Zero Petaluma Nov 8,9 2024

Kimock reportedly has been playing well with Oteil lately and is gonna do another round of Jazz is Dead soon -- so he should be well-oiled. 

Then he goes back to doing a Beatles thing until JamCruise.

Woz, you can crank up the time machine and see Barry Melton and Banana the following night (Sunday) in Novato. Just like old times!

(I'm flying n just for the Fri / Sat Zero shows but would have stayed an extra day if I had known about it before I booked my flight.)

^ Just a little. Vega and Kimock have a tumultuous relationship and there were periods in the early 90s when Sears played when Vega was unavailable (on tour with Tower or Power?).

Steve Wolf was playing bass 40 years ago.

But Vega wil be missed.

I also went to see John.  I moved West to see the 84 > 85 NTE shows and we needed something to do after the three night run at the Civic. Went up to foggy Cotati. 

Kingfish or Kokomo opened. Zero started after midnight. 

Introduced myself to the "kid" playing guitar. Been a big Kimock fan since. 

According to what I just read, Harvey had another severe infection related to cancer and facial reconstruction just this last March and somehow bounced back again enough to play.   He's been dealing with sinus cancer or something terrible for over 10 years now.  Good to see him out. 

I used see Harvey"s band with Greg Enrico on drums a fair amount around 93- 95 in SF partly because I had a crush on his girlfriend's girlfriend. Good times.  I had just gotten a D6 and taped a lot of those shows, but have no idea whatever happened to those.  

WALSTIB - I might be able to help you out. Pretty sure. I'll know Monday. 

<WALSTIB - I might be able to help you out. >

shoot me an email (if you can wait a couple more days for us both to find out if my friend is really skipping the show like he said. If he does, it's yours.)

zeropetaluma at gmail

 "having met when Steve Kimock auditioned for Keith and Donna Jean Godchaux’s Heart of Gold Band (which already had Greg Anton as its drummer), Greg and Steve recorded an album, Greg on drums and piano, Steve on guitars and bass. Then they started a band to play the music. Having gone through many, many names, Greg asked Steve how many were left on the list to consider: “Zero” was the answer, and Zero became the name of one of the finest jazz/rock fusion “jam” bands ever."

>Spencer Burrows on keys for Zero?>

He's a local (Sebastopol) cohort.

Original members (1984): Steve Kimock (guitar), Greg Anton (drums), John Cipollina (guitar/vocals), Steve Wolf (bass), John Farey (keyboards/vocals)

then, of course in the prime years: Martin Fierro (sax), Bobby Vega (bass), and eventually Chip Roland (keyboards) and Judge Murphy (vocals)

and other cohorts thru the years:

Robert Hunter (lyrics), Pete Sears (keyboards), Hadi al-Saadoon (trumpet), Gregg Allman (keyboard, vocals), Banana (keyboards, guitar, vocals), Donna Jean Godchaux-MacKay (vocals), Alex Baum (bass), Marc Benno (guitar), Norton Buffalo (harp), Buddy Cage (pedal steel), Jack Casady (bass), Mario Cipollina (bass), Lauren Murphy(vocals), Wavy Gravy (vocals, general clowning), Chrissy Coangelo vocals), Howie Cort (percussion), Al Diorio (percussion), Greg Douglass (guitar), Greg Elmore (drums), John Farey (keyboards, vocals), Rob Fried (percussion), Donna Godchaux-MacKay (vocals), Billy Goodman (guitar), Dave Goodman (guitar, vocals), Nick Gravenities (guitar, vocals), Terry Haggerty (guitar), Liam Hanrahan (bass), Doug Harman (cello), Mickey Hart (drums), German Herrera (percussion), Nicky Hopkins (keyboards), Duane Jackson (drums), John Kahn (bass), Henry Kaiser (guitar), Jorma Kaukonen (guitar, vocals), John Morgan Kimock (drums), Bill Kreutzmann (drums), Marty Levine (percussion),  Alex Ligertwood (vocals), Diane Maganaro (vocals), Maria Maldaur (vocals), Harvey Mandel (guitar), Barry Melton (guitar, vocals), Buddy Miles (guitar, vocals),  Lauren Murphy (vocals), Jeff Pevar (guitar), Anna Rizzo (vocals), Tony Saunders (bass), Merl Saunders (keyboards, vocals), Pete Sears (bass, keyboards), Grace Slick (vocals), Bill Spooner (guitar, vocals), Chris Templeton (pedal Steel), Benny Velarde (percussion), Howard Wales (keyboards), Vince Welnick (keyboards, vocals), Steve Wolf (bass)

I'm sure I'm missing someone!

It's looking very likely I will also have an extra for tonight in front of the theater at about 730,

I just rolled into Petaluma after being inhumanely squashed on a plane for six hours, (but I did get 90 percent of Hunter's book read. )

Flying sucks.  Haven't done it since covid and don't miss it.

What a beautiful day up here despite 101 traffic. 

I successfully checked into the Hotel Petaluma and scored some GF after show ribs and potatoes. 

Then went down to the bar and some old hippy that was telling me stories of sneaking into the Family Dog back in the day bought me a drink for coming so far.  So far a wonderful trip. 

Now trying a local Bistro down the st from the venue that has some GF options. 

After a short nap I envision going to the Mystic to deal with the extra ticket. 

I'm glad you posted those videos. 

I was so busy trying to recognize old friends and having a good old time that I need to hear the show again. 

Tonight I'm breaking out the old Zero shirt from 1998 that I can still (mostly) fit in, so if you spot it please stop and say hi. 

Plus my buddy coming up from SanJose just got sideswiped on Hwy 85 so I may have another extra ticket once I hear back from him.  He's ok but livid and waiting for highway patrol now.  

If I was being super picky, I thought the band was a little rusty and wandered a bit too much. To be expected. And Kimock seemed to be concentrating on his new guitar and band leading a lot, so he wasn't up there effortlessly ripping all night. 

It was mostly instrumental tunes ... and the vocals, while well intentioned, were a little too dramatic and "polished" for my taste compared to gravelly voiced Judge Murphy.  I was down on the floor in the center and the PA seemed to be going over my head and I found myself missing Howard Danchik's mix. Especially with the vocals. 

Again, I am nitpicking because it was a great scene.  And very uplifting just being among the old Zero heads.  I met quite a few couples that drove in from other parts of CA.  

I know it's late for anyone to read theirs but I have an extra for tonite.  I'll check back here but will be out front at 730 ish. 

Wow, What a show tonight. Everything was dialed in.

(In addition, audience seemed  veeeery electric )

thanks hammer.  Now I have to drive down to SFO and return this rental car and catch a  plane. If I can make it in and out of Denver aok with their weather It will be a perfect trip.  

Back home safe and sound. Very happy I made the trip. It was like psychic mouthwash after a week of election vomiting. Medicare should pay for my trip it was so healing.

Only in... moment: Wavy Gravy spoken word with band jamming behind him. Zero MVP: Pete Sears. Nostalgia award: the same crowd of tripping hippies I danced with 25 years ago.

Petaluma recommendations: Hotel Petaluma (fireplace bar), Petaluma Market (abundance of GF prepared foods), Wild Goat Bistro (good pizza).

Now if I don't get covid or some other plague from that obviously sick asshat who was in my row on the flight, I'll consider it all good.

(Ancillary hippie sighting: I did spot Sless on my plane when I passed through the first class section -- go Barry.)