Saturday, March 31, 2007

OMSN!


Woof!
Where to find a pin like this that sez it all?
Clicky Here!

...................................
I was very bad.
I saw the San Diego Ratdog show was on sale.
I went to the website and saw pix of the venue.
I saw the list of premium ticket packages.
I saw for a certain amount of $$ I could buy a package that would include dinner, a suite and 2 close up seats.
I did not stop.
I did not think.
Most frighteningly, I did not call el Scotto at work and run any form of a plan by him.
I did press all the "continue" buttons.
I knew in the end, it would all work out.
It's not like I'm running off to Brazil with out him.
Scott saw it on my face the moment he got home today.
"What's wrong? Why are you looking that way?"
"What way? I'm not looking any way?"
"You are looking so guilty!!! what did you do? How much is it costing?"

That's the one thing about being together nearly 20 years, I can't get away with anything!!!

Of course, being just as fond of Ratdog as I am, he was GLAD I was on top of things!
Phew!
Now on to plan Saturday night's accomodations!
.......................
GDTSTOO For SUMMER Ratdog!!!!

Bob Weir and Ratdog, and Keller Williams are teaming
up as co-headliners for Summer Tour 2007. RatDog will
close all shows.

Tuesday, July 10 at the Bank of America Pavilion,
Boston, MA. Doors open at 5:30 PM. Show time is
6:30 PM. All ages welcome. This is a reserved seat show.
Mail order tickets are available at $43.00 per ticket.
======
Wednesday, July 11 at the Twin River Event Center,
Lincoln, RI. Show time is 7:30 PM.
18 years and older only. General admission.
Mail order tickets are available at $48.50 per ticket.
======
Saturday, July 14 at the Charlottesville Pavilion,
Charlottesville, VA. All ages welcome.
Doors open at 6:00 PM. Show time is 7:00 PM.
All ages welcome. Mail order tickets are available:
Reserved at $47.50 per ticket.
General admission at $35.00 per ticket.
======
Monday, July 16 at the Time Warner Cable
Amphitheater at Tower City, Cleveland, OH.
Show time is 6:30 PM. General admission.
All ages welcome.
Mail order tickets are available at $36.50 per ticket.
======
Tuesday, July 17 at the Livestyle Communities Pavilion,
Columbus, OH. Show time is 7:00 PM. All ages welcome.
General admission mail order tickets are available at
$32.00 per ticket.
======
Thursday, July 19 at the Aragon Ballroom, Chicago, IL.
Doors open at 6:00 PM. Show time is 7:00 PM.
18 years and older only. General admission.
Mail order tickets are available at $45.50 per ticket.
======
Friday, July 20 at The 10.000 Lakes Festival, Soo Pass Ranch,
Detroit Lakes, MN. Wednesday, Thursday, Friday
and Saturday, July 18, 19, 20 and 21, 2007.
All ages are welcome. Children 12 and under free.
Gates open: Wednesday, July 18 at 6 PM. Thursday through
Saturday, July 19-21 at Noon.
Mail order tickets are available at $135.00 for a four day pass.
======
Saturday, July 21 at the Stir Cove at Harrah's Casino,
Council Bluffs, IA. Doors open at 6:00 PM. Show time is 7:00 PM.
21 years and older only. Mail order tickets are available at:
Reserved $43.00 per ticket. General admission $33.00 per.
======
We will soon post information for:
Atlanta, on July 7
Red Rocks, on July 24
Santa Fe, NM on July 25
San Diego, CA on July 27
Los Angeles, CA on July 28.
Gathering of the Vibes in Bridgeport, CT on Sat 8/11/07
======
We will consider Monday, April 2 though Thursday April 5
as First Postmark Mail. Mail order will remain open beyond
those dates until further notice.

The Crew of GDTSTOO
3.31.2007
--

Say, it might have been a fiddle,
or it could have been the wind
But there seems to be a beat, now,
I can feel it in my feet, now
Listen, here it comes again!

Weir/Barlow

Web Site: http://www.gdtstoo.com
email: GDTSTOO@gdtstoo.com
Customer Service Number: (415) 898-2364
Monday-Friday,9 am-6pm, PST.
To subscribe to our email announce list, send empty email to
GDTSTOO-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

--

"It goes to show you don't ever know
Watch each card you play
and play it slow....."

Robert Hunter

Web Site: http://www.gdtstoo.com
email: GDTSTOO@gdtstoo.com
Customer Service Number: (415) 898-2364
Monday-Friday,9 am-6pm, PST.
To subscribe to our email announce list, send empty email to
GDTSTOO-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
__._,_.___
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I found this link on dot org. It's for a Jerry Garcia memorial run!!!

Friday, March 30, 2007

Live Nation adding Fillmore venues
NEW YORK, March 30 (UPI) -- U.S. music fans hankering for a taste of live '60s rock soon will have several new venues from Live Nation reminiscent of the iconic Fillmore Auditorium.
Beginning April 11, Live Nation CEO Bruce Eskowitz said, company-owned theaters in New York, Philadelphia and Detroit will be rebranded under the Fillmore franchise, joining the original one in San Francisco and another already open in Denver, Variety reported Friday. Plans call for more "Fillmores" in other markets but Eskowitz didn't identify which cities.

"The Fillmore is a historic, iconic name," he said. "It's where some of the great history of rock 'n' roll took place and we're trying to be a good keeper of the brand," he said.

Irving Plaza in New York, the Theater of the Living Arts in Philadelphia and State Theater in Detroit are being redecorated to resemble the Haight-Ashbury hippie influence that set the Fillmore apart during its heyday. Plans include having a complimentary supply of apples at the entrances, a la the original Fillmore.

The original Fillmore is known for helping launch the careers of such groups as Jefferson Airplane, Santana, the Grateful Dead and the Allman Brothers, as well as Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix.



Thursday, March 29, 2007

In case you werent aware:

Current RatDog and Keller Tour Dates:

7/07 | Chastain Park Amphitheatre, Atlanta
7/09 | Summerstage, Central Park, New York City
7/10 | Bank of America Pavilion, Boston
7/11 | Lincoln Park, Lincoln, RI
7/13 | All Good Festival, Marvin's Mountaintop, West Virginia
7/14 | Charlottesville Pavilion, Charlottesville, VA
7/16 | Tower City Amph, Cleveland
7/17 | Promowest Pavilion, Columbus, OH
7/19 | Aragon Ballroom, Chicago
7/20 | 10,000 Lakes Festival, Detroit Lakes, MN
7/21 | Stir Cove at Harrah's Casino, Council Bluffs, IA
7/24 | Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO
7/25 | Paolo Soleri Amphitheatre, Santa Fe, NM
7/27 | Humphrey's Concerts by the Bay, San Diego
7/28 | Greek Theatre, Los Angeles


[Published on 3/29/2007]





Lovely Bobby & Ratdog mention in Minyanville.

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Sweet recent Bobby video interview on the Bonneroo website Clickity here

Monterey Pop film includes interview with Bobby Weir!. Can never watch too many of those!

Tuesday, March 27, 2007


Hey, I guess it's been a while since I've been actually blogging rather than just posting stuff.
Here's a picture of the entrance to our den- thought maybe some would like to see some of the posters. We have tons more hanging up in the den and a large amount of posters waiting to be hung or framed. Soon.
New to me Grateful Dead Blog
............................
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Pilgrimages keeping Dead alive for fans
http://www.news-record.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070327/NEWSREC0101/703270307

GREENSBORO — He told me his name was Pete.

He stood late Saturday afternoon in a small parking lot beside Greensboro's War Memorial Auditorium, hawking T-shirts that bore the recognizable round eyeglasses of guitarist Jerry Garcia, my patron saint of spring.

You see, whenever college basketball turned maddening and dogwoods began to bloom, I always knew I'd be jumping on tour to find Garcia and The Grateful Dead swinging through the South.

But those days are gone. Garcia died 12 years ago from heart failure at age 53. Yet, like Elvis Presley from a generation before, music fans still celebrate his music — and his life — every time former members of The Grateful Dead arrive anywhere.

That happened Saturday. More than 2,000 fans came to War Memorial Auditorium — a near sold-out show — to celebrate Ratdog and the local return of its frontman, Bob Weir, a guitarist who played beside Garcia for 30 years.

And that's where I met Pete. He didn't give me his last name because, well, authorities don't always embrace vendors peddling T-shirts. But he told me he's in his mid-40s, and he keeps busy by doing the only job he ever knew: selling T-shirts in a parking lot.

"People come because it's like communion,'' said Pete, who has followed The Dead and its surviving members since 1983. "You need your fill of what it's all about.''

Since Garcia's death, The Dead scene has fragmented in a million different ways. And even before, uncontrollable crowds and rampant drug use in the last few years didn't help. Despite those troubles, we fans still came.

It was more than just music. We all looked for what is increasingly hard to find these days: that sense of adventure, that chance to rise above the mundane and discover something that, to some, borders on spiritual ecstasy.

Sometimes, you got lucky. The Dead took you there with its classically American amalgam of folk, blues, rock and jazz. So did that big borderless neighborhood of like-minded fans known as Deadheads.

UNCG sociology professor Rebecca Adams has studied Deadheads since 1989. And the more she's immersed herself in that community, the more she sees it mirrors that frontier spirit seen among settlers in the 19th century.

(LISTEN: Adams talks about the Deadhead subculture.)

And there's no better place to tap into that spirit than in a parking lot before a show.

There was a time when The Grateful Dead hit the Greensboro Coliseum and large sections of the parking lot turned into one big tie-dyed bazaar.

But that scene, an example of hippie commerce known as Shakedown Street, has grown smaller as the date of Garcia's death — Aug. 9, 1995 — has become a footnote in the fickle history of our country's popular culture.

Late Saturday afternoon, Shakedown Street encompassed only a few lanes of a sliver of blacktop. Vendors hawked crystals, necklaces, pipes, beer and T-shirts as a man walked around selling artwork in a multicolored coat with the white letters "Love'' across the back.

Bruce Reisinger and Betse Dunham stood nearby, beside their rental car with the large "We Miss Jerry'' sticker on the side. They're husband and wife from Floyd, Va. They've seen 130 shows together since 1982. This time, they brought their 7-year-old son, Neil.

It's his first show. And it's their first chance to show him what steered their lives until Garcia's death. Dunham calls it "going to church.''

"When Jerry died, we had a kid,'' said Dunham, now 44. "There was just this void, a huge loss in our life. You know, folks in church talk about that feeling of rapture. Well, we got that feeling at shows.''

They found that feeling Saturday afternoon. They met Weir before the show. They shook hands, introduced Weir to their son and thanked him for changing their lives, as they said, in a "positive way.''

And Weir thanked them, too. And to Dunham and Reisinger, that chance encounter is what it's all about.

"I miss it every day," Reisinger, a 47-year-old contractor, said of following the Grateful Dead. "Work. Life. It'll bring you down. But once you get in that van, you feel liberated. People get that from hunting, fishing, even religion. It's perspective. That is why you live.''
Contact Jeri Rowe at 373-7374 or jrowe@news-record.com
....................................

Bob Weir, RatDog to headline summer concert
AARON LEO aleo@ctpost.com
Article Last Updated: 03/26/2007 01:10:00 PM EDT

BRIDGEPORT — Bands from around the state will have their own stage at this summer's Gathering of the Vibes concert in Seaside Park.
"We have already selected a great array of talent," said Kenneth Hays, president of Terrapin Presents of Danbury, which will stage the Aug. 9-12 concert.
This summer's installment is scheduled to feature acts such as Bob Weir and RatDog, Los Lobos, Buddy Guy, Deep Banana Blackout, Assembly of Dust and the Dirty Dozen Brass Brand, according to a Web site promoting the show.
The master of ceremonies for the event will be Hugh Romney, better known as "Wavy Gravy," an announcer at the original Woodstock festival in 1969. A Ben and Jerry's ice cream flavor is also named after him.
The locals' platform will be called the Seaside Beach Stage, he said.
He said he has compiled a list of bands he plans to invite. The local bands' performances will be open to anyone who can access the beach; tickets to the main Vibes concert will not be required to see them. The city's Board of Park Commissioners recently gave its approval for the new feature at the Vibes. The four-day concert will have different access levels, from one-day passes to camping passes for its duration.
The promoter last staged a Vibes concert in 2000 at Seaside. Although it was successful and attracted thousands of people to camp and listen to musical acts for the whole weekend, park maintenance projects kept the event from returning for the next three years.
The "Vibes"concerts — there have been 12 in all, including several in New York — have featured musicians such as the Allman Brothers, James Brown, Buddy Guy, B.B. King, Chuck Berry, Bruce Hornsby, Arlo Guthrie, Bonnie Raitt and Carlos Santana.
For more information and ticket prices, go to www.gatheringofthevibes.com.








One blogger's Penn's Peak Ratdog Adventures!
Sunday, March 25, 2007
from http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=45508256&blogID=245574417

Truckin' up to Penns Peak (in a snowstorm): the epic Ratdog weekend
Current mood: exhausted
Category: Dreams and the Supernatural

Below is something I wrote last week after an amazing experience..its a little long but I feel its epic, hopefully you can get through it and enjoy it!:


So, we went to see Bob Weir & Ratdog two nights in a row at Penns Peak in Jim Thorpe, PA this weekend...March 16 and 17. I had been looking forward to these shows for quite some time as there's nothing like a Ratdog show these days, the band is playing so well...best way to spend an evening and definitely will take you away from whatever else is going on in your life and let you just enjoy the music. Great musicians, songs, etc but I digress. The crew was me, brother Jerz, Cormie and Miffy with Andrea and Mark meeting up with us for the saturday show.

Checking the weather on Wednesday, it was 80 degrees down in DC...so I was a little shocked when it said it was gonna be in the 20's at night up in PA. I brushed it off...however Friday I heard it was gonna snow. Didn't think much of it, and it was gonna rain down in DC, so once again brushed it off...what is the worst that could happen?

So I left my house about noonish on Friday, made it up to Bmore in a driving rain to pick up Jerz about 1pm. We grubbed and dipped out about 1:30. The first hour of I-95 in Maryland was a little slow, but just rain and we made it through...then the traffic started about 10 miles from Delaware, then rain turned to sleet, then about every mile there was a car in a ditch on the side of the road. There weren't enough cops to even tend to every accident. Keep in mind my window seals are effed up so my windows fog up hardcore...I coudln't really see out the back or sides, just 80% of the front windshield and the right front passenger since there is no tint on it (tint does not take to rain-x, unfortunately...and it was there when I bought the thing).

Soo....we crawl into Delaware in a sleet storm. Its like 3pm. 95 in Delaware is all of 15 miles maybe. Those 15 miles took us almost 2 hours...just crawling getting sleeted on and watching mangled cars pass by...needless to say the roads were extremely unsafe to drive at speed. However, we were going to a freaking Ratdog show, and there was no turning back. 5ish we get into PA and get on the Blue route...plows going south but not North so we were driving on at this point 4 inches of ungroomed BS. Great for the snowboarding, not for driving. It took us another hour and a half to get up to the Quakertown exit of the turnpike to pick up Cormie and Miffy. Current time: 6:30. Showtime: 8PM Sharp. We had time.

The trip up the next 30 miles of the Turnpike was rough at best, scary at worst...but we caught a break for a little bit of plowed road and it only took an hour to get off at Jim Thorpe...so we had a half hour to drive the 4 snow covered miles up the mountain to get to Penns Peak, and see old Bobby, Mark, Kenny, Jeff, Robin and Jay just tear the shit out of the beautiful Penns Peak venue.

The first say 2 miles of country road were rough...about 6-8 inches of snow at this point, a little packed down but thats about it. Couldn't come close to seeing the actual road surface, and it was a little hilly...but we were doin ok. Down the road a ways we saw some people stuck around a bend...we took that bend, and immediate faced an extremely steep hill. I gunned the trusty Civic and we headed up...about 3 quarters of the way I was forced to break to avoid hitting a fishtailing car trying to get up as well. I stopped. Gas. Tires spin. Gas. Tires spin. Fuck. Jerz, Cormie and Miffy get out to push...too steep, snow too deep, we end up just sliding into the left side of the road...doing us no good. A couple four wheel drive jeeps pass by us, having no trouble. I curse at them under my breath. With my head out the window taking snow to the face, we back down the hill to give it another shot.

I backed up about 100 yards...the bitch about this hill was you had to make a 20mph-rated sharp left and then go up it, so getting a ton of speed wasn't an option since you had to slow down for the turn. Whatever...we tried it again, almost hit someone again, and got stopped again. We tried again. Nothing. One more time....stuck again. We backed down resigned...a poor guy who lived at the top of the hill couldn't get up either. We and another group of kids going to the show decided to leave our cars on the side of the road and walk. We had been told it was about a mile and a half from that point...and we really wanted to get to the show. It was about 8 by this point, the band was coming on...so we got as close to what we could call a parking spot and got out to walk.

Then, out of nowhere, what comes down the hill but a plow. Amazing. Clears the snow out enough where we could get up...we joyfully hopped back in, gunned it, and conquered the hill that we just spent 45 minutes fighting a losing battle to. We had life...we made it. We got to the stop sign at the top of the hill, and made the right on our final road.

Problem is, the real hill we hadn't even encountered yet. The plow had turned off of this road and this road SUCKED. We started climbing a gradual, increasingly steep incline going up to the peak that is Penn's Peak. We were doing well, keeping that precious momentum, before we were stuck between a broken down car and oncoming traffic. I had to stop. Stuck again. We watched the broken down guy shovel himself out and then take the rest of the hill sideways...in a 4x4. No way we were doing that. The ship was sunk. We didn't even try since we were halfway up anyway...we looked to find a place to park, so once again we could walk.

We were getting ready to park and walk when out of nowhere this dude was at our window...another concertgoer. He's like "Fellas, we can either sit here and walk, or I can hop on your hood with two of you, we ride up in your car, then you guys walk back down the hill and sit on my hood, and ride up with me." And we were all like, "What the fuck did you just say?"

5 minutes later I find my self revving the engine of the Civic with Miffy, some random dude, and Jerz sitting on my hood. The extra weight was to give the front wheel drive car weight on the drive wheels for traction. It worked...soon we were cruising up territory that was impassable but 5 minutes ago. I couldn't see SHIT- I was getting direction from the hood- "left a bit!" "straighten it out!" Nerve racking stuff this was...I was sick to my stomach at this point, and it seemed inevitable we were not going anywhere but a ditch.

We were making progress when a plow started to come towards us in the other direction. Also at this point I apparently had started to drift off of the road to the right. The random guy on the hood was saying "To the left man, to the left!!" To the left I saw a plow. I wasn't about to turn to the left one inch and risk the car sliding out into the plow. I'm not losing a brother and a friend, not to mention killing a random dude. However, I didn't know what was to the right either. So I did the no-no...I stopped. Turns out we were about a foot from the guardrail on the right side, with a precipitous droppoff past that. Scary stuff for the guys on the hood freezing their balls off, but I personally didn't see any of it when we were moving.

So...the car was stuck again. Not going anywhere. Meanwhile Cormie (sorry Cormie, I personally had forgotten about you for a second there) this whole time, has been walking up the mountain since there wasn't enough room for him on the hood. It was decided that Jerz, Miffy and Cormie would go back down the slope with random dude, and hood-ride his whip all the way up, then come back down again for me since I was temporarily screwed. I stayed with the car. I was running on E, and my engine smelled light burning clutch and oil. I turned the car off, and the winshield started to ice up..road not getting any better.

After about 15 minutes of sitting outside my car in the driving snow watching 4 wheel drive suv's, snowmobiles, and ATV's cruise by my shit, al the sudden a Saab with 3 of my good people sitting on its hood goes flying by at a seemingly impossible speed, with each goon yelling "Left!" "Right!" "A little more!"...so they were doing really well. I sat for a while more contemplating their success after theyd passed, and then two snowmobilers stopped nearby. I figured they'd stopped to ponder exactly how fucked I was, but turns out they wanted to help.

I received much needed guidance from them how to get my car away from the guardrail without hitting it, and did so. THen I managed to get into a decently worn track of snow, and each snowmobiler leaned over a front axle of my car to give me traction. I gunned it. NOthing. I gunned it. Nothing. THen finally I got going...well enough they had to jump off. I screamed, "THANK YOU!" at the top of my lungs to these random people who had the kindness in them to help a dumbass who tried to get up a clearly impossible mountain with the wrong equpment. Then it was time to focus on finishing the job- I was on my own now and I wasn't going to get stuck again. I pressed the accellerator for all it was worth...driving in the left lane, if any oncoming cars had come I was toast.

I managed to make it all the way up somehow and make a left onto the steep, winding driveway of the venue. Luckily they had plowed but I was still driving on snow so I didn't take any chances. While hauling ass up the driveway, I passed the rest of them who were walking back down the hill to get me...I didn't dare stop. I just beeped. I made it up to the parking lot, found a spot, and met up with those dudes...at about 9:15pm, 8 hours after we left baltimore, almost 2 hours for the last 4 miles, we entered the warmth of Penns Peak with Ratdog playing "They Love Each Other", mid first set. It was an unbelieveable feeling. We grabbed beers and settled into the show...they closed the first set with "ashes and glass" which is a personal favorite. What a show it was. Bob Weir acknowledged the crowd and just how tough it was to be there- the band seemed grateful and we sure were happy to be there.

The ride home was just as shady, downhill was easier but not safer. I was almost out of gas, but we made it. We jammed out in the hotel, woke up on saturday, hit a diner, met up with Mark and Andrea, watched the thrill of the Ohio State victory and the agony of the Maryland loss, then drove the plowed, safe roads back up to the Peak. Night 2 was a complete show, and an amazing show at that. It reminded me why we did what we did Friday night to make it there.

I have to give a personal show of respect to my younger brother Jerz, Jared 'Miffy' Smith and Chris 'Cormie' McCormick. There aren't many people out there who could deal with that type of situation with such serenity and fortitude. These guys got kicked in the balls 2 or 3 times and just kept on going...I didn't hear anybody bitch, we knew we were in a tough spot but had somewhere to be and we made sure we got there, one way or another. I'm not saying sitting on a hood in a driving snowstorm going up a mountain where the driver can't even see is a good idea- it isn't, and I didn't really like it, but it was what had to be done given the hand we'd been dealt. So, needless to say next time in March I check the weather on an 80 degree day, I'm not going to make any assumptions about that weekend's weather. But I know who to bring with me either way.

By the way, the band posted this on their website the other day:

"Why we love Dog Heads #999: because you drove through a semi-blizzard with major winds and a foot of snow up a real hill - hey, they don't call it Penn's Peak for nothing - to get to our first show in Jim Thorpe last night (Friday, March 16 th ). G'bless you.

And what those who were there might not know was that half the band was slammed with the extra-vicious Spring '07 tour crud, putting their efforts in the rising-above-it-all category. 'A course, it gets easier to play hurt when your audience had to be heroic just to get there. Thanks!"

-Thanks for reading if you made it this far, it was just as fun to write as it was to experience, and I am glad it happened the way it did...much more interesting that way. And nobody got hurt.

P.S. We saw that random guy on the hood two nights later at another Ratdog show in Baltimore, and he was on acid, we means we probably took advice from a guy who was tripping his balls off...which is awesome.

Have a great day.
-pete

Monday, March 26, 2007

HAPPY 50TH!!!!!
To my wonderful husband Scott!!!

I love you!!

....................

Ratdog guitarist sheds light on shadow of drug culture
By: Conor Sullivan, Collegian Correspondent
Posted: 3/26/07
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - The clouds quickly blotted out the sun after two of the most beautiful days this semester has offered. The drive to Springfield on March 15 was made through a dull haze with a depressing drizzle and the grit and grime of a dense urban environment. It was a strong contrast to the soothing and uplifting jams playing from the car stereo, and the images of pretty girls in flowery skirts they conveyed. The purpose of the voyage was to see Ratdog, a band fronted by Bob Weir, famous for his part in founding The Grateful Dead.

The militant guards at the front of the Hippodrome provided even further contract to the affable press handler at the security entrance, who was willing to make exceptions for a few diehard fans.

The guitarist of Ratdog was a sociable man, who looked younger than the facts of his biography made him. Mark Karan had been raised in the San Francisco Bay area in the 1960s, and although he had lived elsewhere for all intents and purposes, he'd "grown up" in the Haight.

The Haight, the districts of Haight-Ashbury and Haight-Filmore in California, had become the focal point of the psychedelic and counter culture movements of the '60s. This movement was due largely to the extensive use of psychedelics, stemming largely from the "Acid Tests" of author Ken Kesey and his group The Merry Pranksters. The band that performed at these events, showcasing their new style of music, was The Grateful Dead.

It was at this time, when he was just 11 years old, that Karan developed his intense love of music, and to a great extent, his musical style. He would see bands such as The Grateful Dead, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Big Brother and Jefferson Airplane, for "next to no money" by attending Sunday shows at the Filmore which admitted kids under 12 for free, while charging all others $2. During these times, Karan experienced all the great Blues and Rock acts of the day for less than half his weekly allowance.

But the draw to the Haight was about much more than just the music. It was the power of a movement, a sense that the individuals there were a part of something and that it was "bigger than the bad guys." It was in Haight-Ashbury where Karan and others found the set of values they could live their lives by. Values Karan calls, "Not Red State, Blue State, family values type shit…real spiritual values, real loving values." Values of love, of peace and acceptance, of withholding judgment and prejudice against your fellow man.

It was through the use of psychedelics that many people found themselves truly able to connect. "When I started getting high it was as a kid in the Haight, and in that scene," said Karan. "And it was all about LSD and it was all about Marijuana, both of which I consider to be consciousness expanding drugs. Drugs I consider to make you more sensitive, more aware, more plugged in, more likely to be turned on to your brother, more likely to be exploration, to seek new things, and really want to fill yourself with the good stuff."

Karan said that by the time Ronald Reagan was in office, he had watched American culture grow "Angrier, more impatient, people want everything now... simply…without plot" to the point where now "they don't want to sit and listen to an entire movement of a symphony, they want a three-minute song." Along with these changes came a drastic shift away from LSD and other drugs, which lowered the ego and opened people up to each other and towards heroin, cocaine and alcohol, which Karan said: boosts the ego. "I don't think they inspire the same spiritual and emotional place that LSD inspires, so the focus away from LSD, it's sad and I don't like seeing it."

Despite the fall from prominence of the culture and philosophical ideas that was originally so intrinsical in their music, The Grateful Dead continued to tour and make music as a band until the death of Jerry Garcia in 1995. A few years prior, Bob Weir had started a side project know as The Ratdog Review later shortened to simply Ratdog. Upon Jerry's death this became Weir's dominant touring gig.

Karan, who had been listening to The Dead for all of his formative years and most of his adult life, spent most of his career as a "starving musician," he said, "doing blues gigs and sessions and whatever else was available." Having met one of the members of The Other Ones, a band composed of the remaining Grateful Dead, in that environment he was flown up to San Francisco. With the honest belief that he would not get the gig, he just played as himself, happy at the chance to play with a band he had idolized as a child. Thus began Karan's involvement with The Other Ones and subsequently Ratdog, a band which he describes as not only allowing him a "comfy living," but also granting him an unsurpassable level of musical permission and freedom to be himself.

Much of the band's younger crowd now yearns for a connection to the drug culture which Karan spoke of; a culture which had been lost long before they had been born. However, from the stage Karan claimed that it didn't seem they were being true to the deeper philosophies of the culture; he said "what passes for hippie, in a lot of instances has become a fashion statement. If you've got the dreads and you've got the corduroy and you eat 'E' and you go to some sort of GD related shows then you're a hippie. But I see these people being really judgmental, being pretty close minded about their opinions about music and sometimes being harsh with one another on the lot and to me that's not hippie because to me at the basis of the whole hippie thing, beneath all of it is acceptance, non judgmental, love, peace. All of that stuff, then you start piling on paisley and dreadlocks and whatever the hell else you like."

The poor attitude of many fans was tangible at the show, where people that stood in front rows were subject to all manners of pushing and elbowing. The worst was that many mostly middle-aged members of the crowd harassed some of the young women present. Quite contrary to the peaceful messages proclaimed through the songs, numerous fights occurred which lead to security interventions and ejections.

But in the right sections the attitude was much warmer, people were very friendly, and more than happy to share whatever they had with those around them. Karan expressed his hope that by drawing people into the atmosphere of a Ratdog concert, perhaps they could be influential in opening some minds and turning people around. Even if it was through tangential experiences, he hoped to propagate some of the ideals which have fallen out of style since The Dead were formed, unfortunately only a few in the crowd seemed to accept this message on a more than superficial level.

Friday, March 23, 2007

Ratdog in Atlanta on 7/07/07????
Chastain Park Amphitheatre
Atlanta, GA
Announced on dot.org and up on the Chastain Park website.
Gonna be a crazy Summer!

Thursday, March 22, 2007

Have a great weekend of shows!((((Teresa & Robin))))<- luv those girlies!
...

NYC in July?
Ticketmaster sez it's true!!!
Bob Weir and Ratdog, Keller Williams
Central Park Summerstage, Central Park - New York, NY
Mon, Jul 9, 2007 07:00 PM
Have a great weekend of shows!((((Teresa & Robin))))<- luv those girlies!
...

NYC in July?
Ticketmaster sez it's true!!!
Bob Weir and Ratdog, Keller Williams
Central Park Summerstage, Central Park - New York, NY
Mon, Jul 9, 2007 07:00 PM

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

Puddleduck ALERTY!

less than 20 tix left for the 4/20 Jemimah Puddleduck show.
call 415.388.2820 or click here:
http://www.ticketweb.com/t3/sale/SaleEventDetail?dispatch=loadSelectionData&eventId=126353'


First Grateful Dead, now Ratdog, Weir still touring
By Jeff Hahne
Staff writer
http://www.news-record.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070320/NEWSREC0104/703200310

After more than 40 years in the music business, it's difficult to summarize Bob Weir's place on the musical landscape.

As a founding member of The Grateful Dead, he's been a fixture of the hippy culture, a voice for the environment, the conductor of three-hour concerts and an instrumental god to jam bands across the world.

His current project, Ratdog, which was formed in 1995, will make its first stop in Greensboro on Saturday.

The News & Record spoke with Weir by phone from his home in California where he discussed the magic of creating a setlist, his thoughts on receiving a lifetime Grammy and the future of The Dead.

How much touring are you doing these days?

"You know, our average is about four to five months a year."

Do you know how many shows you've played over the years?

"I heard that we've done just under 1,000. I have no idea. We've done more than 700, I'm quite sure. That being said, I think we've done some 3,500 with The Dead and maybe more."

How do you keep this fun and fresh for you? Is it the variety in setlists and having so much material to pull from?

"Yeah, it takes work, basically, but it pays off. We have a fairly large repertoire. I guess at this point, if I was looking at our song lists and stuff like that, I'd say we probably have worked up and ready to go about 170 tunes and there are constantly more.

"For instance, when I do a setlist for a given evening, I generally will bring up the city ... we're playing in and the last two or three shows that we played there and automatically rule out all of the tunes we played our last few visits to that city.

"And then I bring up the last five to seven shows that we've done -- and those tunes are automatically ruled out.

"And everybody in the band knows that when a tune comes up on a setlist, it's, in all likelihood, our last crack at it for a while. So everybody just sort of leans into it."

Are you writing much new music these days?

"Yeah, we are. We've got a bunch of stuff that's more than half written, but it's not quite ready to bring out yet. As a matter of fact, for a lot of today I'm going to be working on some new tunes that maybe we'll be able to play on this tour."

Recently, The Dead received the Lifetime Grammy -- what did that mean to you?

"Well, it's kinda edifying. I was playing a show that night so I wasn't able to make the presentation. ... I imagine it will look nice when it gets here and I put it on my mantel or something like that."

When you're performing Dead songs with Ratdog, how is it different for you from playing with the Dead?

"The songs all have their own character and the character is the same, pretty much, for any band that I'm playing with. ... So the major difference is the personnel that I'm playing with, but the song is the same."

I read an interview where you talked about the possibility of hitting the road as a quartet or trio at some point. Do you think that's still an option?

"Do you mean The Dead or me?"

You. I don't know if that means The Dead, or if it means as a new quartet or trio.

"I've felt for some time now that the most meaningful way for The Dead to go back out would be as a quartet. Just the four guys that are still alive with no hired guns this time.

"As for me, I enjoy playing trios."

So, at this point, there are no plans for a version of The Dead to hit the road.

"No, not right now."

What comes to mind when you think back on this legacy that you've created?

"Well, it's the only life I've ever known, so I just look at it as a life, you know ... as my life in particular. And, uh, (laughs) I don't spend a lot of time thinking about that 'cause (laughs) I'm a fairly busy guy. My plate is full with other stuff to think about."

So what are your plans for the rest of the year and further down the road?

"More touring this year. As for next year, we'll just see. At some point, I'd like to get into film scoring a little bit. I think that might be fun, but it certainly never would replace playing live on stage."

Contact Jeff Hahne at 883-4422, Ext. 228, or jhahne@guilfordrecord.com

Monday, March 19, 2007




Penn's Peak weekend review by dot.orger, "Excited to be here" (great screen name!)


Message
Excited To Be Here
Dedicated Bonehead

Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2007 6:02 am Post subject: Penn's Peak, St. Patrick's Day show (Review and Perspective)

Okay, I had to write a review because not only was this a GRATE show, but the people and the music and the venue is what made the whole weekend a St. Patrick's Day that will be long remembered.

So, the weekend starts off decent enough. Lazygate, Shadowboxer, and Brother Esau. Show up at the house, pick me up and we are off. We are talking and laughing on the way up. Suddenly one of the guys, mentions two words...show and tickets. My heart jumps into my throat and I lose the color in my face. I left my ticket at home! We spring into action work it out and we turn around and meet my wife near the closest exit to the turnpike and get the ticket. (Thanks Honey!)

Whew! Anyway, get there meet up with Jammin John, Jenbanana, Benny, PJDeadhead, Sugar Magnolia, and many others (sorry bad memory ) We then pack up and head out to dsaob45's and Partly Cloudy's (Sabo's house) for the pre party. Saw PA Tom, Spinning Daisy, Weedtard, Sugarmag420, justval, Katie Mae, Nag Champa, cumberland jimmy, dead to the head, and again too many to mention.

Miss the first band that opened up for The Delaware Rag in Sabo's basement but the Delaware Rag was just phenomenal. How many times can you say you have heard a Bluegrass version of "Girls" by the Beastie Boys!! That and "Psycho Killer" by Talking heads were awesome. Very good band and would love to see them again. Thanks PJ Deadhead for the Irish Carbomb, and Cumberland Jimmy for the tortalini soup!

Then to the lot we go. Breath-taking view from the top of Penn's Peak of the surrounding valley and with the snow on the ground makes it even prettier. Poor lovable deadheads still in the snow and cold selling tye-dyes and glass and posters and a very valiant attempt at a Shakedown Street, but just too effing cold for it. Get into the Venue and it is a sight, just a huge ceiling that is wall to wall, floor to ceiling in beautiful pine. Just gorgeous. Ran to the restroom and then ran over to the Merchandise table as George was selling the last two shirts with Lazygate's design. Bought the very last one in the box and even the display shirts we claimed! 500 shirts total sold before the performance from both nights. Lazygate, you are the man! Meet up with Sugar Magnolia and PJDeadhead for a quick shot of Jack and we find a place in the venue.

And so, to the performance itself. Well you can never go wrong with a Jack Straw. With Bobby's opening lines of "We can share the women, we can share the wine!". The crowd responds with and uproar and we are off. (as am i by the way! ). Memphis > Supp > Memphis into Birdsong was just great jamming. Mark was completely on point. Odessa and Shade of Grey was just perfect. Then my song! Tennessee Jed! On St. Patrick's Day! I was off to the moon! Followed Mark into the wormhole on his spiraling solo with the band feeding him well. Lazy River and Big RR finish off a AWESOME first set.

After the smoke break, back in and settled to Bobby Mcgee and Hard Rain with Robin on the stand up electric. Great stuff. Even So, Oct Queen, The Deep End, and Tomorrow never knows is a bit of a blur for me. But, kept me rapt with attention and blissfully surrounded with phenomenal Jams. Then Mississippi Half-Step whips everyone into a frenzy, but Bobby saves everyone's energy with a very, VERY good Dear Prudence. All just to slam into One More Saturday Night! Which of course drives everyone crazy and bones are shaking and girls are twirling everywhere. The encore with At A Siding, and Terrapin Flyer (good call Tim) were good but left me with a "hmm feeling" and would have liked something more, but very grateful of what was givin'.

Nice to meet Sambarain, A Ratdog, Ran, Chris, sjerbobphl, weireverywere, Ratdogsal, after the concert. There were more, but, well, you know why I can recall!

Back to the hotel rooms for late night revelry of which some was caught on tape! Thanks Jammin John!

Thanks to all I met, seen before and saw again, and those good ole' folks that you see at every show. Tough for this family guy to get out, but I am definitely markin this one up for the ages!!

Thanks again, love you guys! We will do it again I am sure!

Sunday, March 18, 2007

http://content.hamptonroads.com/story.cfm?story=121251&ran=52746



Ratdog tries to make each concert unique

By JEFF MAISEY, Correspondent
© March 19, 2007



AFTER AN INITIAL warm-up jam, what song will Ratdog begin with at The NorVa on Tuesday? Will they follow it with "Bertha" or "Shakedown Street"? How about the encore? Could we expect "Franklin's Tower" or "Touch of Grey"?

Keeping fans guessing and making each concert unique through creative song selections and order of performance was a Grateful Dead tradition continued today by its founding rhythm guitarist, Bob Weir, and his band, Ratdog.

Ratdog, which counts Weir (guitar, vocals), Jay Lane (drums), Jeff Chimenti (keyboards), Mark Karan (guitar), Kenny Brooks (saxophone) and Robin Sylvester (bass) as full-time members, has an incredible 170-song repertoire to shuffle from city to city.

"I

have a database of all the shows since Ratdog started," said Weir by telephone from his home in California. "Generally speaking, what I do is I bring up the last two or three times we played in a given town, and those songs are automatically out. Then I bring up the last seven or eight shows that we have done, and those songs are automatically out. And I start working from there so that we get a big rotation on all our material."

Ratdog's most recent performance in Hampton Roads was last year on March 18. According to Ratdog.org, a fan Web site that documents and catalogs each concert set list, the songs played included "Cassidy," "Railroad Blues," "Tomorrow Never Knows," "Mississippi Half-Step," "Dark Star," "Dear Prudence," "The Other One" and "One More Saturday Night," among others.

Calendar:


Considering Weir's set list explanation, those are all but ruled out this time around. But in addition to a few recent originals and an interesting array of cover tunes, the set is sure to be weighted on the Dead side.

The Grateful Dead emerged from the psychedelic, counter-culture scene of the late 1960s, which had its epicenter in the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco. It was an "artist ghetto" where music, art and literature thrived. Weir says the members of the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Big Brother and The Holding Company, and Quicksilver Messenger Service felt a sense of camaraderie.

"Those bands, we were all thick as thieves. We enjoyed each other as company and had a whole lot of fun."

Not long after The Dead's self-titled debut album was released in March of '67, the environment in the city changed.

"The year of the Summer of Love, the summer of '67, everything went to hell because every loose screw and nut in the country flocked there, and the Haight-Ashbury turned very sour very quickly."

The Grateful Dead would go on to create such album gems as "American Beauty" and "Workingman's Dead." They also embarked upon national tours that resembled a traveling caravan at times, peopled by diehard fans dubbed Deadheads.

"That started happening in the late '70s," said Weir. "It was ingratiating. It was like having family, pretty much, with you everywhere. Later that following became a little out of control once we started cranking out hit records and stuff.

"When it first started happening, it was like a tighter and more focused group of folk, and it was like being followed around by a gypsy carnival. We'd land in a city and they'd set up a little town outside the gig, and after a few years some of the locales weren't hospitable to that."

Between tours and recording sessions, the members of the Dead explored side projects. Weir explored new musical tangents as Weir/Wasserman and Scaring the Children with fellow bandmate Rob Wasserman on bass.

Wasserman and Weir played their first show as Ratdog on Aug. 8, 1995, the day before Grateful Dead lead guitarist and singer Jerry Garcia died.

Without Garcia, the surviving members of the Grateful Dead decided to disband in December 1995. They have reunited for occasional tours as The Dead and will continue to do so.

"We owe it to ourselves to reconvene every now and again," said Weir, "but I don't see it this summer."

The Grateful Dead was presented a Grammy for Lifetime Achievement in February. Weir said he isn't ready to slow down.

"I'm certainly not done now that I've got my Grammy."

Reach Jeff Maisey at (757) 222-3934 or jmaisey@pilotonline.com.



03/16 & 17/07 ~ Penn's Peak - Jim Thorpe, PA.

3/16/07 I: Jam > Feel Like a Stranger > Big River > She Belongs to Me > Money for Gasoline, They Love Each Other, It's All Over Now > She Says, Good Morning Little Schoolgirl > Ashes and Glass
II: Blackbird, Masters of War, The Weight, Wang Dang Doodle > Milestones > Lady with a Fan > Terrapin > Stuff, Wharf Rat > China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider
E: Ripple

03/17 Setlist
I: Jam > Jack Straw > Memphis Blues > Supplication Jam > Memphis Blues > Supplication Jam > Memphis Blues > Bird Song > Odessa, Shade of Grey > Tennessee Jed, Lazy River Road > Big Railroad Blues
II: Me and Bobby McGee, A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall, Even So > October Queen > The Deep End > Tomorrow Never Knows > Mississippi Half-Step > Stuff, Dear Prudence > Bird Song (reprise) > One More Saturday Night
E: At a Siding > Terrapin Flyer

Saturday, March 17, 2007

Hippy St Patrick's day to yas!
Mazel Tov to all who made it safely up to Penn's Peak last night in the blizzard! Hopefully today the weather has calmed down and everyone can travel easily.
It was 81 degrees here on the sidelines- dropping down to the 70's today.

Nice article on Ratdog's Beacon run can be found athttp://www.dcspectator.com/
7, 2007

Bob Weir, RatDog, Pull Off Historic Three Night Run at NYC's Beacon Theater

When I tell my musically-literate friends that Grateful Dead guitarist/vocalist Bob Weir’s band, RatDog, is the hottest band on the planet, I routinely get glazed-over looks of skepticism, incredulity and outright derision. They just don’t know any better -- and they would see things differently if they had been fortunate enough to catch the band’s three night run at New York City’s venerable Beacon Theater last week.
In short, Ratdog’s marketing guys and fans alike have every legitimate right to characterize this run as “historic” – and the Thursday and Saturday night shows, in this listener’s opinion, even surpassed the blowout energy level of the prior “threshold” Beacon show: 10/25/03. That, in and of itself, is a major feat. And luckily, unlike past Beacon gigs, these three shows are available from www.ratdoglive.com in soundboard/matrix. There are also plenty of high quality auds already proliferating on the internet.

With Bobby Weir’s sixtieth birthday just around the corner, it’s impossible not to have been inspired and uplifted by his utterly contagious energy and vigor; he was a happy man, with a happy band, intent upon blowing the roof off the Beacon, and that was accomplished the first night with monster renditions of the Grateful Dead classics, Estimated Prophet and Sugar Magnolia. Interesting song placements – Black Muddy River out of “stuff” and Uncle John’s Band as the encore – added to the show’s irresistible appeal.

On both Estimated and Sugar Magnolia, Weir and guitarist Mark Karan came right down
to the front of the stage to shred both tunes, and the crowd was treated to several intense, perfectly- timed Bobby lunges that sent the crowd into a collective frenzy. Weir has generally avoided charging the crowd in this manner, for all practical purposes, since the 80’s, and watching him come down front from our 8th row seats – especially on these two tunes -- was a time warp rush. It was great.

But as hot as the band was for the 3/8 and 3/10 shows, one of the big headlines of the entire three day run is the still under-appreciated Mark Karan, who has stepped up in a huge manner over the past several years. With all of the other mesmerizing aural chaos being generated around them by Kenny Brooks on horns, Jay Lane on drums, Robin Sylvester on bass and Jeff Chimenti on keys, the ability of Weir and Karan to lock so singly into soaring sonic jams is spectacular.


In this Beacon run, and as he does now routinely, Karan demonstrated he can summon the power of an incendiary Jerry Garcia guitar solo, but without mimicking Garcia’s signature style and sound. Karan’s own sound is huge, and the ever-growing size and sophistication of his rig is bringing out the best in him and his band mates. Several years back, Weir, in an interview, likened Mark’s playing to an unfolding flower. He’s now in full bloom.

Other Beacon run highlights:

Despite the fact Kenny Brooks’s talented trombone-playing buddy, Josh Roseman, didn’t show up, Chuck MacKinnon’s improv trumpet playing during the pre-Other One jam on 3/8 was a mind-blower. He’s damn good, and unfortunately didn’t have as much room or time to stretch out during the 3/10 show. The only other trumpet player I’ve seen play like that with RatDog is New Orleans jazz superstar, Irvin Mayfield.
A different version of Stagger Lee was played each night: a generally botched acoustic version on 3/8; a rockin’ traditional electric arrangement on 3/9; and a Grateful Dead-style electric version on 3/10. The fact the band has the self-confidence and chops to throw these three versions out there before being perfected in successive sound checks speaks volumes about the creativity we’re seeing on this ’07 spring tour and the just-completed west coast run.
The return of Gloria, Bobby’s Vegas “lounge act” version of My Funny Valentine, killer versions of Looks Like Rain and Black Throated Wind, a Quinn the Eskimo breakout, a super-slithery Althea into da bomb version of Scarlet Begonias, Jerry Jemmott on Milestones>Lovelight, and Tom Pope’s percussive explorations with Jay Lane all three nights, rounds out the highlights. Just too many to list.

One other thing that’s apparent over the past year is how well RatDog’s three new tunes – Jus’ Like Mama Said, Money for Gasoline and Tuesday Blues – have, with such facility, worked their way into the set lists. The jam in Money for Gasoline is different and interesting, and the band clearly enjoys working this tune over as it evolves. The 3/8 version was creative and rippling with energy.

In 1976, some young teen-age friends and I went to see Kingfish at the Beacon, and one year later, saw my first Grateful Dead concert at the Boston Garden. I was hooked. And now, some 30-odd years later, this special ensemble rolls up and down the east coast, west coast and through the American heartland, year in and year out. The fact this still occurs, and does so at this lofty level of performance, is an amazing testament to Bob Weir’s talent, work ethic and spirit; that he’s been able to draw such talented and passionate musicians into his post-Grateful Dead musical universe is special in and of itself. Enjoy the ride while it’s still here.

Photos courtesy of Butch Worrell via ratdog.org




I'll be back in a wee bit with the setlist-or you can click on the dot org links and see for yourselves!

.....................
Someone managed to dig up a summer
Ratdog gig! CLICK CLICK HERE
Bob Weir & Ratdog / Keller Williams
The Greek Theatre (Los Angeles)
Saturday, July 28 / Show Time: 6:30pm / Genre: Rock

Thursday, March 15, 2007

Rats! Dog!


More From The Republican |
Ratdog hot, even when it's cold outside
Thursday, March 15, 2007
By GEORGE LENKER

Even when it's freezing outside, Bob Weir's California demeanor comes through onstage through his clothing: He almost always wears shorts during a Ratdog concert.

But during a recent show in frigid Syracuse N.Y., Weir startled some folks by wearing long pants during the show. It wasn't the weather that caused this change, however.

"The airline we flew into Syracuse with mishandled our luggage. Otherwise, it's always July under the lights," Weir said.


So whether or not the recent local warm spell holds, Weir will probably be back to wearing shorts when Ratdog plays the Hippodrome in downtown Springfield tonight at 7:30. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and tickets are $49.50.

As a founding member of the Grateful Dead, Weir spent more than 30 years with that band - an astounding feat of longevity for a rock band by any standards.

Yet Ratdog is hardly a slouch in terms of sticking around. The band has now reached the 12-year mark, playing approximately 700 shows in that period. Weir noted that the band's ongoing success can be attributed to one basic idea.

"The secret to success and longevity is simple; we enjoy what we do," he said. "That enables us to stick together."

Weir added that in terns of the music, this longevity also produces a juicer, tastier creative fruit as well.

"We've learned to hear each other think, and intuit each other's moves. It takes a while to form this kind of bond, but once it's there, it's a wonderfully creative place to live," he said. "The more we play, the better we get."

Although Ratdog released a couple of conventional albums earlier in the decade, the band remains largely a live act. But fortunately for fans who want a permanent record of the songs, the group accommodates them in a method that has become increasingly popular among rock bands these days: They record and sell CDs of their live concerts.

The band started doing this in 2003 and continues doing it today. With modern technology allowing rapid reproduction of discs, the CDs are usually available for fans right after any given show. The discs are recorded straight from the soundboard, so they offer high-quality recordings of the show fans have just seen.

This fits right into the Ratdog fan psyche, many of whom are such fanatics that they even collect set list information for shows they haven't heard. But Weir said that is not the band's bailiwick.

"We have nothing to do with this. The DogHeads do it all," he said, using the nickname for the band's avid followers.

And speaking of canine nicknames, Weir shrugged off a question about the origins of his band's moniker.

"Stuff just comes to me" he said.

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

WHOA!
It's awesome!
Check out the new and totally cool Ratdog.org homepage!!!!!

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

A Jerry Garcia Story



Backstage makes you???????




Pictures from last night's Ratdog by MrnDw
can be viewed at http://homepage.mac.com/mrndw/MrnDw1/PhotoAlbum107.html

Monday, March 12, 2007

Cousin Bud's Beacon pix! clicky


Ratdog goes on at the park at 2pm

schedules here-
http://www.greenapplefestival.com/

....................................................................................
from Ratdog.com-
Except for the weather, it's been a very fine spring for the Dog. Ice in Syracuse, serious cold in other places - hey, we're Californians - but that hasn't seemed to affect the playing, to put it mildly. The Beacon has been rockin'.

We had a special visit (see the photos at ____) Friday night in New York City, when an old friend, Andre Schiff, popped up at the backstage door. Andre was a stagehand working with Candace Brightman

on many G.D. shows, and now teaches at Simon's Rock College in the Berkshires. He had in tow nine students of lighting design with tickets for the show, and wondered if our esteemed lighting designer, Patrick "Groove" Pirrone, might have a word for them. No problem! Groove taught class before the show started and had students in pairs coming down during the show to look over his shoulder. Big fun for him and lots of information and inspiration for all concerned.

Saturday night brought us our dear friend Donna Jean Godchaux Mackay and a very special visit from Jerry Jemmott, former bass player for Aretha Franklin. If you thought Robin's cool English demeanor looked a little - excited - you were right...

Off to New England!
.......................................................
3/10/2007 Beacon Theatre, New York, NY

I: Jam > Cassidy > Lazy River Road > Odessa > Stagger Lee, Shade of Grey > Hell in a Bucket > Milestones* > Turn On Your Lovelight*

II: My Funny Valentine, Friend of the Devil@+, Black-Throated Wind@, Quinn the Eskimo+ > Last Time+ > Althea, Scarlet Begonias > Stuff#% > Come Together+ > Dark Star (Instrumental) > Cassidy (reprise)+ > One More Saturday Night+
E: Gloria+, Brokedown Palace+
*-with Jerry Jemmott (Bass); +-with Donna Jean Godchaux-MacKay (Vocals); #-with Tom Pope (Drums); %-with Chuck MacKinnon (Trumpet); "Milestones" and "Lovelight" without Robin; "MFV" without MK; Stuff - Jeff/Jay/Robin/MK/Kenny > Tom/Jay > Tom/Jay(beatboxing on Bob's mic) > Kenny/Jeff/Robin/Jay/Tom/trumpet > all/Tom/trumpet
Only "Mighty Quinn"; Only "Stagger Lee"; Previous "Gloria" 2003-05-16 [237 shows]; Previous "Turn On Your Lovelight" 2005-11-16 [97 shows]


...............................................................................................
.....CONFIRMED ARTIST AT ALL GOOD FESTIVAL

Walther Productions is excited to announce the initial lineup for the 11th annual All Good Music Festival and Campout. The festival will take place July 13-15 and will include three full days of music and camping situated on the luscious, rolling green fields of Marvin's Mountaintop in Masontown, West Virginia.

With temperatures averaging in the mid 80's during the day and mid 60's at night, this promises to be a delightful camping experience. The All Good features a family camping area, kid's area, early arrival and handicap accommodations, quality food and craft vendors, late night shows, interactive workshops, choice microbrews, and a whole lot more.

Our eclectic artist lineup will deliver 40 hours of music on one central concert area with NO overlapping sets. A list of confirmed artists follows, but be sure to watch out for more acts to be announced in the coming weeks.

Tickets go on sale Wednesday, March 14th 12:00 noon EST.
Buy early and save over $55 on the gate price.
Early-Bird Tickets will be offered for a limited time only, while supplies last through the
following outlets:
www.allgood.musictoday.com
www.jambasetickets.com

Or charge by phone by calling 1-800-594-TIXX.
For complete information, visit the official ALL GOOD web site at:
www.allgoodfestival.com

Artist Lineup: Bob Weir & RatDog,, moe. (performing 2 sets including late night all-star jam set), Keller Williams, Michael Franti and Spearhead, Les Claypool, Dark Star Orchestra
Yonder Mountain String Band, STS9 (Sound Tribe Sector 9) (performing late night set)
Lotus, Tea Leaf Green, Ozric Tentacles, Perpetual Groove, AOD (Assembly of Dust)
PBS (Porter-Batiste-Stoltz), Soldiers of Jah Army (SOJA), New Monsoon,
Will Hoge, West Indian Girl, Love Whip

Saturday, March 10, 2007

Last night's show- a mini review by Robbie @ Deadnet

Robbie - Mar 10, 2007 5:10 am

Top notch show last night. I think they stepped it up quite a bit from the night before, though reading the set lists would have led me to believe otherwise. Interesting that the Stagger Lee was a 3rd distinct tune and set of lyrics telling the same tale - neither the Mississippi John Hut version done the night before nor the GD arrangement. This version was a more up tempo rocker with a feel somewhere between the Dog's version of Schoolgirl and Croce's Leroy Brown. Actually may be my fav of the three renditions of this tale. The Attics Encore was beautifully done in a 6 piece acapella arrangement. Stella Blue and Foolish Heart really nicely done last night too - as was about everything else.

And another quicky review by Julie:
Mar 10, 2007 12:14 pm (

OMG! I don't think anyone will ever be able to play Tennessee Jed better ever!! It was the best version of that song ever played (imho).... WOW! And I got the setlist when I yelled out TENNESSEE JED to Hippie Bill - Attics to close the night was an extra added treat not on the original list - very beautifully done - and Louie just reminded me of one of the greatest sing-along Not Fade Aways in history and they also did 2 nights in a row of acoustic Stagger Lee which they called something else - "Stagolee (Lloyd Price ver)!" very different from the night before's acoustic version of Stagger - I don't think I have ever heard them play the same song two nights in a row - different as they were it might not count!
Also they played an acoustic Corrina which was quite interesting - Bobby's timing is great!

I am still flying high from all the wonderful energy in that room last night - thank you thankyou thankyou to (((((Ratdog))))))

I: Jam > Truckin > Playin in the Band > Ramble On Rose > Big Boss Man, Even So > October Queen > The Deep End > Tennessee Jed, Good Morning Little Schoolgirl > Ashes and Glass
II: El Paso@4, Corrina@, Stagger Lee > Tomorrow Never Knows > Mississippi Half-Step > Stuff*, Stella Blue > Foolish Heart > Not Fade Away
E: Attics of My Life
...

Friday, March 09, 2007

03/08 - 10/07 ~ Bob Weir & RatDog - Beacon Theatre - New York, NY.

03/08 Setlist
I: Jam > The Music Never Stopped > Mama Tried > Baby Blue > Money for Gasoline > They Love Each Other > Loose Lucy > Lost Sailor > Saint of Circumstance > GDTRFB
II: Stagger Lee, Mexicali Blues > Looks Like Rain > Jus' Like Mama Said > Estimated Prophet > The Other One > Stuff > Black Muddy River > Sugar Magnolia
E: Uncle John's Band

http://www.gdtstoo.com

...........................................................


SPECIAL LIVE BROADCAST MARCH 9

Midnight, EST

John Ginty Band

with Special Guests

Shannon McNally and Mark KarAn (Ratdog, The Other Ones) & Friends<- edited for spelling

Live from The Ace of Clubs in New York City

Another exclusive live bradcast from your friends at HGRNJ!!!
http://www.homegrownradionj.com/index.shtml





Photo from last night at the Beacon taken by Deadnet's MaxRod.

Heard that Bobby & Ratdog put on a spirited show last night at the Beacon!!

Tuesday, March 06, 2007

On bended knee!!
If I had been there on the rail, I wouldve prbably fainted!

see here:



Groovy pictures by Cousin Bud Fulginati @http://www.fulginiti.com/buddy/070304greensburg/index.html

from Jambase-


GREEN APPLE MUSIC & ARTS FESTIVAL
UNITES ECLECTIC ARTISTS NATIONWIDE FOR
WORLD'S LARGEST EARTH DAY CELEBRATION
The Decemberists, Bob Weir & Ratdog, Taylor Hicks, Kaiser Chiefs, Stephen Marley, Laurie Berkner Among The Festival Highlights

Gatherings At 60+ Top Music Venues in NYC, Chicago, San Francisco

Festival to feature large-scale, Free Concerts In Central Park, Lincoln Park and Golden Gate Park simultaneously on Earth Day (April 22nd)

New York, NY: From Friday, April 20 to Sunday, April 22, leading concert venues across the country will unite to generate awareness of Earth Day and raise consciousness of environmental issues through the unifying voice of music. Building on its inaugural success of 2006, The Green Apple Music & Arts Festival, America's largest Earth Day celebration, is bringing the message of Earth Day to over 60 top music venues with 150 performances in New York City, Chicago and San Francisco over Earth Day weekend.

New York Highlights:
Highlights in the Big Apple include top children's act Laurie Berkner headlining a free concert on Earth Day (with Baby Loves Disco and Brady Rymer) at the Great Hill in Central Park, American Idol winner Taylor Hicks at the Beacon Theater, folk legends Tom Paxton and Richard Shindell at The Society for Ethical Culture, a reunion by jazz fusion band Fat Mama at the Knitting Factory. New Orleans veterans The Radiators at the Lion's Den, country veteran Junior Brown at the intimate Joe's Pub, up and coming jazz bassist Avishai Cohen at the famed Blue Note, pop vocalist Edwin McCain at B.B. Kings, 60's rockers New Riders of The Purple Sage at the Canal Room, the horn-based soul of Tower of Power and blues icon John Mayall and The Bluesbreakers at B.B. Kings. In addition, The Green Apple Music & Arts Festival in partnership with Earth Day New York will also present free concerts at Grand Central Terminal on Friday, April 20 and Saturday the 21. NYC venues include B.B. Kings, Beacon Theater, The Bitter End, Blue Note, Bowery Ballroom, Canal Room, Crash Mansion, Cutting Room, Ethical Culture, Gramercy Theater, Irving Plaza, Joe’s Pub, Knitting Factory, Makor, Mercury Lounge and Pianos..

Chicago Highlights:
The Green Apple Music & Arts Festival blows into the Windy City highlighted by a free concert on Earth Day by Chicago's hometown band of the moment Umphrey's McGee headline with the top live electronica band The Disco Biscuits and Paul Green's School of Rock at the Lincoln Park Zoo. The Festival will kick-off with a performance by The Decemberists at The Riviera on April 19, English new wavers the Kaiser ChiefsThe Walkmen will gig at The Vic Theater, renowned Dub producer Mad Professor at Martyrs', indie rocker Andrew Bird at the Riviera, 80's favorites The Smithereens at the Park West, bluegrass legend Del McCoury at the Old Town School of Folk Music, top DJ and producer RJD2 at the Metro, and alt-country with The Lost Trailers at Joe's. Catch dozens more local and national acts at venues including Abbey Pup, Cubby Bear, Double Door, Elbo Room, Empty Bottle, House of Blues, Martyrs', The Nature Museum, The Riviera, Schuba’s, and The Vic Theater.

San Francisco Highlights:
As The Green Apple Music & Arts Festival reaches the west coast, the festival is highlighted by a free Earth Day concert at Golden Gate Park featuring Bob Weir & Ratdog, Greyboy Allstars, Martin Sexton. Night shows include Stephen Marley & Junior Gong, Tea Leaf Green and Yonder Mountain String Band at The Fillmore, Brit-Funk band New Mastersounds at 12 Galaxies, indie rockers Electric Six at the Independent, the synth-pop of Trans Am at Bottom of The Hill, and acoustic folk-rock act Girlyman at the Swedish American Hall Additional participating venues include Avalon, Bimbo's 365 Club, Bottom of the Hill, Café Du Nord, Club Six, Great American Music Hall, Make Out Room, Mezzanine and Three Parkside.

About The Green Apple Music & Arts Festival:

Entering its second year, The Green Apple Music & Arts Festival was founded by producer Peter Shapiro and Relix Magazine and is presented by JPMorganChase. The event achieves its mission of increasing awareness for Earth Day by combining top-tier live musical performances with educational programs to elevate activation of crucial environmental issues on both local and global levels.

The Green Apple Music & Arts Festival will put the Earth Day message into practice by "greening" all of the participating venues. Working with Onyx Distribution, Green Apple will provide venues in each city with environmentally friendly cups and straws; napkins and paper towels made of recycled materials, compostable garbage bags and biodegradable cleaner to ensure the event is eco-friendly.

Furthering their zero waste goal, the entire festival will be carbon-neutral, meaning it will offset any carbon dioxide emission produced as a result of the festival, making this the nation’s largest carbon-neutral event ever. Additionally, each venue will have an informational table featuring educational and volunteer information relating to prominent environmental issues and organizations.

"The core idea of the Green Apple Festival is to raise awareness of Earth Day," said Peter Shapiro, Founder and Executive Producer of the Festival. "By combining a diverse group of musicians and uniting these venues under one cause, we are able to coordinate an unprecedented event. We hope the national footprint of these gatherings will help inform as many people as possible on these important issues. And, we hope to expand to additional cities in future years, as I think everyone would agree that given current events, Earth Day should be recognized in a big way every year."

Complete List of Artists to-date (more acts to be added):

New York: Taylor Hicks, Laurie Berkner, Junior Brown, Benevento Russo Duo (Acoustic), Edwin McCain, John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers, Fat Mama, Tower of Power, Zero, Particle, The Radiators, Baby Loves Disco, Mahavishnu Project, Hot Buttered Rum, Raq, Tom Paxton and Richard Shindell, Jerry Joseph, Brand New, Zero, New Riders of the Purple Sage, Jake Shimabukuro, Avishai Cohen, Hiromi, Gandalf Murphy and the Slambovian Circus of Dreams, Ryan Montbleau, Over the Rhine, Cosmic Jibaros, The Bomb Squad, Mike Dillon's Go-Go Jungle, The Bridge, Jonny Lives, Phix and Brady Rymer.

Chicago: The Decemberists, Kaiser Chiefs, Umphrey's McGee, The Disco Biscuits, The Smithereens, The Walkmen, Andrew Bird, RJD2, Mad Professor, The Del McCoury Band, Paul Green’s School of Rock, Flickerstick, JJ Grey and Mofro, Brothers Past, Hoyle Brothers, New Monsoon, Juice and the Machine, The Lost Trailers, Mono, Mark Farina, Anathallo, Soulwax, and 2Many DJs.

San Francisco: Bob Weir and Ratdog, Stephen Marley feat. Junior Gong, Greyboy Allstars, Yonder Mountain String Band, Martin Sexton, Trans Am, Tea Leaf Green, Railroad Earth, Electric Six, Newmaster Sounds, Everyone Orchestra, Girlyman, Akasha, The Drastics, DJ Scheme and Plan B, May Lake, Kite Flying Society, Black Taj, The Sippy Cups and Smoosh.


http://www.greenapplefestival.com
[Published on 3/6/2007]
............................................
So far there are only gigs in CA. If you are in the area come on out to see Shana Morrison Live!

Mar 10 2007 8:00P
Biscuits and Blues 8PM San Francisco, California

Mar 10 2007 10:00P
Biscuits and Blues 10PM San Francisco

Mar 17 2007 2:00P
155th Annual Saint Patrick's Day Celebration San Francisco, California

Mar 18 2007 4:00P
Half Moon Bay Brewing Company Princeton-by-the-Sea, California

Mar 30 2007 7:30P
Sengthong's Blue Sky Room Dunsmuir, California

Mar 31 2007 7:30P
Sengthong's Blue Sky Room Dunsmuir, California

Monday, March 05, 2007

A fine read on Random Shuffle by Mat Brewster today (of course, there is some Bobby content too!
Click this link->http://blogcritics.org/archives/2007/03/05/181059.php



Ratdog in Seattle


Ratdog 3/4/2007

also,
TMTTR

Sunday, March 04, 2007

Nice little review of last night's Ratdog show can be read at http://www.chrisbartley.net/?p=96

3/3/2007 Rochester Auditorium Theatre, Rochester, NY
I: Jam > Shakedown Street > She Belongs to Me > Easy Answers > Money for Gasoline, Crazy Fingers > Brown-Eyed Women, Easy to Slip > Lazy River Road > Big Railroad Blues
II: Deep Elem Blues@4 > Fever@ > Victim or the Crime@, I Need a Miracle > Uncle John's Band > The Other One > Stuff > Dear Prudence > Uncle John's Band (reprise) > One More Saturday Night
E: Ripple > Touch of Grey

Saturday, March 03, 2007

No Rest for Ratdog

No Rest for RatDog

What a long, strange trip band took to Friday show
Saturday, March 03, 2007
By Mark Bialczak
Staff writer

Question: How do you crank up the heat on an already steamy RatDog concert?

Answer: Have singer-guitarist Bob Weir lead his band into one of the classic songs from the Grateful Dead.

Still in full winter beard as RatDog took up the touring torch after a two-week break on Friday night at the Landmark Theatre in Syracuse, wise man Weir ended the first of two sets by directing RatDog into the golden goodie "Scarlet Begonias."

His band mates responded with love and affection for the song that Weir, Jerry Garcia and mates made famous.

Weir sang clear and true, "She wore scarlet begonias tucked into her curls. I knew right away she was not like other girls," as Mark Karan carried the lead on guitar, Robin Sylvester thumped on bass, Jeff Chimenti worked the keyboards, Jay Lane walloped the drums and Kenny Brooks stood ready with his saxophone.

And the crowd went crazy.

Already on their feet and dancing since the moment RatDog started the set jamming into "Help on the Way," the happy hippies that remembered Weir from the 1960s on and the new breed that's adopted RatDog as the official keeper of the torch for that special blend of folk, rock and roots music let out an audible "aaahhhh" and raised the emotional ante.

Weir and the band seemed as happy as their fans, and the smiles were definitely because of their chemistry playing music.

They had endured a nightmare flying from California to the East Coast on Thursday night. The ice storm forced their pilot to divert their plane to Harrisburg, Pa., from where they bused through the night to Syracuse. And as they took the stage at 8 p.m., their luggage had yet to catch up with them.

No matter. All seemed well as Weir led them through a stew of RatDog songs ("She Says," "Odessa" and "Tuesday Blues") Bob Weir songs ("Supplication"), Jerry Garcia solo songs ("Bird Song") wonderfully selected covers, and, of course, a Grateful Dead favorite or two ("Peggy-O").


In the first set, they paid tribute to the Rolling Stones with "It's All Over Now." Weir and mates took the 1964 song and turned it country, brimming with twang and bite.

In the second set, the cover spotlight shined on Bob Dylan, and Weir wonderfully and triumphantly spit out all of Dylan's complicated lyrics in "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall."

Weir stands as the unconditional leader onstage, proud at front and center and quick to use hand signals to direct the rest of them where he wants them to go musically in his vision of the song at that moment.

But one reason RatDog has become such a solid member of the jam music scene - the band sold out the Landmark despite playing in Central New York five times in the past four years - is because Weir isn't afraid to let the other musicians stretch themselves out, too.

Karan's tasty guitar, Sylvester's jazzy/funky bass, Chimenti's honky-tonk keyboards, Lane's sturdy percussion and Brook's spicy sax all add special textures to RatDog's repertoire, no matter the song source.

Mark Bialczak can be reached at mbialczak@syracuse.com or 470-2175. His blog "Listen Up" is at

http://blog.syracuse.com/listenup/
.................................

SETLIST:
03/02/07 ~ Landmark Theatre - Syracuse, NY

Setlist
I: Jam > Help on the Way > Slipknot! > It's All Over Now > She Says > Bird Song > Odessa > Book of Rules > Supplication Jam, Tuesday Blues > Scarlet Begonias
II: Peggy-O, Big Iron, A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall, Jam > Althea > Ashes and Glass > Stuff > To Lay Me Down > Bird Song (reprise) > Throwing Stones > Slipknot! > Franklin's Tower
E: Johnny B. Goode

......



Remembering Jerry Garcia

By Karen Dandurant
kdandurant@seacoastonline.com


RYE -- Get out your autograph book, because the Seacoast will be the location for a movie about those who love Jerry Garcia.

"Losing Jerry" is based, in part, on a true story. When Garcia died on Aug. 9, 1995, Grateful Dead guitarist Bob Weir and his band, Bob Weir, Rob Wasserman and Ratdog, were playing at the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom. Thousands of Seacoast "Deadheads" flocked to the Casino for a candlelight vigil.

The film will be co-produced by Mark Constance and Tracey Becker. Mitch Ganem is the writer/director. The production company is Terrapin Station Films.

"The movie is about three friends whose love of the Grateful Dead brings them together," said Constance. "The characters are a compilation of Mitch's friends, because he's a big Deadhead. The movie culminates on the night Jerry died."

Constance said the film will bring millions into the local economy: About 40 percent of the film's budget will be spent here.

"We need cars, hotels, supplies, groceries and lumber," he said. "We'll eat at restaurants and bars, go to movie theaters and use caterers. We'll be here four months with people from all over the country and world. If they are not from here, they are not flying back and forth every day. They'll be here."

Matt Newton, film specialist for the New Hampshire Film and Television Office, worked to facilitate production and bring the film into the state. His office supports film makers in the state.

Newton said his office does not have the final budget numbers yet, but he said the film is one of the larger the state has seen in a long time.

The film will be shot on the Seacoast and in Manchester. Constance said he and his crew are tying up details and hope to begin "very soon."

"We are casting now," he said. "We're waiting for a couple of pieces to fall one way or the other before rolling out a major announcement. We're based out of the Seacoast now, but it's a spread-out process. I'm here. Tracey is in L.A., and Mitch is in New York."

They are looking for a studio banner -- a major studio to lend its name to the film. The Grateful Dead Corp. licensed 25 songs to the studio for a soundtrack, and the stars will be known.

"I want people to look and say, Whoa, he's in the movie," he said. "Local people can be extras. We'll be releasing to major theaters.

"My goal is to bring more and more filmmaking to New Hampshire. I love driving to work instead of hopping on a plane."

THE PRODUCERS Tracey Becker, co-producer of "Losing Jerry," is a former stage actress. She was a producer on the movie "Finding Neverland." Writer and director Mitch Ganem is from Wolfeboro and now lives in New York. This is his first foray into film as a director. Co-producer Mark Constance grew up on the Seacoast, moved to L.A. in 1989 and returned in 2001. He did a film in New Hampshire called "The Sensation of Sight."

Friday, March 02, 2007

From GDTSTOO

Mail order is now closed through March 10, the
Beacon run.

We also have to close the Concord show as of
today and both Penn's Peak shows are sold out.

Mail order is still open for Boston, Baltimore,
Hippodrome, Norva and the Southern shows.

There is a bit of a problem with Hippodrome.
We had expected the tickets here a while ago,
but it turns out that a mistake was made in sending
them, so now we will have the tickets here this
coming Tuesday, March 6. We will get them out
to you on that same day. If you have a real problem
with this, we can send your tickets to will/call.
Please let us know.

We expect to be able to get the tickets for the
Southern shows - Atlanta, Asheville and Greensboro
out sometime this coming week.

You all have a fine time on this RatDog tour....
Thanks.
Ruby.

3.2.2007

--

"It goes to show you don't ever know
Watch each card you play
and play it slow....."

Robert Hunter

Web Site: http://www.gdtstoo.com
email: GDTSTOO@gdtstoo.com
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