NYS Music 20​14

Tag: JGB

  • What’s So Great about Great North: Music and Arts Festival? Everything

    Everything is great about Great North Music and Arts Festival. Featuring two sets by headliner Tipper, this year’s line up brought a barrage of up and coming producers and bands together along with seasoned vets in central Maine. More than doubling in size from last year, Great North grew close to 4,000 revelers to experience live painting by Alex & Allyson Grey, fire spinning, graffiti artists, silent disco, art installations, multiple stages and a diverse array of vendors kept the attendees busy and entertained throughout the weekend.

    great north festivalThe check in process was organized and it was immediately noticeable Great North had a bigger crowd than last year. Camping areas were full in comparison with the 2013 debut. Car camping was available to VIP and RV campers, otherwise off site parking required festival goers to hoof their gear in on foot or wait for a cart ride. Thankfully the parking lots were in close proximity so walking was manageable.

    Generally a youthful crowd, the vibe was a cheerful and pleasant one. Smiles for miles all around with lots of outgoing groups intermingling through the weekend. Having recently relaxed marijuana laws in Maine, some vendors reflected that with flowers, concentrates, edibles and tinctures available for purchase.

    Friday
    JGB performed two solid sets Friday afternoon to get everyone shaking their butts and soon after, Conspirator brought the heat. Which was a slight relief to the increasingly arctic weather. Friday night temperatures dipped to 38 degrees, and when coupled with high humidity to make cuddling a priority. Ill-Esha graced the Temporal Dome stage getting the crowd hyped and ready for Griz. Headlining the main stage Friday, Griz laid down a set that had the crowd bouncing around. His version of the wedding stalwart “shout” got everybody singing and gyrating in unison. He then dropped his hit “Smash the Funk” to end his set. Cosmic Karma Fire kept the fire burning hot and bright while performing during Conspirator and Griz’s set. Staying awake for Desert Dwellers early Saturday morning would have meant enduring a hypothermic chill.

    great north festivalSaturday
    Up and at them. Upon acquiring credentials, the day unfolded with lots of incredible music ahead. Nahko and Medicine for the People were outstanding. Nahko even sang a few solo numbers for his fans. Space Jesus’ late afternoon slot set the tone for the night to come, even dropping a new track not yet played on the East coast. Tipper kept the evening groove light and bubbly then staked out darker territory during his late night set with Jonathan Singer projecting psychedelic visuals including manipulating some of artist Chris Dyer’s work. The G-Nome Project, Israel’s answer to The New Deal, and legend DJ Qbert treated the crowd to some high energy dance beats between Tipper sets. Cosmic Karma Fire spun fire during Qbert, but pulled out all the stops for Tipper. Fire breathing, fire swords, rope dart, and fire juggling coupled with LED hoopers and LED juggling combined with Tippers stage projections made for an incredible spectacle. Pulling out all the stops the Late night Bluetech was a magical dub adventure. A fledgling Space Jesus vs Bluetech collab closed the dome stage and had Bluetech laying down the deep dub/drum and bass while Space Jesus painted sweet and spacey chords on top replete with horns and operatic singing.

    great north festivalSunday
    Sunday funday. Overcast skies kept the weather warm and humid after early morning showers made getting out from under the blankets a challenge for many. Maine natives Cyborg Trio brought the energy levels up during their day set and Wobblesauce expounded on it by coming hard and fast with beats and wobble. After some fantastic day sets by festival veterans Viral Sound and Consider The Source, Papadosio was ready to close down the main stage. Papadosio has truly stepped up their game. A polished set had visual projections added by Deciduous Pupils as an added bonus.

    With Orchard Lounge expected to close down the Fest at the dome stage, a surprise G-Nome appearance roused the crowd into one last frenzy. Their drummer even lit his sticks on fire. Orchard Lounge then set about laying down some deep house funk for everyone to unwind and groove to deep into the night, playing much later than their time slot.

    With plans to expand next year and two extra fields to fill, Great North Festival will certainly continue to grow. The long Maine sky is the limit.

  • The Garcia Project will make you Smile, Smile, Smile

    Upstate NY band The Garcia Project has been on the move lately and wowing audiences from the East Coast to the West with their recreation of Jerry Garcia Band shows for the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s. The Garcia Project has come from playing little festivals in Upstate like The Strawberry Jam to Fiddlers Picnic and has gained a strong following in their home state. There’s just something about seeing this band live, you can’t help but close your eyes and kick off your shoes to spin barefoot in the grass wherever they are playing the sweet music of Jerry Garcia.

    The band recently spent some time on the West Coast [home to the Grateful Dead] where they celebrated Jerry’s 72nd birthday at the Jerry Garcia Birthday Celebration in Santa Cruz, C.A. where they opened for and sat in with Los Angeles Grateful Dead legends, Cubensis. While in California the band was also invited to be VIP guests of the Jerry Day celebration in San Francisco – a huge honor to any GD family member.

    This year’s Jerry Jam in Bath, N.H. was another milestone for the Garcia Project, not only were they the Friday night headliners but they had none other than JGB’s Melvin Seals sitting in on the keys for that event. The show can be heard on the Live Music Archive – https://archive.org/details/TheGarciaProject2014-07-25

    With such success this past summer the band will be looking forward into the Fall season with a main stage appearance at this year’s Wormtown Music Festival in Greenfield, M.A. Sept. 12-14, where they will be opening up for Dopapod and Max Creek. Making their way from the side stage to the main stage is an accomplishment bands strive for when first starting out and the Garcia Project has made the leap and audiences are welcoming them with open arms.

    If you haven’t seen this band yet and you are a fan of JGB or the Grateful Dead, you must get out to see them – and run, don’t walk to their next appearance. You can catch them on Sept. 20 where they will be opening for New Riders of The Purple Sage at the Autumn Equinox Festival at Page Farm in Croydon, N.H. They will return to the Capital District to play the Rustic Barn in Troy, N.Y. on Sept. 27 with special guests Knot Dead. The band will then head to Glens Falls on Oct. 24 for a special evening at the Wood Theater where they will recreate a classic JGB show for fans. This band is on the move and a must see for any Dead Head. For more show dates please visit the Garcia Project online.

    NYS Music recently had the opportunity to speak with Mik and Kat from the Garcia Project about why they were drawn to Jerry’s music and where they find their inspiration.

    What was it about Jerry’s music that drew you to it, specifically?

    Kat: I think the thing that initially drew me into his music was the affect it had on people. I kept meeting these folks that seemed to be living life with a different perspective. They were seemingly positive, carefree, and excited about life. It was like the old saying goes, when you see someone having a good time, “I’ll have whatever they are having.”  I had to look into this music and community and see what it was all about.

    Mik: I found the Jerry Garcia Band in 1988 and fell in love with the song choices that the band played and the incredible, beautiful guitar tone that Jerry had. Jerry had a way of showing emotion through his guitar playing and singing that I just never heard from anyone else. Also, the warmth of the fans at a Jerry Garcia Band show was infectious. It was a place where you could go and relax, let your hair down, talk to other like-minded folks and enjoy the music. There has not been anything else quite like those experiences.

    When were you introduced to Jerry Garcia’s music – his or the Dead’s, what circumstances surrounded it?

    Kat: Before I was a Deadhead, I met someone who mistook me for one. I had no idea what a Deadhead was and not very familiar with The Grateful Dead’s music. So, of course, this made me curious. I inquired and they brought me to a show soon after. I felt at home right away and started dancing immediately. This is not only unusual when a person doesn’t know the music, but i had not really danced in public before to any music. It was a freeing experience. I was in awe at people’s kindness, openness, and concern for each other as strangers. A very eye-opening night, seeing for the first time that society could be different from I knew it to be.

    Mik: I listened to The Grateful Dead, Pink Floyd, Led Zepplin, The Rolling Stones and The Beatles throughout High School in the late eighties. In 1987, right after I graduated, I went to see The Grateful Dead with my HS friends in Rochester, NY. It was at Silver Stadium and the ride there was filled with anticipation! When we hit Rochester, I saw a sea of people dressed every kind of way, in every kind of color. We parked and walked around and talked with everyone that we could and eventually went into the show. I saw a huge speaker system with scaffolding on the end of the field and a huge american flag tarp was laid on the field (to cover the wires, etc?) They were pumping Sgt. Peppers on the pa system and everyone inside was just having a blast! I made my way up to the front of the stage, past the flying marshmallows and frisbees. I really thought to myself that “The Grateful Dead” were not a band that performed, it was much more than that….we were all part of the show. Then the band came out and opened the show rocking. I was hooked.

    Along with Jerry, who would you say are your most significant influences?

    Kat: It’s hard for me to narrow that list down to any reasonable degree. I take my inspiration from all singers with soul, past and present, from all genres of music. When I am studying a new song, I listen to every version of that song I can find. I search for every person singing it on YouTube and Archive.org.  I look for the current really good bands and singers out there and see what they’ve done with it. I always find and listen to the original version, if it’s something Jerry covered. Then, I take that inspiration and knowledge and figure out what my take on it is.

    Mik: Hmmmmm. Let me think about that.

    Why did you decide to focus on JG instead of the GD as a whole?GarciaProject-2

    Kat: The Jerry Garcia Band music always felt special.  It touches hearts, soothes souls, and eases minds. Manifesting love and good vibes together is so important. People come in weary and leave rejuvenated by gathering together and helping create the community, and the music. I feel so grateful that i got to experience these shows, the community, and the consciousness while Jerry was still around. If we can create an atmosphere and play this music so that people can still gather and hear it, and be even a little bit as happy and inspired as we were with Jerry’s band, then it’s a mission worth pursuing.

    Thanks for asking 🙂 <3

    Mik: I had been playing Grateful Dead music for years. I never really tried putting together a band that played Jerry Garcia Band stuff…It was kind of like a holy grail to me. Once we started down this path it became apparent I needed to perform this music and people needed to be a part of it as well. There are new fans that never got to see The Jerry Garcia Band and older fans who miss it as much as I do. If we all get together and make a show happen, it is an amazing experience. Currently, we are performing actual classic set lists (shows) from the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s. We do the same songs and perform with the inspiration from listening to the old shows. It’s not a note for note thing, but more of a feeling and vibe.

  • Melvin Seals and JGB Bring Smiles to All

    The smell of patchouli oil filled the air as dreadlocked, middle-aged folks wore their patchwork pants while sipping on Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. The vibe was set for a grateful night, as Melvin Seals and JGB were set to play Putnam Den on Sunday, March 2nd.

    Opening the night from Hartford, Connecticut were the Balkun Brothers. Their unique style of powerful blues, fronted by lead guitarist Steve Balkun, mixed sounds of Joe Satriani and Jimi Hendrix, an ability shown by few guitarists today. The shredding that came from every song left the crowd wanting more, and more is what they got. Showing their diversity the band also delved into a few funky songs, further proving they weren’t a one trick pony. This was even more evident in their closing number, “Fire”, by the aforementioned Jimi Hendrix, leaving the crowd in good spirits and ready for Melvin Seals and JGB.

    When Melvin and crew took the stage, everyone, including the band, was more than ready to get things rolling. They opened with the Rolling Stones classic, “Lets Spend the Night Together.” Dave Herbert’s guitar emulated the sweet harp-like harmony of Jerry Garcia perfectly. Herbert’s high pitched, fast-paced playing was a new twist that brought his unique style to JGB. The backing vocals of Shirley Starks and Cheryl Rucker were in perfect harmony with Herbert throughout the night. This rang true on the Van Morrison classic “Crazy Love,” serving as a perfect addition to an already flawless song. At this point, it seemed as if the man of the hour, Melvin Seals, was holding back; that all changed on “Get Out My Life.” Seals took the first solo and he meant business. The whining from his organ sent the crowd into a frenzy, dancing harder than they had all night. Everyone was ecstatic, but no one more than Melvin, as he sat up on the stage smiling and laughing along with everyone. The key to the whole band was the patience and steadiness of bassist John-Paul McLean and drummer Pete Lavezzoli; these two always held the jams together even when the music seemed to be heading nowhere at times; this was pure brilliance. The rest of the night followed suit as the band went through JGB favorites, “Run for the Roses,” “Cats Found Under Stars,” and “Ain’t no Bread in the Breadbox,” all played note for note and as brilliant as the originals.

    This group has dedicated their careers to honing in the JGB sound and they do not disappoint. Although Jerry may be gone, his memory and music will live as long as Melvin Seals and JGB are playing shows like this!

  • Local Limelight: The Garcia Project – Creating The Jerry Garcia Band Experience

    The Garcia Project, based in Saratoga Springs, is a faithful conduit for the music of Jerry Garcia Band, conveying emotional resonance through the music that Jerry Garcia fans have known for decades. The Garcia Project includes Mik Bondy on guitar and vocals, and Kat Walkerson on vocals. A cavalcade of musicians join them in various lineups,including Greg Marshall, Jordan Giangreco (The Breakfast, Viral Sound) and Scott Guberman rotating in on keys, Dan Crea, David Alderman and Fred Wilkes on bass and Bob McKeon, Aaron Martin and Brian Sayers on drums on any given night. While the lineup can change from show to show, it’s always The Garcia Project!

    the garcia project

    Additionally, Mik and Kat perform the songs of the Grateful Dead and Jerry Garcia Band tunes in their our own arrangements, as Acoustically Speaking.

    Kat Walkerson has a truly soulful voice, displaying great energy with her passion pouring out from her vocals. A kind soul that brings a warmth to any room she performs in, her voice is a perfect compliment to Mik’s, who is The Garcia Project’s “Jerry”, a part he plays with humility and focus on the music to channel the spirit of the Fat Man. In paying tribute to Jerry, Mik has made two guitars and replica speakers and equipment to bring about the true Garcia sound. Previously, Mik was in the band Tapestry for over 20 years. Recently, Mik and Kat have performed with Melvin Seals and the guys from JGB Band.

    Pete Mason: How does The Garcia Project channel the sound and spirit of Jerry Garcia Band?

    Mik Bondy: Everyone in The Garcia Project loves the music that the Jerry Garcia Band created. We are all huge fans of Jerry. And much like us, the folks that come out to share in the experience are huge Jerry fans too. This makes the synergy between the musicians and the audience very strong, right from the start. Couple that synergy with professional, seasoned musicians that really want to provide and recreate a Jerry Garcia Band experience and really care about the music and the performance of it – and you have the recipe. We also study the music and the various eras, we build instruments and rigs that mimic the sound and styles. We always do a group huddle before we perform a show and thank Jerry for the music and ask his blessing on what we are about to create with the people. We fell very blessed and are thrilled that folks keep coming out and enjoy it as much as we do. Its really all about the love of the music.

    PM: What sets The Garcia Project apart from the other well know Jerry Garcia Band act, Melvin Seals and JGB?

    MB: Melvin Seals and JGB are great friends of ours. Kat performed with Melvin and JGB a few times back in 2010-2011. Both Kat and I recently performed with Melvin and members of JGB up in Saranac Lake, NY and Melvin Seals performed as keyboard player for The Garcia Project last year (and will again this year) at Jerry Jam, the best Jerry festival in the Northeast. We really love and respect Melvin and the JGB band.

    Melvin Seals has his own new arrangements of songs and writes his own custom set lists. The Garcia Project has been recreating classic Jerry Garcia Band shows and sets and attempts to perform in the same style and tempo as each show and era. Each era has it’s own flavor.  We recently did a 77 show at Mexicali Live that there was no recording of the original JGB show, so we pieced together the show from other recordings from the year for reference and then performed it in that style. Both bands have very unique sound and we love what we both add to the scene.

    Listen to the whole Mexicali Blues show where we recreated JGB Nov 16, 1977

    PM: Why the music of Jerry Garcia Band? Why not Grateful Dead songs?

    Kat Walkerson:  Our love for the Grateful Dead is equal to our love of Jerry Garcia Band. If not for attending Grateful Dead shows, we wouldn’t have known about Jerry Band. Even back when Jerry was around, JGB was much lesser known and attended. It was something special that you were lucky to stumble upon. We feel that the Jerry Garcia Band catalog is an extraordinary collection of wonderful songs. Many of them are songs not original to the Jerry Garcia Band. They were songs that Jerry picked out because they were special. Adding to that, he mixed them all up, rearranging them and making them the style of music that is Jerry Band. We all agreed and loved them too. And we loved what happened to us as a community when we gathered for this music. This music creates a special space, a fertile ground where positive things grow. Love, friendship, community, healing, forgiveness, progress in general.  Jerry Band is a love and connection fest of the purest nature. We always say “The Grateful Dead is like Saturday night, and Jerry Garcia Band is like Sunday morning”. What is created and experienced when we all gather and enjoy this music together is something that  should continue.  So, as we love the grateful dead, and play some whenever we can fit it in, we focus on the Jerry Band catalog. Like the Grateful Dead, there is also decades worth of this music, so many great musicians rolled through the band in (30?+) years. There is so much to hear and enjoy. We want to do our part to make sure this music gets and stays out there.

    PM:Is there a certain year or era of Jerry Garcia Band that you particularity enjoy the most? Why?

    MB: I really love all of the eras, really. But the 1977-78 Jerry Garcia Band shows have been firing me up recently. I love the tempos and the arrangements.

    KW: All equally

    Bob McKeon: Late 1970s and late 1980s.

    Dan Crea: 1978 with Donna and Maria.1977 counts too but there was no Maria, and I’m a big fan of hers.  I like the open space that Keith left between his notes and how his sound kept the mix nice and open.  Great “Lonesome’s” in this era!

    PM:  Where do you think you’ll be in five years?

    MB: We would love to travel and take the music of Jerry Garcia to many more people around the world. With the right team, I could see us touring and playing venues all around the world.

    The Garcia Project Tour Dates:
    February 15 – Garcia’s at The Capitol Theatre, Port Chester, NY
    February 22 – WSG String Band and Blessed and Gifted, Spaceland Ballroom, Hamden CT
    March 22 – The Cannery Music Hall, Southbridge, MA
    April 5 – Arch Street Tavern, Hartford, CT
    April 19 – 420 Celebration at The Oneonta Theatre, Oneonta, NY
    July 25 – Jerry Jam Music Festival, Bath, NH, with Melvin Seals on Keys. The festival runs July 25-27.

    Acoustically Speaking Tour Dates:
    February 1 and 22 – Opening for The Garcia Project
    February 21 – Franklin’s Tower, Albany, NY
    February 28 – West Mountain Ski Resort, Queensbury, NY
    March 28 – Franklin’s Tower, Albany, NY

    Keep up on everything The Garcia Project on their Website, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube pages.

  • Channeling the Spirit of Jerry on New Year’s Eve with The Garcia Project

    The Garcia Project brought a crowd from near and far with some people coming simply out of nostalgia and a desire to spend New Year’s Eve reveling in the spirit of Jerry Garcia, but everyone, including those not previously familiar with the Garcia Project, left Oneonta having had a real good time this New Year’s Eve. The Garcia Project typically covers a Jerry Garcia Band show from years past, giving the audience something to think about during the set.

    The Garcia Project jerryComplete with “wall of sound” banners bordering the stage, and drummer Bob McKeon positioned front and center on stage, a true recreation of the Jerry Garcia Band experience began. As soon as the first set started with “How Sweet It Is”, the dance floor immediately filled up, but when “Run for the Roses” came on, that’s when the crowd really got into the groove, and the band seemed to play off of that, with bassist Dan Crea asserting himself on this one. “Struggling Man” featured drummer Bob McKeon crisply and cleanly landing on the upbeats, with guitarist/vocalist Mik Bondy playing some of Jerry’s well-known triple-time guitar riffs. The first set closed out with a more obscure cover of “Ain’t No Bread In The Breadbox”, followed by classics “My Sisters and Brothers > Deal”, which left the crowd wanting much more as the night continued.

    Before the show and between sets, as part of the ticket price, a buffet meal was provided, which gave the audience time to refuel and chat with like-minded reflective fans. Many a conversation was overheard about various Jerry stories experienced by most in attendance at this show.  While the Oneonta Theatre typically serves only beer and wine, they often offer up a specialty drink, which tonight was a tasty tropical bay breeze to help everyone get through the cold night.

    The band returned to the stage for a “wildcard” set of tunes leading up to the midnight hour. The mini set started off with a hopping version of “Mississippi Half Step Uptown Too-Da-Loo”, followed by a boogie/blues-style “Mystery Train”, and ended with a driving rendition of “Cumberland Blues” with a rocking organ send-off by Greg Marshall, who had a real mastery of the keyboards, especially the Hammond sound of which he seemed to have a true command. Mik invited the audience to join the band in the downstairs theater to watch the Times Square Ball Drop on the big screen (a champagne toast was also included in the price of the ticket, by the way), and then to head back upstairs to “party like it’s 1999”!

    After the festive NYE countdown and ball drop, Mik’s mom proudly brought out the first of two huge cakes they had brought for the occasion, and handed out pieces to the crowd; the sugar rush definitely helped at this hour, as the band still had a whole second set to play! (Apparently, the Jerry Garcia Band show the band chose to play tonight was a request from an audience member and they just decided to run with it.)

    The first two songs of the set were perfect examples of how impeccably balanced the four instrumentalists are. The audience really got into the beautiful harmonies between Mik and Kat Walkerson, with lots of slow dancing going on during one of this evening’s more romantic tunes, “Shining Star”. “Waiting for a Miracle” featured some great ascending then descending progressions, and the band really started to funk it up during this tune. Bassist Dan Crea really got to shine during “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door”, which is a song that often has a somewhat monotonous bass line. It was hard to believe that some of the notes he was pulling out of that bass were actually coming from his instrument!  He went way beyond the range of notes typically heard on the bass. “Evangeline” was a swingy number that had many audience members doing the twist. Another example of the spot-on harmonies between Mik and Kat was showcased in “Don’t Let Go”, and the set ended with a perfect, slightly funky cover of “Let’s Spend the Night Together”.

    Following the end of the second set, the band revealed the Jerry Garcia Band show they covered, and the show was (drum roll please) … 11/12/91 at the Philadelphia Spectrum! Expressions of recognition could be heard throughout the crowd. The encore was a particularly lullaby-like rendition of “(What a) Wonderful World”, and The Garcia Project decided to throw the crowd a bonus double encore of “Lonesome and a Long Way From Home” to send us on our way. The Garcia Project truly gave everyone in attendance at the Oneonta Theatre on New Year’s Eve a night to remember, giving us the opportunity to bask in the all the glory Jerry was kind enough to share with us for all those years.

    Set 1: How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You), And It Stoned Me, He Ain’t Give You None, Run For The Roses, Struggling Man, Ain’t No Bread In The Breadbox, My Sisters And Brothers > Deal

    Set 2: Bright Side Of The Road, Shining Star, Waiting For A Miracle, Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door, Evangeline, Don’t Let Go, Let’s Spend The Night Together

    Encore:  (What a) Wonderful World, Lonesome and a Long Way From Home