Friday, August 31, 2007

From Deadnet:

Bob Weir: Norway '07!

Completists will want to start looking for a copy of Bob Weir's latest musical appearance, as reported to us by our exclusive Norwegian correspondent, Peter Aas:

Last Saturday (8/25), Petter Olsen, billionaire philanthropist, organic farmer and Dead Head, arranged a private "Summer of Love Revisited, 40 Years After" festival at his estate just south of Oslo, Norway. Petter had invited Bob Weir over for the party as his private guest and Bob flew over right after his tour finished in NJ last Wednesday. We convinced Bobby to join the local tribute band, The Deadaheads, on stage and he finished their set with "He's Gone" > "Truckin'" > "The Other One" > "Not Fade Away" > "One More Saturday Night." The crowd had no idea that he was there and went bananas when he came on stage.

Thanks for that report, Peter! Sounds like a good time was had by all. Who knew that Oslo had a Dead tribute band? We ARE everywhere!
......

And this came from TooBoard:


Pictures can be found at

http://www.abcnyheter.no/system/files/images/2007-35/weir250.jpg

And

http://www.rootsy.nu/bilder/nyheter/1394.jpg

setlist



Ramme Rokke Festival 25.08.07:


Jack Straw
Friend of the Devil
Eyes of the World
Scarlet Begonias
He's Gone-> *
Truckin'-> *
The Other One *
Fade Away *
One More Saturday Night *

(* with Bob Weir)


the whole story from the band:

OK, here is the DEADAHEADS' Bob Weir story (in a bit broken English).
Anyway:

The band played a gig last December in Oslo, and via some friends Peter
Olsen (the billionaire that owns the farm Ramme Gård) got a CD of our show.
One of the guys in the band "warned" us that Olsen was a deadhead, and that
we might get a gig at his farm this summer. In February we got a mail from
the director of cultural activities at Ramme, telling us that Olsen wanted
us to play. We said "cool", and in a way forgot about it for a few months.

During May it became clear that the gig would be a part of a one-night
festival, called Ramme Rokke Festival ("Rokke" has a double meanding, "Rock"
and the fish "Stingray"). The other bands would be "CC Cowboys", "Home
Groan" and the superb Neil Young cover band "Young Neils".

During our talks with the festival manager he once said that Olsen would try
to get Bobby over, something we quietly laughed at, and called wishful
thinking amongst ourselves. In June we got informed that Olsen actually had
dinner with Weir in New York (?), and we knew of another Norwegian, Morten
(the guy that tipped dead.net off with this story), also met Weir (we got a
nice picture of them, backstage in NY, June 14.). But we still thought it
was too far out to believe that Bobby actually would come to our gig, and in
a way we decided not to focus on it.

During the summer we finally found our keyboard player (hard to find someone
for that seat), and fooled back and forth with ideas for a setlist for
Ramme.

Then, a week before the gig, we got the call we did not expect. "Bobby is
coming as Olsen's private guest".

This certainly made the whole thing slightly more serious, but we were of
course thrilled as well. We planned (and planted) the idea that we would
love it if he came up for a OMSN. We thought it was a 50/50 chance, maybe he
would come up, maybe he wouldn't.

Then, after our sound check at Ramme last Saturday, we were hanging out and
he came walking over to us, handshaking everybody in the band, saying: "I
would love to come up and play with you guys". But he said he needed a
guitar.

So we went up on the stage, gave him a guitar, and he made ONE preset on the
Line 6 amp he used during the gig. He had seen our setlist from before, and
said he would like to come on for He's Gone, but he was jet lagged, and
needed to take a nap.

So we went on stage at 4 pm, and played Jack Straw, FOTD, Eyes and Scarlet,
without seeing him anywhere. After Scarlet he all of a sudden
stood backstage, looking in at us, and we realized our dream was about to
come true...

The rest of the story (the sound) is hopefully available in a little
while. In respect of Bobby we feel a bit obligated to make sure that it
is OK to spread the soundboard recording. Allot of video was shot as well,
and we hope to make that available in not to long, as well.

That is more or less the story from our point of view. The truth is that we
have no idea how Olsen got him to Norway, but we know they had talks about
environmental issues, and that we owe both Bob Weir and Petter Olsen
everything for letting this happen.

A million (or even a billion) thanks to them both!

--
I'm collecting (via email but snaily could work I guess?) birthday messages & photos from Weirophiles to be put together
into a book (assembled by Apple).

It will get to Bobby by 10/16.
Send pix or a message or both to
Weirfreaks@mac.com

__


AFTER TRIUMPHANT SAN FRANCISCO PREMIERE, DOCUMENTARY "CHASIN' GUS' GHOST" SETS SIGHTS ON NEW YORK

JUG BAND FILM TO BE FEATURED AT WOODSTOCK FILM FESTIVAL IN OCTOBER

"Chasin' Gus' Ghost" (www.chasingusghost.com), a documentary film tracing the history and influence of jug band music, premiered at San Francisco's historic Roxie Theatre on August 25th to rave reviews. A sold-out concert the following night at Great American Music Hall, featuring many musicians from the film including the previously announced John Sebastian, David Grisman, Geoff Muldaur, and Jim Kweskin and a surprise appearance by Maria Muldaur, wrapped up a memorable Jug Band Weekend (as declared by San Francisco's mayor) and the annual San Francisco Jug Band Festival.

The film will make its East Coast debut during the Woodstock Film Festival, to be held in Woodstock, NY from October 10-14th, 2007. The festival has played host to a number of influential feature and documentary films including Standing In The Shadows Of Motown, Spellbound, and Pieces Of April, since its inception in 1999.

"Chasin' Gus' Ghost", directed by Todd Kwait, explores the influence of jug band luminary Gus Cannon (voice narration by Taj Mahal) - a musician who helped shape American roots music and also inspired many other well-known, chart-topping artists such as Bob Weir (Grateful Dead) and John Sebastian (Lovin' Spoonful). All About Jazz's Samuel Chell called it "an absorbing movie capable of inspiring a whole new generation of ghost-chasers."

Find the trailer, a recent featured music pick on YouTube, at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3kZK2EBTwE or http://www.chasingusghost.com

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

I'm collecting (via email but snaily could work I guess?) birthday messages & photos from Weirophiles to be put together
into a book (assembled by Apple).

It will get to Bobby by 10/16.
Send pix or a message or both to
Weirfreaks@mac.com

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Sirius launch Grateful Dead Channel
Former members to share hosting duties
By SAM THIELMAN

The Dead live again on Sirius Satellite Radio's new Grateful Dead Channel.
Sirius will launch an all-Dead, all the time channel at noon on Sept. 7 with the only known recording of the band's July 21, 1974 concert at the Hollywood Bowl .

Founding member Bob Weir will host a show following the performance, with other members of the Dead doing host duties for the channel's other original shows. Additional programming will feature rarities, previously unreleased recordings and archival interviews with late frontman Jerry Garcia.

The community around the music of the Grateful Dead is both long-standing and large, a fact acknowledged by Scott Greenstein, Sirius president of sports and entertainment. "The loyalty and passion of Grateful Dead fans are the truest testament to the band's legacy," he said.

The band's touring shows were famously lengthy and much-recorded, so Sirius has set a high bar for itself by promising fans exclusive and unreleased content.

The Grateful Dead Channel joins the ranks of Sirius music channels devoted to one artist or band, including Elvis Radio and Siriusly Sinatra.


http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117971012.html?categoryId=16&cs=1

Monday, August 27, 2007

Sirius Dead- This blogger just got turned on to the GD by tuning in Click here!

......

Coming Up:

Saturday09/08
In The Dark Room,
Club 6
http://www.clubsix1.com/next.php
Band Of Brotherz / Alphabet Soup
Artists
Jay Lane
Kenny Brooks
Jeff Chimenti
Zachariah Mose
Charlie Bravo (CB)
"Mic" Blake
Kingpin Row
DJ Teeko
Joshi Marshall
Troy Lampkin
Sam Biggers

Featuring Members Of Ratdog
4OneFunk
Primus
Charlie Hunter Trio
Don Carlos Band
Mo'Fessionals
Bop City Pacific
Raw Deluxe
and many more...



Price $10
Time 9pm-2am
Music ...



Easily, the highlight of the weekend was being at the premiere of " Chasing Gus' Ghost" ton Saturday at the Roxie in SF.
It's documentary about Jugbands, Jugband musicians such as Noah Lewis & especially about Gus Cannon.

Great stories behind a few songs the Grateful Dead covered.
Many fine musicians were interviewed including Bobby Weir, Grisman & one of my favorites- Maria Muldaur.
in one part of the movie, the filmakers go to the Minglewood from the song New Minglewood Blues to check out what made it worth wring a song about.
Bobby shares a line from the old Jugband version that I know I never heard before.

A good documentary- I feel like I just took a semester's worth of Jug Band history.

I'll be back to write more on this later today. We had a great night and really enjoyed the film.
.....
A blog entry aboutThe Grateful Dead on Google at mediaspin.com/blog

Friday, August 24, 2007

GDTSTOO:

Bob Weir and RatDog will play the following shows.
Steve Kimock will again join the Band for this tour.

Wednesday, November 7 at the Norva, Norfolk, VA.
Doors open at 6:30. Show time is 7:30.
All ages welcome. This is a General Admission show.
Mail order tickets are available at $36.50 per ticket.
========
Thursday, November 8 at the Ovens Auditorium,
Charlotte, NC. Show time is 7:30. All ages welcome.
All seats are reserved. Mail order tickets are available
at $59.00 or $39.00. A small amount of taper tickets
will be provided at the $39.00 level.
========
Tuesday, November 13 at the Mahaffey Theater,
St. Petersburg, FL. Show time is 7:30. All ages welcome.
All seats are reserved. Mail order tickets are available
at $43.00 per ticket. A small taper section will be
provided.
========
Wednesday, November 14 at the Florida Theatre,
Jacksonville, FL. Doors open at 6:30 PM. Show time
is 7:30 PM. All ages welcome.
All seats are reserved. Mail order tickets are available
at $41.00 per ticket. A small taper section will be
provided.
========
Friday, November 16 at the House of Blues, Lake Buena
Vista, FL. Doors open at 7:00 PM. Show time is 8:00 PM.
All ages welcome. This is a General Admission show.
Mail order tickets are available at $39.00 per ticket.
========
Saturday, November 17 at the Mizner Park Amphitheatre,
Boca Raton, Fl. Doors open at 7:00 PM. Show time is 8:00 P.M
All ages welcome. This is a General Admission show.
Mail order tickets are available at $39.00 per ticket
========
First post mark dates for all these shows will be from
Friday, August 24 through Tuesday, August 28.
Mail order will remain open beyond those dates until further
notice.

The Crew of GDTSTOO
8.24.2007

--

"Winter rain, now tell me why
Summers fade and roses die
The answer came, the wind and rain...""

Robert Hunter

Dead Symphony #6?!

Thursday, August 23, 2007

Vote early and often!

Bobby Weir for mayor of SF!!!
Speaking of voting-here's a preview of a new documentary from headcount- guess who is in the movie??
That's right, your next Mayor- Senor Bobby! Check it out athttp://www.headcount.org/

This is for my Sasharu
FALL RATDOG TOUR DATES UP on http://www.rat-dog.com/dates.html
and all about from GDTSTOO:


Here is information for the first stage of the RatDog
Fall Tour, 2007. More to come soon.

Friday and Saturday, October 26 and 27 at the
Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom, Hampton, Beach, NH.
Doors open at 6:00 PM. Show time if 8:00 PM.
18 years and over only, unless accompanied by parent.
This is a General Admission show.
Mail order tickets are available at $34.00 per ticket.
=========
Sunday, October 28 at the Lebanon Opera House,
Lebanon, NH. Doors open at 7:00 PM. Show time is 7:30 PM.
All ages welcome. All seats are reserved. A taper section
will be provided.
Mail order tickets are available at either $ 61.00 and $51.00
per ticket.
=========
Tuesday and Wednesday, October 30 and 31 at the North
Fork Theater at Westbury. Doors open at 6:30 PM.
Show time is 8:00 PM. All ages welcome.
All seats are reserved. Mail order tickets are available at
$45.50 per ticket. A taping section will be provided.
=========
Friday, November 2 at the Memorial Auditorium, Burlington, VT.
Doors open at 7:00 PM. Show time is 8:00 PM.
All ages welcome. This is a general admission show.
Mail order tickets are available at $36.50 per ticket.
=========
Saturday, November 3 at the Palace Theater, Albany, NY.
Doors open at 7:00 PM. Show time is 8:00 PM.
All ages welcome. Reserved seats only.
Mail order tickets are available at $41.50 per ticket.
A small taping section will be provided.
========
Sunday, November 4 at the Eisenhower Auditorium,
Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA....
Doors open at 7:00 PM. Show time is 7:30 PM. All ages welcome.
All seats are reserved. Tickets are available at $39.00 per ticket.
Taping has not yet been confirmed, so stay tuned on that.
========
First post mark dates for these shows will be Friday, August 24
through Monday, August 27. Mail order will remain open beyond
those days until further notice.
===================================================
Small detail about the Phil and Friends tour:
The tickets for the Santa Barbara show will not be released for
another couple of weeks, so don't worry that you haven't
received them yet. Once they arrive they will be in the mail
post haste.

We are moving along with all the Phil shows, so keep an
eye on your mail boxes.

The Crew of GDTSTOO
8.23.07

--

"The bells are ringing, it's way unreal
Trying to tell y'all about just how it feels
And it's bigger than a drive-in movie, for real"

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, August 22, 2007

Black Tie-Dye Ball
In Celebration of the DSO Rex Caravan Tour
Thursday, October 4, 2007

The Fillmore

1805 Geary Boulevard, San Francisco, CA 94115 ss
Tel: (415) 346-600

5:30-7:00 p.m.
Drinks, Food, & Reception with Artists
and Silent Auction Opens

8:00 p.m.
Concert

Reception, Food and Concert Tickets: $125.00 (All but $50 is tax deductible). To order Reception and Concert Tickets call 415-561-3135 or download the Ticket Order Form

Concert Tickets Only: $30.00 available through The Fillmore, The Fillmore Box Office or Ticketmaster.

$1.00 of every ticket benefits the Rex Foundation

For more information, call 415-561-3134

With the upcoming DSO Rex Caravan Tour, Dark Star Orchestra is creating a model to further the Grateful Dead tradition started 24 years ago: connecting the entire concert community of musicians, promoters, producers and fans to help the Rex Foundation carry out its mission. Beginning with their performance at The Showbox on Wednesday, September 26, and continuing through their entire month-long fall tour, Dark Star Orchestra will contribute $1 of each ticket sold to the Rex Foundation. Check out the DSO website for details on the tour schedule and tickets.

The October 4th Black Tie-Dye Ball is an opportunity to bring to life the Rex Community Caravan and celebrate with Dark Star Orchestra all that is made possible by such generosity, creativity and community spirit.

Thank you for your support. We look forward to seeing you on October 4th.

Monday, August 20, 2007

CONTEST!! Heads Up Bay Area!

Courtesy of the fine people involved with http://www.chasingusghost.com/ Weir Freaking has a pair of tix to the screening of Chasing Gus' Ghost this Saturday -August 25, 2007
9PM at Roxie New College Film Center, 3117 16th Street, San Francisco, CA

Our dear Bobby Weir is in this movie!

The 3rd person who can correctly name the Jugband instrument (or utensil?) that Bobby played in Mother McCree's Uptown Jug Champions wins!
Post answer in comment!
Thanks !!

Articles & interview

Kimock on Ratdog
http://www.dead.net/features/interviews/steve-kimock-rescue-few-minutes-master-guitarist

............
DRIVE TIME
Ticket to Ratdog was much more

By Mike Leidemann
Advertiser Columnist


For some reason, I didn't want to tell the kids I had a ticket to a Ratdog concert.

There were 14 of us in all in the class — 13 twentysomethings and me — and I was having a little trouble bridging the generation gap. I figured that announcing I was going to a concert by a band that had its roots 15 years before they were born would do nothing to bring us closer. So I kept silent, even as many of them were discussing plans for a night on the town.

We were part of a summer study program in Boston. They were there to explore a career in urban design. I was there to get my head together after a tumultuous couple of years. We didn't seem to have much in common.

Somehow, though, when we were walking around South Boston that afternoon, I let it slip. What happened next blew me away, as we used to say in the '60s.

"Ratdog? You're going to Ratdog? No way! We want to come. Ratdog? Tonight? Hey, freakin' Mike — he was holding out on us. Ratdog!"

They started making plans, checking their wallets and text-messaging friends. In the end, eight or nine of us headed to the show.

The kids took me under their wings. They showed me how to buy half-priced tickets. They showed me how to crash the front-row seats. They showed me that the heart of rock 'n' roll is still beating. They showed me what I already knew: Good music has a way of breaking down generational barriers.

"How do you know all these Grateful Dead songs, anyway?" I asked one of the women during the break.

"My mom taught them all to me," she said. "She's kind of a Deadhead."

So we talked and danced and sang along with every song in the second set. A perfect night.

When Bob Weir and the guys returned for an encore and I heard the first few notes of "Brokedown Palace," I knew I was in trouble. The author Ken Kesey once said that he never understood the power of art until he heard Jerry Garcia play the solo part. It's a sad, soaring lullaby that always carries me back to the thoughts I was trying to escape by spending my summer on the Mainland.

"This song always tears me apart," I said, starting to cry even as I sang along lustily with every word:

Fare you well, fare you well

I loved you more than words can tell

Listen to the river sing sweet songs

to rock my soul.

Then the beautiful young woman whose mom was a Deadhead reached out and gave me a big hug. "It's going to be all right," she said.

Once again, the music had worked its magic.

Reach Mike Leidemann at mleidemann@honoluluadvertiser.com.
....................
Home > Entertainment
A night to remember and savor from RatDog and the Allmans

By Jeff Miers NEWS POP MUSIC CRITIC
Updated: 08/20/07 6:52 AM

It’s such a privilege, sometimes, to go to a show such as Sunday’s and then be able to write about it. Musicians as good as those gathered on stage at Darien Lake for the Rat- Dog/Allmans gig are an absolute pleasure to watch and listen to.
When they take the time to listen to each other, and let the music take an organic form, and live and breathe, the audience member feels like a lucky soul. Sometimes music can transport us to a better place. This night at Darien, with a full house along for the trip, it did that — over and over again.

What does one say about RatDog now? The band, under Bob Weir’s leadership, has become an ensemble on par with the Dead, which gave it birth. Even with guitarist Mark Karan out battling throat cancer, and newcomer Steve Kimock still “the new guy,” RatDog played one of the most moving sets of music it has ever played in our neck of the woods. That’s saying something, if you’ve seen the bands at the Town Ballroom over the last four years.

The band opened with “Here Comes Sunshine,” morphed fearlessly into Bob Dylan’s “Maggie’s Farm,” found a smooth segue into “Loser” and had no trouble finding a sort of psychedelic blues groove for “Money for Gasoline.”

Things got very interesting during “Loose Lucy,” as Weir made it plain that he’d come to leave some blood on the stage. His singing during this tune was both raucous and invigorated. Strapping on an acoustic for the latter-period Dead tune “Victim or the Crime,” Weir was stunning, his Keith Richardsesque rhythm guitar comping laying the foundation for a transcendent Kimock solo.

This all rolled sweetly into “Half-Step Mississippi Uptown Toodle-oo,” which the band tore into with a ravenous bite. “Samson and Delilah,” from Terrapin Station followed, and it was Reverend Gary Davis taken to the Chicago juke joint on a Saturday night. “Sugaree,” “Dark Star,” “Terrapin Flyer” and “Touch of Grey” — what more could anyone want?

Seeing the Allman Brothers Band after this first performance almost made one feel spoiled. Could it get better? Well, it’s not about better, it’s about different, and the AB Band took the blues all over the map, stopping in India, Africa, Chicago, the Mississippi Delta, and frankly, the moon a few times. It can’t get better than this, in terms of musical interchange in the broad “rock” world.

“Revival” kicked it all off, and was beautifully sung by Gregg Allman, Marc Quinoines and guitarist Warren Haynes. Haynes took the first solo, and it was fantastic, a blend of old blues and some forward-looking cross-genre stuff. Then Derek Trucks played. Words haven’t been invented yet to describe the level that this guy is playing at. Suffice it to say that he’s the greatest living electric guitar player.

The Allmans gave us “Statesboro Blues,” “Midnight Rambler,” “The Sky is Crying,” and a stunning interpretation of the Miles Davis/Joe Zawinul tune “In A Silent Way,” which morphed into “Mountain Jam,” and featured Trucks and Haynes trading choruses with RatDog’s Kimock. Again, one felt privileged to be hearing musical interaction on this level.

Concert Review

The Allman Brothers Band

With Bob Weir and RatDog on Sunday at Darien Lake Performing Arts Center.

jmiers@buffnews.com

Sunday, August 19, 2007

Saturday, August 18, 2007

Nice!!
Greggn has beautiful Ratdog pix up on his web gallery! Click that->http://greggnixon.net/gallery/Concerts/Ratdog/8_17_07/index.html

Friday, August 17, 2007

Puddleduck!

JP 6/18/04 Ashkenaz- Memphis Radio

. | .
...................
An article and an interview!
Check these out:

Ratdog with Allman Brothers at PNC Wednesday
Music Review: Ratdog, Allman Brothers give crowd a jam session from rock 'n' roll heaven

Mid August- I'm just not ready to give up on Sweetwater Saloon!
I made it over there a few nights ago and caught John Corbett's band.
They are sort of country/roadhouse sounding. They put a lot of energy out there.
The audience somewhat resembled a huge Bachelorette party- some lady kept yelling for John to "Take it off!". Well, they did get the cutie drummer to toss his shirt into the crowd.
hmmm, I wonder if that would work with Senor Jski?
After the show, John-Chris (that voice!) came out (as he had promised) and schmoozed & posed with all who waited.
Anyhow- it was a fun night at Sweetwater and I truly hope it's not the last time I get see a show in that wonderful place!

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

CASTING CREDITS FOR NEW MUSIC DOCUMENTARY, CHASIN' GUS' GHOST, READ
LIKE A WHO'S WHO OF POPULAR HITMAKERS

What do John Sebastian, Bob Weir, Taj Mahal, Maria Muldaur, Erik Darling (of the Rooftop Singers) and Charlie Musselwhite all have in common? Each of these musicians have appeared at the top of the Billboard charts at some point in their careers, ranking in the Top 10 of the Pop, Blues and Jazz charts over the last 40 years. But that's not the only thing that links these diverse talents. In addition to their accolades, these artists all share a deep affinity for jug band music, and sing the praises of the roots genre in the new documentary film, 'Chasin' Gus' Ghost' (http://www.chasingusghost.com). Taj Mahal, though not interviewed for the film, lends his voice to words previously spoken by the film's namesake Gus Cannon.

Filmmaker Todd Kwait said, "When I set out to trace the history of jug band music nearly 10 years ago, I was simply looking to learn what I could about those, like Gus Cannon, who were instrumental in establishing the genre. I had no idea it would lead me to such candid and fascinating interviews with some of the world's most acclaimed musicians."

Kwait continued, "Their stories not only help to illustrate the roots of this early American music, but also give some amazing insights into how it's influenced their own music. I'm honored that they've all taken the time to lend their voices - literally, in Taj Mahal's case - to talk about what jug band music means to them. While this has been a labor of love for me, I hope 'Chasin' Gus' Ghost' entertains and offers new perspectives to fans of all kinds of music."

Chasin' Gus' Ghost will debut with two screenings, at 7:00 and 9:00pm, on August 25 at the Roxie New College Film Center in San Francisco (http://www.roxie.com). The following evening, many musicians featured in the film, including John Sebastian, Jim Kweskin, Geoff Muldaur, David Grisman and Fritz Richmond's Barbecue Orchestra, will perform in concert during the "Chasin' Gus' Ghost Jug Band Extravaganza" at the Great American Music Hall (http://www.gamh.com/artist_pages/jug_band_extravaganza_082607.htm). Both events take place as part of the San Francisco Jug Band Festival (http://www.jugfest.org).

# # #
Ratdog at Fenway

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

More about the closing of Sweetwater Saloon






Black Tie-Dye Ball

New Riders of the Purple Sage

and Special Guests Donna Jean Godchaux-Mackay and Mookie Siegel
Opening with Boris Garcia
Friday, September 14, 2007 • The State Theatre
220 N. Washington Street, Falls Church, VA 22046 • Tel: (703) 237-0300

6:30-8:00 p.m.

Drinks, Food, & Reception with Artists
and Silent Auction Opens

8:15 p.m.

Concert

Reception, Food and Concert Tickets: (All but $50 is tax deductible).
To order call 415-561-3135 or download the Ticket Order Form

Congressional

$150

Presidential

$500*
* for limited number of premium seats
Hearty Finger Foods Include Delicacies from the Award-winning Washington, D.C. Restaurant Equinox

Concert Tickets Only: $20.00 in advance, $22 day of show available
through The State Theatre Box Office or 703-237-0300

For more information, call 415-561-3134

................
Bobby on Cassady
Lowell, MA.


A dot org post by "Dylanismyelvis" wrt Fenway Ratdog:

"I have to say as a lifelong Red Sox fan who now lives in Georgia, I felt very fortunate to be back in Fenway Park today, seeing Weir and the boys sing The National Anthem before The Red Sox' 3-0 victory over Tampa Bay. The band minus Bobby was hanging out behind home plate well before the pregame ceremonies commenced. They were all given Red Sox shirts and most were quick to put theirs on. Finally Weir made his way onto the field and chilled on the padded wall, first behind The Sox ondeck circle and then with his band mates behind home plate just in front of the seating area.

Weir even got a hold of a camera and snapped a few photos of his brothers in the Red Sox were given although he never donned his. Isn't he a Giants fan?? Those are the only people on the planet who think it's groovy that Barry Bonds broke The Great Hank Aaron's record, right?

Also Jay took his Sox shirt off immediately after they finished the anthem. Yankee fan??

I digress.

I thought the guys nailed it, most of The Sox fans I spoke to about it afterwards agreed excepting maybe a couple.

A great moment for me was just watching the band walk into the seated area of Fenway after they finished. Watching Bobby, a musician I've seen an embarrassing amount of times, take in this historic stadium in which I have watched so, so, so many games was pretty darn cool. Isn't it great when separate worlds come together like this??

Oh yeah, and Tim Wakefield pitched a brilliant game - didn't allow a hit in the first six innings in fact....

Was anyone else there?

Kimock chatted with me briefly through the screen and told me he was gonna wear his Sox shirt onstage soon, so you Sox fans on tour with this band better hold him to that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

More Lowell from birthday boy, Kalakaki kid

Monday, August 13, 2007

from ratdog's my space page:

http://www.myspace.com/theofficialratdogpage


Ratdog

August, 13 2007 at Fenway Park
Yawkey Way, Boston, Massachusetts
Cost :

Bob Weir & Ratdog to perform the National Anthem before the Boston Redsox vs. Tampa Bay Devil Rays game.

Video from yesterday

Saturday, August 11, 2007

Bob Weir Live!!!
http://www.wmvyradio.com/ carrying his performance from Lowell, Sunday night, after 7pm (Eastern time)
Listen to Bonneroo Bobby interview! click here!
....................

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

Mark Karan
PO Box 961,
Fairfax, CA 94978


To receive updates and to leave a message of support for MK -
please visit
http://www.carepages.com.
Mark's page is "getwellmark" (all one word)

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


Now playing at Starbucks (Guess who?!)

If you loved me, you'd buy me some more Wally Ware!

Starbucks should sell Wally ware now that they are so hip.





Friday, August 10, 2007

Click on http://www.wpkn.org/ to listen to GOTV!!!
I think Bobby & Ratdog go on at 10pm Pacific time tomorrow night?



YELPING on Sweetwater closing


Longtime club Sweetwater set to close Sept. 1
Joel Selvin, Chronicle Senior Pop Music Critic
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Longtime Mill Valley nightclub Sweetwater will close after this month, according to club owner Becky Steere. After many years of antagonistic relations with the building's landlords, the Aversa family, who operate the La Ginestra restaurant next door, the club will close Sept. 1 and the building will undergo major renovations.
"They wanted us out since Jeannie," said Steere, referring to previous Sweetwater owner Jeannie Patterson. "They wanted Jeannie out. But this time it's real. I asked about buying the building and they said it was very inappropriate for me to ask."
Fabio Aversa, spokesman for the family, said the building would undergo long-overdue repairs and maintenance and that Thom and Becky Steere knew about renovation plans since their lease expired two years ago. "We've been in this community for 45 years," he said. "If we wanted to throw the Sweetwater out, we would have done it a long time ago."
The tiny 90-seat bar at the end of the last downtown block on Throckmorton has been the home away from home for many Marin County rock musicians over the years. Bob Weir, Sammy Hagar, Maria Muldaur and others used to drop in frequently. Concert producer Bill Graham used to stop by the club for a drink on his way home.
There have been special performances at the club by neighbors such as Bonnie Raitt, Carlos Santana and Huey Lewis. John Goddard of Village Music, Mill Valley's long-standing record store, also closing this month, threw extraordinary parties at the club, including one memorable evening when Elvis Costello played with Jerry Garcia and James Burton, the famed guitarist who played for many years with the other Elvis.
The Steeres raised the alarm in 2004 when their lease expired and the Aversas raised the monthly rent to $10,000. At the time, the proprietors turned the club's 33rd anniversary celebration into an impromptu "Save the Sweetwater" rally, which ultimately resulted in the Aversas negotiating a new month-to-month lease.
"This time we've actually been served with papers by a lawyer," said Becky Steere. "And they think they're being nice by letting us stay to the end of the month."
Steere, who with her husband recently took over operation of the Larkspur Café Theatre, said Sweetwater was packed on Monday for open-mike night and that E Street Band saxophonist Clarence Clemons dropped by to play. One local musician is circulating Save the Sweetwater petitions and has established a Web site ( http://www.savethesweetwater.com ).
E-mail Joel Selvin at mailto:jselvin@sfchronicle.com.
This article appeared on page E - 1 of the San Francisco Chronicle

Thursday, August 09, 2007

Weir Ready For Vibes->click2read!

Wednesday, August 08, 2007

Save Sweetwater Saloon!
Click Here!

New article click it->http://www.newhavenadvocate.com/article.cfm?aid=2421






{{{Jared}}}
Only a year but still a long time to be gone

Tuesday, August 07, 2007

Leaky Sparrow blog reports that the Summer of Love is on Arte TV


Hey, Hey , Hey!
Someone got around to reviewing A night at the Family Dog! I need to get myself a copy of that!

Monday, August 06, 2007

3 Cheers for David Gans!

A few days ago, David Gans put out a call to raise money to send Mark & Maile to a Cancer help program and also to raise funds for a chef to prepare and deliver meals to them while Mark is being treated.
This morning , I was thrilled to read on http://logblog.gdhour.com/ that the entire $5,000 has been raised!
((((David Gans)))))))!!!
...............................

Nice Garcia tribute on this blog->http://brocknrollmusic.blogspot.com/2007/08/jerry-garcia-appreciation.html


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Mill Valley's Sweetwater to close
Paul Liberatore
Article Launched: 08/04/2007 11:05:56 PM PDT

After more than 30 years in Mill Valley, Sweetwater, the rock club that became a Marin County cultural institution, has been told to close by the end of the month.
Sweetwater owners Thom and Becky Steere have been given a 30-day notice by their landlord to vacate the landmark Throckmorton Avenue nightspot, where greats like Jerry Garcia, Carlos Santana, Elvis Costello, Bonnie Raitt and other rock stars have performed over the past three decades.

The building will undergo major improvements, requiring rent increases that the Steeres cannot afford.

Mill Valley Mayor Chris Raker, who was surprised to hear of the closure, called the news upsetting.

"I'm extremely distressed to hear it. It's a major loss to the community. While I welcome the improvements to the building, I wish some accommodation could have been made to allow Sweetwater to stay."

In an emotional meeting Saturday morning, the Steeres gave their dozen employees the news. "There were lots of tears," an upset Becky Steere said, her voice cracking. "We're a family. This is our life. We're all devoted to Sweetwater. We're feeling deep sadness and sorrow right now. It's heartbreaking."

The Steeres say they've been looking for a new home for Sweetwater, but
it will be impossible to re-create its living-room-like ambience, to replace its barnwood walls decorated with memorabilia and photos of musicians who have played there.
"How do you move an institution?" Becky Steere asked. "You can't carry away the memories of all the musicians who have performed here, the magic that's been on that stage. If you move an institution like Sweetwater, you lose the soul of the place."

The Steeres, who saved the club when they took it over from previous owner Jeanie Patterson in 1998, clashed with their landlord in 2004 over rent increases and other issues.

They threatened to leave during those negotiations, but managed to work out a month-to-month lease.

But now they've been told to be out by Sept. 1, at the latest.

"We've had this scene before, but this time it's real," Becky Steere said. "Unless some miracle happens, this is the end."

The Sweetwater building at 153 Throckmorton Ave. is owned by the Aversa family, longtime proprietors of adjacent La Ginestra restaurant.

The Aversas are planning "major repairs" that will require the building to be vacant "for an unknown but extended period," according to a statement signed by the Steeres and by Fabio Aversa for his family.

"Once these repairs are completed, the intent is to re-rent the space, but the increase in rent to offset the improvements will make it impossible for Sweetwater to reoccupy the space," the statement said. "It also makes little sense for Sweetwater to move and then move again, perhaps months later."

The Aversas say they plan to tear back interior walls to make sure the building meets seismic safety standards and to improve the plumbing and electrical systems.

"While there have been ups and downs in the relationship between the club and the building owner, both of us are proud of our long-term relationship and regret that it is coming to an end," the joint statement said.

Fabio Aversa did not immediately return calls for comment.

John Goddard, whose Village Music record store closes in September due to issues including escalating rents after some 40 years in Mill Valley, blasted the Aversas.

"Anyone who has eaten at La Ginestra in the past 10 years has given tacit validation to everything the Aversas have put the current and former owners of Sweetwater through," he said. "They ought to be ashamed of themselves."

The Steeres recently took over operation of the Larkspur Caf Theater, which they had hoped to run in addition to Sweetwater.

"It will never become Sweetwater," Becky Steere said. "Sweetwater is Sweetwater, a place where big-name musicians come and play, not for the money, but because of the history of this great room.

"Everyone loved the place."

Contact Paul Liberatore via e-mail at liberatore@marinij.com

Sunday, August 05, 2007

Extending the Long, Strange Trip
By Stewart Oksenhorn
Aspen, CO Colorado
August 3, 2007

When the Grateful Dead was still alive and touring, it was an accepted truth among Deadheads that there was no substitute for the live experience. There was an experiential flavor to a Dead show - the improvised set lists, the ineffable bond between the band and that night's audience, the scene and the smells - that couldn't be captured on a recording, even a bootleg tape of the hottest live show. It's an oft-repeated tale of the doubter-turned-Deadhead after being dragged to his first show.

It follows that the band's legacy would begin to fall off when the Dead came to a halt - as it did 12 years ago with the death of singer-guitarist Jerry Garcia (Aug. 1, 1942, to Aug. 9, 1995). No more shows meant no more budding Deadheads seduced by the incomparable scene, the X factor between the musicians, the charisma and talent of Garcia.

But that's not what's happened. The long strange trip has been extended in numerous ways. There are full-blown Deadhead kids who, if they caught the band at all, did so in diapers. Various members of the Dead carry on, revisiting the old style and plowing new musical fields. There are cover bands everywhere, including Dark Star Orchestra which, since 1997, has been meticulously recreating actual Dead shows. Here in Aspen, we have the Grateful Deli - which opened two months ago - serving sandwiches named for Dead songs.

None of the musical elements are as enticing as the genuine article, but the activity surrounding the Dead world is sufficient to make the point that it wasn't merely the party on wheels that attracted people to the Dead.

One of the most overlooked facets of the Dead's appeal, lost in the smoke and the 15-minute jams, is the song writing. The Dead, at least in those bursts when their attention was focused, wrote great songs. Catchy songs, edgy songs, songs filled with lyrical meaning and musical twists and turns. Their songs could be rooted in early American lore, or born of the '60s psychedelic experience.

Robert Hunter - the band's primary lyricist - was the band's secret weapon, a poet with few parallels in rock music. He ran an end around the staple of the rock song - lust and romance - to navigate the culture of the American West, explore the ideals of liberty and bliss, and breath in the wonders of nature. And, simultaneously, he cast an ironic glance on all of it. When Garcia was willing, Hunter had a perfect partner, who could spin chord changes eloquent enough to stand up to the words.

Is there a more graceful statement of communal spirit than "Uncle John's Band," with its folksy invitation, "Come along or go alone / He's come to take his children home"? Is there a better invocation of the muse than the soaring climax of "Terrapin Station": "Inspiration, move me brightly / Light the song with sense and color"? Is there a more stirring up-from-the-gutter tale than "Wharf Rat": "But I'll get back on my feet someday / The good Lord willing, if he says I may."? (To be sure, fellow singer-guitarist Bob Weir, and his various writing partners, lived on a lower plain, but still turned out "Cassidy," a beautiful meditation on childhood and destiny, and the ominous tale of the rail-riders in "Jackstraw.")

••••

OK, I'm a fanatic, sitting here, on Garcia's birthday, in my T-shirt commemorating his life and death (a VW minibus, shedding a tear out of its headlight). So don't take just my word for it. A host of singers and instrumentalists have emerged from their niches in the musical realm - many of them universes away from Deadland - to claim an allegiance to the repertoire.

Elvis Costello was a huge admirer. He praised Garcia's unique ability as a guitarist to forget everything he knew each show and allow something new to emerge the next night. Costello also loved the songs; his acoustic medley of "Ship of Fools"/"It Must Have Been the Roses" is featured on "Stolen Roses," a 2000 collection that is the most eclectic of the many tributes to the Dead and one of the most varied tributes to any band.

"Stolen Roses" opens with a straight-up bluegrass take on "Cumberland Blues." (Worth mentioning: Robert Hunter, who wrote the lyrics to "Cumberland Blues," has said the greatest compliment he was ever paid came when he overheard a non-Deadhead say of the song: "I wonder what the guy who wrote this would have thought if he knew something like the Grateful Dead was gonna play it.") The album ranges from Patti Smith's gritty take on "Black Peter" to an instrumental version of "Ripple" by the avant-garde jazz group Sex Mob, to Henry Rollins' industrial deconstruction of "Franklin's Tower." "Stolen Roses" closes with the Stanford Marching Band covering "Uncle John's Band."

Bob Dylan, who doesn't really need to go searching for outside material, chips in on "Stolen Roses" with a rickety "Friend of the Devil." For a sharper take on the song, Lyle Lovett's stately version appears on the 1991 album, "Deadicated." (Give the Dead another hand for helping usher in the era of the tribute album. "Deadicated" was among the first of the genre; they have since become ubiquitous.) The album is not as diverse as "Stolen Roses," but the range is still enormous. Jane's Addiction gives an alt-rock twist to the gentle "Ripple," while reggae singer Burning Spear keeps more of the heart of "Estimated Prophet" intact, even while giving it a stylistic makeover. Highlights are Dwight Yoakam's honky-tonk cover of "Truckin," and Los Lobos' energized "Bertha"; both became concert staples for the artists.
The reggae world has had a particularly fruitful time with the Dead's material. There have been two volumes of "Fire on the Mountain: Reggae Celebrates the Grateful Dead," with top reggae singers - Gregory Isaacs, Marcia Griffiths, Toots Hibbert and more - doing a consistently good job of interpreting the material, almost all from the Garcia/Hunter pages of the songbook.

Tossed in among the reggae acts on Volume 2 of "Fire on the Mountain" is Warren Haynes, of the hard-rock band Gov't Mule and of the Allman Brothers Band. Here, Haynes joins with the Jamaican rhythm team Sly & Robbie to rework Peter Tosh's "Stop That Train," a staple of the Jerry Garcia Band's repertoire. But Haynes isn't included here just for the novelty; he's got a serious love of Jerry. On his 2004 solo acoustic album "Live at Bonnaroo," Haynes plays a pair of Garcia ballads - "To Lay Me Down" and "Stella Blue" - and his own "Patchwork Quilt," a reflection on Garcia's life and death.

Odder than the reggae contingent paying their respects are the jazz-fusion tributes to the Dead. Jazz Is Dead, released a pair of albums putting an instrumental spin on the Dead's melodies. The quartet, which used to tour occasionally, featured two players from the Dead-related jam sphere: Jimmy Herring, now a guitarist with Widespread Panic, and T. Lavitz, a keyboardist who played in an earlier lineup of Panic. Both the rhythm section of drummer Billy Cobham and bassist Alphonso Johnson came more from the fusion side.

An even more ambitious recording project was 1999's "Terrapin," credited to bassist Joe Gallant & Illuminati. That album employed strings, horns and voices to create an accomplished fusion suite out of the Dead's 1977 album, "Terrapin Station.

Jonathan McEuen, the son of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's string wizard John McEuen, wasn't much of a Deadhead. He said his biggest attraction to the band was through their visual iconography - dancing bears and turtles, skulls and roses. Still, McEuen, with violinist Phil Salazar, give Garcia one heck of a sendoff in a 1999 album, "A Tribute to Jerry Garcia," that puts a fiddle-swing stamp on the Dead's output.

The most recent, and most out-there spin on the Dead, is "Dead Symphony," an orchestral album by Lee Johnson. The Georgia-based composer/conductor may make for an odd fit with the Dead, but his colleagues here are even stranger - the Russian National Orchestra. It comes off as a well-executed novelty; the best part is the cover art of a skeleton playing a violin.

There have also been full-album gospel tributes ("Might As Well ... The Persuasions Sing Grateful Dead"), a Celtic tribute ("Wake the Dead"), and a pair of bluegrass tributes ("Pickin' on the Grateful Dead" and "Pickin' on Jerry Garcia"). The respected jazz saxophonist David Murray, who once sat in with the Dead, released an interpretation, "Dark Star: The Music of the Grateful Dead." Covers of Dead songs have turned up on recent albums by Willie Nelson, the Neville Brothers, Joan Osborne (who has frequently performed with surviving members of the band) and Bruce Hornsby (who was a part-time member of the band in the early '90s).

••••

None of this latter-day Dead activity surprises Joe Freeman. A 36-year-old devout Deadhead, Freeman opened the Grateful Deli in Aspen in June, in the spot vacated by the In & Out House. Freeman needed a new name, and didn't hesitate to settle on the Dead-related name.

"I didn't do it to attract people. I did it because I love it," said Freeman, who saw a nearly sold-out show last month by Ratdog, Bob Weir's current band, at Red Rocks, and is making plans to see Phil Lesh's Phil & Friends in Denver in September. "But people come in and see the mural, they love it. People are dropping things off - posters, a Shakedown Street sign."

Freeman is amazed at how many of the people, with all different looks, have a history of loving the Grateful Dead. "So many of your average people come in who you'd never think were Deadheads," he said. "And they say, 'Oh yeah, I was at this show and that show.

"It's like that bumper sticker says - 'We are everywhere.'"

Still.

Stewart Oksenhorn's e-mail address is stewart@aspentimes.com

Friday, August 03, 2007

Thursday, August 02, 2007

A great idea for a gift for MK & Maile over on David Gans' Log Blog Please go check it out!

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It's about time that someone made a film! Clicksies
...
Birthday gift for Bobby' Weir's 60th

What I’m planning on doing is to create a book full of
photos and thoughts from Bobby’s fans.


From you,
I would appreciate:
a message or birthday greeting.
A photo of yourself would be great.

Don’t forget to add your name (can be a screen name if you want) and perhaps,your location too.


I’ll be collecting pix & quotes at Weirfreaks@mac.com until September 1st, 2007.

Wednesday, August 01, 2007