Melvin Seals and JGB tribute band (Oteil & Stanley Jordan) @ Warfield Theater 5/5/18

My weekend capsule review of Friday's Stu Allen & Mars Hotel Show (covering 5/9/77 Buffalo War Memorial) and JGB w Melvin, Oteil Burbridge, Rodney Holmes, Dave Ellis, Stanley Jordan, Zach Nugent et al performing a GD Tribute and a recreation of 3/5/88 Garcia Band at the Warfield:

 

Friday night’s Stu Allen & Mars Hotel Show at Ashkenaz in Berkeley was Stu Allen’s 277th Grateful Dead Night in that dusky old community dance hall.   The band featured Nick Sandoval doing the Bobby parts with, Nick Sandoval - guitar, Danny Eisenberg on keyboard, Murph Murphy on bass, Sean Nelson & Peter Lavezzoli as dueling drummers & Stephanie Salva handling the Donna Jean stuff.

The usual and thoroughly deadicated cast of Eastbanian heads were present and the band was cooking from the get go with a performance that turned out to be a recreation of the epic 5/9/77 Buffalo War Memorial show.

The highlights are common knowledge but in Stu’s and Mar’s Hotel’s hands they were amplified with potency. 

This gig had one strikingly oddball happenstance wherein Stu literally put down his guitar and started monkeying with his rig smack-dab in the middle of the set ending Music Never Stopped.  The band chugged on for a few more choruses and then hit the brakes with drummer, Pete Lavezzoli humorously announcing that indeed, “The Music Stopped!” 

Other highlights included a fine take on Sunrise with Stephanie Salva in tune, in time, in pitch and beautifully out-performing Donna Jean.  The Comes a Time and ferocious UJB encore were all well executed.

I departed Berkeley at 1:40 AM – a sure sign of a great time.

On Saturday Night, following a busy day playing bluegrass in GG Park and then hitting a crazy KY Derby Party at a rockin’ party out by Ocean Beach (where I won $50 on Justified!) I hit the Warfield for JGB with Melvin and several special guests.

The scene was much like the Church of Jerry era but with less pressure, slightly less crowd and a very positive vibe.  

Steve Parrish emerged from the front curtain to regale us with a few funny tales from the House that Jerry Built and then the curtain opened to reveal a band that held a lot more promise (in this reviewer’s opinion) then it delivered.  

With Stanley Jordan and a rhythm section that could be one of the best in the jam band game: Rodney Holmes – drums & Oteil Burbridge – Bass, Melvin Seals on B3, Dave Ellis on horns and Sunshine Becker + Lady Chi supplying background vocals – the assemblage earnest kick-started the show with Help on the Way.   To me, it was more than obvious that though highly talented as a solo guitarist, Stanley just could not carry this complex musical vehicle with the kind of impact and immediacy that an old school Dead-Head expects when hearing this particular suite of ’75 era goodness.   His meek tonality, flat vocal presentation and wanky approach to guitar did little to elevate this often-explosive set of songs, though I will say it was clear he’d studied the complex diminished arpeggios and “the whip” that leads to Franklin’s Tower out of Slipknot to acquit what I consider a lack-luster attempt.  To me it was clear that this crew did not have enough rehearsal time to really gel as a unit.

The good news is, the show simply got better following the first fairly meh 20 minutes.

Can’t say as I’ve ever witnessed a Help > Slip > Franklin’s that led next to a To Lay Me Down – but Oteil stepped up to warmly deliver this beautiful ballad.   Later in the show he also did a fine job with Stella Blue.     The Eye’s of the World featured lead vocals and flute from Sunshine Becker Garcia.   Oteil took a cool bass solo and Dave Ellis showed off his chops.

The rhythm section was really potent but the lack of a strong, confident and lyrical lead guitar disappointed me in this initial tribute set.

Following a brief intermission, the curtain opened to reveal the same band as the first set augmented by Zach Nugent occupying the action seat and really tearing it up more than adequately.  Also, original JGB vocalists, Jacklyn LaBranch and Gloria Jones were once again gracing us with their warm energy and vocal presence.

The show wound up being from 3/5/88 at the Warfield – a show I attended back in the day:

SET 1:
Cats Under The Stars, Mission In The Rain, Get Out Of My Life Woman, I Shall Be Released, Run For The Roses, Deal

SET 2:
How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You), Like A Road Leading Home, Think, My Sisters And Brothers, Don't Let Go*, That Lucky Old Sun, Midnight Moonlight

ENCORE: Evangeline

In a bizarre twist of fate, Zach Nugent’s guitar rig also crapped out in the middle of the last song of the set (just like Stu’s the night before.)   In an effort to get things, “just exactly perfect,” the house pulled the curtains for a mini-set break and then 5 minutes later they were opened to reveal Zach employing a backup Fender Twin and ripping through a hot, incendiary Deal.

The real high-light of this lengthy show was the 2nd set of the original JGB show without the fluff of extra horn, guitar, flute but with Sunshine and Lady Chi doing the backing vocals.   Pete Lavezzoli on drums and Jean Paul McLean on bass elevated this set back to a place of both expectation and potent, yet relaxed energy gleaned from touring experience.

Zach Nugent is pretty fine at this game – can’t say I dig his personal energy onstage, but that boy can whip shit up into an energetic froth and is really good at amplifying jams into high energy moments that drive crowds nuts.    Mevlin as always laid a fat foundation on which to jam and everything was as it should be deep into this show.   The Don’t Let Go was a particular highlight!

All in all I’d give this one a solid B – nothing worthy of FOMO but the crowd was elated and kind and it’s always great to be back at the Church of Jerry!

 

JGB with Melvin Seals
Jerry Garcia Tribute at the Warfield Theater
San Francisco, CA
May 5, 2018

Melvin Seals - Keys
Zach Nugent - Guitar and Vocals
Jean Paul McLean - Bass
Pete Lavezolli - Drums
Sunshine Becker Garcia and Lady Chi - Backing Vocals
Vid Caps by Ted Silverman
Via Sony RX100ii

Steve Parrish
https://youtu.be/roNAypvR0MY

To Lay Me Down
https://youtu.be/65SE2nu7BB8

Stella Blue
https://youtu.be/qOixh1TPcIo

Eyes of the World
https://youtu.be/29vWNP5AmFI

Stephanie Salva - vocals, Nick Sandoval - guitar, Danny Eisenberg - keyboards,
Murph Murphy - bass, Sean Nelson - drums, Peter Lavezzoli - drums

Get Out of My Life Woman
https://youtu.be/TtEQFB8HmZI

Mission in the Rain
https://youtu.be/89e0EUW3tpQ

Don't Let Go
https://youtu.be/NfNv6HV3rq4

That Lucky Old Sun
https://youtu.be/dlr4fMJ5BEA

^^ Don't Let Go...

This was the first of these Melvin at the Warfield shows I did not attend, and a lot of the reason why was the presence of Stanley Jordan.

I very much like SJ and think he is a brilliant artist, but in my experience he is just not made for improvisational rock 'n roll, and since his background is not even close to rock in any way he can't even fake it very well and his playing becomes a distraction, not an addition.

I hope Melvin keeps doing these Warfield shows with guests though, as the ones I have attended have been damn fun.

As always, thanks for the effort Ted!

what's wrong with his personal energy?

what does he do?

He wears a flat-brim.

Kids these days.

I don't dislike Stanley Jordan.  He's innovative, melodic and interesting - but to me, he has no place in this music.

His strength is in bringing a particular and unique vibe to the guitar that works great in the context of a solo act - in fact, it's IMHO brilliant in that context.

But trying to lead a band that seemed less then cohesive and to a certain extent, under-rehearsed with an attempt at one of the most complex suite of songs in the GD book was a fail.

His tone lacked impact and immediacy and added no elevation whatsoever.  It was all flat - including his vocals during Help and Franklin's Tower.

On the other hand - Zach Nugent blew up the room at times and was fully capable of injecting the kind of fire and spark that this music calls for.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it......

>He wears a flat-brim<

heard that can garner some cold vibes among zoners over 50....

Set one was a jazzy Grateful Dead tribute.

Set 2 was the first set of 3/5/88 Jerry Garcia Band at the same venue.

Such a great photo and videos too, Ted.

Thanks man.

Did you take that photograph?

Missions has always been one of my top Jerry tunes.  It's cool as hell to see Zach light up when Gloria and Jackie come in with the back round vocals.  The guy's obviously put a lot of time into the Jerry thing and it must have been a surreal moment for him.

I can almost hear the music over the crowd

Yes I took the pic.

I was at more than 120 shows with Jerry Garcia at the Warfield - so I am used to the crush and crowd of the place.  But at this one - it was roughly only 85% sold so it was very easy to get around and to find my favorite dead center perch for the duration of the gig....   

Thanks. I'm seeing them this summer outdoors; which I'm looking forward to.