a two-night event.

It's kind of funny -- to me anyway -- when I think that a guy from Fugazi encouraged me to do a Grateful Dead tribute. Fugazi's singer, Ian MacKaye, had an earlier band, even before Minor Threat, called the Teen Idles and they had a song with the line: "The only good Deadhead is one that's dead." Even though I briefly played in a hardcore punk band in the late '70s, I liked the Dead. It was a funny time, and we were all quite young. I was actually taking guitar lessons at the time from Brian Baker, who went on to form Minor Treat. That was a long time ago....

So... How many Dead shows have you seen?

Between '79 and '85 I may have seen them twenty or thirty times. I lost interest for the rest of the eighties, and I was mostly interested in classical music at that point. Sadly, in the mid-nineties I had the feeling it might be time to maybe check them out again, but then Garcia died...

I was running my own PR business at the time, representing symphony orchestras and classical-music labels. I actually had several meetings with Phil Lesh to discuss some classical music he was composing at the time. That came as a bit of a surprise to my Deadhead friends, but really it shouldn't have. Phil had studied composition with Luciano Berio in the 60s at Mills College, and has maintained a strong interest in classical music his whole life. He told me a funny story about taking the whole band (including Pigpen) to Carnegie Hall to hear a performance of a Charles Ives symphony. And then there was the time Phil asked if I could help him get some tickets to hear Pierre Boulez conduct the Vienna Philharmonic when they were in New York. They were doing a three-night stint at Carnegie Hall, and Phil flew in from California to hear all three shows. I really didn't expect him to be recognized at Carnegie Hall -- wearing a jacket and tie, he blended in with the other patrons -- but during intermission one night a couple of Deadheads came over to us at the bar to say hello.

Anyway... I've seen Phil Lesh & Friends in various configurations in recent years, and it's often been fantastic. I first heard Derek Trucks when he was doing a stint in that group. He was still a teenager at the time, I think, and was just amazing. And of course, Warren Haynes is fantastic, too.

Why were these two albums chosen for the show?

I think 1970 was a magical year for the Grateful Dead. I loved the experimental improvisations they were doing in the late sixties, like what made it onto "Live/Dead", recorded in '69, but the songs that Garcia and Robert Hunter wrote for Workingman's Dead and American Beauty seemed to me to represent a new level of creativity. Both those albums were on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, and Rolling Stone readers voted Workingman's Dead as the best album of 1970, ahead of Crosby, Stills and Nash's Deja Vu and Van Morrison's Moondance. American's Beauty's "Truckin'" and "Sugar Magnolia" became radio favorites, too. Not that any of that proves anything, but clearly I'm not alone in my love for these albums. I think their innovative fusion of bluegrass, rock, folk, and country music really shined...and partly lead the way to what later become known as alt-country. I see clear connections between Workingman's Dead and Wilco, for instance. I don't have a clue what will be on the radio fifty years from now, but I'm willing to bet that singers and musicians will still be interpreting these songs. These lyrics will endure, I believe.

Once again, you've got a stellar lineup of artists for the tribute. Your Rolodex must be golden man. How do you manage to get such great artists for these shows? Is it the idea behind the show that attracts them?

Hey, thanks for that. I believe in the low-hanging-fruit approach... I start out by asking a few musicians I have a personal relationship with...folks who I've worked with before, who know my work first-hand, and don't need to be "sold" too hard. Sometimes these may not be the most famous names, but they are generally musician's musicians -with high credibility among other players. Also, they are folks who will tell me the truth if they think the idea is crap.

Right around the time this idea was coming together, I ran into Toshi Reagon, and mentioned it to her. I had no idea if she even liked the Grateful Dead, but to my pleasant surprise she agreed to it on the spot and made a special plea that I let her play "Box Of Rain." She was passionate about that song. As that's the first song on American Beauty - so the first song on that night's concert - I just knew things would get off to a great start as soon as Toshi hit the stage. Though, I for one wouldn't ever want to follow her. Her performance style is just so strong and powerful - one part Prince and one part Led Zeppelin. Just amazing. One of her earlier gigs was to open up for Lenny Kravitz on his first world tour. Elvis Costello is a big fan of hers, too. After first hearing her he invited her to play with him on Letterman.

I think my next call might have been to my pal and neighbor Larry Campbell. I met Larry and his wife through Cindy Cashdollar, and think he's a fantastic musician. Guitar, fiddle, mandolin, pedal steel - you name it, and Larry can play the shit out of it. He's played with just about everyone on the planet, including a very long run in Bob Dylan's band. He's also been playing with Phil Lesh and Friends this past year. Anyway, Larry embraced the idea right away, agreed to play both nights, and even to sit it with some of the other musicians. What I hadn't realized was that he'd just finished producing an Ollabelle album. I'm a big Ollabelle fan, and had worked with them a few years ago on the Blood on the Tracks Project, a little before their debut release on Columbia. So, my next call was Ollabelle.

At some point I called up Jorma Kaukonen...we'll his wife, actually... as I'd had him in the New York Guitar Festival a number of times over the years. I really thought it was a long shot, but I'd just written an article in Guitar Player magazine about his music school, the Fur Peace Ranch, and he'd been pleased with the way it came out. I figured what the heck, it doesn't hurt to ask.

John Leventhal is someone I often call for ideas. He's super creative and super generous. At first I really hoped that he and his wife (Rosanne Cash) might do something, but he explained that the Grateful Dead wasn't really part of Rosanne's musical universe. Anyway, he had some cool ideas for arranging "Black Peter" that he played for me over the phone on his guitar. We tossed around a few names of folks he's worked with, and finally both agreed that Jim Lauderdale would be amazing. Newly armed with Jim's cell phone number I rang him up and he agreed to the event without hesitation. Now Jim didn't know me from Adam, so I'm certain it was John Leventhal's name that sealed the deal. John was familiar with my work from the Blood on the Tracks Project, where he and Joan Osborne performed "You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go." Having a Grammy Award-winning producer like John Leventhal give you a "thumbs up" to other artists is something you can't buy in a store.

I just follow my nose. I'm also fortunate to have a great co-producer, AJ Benson, who isn't afraid to reach out to the bigger fish, whom we may have no preexisting relationship with. I mean AJ is bold, he'll call up anyone. Also, some of our dream folks were just not available...Elvis Costello was having twins around the time of the shows...Patti Smith was going to be in the studio working on a new album...you know, artists have busy lives, even when they aren't on the road. AJ did bring in Jay Farrar. We are really big fan's of Jay's work with Son Volt and Uncle Tupelo, so we were thrilled when his manager confirmed that he'd do the show.

Mark Eitzel, from American Music Club, and Tim O'Reagan from The Jayhawks, are both managed by Bob Andrews at Undertow Music. Bob is also my manager, and the one who turned me onto these two great musicians.

My wife and I are friendly with Jen Chapin and her husband, the bassist Stephan Crump. A few months ago they were playing The Saint, so we had them over for lunch and showed them around Ocean Grove and Asbury Park. I mentioned the shows to them, and when they said they'd like to do "Truckin'" something clicked and I knew they would do something really interesting. I mean, what could be more boring than hearing someone do a cover version of "Truckin'" just like it was on the album? Jen and Stephan are the kind of musicians who will totally reinvent a song...deconstruct it and then put it back together again, as something strikingly new and fresh.

The rest just fell into place....I'd worked with Dan Zanes a few times....Dar Williams had shows booked in New York in January already....Sex Mob wasn't available at first, but then called back when the date became free.
Quite honestly, once a few musicians and key booking agents find out about something like this, the phone starts to ring with bands that want to participate. It then becomes a question of curating the right mix of musical styles that will make for a good flow for the audience.

One of the most amazing things about the show is that it's presented for free. How are you able to do that?

Yeah, the free thing is insanely cool. I was fortunate enough to have been introduced a few years ago to the folks who run the World Financial Center's Winter Garden. They get support from sponsors like American Express and Merrill Lynch to pursue their mission, which is to be the leading showcase in Lower Manhattan for visual and performing arts. And all of their presentations are free to the public.

We've done some really cool stuff in the past, like commissioning guitarist/composer Bill Frisell to create new music for silent films. And last year we did the Nebraska Project, which drew a huge crowd and got a lot of positive media attention. So far, every time we've done something, it's worked out great and they've invited me back.

Sometimes I meet an artist who absolutely floors me when he says that the Dead was one of his biggest influences. The band seemed to influence even artists that you would never think were influenced by the Dead. As the show was developing, were there any artists interested in doing the tribute that you totally didn't expect?

Oh yeah, totally... The Klezmatics, for example. Not that everyone in the band is a Deadhead, but the groups founder loves the music and was able to get the others into the idea. Also, Catherine Russell. I mean I knew Cat was a killer jazz and blues singer, and had heard that she'd toured the world singing in David Bowie's band, but I was shocked to hear of her love of the Dead's music. In fact, she recorded "New Speedway Boogie" on her debut album. I downloaded the song from iTunes while I was talking to her agent, and booked her before the song was even over.

Some of your previous epics included shows about Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen. What were some of the highlights from those shows for you?

Man, where to begin? Realizing during the intermission of the Blood on the Tracks Project that we hadn't thought about an encore, was rather memorable. We quickly decided on "I Shall Be Released" and rehearsed it for maybe 15 minutes in the green room. Not that we were short on drummers, but Joan Osborne offered to play drums and sing--I mean how could I turn down that? She's no Max Roach, but she kept good time...and sang like an angel. I was playing rhythm guitar right next to her on stage with twenty of my other favorite New York musicians singing one of my favorite Dylan songs of all time. What a high that was!

Oh, and AJ getting a call from Springsteen's manager on his cell phone the afternoon of the Nebraska Project led to one of the coolest nights of my life. They wanted to know if the concert they'd read about in the newspaper was still going to happen. When we confirmed that it was still indeed happening, they said Bruce might try and come. Later that evening our production manager got a call on her cell phone, and it was Bruce himself, saying he was lost and wanted to know where he might park when he arrived. Needless to say, we found him a very convenient parking space. About half way though the show, I asked them both if they'd like to play in the encore with us. Patti took a pass, but Bruce asked what song we were doing. When I said it was by Woody Guthrie, he said sure...and a few minute later I was showing him the lyrics to the song, what key we'd rehearsed it in, the guitar riff... about ten seconds later he said he actually knew the song, which was a relief as I was already nervous enough, trying to sing and play for The Boss. The encore was a heck of a lot of fun...Bruce is such a great musician and a force of nature... thank goodness we had an extra guitar for him to use. He spent several hours with us at the after party, and was one of the last people to leave. Patti was giving him the universal it's-time-to-go look. What a night. Of course the photo Rolling Stone ran didn't have me in the frame....oh well, I was there, damn it...I got to perform with The Boss...and it was cool.

Once again, you're the man behind a really cool show idea. Do you have a schedule of these type of shows laid out far in advance or do you just come up with an idea for one and work on that show without knowing what your next move will be?

Thank you, Gary... yeah, this is going to be a fun one, I think. It really is a little random, like so many things in my life. But I was recently approached by a television production outfit, and they want to work with me to develop a 13-part series. Each episode would focus on a concert re-creating/re-interpreting a classic album. Obviously, it would have to be mapped out and done with a tight production timeline. This would be very exciting, but I'm not holding my breath waiting for it to happen. In the meantime, I guess I'll be sticking to the more random approach.

Pelosi Party - Your House Band update

2007-01-05T20:36:00.000-07:00

Setlist (updated 1/6/07)

Your House Band Set 1
Shakedown Street >
Truckin
Touch of Grey
Down the Road

Tony Bennet - I Left My Heart in San Francisco
Tony Bennet - The Best Is Yet To Come

Nancy Pelosi Speech

Your House Band Set 2
The Way It Is
Sugaree
Come Together
US Blues
Iko Iko (w/ Wyclef Jean)

Wyclef Jean - Gone Till November
Wyclef Jean - Redemption Song

Carole King - Natural Woman
Carole King - Earth Move
Carole King - You’ve Got a Friend

Your House Band:
Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, Bruce Hornsby, Mike Gordon, Warren Haynes

(Anyone have setlist corrections? Please let me know)
**************************************************

Word is there was no professional video recording allowed, with the exception of Tony Bennet's song.

Fox News has a brief clip of Tony Bennet in their profile segment on Nancy Pelosi (to watch, click this link, then click on "Who Is Nancy Pelosi" on the right). They report that cameras were banned for the Grateful Dead (Your House Band) performance, which Fox News reporter Brian Wilson says "is sort of a shame."

Oddly, the Washington Post is hosting a brief video phone clip (of the worst quality) of Wyclef Jean on the big screen taken by reporter J. Freedom du Lac.

Touch of Grey

U.S. Blues

Come Together

Read the Relix review

latest photos from FlickerJumpTheTrack

More Pelosi Party Stuff

2007-01-05T12:47:00.000-07:00

I always find it interesting to hear different people’s impressions of the same thing. Nancy Pelosi’s dinner party at the National Building Museum in Washington D.C. is no exception.

The facts are that the “House Band” consisted of Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann, Bruce Hornsby, Mickey Hart, Mike Gordon and Warren Haynes. The rest is up to individual interpretation.

Outside of the $1,000/plate dinner there was a Deadhead seeking a ticket. The Associated Press’ Erica Werner described 30-year old Scott Orellana as a “dreadlocked” “genuine Grateful Dead fan” and reported that a Democratic aide “eventually sneaked him in the door.” David Montgomery and J. Freedom du Lac of the Washington Post described him as “an insurance claims processor from Rockville, dressed in a gray suit with his long hair neatly pulled back” and reported that “at the last minute, just as the party was about to begin, a wired Democrat and fellow Dead fan -- who sheepishly would only be identified as a political consultant -- slipped Orellana a ticket.” Both accounts agree that his sign said “I need a miracle” but the Washington Post went on to report that the other side of his sign said "Let me see Nancy Pelosi and the DCCC…I'm excited about the new Congress. I'm excited about Nancy Pelosi being the first woman speaker of the House."

Several city council people from various cities were there. Jersey City Councilman Steve Lipski told the Washington Post "I am here to witness history in the making, the first woman speaker of the House, and to see members of the Grateful Dead perform.” Long Beach Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske wrote about her evening at the dinner on her blog. “I have to tell you, I missed the 60's because I was in Catholic school so I wasn't into the Grateful Dead -- so when tonite they brought back members of that band and played -- it took me a while to figure out what songs they were playing...but that did not stop most members of the California Congressional delegation -- led by the masterful, non stop dancing of Jane Harmon, to get the 2000 people rocking and on their feet dancing in the aisles. The highlight was watching Senator Barbara Boxer rock out to the music of the band playing Grateful dead and solos by Bruce Hornsby, accompanied by a lead gutarist [sic] from Phish...(Senator Boxer, who I have known for years, congratulated me on my recent election to city council when we talked..)”

Some were pleased by the event. On digitialjournal.com Telefree wrote “for me personally, it was a nice surprise to find out that the new House Speaker has great taste in music.”
Others weren’t as pleased. Apparently reporters were only allowed in for part of the evening and so the Washington Post had to point out “a dozen years ago, it must be recalled, Newt Gingrich and the Republicans celebrated their return to power with a $1,000-a-plate dinner. Reporters were allowed in.”

A blogger named Jonathan felt that the dinner menu of goat cheese ravioli with pumpkin and truffle and paper napkins embossed in gold with "Speaker Pelosi January 4, 2007” showed how out of tune the event was with normal America. And a reader of his calling herself Kanaka Girl commented “and just think....OUR hard earned, government confiscated, tax dollars paid for this little soiree!” I guess she’s confused about what a $1,000/plate private dinner is.

Leah Garchik of the San Francisco Chronicle noted that the House Band’s set “got wild applause, but not one of them was wearing jeans, and there were no tie-dye bedecked Deadheads dancing in the aisles -- and that sure was a pity.”

Who-played-what even depends on interpretation. Telafree wrote “the ‘House Band’, which featured three members of The Grateful Dead as well as members from the band Phish and The Allman Brothers Band opened the show with a touching "End of the Innocence' by Bruce Hornsby followed by "Touch of Grey" by The Grateful Dead. Then Tony Bennet sang "The Best is Yet to Come" and "I Left My Heart in San Francisco". Near the end of the concert, Wyclef Jean joined the house band to close the live music with Aiko Aiko. The encore was "You've Got a Friend.”

Now I would consider Bruce Hornsby the fourth member of the Grateful Dead, but even more debatable is that my sources say the show opened with “Shakedown Street > (into) “Truckin’.”

All I can say is it sounds like an amazing, historic evening and I’m just hopin’ and a-hopin’ a SBD will circulate. I’m supportive of Nancy Pelosi’s “San Francisco Values.” And…if we can impeach Bush and Cheney, she’ll not only be first woman Speaker, but first woman President!

***photos by ssarrrrah & Butch/Tennjed***

National Building Museum Nancy Pelosi Party Pix

2007-01-04T21:56:00.000-07:00

Our hero Butch a.k.a. TennJed took these pics while phoning the setlist to Jammin' John!

Grateful Dead!

Pelosi Setlist

2007-01-04T19:22:00.000-07:00

****UPDATED setlist here****

The $1,000 Nancy Pelosi National Building Museum gig is still going but Word on the streets is:

Setlist (to be confirmed):

Shakedown Street>

"Don't tell me this town aint got no heart... You just gotta poke around"

Truckin'

"Lately it occurs to me..."

End of the Innocence

"They're beating plowshares into swords...For this tired old man that we elected king"

Touch of Gray

"We will get by..."

(break)

The Way It Is (Bruce Hornsby solo)
“Some things will never change…That's just the way it is…But don't you believe them”

Come Together
"One thing I can tell you is you got to be free"

U.S. Blues
“Wave that flag…Wave it wide and high”

Iko Iko
“Jockomo feno na na nay”

Band:

Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, Bob Weir, Bruce Hornsby, Warren Haynes, Mike Gordon

Thanks to Jammin' John for the play by play, his phriends on the phone TennJed & Bird, & Irenie for guidance

Keelin Garcia Sues Deborah Koons & Attorneys

2007-01-04T07:26:00.000-07:00

Here's an article by Nancy Isles Nation that was published in the Marin Independent Journal & the Oakland Tribune:

Garcia daughter sues over lack of support
Nancy Isles Nation

A daughter of the late Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia is suing his widow and several attorneys involved in settling the rock star's estate, saying no one was looking out for her financial interests when the money was distributed.

Keelin Noel Garcia, a 19-year-old college student living in Marin, names Deborah Koons, Garcia's wife when he died in August 1995. She also names attorneys David Hellman, Richard Riede and Neil Moran, all of whom practice in San Rafael, claiming that child support payments that should have been made to her were not allocated properly.

William Romaine, Keelin's Visalia-based attorney, said Jerry Garcia's will clearly states that Keelin's support should be taken care of before the remaining assets were split by beneficiaries.

"Deborah Koons, a trustee, had the highest possible duty to provide it at her expense," Romaine said. "Instead, she profited from it."

Romaine cites the will of Jerome J. Garcia, stating: "After payment of all my debts, my last illness and funeral expenses, and provision for my child support obligations for Keelin Garcia É my executor shall divide and distribute the remainder of my estate."

Romaine said that while the case was in mediation, attorneys for Koons and Keelin's court-appointed guardians came up with a low amount of child support at a time when the estate was making huge amounts of money.

"The trustees are supposed to look after her support," Romaine said.

Hellman, who wrote Garcia's will, said the probate court oversaw the entire process of distributing the estate - valued in 1998 at more than $15 million - and support for Keelin Garcia was covered at the time.

"We'll see where it goes, but it appears those issues were covered in the probate court," he said of the allegations.

Riede and Moran are listed as guardians for Keelin Garcia in her lawsuit.

The estate was admitted to probate in Marin Superior Court in September 1995 and closed in October 2001. Under the will, a third of the estate was given to Koons and the remaining two thirds were shared by Garcia's daughters, brother and friends. Keelin Garcia was allotted one-fifth of the inheritance, like her sisters.

Keelin is Garcia's youngest daughter from his relationship with Menasha Matheson. He had three other daughters: Heather, his oldest, from his first marriage, to Sara Ruppenthal, and Theresa ("Trixie") and Annabelle, from his marriage to Carolyn "Mountain Girl" Adams.

In her lawsuit, Keelin claims the defendants breached their fiduciary duties on her behalf. She asks for unspecified damages. A court hearing is scheduled for March 5.

Garcia died while in a drug rehabilitation facility in Forest Knolls from a heart attack at 53.

photo by Susana Millman, 2006

Bobby's (belated) Christmas Wish

2007-01-04T07:09:00.000-07:00

I was out of action during the holidays so this is a little late...good thing Santa doesn't rely on Deadnews for his info!

Bobby told the Associated Press about his wish for Santa:

BOB WEIR, RatDog/The Grateful Dead: I'd like my band RatDog to record with the Kronos Quartet. We'd spend a couple of days in rehearsal to kick ideas around, and then a couple of days recording in the Fillmore, all of both bands on stage, although from time to time breaking it down into different configurations. No tunes in mind - maybe an old chestnut or two, a new tune or two, whatever they'd want to bring to the party, and then the "1-2-3-Go" approach. Find a pulse, and then people start playing, and see if that suggests a key or a mode, and if that suggests a harmonic development of some sort. Secondly, our sound mixer Mike McGinn wants us to bring in Dolly Parton, specifically to sing "Ripple," which seems to me to be an inspired notion.

Is Phil Quitting???

2007-01-04T06:56:00.000-07:00

I know I'm supposed to be "reporting" the news here, but I haven't thought that Phil's health issues has meant he won't do shows ever again.

But Jesse Jarnow recently wrote in Jamebase "With Phil Lesh's retirement imminent, the Dead seem to be maybe, actually done."

I refuse to believe it...

The Positive Power of Mickey's Music

2007-01-04T06:41:00.000-07:00

Here's a great article from VOAnews.com:

Musicians Bridge Political, Religious Conflicts as Peacemakers
By Jan Sluizer San Francisco

Sluizer report (MP3) - Download 1.4 Mb
Sluizer report (Real) - Download 972 k
Listen to Sluizer report (Real)

The power of music is far-reaching but elusive. It can spark myriad emotions in someone listening alone at home to its rhythms and lyrics, it can transfix a crowd of thousands taking in a concert in a large hall or stadium… and many musicians believe it can bring peace to a troubled world.

For the past six years, Israeli singer, songwriter, and pianist Shlomo Gronich has been performing with Palestinian singer Lubna Salame as 'Adamai'. The two met while recording the anthem of a group promoting coexistence in Israel. At a recent concert in San Francisco, Gronich acknowledged his partner and the multi-ethnic ensemble as he introduced the song, Zman es Salaam. "It means 'It's Time For Peace,'" he told the audience. "I know it sounds naïve, but here, look at the stage - the miracle really happens here so it should happen everywhere."

Adamai is not the only unexpected pairing of musical peacemakers. The goal of the Full Circle Project of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is to bring Islamic and Western musicians together, and counselors in Northern Ireland use music therapy, including concerts and individual performances, with Catholic and Protestant children.

Mickey Hart, former drummer with the Grateful Dead band, has spent much of his professional life studying the music of various cultures and knows first-hand the power of music. "You don't have to know someone else's language to enjoy a musical moment with them," he points out. He's created many award-winning musical moments with percussionists and musicians from every corner of the globe. "So," he asks rhetorically, "can people get together from different walks of life and different cultures and share in this marvelous mysterious moment, which we call music? Yes, absolutely." The problems may go away, he says, but maybe not. "There still will be fears. There'll be hopes, there'll still be dreams and you'll understand a person more after sharing an auditory driving experience with them."

That belief is also behind Gary Malkin's efforts. The pianist produces and promotes what he calls 'global healing events.' After fighting broke out between Israel and Hezbollah militants in July, Malkin decided to pull together a concert of Israeli and Arab musicians in San Francisco. He called a friend at the city's Grace Episcopal Cathedral to ask about staging a concert there.
He recalls, "I said: 'Could you imagine a more eloquent way to respond to the tragedies that have been coming out of the Middle East than to have musicians that represent a number of the countries and religions that are in that region playing together peaceably?' And he looked at me, he said: 'I couldn't imagine anything more magical.' And I said: 'Let's do it.' And he said: 'Let's go.'"
That conversation led to a sold-out performance in the church's huge chapel. Among the head-liners: Israeli Yair Dalal and Palestinian-Jordanian Naser Musa. They performed a song that Musa composed especially for the two of them, called Salaam, Shalom.

Lubna Salame, of the band Adamai, says when musicians sing about peace, people listen. "I always believe that music can do what the political cannot do, because music is from the spirit to the spirit, from the heart to the heart," she explains. "Some of these people tell me it's not the right time to do [what you're doing]. But I tell them there is no right time. We have to start." Concerts for political causes have raised money - and awareness - since 1971, when Indian sitar master Ravi Shankar and ex-Beatle George Harrison organized the star-studded Concert for Bangladesh, to help starving refugees from that nation's war of independence. Since then, Bob Geldof's 'Live Aid' has raised money for famine relief in Ethiopia, singer/songwriter Willie Nelson's 'Farm Aid' continues to help small American farmers in danger of losing their land, and Jamie McGonnigal produces "Music is power," Hart concludes, "and music has power to heal psychologically, spiritually, physically, emotionally, socially."

Musicians who move between cultures, raising their voices in a united plea for harmony, spread hope that the power of music can also heal politically.

****end of article****

please see the original article for more links

Jambase Talks Tech with Bobby

2006-12-21T12:23:00.000-07:00

Andrew Wetzler interviewed Bob Weir for JamBase:

Downloading With Bob Weir
By Andrew Wetzler

JamBase: Just out of curiosity, what kind of time do you spend on the internet these days?

Bob Weir: I'm something of a news junkie. So, out here on the [West] Coast I get the New York Times online every night. I spend 9:00 to 10:00, generally after the kids are down, reading the news and stuff like that. I do a fair amount of shopping, as much as I have a stomach for. I try to do that online. I spend a lot of time traveling, so when I'm home I like to stay home.

JamBase: Do you ever spend time online reading the reviews and message boards related to you?

Bob Weir: I used to but I don't have time for that anymore. I know what kind of show we had, and I can tell from the reaction of the audience what kind of show [they feel] we had.

Do you download music yourself?

Yes. I go to commercial sites you know, mostly [iTunes]. If I can't find something on Apple Music then I start drifting around. It is all pretty much the same quality. Actually, Apple Music is pretty good. They have the FLAC stuff.

Are you able to perceive a big difference between MP3 and FLAC?

Yeah. [FLAC is] way, way more dynamic.

You need a much bigger hard drive though.

Yeah, actually I got a bigger hard drive.

What kind of stuff are you listening to these days?

I don't listen to much pop music. I listen to old R&B. I listen to modern classical. I listen to jazz, mostly older jazz. Some blues.

What about some of the bands that would be more on the jam side of the fence today?

Not a whole hell of a lot of it because I don't want that stuff in my head, what other people are doing in my ilk. It's bound to happen where if something catches my fancy it's going to come out through my hands. I would encourage jam bands not to listen to each other so that they continue to develop their individuality.

Where does covering the Dead fit into that mix in terms of stifling creativity for other bands?

Whatever floats their mullet as the saying goes. If they love a tune, they should play it. That's what brings a lot of the joy to the music.

I find that as my kids are getting older I'm losing some control over the music that's being played in my house. Who controls the music in your house and what's being played?

Well, my kids are young. My oldest is nine. We do a lot of the Nutcracker for instance these days. They listen to a lot of ballets because the oldest is a ballet student. I imagine the younger one just listens to mostly what the older ones play. I don't play a lot of my music in the house. I tend to play that out here in the studio.

When you're deciding what songs you're going to play for a given show, to what degree does it enter your mind, "Well gee, is this something that someone is going to want to buy later on as a download?"

No, not at all. When I'm creating a set list it's a matter of flow and a matter of the evening's entertainment.

As you're going from Orlando to Boca to Jacksonville or wherever, do you give thoughts to what you played one night versus the next, so that it keeps it fresh?

The way I create a set list is I have a database so that the songs I've done for the last two years - and the last couple of times we've been around a given town - are automatically out. Then, say the last week's worth of shows, those songs are more or less automatically out, unless the set really, really needs them.

What happens if you play two "One More Saturday Night" in Boca Raton two years in a row?

Well, then you are going to get two "Saturday Nights." We'll try to make them different.

We may have saved our democracy in this last election. The cards aren't all down yet but it was
The archive.org situation a year ago caused a great deal of commotion with a lot of passionate feelings being expressed. Looking back on it, is there anything that you'd like to share about what happened? Would you have done anything differently?

I've learned a lot from that. For instance, I learned that if we're going to go to the effort and expense of making a record that we have to be able to market it some way. We haven't really figured it out yet, but we're going to have to do that soon. If we're going to go through the effort and expense of making a record, we're going to need to at least get our money back out of it.

Did you expect such a backlash when you guys went the route you did?

I think for the most part that was your stock standard typical, very vocal minority. People were just not content to deal with the fact that a musician needs to make a living...

...that what you have is proprietary at the end of the day.

Right. They had no respect for intellectual property whatsoever. The musicians' needs are not being met. There's this myth that information has to be free. That was the big rallying cry back a year ago, and I don't buy that. It doesn't make sense. There is no way you can make it make sense, and I debated this with people who are big time web/internet blowhards who claim to know the situation inside and out. But, they don't know the situation legally and they don't know the situation morally.

Take a company like Google who got to a point where they said free information is nice but now we need to monetize it.

Yeah or we can't do business.

For some of the diehards out there, does there appear to be a disconnect relative to the Dead's willingness to let people tape shows forever?

Something of that nature. We let them make digital copies of our archival stuff, which is a major technological step further forward. So, you can get a hundredth generation digital recording with file sharing and still have a pretty good recording. We've actually gone way further in that direction then the Dead ever did. That's simply because the technology has changed since the Dead were around.

Just a couple other questions for you. "Easy to Slip" has been in your repertoire for a very long time. Did you spend any time around Lowell George?

Hell, yeah. He produced a record for us. The night I met him I was sort of the band's envoy to the various producers we were interviewing, and I picked him up at the airport. He was hungry so we decided to stop in [San Francisco] for Chinese food. He wanted to go to Golden Dragon Restaurant - which is a good restaurant - because there was a very famous Chinese gangland shootout that happened there. The bullet holes were still there, and he had to go up to the wall and put his fingers in the bullet holes and stuff like that. We had a lot of times. He was a great guy, fabulous musician, a lot of fun to hang with. We did a little drinking together. I think the worst I ever felt in my life was the morning after I got the news he died. A bunch of us were up in Portland and there was a Trader Vic's at the bottom of our hotel. So, we figured we've got to raise a glass or two to Lowell. I didn't feel so good in the morning.

You've sat in with The Radiators a couple of times when they've been in the Bay Area. What's it like playing with those guys?

They're a lot of fun. Great groove.

One of my fondest memories was seeing Bobby and the Midnights on the Riverboat in New Orleans during college. Any plans for that to happen again?

You know, maybe in another five or ten years or something we'll get a little reunion tour together just for fun.

What's in the cards for you and for Ratdog in 2007?

Well, we're working on that right now. We'll be touring a fair bit, and I think we'll be recording a fair bit. I think we'll probably make some sort of deals with various online subscription and straight ahead commercial music [services].

Any parting words of wisdom?

Love what you do. Aside from that, register and vote. We may have saved our democracy in this last election. The cards aren't all down yet but it was slipping away, getting beyond reach. It was becoming a democracy in name only. A lot will have to be done to remedy what has been done over the last few years in terms of gerrymandering the country, rigging voting systems, and stuff like that. A lot of attention is going to have to go back to that because those folks aren't done trying to grab power.

***the end***

I love when Bob says "Whatever floats their mullet as the saying goes." I googled that "saying" but couldn't find any other reference or use. Another Weir original!

Phil Lesh Wants Your Blood!

2006-12-20T11:08:00.000-07:00

Well, he doesn't want it personally. He wants you to donate your blood to help out those in need. There are 12 days left to meet Phil's challenge.

Phil and the Unbroken Chain Foundation are asking phans to donate blood this month in honor of Phil. In honor of your commitment, UBC will donate $10.00 to the Vattikuti Urology Institute for every pint donated through December 31st, 2006 (to a maximum of $50,000). After you have donated, please send an email to mailto:donor@phillesh.net?subject=I%20Gave%20Blood with the subject "I Gave Blood". Please include your name, blood bank name, city, and state.

To achieve the maximum donation, 5,000 Phil-Zoners need to donate blood.

To Find a Donation Location Near You, Please Go to aabb.org or RedCross.org

Grateful Dead To Receive Lifetime Achievement Award at 49th Annual Grammys

2006-12-19T15:13:00.000-07:00

From the Recording Academy press release (at grammy.com):

Recipients of the 2007 Lifetime Achievement Award, Trustees Award and Technical GRAMMY® Award were announced today by The Recording Academy®. Joan Baez, Booker T. & The MG's, Maria Callas, Ornette Coleman, the Doors, the Grateful Dead and Bob Wills will receive The Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award.

***

"This year's group of accomplished honorees are as diverse as they are influential as creators of the most renowned and prominent recordings in the world," said Recording Academy President Neil Portnow. "Their contributions exemplify the highest artistic and technical standards that have positively affected the music industry and music fans."

The Lifetime Achievement Award honors lifelong artistic contributions to the recording medium while the Trustees Award recognizes outstanding contributions to the industry in a non-performing capacity. Both awards are decided by vote of The Recording Academy's National Board of Trustees. Technical GRAMMY Award recipients are determined by The Academy's Producers & Engineers Wing members and The Academy's Trustees. The award is presented to individuals and companies who have made contributions of outstanding technical significance to the recording field.

Formal acknowledgment of these special merit awards will be made at an invitation-only ceremony during GRAMMY Week, as well as during the 49th Annual GRAMMY Awards, which will be held at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2007, and broadcast live at 8 p.m. ET/PT on the CBS Television Network.

***

The Grateful Dead (*Jerry Garcia, Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, Phil Lesh, and Bob Weir) — The Grateful Dead were the psychedelic era's most beloved musical ambassadors as well as its most enduring survivors, spreading their message of peace, love and harmony across the globe for more than four decades. The ultimate cult band, the Dead were known for their unique and eclectic songwriting style, fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, country, jazz, psychedelia, and gospel, and for live performances, featuring long jams. The band released more than 50 albums, and was music's top-grossing live act year after year. As strong and passionate supporters of numerous educational and humanitarian charities, they established the Rex Foundation. Today, more than 10 years after Jerry Garcia's death, the legions of fans — called Dead Heads —have only grown larger and stronger.

The Dead Sue

2006-12-18T16:59:00.000-07:00

Well, this Press Release from Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP has spread quick:

Rock Icons, the Grateful Dead, Carlos Santana, Led Zeppelin and The Doors File Lawsuit to Stop Illegal Sales of Concert Memorabilia and Merchandise

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Grateful Dead Productions, Carlos Santana, and the members of Led Zeppelin and The Doors filed a lawsuit today seeking to stop the unlawful reproduction, promotion and sale of thousands of vintage concert memorabilia items and illegal copies of the memorabilia.

The lawsuit was filed in San Francisco in the U.S. District Court, Northern District of California against William Sagan, who operates a website, wolfgangsvault.com, through which he is promoting and selling these materials in violation of federal and state laws.

Sagan acquired the memorabilia when he purchased certain assets of the late legendary concert promoter Bill Graham from Clear Channel Entertainment, which acquired Graham's concert promotion company after his death. Graham's archives contained millions of promotional items and personal memorabilia, such as vintage concert posters and t-shirts featuring the musical artists' intellectual property -- their names, voices, likenesses, photographs, trademarks and copyrights -- which were never authorized for sale.

Sagan has continued to expand his allegedly unlawful practices by offering reproductions of these items for sale, including "reprints" of vintage concert posters and a new line of baby clothing featuring the artists' names and protected trademarks. In addition, to increase sales of these materials, Sagan is streaming allegedly illegal recordings of live concerts performed by the artists to the public on his website and is offering to "license" these recordings to other parties.

The artists are represented by Jeff Reeves and Ashlie Beringer, lawyers with the international law firm, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher.

"Sagan simply doesn't have the legal rights to exploit and profit from the extraordinary success of these musicians," said Jeff Reeves, who represents the musicians. "This memorabilia was created in the first place for the purposes of promoting concerts and as gifts for fans and concert crew. Graham himself did not have the right to sell, reproduce or otherwise exploit these materials as a promoter, and neither does Sagan, who was not authorized to purchase these materials and who has absolutely no connection to the artists or their music."

"We have never given permission for our images and material to be used in this way," said Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead. "What Sagan is doing is stealing. He is stealing what is most important to us -- our work, our images and our music -- and is profiting from the good will of our fans."

"Bill Graham was a man of great integrity who cared very deeply about the artists he worked with as a manager and promoter," said GRAMMY-award winning musician Carlos Santana, one of the artists -- along with his namesake band Santana -- affected by William Sagan's activities on wolfgangsvault.com. "Bill was a close friend to me and the Santana Band for many years, and I know that what Sagan is doing would go against everything he believed in. I am fully committed to joining with other artists to protect our work, our rights and our legacy."

Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP

Right now, the website being sued has Jimmi Hendrix live @ Winterland 10/11/68 as "this week in the concert vault."

Here's a Mercury News story from February about the "new" site.

Mickey Hart will Entertain at Nancy Pelosi Party

2006-12-17T09:59:00.000-07:00

On January 4th, Nancy Pelosi will be formally elected as speaker of the house. That evening, she will be honored at a concert/fundraiser for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which runs the party's national House campaign. Entertainment at the National Building Museum includes Mickey Hart.

An individual ticket will cost you $1,000. I have a feeling getting a free one really would be a Miracle!

Read more at SFGate.com

American Beauty Project Line-up & Set Lists

2006-12-15T07:12:00.000-07:00

This sounds way cool and tickets are free. Too bad plane tickets to NYC aren't free. ;^D I am hoping for some fine online coverage...

From Cybergrass.com:

Line-up and Set Lists Confirmed for The American Beauty Project

Two of the Grateful Dead's greatest albums, American Beauty and Workingman's Dead, both recorded in 1970, will each be honored with its own evening when Arts>World Financial Center presents The American Beauty Project free in the World Financial Center Winter Garden, 220 Vesey Street.

Workingman's Dead, which was recorded in March 1970, will be honored Saturday, January 20 at 8:00pm by a distinctive roster of singer-songwriters, bands and instrumentalists when each performs one of the tracks on the classic album.

The next night, Sunday, January 21 at 8:00pm, another group of singers and musicians will perform cuts from American Beauty, which was recorded in August and September 1970.

Performing their own arrangements of the Workingman's Dead and American Beauty songs are Jorma Kaukonen (Hot Tuna, Jefferson Airplane), Jay Farrar (Son Volt, Uncle Tupelo, Gob Iron), Ollabelle, Toshi Reagon, The Holmes Brothers, Sex Mob, Espers, Jen Chapin, Dar Williams, The Klezmatics, Tim O'Reagan (The Jayhawks), Mark Eitzel (American Music Club), Larry Campbell (Bob Dylan, Phil Lesh & Friends), Teresa Williams, Rob Barraco, Dan Zanes, Railroad Earth, Catherine Russell, Jim Lauderdale, John Leventhal, Brandon Ross, Andy Statman, Tony Trischka and more names to be announced in the weeks ahead.

Putting together The American Beauty Project to celebrate 35th anniversary of these two landmark Grateful Dead albums is Artistic Director and Producer David Spelman, who was responsible for similar tributes to Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen. At last year's Nebraska Project honoring Springsteen, The Boss himself spent the evening standing unnoticed with the crowd before jumping on stage for the finale.

"Both Workingman's Dead and American Beauty were ranked on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, 258 and 262, respectively," said Mr. Spelman. "Each was extremely innovative at the time for their fusion of bluegrass, rock, folk and country music."

Workingman's Dead, the band's fourth studio album, was recorded in March 1970, and was voted by readers of Rolling Stone as the best album of 1970, in front of Crosby, Stills and Nash's Déjà and Van Morrison's Moondance.

American Beauty was recorded between August and September of 1970 and was released in November of the same year. It included instant radio favorites such as "Truckin'", "Sugar Magnolia" and "Friend of the Devil."

"The acoustic sound and folk/country tunes of Workingman's Dead would come as quite a shock to many fans, and to the critics as a harbinger of some sort of conscious movement (along with The Band, Dylan and the Byrds) toward country," wrote Grateful Dead biographer Dennis McNally in his program notes for the event. Mr. McNally went on to add that "as usual with the Grateful Dead, the album's origins were serendipitous and synchronistic, involving no plan or program. Instead, their swerve to include country songs in their work began quite accidentally when their lyricist Robert Hunter moved in with the Garcia family in January 1969 … In March 1970, they went into the studio to record Workingman's Dead Hugely in debt to their record company, they were forced to be simple and economize, thinking consciously of Buck Owens' Bakersfield sound. The simplicity served the music perfectly, and the result was a classic, although not the departure many thought it was. They'd enlarged their vision, not changed it."

The set list for The American Beauty Project is as follows:

Workingman's Dead - Saturday, January 20 at 8:00pm:

Uncle John's Band ----------------- Ollabelle with Larry Campbell
High Time----------------- The Holmes Brothers
Dire Wolf----------------- Larry Campbell with Teresa Williams and Rob Barraco
New Speedway Boogie----------------- Catherine Russell
Cumberland Blues----------------- The Klezmatics
Black Peter----------------- Jim Lauderdale with John Leventhal, Brandon Ross and friends
Easy Wind----------------- Tim O'Reagan (the Jayhawks)
Casey Jones----------------- Railroad Earth
Plus instrumental interludes by: Tony Trischka and Andy Statman

American Beauty - Sunday, January 21 at 8:00pm:

Box Of Rain----------------- Toshi Reagon
Friend Of The Devil----------------- Mark Eitzel
Sugar Magnolia ----------------- Jim Lauderdale and friends
Operator----------------- Jorma Kaukonen and friends
Candyman----------------- Jay Farrar (Son Volt)
Ripple----------------- Dar Williams and Dan Zanes
Brokedown Palace----------------- Ollabelle with Larry Campbell
Till The Morning Comes ----------------- Espers
Attics Of My Life ---------------- Larry Campbell with Teresa Williams and Rob Barraco
Plus instrumental interludes by: Andy Statman, Tony Trischka, and Sex Mob

HOST:
John Schaefer is the host of WNYC's innovative music talk show "Soundcheck," which features live performances and interviews with a variety of guests. Since 1982, Schaefer has also hosted and produced the popular new music radio program "New Sounds," hailed as "The #1 radio show for the Global Village" by Billboard magazine. He has been heard regularly on the BBC, the ABC (Australia), Taipei Public Radio, and Radio New Zealand. Schaefer's writings include New Sounds: A Listener's Guide to New Music (Harper & Row, NY, 1987; Virgin Books, London, 1990); a biography of composer La Monte Young (in Sound and Light, Bucknell University Press, 1996); and Songlines: The Voice in World Music (Cambridge Companion to Singing, Cambridge University Press, UK, 2000). In May 2006, New York Magazine cited Schaefer as one of "the people whose ideas, power, and sheer will are changing New York" in its Influentials issue. First Dead show attended: He's pretty sure it was in 1977…or 1978…possibly at New York's Palladium…he's just can't remember all the details.

PRODUCER & ARTISTIC DIRECTOR:
David Spelman has been making and producing music for more than fifteen years as a global impresario, busker, flack, and patron of the arts. As Artistic Director of the biannual New York Guitar Festival (b. 1999), David has earned plaudits from the Wall Street Journal, New York Times and websites that only guitarists bother to read. David has produced epic tribute concerts to Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan (Bruce showed, Bob didn't), oversees the Wall-To-Wall Guitar Festival at the University of Illinois' Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, and will get to taste many Australian wines at their sources as the Artistic Advisor of the annual Adelaide International Guitar Festival, launching in November 2007. David has trained in conservatories, luthiery shops, and the Prague Metro (the lattermost was the most lucrative). A former owner of a New York-based publicity firm, David did not author this bio. First Dead show attended: Capital Centre, Landover, MD, November 8, 1979.

C0-PRODUCER:
A.J. Benson's earliest musical memory is of puzzling over his parents' Mamas & Papas, Dave Brubeck, Simon & Garfunkel, Trini Lopez and Herb Alpert LPs. He's spent the last twelve years in the music industry, most notably at Arista Records, RCA Music Group, and Virgin Records America, working on projects for Patti Smith, The Bravery and OutKast to Barry Manilow and Dave Matthews (and many in between), and is currently managing recording projects at Island Def Jam. When he wasn't diligently studying in high school and working on his journalism degree at the University of Connecticut in the 1980s, he was following the Grateful Dead around the country. First Dead show attended: New Haven Coliseum, April 23, 1984.

Arts>World Financial Center serves as the leading showcase in Lower Manhattan for visual and performing arts - from the intimate to the spectacular - by artists either emerging or established. Since 1988, year-round and free to the public, it has presented interdisciplinary arts programming with an emphasis on commissioned works, site-specific installations and premieres.

All events are free! No tickets required. Seating is first come, first served. For information, call (212) 945-0505 or visit www.worldfinancialcenter.com.

The American Beauty Project MySpace page

Mickey & the Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy Camp 2007

2006-12-15T07:02:00.000-07:00

Last year I did a post about Mickey and his participation with the Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy Camp. It's fun to see him involved again this year. The five day Hollywood camp will be February 15th - 19th, 2007 (President's Day Weekend).

You can check out the daily schedule here, but this is just a (one day) taste:

TUESDAY AUGUST 15th, 2006

8:30AM – 9:30AM
SHUTTLES FROM HOTEL TO REHEARSAL STUDIOS

8:45AM – 9:45AM
BREAKFAST SERVED AT GIBSON & ULTRASOUND STUDIOS

10AM – 3:30PM
BAND REHEARSALS
“BONES” MALONE, AL CHEZ & BRUCE KAPLAN VISIT STUDIOS

The Horn Section from The Late Night with David Letterman Show will visit each studio. This will be your time to practice with them for your performance on the final night at B.B. Kings!

1PM – 1:30PM
LUNCH SERVED AT GIBSON & ULTRASOUND STUDIOS

1:30PM – 5:30PM
LEVON HELM VISITS STUDIOS

5:30PM
SHUTTLES TO “T” NEW YORK

6PM – 7PM
COCKTAILS & DINNER AT “T” NEW YORK

7PM – 9PM
UP CLOSE & PERSONAL WITH DR. JOHN
Q&A and an intimate performance with this New Orleans legend!

9PM
SHUTTLES TO GIBSON

9:30PM – 10:15PM
MASTER CLASSES
Round Two of Master Classes from the Rock Stars. If you missed a class the night before, this is your second chance to learn tips and techniques from the counselors.

10:15PM
LATE NIGHT JAMS
These jam sessions are the perfect opportunity to rock out with your fellow campers and counselors. HAVE FUN!

11PM – till…
SHUTTLES BEGIN TO HUDSON HOTEL

Check out all kinds of stuff @ the official website

pic from rocknrollfantasycamp.com

Return of the Hard Truckers

2006-12-14T17:59:00.000-07:00

This cool press release came out while I was "out of it" but better late than never, eh???

DECEMBER 1ST, 2006 MARKS THE TRIUMPHANT RETURN OF AN IMPORTANT COG IN THE GRATEFUL DEAD WHEEL

After Thirty Years on the Road and a Brief Hiatus The Hard Truckers are Back.

Back in 1975, a fledgling company formed in the Bay Area. Two Grateful Dead Roadies, Steve Parish and Joe Winslow, took what they learned as part of the team that built the Grateful Dead's legendary Wall of Sound and began commercially building the touring professional's speaker cabinet. On the cutting edge of technology, the Hard Truckers produced speaker cabinets years ahead of their time. Used by the Bay Area's biggest rock stars, these hand-made speaker cabinets toured the world and back. Well now, Steve, Joe and the Hard Truckers are back.

The Hard Truckers are proud to announce their return to the music gear scene. For this leg of the trip the Hard Truckers are honored to have their good friends from Tone Tubby speakers along for the ride. Called "the most significant development in speaker design for decades." Tone Tubby and their hempcone speakers are committed to tone. The Hard Truckers are again doing what they do best as they set the stage for the hottest speakers the market has ever seen.

Hand-made works of art, the Hard Truckers are the professional answer to generic gear. Musicians of all levels will benefit by the return of the Hard Truckers.

Catch them at NAMM in Anaheim, CA, Jan 17th-20th in the Tone Tubby Booth, Hall "E" booth 1280.

If you would like more information on this topic or to schedule an interview with the Hard Truckers, please contact Glenn Goldstein at (404) 496-4049 ext. 5 or email Glenn at glenn@hardtruckers.com

And make sure to visit the Hard Truckers website

And if anyone is wondering what to get SLC Library Boy for Christmas...

Ratdog to Hit Road in Feb

2006-12-14T17:54:00.000-07:00

I'm prayin' 'n' hopin' a Salt Lake show is added!!!

From LiveDaily:

Ratdog plots early 2007 roadwork
by Rob Evans
LiveDaily Editor

Never a group to stay in one place for long, Bob Weir's Ratdog--currently taking a winter break--has lined up a series of February tour dates.

The group, led by former Grateful Dead singer/guitarist Bob Weir, is currently set to play seven club dates in the West.

Also on Ratdog's itinerary is a three-night stand at New York's Beacon Theater in March, and an appearance at Minnesota's 10,000 Lakes Festival. Details are in the itinerary below.

Weir formed Ratdog--originally known as RatDog Revue--in 1995 with bassist Rob Wasserman, who is no longer involved with the group. The band unexpectedly became Weir's primary musical vehicle following the death of Grateful Dead co-founder Jerry Garcia in 1995.

Though Ratdog has always been a strong draw on the concert circuit, the group's only studio album is "Evening Moods," released by Arista Records in 2000.

Joining Weir in Ratdog's current lineup are drummer Jay Layne, keyboardist Jeff Chimenti, guitarist Mark Karan, saxophonist Kenny Brooks and bassist Robin Sylvester.

February 2007
9 - San Diego, CA - House of Blues
10 - Ventura, CA - Ventura Theater
11 - Las Vegas, NV - House of Blues
13 - Anaheim, CA - The Grove
16 - Portland, OR - Roseland Theater
17 - Seattle, WA - The Moore Theatre
18 - Vancouver, British Columbia - Commodore Ballroom

March 2007
8-10 - New York, NY - Beacon Theater

July 2007
20 - Detroit Lakes, MN - 10,000 Lakes Festival