The San Francisco Giants will again honor their local house-band, The Grateful Dead, and Jerry Garcia on August 9th, 2011.  August 9th will mark the 16th anniversary of Jerry's passing.  Last year the annual Grateful Dead night ended up in a very exciting 11th inning win for the SF Giants, who eventually went on to win the World Series!  Check out more details below.

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Giants VS Pirates

National Anthem performed by Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, And Giants Own Tim Flannery

7th Inning Stretch by Mickey Hart and NBA Hall Of Famer Bill Walton

Special Ticket Package Includes:

•A seat in one of the "Dead Head" tribute section, spread through the park

•A very special limited-edition "Dancing Bears" collectible statue

•Pregame performance by Grateful Dead tribute bands

•Members of the Garcia family and the original band to throw out the first pitch and perform the National Anthem

•Ticket proceeds will be donated to the Furthur Foundation, Rex Foundation and the Unbroken Chain Foundation as well as other non-profits affiliated with the individual band members causes...

Get your tickets here. Please note you will be automatically directed to purchase tickets in the Special Events sections.

Pick up a Grateful Dead Giants hat and t-shirt here.

Seminal guitarist Steve Kimock returns to San Francisco this summer with his elevated guitar explorations for a much anticipated show with Steve Kimock & Friends on Thursday, July 14^th, featuring Bay Area veteran Bobby Vega (Zero, KVHW, Sly & the Family Stone) with Kyle Hollingsworth (String Cheese Incident) & Wally Ingram (Stockholm Syndrome, David Lindley) and special guests.

For nearly four decades Steve Kimock has earned a reputation as a guitarist with an enlightened approach to melodic improvisation, mesmerizing audiences from around the globe with his tasteful guitar speak and brilliant tone.  In a world of ‘dumbing down,’ Kimock has carved a path in the opposite direction by expanding the envelope with his signature sounds, opening minds and deepening consciousness for the better of the planet.  Kimock’s variegated brand of guitar, alternately subdued and vibrant, defies easy categorization. At times prog rock/jazz-inflected and at others gypsy-straightaway, Kimock’s rock-n-soul has been captivating audiences for more than thirty years.

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Steve Kimock & Friends
featuring Bobby Vega with Kyle Hollingsworth, Wally Ingram & special guests
Thursday, July 14^th 2011
Uptown Theatre– Napa, CA
Doors: 7:00PM | Show: 8:00PM | 21+  | Tickets $35  TICKETS

Steve Kimock & Friends
featuring Bobby Vega with Kyle Hollingsworth, Wally Ingram & special guests
Friday, July 15th 2011
Great American Music Hall - San Francisco, CA
859 OFarrell St
Doors: 8:00 PM | Show: 9:00 PM | Ages: all ages

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In 2011 alone, Kimock has been involved in many celebrated events, reuniting with his band Zero for sold-out shows in San Francisco, and recently participating in Bob Weir’s groundbreaking HD webcast from TRI Studios in Marin.  He also put together notable Steve Kimock & Friends shows collaborating with New Orleans legends Henry Butler, Zigaboo Modeliste (The Meters), George Porter Jr. (The Meters), as well as shows with Bill Kreutzmann (Grateful Dead), Marco Benevento, Andy Hess (Gov’t Mule, Black Crowes), just to name a few.

Kimock co-founded the Jazz/Rock quintessential band Zero in the 80’s, KVHW in the 90’s, and has since played in various Kimock, Grateful Dead and other various projects including Praang, an electronica/improve rock band Kimock has with the members of EOTO.   He is widely embraced by fans as one who carries the free-form torch of improvisation and his versatility keeps fans coming for more.  Kimock has performed alongside the likes of Bruce Hornsby, John Cipollina, Jerry Garcia and all members of the Grateful Dead, as well as Peter Frampton, Bonnie Raitt, The Allman Brothers, all members of Phish, Buddy Miles, Jorma Kaukonen and Hot Tuna, Buddy Cage, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, Martin Fierro, Joe Satriani, Baaba Maal, Angelique Kidjo, Elvin Bishop, Steve Winwood, Derek Trucks, Ivan Neville, Grace Slick, Papa John Creach, Norton Buffalo, Amos Garrett, Warren Haynes, Stephen Perkins, Nicky Hopkins, Freddie Roulette, and many more. Visit www.kimock.com for more information.

Z2 Entertainment is proud to present The Motet:  Funk Is Dead Performing the music of the Grateful Dead at the Boulder Theater on Monday, October 31^st. Tickets go on sale Friday, June 17^th at 10:00am.

The Motet is extremely excited to announce that for Halloween 2011 they will be paying tribute to the music of one of the most influential rock bands of the last 40 years: THE GRATEFUL DEAD!

How does the Grateful Dead’s sound fit into the energy and vibe of a Motet Halloween show?  They will be taking the challenge of reworking those epic and timeless songs with the energetic afro-funk grooves that you come to expect from The Motet…..hence the title “Funk is Dead!”

In addition to the slamming rhythm section of Dave Watts (drums), Garrett Sayers (bass), Joey Porter (keys), Ryan Jalbert (guitar), Scott Messersmith (percussion) and Dan Schwindt (guitar), they will be bringing in 3 of their great vocalists:  Jans Ingber, Paul Creighton and Kim Dawson.  Also, they will be showcasing a trio of horns (who’s ever played the Grateful Dead with a horn section?!):  Gabe Mervine (trumpet), Matt Pitts (tenor) and Pete Wall (bari)>

The boys are certain that these are going to go down in Motet Halloween history as some of the most exciting and creative shows they have ever put together!! Make sure to get your tickets soon so you don’t find yourself at the concert with your finger in the air looking for a funky miracle!

For more information please visit www.themotet.net

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The Motet Presents Funk Is Dead

Boulder Theater

Monday, October 31st

Doors:  8:00 pm

Show Time:  8:30 pm

In a move sure to delight audiophiles and collectors of classic pop music albums, the Audio Fidelity label will reissue of two classic Grateful Dead albums on 180-gram pure virgin vinyl, in limited numbered edition gatefold packages on June 7th, according to label president Marshall Blonstein.The band's 1975 BLUES FOR ALLAH and 1978's SHAKEDOWN STREET will be available from both online and brick-and-mortar retail outlets as the latest offerings in Audio Fidelity's continuing program of audiophile reissues.

Audio Fidelity, which Blonstein founded in 2002 after leaving the pioneering DCC Compact Classics label that he started in 1986, has become synonymous with high-quality album reissues geared toward the audiophile market. Since 2009, Audio Fidelity has reissued some of the best-known and most significant pop and rock titles in both 24Karat Gold CD and 180-gram virgin vinyl editions.Continuing the policy Blonstein established at DCC, all Audio Fidelity titles are produced from original sources and feature the original artwork. Among the imprint's growing catalog are key recordings by Stevie Wonder, Simon & Garfunkel, the Beach Boys, Rod Stewart, the Doors, Cat Stevens, James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt.

The two Grateful Dead reissues occupy special places in the fabled San Francisco band's history. BLUES FOR ALLAH, originally released in September of 1975, was the third of only four albums issued on the group's Grateful Dead Records imprint. While the LP's best remembered cuts, "Franklin's Tower" and "The Music Never Stopped," remained in the band's concert set list for some 20 years, the title track-the first part of an ambitious suite-was performed only a few times in 1975 before being retired from the band's repertoire. BLUES FOR ALLAH reached No. 12 on Billboard's album chart; from the LP, "The Music Never Stopped" was the Dead's highest charting single since "Uncle John's Band."

First issued in November 1978 on Arista Records, SHAKEDOWN STREET was the Dead's tenth album, its eighth to go Gold. Produced by Little Feat founder Lowell George, it was an eclectic collection that featured updated versions of venerable live Dead favorites ("Good Lovin,'" "All New Minglewood Blues") and also introduced songs that would become staples of the band's concerts for years to come, most notably "I Need a Miracle" and "Fire on the Mountain." The lighthearted SHAKEDOWN STREET cover illustration was done by renowned underground-comics artist Gilbert Shelton, famous for The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers and Wonder Wart-hog strips. The album remained on the Billboard chart for close to six months, peaking at No. 41.

The Grateful Dead vinyl reissues represent Audio Fidelity's expanded vinyl release schedule, which has recently included titles such as Cheap Trick's IN COLOR, Laura Nyro's FIRST SONGS, Harry Nilsson's A LITTLE TOUCH OF SCHMILSSON IN THE NIGHT and Kate Bush's HOUNDS OF LOVE. While the label often issues a title in both Gold-CD and virgin-vinyl formats, Blonstein admits some of the impetus for producing the latter comes from the renewed interest in vinyl LP's. According to the R.I.A.A., vinyl sales surged 26% in 2010 over the previous year.

Blonstein is bullish on the public's appetite for audiophile reissues of classic albums, and Audio Fidelity's capacity to satisfy it. "The traditional music retail stores as we once knew them are gone," he continues. "At the same time, there's a strong traditional 'unique' retail base of retailers that has found a way to do more than survive; they're thriving. When CDs first came out, they were unique. It was a new format. Vinyl and cassettes starting declining rapidly in sales. The uniqueness and the improved sound quality made the CD an almost instant success, but it lacked the emotional connection consumers experienced with vinyl. The resurgence of vinyl shows us that connection is being made again ... the consumer likes to hold a vinyl LP, to study the artwork. It's now become a very hip format again, and when you see consumers shopping for vinyl at stores, you see them spending more time looking to buy music in general. It's obvious that there is an audience for top-quality remastered CD and vinyl pressings."

Marshall Blonstein's professional career comprises a virtual history of the modern music and entertainment business. The Los Angeles native started in the business in 1965 as a promotion executive at Epic and ABC Records. As a principal of Ode Records, he helped make Carole King's Tapestry one of the best-selling albums of all time and built two of the longest running cult-film franchises in The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Cheech & Chong's Up in Smoke. Blonstein subsequently served as president of Island Records, working with artists such as Bob Marley and Steve Winwood, and, in 1986, founded DCC Compact Classics to take advantage of the technical advances offered in the digital medium. DCC quickly grew into the premiere audiophile imprint, issuing sets by Elvis Presley, the Eagles, the Doors, Frank Sinatra and many others.

Upon leaving DCC in 2002, Blonstein created Audio Fidelity, which has assumed a similarly prestigious perch among imprints serving the audiophile and music-collecting communities. In addition to its audiophile catalog, Audio Fidelity, based in Camarillo, California, also releases compilation CDs, a variety of reissues and DVDs, such as Soupy Sales, Elvis Presley, Tim Allen and Hugh Hefner's legendary series Playboy After Dark.

Some forty or so years ago in the Summer of Love, tens of thousands of Northern Californians – and soon after, many more Americans – changed their minds about certain aspects of American life.  They decided that spending their lives in the pursuit of fun and a higher wisdom would be preferable to an existence devoted exclusively to getting, spending, and serving corporations.  They decided that all of this would be best accompanied by music.

Some of them went to work at a fair that evolved into the Harmony Festival.  Some of them followed a band called the Grateful Dead. Some of them did both. And on Friday, June 10, from 9PM – 3AM they have the chance to do it all again, together, in one location.

The 33^rd annual Harmony Festival—which runs June 10, 11 and 12—is pleased to present as part of its 2011 festival Harmony After Dark late night concerts:  “A Tribute to the Life of Owsley “Bear” Stanley and the Musical Spirit of Jerry Garcia”, featuring performers Steve Kimock, the David Nelson Band, Jesse McReynolds, members of Railroad Earth, and Moonalice. The show will be held Friday, June 10 in Harmony Hall on the festival grounds at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa, California.

Access to this very special Late Night attraction is included with a Harmony Festival Three Day Plus, Whole Festival or VIP ticket OR a separate Friday Night Ticket ($45 online in advance), which includes all of the other Late Night concerts and after hours attractions.

In the Harmony Festival tradition, the visual arts grab just as much spotlight as the sonic, and Harmony Hall will overflow with Rock Art by TRPS; live art and installations by Tribe 13 featuring original art by Jerry Garcia, Owsley Stanley, Rick Griffin, Alton Kelley, Stanley Mouse, The Merry Pranksters, Alex Gray, Mati Klarwein, Martina Hoffman, and more; a collection of Original Blotter Art curated by Shady Backflash and Rick McCloud; live painting by Stanley Mouse and Mark Henson; visuals by Jonathan Singer; and ambience and interactive experientials by Johnny Dwork and Peak Experience Productions.

In addition to being the legendary chemist behind the psychedelic adventures of mid-60s San Francisco, Owsley Stanley, who recently passed following an auto accident, became the Grateful Dead’s soundman, and in 1973 produced the Dead’s last album with Warner Bros., Bear’s Choice.  Kimock, Nelson, McReynolds and their friends will re-create the album, a long-time Dead Head favorite.  This unique resurrection will cap an evening of performances by musicians who were part of Jerry Garcia’s legendary playing career and extended musical family, including:

Steve Kimock, unquestionably one of the pre-eminent guitarists in the jam-band explosion that emerged after the Grateful Dead stopped touring, so it’s appropriate that in the early ‘80s Garcia himself identified Kimock as his “favorite lesser-known guitarist

David Nelson, whose first professional show at the San Francisco State Folk Festival of 1962, was in a band called the Hart Valley Drifters led by Jerry Garcia.  David went on to fame as a founder of the New Riders of the Purple Sage.

Jesse McReynolds, an icon of bluegrass, a peer of Bill Monroe’s and a personal hero of Jerry Garcia’s, recently released a tribute album to Garcia and his lyricist Robert Hunter called Songs of the Grateful Dead.

Railroad Earth, one of the leading jam bands on the current scene, and members from the band will be playing.

Moonalice, which features the considerable talents of Roger McNamee (Flying Other Brothers), Ann McNamee (Ann Atomic), Pete Sears (Jefferson Starship, Hot Tuna), Barry Sless (Phil Lesh & Friends, Kingfish), and John Molo (Bruce Hornsby & the Range, John Fogerty, the Other Ones).

In short, musicians from all facets of Jerry Garcia’s musical life will converge on the stage at Harmony Hall to make music in the tradition of all traditions. In anticipation of the considerable attention this line-up will garner, music industry heavyweight Guitar Player magazine has joined forces with Harmony Festival to sponsor this once-in-a-lifetime event.

Celebrating 33 years of “Unity in Community”, Harmony Festival is a proud, repeat winner of The Bohemian’s Best Festival and Best Music Festival Sonoma annual reader awards.

HARMONY FESTIVAL Five stages, three days, two nights…one unforgettable experience!