Studio album purists might have a sound argument when it comes to certain rock acts, but few Deadheads would ever argue that the quality of the Grateful Dead's studio work superseded their live recordings. Most of their studio albums we’re muddled down by the likes of Warner Brothers, big time L.A. record executives that wanted a four minute track, or just poor planning and execution. Only the Terrapin Station studio suite superseded its live performance.

Formed from weekly shows at Phil Lesh's Terrapin Crossroads in San Rafael, CA, the Terrapin Family Band has become the venue's official house band. Terrapin Crossroads' constant free bar shows, often featuring bandleader Phil, have created an opportunity for the young musicians of Terrapin Crossroads' crew to perform together and with a diverse cast of visiting musicians.

Phil Lesh & Friends will be playing July 22 & 23 at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY; July 24 at Penn's Peak in Jim Thorpe, PA; and July 26 & 27 at Gathering Of The Vibes in Bridgeport, CT.

With an already stellar line up announced, the 18th Annual Gathering of The Vibes Festival is thrilled to welcome Blues Traveler, guitar impresario Steve Kimock & funky keyboard godfather Bernie Worrell, Jason Crosby Band, von Grey, Twiddle, and local festival favorites The Kind Buds, to its already impressive four-day lineup.

Comparisons - The world is littered with them. We compare this to that for reasons only the people doing the comparing can comprehend. Sometimes they are interesting, sometimes they are not.

Furthur @ Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ on Saturday 4/27/13 left me comparing a laundry list of items.

Bob Weir, former member of the Grateful Dead, collapsed on stage during a Furthur show Thursday night at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY after showing signs of distress throughout the evening.  Playing their ninth sold out show in twelve days, the 65 year old rhythm guitarist stumbled, then fell around 11pm during the song "Un

Today, Furthur announced plans for their summer and fall tours. Furthur will kick things off with their 1st performance at the BottleRock Napa Valley Festival on May 8th. Furthur has a 3 hour slot scheduled for that night, which is nearly 90 minutes longer than any other act.

2 complete shows, once missing reels filled with never-before-heard material, a previously unheard and quite majestic 1969 "Dark Star," a first-ever version of "New Speedway Boogie," a second-ever version of "Mason's Children".... We can hardly contain our excitement about Dave's Picks Volume 6. The first major return of material to the vault since 2005's Houseboat Tapes, Dave's Picks Volume 6 will feature 2 complete shows with never-before-heard material from 2/2/70 Fox Theater, St. Louis, MO and 12/20/69 Fillmore Auditorium, San Francisco, CA.

The 18^th annual Gathering of the Vibes announces their initial line-up, keeping their track record – for nearly two decades as the premier music, arts and camping festival in the Northeast.

Do you believe in augurs? As a bookworm and English teacher, I always look for them in literature and instruct my students to do the same. Omens of good things to come and harbingers of impending doom are common tropes in fiction. But the portents woven into those narratives are intentional and premeditated – mechanisms to clue the reader in to future events. Real life is another matter entirely.