Melvin Seals & JGB at Aggie Theatre on Halloween Eve

Melvin Seals & JGB | Aggie Theatre | Fort Collins, CO | October 30th, 2025 | photos by Backstage Flash

On the eve of Halloween in Northern Colorado, Melvin Seals and JGB brought their unearthly A-game to a costume-clad audience at the Aggie Theatre. The merry prankster-laden vibes that filled the room had a nostalgic hippie scene atmosphere, with many folks dressed in colorful costumes celebrating the upcoming holiday with freaky, festive spirit. Wide-eyed gleams of joy filled the spinning souls of the crowd as they danced feverishly through the hall. Melvin Seals was certainly in tune with what was going on, as his magical smile radiated from behind his Hammond organ.

Melvin Seals and JGB’s powerful presence and otherworldly skills on the keyboards were jaw-dropping—sweet and poised with power. Helping to pioneer the jam band genre on the same stage as his friend Jerry Garcia for eighteen years has firmly established Seals’ concrete contributions to a musical style that will never fade away. Spinning his Hammond B3 magic for over thirty years has electrified and mystified audiences of all musical tastes and ages. There were many younger music fans in the crowd last night who never had the opportunity to experience the music of the Jerry Garcia Band or the Grateful Dead. Having musicians like Seals and his all-star band is vital to the generations of music fans now and the ones yet to come. Every person on the stage last night was a musical historian and purveyor of keeping the rich musical heritage of Jerry Garcia’s music alive and well for years to come.

The band played Garcia songs as well as plenty of cool covers that Garcia was fond of and often included in his sets (we’ve included the complete setlist below). Seals, on organ and vocals, was joined by jam band veterans John Kadlecik on guitar and vocals, John-Paul McLean on bass and vocals, and Jeremy Hoenig on drums. Kadlecik was a founding member of Dark Star Orchestra, which eventually led him to his tenure with Furthur and JGB. McLean is no stranger to the Grateful Dead—he’s an accomplished musician and was Dead drummer Mickey Hart’s sound engineer. He also contributed to Hart’s Grammy Award-winning album Global Drum Project. Hoenig, on drums, played with Phil Lesh and is a vital part of the psychedelic San Francisco music scene. If that’s not a jam band pedigree line, I don’t know what is.

Affectionately nicknamed by Garcia, Seals earns his title of Master of the Universe every time he sits behind his trusty Hammond organ. His musical improvisation is unsurpassed as he weaves funk, rock, gospel, soul, and rhythm and blues into one never-ending musical journey of spontaneity and unpredictable bliss. His humble persona and all-business attitude emanated from the stage. His playing style, melodically flavored with all the sweet emotion you could handle, took over the room with rich, swirling technique and tone. Kadlecik, who has a hauntingly similar vocal tone to Garcia, handled most of the singing duties. His voice was powerful and emotional, conveying every word with crystal-clear accuracy to every corner of the hall. His guitar playing was nothing short of wizardry and whimsy—from hard-biting solos to emotive fretwork, his playing was melodically magical and deeply moving.

Hoenig on drums and McLean on bass had the kind of musical synergy you dream about. Their low-end understanding—building a wall of sound that’s structurally strong yet loose enough to move around with ease and fluidity—was center stage and rumbling through the crowd. The two gurus of groove had great chemistry, building thick moods entwined with high energy and softer elements of instrumentation, creating a vivid flow of momentum. The fab four of psychedelic sync were on fire. The instrumental interplay and execution felt individually inspired by each band member, yet came together so harmoniously and connected that it made your mind melt.

Opening the show with “How Sweet It Is” set an early tone for a magical evening of sweet music. The band and audience were firing on all cylinders. The energy from the crowd bounced around the room with peaceful velocity and mile-high enthusiasm. The smiles on the faces of both the stage and audience were the same. The grateful emotions of gratitude and friendship were highly visible, and the mood in the room resembled times from the past. The music played the band, and the band played to us. That is the spirit, intrigue, and adventure of the music Melvin Seals and JGB are preserving, enhancing, and sharing with the world. One of the most mysterious and intriguing music catalogs in existence is sitting on top of the world, and we happen to be right there with it—grateful.

Thanks to Melvin Seals and JGB for warming our hearts and stealing our faces for a few hours. Thanks to all of the music fans and the Aggie Theatre staff for hosting this show. Special thanks to the production team and to JL Westra for the stage lighting.

Set 1: How Sweet It Is, Dancing in the Street, Crazy Love, Neighbor Neighbor, Rosalee McFall, Sitting in Limbo, Truckin’, Drum World, Reuben & Cherise

Set 2: We Be Jamming, Althea, Breadbox, Stop That Train, Mystery Train, I’ll Take a Melody, Midnight Moonlight, Sisters & Brothers, Deal