Grateful Dead

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Jon McIntire, former manager of the Grateful Dead and New Riders of the Purple Sage, was also a longstanding member of the Rex Board of Directors, continuing for the rest of his life as an active member of the Rex Advisory Board.  On Thursday, February 16, 2012, Jon McIntire passed away.  We want to honor Jon and the tremendous gifts he has contributed to all of us who have had the privileg

Since I started reviewing shows, I have taken great care to listen not only to the music made on stage, but also to those who bring live improvisation to climactic heights with their ears and energy: the crowd. At any show, the canvas is always painted by the musicians, yet concomitantly framed by the listeners. Two crowd members, in particular, helped me frame Dark Star Orchestra’s superb tour closer at the Boulder Theater last Saturday.

How many Grateful Dead tribute bands does the scene need? The answer could be endlessly debated each way forever. I suppose it’s fair to say that since Dead music is a rolling snowball of endless genres, sporting both originals and reinvented covers with thirty years of varying performances where supposedly “no show was ever the same twice,” that room for countless cover acts isn’t unfound. After all, people still want to listen to their music, obsessively, even though they haven’t been around for seventeen years.

Dark Star Orchestra shared the stage with Grateful Dead founding member, Phil Lesh, as he sat in with the band at their performance Saturday, October 13 at The Fillmore in San Francisco.Joining DSO on bass for the first time, Lesh held court at the historic venue performing during the entire end first set which included: Jack StrawHere Comes SunshineFeel Like A StrangerDark Star>Playin’ In The Band>Two Souls In Communion>Eyes Of The World>Morning Dew>Playin’ (reprise)Bay Area photographer Bob Minkin was there to capture the magic, attached.

On Tuesday, October 9th, 2012, Jimmy Tebeau, bassist for the Grateful Dead tribute band The Schwag and most recently JGB, was sentenced to 30 months in prison for the crime of “maintaining drug-involved premises” on his 350-acre farm in a rural county in Missouri.  The government closed down the farm, which was known as Camp Zoe and home to the music festival Schwagstock

After leading the USSR to a gold medal (and victory over the U.S.A.) at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, Sarunas Marciulionis and Arvydas Sabonis were poster boys for their oppressor’s sports machine. Four years later, after the fall of the Soviet Union, they emerged as symbols of democracy, helping their country break free from the shackles of Communism, and willing newly independent Lithuania to the medal stand at the Barcelona Olympics.

Jon McIntire, former manager of the Grateful Dead and New Riders of the Purple Sage, was also a longstanding member of the Rex Board of Directors, continuing until his passing as an active member of the Rex Advisory Board.  On Thursday, February 16th, 2012, Jon McIntire passed away. We feel a profound sense of loss.

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