When you look at the Grateful Dead’s vibrant subculture around the world, it’s as strong as ever. The culture revolves around the music and lifestyle of the band and its followers, affectionately known as Deadheads. The band's music is a time capsule that embodies peace, love, kindness, and adventure for everyone who wants in. From the early beginnings of Jerry Garcia and Bob Weir meeting at a music store in Palo Alto, California, in 1965 to the recent sixty-year celebration of the Grateful Dead’s music performed by Dead & Co. in San Francisco last weekend, the music pushes forward. With the consistent gathering of surviving members of the band and scores of Grateful Dead tribute bands around the world, the music keeps gaining momentum and new fans along the way.
The journey for some, myself included, has been a long, strange trip indeed. The Grateful Dead’s pioneering spirit has always been the backbone of the jam world, and it’s probably OK to refer to them as the Godfathers of the jam scene. The journey for others is just beginning as they grow older and learn about this wildly adventurous, almost mythical group of pranksters that paved the road for one of the greatest stories ever told. The music of the Grateful Dead travels in directions most other bands don’t know exist, and if they did, would not dare to explore.
The uniqueness and simple sophistication of the music move people in a way no other band does. It’s an unexplained feeling of a utopian communal society fueled by the music. The easiest way to explain the music of the Grateful Dead would be to say that even a blind man knows when the sun is shining. Since Garcia’s death in 1995, there have been many opportunities for the fans to enjoy the music of the Grateful Dead. There have been over twenty-four spin-off bands from past and present members of the Grateful Dead who have carried on the music of the band, along with their own material, into the hearts and minds of new generations of fans.
There are so many amazing stories about the Grateful Dead’s past, and if you have not already discovered them, I highly recommend a deep dive into the band’s extraordinary history through many published books, documentaries, and live recordings of their concerts. The one very important story I would like to share is the origin of the name Grateful Dead. According to Phil Lesh, Garcia picked up an old Britannica World Language Dictionary and, in his silvery elf-voice, said, “Hey, man, how about we call the band the Grateful Dead,” and the rest will forever be remembered until time is no longer available.
The spirit of Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead was thick with excitement, energy, and anticipation of an amazing night of music. The backdrop of this very special occasion honoring Garcia was the majestic Mishawaka Amphitheatre. The heart-pounding Poudre River just feet behind the stage provided a constant rumble of rushing water. The surrounding mountains that harness the amphitheatre felt like they were looking over every soul in attendance, providing security and comfort to an amazing group of people in their shadows. The two dozen musicians involved in this project all have strong ties to the music of the Grateful Dead, and many of them are in full-time Grateful Dead tribute bands and other projects involving similar styles of music.
Last night’s talent was stacked to another dimension of quality and craftsmanship. As much as I would like to write about every single person who performed during JerryFest, I will have to approach this segment of the article more collectively, as there were so many people involved. That being said, every person on that stage brought a smile and their own creative imagination to the music. Everyone added their own nuances and personal touches to their instrumentation or their vocal responsibilities. The music wove through many different eras of Jerry Garcia’s solo career and his time spent behind the wheel of the Grateful Dead. There were three separate house bands for three different sets of music, with special guests making appearances throughout the night. Set lists included below.
The musicians were Angelo DeSalvo on drums, Boots Jaffee on harmonica, Brian Scott Adams on guitar, Caleb D’Aleo on guitar, Charlie Humphreys on guitar, Charlie Stevens on guitar, Chris Bell on keyboards, Chuck Grewe on bass, Cragon Sims on bass, Dana Giove on bass, Dave Dardine on guitar, David Levy on drums, Dave Wisbon on keyboards, Jared Lydon on vocals, Laniece Schleicher on vocals, Luke Hahn Zollo on guitar, Matt Goldberg on keyboards, Max Mackey on guitar, Michael Kirkpatrick on mandolin, Peter Hale on guitar, Robin Lewis on vocals, Steven Wayne Cobb on keyboards, Louann De Coursey on keyboards, and Stu Crair on drums. Many of these musicians also sang lead and backup vocals on select tunes.
There was so much remarkable music played, and so many outstanding musical and personal moments happening in every passing minute of the evening, that it will never fade away from memory. There is one person I would like to mention specifically for his never-ending love and devotion to the Grateful Dead family. Boots Jaffee, who performed in this show on harmonica and who lives just a few miles from the Mishawaka, was a member of the Grateful Dead’s production crew from 1968 through 1976. He is Fort Collins, Colorado's most direct connection to the Grateful Dead and knows pretty much everything there is to know about the band and his dear departed friend Jerry Garcia. Boots is a walking history book when it comes to the Grateful Dead’s story, and we are always honored to have him participate in these types of events. Some of Boots' specific duties with the Grateful Dead were his pyrotechnic abilities, and lord knows what else. If you ever bump into Boots, ask him about his time spent with the band; he is always happy to share a story and a smile.
Thank you to everyone who participated in this show. Thanks to Cowbell Collective for bringing this show to fruition. Thanks to the Mishawaka Amphitheatre for hosting this event and to all of their staff for their professionalism and friendships. Thanks to KRFC 88.9 FM - Radio, Fort Collins, Colorado.
Grateful Web is always honored to participate in keeping the love light of the Grateful Dead burning brightly.
