Grateful Dean

Announcements coming out of everywhere regarding who’s playing at Lockn in September are starting to raise a lot of eyebrows. I don’t know where folks get their info but I’d have to imagine they have some high level connections. Me, I don’t know anybody…(Total lie at this point) You’d think by now I’d get some inside information but I don’t get a damn thing. Since I’m still smarter than most however, I learned from “The Great One” that I don’t skate to where the puck is, I skate to where it’s going. I used the few folks I know to get me in touch with Trey. After digging him out of a pile of women in Texas, he came to the phone and I asked Trey if he had any plans for the weekend of September 10th-13th and he just said, “I don’t have jack shit going on that weekend”. I tried to ask him a few more questions but he said as kindly as one could say it, “I don’t have any idea who the fuck you are” and hung up. I think he really likes me. This caused me to start thinking… What’s developing over there in the middle of absolutely nowhere Virginia? Virginia has been home to some of life’s best Grateful Dead experiences. I wonder if they’ll have Hologram Chimenti again… You can see him but you sure as hell can’t hear him!

Rumors have been circulating around New York City that Peter Shapiro has been taking Tambourine lessons from none other than Stevie Nicks and plans to join several configurations of artists throughout the weekend of his event. While his dancing lessons from Snoop Dog never really “took” I’ve heard from inside sources that on Tambourine that brother is just like the one winged dove! Look for his debut as a performer at Lockn! Get ya Popcorn ready!!!

I went to see the Golden Gate Wingmen last night at The Watermark in NYC. I won some tickets through that contest they had. Apparently, I’m a pretty good promoter myself… I highly recommend that venue to any locals. It’s right on the East River with beautiful views of lower Manhattan and the Brooklyn Bridge. A great time was had by all in attendance.

The life of a musician can be an interesting one. My cousin, Bobby Messano, is in the Blues Hall of Fame. Sounds pretty impressive and it really is. He’s had some great gigs throughout the years. The lick that was a Hallmark of MTV for decades was his. We all heard that a million times growing up. He did several tours as Steve Winwood’s guitarist, was one of the guitarists for the Blues Brothers, played with Clapton… He’s had some great gigs. Nowadays, he’ll play a Blues Festival in the Midwest for 30,000 people on a Saturday and then play an Elks Lodge the next week. Crazy how that goes…

I thought about Jeff Chimenti the same way last night. A few weeks ago he was part of the biggest stage of the Summer and here he was barely a month later on a stage that was about the size of his keyboard platform at Levi’s and Soldier Field. What a dramatic difference playing for 70,000 last month and less than 700 now. That’s about the population of Arrington, VA, home of Lockn.

Regardless, the mind and make of a musician can find those moments of magic anywhere. The opportunity to connect to the music and people you’re making it with is available regardless of the size of the stage or audience. A group of people making music can come across the key that unlocks parts of the Soul previously undiscovered without any audience at all. I’ve watched my cousin create some incredible moments in church basements that have never before and will never again experience his level of talent. It’s all about connecting and that can happen anywhere, any time and any place.

The show was a lot of fun and I had a blast. Jeff and Reed both seem to have an undeniable X Factor. There’s a little more of that extra something within them. I have a tip however for anyone that plays Grateful Dead Music. Even if you think it’s a good idea to play something other than Franklin’s after Help On The Way and Slipknot, it just about never is. The jams that drove Help and Slip were great and provided this absolutely raging musical hard on that is always prepared for the first notes of Franklin’s like a breeding stud is prepared for his mare. Then all of a sudden… Touch of Grey instead… Total blue balls moment. Touch is a great tune but I’d wager to say that pretty much nobody was hoping to hear it in that space…

Regardless, I recommend you check out The Golden Gate Wingmen. They’re a great time and the tunes were excellent. While you’re at it, go check out Phish on their Summer Tour. Trey is in unbelievable form and is obviously having the Summer of his life. I may have to start an Official Home of Unofficial Phish News site to cover them because the coverage I find elsewhere is pretty awful. If somebody had some sense, they’d bring me on board to provide some material that isn’t boring as shit. Somebody that looks and listens to the music like a lot of US do. I might even be willing to stop swearing.

The next couple of weeks will obviously be devoted to the memory of the Teller of Tales and Singer of Song that no human as ever come close to… The ONCE in a lifetime artist that changed US forever…

Dead To The Core,

Dean