Tuesday, July 31, 2007


STARS ALIGN IN SAN FRANCISCO FOR DOCUMENTARY FILM DEBUT AND CONCERT CELEBRATING ROOTS AND INFLUENCE OF JUG BAND MUSIC

John Sebastian, Jim Kweskin, Geoff Muldaur and More Come Together for the Debut of Chasin' Gus' Ghost on August 25, and "Extravaganza" Concert on August 26

As part of this year's San Francisco Jug Band Festival, Ezzie Films will debut its documentary on the roots and influence of jug band music.  Chasin' Gus' Ghost, which features performances and commentary by many popular musicians including John Sebastian of the Lovin' Spoonful and the ***Grateful Dead's Bob Weir***, will premiere on August 25.  The "Chasin' Gus' Ghost Jug Band Extravaganza" concert will include many of the featured artists and take place on August 26.

What:  Chasin' Gus' Ghost documentary film debut and concert celebrating the history and influence of jug band music.  From 1920s genre innovators Gus Cannon and Cannon's Jug Stompers to the modern Jim Kweskin Jug Band, the film explores every aspect of this influential roots music. The film trailer is available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsELhdJohkA

Who: Hosted by filmmaker Todd Kwait, the concert will showcase popular musicians featured in the film, including John Sebastian, Jim Kweskin, Geoff Muldaur, David Grisman, Fritz Richmond's Barbecue Orchestra and special guests.

When and Where:
Screenings: There will be two screenings of Chasin' Gus' Ghost, at 7:00pm and 9:00pm, on Saturday, August 25 at the Roxie New College Film Center.  Tickets for the screening are $9 each.

The Roxie New College Film Center
3117 16th Street, San Francisco, CA 94103
http://www.roxie.com

Concert: The Chasin' Gus' Ghost Jug Band Extravaganza takes place at 8:00pm on Sunday, August 26 at the Great American Music Hall.  Tickets are $28 and are available in advance.

The Great American Music Hall
859 O'Farrell Street
San Francisco, CA 94109
http://www.gamh.com/artist_pages/jug_band_extravaganza_082607.htm

For more information on Chasin' Gus' Ghost, please visit http://www.chasingusghost.com





Rest in peace {{{Tom Snyder}}
I was a huge fan of his show. My son called me to tell me the sad news.
.................
Wow! Home yesterday from So Cal.
WOW! If you ever have a chance to do a Humphrey's premium package deal for a Ratdog show there- don't miss out!
We could hear soundcheck from the balcony of our suite.
And the box thing at the Greek was AMAZING!
It was really nice to see people wearing either their (((MK))) Or 'Get well soon' tee shirts at the shows.
The banner came out at the end of the Greek show and folks cheered for MK!
I still have a ton of stuff to do before I can blog on and on about it.
Stay tuned!
.......
Had A great Time!
Ratdog Weekend in So Cal!

We didnt leave home til around 7pm.
We had a nice but lonnnnng drive to San Diego. Only stopping every few hours to stretch our legs and visit the restroom. Was it Coachella that had the crickets & cochroaches partying in the ladies room? I think we got lost for a few minutes somewhere around Burbank but I’ve already managed to block whatever that was out of my mind. Already seems like a lifetime ago.
We got into San Diego about 3:30 AM. Found a lovely Marriott and crashed big til around noon. Then got up and headed to Humphrey’s by the Bay. The harbor was bustling with activity. Coastguard choppers hovered right above us which was annoying since we were still groggy from the late night. Yay! We finally found the place , checked in . Our jr suite was pretty freaking big! Was more like an apt than what I wouldve expected a jr suite to look like. Even the web pix failed to capture the hugeness of the rooms. After wandering around and appreciating the vastness, of the suite, we headed out to find brunchy food and
to pay a quick visit to a liquor store - the suite had a fridge in need of stocking.
We could hear soundcheck on our balcony.


Back in our room, we rested a bit but I was anxious to look around the resort ,so we headed back out. We found friends by the pool and could hear soundcheck as well from there. We
snagged a friend and headed back to the suite. Other friends checked in via cell phone or came by. We were glad that we had at least beer to offer. Friends went back to poolside and I vegged out in the room.
Time flew and already it was time to go to dinner - part of our ‘Lexus Premium Package” included a full on meal at the resort’’s restaurant. While I can chow down with the best of them, I was still full from lunch. It was so sad because the tastes I had of my meal were yum!
I found out I could get my dinner to go and so had it wrapped. We brought it back to our fridge. Mazzy came by around then so he and Scott took a walk and I began my usual totally useless primping.
The guys returned shortly.
We could hear Keller starting up on stage and walked about 3 minutes to the venue, which is located on one side of the pool. As promised, our 2nd row seats were just about Dead Bobby Center!
I: Jam > Tomorrow Never Knows > Playin in the Band > Jus' Like Mama Said > Dark Star > Book of Rules > Odessa > Dark Star Jam > Deal
II: El Paso@, Mexicali Blues@, West L.A. Fadeaway* > Ashes and Glass* > Stuff* > Black Peter+ > Touch of Grey
E: Johnny B. Goode*
Show with Steve Kimock (Guitar); *-with Bobby Cochran (Guitar); +-with Keller Williams (Guitar/Vocals); Mark was absent; Stuff - Kenny/Jay/Robin/Steve/Cochran; Bobby sat in with Keller on "Jack-A-Roe" and "Wake Up Little Suzie"
(Keller Williams opened)

more coming soon!!!

Thursday, July 26, 2007

Hear the Sirens call...

Am I ready? Are we ready? How much longer til we hit the road and then hurry up and get to San Diego- after that time can go by as slow as you please!
No, not packed yet but I have my shoes matched which might be a first! All my clothes are folded and in my suitcase (the handy little purple one). Scott has played his part and has candy & icechest and maps all set to go.
We'll need music? I'm hoping our travelling companions will be okay with the selections. It's an 8 hour ride.
So, we should get there hours before daylight.
...
It's already crazy!
...
Have a great weekend.
Don't forget to go over to MK's carepages and give him & his family lots of love!
If there's A "Lost Sailor" I'll be looking at the moon (both venues are outdoors) and sending all the Weirfreaks {{{Peace, Happiness & Wellness vibes}}} So many in need these days.
....
See you at the shows!


Monday, July 23, 2007

Weir still jamming
Former Dead guitarist meeting a troublesome demographic challenge
Barry Gutierrez © The Rocky


By Mark Brown, Rocky Mountain News
July 23, 2007
As Bob Weir talks from his Northern California home, his young daughter insists he needs more ice in his water. She brings it and tops off his glass. The former Grateful Dead guitarist has bigger things on his mind than ice. Guitarist Mark Karan had to drop off the Ratdog tour because of serious health issues and Steve Kimock has replaced him. Musically it works - Weir played with Kimock in the past - but there are lots of songs to learn. Weir's still political, but he lets the music do the talking, along with Headcount, a group that registers young voters at Ratdog shows. Rocky pop music writer Mark Brown talked with Weir about the tour.
It must be hard recovering from the shock of Mark's illness. How is Steve stepping up?

"We have an enormous repertoire. It wouldn't make sense for Steve to try to learn the whole book, so we'll try to play to Steve's strengths. We'll stretch some tunes a bit and let him work out there. He played with The Other Ones. I don't think getting him back up to speed on the tunes he knows will be much of a problem. Teaching him new stuff is a challenge because every night is a slug of new songs."

You played Bonnaroo again this year. With Dead tours and playing the Monterey Pop Festival, do you feel like you helped give birth to events like Bonnaroo?

"We were certainly there at the original one (Monterey), but there were many other bands at the original one as well. We had a part in creating that festival dynamic, and it's turned into something really well developed and a lot of fun."

With all your live releases, is there a need for another Ratdog studio album?

"I think we'll get around to making another studio record. How we're going to market it is still kind of up in the air. We live square in the middle of the file-sharing demographic. All the expense and effort of making a record, you're just never going to see that back with a CD. The first one is out, everyone has it. What we'll do is probably make it only available online. We have the material to make a record anytime we want to drop a dime. As soon as we find a plausible way to see a return on our investment, we'll get to work."

By allowing concert-taping early on with the Dead, would you agree that you, in effect, allowed "file sharing" for decades?

"They finally got high-quality recording decks down in size to the point where it became possible to pack one around to a show in the mid- to late '70s. We saw that happening and out of that there was the tape-sharing phenomenon. The limitations on that were the generational quality. After you made a tape of a tape of a tape, beyond that . . . you had the hiss go up and the sound quality go down. But with lossless digital recording it's now a commercial threat.

"It is a commercial threat. The jam scene in particular is so into that file-sharing demographic, most record companies aren't interested in 'jam bands' because of this. If you're a jam band, good luck getting a record contract."

You started in music when it was a key to social change. There has been fluff, but now a lot of music seems to offer social commentary again. Is that how you see it?

"Every now and again you arrive at a situation that requires that you address it. The situation with this bogus war we've gotten ourselves into is one of them. We do Masters of War every now and again. I don't need to stand and preach from the stage. Even if I did so, I'd be preaching to the choir."

With all the releases from the Grateful Dead vaults, you've still not released a definitive DVD/CD history like The Beatles Anthology. Any plans for that?

"I would imagine we'll get around to that. But there's more material in the Grateful Dead vault than in the Beatles vault. It's a pretty major task to put together a comprehensive anthology. That said, it should be done. I wouldn't want the job of putting it together, but there are people who are good at that."

Is there any future for touring as The Dead?

"The side projects are going to keep us busy, those of us who want to be busy. Those of us who want to be retired are going to stay retired."

* * *
Ratdog guitarist Mark Karan is off the tour at the moment because of a cancer scare.

He announced on markkaran.com recently that he had "less than stellar news," noting that a lump on his neck may not be benign as originally thought.

"They can't say it's cancer but they can't say it isn't, either (all tests are negative so far, but they are still quite concerned)," he wrote. He may rejoin the tour in August, he said, before sending out "much love to alla you boneheads!!!"



Brownm@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-2674






97.3 KBCO is also excited to have Bob Weir & Ratdog and Keller Williams, perform together live in 97.3 KBCO Studio C! Listen this Monday after 1pm to hear them perform live exclusively for 97.3 KBCO listeners. Tune in during the session to pick up a pair of tickets to their show on Tuesday night at Red Rocks!

Saturday, July 21, 2007

For those interested in wearing a Get Well shirt for MK, Click over to check it out at:
http://www.goodstorm.com/stores/https_www_goodstorm_com_stores_alanhess






Coming soon:
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/night_at_the_family_dog/

Friday, July 20, 2007

From MK's Webpage:
MK Update - 7.20.07

Many of you already know that Mark is battling throat cancer. For the latest update, please visit
www.carepages.com. Unfortunately, you have to sign in, etc. to get to the "getwellmark" (all one word) page. But once you've saved your info, it's just two clicks in to check on him. We'll be putting updates there regularly to let you know the details of his treatment and recovery.

Meanwhile, we are overwhelmed by the love, support, and prayers that have come from around the world. Once mark gets settled in for his first week of chemo, he'll be back with another message (we've been a bit swamped to get this all going). Please keep him in your thoughts for the journey ahead. -MK family

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




m band one of America’s great pastimes

Vic’s Picks
Vic Vela

In an attempt to describe the “circus is in town”-like concert scene that is a Grateful Dead show, historian David Gans once likened performances by the enigmatic grandfathers of jam band music to that of baseball games:

“No two are ever alike. The plays are always different, and there’s always fresh hope. Sometimes the game’s an all-timer even though the individual performances are sloppy; sometimes everybody plays great, but the team loses anyway.”

Yes, the Dead lost a lot during their historic 30-year run: a few keyboardists and the iconic fat man himself, Jerry Garcia, to be sure.

The band often failed. For every tight and crisp show during a three, four, five or six night city run, there was a performance that they and their fans probably preferred to sweep under the rug, while looking forward to a better performance during the next gig.

But for the least perfect of all perfect bands, the Dead’s place in music history will never “Fade Away.” They were significant. They were marvels. They were the epitome of Americana.

Gans hit it right on the head when he compared a Dead show to a baseball game; a comparison one of the band’s founding members, Bob Weir, believes to be right on the money.

“I guess there used to be a lot of idle time between tunes, kind of like baseball games,” said Weir during a June phone interview from his home in Mill Valley, Calif. “There was a lot of strategy, too.

“Something of a similar pace. There were some furious knots of energy, anticipation, and then a lot of solid play.”

An original member of the band, Weir was known as the “baby” of the group. In 1965, in the city at the center of all that is storybook of psychedelic rock and roll history — San Francisco — 16-year-old Weir took his place as the Dead’s rhythm guitarist and co-vocalist. Penning the unique music and rhythm chops for Dead anthems, such as “Truckin’,” “Playing in the Band,” “Sugar Magnolia” and “Jack Straw,” Weir provided the jolt and jump for the band — the antonym of Garcia’s feathery and euphonious lead.
While the Grateful Dead is no longer, Weir continues to perform. His outfit of the last 12 years, Ratdog, will perform at Red Rocks Tuesday — a Colorado venue the 59-year-old rock and roll statesman is rather familiar with.

“It’s really tough to sing up there,” joked Weir. “There’s not a lot of air if you’re singing, and it’s just a lot more work hitting those notes.”

But, while music is Weir’s lifeline, the sports world too encompasses a significant part of his being. Spending the majority of his life in the San Francisco Bay area, Weir is a fan of all things Golden Gate; this includes the Giants. As Barry Bonds approaches the home run record, Weir minces few words toward the baseball purists who bemoan the soon-to-be new Home Run King.

“They get all snitted up about the littlest things,” Weir said. “Sure, he’s gonna eclipse the record, but in a few years, someone else is going to do it anyway. So, what’s the deal here?”


Weir said records are bound to be “short lived” because of the “bionically engineered” modern day athlete. And, while he is aware of the steroids controversy that clings to Bonds, Weir keeps perspective.

“All of the steroids on earth can’t make you hit a baseball,” Weir said.

Weir, also a 49ers fan, expresses his condolences to Broncos fans for the team missing the playoffs last season.

“I’m sorry about that game last year,” he said. “But, I don’t think (the Broncos) really were ready to wade into the postseason. And they got bit.”

As his 60-year mark approaches, Weir says he has a lot left to accomplish. One of his goals is to finally set in motion a musical that pays tribute to the baseball great, Satchel Paige.

“It’s more or less written,” said Weir. “But, I still need to shop it around. It’ll get done because those kinds of work don’t tarnish.”

Thursday, July 19, 2007

A word from Stevie Coyle and the Waybacks!

Greetings, Valued Customers -

Must be brief ... tribe of nattily-dressed teenage male bipeds engaging in disturbing behavior here at the usual coffee joint. Boisterous conversation periodically punctuated (no pun intended) with the phraselets "El Oh El!" its extended variant, "El oh el oh el oh el!!!" and in particularly high-spirited moments what sounds like perhaps "Roffle Mayo!" What is this? Robot laughter? Martian mind control? Most disturbing ...

Well, no point in getting too fromaged off about it. We have lots of gigs to tell you about, and doggone it, this time we'll get right to them. No foolin'! Permit us to take just the briefest detour, however, to encourage you to visit the website of The Coolest Invention Ever. It's called TV - B - Gone and your friendly neighborhood Waybacks have been using it to improve our lives wherever we go. It's a remote control that does one thing and it does it well. It turns off televisions. Opportunities to use it present themselves daily, we assure you.

That is all.

Here's the gigs:

Fri, Jul 20 at 7:00pm
(dinner service at 5:00pm)
WOLFEBORO FOLK CONCERT SERIES
Wolfeboro, NH
At the bucolic Moody Mountain Farm

Sat, Jul 21 at 10:00pm
GREY FOX BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL
Ancramdale, NY
Dry Branch Fire Squad, Sam Bush, Nickel Creek, Sparrow Quartet with Abigail Washburn, Bela Fleck, Casey Driessen, Ben Sollee, Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives, Peter Rowan & Tony Rice Quartet, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, Claire Lynch Band, Mountain Heart, The Duhks, Tony Trischka's Double Banjo Spectacular, Krüger Brothers, Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper w/ Audie Blaylock, Uncle Earl, The Greencards, The Infamous Stringdusters, Danny Barnes, The Wilders, Crooked Still, Pete and Joan Wernick, Steep Canyon Rangers, Bluegrass Gospel Project, Bearfoot Bluegrass, The James King Band, Red Stick Ramblers, Biscuit Burners, Dismembered Tennesseans, Corey "Lill Pops" Ledet, John Kirk and Trish Miller, Fiddlestyx

Sun, Jul 22 at 10pm
JOE'S PUB
New York, NY
The Lovell Sisters open around 9pm.

Tue, Jul 24 at 7:30pm
JAMMIN' JAVA
Vienna, VA
Nicole Reynolds and Blame Sally open

Wed, Jul 25 at 8:00pm
GRAVITY LOUNGE
Charlottesville, VA
The Lovell Sisters open again. Excellent.

Thu, Jul 26 AT 9:00pm
EASTERN MUSIC FESTIVAL
Greensboro, NC

Fri & Sat, Jul 27 & 28
FLOYDFEST
Floyd, VA
Donna T. Buffalo, The Duhks, Eric Mongrain, DeVotchKa, The Cat Empire, Hackensaw Boys, Blue Highway, Carolina Chocolate Drops, Langhorne Slim, American Dumpster, Toubab Krewe, Infamous Stringdusters, Blue Highway, Li'l Brian & The Zydeco Travelers, Seythian, Feufollet, Chuch, 3 Fox Drive

Thu, Aug 2 at 6:30pm
THURSDAY MUSIC ON MAIN CONCERT SERIES
Driggs, ID

Fri, Aug 3 at 7:30pm
ARVADA CENTER FOR THE ARTS
Arvada, CO
Co-bill with The Infamous Stringdusters.

Sat, Aug 4 at 8:00pm
SWEET PEA FESTIVAL
Bozeman, MT

Sun, Aug 5 at 8pm
RED BUTTE GARDEN
Salt Lake City, UT
Opening for Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars.

Wed, Aug 22 at 8:00pm
LARK THEATRE
Larkspur, CA
Across the street from the original venue, the Larkspur Cafe Theatre.

Thu, Aug 23 at 6:00pm
CENTRAL PARK MUSIC SERIES
San Mateo, CA

Fri, Aug 24 at 8:00pm
FREIGHT AND SALVAGE
Berkeley, CA

Sat, Aug 25
PRIVATE EVENT
Woodside, CA

Sun, Aug 26 at 3:30pm
MT. SHASTA FESTIVAL SUMMER CONCERT SERIES
Mt. Shasta, CA
With road-pal David Gans

See y'all down the road.




=

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Keller Williams keeps us in the loop
click here!



Nice! click here to see Cousin Bud's Charlottesville pix!
And another STELLAR review from Piper!
Here:

Hey Now Fellow Doggies-

Just back from C-Bus and what a time we had. All the way down it surely looked like rain, and what do ya know, it rained. A nice steady rain that you know is gonna be around for a while. But it didn't discourage the Boys as they took the stage at 8:30. Rain started around 9 and didn't let up until well into the second set. To the show...

Will call line sucked, around the corner. Venue should of had more windows open. Other than that, the staff at the venue were first rate. Very courteous and helpful. Now, this is the place Ratdog always plays indoors at, but not tonight, the stage was set for the lawn side and it was nice, like a mini Polaris.

Jam - Shakedown--They picked right up where they left off in Cleveland, very nice groovy jam. Kimmock is the real freakin deal doggies and he has really developed a nice reporie with Bobby, Robin and Jeff. In and out, spacey little jam into BLAM....back onto Shakedown Street.

Maggie's Farm was nice, again Kimmock really shined. Jeff had a real nice section as well.
Baby Blue is when it really started to rain, it was dark out and the lights were just big blue bubbles as Bobby was just crooning away. Jeff and Kimmocks swapping lick, Jeff had a monster solo leading to Kiimmock's dripping sweet sounds. Brain Candy!!

Crazy Fucking Fingers!!!! Sorry about that, but it cannot be helped. Absolutely GREAT!!!! Kimmock, Kimmock, Kimmock!!!!!! Huge jam at the end, very phat and interwoven between the entire band. Robin, Bobby and Kimmock were just killin it. Robin's playing was spectacular and Kimmock was just on fire. I found myself closing my eyes and feeling like I was somewhere else in some different time from my past. Can't say enough about this Crazy Fucking Fingers.

Big Boss Man was well played, but I was still trying to find my face, cause Robin just bombed it off....

Barracco comes out and sits next to Jeff. Rob takes the organ, Brent's old one. What is it I hear, It the Big King Bee----Barracco hammers out a huge solo Brent style, into..

Might As Freaking Well,,,,so much fun, raining so hard now,

I grab the wife and we decide to catch the second set backstage. It's raining hard, the wind is howling and it's getting chilly. Dry off a little, chat w/ Jeff and Rob, next thing ya know, there heading back out...very short break can only mean the got someting up their sleeves.. I see Keller and he's setting something up w/ Bob,,,

You Win Again---What a treat--rare to here Bobby do this one--\
Jack_a-Roe--wooohooo, love this one, but Keller comes by just shaking his head. I say whats wrong, and he just said I played this tonight!!! It wasn't on the setlist, Damn. It really pissed him off because he's trying not to have any repeats, but he recovered quickly.

She Says, very nice, Kenny was really standing out here..
Keller walks out w/ his axe and the Boys rip into Liberty--very good, phat jams, Keller whaling away...into

He's Gone----Wow!!! So big, so good, Keller comes back out for the vocal jam, That guy can sing his ass off--They bring the vocal jam of He's Gone into a rip roaring Stuff Jam. Jay was on Fire leading this whole jam, Jeff head never stopped, Kimmock dropping in sweet fills, Robin going step for step w/ Jay=----This is a great band

Bobby comes back out and slows things down. I'm hearing Knockin the same time Barrocco is hearing it, he was standing next to us and we both have these huge grins on our faces. Oh Bobby!!!! Just killed it!!! Now they go into overdrive with a nasty St Stephen's-William Tell Bridge-The Eleven. Every deadhead's dream!!!! Just let me say this first....

KIMMOCK is such a good player, fire was spitting out of his amps. He just blisterd this suite. WOW< WOW< WOW!!!! Jay was doing this cool thing with his apple synth while playing the drums. Good Stuff. Everybody back stage was going off. Keller was doing an air guitar, Barracco was spinning and smiling, Dennis was bopping....and the Band Just Killed. The Eleven was amazing, Again I say WOW!!!

Encore Barracco goes back to the organ and Bobby just nails the Black Muddy River----Every time, it reminds me of Chicago 95', the last Notes played by the Dead. Great Band fellow doggies.

Bobby missed some lyrics in the 1st set, but it didn't matter. He was there in the rain signing his heart out, ripping on his guitar. His band is right on time. Kimmock is a freak, best choice by far to fill in for MK.

Get copies of this show, or any show from this tour, Kimmock will have tears in your eyes if your not careful.

Thats it for me til the Fall Mid West Tour.

Have fun and Be Safe Fellow Doggies!!!
.................

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Saw this column in Jewish newspaper a few days ago- thought some might appreciate it-

Friday July 13, 2007

In a shop in Jerusalem, I was taught about the Dead

by jerry stevenson

I was one of those late bloomers in finding my love for the famous San Francisco rock band the Grateful Dead.

It was 1980, and I was 38. I had opened my store, Mr. T, a couple years earlier in Jerusalem. I suppose I liked mainstream rock ‘n’ roll, but I loved classical music more. Mozart, Schubert, and Handel filled my musical day.

Led Zeppelin and Springsteen were there too, but a Verdi opera was always on the tape machine in the store.

Then along came Stu.

Stu literally came in the store off the Ben Yehuda mall. It was just before Passover. We were playing the Dead, by chance, on our tape player. He heard it and came in. When I told him I knew nothing about the 1960s group, he spent the next 27 years of our lives filling me in.

Stu adored and worshipped the Grateful Dead. He was a classic Deadhead: he traveled with them during their early years. He married his wife on the road, had a few kids along the way and followed Jerry Garcia everywhere.

In the 1930s or ’40s, Stu would have been considered a hobo, a bum or a drunk. Today, he was just a homeless alcoholic living on the fringes of society.

He divorced his wife and left his kids behind. He made his way to Israel and brought hundreds of bootleg Grateful Dead concerts with him. In the many years I was his friend, he lived in doorways on Jaffa Street, shacks in Rachavia, rooftops near the Western Wall, bus benches on King George Street, Independence Park, abandoned buildings near the Old Jerusalem bus station and a few psychiatric hospitals.

He drank whatever kind of booze was around, from cheap wine to revolting vodka.

Over the years, I tried to help him numerous times. It was always useless. He never listened to my advice, so instead I gave him material items like sleeping bags, blankets, jackets, money and radios. Everything was stolen from him, including his most precious possession, the bootleg tapes he had brought from America.

At Mr. T, we wound up listening to the Dead every 45 minutes. It was Stu’s influence. He became the store’s official greeter. He was there when the celebrities came in, and he was there when the down-and-out wandered in.

Stu was 10 years younger than me, but he looked 30 years older. As the years went by, he lost most of his teeth. He was always dirty and smelled of booze and urine. His hair was a tangled, matted disaster. I’d give him a shirt and he would wear it for three weeks straight, never taking it off until I gave him a new one.

Most of my employees couldn’t stand being near the guy. Tourist families walked in, took one look at him and walked out. But many others came in just to talk to him and be entertained. This was definitely a novel marketing concept.

Stu’s presence made the Mr. T store in downtown Jerusalem the Grateful Dead mecca of the Middle East. Deadheads from all over the world would gather, and Stu was there to greet them. This lasted nearly 30 years.

Stu died in his sleep, two weeks before I closed Mr. T. He was 55 and his liver was like a sieve. As I write this, I’m listening to the Dead. And, yes, it has been a long strange trip. And yes, I will miss Stu. He certainly made going to work and opening the store every day a fun adventure.

Thank you, Stu, for giving me a “real good time.”

Jerry Stevenson is a former Bay Area resident and former owner of the Mr. T store in Jerusalem, which recently closed.
......

To see another article from a different issue that may be of interest (Jewish Hippies) can be found at Click for TYEDayenu!

.....

Ooooh! Cleveland Dog pictures! Click here to see!
Ooooh!

Cleveland Ratdog review by Piper!

Hey Now Fellow Doggies-

Where to start? First, on Sunday, we took Jeff, AJ and Donnie the Bus Driver golfing at Shady Hollow. Nice course, Jeff can really play. So, we tear it up a little bit, then head back to C-Town for some grub. The sushi bar was closed so we head over to Houligans. Before we get there, Jeff and I are out front of the hotel, Jeff turns around and standing there is Les Claypool. I'm like holy shit. We go over to Les and then we see Stuart Copeland dragging Sting over towards us. Stuart is like "Sting, This is Les, the guy who was in Oysterhead w/ me." Then Sting goes around the circle intoducing himself to us all. He gets to me and is like Hi, I'm Sting, and like Hi, I'm Billy. So freaking gay.

We go over to Houligans and just start pounding, Donnie the bus driver is telling all of these tour stories about Joe Walsh and John Entwhistle, Sabbath, Ozzy, James Taylor, freaking good stuff. We stumble back to the hotel and party down a little more in the back of the crew bus. Nobody is feeling any pain, we call it a night and I have the dreaded drive back to Akron. Good times were had by all.

Show day- Get to the venue, pick up the passes. Surprise, I got two VIPs, which let you go pretty much anywhere. So the wife and I watch from the side of the stage. I couldn't believe how packed that place was w/ the Indians game and the Police show.
Jam Golden Road---very nice, Kimmock can really play man. He has that Garcia quality about him
Jack Straw--loved it
some stuff, Easy to Slip-Suplication-Easy To Slip---man this band is on fire. Kimmock preasence is so seamless---
Lazy River-usually not one of my favirotes, but WOW, Kimmock killed the solo, band is really groovin.
Big RR Blues was smoking--rip roaring and Bobby snortin

Short break for a smoke on the river and some cold brews
KC Moan--nice
Friend of the Devil--I like the traditional arrangement, starts to get blurry here.
Victim was so phat--electric. Haven't seen it this way in a while. Bobby has an accoustic, Robin is on the stand up bass just dropping bombs. Kimmock is so sick. His guitar was really raunchy and viscious in this one. Did I mention that this band is really freakin good.??? The wife and I are just danicin away on the side of the stage, what a great time.
Getting fuzzier---
Even So-October Queen-The Deep End--
Things were getting phat and dark and fuzzy. We caught this suite at Penns Peak, and I remember everyone just losing any momentum they had. People were bitching about it, I was yawning, but I still think it was because of all of the stress of driving in a blizzard trying to get there. Last night was a totally different feel. The band was right in the pocket, Bobby was bluesin it up big time. Jeff really shined through these three. Kenny was really good too.

I look over and Keller is getting geared up, he steps out and ut oh, West LA Fade Away!!!! It was so sloopy and jazzy and nice. The band was really hitting it in all of the big chords and pauses. Did I mention that Kimmock is sick?
Stuff was real up tempo, Keller and Kimmock had a nice thing going, but Jeff stayed on the Korg. A Fender rhodes type of sound. He was up on his feet banging on the keyboard, he was goin off.

Bobby decides to give us a breather and play Wharf Rat.
It was so right, Kimmock was just killin it, the notes just seemed to drip out of his guitar, then those note would sprout wings and take flight bringing the whole thing into a frenzy, then pop. Back to the old raunchy guitar. This guy is sick. Absolutely beautiful.
GDTRFB!!!! First time for me and Amy and I were just dancing our asses off. Good stuff man.

E?: Gloria!!!! The last time I saw this was in Denver, Dec 1992. Bobby did this one justice. He was rippin and snortin and spittin up a storm. The crowd was great, into everything, the band was rested and right on time. Great Freakin Show!!!! Bobby left us screaming for more.

Partied til the bus left for Columbus.

Special thanks to AJ for keepin the cooler full of beer!!!

Off to Columbus, will give another review tomorrow!!

Later Dae Ya'll

_________________
A Rare and Different Tune!

Piper

Monday, July 16, 2007

Hey! There's a great interview with Mark Karan over on the new Deadnet Features page. Pictures too!



Heads up Bay Area!

Sunday, July 15, 2007

I've been busy and have more to add today- but for now:
It's All Good!
All good blog
and check out Whole lotta Weir

Nice ALLGOOD Review :
By deadtothehead
Allgood Rat-Dog Review Including Stealth Jam/Rap Session
Didn't even think I was going until a kind person gave me 2 VIP passes for free.
Weather was beautiful...and the scenery was exquisite.
Friday was a blast. It was the only day I was able to attend but it was more than grate.
I received info about a possible Rat-Dog show going on at 7pm on the small stage way in the back of the festival (Thanks Shakedown). BTW, it was grate to see so many of you again; shakedown, rock & roll, eyesxo, Chez, and others...
Anyway, I get to the small stage and lo and behold, all of Rat-Dog is there, minus Kimock, setting up their gear. The guitarist from PBS was there, who by the way is awesome. If you haven't seen PBS I urge you to do so.
So yeah, there's about 20 people in attendance which made this event even more spectacular. Everyone else was at the main stage.
The boys did nothing but jam the whole time. They even had two freestyler's come up and spit out some rhymes which was awesome. By the end of the performance, there were a lot more people, and nobody could believe what had happened so unexpectedly . It was truly a once in a lifetime experience.
I was backstage eating and ran into the guy who manages the small stage. He told me it was originally supposed to be just Jay jamming but after Jay told the rest of the band, they all wanted to join in with the fun.
I saw Steve Kimock as well backstage and shook his hand, explaining how much I and we appreciate him coming on tour and assisting Rat-Dog. He said, "My pleasure".
The show was awesome. The Miracle was one of my favorites, with Steve just wailing on his guitar. During the show, you could tell the rest of the band was digging Steve's contributions. I saw blatant smiles from J.C. and Weir himself. Really, Kimock is the man. Also, the Uncle John's Band was incredible. They incorporated a Supplication jam as well as an Other One jam right in the middle.
All in all, Allgood was in fact, Allgood. I read a negative post about the scene there and going into the festival I was anxious to see if it was true but I have to say, I met a lot of nice, friendly folks.
See you all down the road. Peace!

_________________
...
Weir is it all going?
Listen here to Bobby interview in W.V Clickies
...
Summer of Love Department:
Chronicle story on Owsley
Summer of love photo gallery

Saturday, July 14, 2007

Friday, July 13, 2007

Concert Review: Bob Weir and his Band Ratdog Howl in Central Park's SummerStag
http://blogcritics.org/archives/2007/07/12/083045.php



Written by Dave Alper
Published July 12, 2007


In this the 40th Anniversary of the Summer of Love it seems only fitting that the most active and prolific member of the Grateful Dead, Bob Weir, perform live in front of his legions of swirling, tye dyed heads in the heart of New York City's Central Park. If one happened to close their eyes for just a moment, they would have indeed been transported back to those halcyon days in Golden Gate Park circa 1967.

The Band, on this night and on this particular tour, sported Steve Kimock of Zero filling in for an Ill Mark Karan. They played a set of mostly Dead tunes with a youthful zeal and enthusiasm not heard, at least to these ears, since perhaps 1985. I have always heard of Mr. Kimock's ability but never, until this night, had the opportunity and good fortune to hear him play live. He's been a fixture on the Bay Area jam Band circuit this past decade, fronting Zero and filling in on the many Dead related touring bands that have materialized since Jerry's passing in '95. He brings a remarkable musical sensibility to this band and the end product is as purely astonishing as anything that I have heard in the post Garcia world.

Tonight, he was the right hand to Weir's rhythm guitar and the two married their respective sounds eloquently on stage much to the delight of what was at least three thousand strong souls braving 90+ degree heat. Ratdog opened with the classic, psychedelic Lennon penned, Beatle tune "Tomorrow Never Knows", perhaps with a nod to that current Summer of Love exhibition at the Whitney Museum a mere five blocks away. But it wasn't until halfway through the set did we realize just how good Kimock could actually be.

The septet broke into Robbie Robertson's "The Weight" with Keller Williams, the warm up act, onstage to lend support and vocals. As each verse rose in crescendo, the lead guitar followed suit like a friendly puppy trailing after its master with its tail wagging. The three part harmony, sax, trombone, and the soulful elegant guitars coloring the verse: " Catch a Cannonball now take me down the line/My bag is sinkin' low and I do believe its time/To get back to Miss Fanny, you know she's the only one/Who sent me here with her regards for everyone."

I have heard this classic song, a true favorite of mine, performed many times, the most recent being with Levon Helm at the Beacon Theater on St. Patrick's Day. I have even had the good fortune to hear Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead cover it with Bruce Hornsby on keyboards, but Weir's version on this hot and humid evening equaled or bettered them both! However, just when you think the show had hit its apogee, Ratdog changed gears in midswing lulling us into a false sense of Drums/Space when Bobby raises his hand like a seasoned maestro, and seamlessly cruise his band into the second Beatle tune of the evening, "DEAR PRUDENCE".

Again, Kimock takes control of the song leading his guitar notes into, out, and around this bluesy rendition covered by many, but mostly reminiscent of, and in homage to, Jerry and Merle's kick ass version with Reconstruction. Bob treats the song with a combination of reverence and mischief. When he pleads for Prudence to come out and play, the crowd in unison takes her place right there in the orchestra pit. A solid Help/Slip/Birdsong (with Keller Williams ably filling in on a verse or two /Franklin's Tower closed the show. A workmen-like U.S. Blues was offered for an encore and the summer of '07 felt, for those few warm hours at least, a little like the summer of '67 patchouli oil and all.

Thursday, July 12, 2007

Alan Hess has designed a wonderful shirt in support of Mark Karan.
The shirt features a beautiful photo of MK which til now, hasnt been seen.
The shirt can be customized as to colors & styles and even quality of fabric1
CHECK IT OUT shirt here!

Hmm? I'm not sure what this about but nice Bobby pix click here


...

Ratdog delivers freewheelin’ show

By Christopher Blagg / Music Review
Thursday, July 12, 2007 - Updated: 04:20 AM EST

No, Bob Dylan didn’t make a surprise appearance at the Bank of America Pavilion Tuesday night. Confusion is understandable considering a good third of Ratdog’s set highlighted tunes by the legendary songwriter. For at least one night, Bob Weir’s post-Grateful Dead project transformed into the Bob Dylan Rolling Revue.
Dylan covers aren’t new for Ratdog, but on this night Weir, who once again sported his Wild West handlebar moustache/ beard, must have been feeling particularly keen on Mr. Zimmerman. After opening with Weir’s own “Feel Like a Stranger” and the jug band stomp of “New Minglewood Blues,” Weir ambled into Dylan’s sweet midtempo ballad “She Belongs to Me.” You just don’t hear jam bands or any kind of improvisatory rock bands play ballads anymore.



It was also nice to see Weir unafraid of tackling tunes historically associated with his old running buddy, ripping into Jerry Garcia’s moaning blues tune “Loser” and the Stax-styled soul workout “Loose Lucy.” The latter mobilized the devoted crowd packing the Pavilion into fits , stoking the fires of nostalgia for the graying Deadheads swarming the floor.
The Dylan tribute kicked into high gear halfway through the show, with Weir strapping on an acoustic guitar for a rousing interpretation of “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall.” Opening act Keller Williams then joined the band to trade verse with Weir on the back-porch bump and shout of Dylan’s classic “Quinn the Eskimo.” The centerpiece of the set also featured Dylan, with the rock ’n’ soul boogie of “Silvio’ providing ample space for Weir and his cohorts to stretch out and do what jam bands do best.
Despite all the Dylan worship, the night’s highlight found Ratdog in Crescent City mode, with the New Orleans street beat of “Iko Iko” eliciting rabid call-and-response participation from the crowd.
Though billed as an opening act, Williams played the part of co-headliner, as his “opening” set lasted more than 90 minutes. Williams did his usual goofy humor, frenzied guitar looping shtick for the crowd, but after a while all the tricks and toys began to get show-offy and tiresome. There’s a reason why Weir is still playing to thousands of people well into his 60s. It’s called melody, and if Williams wants to play until his Social Security checks start coming in, he’d better learn to write one.
RATDOG with KELLER WILLIAMS at Bank of America Pavilion, Tuesday night.

christopherblagg@gmail.com


...
From GDSTOO:

Bob Weir and RatDog will play a show in Celebration
of Jack Kerouac on Sunday, August 12 at the Boarding
House Park, French and John Streets, Lowell, MA.

Gates will be open at 4:00 PM. Show time is 6:15.
All ages welcome. The Park will be open all day.

This is a General Admission show. Since tickets won't
be issued this is a will/call only show. Admissions will
be collected at 4:00 PM and thereafter.

Mail order tickets are available at $33.00 per ticket.
Please include your email on your 3x5 card so we
can email you a confirmation. If you would prefer
confirmation by mail please send the S.A.S.E.

First postmark dates for this show are Thursday
July 12 through Monday July 16. As per usual mail
order will remain open until further notice.
=======
RatDog and Keller Williams's July tour:
Mail order is over for this tour through June 20.
If you want to do some late adventuring beyond that date
please email or call first.
=======
ABB/RatDog shows:
We have started processing these shows. Camden
PNC and Burgettstown are all done.
We hope to have the remaining shows done within the
next 2 weeks. All orders can be filled, so not to worry.

Tickets are still available for all shows on this as per details
on our web site www.gdtstoo.com.

The Crew of GDTSTOO
7.12.2007

--

"Lost now on the country miles in his Cadillac
I can tell by the way you smile he's rolling back
Come wash the nighttime clean
Come grow this scorched ground green...."

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
__._,_.___

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

article

From Dead to Dog
Bob Weir receives a crash course in freak-folk.
By Justin F. Farrar 
Published: July 11, 2007

Next time you're out drinking, tell your friends that the Grateful Dead rocks. Most of them will shape-shift into rabid Dobermans and tear into your musical taste, frothing rebukes that include the words dirty, fuckin', and hippie.


Bob Weir: A bodhisattva for freak-folk, and he doesn't even know it.
Where:
The Time Warner Cable Amphitheater at Tower City
Details:
6:30 p.m. Monday, July 16, $33.50, 216-241-5555
Subject(s): Animal Collective, Skygreen Leopards, Blues Traveler, San Francisco, neo- hippie, jam band, Grateful Dead, Bob Weir & RatDog, acid


It's a common ailment among music fans, this anti-jam-band rage: the zealous belief that any stoner who trucks through life in a dancing-bears tee is one of mankind's most reprehensible by-products, right up there with Joseph Goebbels and the six-dollar beer.

"I'm well aware of that phenomenon, but I could never really figure out why that was," says former Dead guitarist Bob Weir, who now tours constantly with his band RatDog. "Maybe hippies offend their sense of order."

Phoning from his home in Marin -- a county north of San Francisco that's heavy on redwoods, chakra work, and big money -- Weir also professes ignorance about a new wave of Dead-inspired hippiedom. Over the last several years, a collection of indie rockers, who used to be nothing but punks with degrees, have sprouted Manson beards and embraced the Dead's earthy, psychedelic vision.

Most music dorks tag this trend "freak-folk." They probably would've called it "neo-hippie," but that label was already snagged by fans of Phish and Blues Traveler (whom the freak-folkies don't dig, by the way).

Some of these freakers, such as the image-conscious Devendra Banhart, merely dress like the early Dead: love beads and fringed buckskin. Others -- Oakley Hall, the Skygreen Leopards, and Cleveland's Dreadful Yawns among them -- are more serious, studying the band's synthesis of acid rock, free jazz, and country-folk.

Then there's Animal Collective: This quartet sounds nothing like Garcia and the boys, but it has consciously mutated the Dead's jam-band ethos into a strange new hallucination, one that melts together noise pop and minimal techno like a Dalí painting.

The freak-folk movement and its admiration for the Dead has nabbed the attention of music's chroniclers: Two magazines, Arthur and The Fader, recently published articles binding the genre's present with its past. Both pieces serve as perfect gatekeepers, introducing outsiders to the band's colossal discography. But they also spout naive testimonials from hip freakers, who gush as if they've just smoked weed and spun Workingman's Dead for the first time.

"He was a real dude, and he was a dark guy," writes Ladyhawk singer and guitarist Duffy Driediger, trying to convince incredulous Fader subscribers that, yes, Jerry Garcia really was cool, man. "I think people should have more respect for him."

The Dead's rural pop and love for experimentation haunt several freak-folk bands, but few of them possess their chops. "[The Dead] were much better musicians," admits Glenn Donaldson of the Skygreen Leopards, whose Disciples of California disc sways like an American Beauty in full bloom.

Like most indie kids, freakers grew up through the punk movement and were conditioned to believe amateurism was cool. It's a logic that proved revolutionary in the late '70s, when the Ramones challenged the mainstream dominance of sterile professionals like Boston and Journey. But in recent years, it's turned into just another dogma.

And that, says Weir, is the problem intrinsic to all movements, flower power included. "Renaissance eras can only last so long," he explains. "It'd be nice if musicians could move beyond movements and just be eclectic."

Although Weir and RatDog approach jamming like skilled jazzbos, not primitive rockers, he's an authentic hippie with a wide-open mind. The dude wants to hear some of this freak-folk stuff.

Schooling a former Dead guitarist on modern psychedelia sounds like the groundwork for a new pan-granola nation. But how much of this stuff would he actually dig? Few musicians inspired by the Dead's extended family can strike the teetering balance that Weir has with both the Dead and the Dog: a wonderfully acidic mix of avant-garde weirdness, jazz-influenced virtuosity, and rock and roll craftsmanship.

Spout all the anti-hippie trash you want, but name another band that has journeyed from bluegrass pop to free-form feedback within the span of a single concert. Over the years, Weir and the Dead have personified eclecticism, avoiding alliances with fleeting trends while slyly cribbing new sounds. That's why the freak-folkies now reach out to them: They see a band who coolly whipped the Joneses and their dogma.

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Check out today's Rolling Stone for an essay written our Bobby!
Boston Dog pix click->http://homepage.mac.com/mrndw/MrnDw7/PhotoAlbum119.html


BOB WEIR & RATDOG
Tribute to Jack Kerouac
This show will be a special tribute to Lowell native Jack Kerouac, and his traveling companion On The Road, Neal Cassady, who had a great personal influence on the members of the Grateful Dead. Kerouac’s original manuscript scroll of On The Road, his most famous novel, is on display at the Boott Cotton Mills Museum Gallery adjacent to the concert venue, Boarding House Park. Weir read On The Road in 1964 and became forever changed. “It told me the world was a wide open place. Go get it,” said Weir in a November 2006 interview with the Lowell Sun.
Buy tix ->click here

Rich's 7-10 Video from Boston Dog!
clickees!
............
In case anyone missed the thread on Ratdog.org,
I'm compiling a gift for Bobby's 60th from my fellow Weirheads.
It won't cost ya anything but a few moments of your time.
I want it to remain a surprise for as long as possible but will give out details to interested people-
email me @
weirfreaks@mac.com

Also:

To send Mark Karan
a snail mail message or card ,
the address is:

PO Box 961,
Fairfax, CA 94978

Click here to read Sam's detailed show review!
7/9/2007 Central Park Summerstage, New York, NY

Jam > Tomorrow Never Knows > Playin on the Band > Ramble On Rose, El Paso@3, Corrina@, The Weight@*, Good Morning Little Schoolgirl > Help on the Way > Slipknot! > Stuff*+# > Dear Prudence+ > Bird Song (reprise)*+ > Slipknot! > Franklin's Tower*+
E: U.S. Blues+%
Show with Steve Kimock (Guitar); *-with Keller Williams (Guitar/Vocals); +-with Josh Roseman (Trombone); #-with Tom Pope (Drums); %-with Dred Scott (Keys); Mark was absent; Stuff - Kenny/Robin/Jeff/Jay/Steve/Josh > Kenny/Robin/Jeff/Jay/Josh > Jay/Tom; Bob sat in with Keller on "Bird Song > Women are Smarter
...
Nice Ratdog pictures from Summerfest at http://madisonmusicreview.blogspot.com/2007/07/pictures-from-bob-weirratdog-summerfest.html
..
Very nice Atlanta pix at http://www.accessatlanta.com/homepage/content/homepage/galleries.html
.....

Announcement from PurplyBob:
New Forum at the Purply Grotto!
Please come and hang out!
http://www.purplygrotto.com/html/module ... wforum&f=4
This forum is for those who are in recovery or are interested in recovery.
Let me state that the Purply Grotto is not anti-drug or anti-alcohol.
I feel that mind-altering substances are a very precious gift.
However, I also feel that recovery is a gift to some of us who need it.

So welcome and may this forum be a blessing to you.

Sunday, July 08, 2007

Thanks to Patrick for finding & posting this really cool short interview:

Bob Weir's Little Walk In The Woods
by Mike Muckian


July 05, 2007

When Bob Weir and Ratdog play the Briggs & Stratton Big Backyard at Summerfest July 5, it will be a homecoming for fans of both that group and the Grateful Dead, the San Francisco jam band Weir joined some 40 years ago. Weir played the Marcus Amphitheater with Ratdog last year, and with the Dead (the surviving members of the Grateful Dead) in 2003. In advance of his return, Weir talked about the art of songwriting and how he keeps his shows fresh.

Are there differences between Ratdog and the Grateful Dead?

We both state a theme and take it for a little walk in the woods. Like the Dead, our bag of tricks is the American musical heritage. The difference is the personnel. If you have a different set of crayons, you’re going to get a differently colored picture.

Our musical roots are Delta blues, R&B and various kinds of country, from Appalachia to Bakersfield. We also cover jazz of all types, from the old stuff to modern mainstream. Three of the band members are straight out [of the jazz] idiom. They weren’t purposely picked; they just showed up, so we’re going to drift that way a bit.

Where did the name “Ratdog” come from?



Stuff just comes to me. I just saw a vision, what came about as our first record cover, [which was] a kitten’s-eye view of a snarling little rat-dog menacing about the only thing on Earth he could menace, which would be a kitten.

It’s been more than 40 years since the Dead formed in San Francisco. Why has the music endured?

Our fans are a certain kind of people, kindred spirits who require a little adventure in life, and the music that we listen to has to reflect that. A lot of us will probably end up as jazz fans, but early in life people begin making that transition, some to improvisational music. They want to hear some risk-taking and some sublime moments when those risks are found to have been worth taking. Those are the people who find our music and come to our shows.

It sounds like your fans play an active rather than passive role during your performances.

The show we present is the sum total of everyone in attendance. The music happens at … a point somewhere between the audience and the band. The audience feeds us energy and we turn around and articulate it. Somewhere in that spin between band and audience the art happens.

A lot of fans provide you with repeat business, often attending multiple shows in as many days. How do you keep things fresh for them?

Our repertoire is pushing 200 songs. I have a database of all past set lists and can see what we played when we came through a town. Songs performed during the last two to three visits are automatically out, along with songs from our last six or eight shows. From there I develop the evening’s list. If the band knows that the most often we’ll ever play a tune is once every couple of weeks while we’re on tour, we invest ourselves in that rendition because it’s the last crack we’ll get at it for a good while.

What constitutes a good song?

Whether a song lives and breathes is a matter of how the characters, the story, the rhythm, the melody and the chord progression all weave together to make a STORY, in capital letters. The storyteller has to step out of the way and let the story tell itself.

Bob Dylan is an amazing songwriter. Let’s take “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall.” It would be very difficult in words other than poetry to explain what he’s up to there, but you know what he means having heard the song. Another excellent song is [Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg’s] “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” Everything falls together perfectly; there’s no question what that song is about. As a performer your job is to let that happen and invite the audience in to be part of that.

What’s the secret to being a successful singer-songwriter?

Love what you do and give it your best. The Dalai Lama described love as wanting the best for the object of your love: the best you have to offer, the best there is to offer and more. In the story [of the song] if the character is stepping through from somewhere between heaven, the dream world and the artist’s world, make sure there’s as much love as there possibly can be there, no matter who the character is, to guide him through.

That story may be a hateful one, but you still have to love it and invest your entire self in it. Consider Dylan’s “Masters of War.” He had to love the characters in that song with all his humanity and all the love he could bring to bear in order for those characters to reveal themselves and tell their story.


The article online

_______
A brief mention of RD3 in this article about benefit concerts
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/spotlight_columnists/article/0,2777,DRMN_23962_5618168,00.html

Friday, July 06, 2007

Dead roadie's story to bigscreen
Looks like Big Steve found a producer- http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117968109.html?categoryid=13&cs=1

Milwaukee Review:

Bob Weir & RatDog
Collared shirts far outnumbered the tie-dyed variety, but Bob Weir still managed to provide the essence of the Grateful Dead during his headlining set Thursday at the Briggs & Stratton Big Backyard.

With RatDog, Weir has created an outlet for the music from his earlier era while still letting new musicians have a hand in the songs' evolution.

With Mark Karan sitting out this tour for cancer treatment, Steve Kimock filled in on lead guitar. His extended solos, paired with melodies from keyboardist Jeff Chimenti, highlighted the sweet country groove of Bob Dylan's "Queen Jane Approximately." Kenny Brooks' saxophone created a distinctive base for a bouncy "Brown Eyed Women."

A too-soft vocal mix was fixed by the time Weir led a mostly acoustic cover of the Beatles' "Blackbird." It merged into a bluegrass-hopping "Friend of the Devil" that had the crowd bopping and singing along.

- Erik Ernst, Special to the Journal Sentinel

Thursday, July 05, 2007

I've never had anyone Text message me through an entire show til tonight.
Our old tour buddy (Eurodog 2002) Saint was at the show tonight.
Here are some of his impressions via text messaging:

*standing on picnic tables with anticipation....typical scene...recognize many faces with no names
*Mk's backup vocals clearly absent
*Bob stepped into mic as a beachball hit the mic into his mouth..split his lip
*Kimock on his knees kickin ass on Victim
*Kimock added pscychedelic feel OQ
*Even so-Croonin cheesy bob-This now one of my fav tunes!Kimock and kenny blowin nuts
*October queen-Full bobstar mode-Fuckin mindblowin jam in oct queen...kimock
*SOTM-Bob forgot lryics
*Hottest jam SDream.
*Hand made sign saying god bless mk at bow
...
Actual setlist is:
jam>
shakedown>
maggies farm>
queen jane>
crazy fingers>
brown eyed woman
blackbird @ ~ Bob,Jay,Robin and SK(elec)
friend of the devil @ ~ Bob,Jay,Robin,kenny and SK(elec)
victim or the crime @ ~ (Bob,Robin@) everyone on stage
even so>
october queen>
the deep end>
milestones>
stuff ~ (no Bob/Kimock)(Kimock came out during stuff)
standing on the moon
sugar magnolia
touch of gray


Ripple <<< encore
>>>>>>>>>

There's going to be a group healing for Mark on Monday at the front
of the line in Central Park at 4:20p et. Everyone is invited to join
us in spirit at that time from whichever time zone you happen to be
in. 3:20 pm central, 1:20 pm pacific

Wednesday, July 04, 2007

Hippy 4th!


....

An update from Mark
was posted last night on his website
http://www.markkaran.com/

Send MK
a note or card of encouragement
the address is:
PO Box 961,
Fairfax, ca 94978

Tuesday, July 03, 2007

Someone on dot org found this yummy but short Bobby interview!
check it out
And here's another Bobby interview click that->http://www.elmoremagazine.com/issues/2007/06/influences.html


This is really nice!
Please check out Alan Hess's Billboard photo blog @http://billboard.blogs.com/mobile_beat/post_AH.html!
.....
Hey!
If you missed it the first time, Conan's "Ratdog" episode will be rerunning on Thursday July 5th!
http://www.petersreviews.com/index.php?/archives/3262-The-Late-Night-Lineup-For-The-Week-Of-July-02,-2007.html.
......
Can you believe it's already July???
Hooray for those of you getting to a Ratdog show this week!
Only a few weeks til Senor Scott & I get our shows!


.......
{{{Healing vibes}}} for ((MK)))!!!

Monday, July 02, 2007

LRMA to feature photo exhibit of works by Linda McCartney
Special to the American

LAUREL – The Lauren Rogers Museum of Art in Laurel will present "Linda McCartney’s Sixties – Portrait of an Era" on display July 19 through Sept. 20 in the Lower Level Galleries. This exhibition was organized by the Estate of Linda McCartney in cooperation with the Bruce Museum of Greenwich, Conn.

The exhibit includes 51 of Linda Eastman McCartney’s spontaneous photographs of some of the greatest names in the world of rock music captured in black and white on exquisite platinum prints, silvertone, and in color. Among the many bands and musicians portrayed are The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Aretha Franklin, The Rolling Stones, The Who, B. B. King, Janis Joplin, Ray Charles, The Grateful Dead, The Mamas and the Papas and more.


McCartney's career as an internationally renowned photographer spanned twenty-five years. Her exclusive photographs of The Rolling Stones taken in 1966 aboard a yacht sailing Manhattan's Hudson River marked her breakthrough into the world of music and commercial photography.

She covered the American music scene first as house photographer at New York City’s famous Fillmore East concert hall, and then as the pioneering photographer for the start-up publication Rolling Stone.

In 1967, while on assignment in London, she met the Beatles. She married Paul McCartney two years later. She worked as a photographer throughout her life, even as she raised four children and toured with her husband.

Her work was largely inspired by two American icons of photography, Dorothea Lange and Walker Evans, whose influence is visible in her ability to catch the beauty of frozen moments and candid glimpses. McCartney’s spontaneous style was the perfect match for that live-for-the-moment decade.

****In addition to images from the Sixties, the exhibition features a short film, Paul McCartney's "The Grateful Dead – A Photofilm," as well as a group of three later photographs which serve as an epitaph to her photographic career. *****

One of these later photographs, Stallion and Standing Stone II, was featured in an exhibition that opened only a few weeks after her death in 1998.

In 1987, she was voted "U.S. Photographer of the Year" by Women in Photography, which led to an exhibition of her work at New York City’s prestigious International Center of Photography. McCartney’s work has been exhibited widely in the United States, the United Kingdom, South America, and Australia.

Opening events will include a Gallery Talk by Gabriele Abbott, North American Tour Coordinator for the Estate of Linda McCartney, at 6 p.m. July 19, with a Sixties Party following from 7-9 p.m.

This exhibit is sponsored by Foil Wyatt Architects & Planners, Laurel Ford, Lincoln, Mercury & Kia, Merrill Lynch, Jones County Medical Supplies, Laurel Bone & Joint Clinic and Reeder, Street & Thames.

The Lauren Rogers Museum of Art is located at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Seventh Street in historic downtown Laurel. The galleries are open from 10 a.m.-4:45 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and 1-4 p.m. Sundays. Admission is free, but donations are accepted. For more information, call (601) 649-6374 or visit www.LRMA.org.

Sunday, July 01, 2007

Bay Area Head's up!

from Paulyy:

On Sunday, July 29, 2007, a benefit concert, entitled "Run for the Trees," will occur at the Ashkenaz in Berkeley, California, for a nonprofit organization, Plant A Tree (www.plantatree.us). Plant A Tree is an environmental organization dedicated to tree-planting and educating our youth about the benefits of planting & protecting trees! The time is now to stop global warming.

The show will begin at seven o'clock. Betty Biodiesel (www.bettybiodiesel.org) will emcee the concert, and Yehuda Landsman will perform a light show. The musical lineup is stellar: David Gans (www.dgans.com), Eyewitness Blues Band (www.eyewitnessblues.com), Stu Allen (www.stuallen.net) & Pat Nevins (www.workingmansed.com), and Ten Ton Chicken (www.tentonchicken.com).

There is a sliding scale between ten and twenty dollars in order to attend the show. Advance tickets may be purchased at www.ashkenaz.com. Also, event posters will be sold for twenty dollars.

Thanks for your support!

Sincerely,

Plant A Tree