Interviews

With the acquisition of The Goose, a college watering hole at the corner of Broadway and Pleasant, Jay Bianchi has finally extended his Grateful Dead-inspired bar empire into (The People’s Republic of) Boulder, Colorado. Known as The Goose since 2008, the bar is undergoing modest yet incremental transformations. Bianchi is currently booking bands on the patio under the moniker “Owsley’s Presents at The Goose,” with plans to re-brand the bar into Owsley’s Golden Road in May. This is while staying open to the public, of course, because the show must go on.

After eight years of playing with Elephant Revival, the ambitious Sage Cook decided to chase a different dream. He moved to an isolated patch of land on the border of Oklahoma and Kansas with the long-term goal of setting up a farming community. After a year of pruning fruit trees, caring for livestock, and cultivating that community- new music was just another logical, organic process. We Dream Dawn is the product of living close to the land and letting ideas slowly develop over time.

Bass player Reggie Scanlan built an extensive resume throughout The Radiators’ three decade-plus run. Not everybody can say they played with Professor Longhair or James Booker, but Reggie can. When The Rads hung it up in 2011, Reggie was already on to the next one and saying so long to a bout with cancer. A road warrior with an appreciation for the arts and photography, Reggie has soaked up the substance that came before him and carefully selected the mold he performs within to this day.

Grateful Web took notice of the recently announced Grateful Dead Family Jubilee web auction and wanted to know more about it. How did these seemingly priceless things become auction worthy? Where did these artifacts come from? One of the auction organizers, Lisa Purze was kind enough to chat with Grateful Web about it. Providing us with the lowdown on the event that’s in honor of the 50th anniversary of Grateful Dead.

Onetime Colorado resident CR Gruver has been on a roll recently. The New Orleans-adopted pianist is right at home holding down the keys in the New Orleans Suspects, wearing the moniker without hesitation; more a sense of pride.

When Matthew Mirro received an electronic drum set for Christmas in 1985, he had visions of creating a song for a movie in the vein of Axl F. from Beverly Hills cop.  When the instrument proved to not be his thing, it was no surprise when his younger brother picked up the sticks and ran with them.  “Mikey was just born with it inside him”, Matt says.  “He was a natural.”

This past week, singer, songwriter and multi-faceted bass wizard Andrew Altman of Railroad Earth sat down with the Grateful Web to discuss the debut of his self-titled solo album, produced by JRAD’s Tom Hamilton. The animated conversation also veered into discussion about some of the similarities and differences between upright and electric bass, Railroad Earth’s electrifying performance at Red Rocks this past summer, and Altman’s major musical influences including Phil Lesh and Mike Gordon among many others.

Multifaceted instrumentalist and vocalist Nick Dunbar of Boulder County’s Mountain Standard Time lives and breathes the band on the run mentality. Knowing full well how the music industry is experiencing Kickstarter campaigns and grueling tours to make up for a lack of album sales, Dunbar and the band is striving to stay afloat and find that working balance. Fresh off of a fan-funded studio in which to record, Mountain Standard Time is hitting the Colorado Front Range this weekend with shows in Ft.

GW: This is Dylan Muhlberg of Grateful Web here with Richard Loren. I am thrilled to have the company of one of the rock era’s most pivotal music agents. His new memoir High Notes, recounts his monumental career. His early days in the corporate music world representing such legendary acts as The Doors, Jefferson Airplane, and The Chambers Brothers gained him recognition and success in the music business.