In Celebration of the life and music of Jerry Garcia and his various projects, The Blockley has lined up a slate of shows to make any Deadhead or Garcia-fan salivate, sending off the Summer of 2013 in the most righteous of fashions!
Beginning on Friday August 2nd with the Jerry Garcia B-Day Bash, Philly’s renowned Grateful Dead tribute band Splintered Sunlight will offer the first of three special appearances! For this B-Day jam they will be joined by Old Soul.
Splintered Sunlight formed in 1992. “Splintered” quickly became the most popular Grateful Dead Tribute band in the Philadelphia area gaining praise from Dead Heads and Non Heads alike. Sine that time, Splintered Sunlight has become a permanent fixture for music in the Mid Atlantic regiong. The band has also maintained a weekly residency at Brownies 23 East in Ardmore, PA for years.
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On Sunday, August 4th, a special event will take place at The Shakedown Craft Fair, as Mark Karan’s Buds will take the stage for two sets to fill the afternoon with music. Karan has played in GD affiliated bands The Other Ones and Ratdog, and is a successful artist in his own right.
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The following Saturday night will be a late one at the Blockley, as Splintered Sunlight plays a late night set from 1-330am on the date after the anniversary of Garcia’s death. Preceding Splintered will be an eclectic mix of performers- The McLovins, Philadelphia Funk Hustle, and Acoustic Anonymous.
The McLovins
The McLovins specialize in the creation of dynamic and improvised sound, influenced by the members’ disparate and eclectic musical influences. The band currently includes Jason Ott, Jake Huffman, Justin Berger and Atticus Kelly.
The McLovins embrace simultaneous and intricate improvisation with a more versatile front line in which all members are singing in four-part harmony, writing lyrics & music, as well as expounding on one another’s musical ideas. Set list segues and fiery improvisations are a staple of the band’s performances, keeping our audience always guessing what’s coming next and wanting more! In the short time this line up has been together, they have been invited to perform at an impressive number of well-established and new music festivals. These guys are constantly writing and practicing music, building their own foundation for a long term career, of bringing their music performing for their growing number of 11,500+ fans.
Philadelphia Funk Hustle
The Philadelphia Funk Hustle is a improvisational jamtronica/ funk/ rock trio based out of the tri-state area. With powerful drum beats, funky bass, and tasty licks on the guitar they’re coming to a show near you!
Acoustic Anonymous
Four friends brought together by a love of picking, singing and grinning, Acoustics Anonymous bridges the gap between groove and grass. Injecting gravity and soul into anything they touch, and coating it all with a shimmering layer of harmonies, the music can at one moment be raucous and at the next hushed. Whether its channeling the spirits of Jerry Garcia, Joe Cocker or James Taylor during a choice cover or melting it all together for an original, Acoustics Anonymous can be found first and foremost playing live: bringing people together and making them smile, sing, laugh and dance – that’s what it’s all about, right?
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Another related show on the calendar is the legendary New Riders of the Purple Sage, appearing once again at The Blockley, on Friday, September 13th.
New Riders of the Purple Sage
The New Riders of the Purple Sage, signed to Columbia Records by Clive Davis, released its eponymous first album in September 1971 to widespread acclaim. In the next 11 years the band toured and released over 12 albums, selling over 4 million records. NRPS began as a part-time spin-off from the Grateful Dead when Jerry Garcia (pedal steel guitar), Phil Lesh (bass) and Mickey Hart (drums) teamed up with John Dawson (guitar, vocals) and David Nelson (guitar). Although early live appearances were viewed as an informal warm-up to the main attraction, the group quickly established an independent identity through the strength of Dawson’s original songs. By 1970 Dave Torbert had replaced Lesh, and Spencer Dryden, formerly of Jefferson Airplane, had joined as the group’s permanent drummer. Garcia remained in both The Dead and The New Riders until he found himself overcommitted, at which time Buddy Cage replaced him and the classic NRPS lineup was born. Original NRPS bass player Dave Torbert and drummer Spencer Dryden have passed away, co-founder John Dawson Passed away in 2009 due to ongoing health problems. His considerable talents will be missed but his songs and musical legacy will live on. Before he passed he had given his blessing and was excited to know his music is being heard live again by a whole new generation of fans. The new lineup vows to keep the NRPS spirit and tunes alive by taking them to fans everywhere. The band recently teamed up with Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter and released its first CD in twenty years to rave reviews, Where I Come From (Woodstock Records).
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Garcia’s main side project was always The Jerry Garcia Band, and its spirit and music are alive and well in the form of Melvin Seals & JGB. The fabulous organist and his band will deliver the goods in West Philly on Friday, October 11th.
Melvin Seals & JGB (of Jerry Garcia Band)
Melvin Seals has been a powerful presence in the music industry for over 30 years with a long-established reputation as a performer, recording artist and producer. Melvin is most revered for his powerful, high-spirited, Hammond B-3 organ, and keyboards in the Jerry Garcia Band. Melvin spun his B-3 magic with the Jerry Garcia Band for 18 years and in doing so helped pioneer and define what has now become “Jam Band Music”. From blues to funk to rock to jazz, Melvin Seals serves up a tasty mix with a little R&B and gospel thrown in to spice things up.
Melvin and JGB brings an intuitive, expressive style, soul, spontaneity and remarkable chops to the table. With acoustic and electric ingredients and unique combinations of Dave Hebert’s guitar and vocals, Jimmy Tebeau’s savory bass, Pete Lavezzoli’s hearty drums and, of course, a heapin’ helpin’ of the wizard’s magic on Hammond B-3 Organ and keyboards. Along with backing vocals, the result is a most satisfying blend of natural organic grooves that challenges genre boundaries. Their chemistry is the focus from which they create a spontaneous and high art where the sky is the limit musically. They offer an exciting, often psychedelic musical journey that changes nightly and keeps the audience dancing and smiling (and some staring in amazement) for hours.
In addition to the often played staples, the band has recently been exploring the back catalog and performing a ton of super rare tunes, some of which The Jerry Garcia Band played only a few times over all those years.
Adding his rock-gospel-soul-rhythm and blues touch with his funky style of playing, no wonder Jerry nicknamed him “Master of the Universe”. Melvin continues to treat music lovers to his unique brand of melodic flavor with JGB. Come see and hear for yourself!
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The Blockley is West Philadelphia’s premier venue for live music, and is located at 38th and Chestnut Streets. Visit our website atwww.TheBlockley.com for info.
Press Release by Brian Getz
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