Dark Star Orchestra will be coming back to New York this fall with a tour that will let you dance throughout the state this November. The tour will see the Grateful Dead Tribute act start in Buffalo’s The Town Ballroom on November 12. This will be followed closely with stops at the Reg Lenna Civic Center in Jamestown and the Palace Theatre in Albany on the 14 and 15 respectively. Prior to two nights at Higher Ground on the 24 and 25, the tour will stop at The State Theatre of Ithaca on the 17 and the Mid Hudson Civic Center in Poughkeepsie on November 20.
Following Thanksgiving, DSO will be playing New York City’s Best Buy Theatre for a two night stand on the 28th and 29th. The New York portion of the tour wraps up on December 1st at Syracuse’s Palace Theatre. Tickets for these shows go on sale this coming week. All the dates are below.
11/12 The Town Ballroom Buffalo, NY 11/13 The Danforth Music Hall Theatre Toronto, ON 11/14 Reg Lenna Civic Center Jamestown, NY 11/15 Palace Theatre Albany, NY 11/17 The State Theatre of Ithaca Ithaca, NY 11/19 Mayo Performing Arts Center Morristown, NJ 11/20 Mid Hudson Civic Center Poughkeepsie, NY 11/21 Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel Providence, RIp the 11/22 The Dome at Oakdale Wallingford, CT 11/24 Higher Ground (Ballroom) Burlington, VT 11/25 Higher Ground (Ballroom) Burlington, VT 11/26 Penn’s Peak Jim Thorpe, PA 11/28 Best Buy Theater New York, NY 11/29 Best Buy Theater New York, NY 12/01 Palace Theatre Syracuse, NY 12/03 Paramount Theatre Rutland, VT 12/04 State Theatre Portland, ME 12/05 Calvin Theater Northampton, MA 12/06 Lowell Memorial Auditorium Lowell, MA
With the Grateful Dead’s 50th anniversary slated for next year it’s starting to look like a true reunion tour is a possibility.
Founding member Bob Weir as quoted in Rolling Stone: “We have to do something commemorative, I think we owe it to the fans, we owe it to the songs, we owe it to ourselves.” and “If there are issues we have to get past, I think that we owe it to ourselves to man up and get past them.”
Since Jerry’s death in 1995 there have been two partial reunion groups – The Other One’s in the late 90’s, and The Dead which last hit the stage in 2009. Since then, remaining members have remained at arm’s length in the split faction’s of Furthur (Weir/Lesh) and the Rhythm Devils (Hart/Kreutzmann) barely on speaking terms. Lesh has also stated he is retiring from “the tour bus” after 2014.
There are definitely remaining hurdles to cross, but any glimmer of an original lineup Grateful Dead reunion tour should have fans salivating with heady hope. Stay tuned…
The quaint village of Millbrook, nestled in the geographic middle of Dutchess County, is no stranger to celebrities. Located no furthur than a 90-minute drive from New York City, it also boasts a population of less than 1,500 neighborly residents. Actor Matthew Modine and music artist Daryl Hall – both local residents – can often be seen visiting the local farm market, and do so with an apparent confidence they won’t be approached. As is life in the quiet village of Millbrook.
But, it wasn’t so placid in 1964 when Timothy Leary established residency at one of the local estates. The Dietrich Estate, its gatehouse can be viewed by those traveling NYS Route 44A, briefly served as headquarters to promote his “Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out” philosophy. What happened at the estate is recorded in Tom Wolfe’s 1968 novel Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, which recounts the cross-country trip Wolfe took along with Ken Kesey and his Merry Pranksters, aboard the technocolored bus named Further .
The Dietrich Estate in Millbrook, NY, was a stop for Ken Kesey and his bus “Further” back in 1968. (Photo Credit: Steve Ainsley)
Now, Kesey’s family is planning on furthering the patriarch’s legacy.
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Kesey’s cross-country journey, a Kickstarter venture is underway to bring the iconic bus back to life and tour the country again.
As of today, May 23rd, the initial goal of $27,500 has been surpassed. Part of the money is being used to refurbish the original 1947 bus, which will also serve as a “rolling recording studio with live FM broadcasting,” as stated on the family’s fund raising page. The rest, well, it looks as if they will be doing their best to recapture the “magic” from the ’60s. Their intentions are printed on Kickstarter, in bold face.
We expect a huge turnout in 2014 as we, with your financial help, show up in full Prankster style in various cities, parties, and the vibrant festival scene.
To which towns, cities, parties and festivals we will be able to bring the Bus and the Pranksters is entirely contingent on your generosity. The trip could be a few short weeks, or a few months, covering countless miles and many parties: it all depends on your contributions.
The more we raise over our target, the longer Furthur and the the Pranksters will be able to be on the road and recording the fun at every stop!
– Furthur Bus 50th Anniversary “Trip”
Zane Kesey and Derek Stevens
Unlike 1964, this 8,500-mile tour promises a multi-media experience that will include video streaming, Internet updates, along with the aforementioned audio recording. Pranksters will be hired as “extras” to star in the videos throughout the journey.
The original cross-country trek did involve filming, but the intent of releasing the footage as a feature film never came to fruition. Nonetheless, the bus trip, and the events surrounding it, became the stuff of legend. The Who released “Magic Bus” in the summer of 1968, in reference to Kesey’s bus. The Grateful Dead did the same in 1971 with their release of “The Other One”.
As magical and whimsical the eyes of the “Baby-Boom Generation” may view Kesey’s journey, it’s not shared by all. Decades after Kesey and Leary finally left Millbook in 1970, residents still talk about the past as if speaking of their own misguided, adolescent children.
The psychedelic parties at the Dietrich Estate came to an end, thanks in large part to then-Dutchess County Assistant District Attorney G. Gordon Liddy.
Before his involvement with the Watergate burglaries, Liddy made a name for himself for his unrelenting pursuit of Leary. He initiated numerous busts on the estate, leading to arrests for narcotics, public nudity, and lewd and lascivious behavior.
It is assumed with great confidence that Kesey will not be approached by the residents of Millbrook to be added as a stop on the latest tour.
One of California’s finest exports, The Sycamore Slough String Band is coming to Albany NY for one night only, tonight, Friday May 9th, at Franklin’s Tower. These musicians share an affinity for the music of the Grateful Dead, and came together in an Oakland recording studio in January 2012 to see what they could conjure. Featuring David Gans on guitar, David Thom on mandolin and guitar, and Roger Sideman on upright bass, these three musicians represent a wide history of performances with other acts, and now bring their sound to Albany.
Acoustically Speaking, featuring Kat Walkerson and Mik Bondy of The Garcia Project as an Acoustic Duo, will open the show.
Stop in for dinner and catch the show. Music starts at 8pm
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!
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.
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
As the morning of July 28, 1973 revealed itself, the ground beneath the Watkins Glen, New York State concert site was preparing to hold the weight of 600,000 musical travelers ready to rock and roll. The largest gathering for a rock festival was about to take place with a legendary bill of bands that would play extended and legendary sets. After the previous evenings ‘warm up’, the groups as well as the crowd were primed for an all day event. Pleasant but humid New York Summer festival weather settled hazily across the bronzed crown of hippies slightly threatening summer storms. The awe inspiring event about to take place would make history in not only musical but social ways, the smoky remnants of that afternoon still smoldering in the annals of rock history.
The Grateful Dead took the stage promptly at noon to an introduction by Bill Graham who exclaimed, ‘From Marin County to Watkins Glen, the Grateful Dead!’ Blasting into an excitable ‘Bertha’ the Dead ran through a typical, that is to say, well played and amazing set of first set classics. The set is brimming with a typical East coast high energy, building to then detonating on a psychedelic pinnacle with the set closing ‘Playing in the Band’. Slithering through the some of the more familiar themes of the era, by half way into the jam Lesh and Garcia are exchanging husky scrubs and bombs, while the rest of the band is tied into a kinetic and electric fast paced groove. While not reaching the extravagant peaks of the jam from the night before, this is a thick and gooey ‘Playin in the Band’ from an era with many stand outs.
Following a marathon ‘China/Rider of epic proportions comes ‘Eyes of the World’, the peak of the second set and of the Dead’s performance for me; the post verse jam contains a plethora of melodic statements from Garcia, with the song morphing into a swelling and pulsating improvised drift. From fifteen minutes on, Garcia plays like a man possessed and hits on several syncopated grooves that band responds to in kind touching on the delicate spaces explored during the previous day’s sound check, before falling back into the recognizable ‘Stronger That Dirt’ theme. Garcia then deliciously liquefies the band into Weir’s well timed and well placed ‘Sugar Magnolia’. Observed as an entire piece of work the Grateful Dead played an amazing two days of music at Watkins Glen, a testament to their constant journey to strive for the golden note.
The Band’s set started at 6:00 PM after the Dead’s extended four and a half display concluded and became an amazing cross section of their legendary career, peppered with unique instrumental interludes specific to the Watkins Glen performance. Opening and romping joyously through ‘Goin Back To Memphis’, the Band’s music captured the feel of the festival perfectly through its pastoral imagery and down home instrumentation.
This is rock and roll, country blues distilled to its very essence; it doesn’t get much better than this! During these early moments of the Band set, the low point of the festival weekend occurred as a skydiver unfortunately missed their intended mark and perished on the grounds. As an addendum, there was a supposed ‘official’ release of the Band’s set from Watkins released in 1995, but after inspection and discussion it was revealed that this collection was/is a fraud and contains only two actual tracks from the event. The only way to hear the performance as it was is to hunt down one of the circulating audience recordings that exist in decent quality.
This concert takes place in the middle of a year of rest and uncertainty for the Band. Looked at historically, the concert is a towering peak in the landscape of the Band’s performing career. The songs are tight, dynamic and rise and fall like a high speed run down a country gravel road. Garth Hudson is especially on his game laying down a plethora of breezy and inspirational keyboard flourishes that would culminate with his divergent solo spot “Too Wet Too Work’. Danko and Helm are locked in tight, and the vocals of Manuel, Danko, and Helm wrap around one another like a snaky gospel revival. After rocketing through a series of exciting high tempo tracks including ‘Loving You Is Sweeter That Ever’, and a drunken romp through ‘The Shape I’m In’, the group is eventually forced to leave the stage for twenty minutes because of threatening inclement weather. During the jam on ‘Endless Highway’ prior to their leaving, the crowd can be heard on the recording discussing and preparing for the incoming thunder storm. The ‘fly on the wall’ aspect of this field recording is especially entertaining.
Levon Helm’s remembrance of this moment in his autobiography is that the group left the stage as the weather descended, gulped some Glenfiddich whiskey and watched Hudson return to his keyboard for his orchestral spotlight, ‘Genetic Method’ in this case driving away the rain in the process of the extended solo. Titled ‘Too Wet To Work’ in the case of this performance, Garth traveled through numerous musical landscapes, teasing dynamically, improvising, until the weather dissipated and the Band returned to the stage, slamming into a celebratory ‘Chest Fever’, that in Helm’s words would be forever ‘burned into his memory’. The crowd claps in time with the musical waves, a highpoint of the afternoon. The remainder of the Band set burns through an aggressive and elastic instrumental and then momentous and extended versions of smoldering rock classics like ‘Holy Cow’ and ‘Saved’, as well as crowd pleasing renditions of ‘Cripple Creek’ and ‘Life Is A Carnival.’ Absolutely legendary, the monumental nature of the day as well as joy emanating from the stage translates well to the field recording I am enjoying.
By the time Allman Brothers Band hit the stage at 10:00 PM, the almost one hundred acre concert site had become a swamp, and the happily soaked crowd swelled with anticipation for the upcoming musical onslaught. Opening with the recent for the time ‘Wasted Words’, the band is cooking from the get go with Betts and Allman dueling through vocals and slide guitar over the syncopated groove. The band receives a second introduction after the opener because Bill Graham wanted to make sure every band had each individual member introduced to the crowd. The Allman’s then swagger through beautifully crafted versions of ‘Come and Go Blues’ (featured on official release ‘Wipe the Windows, Check the Oil, Dollar Gas’) ‘Blue Sky’, ‘Jessica’, ‘You Don’t Love Me’, among others. Recent additions Chuck Leavell and Lamar Williams fill in admirably on keys and bass respectively. Leavell and Betts especially have developed an intense chemistry, bouncing hearty melodic ideas off each other throughout the show, with their interplay on ‘Blue Sky’ being a highpoint worth of inspection.
The centerpiece of the Allman’s extended set is the mammoth performance of ‘Les Brers In A Minor’ which bookends a pulsating and dynamic drum duet by Jaimoe and Butch Trucks, the second of the performance following an aggressive ‘You Don’t Love Me’ duet. Each member gets a chance to express themselves as ‘Les Brers’ like its distant cousins ‘Jessica’, and ‘Liz Reed’ navigates a series of death defying twists and turns while solving a series of delicate melodic mysteries. Rock and Roll veteran Chuck Leavell’s extended dance with the black and whites is a pleasure to behold and spreads out a plush carpet in which the band uses to step into drums. This song represents a powerful and confident jam by the retooled group, asserting their ability to move forward while still respecting their past brothers Duane and Barry. Betts guitar lines range from syrupy amber licks to sharp stinging fly bys, the central pole in which the group revolves.
The Allman Brothers set concludes with ‘Whipping Post’, hoped for, expected, and played like a runaway freight train headed down a dark track. Peak after peak is reached the crowd is astonished, amazed and taken to a unique place by the music played. The weekend ends bombastically, well past midnight following the Allman’s set when members from all three groups return to the stage for Summer Jam. Sincerely sloppy, and at moments stunningly brilliant the music continues into the dawn. Rick Danko appears first to drunkenly croon into the mic momentarily and quite endearingly, soon to be joined by Garcia, then Manuel and eventually Betts, Lesh, Allman and others for some more lengthy jamming to conclude the massive weekend of music to the crowds delight.
The music drifting from the stage meanders for a bit before falling into the highlights, ‘Not Fade Away’, ‘Mountain Jam’, and’ Johnny B Goode’, a momentous and special way to conclude the Summer Jam. The ‘Not Fade Away’ is pleasant enough, but the twenty plus minute ‘Mountain Jam’ the follows elicits speeding clouds, percolating rivers, and joyous wilderness romping. Garcia is especially active, intertwining and responding to everyone on stage. Betts and Garcia together create richly constructed summits during their journey, pausing at scenic overlooks that dance with collaborative playing by all of the principals on stage. The musical movement comes as a defining musical statement for the weekend, an instrumental climax, a joining of ideas and people and a perfect example of the magic available through collaborative musical interplay and willing participants.
Watkins Glen, Summer Jam 1973 is not only notable for its collection of an amazing group of musicians, but for its eclectic collection of fans. The collaboration between the two of these principals combined for a historic and alchemic weekend combining music and experience. The encapsulated moment in time for this weekend will never be recreated, but fortunately forever enshrined on recordings and in the memories of the participants.
“Three bands, three sets, no repeats” is how they billed it and I couldn’t have said it better. On Saturday, January 18th, the Grateful Dans, Workingman’s Dead, and The Maniacs brought their tributes of the GratefulDead to the Tralf Music Hall in downtown Buffalo. Each band had their own unique take on the legendary band, with multiple generations of fans in attendance, ready to dance the night away.
Grateful Dans had a laid back approach and got the party started with the fan favorite “Wharf Rat”. Danny Lynn Wilson (lead vocals/guitar) was backed by a band that looked to be playing with one and other for quite a some time. Grateful Dans also incorporated a different approach with background vocalist Amy Svensson playing flute alongside select tunes. Danny Sturner (vocals/keys) played with a lot of enthusiasm starting off “Big Boss Man”, noting “This is one of Pig Pen’s.” You can checkout the Grateful Dans at their next event ‘Back to the Hotel’ on February 15th at the Broadway Hotel in North Tonawanda.
Workingman’s Dead recreated the closest sound to the original Dead. The crowd came alive and the energy in the room really showed it. Kevin Barry (lead vocals/guitar) had the uncanny ability to vocally sound so much like Bob Weir, leading some to think he may have been on stage with them. Mike Hogan (vocals/guitar) nailed down the late Jerry Garcia’s sound so well it was bone chilling. Rick Ruhmel (Keys) was a very strong player, and along side Mark Chamberlin (Bass) really filled out songs nicely. Devin McDonnell and Rob Oshei didn’t seem to miss a beat on drums and you could tell these six guys on stage were a very tight band. They opened with “Scarlet Begonias”, and once into their second song “Jack Straw”, they really lit the fire. The Workingman’s Dead were able to get the crowd really moving with their renditions of “Harder They Come”, “Birdsong” and “Gimme Some Lovin’”. The crowd looked to dance with the same energy and enthusiasm as if they were at an original Dead show. The Workingman’s Dead will be live again tonight, Thursday, January 30th at Nietzsche’s in Buffalo.
The Maniacs closed out the night of Grateful Dead music at the Tralf Music Hall with continuing energy. Hitting their stride with several fan favorites including “Playing In The Band” , “Uncle Johns Band” and “Shakedown Street”, Mark Hitchcock (Drums) was clearly the heart of the band and his energy with the band and the crowd was evident, coming out from behind the kit to the front of the stage. Bryan Staddon is an incredible guitar player and played well to the crowd, clearly enjoying what he was doing. Dennis Reed Jr. on the rhythm guitar was well rounded and along with Gavin Petrie and Tony Petrocelli completed a well playing Dead tribute band. The Maniacs bring their tribute to the Dead on February 7th at the Forum on Maple Rd, show at 9pm.
It was the Summer of 1973, the ‘Hippie movement’ of the 1960’s still existed, but only in isolated pockets, tucked way in the dusty cobwebbed corners of the counterculture. Groups like the Grateful Dead, Allman Brothers Band, and The Band were still playing to crowds that held tightly to the ideals of the mid 1960’s, which the groups themselves still carried on through their music.
The bands were also undergoing personal changes reflected back at them through their audience. All three bands and more than 600,000 of their fans would descend on Watkins Glen for one of the largest concerts in recorded history.
The genesis for 1973’s Summer Jam began as a brain storm by promoters Shelly Finkel and Jim Koplik who had discussed and planned on setting a line up for the ages. After seeing members of the Allman Brothers Band sit in with the Grateful Dead at a Summer 1972 concert at Roosevelt Stadium the seed was planted to bring together an astronomical set of musicians for a gathering to rival even Woodstock, boy, would they be surprised.
The decision to bring The Band on board came by the promoters asking the Dead and Allman’s which artist they would most like to have join them on the bill, the decision was easy and unanimous. Plans were put in place and and set in motion. Roughly 150,000 tickets were sold at $10.00 a piece for the show, large by any standard of measurement. To everyone’s surprise, by the evening prior to the concert that number of intrepid travelers had already showed up to the festival site. By show time on July 28 the number would exceed an estimated 600,000 fans.
Often overshadowed by other festivals in the annals of rock history, the show became something different than originally planned, but ended up being remembered fondly by all participants. The concert also seemed to signal the end of an era, ushering in a time where festivals became corporate interests instead of private excursions into the unknown. Soon to be gone were the days of Monterey, Woodstock, and the Isle of Wight, properly concluding with the biggest of them all ‘Summer Jam,’ situated smack dab in the middle of New York State. Two of the principal performing artists, The Grateful Dead and Allman Brothers had recently lost founding members, Pigpen for the Dead in March of 1973, and Duane Allman and Barry Oakley for the Allmans in 1971 and 1972 respectively. These deaths caused a restructure and reassessment of both bands musical futures which at this point seemed somewhat uncertain for both groups.
The Band on the other hand was also hanging by a thread because of personal issues regarding publishing, as well as substance abuse seeping into the fabric of the group. The ‘Summer Jam’ acts as a celebration of the recent past for the artists involved, as well as a signpost to an unknown future. For the Grateful Dead, the festival featured one of their usual blistering 1973 sets, in addition to an perfectly encapsulated instrumental journey tagged as one of their finest, hailing in true Grateful Dead fashion from the sound check. The Allmans played an extended and crisply executed set featuring new songs from their retooled line up and fiery soloing from Dickey Betts. Robbie Robertson has often been quoted that the Watkins Glen set was one of the legendary performing moments by the boys, and will go down in history as one of their best.
In spite of prior planning by the promoters and authorities leading up to the evening of the concert, roads and highways were still backed up for a hundred miles, stores in Watkins Glen and surrounding areas were wiped of groceries and beer, and over 150,000 folks were waiting at the 95 acre concert site a night early. Routes 14 and 17 were gridlocked, and even secret back road entries were congested with abandoned cars, forgotten ground scores and backpacking travelers making their way to the festival site.
The day of July 27found the band’s arriving, scoping out the situation, and standing slack jawed at the amount of people already at the festival site. Legend tells us that when Robbie Robertson guitarist of The Band inquired about a sound check in preparation for the expansive outdoor venue, all three bands decided to do the same thing that evening and make it a mini performance. What happened next is the stuff legends are made of. All three bands played beautiful sets to the lucky early arrivals. The Band ran through a couple of their well know classics as well as jamming on a few unique instrumental grooves that harkened back to their days as The Hawks, when they were still playing Toronto bars and clubs.
A crushing ‘The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down’ opens the ‘rehearsal’ and is answered by encouraging crowd feedback. The instrumental groove the group break into following ‘Dixie’ is jump started by Danko’s smooth fretless bass flourishes and the rest of the band falling in line with a jumpy Levon Helm swing. Robertson’s Stratocaster draws blood with its stinging ring cutting through the somewhat marginal sound quality. Another jewel of the practice session is the rare Danko sung version of ‘Raining in My Heart,’ a bit jagged, but oh so charming.
The Allman’s followed and also ran through a rough and ready sound check that was made up of a few songs planned for the next evening including ‘Ramblin Man’ and ‘One Way Out,’ short but sweet when compared to what would follow. When the Grateful Dead approached the stage for their ‘rehearsal’ segment little did the band or assembled throng know what they were in for.
The Grateful Dead’s ‘soundcheck’ appeared as two sets lasted an hour and a half, but according to many opinions and in true Grateful Dead fashion possibly outshines the next day’s ‘official’ performance. The bonus being the performance circulates in pristine quality unlike songs from the other participants of the concert. The unique improvised instrumental jam that preceded ‘Wharf Rat’ is an anomalous display, never to recreated, and is one of those magical Grateful Dead moments made for the time in which it was born. The jam appeared years later on the official release box set So Many Roads, proof of its distinguished standing in the Dead’s long and varied history.
Prior to the sound checks first highlight ‘Bird Song,’ Phil Lesh states ‘This whole thing is a fraud, we’re really clever androids,’ as they band prepares to levitate off of the ground. ‘Bird Song’ comes skipping in, riding with Kreutzmann on the humid Summer evening breeze. Succulent and patient Garcia and Lesh probe the soft cloudy edges of the jam, floating in space. Expansive yet slightly tentative, the ‘Bird Song’ jams wings are lifted by the gusts of inspiration starting to stir.
After polished and well played versions of various first set classics, including a big fat ‘Tennessee Jed’, the band finds itself in one of those sacred spaces, where the music eventually plays the band, and all bets are off. The unnamed jam grows from silence, quietly, pensively, with light cymbal hits and the guitarists peeking around corners probing into darkness. Lesh increases the intensity with some fuzzy chording; Weir gives the musical drift a tangible shape with perfectly timed strums. Lesh then begins to drone and detonate, the band turns into particles and star dust, breaking apart, and then coagulating as a Garcia led jam rises from nothingness. Billy K catches on, Garcia sets the rhythm and the band achieves lift off. Slick, smooth and jazzy, the band improvises idea after idea. Weir strikes out with nervous lush rhythmic ideas, Phil hides and seeks, and Garcia peels off layer after layer of juicy skin revealing the jam’s plump and succulent center. The band sinks their teeth deep into the music creating one of their finest moments in front of the lucky crowd who descended early upon Watkins Glen that Summer night of 1973.
An endless stream of collaborative ideas pours from the group like the icy waters raging through the shady tree lined Watkins Glen only a few short miles away. Some of the melodies are familiar, some are brand new, some mix and match like oil and water, some blend like paints on an artists pallet. One of the finest musical moments in the Grateful Dead’s long and storied history has just occurred, thankfully captured for posterity. An audacious beginning to a concert event that hasn’t even ‘started’ yet! The jam eventually dissolves into a fitting and lucid ‘Wharf Rat,’ the previous journey to arrive there filled with drama and intrigue.
The Dead portion of the soundcheck concludes with a solid but anticlimactic ‘Around and Around’, that leaves the assembled throng looking to find a place to sleep, and prepare for the following days awe inspiring display of music, stamina, and mother nature, that would extend to extravagant lengths. The following day would start at 10:00 AM and conclude very early on the morning of July 30th, history was going to be made and if you read part II I will try to recall that day in words. Look for the rest of this feature on Summer Jam 1973 soon, and prepare to dive into the ‘official’ day of the concert, and witness the magic still waiting to happen.
On December 27, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead (JRAD) closed The Capitol Theatre down for 2013 with their second-ever performance. Comprised of Russo, Marco Benevento, Scott Metzger, Dave Dreiwitz and Tom Hamilton, the quintet showed why they wowed audiences in January with their debut show at The Brooklyn Bowl. Their set was largely changed up from that show, so for those who have seen both performances they experienced two varied shows, in the spirit of all things Grateful Dead.
Starting off with a psychedelic take on “Cream Puff War” the group was firing on all cylinders off the bat. A surprisingly long “Truckin’”, followed after a beautiful transition as the band jammed it out, endlessly dropping straight into a one-two punch of “Dupree’s Diamond Blues” and “Cumberland Blues.” A quick break in the action allowed Joe to welcome everyone to the venue and thanked them for coming out. Every song seemed to push the envelope of what a Grateful Dead song could sound like and it all came to a head with a 15 minute set closing “Shakedown Street.” This version is a must hear as it was ripped right out of discotheque and the audience knew it, dancing their hearts out for the entirety of the song.
After a short break, the band returned, starting up the set with a wild “Space” that went into an amazing “Scarlet Begonias > Fire on the Mountain” combo. This combo took about half an hour to complete and every second was worth it. The “Fire” was an absolute barn burner and really got the second set going. They teased songs throughout their performance, most notably during “Playin’ in the Band” with “The Eleven/The Other One” before going right back into a spacey jam. These jams truly dominated the evening and validated the claim that JRAD is the best Dead-related act out there. The group ended the set with a perfect “Terrapin Station” that seemed endless. Smiles were seen throughout the building during the opening chords of the suite. A half hour later, the group was walking off the stage before their encore of “Brokedown Palace.”
The evening was a beautiful way for many people in town for the Phish run to start the end of the year. Joe Russo has gone on record saying that these shows will be few and far between to ensure they maintain their special quality. This concert showed the crowd that there is still hope for all things Grateful Dead related, whether there is an original member in the band or not. Joe Russo’s Almost Dead is sure to play a show or two again this coming year and if they do, run, don’t walk, to make sure you get to see it.
Set 1: Cream Puff War > Truckin’ > Dupree’s Diamond Blues > Cumberland Blues, Row Jimmy, Bertha, Easy Wind > Shakedown Street
Set 2: Space > Scarlet Begonias > Fire on the Mountain, Playin’ in the Band, Althea, Turn on You Lovelight, Terrapin Station
Following Thanksgiving, DSO will be playing New York City’s Best Buy Theatre for a two night stand on the 28th and 29th. The New York portion of the tour wraps up on December 1st at Syracuse’s Palace Theatre. Tickets for these shows go on sale this coming week. All the dates are below.
