Dead and JGB cover bands
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have seen a few over the last few months. i guess what really blows me away is how MANY of these are out there. we all know the DSO's and what not, but there is seemingly more created every single day. there is a local farm deal here hosting GD days with plenty of young cover bands in GD style. seemingly no end in site of the popularity of this music...all the shows i've been to in this genre recently are SOLD OUT. it's nuts.
it's been a really long time since i've seen melvin. went last night, friend's had an extra. sold out. packed. there were no backup singers....I went to see melvin...aaaand...well, it was very underwhelming. really the only signature melvin moment happened in gommorrah. at no other point was the room really filled with his signature sound. i also gave another crack at john k....especially with no backup singers, it was really lacking. jk has the gravitas of an egg. i won't be attending anything with him in the lineup as there are local kids that are more inspiring in that role. i knew this going in but out man melvin has really declined...the rest of the band was alright but it was just not very good. the middle finger band is light years better in almost every way.
i don't know what my point is, other than a reflection of last night's show and the endless amounts of cover bands and new fans this music has created.
the other point is good god, how blessed were we to get to see JERRY?! i knew it at the time but, wow.
any other jgb bands that are good? jmf is the shit. what i saw last night was not.
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Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: DNB - Best band & fans in the land!
The Garcia Project is pretty
The Garcia Project is pretty good and worth seeing, IMO... they're certainly not as good as JMF but I'd rank them above Melvin's current lineup. YMMV.
TGP just happens to be touring the west coast this month, beginning with 3 shows at Winston's in San Diego. I plan to see them when they play up here in Humboldt in a couple weeks. https://www.thegarciaproject.com/
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Woz
JMF is THE JGB cover band.
JMF is THE JGB cover band.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Andy
JMF playing "Garcia's" at the
JMF playing "Garcia's" at the Cap May 13, 2025 8pm -- Excellent For Them and CONGRATS!!!
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: MarkD
Melvin blew it when he mostly
Melvin blew it when he mostly abandoned JGB music and became just another GD cover band.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: An organ grinder’s tune
Yeah surf, I believe my
Yeah surf, I believe my friend mentioned he was going to the winston's show for that now that you mention it. Its a pretty cool place. Maybe I should join.
when did melvin discontinue back up singers entirely?
amd yeah mark, they played eyes last night...
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Mice elf
JMF keepers of the flame
JMF
keepers of the flame
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Strangha
Saw the Garcia Project a few
Saw the Garcia Project a few months ago when they came through MoTown. Fun time. Coming again soon for two nights but I'll probably pass.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Lance minimum goad Newberry
Singers left about the time
Singers left about the time JK came on board. Almost certainly a money issue, possibly connected to John wanting more dough. For me, just like when it was Jerry's band, the singers really make the thing work.
As for Kadlecik, it's always been my experience that the better people he plays with the better/more inspired his playing. Especially when he played with Phil I always thought those two wound around each other brilliantly, JK's playing very subtle, crafty and conversational. It's not surprising that Phil would feed ideas and inspire the players around him, but I never once had an issue with Kadlecik the many, many times I saw him with Phil. I always thought he was anywhere from really good to great with Phil, but I agree that he doesn't work with Melvin.
Why are there so many bands playing GD music, why does it endure almost 30 years after the band finished? IMO it's because the structure is improvisational, the music is always in the moment, it's alive.
No matter how great the songs are or how much younger people love to wear tie-dye or older people want to feel nostalgic (and wear tie-dye) improvisational music, especially in the style the dead created, is always based on the players and their original ideas that they bring into that room, in that moment. It's always fresh, better or worse depending on the ear, but never straight cover, never the same tired solo you've heard a thousand times before, every night the ideas are new and original from those playing that show.
It's amazing to me that Jerry (and the band) died almost 30 years ago, which means realistically you have to be at least 45 - 55 to have seen the real thing, and even then it means you only saw post-coma/late era GD (meh).
When you look at the crowds at D$C shows, or really most any of the other bands, the majority of the people are younger than 50 and many are in their 30s or 20s. It isn't just the songs or nostalgia or the comuuuuuuunity man that keeps people coming, it's the in-the-moment adventure built into the music and the quality of the adventure guides who are playing it on any given night.
As the old Grateful Dead saying goes, every show is different. I believe that's still true, which is why I believe Grateful Dead music will endure long after we're all gone.
And that's far out.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: fishcane
I l prefer Garcia Project
I l prefer Garcia Project over JMF but it's close
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: An organ grinder’s tune
Well put as usual Lance.
Well put as usual Lance.
and I now see that the project band "re-creates" jgb shoes...hmm.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Ken D.
JMF = DSO of JGB
JMF = DSO of JGB
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: frenchiethetickler
http://www
http://www.gratefuldeadtributebands.com/
Why I ain't never seen a one...
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Alan R
I agree about the singers. It
I agree about the singers. It's that polished full sound that really takes me back and what I reference in my memory when I think of JGB.
When I saw the quartet, it seemed Melvim was just going thru the motions.
I raise my glass to the JGB of the 80s.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Mice elf
Jerry's Middle Finger +
Jerry's Middle Finger + Melvin
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xyK_Vccbjkw&t=3115s
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Andy
Saw Melvin - JGB at Warfield.
Saw Melvin - JGB at Warfield. I thought real tight and John played very well. No singers cause Melvin is selling out large venues without them. Back when he had last band of singers, less people showed up..John K is a big name draw that sells tickets. May not be everyone's favorite but right now Melvin - JGB is at 'the top of it's game.' Go and enjoy while you still can. Smiles
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Andy
Good show Bss, but different
Good show Bss, but different times. Enjoy links below zoners...
Warfield: Show
Melvin - JGB: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJJogd73i2U
Sam Grisman Band: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kh1DJKOteRY
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: DaBreeze
I'd say JGB inches out JMF
I'd say JGB inches out JMF and TGP overall but any of them could reign on any given night.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Floating Flasher
Kind of cool down here in my
Kind of cool down here in my little dirty Jersey corner of the world. There are a few really good cover bands
Of course Philadelphia is known for splintered sunlight and if you are from around there you definitely know them but I have not seen them in years.
Either way:
Support
Local
Music!
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Floating Flasher
I will also add that it's
I will also add that it's really fun to see younger people tuning into the gd vibe
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Sigmund
Steely Dead does a really
Steely Dead does a really nice job and looking forward to their East coast visit
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Cam
Up here in NH and Maine,
Up here in NH and Maine, there's a JGB cover band called Sans Souci. They are very enjoyable, and cover more than just the expected fare.
I'm also a big fan of Steely Dead, we were lucky enough to see them twice in Maine in Feb.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Plumb Bob
Hi Cam! Eggy on the 22nd?
Hi Cam! Eggy on the 22nd? Related in that that they nail a couple Jerry covers.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Roarshock
My plan is to see Melvin
My plan is to see Melvin again this summer at Jerry Day, and maybe some of you too.
And Stu!
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: fishcane
DSO last night in Ithaca. Meh
DSO last night in Ithaca. Meh, I'm pretty over them at this point
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Mice elf
How many regularly playing
How many regularly playing (gig like twice a month or more) GD/JGB cover bands are out there in the USA?
50? 100? 200? 300?
here's another trying to form in Medford right now https://medford.craigslist.org/muc/d/ashland-seeking-dead-head-jam-band/...
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: An organ grinder’s tune
the hipsters are all going to
the hipsters are all going to the farm: https://theecologycenter.org/event/day-of-dead-farm-fest/