Article Contributed by Debra Lambert
Published on 2026-10-06
Jerry's Middle Finger | Boulder, Colorado | September 27th, 2026 - photos by Debra Lambert
Within the world of Deadheads, there is a particularly devoted species: the Jerry people. They take their Jerry very seriously. Sunday night (September 27), they filled every nook and cranny of Boulder’s Velvet Elk Lounge for a sold-out Jerry’s Middle Finger show. Word has gotten out from coast to coast about this band from California.
JMF has been at it since 2015, and they are righteous in their devotion to doing justice to the Jerry songbook—and doing it with feeling and joy. Jerry Garcia Band music occupies its own space in the Dead universe. It was Jerry following his own musical passions outside the Dead. You will dance, but the music will also take you through waves of gospel and soul, blues, R&B, reggae and rock.
JMF came together in Los Angeles in 2015, and their roots have a serendipitous Boulder connection. Founding members Garrett Deloian and Rodney Newman first met here in 1992, flipping pizzas together at The Sink, where they bonded over their love of the Grateful Dead. More than 20 years later, they formed JMF with Jon Gold on keys and organ, Son Vo on bass, and Halina Janusz and Lisa Malsberger—the Ladyfingers—on vocals. They are still the original lineup.
With the stage at the Velvet Elk barely two feet high, the band was right there with us. Son Vo and I had a chuckle, both aware that my camera had the potential to be practically in his face. They opened with just the guys on Chuck Berry’s “Let It Rock,” rocking and soulful, and a frequent opener for Jerry, too. “Can’t stop the train, gotta let it roll on.” The Ladyfingers took the stage for “Catfish John,” and off we went—a first set with a buoyant, easy groove.
Garrett Deloian, guitar whiz that he is, inhabits Jerry’s playing. Rodney Newman on drums and Son Vo on bass keep it deep and rolling, with Jon Gold adding the richness of keys and organ to that unmistakable Jerry sound. That first set gave us rock and roll, Dylan, reggae, R&B, soul—and classic Jerry with “Waiting for a Miracle” and “They Love Each Other.” The band and crowd had fun together with Sam Cooke’s “Wonderful World,” everyone doing that little shuffle... “Don’t know much about history...” Then a rocking favorite, “Run for the Roses,” to close the set.
We got more textures in the second set. “Lonesome and a Long Way from Home” led into a soulful “Dear Prudence,” with Rodney and Son Vo holding that hypnotic rhythm while Garrett’s guitar wound through it, all building to a gorgeous soaring peak. A rousing “Mighty High” belonged to the Ladyfingers. Halina Janusz and Lisa Malsberger are JMF’s special sauce. When those gospel-laden harmonies come in, it’s like the heavens open up.
We got two more Dylan numbers, “Simple Twist of Fate” and a secret wish for me with “Tangled Up in Blue.” “The Maker” brought another one of those heavenly Ladyfingers moments. They might have had one more in them, but the clock ran out after “Cats Under the Stars.”
“Cats on the bandstand, give ’em each a big hand.” This was JMF’s third visit to Colorado. They’ve been selling out bigger venues on the West Coast for years—the Troubadour, Felton Music Hall, Belly Up, Great American Music Hall—and they sold out Ophelia’s in Denver last November. We’re rooting for an even bigger Colorado venue next time. Give ’em each a big hand, give ’em a bigger stage, and we will dance and rejoice in all the corners.
Set 1
Let It Rock, Catfish John, Waiting for a Miracle, When I Paint My Masterpiece, The Harder They Come, They Love Each Other, Money Honey, Wonderful World, Run for the Roses
Set 2
Lonesome & a Long Way from Home, Dear Prudence, Mighty High, The Night They Drove Ol’ Dixie Down, Simple Twist of Fate, Tangled Up in Blue, The Maker, Cats Under the Stars
Oct. 14 — Brooklyn Bowl NYC — Brooklyn, NY
Oct. 15 — Ardmore Music Hall — Ardmore, PA
Oct. 16 — Lark Hall — Albany, NY
Oct. 17 — The Vogel — Red Bank, NJ
Oct. 18 — The Hamilton — Washington, DC
Oct. 20 — Lincoln Theatre — Raleigh, NC
Oct. 21 — Third Room — Asheville, NC
Oct. 23 — Terra Fermata Tiki Bar — Stuart, FL
Oct. 24 — Zodiac — Tampa, FL
Oct. 25 — Colonial Oak Music Park — St. Augustine, FL
Oct. 30 & 31 — Halloween Ball — Felton Music Hall — Felton, CA
Nov. 12 — Orpheum Theater — Flagstaff, AZ
Nov. 13 — Last Exit Live — Phoenix, AZ
Nov. 14 — 191 Toole — Tucson, AZ
Nov. 21 & 22 — Pappy & Harriet’s — Pioneertown, CA
Dec. 26 & 27 — Great American Music Hall — San Francisco, CA
