Grateful Dead
Steely Dan and the Grateful Dead are both American musical treasures – but couldn’t be more different in their approach to music. The epitome of precision and setlist free, organic, and loose. Studio perfectionists and the omnipotent live music band. Yet in spite of these differences, many of us love both these bands. They’re huge parts of the soundtracks of our youth and present day. What better way to celebrate both bands then enjoying a merge of the two in a night of American rock-n-roll supremacy.
Fans of the Grateful Dead have often heard unique and clever takes on some of the band’s biggest hits, but never one like this. Dale Ann Bradley, one of Bluegrass music’s top acts, has a new take on the 1970 track, “Ripple,” which has often been a favorite among the group’s fans.
Topics
One of the longest running Grateful Dead tribute bands in the world, Shakedown Street, makes its home in and around the Rocky Mountain region of North America. Spawned from jam sessions at the Ancient Mariner bar in Manitou Springs, Colorado in 1987, Shakedown Street quickly grew in popularity, and garnered a legion of loyal fans who refer to themselves as “Shakeheads”. In a few short years, throngs of “Shakeheads” could be found on the highways and byways of the Rocky Mountains, making their way to another Shakedown Street show.
The music began early on the final day of the Skull and Roses Festival in Ventura. A hot offshore wind heated up the day by the time the drum circle started at 10 am. Overhead waves from a late spring storm exploded across Ventura point buffeted by the strong sideshow winds sending long plumes of salt spray high int the air. The strong winds stirred up a cloud of dust that helped turn the sunny day into an eerie orange haze.
The sun came out bathing the Ventura fairgrounds in a beautiful orange glow as sleepy festival goers woke from a long night of music and partying. The noontime drum circle was the wake-up call for many. But it wasn’t until about 3 PM, when Northern California’s premiere Grateful Dead cover band, the China Cats took the stage, that most people finally gathered together for a dance jam. The group formed in 2008 in Santa Cruz California and has garnered a loyal following since.
Our friends at Shakedown Gallery are celebrating the anniversary of Dr. Albert Hofmann's magical 1943 bicycle ride by releasing a series of beautiful and unique blotter art prints.
Many of the artists will be no strangers to the Grateful Dead community.
Topics
Who's up for a revolutionary evolutionary ride? DAVE'S PICKS VOLUME 30: FILLMORE EAST, NEW YORK, NEW YORK 1/2/70 captures the Grateful Dead as they make their first foray from the experimental 60s into their early 70s acoustic Americana period. Yes, this one is a little bit country and a little bit (psychedelic) rock and roll.
For the third year in a row generation of Deadheads flocked to the Ventura County Fairgrounds for the Skull and Roses Festival. Over 25 bands played cover songs from the vast Grateful Dead catalog as well as original material and other classic rock songs for three long days and nights. The campground was full by early Friday afternoon, April 5th with as many as four generations of family and friends gathered in the comradery of the intimate festival.
