One Weir Symphony

Artifact of the Week: Symphony Photos, Videos + Book

Tape of the Week: 5/7/11 First Fusion Symphony
 

Bob Weir...a.k.a. Symphony Conductor! One Weir Symphony! Who would'a thought?  Yet, here I was, all dressed to the 9's on a Saturday night, with my wife on my arm, shaking my head in disbelief as I watched Bobby "Yes, I've been known to wear cutoff shorts, a Madonna t-shirt and a PINK guitar on stage with the Grateful Dead" Weir in a fancy-pants tux, telling symphony jokes and conducting a massive group of somewhat straight classical musicians through the intricate musical dynamics and a-tonal time shifts that make up the legendary Dark Star....  Whoa!! Was that really Visine you put in my eyes for my allergies? What planet was I on, anyway?

Turns out, Planet Weir!  With the setting straight out of Jabba's hideout from Return of the Jedi (check out this shot of Frank Lloyd Wright's Marin masterpiece which is the focal building of the complex where the show took place at the Dead's old '80s stomping ground, Marin Veterans Hall), you couldn't have picked a cooler home-town hall for a show of this magnitude.  And Magna it was was!  Originally scheduled to take place last year, this one-night-only benefit show for the Marin Symphony was an amazing success.  I mean, look at the facts: Bobby only flubbed the lyrics 1x at the show (you want a miracle, you got a miracle!), he was dressed up better than he was at the Obama-Pres-o-dente-ball, the crowd was very mellow with zero gate-crashers, the music was intensely well rehearsed (and ended up proving it had some real legs to it), and everyone attending the sold-out event had a real ship-eating grin from about the 3rd song onwards... Basically, it rocked and socked.  Since the last time I had seen Bob with a symphony, way back in '96, was with the first post-Jerry Dead reunion with the SF Symphony and the rest of the boys...well, it left a lot to be desired (ok, I was already seriously jones'ing for the good old days at that point).  5/7/11 helped change my perception of what the Dead's music and a symphony might be able to really do.

Captain Weir in rehearsal: giving his string-mates an idea

Weir in rehearsal with his Gibson 335

But let's take a step back here. The original gig was scheduled for last October. Bobby had been rehearsing for this gig for at least 11 months.  That's right, 11+ months of planning for a 1-night-only gig.  Sounds very un-Weir-like, no?  At the concession table inside, I was blown away to see that Old Saint Nicholas over at the UC Santa Cruz Dead Archive had put together an entire BOOK about the event!  That limited-edition (1,000 copies), numbered little book was just a beauty to behold. Great articles in there from the usual Dead-scribes...what a cool idea!  And thank you very much, it was printed on real paper from trees and not available for your Kindels! Old school!  You also had a great poster for the occasion that had the obligatory skeleton with baton image going for it.  A class-act all the way around.  

the might 1-show-only...BOOK!

808 is the new one after 909

As my wife and I were looking for some dirty martini's to match our one-time-a-year wedding outfits (note: the wife was PISSED to see all the hippies in their ripped tie-dyes and jeans...didn't they know this was Bobby's symphonic coming-out party?), we were pleased to see a wonderful Marin/Rock/Dead art show that was made up of classic photographs, concert poster art, Mouse originals, etc. What a great way to enjoy a drink before the show.  They also had lemongrass wheat beer.  Mmmmmm.....lemongrass.

Check our old Skullfuck post on this mighty 1st edition

!

The audience was made up of all sorts. I thought I spotted some of the core Dead family here and there (Mickey Hart, John Barlow, members of the Dead office, etc.), a few celebrities (was that Journey's Neal Schon taking a pee next to me in the men's room? If so, don't stop believin'!), some actual symphony supporters who were dressed up and seemed a bit confused (as if they were at the wrong event), and then the usual Deadmix of Dreads, Heads, and those in need of Meds.  Our seats were in the back of the hall, so we had a great view of the entire scene unfolding in front of us (including that damn huge camera crane that Kreutzmann Jr. was waving around).  We had a wonderful school teacher next to us who had flown all the way out from Connecticut just for the show (her first trip to California!) and we had a group of about 12 twenty-somethings with some very serious dreads in front of us. Contact hi and dry on the bye and bye!

The show started promptly just after 8 PM and went on for a good 3+ hours w/ the standard Dead break in the middle.  Cassidy kicked it off.... WEIRD choice!  But it worked! Especially when I saw the real-life Cassidy roaming the hall during the break (no, not the Neal Cassidy, but the lady CassidyRatdog'ish band to great effect.  Jeff C. would get my award for riff's of the night. He sounded amazing on that Steinway piano.  And James Jamerson was in the house (plus Carol Kaye and a dash of the PhilZone) with a plucky deep bass bottom. Juicy bass bottom indeed! How did it get so juicy? There were 3 bassists! So, I couldn't figure out who had the most tone....was it Wasserman? Well, it turns out 3 basses sound better than one... who knew?). Then, the band ripped into a wonderful medley of Let it Grow (no WRS intro??!@?), and a Bird Song/Cassidy reprise. Overall, a pretty damn impressive first set.

Well, the 2nd set is where the chicken ate the pudding, the pigs pinched the pickle and the rabbit hopped the fence.  No, that wasn't Visine you gave me, was it? For this section of the show, we had the entire orchestra out on stage, and they kicked things off with a Vicksburg Cannonball volley.  All the "Band" songs!  Playin' in the Band! Uncle John's Band! Dark Star Band!  Wait... ah, whatever.  Every single note of set 2 was special... it was the real uncle meat. A 'lotta enchilada.  Next, the Days Between....epic. Bobby conjuring up Jerry and doing this slow-ass, melancholy nugget some serious justice.  And of course, Dark Star, well... it was in the Plunderphonics vein. Very nice with enough little cosmic worm-holes where you could actually see Bobby doing an entire LP of just this track with the Symphony down the line (and maybe add a Moog and Voyager to boot).

Now girls, don't drink any of that fruity Kool-Aide backstage...

Jumping ahead a bit, we go to the encores.  Really Bob??  You're gonna play One More Saturday Night on Saturday night with a symphony?  Hmmm....not so sure about that one.  Though, one member of the symphony (I thought it was the conductor at first) got so energized by this number that he started dancing and freakin' out all over the stage and next to Bobby and up and down the concert isles...doing all this weird crap that you have probably seen your freaky Uncle Freddy do after he downed a fifth of Jack at that weird family reunion back in Plano a few years back.  Now, due to that..ugh..song selection and scene, my wife and I thought we'd head for the doors so we could relieve the babysitter a bit early.  Turns out we were glad we waited for Bobby to get his 33rd standing ovation and get flowers from his daughters (poppa's gotta be proud).  Next came a wonderful Ripple, and even better, an A Capella version of Attics of my Life that may have been the most amazing song of the entire night!  No joke.. you could hear a bit drop in the hall.  It was gorgeous. It was moving. It brought up memories of Jerry, of one's youth, of all things that change one's outlook from narrow and dark to spacious, clean and positive.  It was most very impressive. Especially when it looked like a spontaneous campfire gathering since no one knew who was supposed to be out on stage or not. I like little moments like that.

Attics A Capella!

If Bob were to walk away with any advice from Dark Star Palace on this show, I would say three things:

• It's high time for a surround-sound symphonic record of this evening (Justin Kreutzmann was filming the show in hi-def and it was also being multi-track recorded, so Blu-ray-or-bust baby!)
• Bob should get back into TRI Studios and record an A Capella record ASAP.  The Attics closer showed how amazing the Dead catalog could be done with just great harmonies alone.  Get CS&N + those symphony singers and start layering up those harmonies!
• Thank god you have that mustache and beard. Why? Because you are an elder, Mr. Weir.  You are a band leader. Jerry probably wouldn't believe it, and nor would most Heads if you asked us this 20 years ago.  But, that facial hair fits your status as the Civil War General, modern-guard composer, Ace living member of the Dead and all around leader of freaks that you are.

Well done, Professor Weir.  Now, onwards to the 2nd Fusion....or at least a 2nd show to prove to the Visine that it wasn't just a dream!

Spot Kreutzmann's crane, win a dollar

Set List

Set One: 

Cassidy > Bird Song, Row Jimmy, West L.A. Fadeaway, Loose Lucy, Friend of the Devil, Let It Grow > Bird Song > Cassidy

the cheap seat pay off yet again!

Set Two: 

Playing In The Band > Uncle John’s Band > Dark Star V1 > Jack Straw, Days Between > Dark Star V2 > Uncle John’s Band > Playin’ Reprise

Encore: 

One More Saturday Night, Ripple, Attics of My Life

Until next time at Dark Star Palace.....
 

In Tribute: Owsley "Bear" Stanley: 1935 - 2011

Artifact of the Week: Correspondence from Bear to Dark Star Palace

Tape of the Week: 10/18/74 (Bear Recorded/Mixed)

It is the end of an era. Early this morning, Dark Star Palace received many text messages and emails alerting us that Bear (aka Owsley Stanley III) had died in a car accident yesterday. As readers of this blog know, Bear’s work throughout the years has woven an elaborate web that has influenced and affected millions of minds…including our very own.  From his advice on how we should or (more often than not) should NOT implement our “Hall of Sound”, to his offers to custom make artwork for Dark Star Palace’s eventual physical manifestation, Bear has been a great elder and advisor to Dark Star Palace.  His feedback and advise, while often not what we would have liked to have heard at the time, was always greatly cherished.  He will be missed by many, and he will continue to influence and affect many more for generations to come.

I don’t think there is any fitting tribute that one can do to a great alchemist like Owsley, but we would like to make a small offering in his memory.  For this week’s Tape of the Week, we will be streaming one of our favorite Bear-recorded shows: 10/18/74 (Bear Recorded/Mixed).  24-bit sound direct from tape. Dark Star and the Dead don’t get much better than this…. 

 

For our Artifact of the Week, Dark Star Palace’s Unterfunken has decided to collect a few quotes from the emails that Bear wrote him that are still sitting in his in/sent folder.  As we continue to get several emails a month inquiring about our blog post on Bear last year, we though there would be many Bear-fans out there who would appreciate a few selections from these letters and get a taste for his theories and ideas. 

Unterfunken noted that one email from Bear stated that he would likely not ever return to the USA again (this was after his meeting up with him in June 2007), but that if he did, it wouldn’t be for “at least 5 years.” We are sorry to see that Bear has been proven right, yet again!

If you haven’t done so already, please check out our post from our coffee with Bear here.  We think you will enjoy it.  In the meantime, we will eat a steak in honor of Bear, and crank up some sweet 10/18/74... Fare the well!

 

A few quotes from Bear’s correspondence with Dark Star Palace:

On birthing and on naming Unterfunken’s first son (as Funken’s wife was pregnant, he and Bear had been discussing raising kids, naming, the fact his wife was told by doctors that she would need a C-section, etc.):

• Be sure to read my essay on Naming- A proper and unique name which has meaning in your own language has great power- The religions have destroyed this ancient practice.  What the fuck does Bob or Sally mean?  Name noises.
• C-section is a very body-damaging surgical procedure to be undertaken only when natural birth would result in death or serious damage to mother or baby.  Everything which comes after this is fucked in some way- there is no 'free lunch'. Nature rules. If a normal woman chooses to have her gut cut open and the baby extracted like a malignant tumour just to avoid a bit of natural distress and pain during childbirth, then she really is not fit to have children.  Again my opinion, but consider this: there are already a hundred times the number of people that this planet can support.... some of them need not to have kids.

On using one of Bear’s buckles on a custom amp stand for the Dead’s old MC2300/MC275/MC75’s at Dark Star Palace:

• Why use a perfectly good buckle- a wearable, signed piece of art-  on a bunch of antique, obsolete amplifiers?
• I could send you a cast, plastic GD just like it which would let the light through (or not if you like).

On options for Dark Star Palace’s surround-sound setup with the Dead’s old gear (vs. using Bear's system instead):

• I have no clue as to why you want to do this.
• I am just mounting a set of five Meyer UPJuniors with a UMS-1P sub as my surround system- it can only be beaten by a set of HD-1s (I only have three of them).
• The slew rate alone on those old amps is absurd, let alone the harmonic distortion at operating level and the severe problems with the wires from the amps to the speakers, this without mention that there are no good 'speaker cabinets' available (never were).  Beyond all this, John Meyer's systems are the only ones which can actually reproduce in the air the sound as recorded (in the medium).  Standard systems have a huge asymmetrical distortion product built in, due to the laws of physics- a simple piston will drastically shift the zero-crossing point, resulting in all asymmetrical signals being badly distorted- only a pure sine wave can handle this kind of zero shift- this is the reason this severe and quite audible distortion is not shown by distortion tests, all of which use sine waves.  In other words, as a speaker moves to follow the electrical signal actuating it, it will have to take a much more rapid movement backwards- twice the distance- as the movement forwards, if it is to create a balanced pressure wave in the air corresponding to the driving signal.  Meyer achieves this by monitoring the pressure produced by the moving cone and predistorting the signal so as to correct it.  No one else does this, primarily due to John's patents.
• My advice is:  save your money and get the best- you can push this along by selling off the vintage stuff.  ('Vintage': buzz word for old rubbish).

On his sound theories that were used in the Grateful Dead’s Wall of Sound:

• There is a simple rule: every source must be in time with all other sources (no separation), but a particular source must not be carried in more than one channel (no panpots or 'center' switch positions. This is true no matter how many channels the system has: 2, 6... 100. ALL channels must have a common even if virtual source point.  The audience does not have to be in any particular place, there is no 'sweet spot' and the sound is everywhere.

On one of Unterfunken’s ideas for the DSP Hall of Sound:

• FUNKEN: I was thinking as a music source you could run a DAW at 24/192k with some great outboard D/A's on as many tracks as the computer can handle and have a software interface designed so you could pan to 8-buss, each buss being able to be located anywhere in the room. The other idea was to explore the concept of Ambisonics and do the encoding and decoding w/ plugins...

• A recipe for very shitty sound.
• Yes, I know what is right and works, and what is not and doesn't.
• No matter how attractive the idea may be, the laws of physics such as the speed of sound and single-wave interference (think hologram) can not be adjusted to your liking..
• It has to do with your brain- which contains a highly evolved sonic signal-processing ability. If a source of sound enters the room from one and one only point, and there are other sources also unique in origin pointing in various directions, the human brain will process all these sounds into a complete sonic image in 3D, it will include the direct and the reflections of the sounds, subtract any time discrepancies and present the listener with a full rich, stereophonic soundscape.  I've done it many times. I like to compare it to a bowl of gelatin- a sound entering anywhere into it is heard as if it is everywhere.  Ever examine a Bose speaker?  9 drivers point away, only one towards you.  It works, a kind of lovely spacious sound- but the maker hasn't a clue as to how or why.  I just told you- it is inside your head.

On the belief he is a rich man (due to LSD sales, the Grateful Dead, etc.):

• You need to realise I have very little in the way of savings, a pathetic $500/mo in US SS, and never had a retirement plan.  My art and the odd music royalty from my earlier sound work are my sole sources of income.

On “believing” in things:

• I don't deal in conjecture.  If I say something, it has been researched, measured, tested and proven.  Otherwise I just say I don't know.  You suffer from a very common delusion, that things are just what they 'logically' appear to be- or perhaps what others say (loudly) about them.  I only trust my own perceptions, then set them to the test.  I don't 'believe' in anything.

On collecting the Dead’s old Wall of Sound amps and cabinets:

• I hate to pop your bubble, but...The cabinet you bought is basically a nostalgia piece, something to brag about owning not using. It is just antique rubbish. It is not suitable for guitar, and was used only in a specially assembled line radiator. Moreover, if it is really one of the ones used in the system it is probably worn out- worthless even for that purpose. We replaced cabinets frequently during the life of the array- but ceased doing that toward the end. Any left are likely not good.

On making his belt buckles:

• There is literally no way to tell when a particular buckle was cast, all are absolutely identical. (editor’s note: we’re not sure this is true, see his artwork breakdown below: “This year I mark "OZ 07" on buckles I ship from down here”)
• The foundry cost for a bronze art casting such as the buckle is a lot more than $40, in fact, it was more than that in 1984.  It is a labour-intensive product, and in fact is cast in solid investment like fine jewellery.

Bear’s breakdown to Dark Star Palace of his collected artwork catalog:

• Sun and Moon buckles are available in two sizes, 50 mm and 60 mm for the Sun (across the points) 47 mm and 57 mm for the Moon. There is only one size, 55 mm for the GD. Moons and GD are available in silver as well as bronze.
• From time to time I hand cast a few Suns and small, cutout GD buckles in 18k gold ($7500- I have none at the present time). I also cast occasional unique buckles in silver-- like geckos, faces, moons, owl rings, drizards and other motifs, all of these are cast by myself, in my studio. Some of these are depicted on the site. Price is $2000 on the ones I have in stock at present, except one owl ring with star ruby eyes is $2200. I have other castings, such as 'Lucy', a gold lady brooch with a diamond. There are still some of my limited edition larger works available, such as MARS I, edition of 15, only four are left- price (next sale) is $7500. Also Pluto, edition of 15, 10 are left, price is $8000. As is usual in the art market, these limited edition sculptures, as well as the Bob Thomas prints, will rise in price as the edition approaches being sold out.
• This year I mark "OZ 07" on buckles I ship from down here.
• Foundry buckles: The bronze GD buckles are $650 and the silver version is $1300. The Sun and the Moon buckles in bronze (in either size) are $500. The smaller silver Moon is $1000, the larger $1200. Sun buckle is not available in silver. No shipping fee at present. It will take about 4-7 days for the shipment to reach you after payment is verified here. The money is transferred by international bank telex.
• Small cutout (skull) GD medallion, enamel on .9999 gold with heart and (partial) rose back is $4500, the plain back with side panels but no winged sun disk is $4000. *No full versions with winged sundisk and heart & rose back pieces are available at present.* I have a few other enamels of various designs including sun and moon and a couple of hand carved, Tufted Puffin and Lady with a Rose. I have one platinum moon. Due to the very high price of new metal, the low scrap price offered by refiners, and my experience of only averaging one good strike out of five, I do not plan to make any more. Most of the work on the site has been sold, but can be reproduced- (Horse with moon and southern cross has been reproduced seven times). In each case there are small differences- design is a simple outline, and is carved in relief by hand. If you see a piece you are interested in, please ask.
• The fast disappearing Bob Thomas hand-printed and coloured woodcut GD logo prints, which were done in a single edition of 50 shortly before Bob's untimely demise are close to all sold, there are just 10 left. Next one to be sold will be $5500..Most of the people who write ask about this rare, highly collectible piece of art actually have no idea what value it represents, nor any real intention to buy it. When I quote them this absurdly low price, they usually don't even bother to reply. So far as I am aware, this is the only available work by this amazing artist who so strongly influenced me, my art, and the imagery of the Grateful Dead which is offered for sale. None of the people who own any of Bob's other art, either paintings, woodcarvings/turnings or bagpipes and flutes, are willing to sell. This edition cannot be repeated- the block was destroyed. The last remaining examples will rise in price as each is sold.
  
  Cheers.
  
  Bear

Until next time at Dark Star Palace...

Greg Anton: The Dark Star Palace Interview

Artifact of the Week: Interview with Zero's Greg Anton
Tape of the Week: 2/17/79

This week at Dark Star Palace, in preparation for some highly anticipated Zero shows at the Great American Music Hall (on March 4th and 5th...get tix while you can!), we had the pleasure of sitting down and chatting with ace drummer and composer, Greg Anton. For Heads in the land of the Dead, you have probably crossed paths with Greg in more degrees than Kevin Bacon...wait, does that work? It does, it does! Read on...

The obvious Anton-Dead connection lies with his performances, recordings and studio work over the years with Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Micky Hart, Robert Hunter... yeah, there's a thread here... Bill Kreutzmann, Keith Godchaux, Donna Godchaux, Vince Welnick...  and the list goes on and on with other Dead-related greats like Melvin Seals, John Kahn, Steve Kimock, John Kadlecik, etc. He's a close songwriting partner with the rare and elusive poet-translator Robert Hunter, a founder of more bands than there are ice cream flavors (including Zero with Steve Kimock and the Heart of Gold Band with Keith and Donna Godchaux) and he's one of the rare drummers who understands why you can never leave your bassist alone in your car! 

For this week's Tape of the Week, we are going to be linking to a stream of Keith and Donna's last show with the Grateful Dead. Afterward, they hooked up with Greg and formed the Heart of Gold Band with him later that year. This 2/17/79 Dead show is a great one, and very bitter sweet for Heads who loved Keith and Donna's contributions to the Grateful Dead throughout the '70's. Enjoy! And now on to the main course...

Greg Anton: The Dark Star Palace Interview

DSP: Hey Greg! Thanks so much for joining Dark Star Palace to chat about your work, your history, and your relation with almost all the Grateful Dead related musicians that I can think of! I thought it would be fun to start our chat talking about your history with Keith and Donna Godchaux and the Heart of Gold band, and how that band started soon after Keith and Donna left the Grateful Dead...was it around 1980 when that kicked off? I think it was around then...but you know better than I!

GA: That’s not necessarily true regarding dates. But I want to say first that I really appreciate you doing this.  I've always felt that it's people like you who support the music, promote it, put on shows, record it... It's an equal partnership with the musicians and it takes both of us to make it happen.  As far as when I played with Keith and Donna, I think it was in the late 1800's (laughter).

DSP: Did one of them contact you, or was it an audition, or how did that happen?

GA: I was playing in a band called the Ghosts, and we were in the studio, and Keith was hired to just play on the session. They started doing vocals and Keith said, "My wife sings..." And I said, "Bring her down...!" And he brought her down, and we hit it off...Donna and I and Keith just kept playing together. Donna is one of my dearest friends and one of the most wonderful people I've ever known.

DSP: Did they talk about leaving the Grateful Dead at that point? Were they down, or feeling elated about the new band?  What was the vibe as this new band (the Heart of Gold band) coalesced?
GA: Actually, we didn’t talk much about the Grateful Dead.  Donna had a few good stories and they always talked about Grateful Dead music in a positive way.

DSP: So that band wasn't together that long, because Keith's accident, right?
GA: We were doing studio stuff and rehearsing and trying to get it together. It was me and Keith and Donna, and for part of it John Kahn on bass. Then, somebody brought Steve Kimock to a session. Steve walked in the room with a Boogie amp in one hand and a guitar in the other hand and the sparks started flying! He and Keith had a magical musical connection. My jaw was droppin' watching those two guys play together. 
DSP: Did you find your connection with Steve was immediate....was it like love at first sight musically?
GA: Actually, the kind of connection that you speak of is something that I look forward to developing in the future. (laughter). We're still working on it, but it’s getting there!
DSP: It gets sweeter with time! (laughter).  So, the Heart of Gold band wasn't together that long because of Keith's accident, so after he passed away, was it Donna who said "I need time" or how was it that you and Steve formed Zero?
GA:  It was a very emotional time, after Keith’s death. Me and Steve and Donna just kept playing.  We got Mark Adler on keyboards and David McKay on bass and we kept on going with a similar repertoire.
DSP: So how did Zero come about?

GA: After a while, the players in The Heart of Gold band started drifting off in different musical directions.  So, Steve and I went into the recording studio and recorded a bunch of instrumental stuff. We made this record, which by the way, is going to be released next month.  The sessions were me on drums and piano and Steve played bass and guitar. It's a good record...I like it. There are about 19 guitar tracks on every song (laughter).

DSP: So it took 30 years to mix all those guitars properly! (laughter)  Does it have a title yet?

GA: It's called "Absolute Zero". I am hoping it will be available at the upcoming shows on March 4th and 5th.

DSP: Let's talk about that. So you guys are putting the band back together (cue Blues Brothers track) and you're doing two shows only at the Great American Music Hall on March 4th and 5th, right?

GA: Yes, and we have one other show booked on May 14th in Oakland, which by the way, will have Bob Weir on rhythm guitar.

DSP: Oh really! Bob Weir...an unknown Mill Valley guy!
GA: (laughter) Yeah, that will be for Wavy Gravy's 75th birthday party.
DSP: Wow, sounds like an amazing show. And it seems like it may not just be those 3 gigs....do you think this will lead into a tour, or what are you thinking right now?

GA: Hopefully. We'll see where it goes. It's kinda like dredging up an old Pirate ship from the bottom of the English Channel; we have to patch up a few holes and see if the thing still floats. (laughter)

DSP: Well, I hope so! By the way, these are benefit shows right?

GA: Our singer, Judge Murphy, has had some health problems, so we’re trying to help him out spiritually and financially by doing these shows March 4th and 5th at the Music Hall.

DSP: So, in looking at your history, you've played with all the members of the Grateful Dead and have played in a ton of different projects with various Grateful Dead related musicians. How is that you became a "Players Player" and ended up in the center of this Grateful Dead storm?

GA: I wouldn’t describe myself as being at the center of the Grateful Dead storm or at the center of the Grateful Dead anything. I’ve had an affinity for that kind of music since I was a kid. I came to San Francisco ‘cause I was attracted to the music that was coming out of the Bay area...dozens of bands that I was hearing, and yes, I always liked the Grateful Dead and admired them for the chances they took artistically.  One thing led to another, I crossed paths with the guys in the Dead and ended doing some playing with all of them individually on different projects....although I never got a chance to play with Brent Midland. 

DSP:  How did you originally connect with Robert Hunter.
GA: I’d played drums in a band with Robert Hunter and Keith and Donna, that’s how I met him. A some point later I ran into Hunter and he said to me "Zero can keep going on as an instrumental band, being admired by other musicians in the Bay area, or you can break out and maybe have some songs with lyrics." So I said, "Got any?" (laughter). And he said, "Got any music?" (laughter). And it just so happened that we had just finished our 3rd instrumental Zero record called "Nothing Goes Here" and I had a copy in my car. So I gave it to Hunter and he picked up on one of the songs and gave me some lyrics. And so I started working with him. The process was pretty much that I would go over to his house and play piano and he would have a pen and paper or a guitar and we would come up with a song. Then I would take that to Steve Kimock and he would usually add a chorus or a bridge, and that’s how most of the Zero/Hunter material came together.

DSP: And that led, and I may be wrong on this, to one of Hunter's longest songwriting partnership... besides Jerry Garcia. It spans Zero records, your band Greggs Eggs, Cast of Clowns material, songs you wrote with Hunter for John Lee Hooker, and stage productions like Cumberland Blues and Shakedown Street.

GA: Hunter is extremely prolific, seems like he’s always doing something interesting. He recently made a record with Bob Dylan. Right now I’m working with the Zero guys on a new song with Hunter lyrics about our late saxophonist Martin Fierro. So, we might have a new Hunter/Zero song at the Great American Music Hall!
DSP: Great! Wonderful!
GA: I’m excited about this Great American Music Hall thing. There are some guest players that are threatening to come down and we’re hoping this’ll be a special couple of nights. We’re putting a lot of work into preproduction and dusting off some old gems.

DSP: Will you guys be recording the shows?

GA: Yeah.

DSP: Great. I know a lot of Dark Star Palace readers are not from the Bay area, so it’s difficult for them to get to some of these shows. Recordings are a great way for them to check it out.
GA: There’s a tight-knit family feeling and kind of a spirituality around these gigs that feels good ‘cause everyone’s coming together to support a brother.

DSP: That sounds great. Well, I know Zero is a big focus for you right now with the shows, the new record and potential tour.  But, you also have some other projects going on as well, right?

GA: Another project I've been putting a lot of energy into these days is Cast of Clowns with Craig Wright.  He's a singer-songwriter, but also a fiction writer. He's a great song writer, very literate. We’ve been playing all over the west coast and have some recordings coming out soon. The band is also with Melvin Seals and Jeff Pevar who is a phenomenal guitar player.  Damian Urskine, a real bass virtuoso also joins in, as well as Robin Sylvester. (editor's note: Robin is the bass player from Ratdog. Bill Kreutzman, Barry Sless, and Hutch Hutcherson are also on the new Cast of Clowns record). 

DSP: Another project you were involved with was The Mix.
GA: That was fun. I think it was in 2003 or 2004 we toured on and off for a year or two and did about 40 shows or so. We mostly played around San Francisco and the West Coast but also played New York, around the Southwest, and Los Angeles. It was John Kadlecik (Furthur), Melvin Seals (Jerry Garcia Band), Kevin Rosen (Dark Star Orchestra), Jeff Pevar (Crosby, Stills and Nash) and myself.

DSP: Interesting tie-in there with John and Furthur. Are you planning any other projects with these guys?

GA: There’s a new album called "The Mix Live" that’s coming out in the next few months. It's a lively record, great guitar playing and original material by John Kadlecik, Melvin Seals and myself. There’s talk about us possibly getting together and doing more stuff in the future. 
DSP: So in looking at all these projects, it seems you wear a lot of hats: drummer, producer, songwriter....do you like changing things up like that?
GA: Well, Steve Kimock once told me that wearing hats causes baldness! (laughter).
DSP: You worked on some theater productions with Robert Hunter?
GA: There’s a playwright; Michael Mann. Several years ago he wrote some plays based on Robert Hunter lyrics.

DSP: I'm really surprised Hunter would actually be up for that.

GA: I don’t know much about Hunter’s relationship with Michael or how it came about, but I know that Hunter has very good taste when it comes to using his own lyrics in different applications, his standards are very high.  When he said the play (Cumberland Blues) was cool, I took him at his word. I wrote a song with Hunter for the play called "I Will Love You." It's a very unusual Hunter lyric, a pure love song; very powerful. I went to opening night of the performance with Hunter and his wife Maureen and when the beautiful actress that played the lead role sang the the last verse, I practically fell out of my chair.    
(Editor’s Note: Here's the final verse of ‘I will Love You’, Hunter/Anton, Ice Nine Publishing)
 
"Through the moral situations

When both my hands are tied
And either way I waver seems
To be the losing side
Through the things I bring upon myself
And those that come for free
I will keep my faith in you
If you will keep your faith in me
I will love you
I will love you
I will
Love you"

 
The other songs in the play were written by Jerry Garcia and Phil Lesh with Hunter.  I had a small part in it and was honored to be included.
DSP: Is it a lengthy process, writing a song with Robert Hunter?
GA: You know, some songs I've written with Hunter have taken a lot of re-writes. But with this song, we didn't change one word or one chord. It just kinda came together on its own accord, so to speak.
DSP: Wasn’t there a second play?
GA: Everyone had such a good time with that project that Michael Mann wrote another play called "Shakedown Street" which was based on other Grateful Dead songs.  Hunter and I came up with 2 or 3 new songs for that one.
DSP: Alright, jumping topics, you are usually a solo drummer, but you’ve also done a lot of double drumming.  I see a lot drummers do this: Billy and Mickey, Ringo and Jim Keltner, etc. How do you approach it?
GA: I really enjoy playing with other drummers.  What happens is it feels like it becomes a third drummer that's running on it's own inertia. As a solo drummer you have to be on it, driving the thing all night long, but with two drummers you just kind of go along with the perpetual motion. It's more relaxing and can be great fun.
DSP: Who have you had fun doing it with?
GA: Prairie Prince, Mickey Hart, Greg Elmore....two of my favorite drummers to do this with have been Johnny Kimock and Bill Kreutzmann.

DSP: Interesting, do they have different styles of playing to you or are they similar? I think of Billy as being very "jazzy".
GA: I think of Billy as being very "snazzy"! (laughter)

DSP: Ha! Ok, let's talk about some of your favorite guys that you've played with. In terms of keyboard players you've played with, who jumps out?

GA: Well, it was such an honor to play with Nicky Hopkins. I played with him on a few different projects. He was one of the innovators of modern rock and roll piano playing. There were great blues and rock piano players before him but he took it to the next level.

DSP: He seemed like a "sensitive" player... he almost played orchestrally...very delicate.

GA: He could pick up on a song faster than anyone I’ve ever played with. On that song "I Will Love You", I had comped the piano on the original demo, then Nicky came in and put a real piano track on it. I played him probably less that 20 seconds of it and he said "roll the tape." He played the song like he had played it his whole life.  Other keyboard players that come to mind are Chip Roland, Peter Sears, Melvin Seals... these guys are world-class players. And of course, Keith Godchaux, an incredible musician.  I occasionally play with a guy from New York, Geoff Menin, who manages to play a mixture of classical, jazz, and blues and makes it sound like rock and roll. Vince Welnick was also an amazing talent, and a great vocalist.
DSP: Alright, bass players....?
GA: Bass players...the other night I had to break into my car after the gig because the bass player was locked inside.  (laughter)

DSP: Ha! So who would jump out here, John Kahn?

GA: John Kahn was one of my favorites and probably the most unique. He had this acoustic upright jazz style of playing rock and roll on electric bass. He was a great musician. I got to play with him on several different projects. He played bass on some early Zero records, and I played drums on John’s solo record along with other members of the Garcia Band. Other great bass players that I’ve had the privilege of playing with: Liam Hanrahan, Bobby Vega, Robin Sylvester, Damian Urskine, Hutch Hutcherson, Rob Wasserman, Mario Cippolina. 

DSP: What about guitar players?

GA: I consider myself one of the luckiest guys in the world to play with someone as accomplished as Steve Kimock. His understanding of music symmetry is profound. Another brilliant player I've also been playing with lately is Jeff Pevar who can play a hundred songs a night and make them all sound unique. I'm playing this weekend with Stu Allen and Mark Karan who are total musicologists.  Playing along with those guys playing and singing together is so much fun.  I recently made a record with Stanley Jordan, with Paul McCandless on saxophone...those guys are melodic geniuses.

GA: I guess just about every rock band has at least one.  Another guitar player I’ve had the honor of playing with is John Kadlecik. He obviously does an excellent job of interpreting Grateful Dead music. When I played with him, we did a variety of blues and rock and his overall knowledge of music is very deep, an extremely accomplished artist.  His understanding of musical dynamics is wonderful... I think, for me, that’s what makes him such a joy to play with. And, of course, John Cippolina.  He was like a Mark Twain of guitar playing; always unique; he had his own sound. You could hear one bar of him playing and know it was him.  He was also was one of the most gentile, well-educated gentleman musicians I’ve ever encountered.
DSP: You know, I’ve never heard anything bad said about John.

John's sick guitar rig

GA: Neither have I, and we played in about a half-dozen bands and attended sleep deprivation camp together.
DSP: Ok...Saxophone players.
GA: Martin Fierro!  Martin is the most unique individual I've ever encountered.  He had a major impact on my life and pushed....forced... me to expand my experience of the envelope of perception.
DSP: That sounds heavy.
GA:  I consider music to be the most pure form of expression, and Martin was pure music.
DSP: Tell me about him.  What was he like off stage?
GA: The same as he was on stage.  He was the same on the stage, in the studio, in the dressing room, in the hotel room, in the bathroom...and then he’d complete the full circle, Zero, he’d bring the bathroom to the stage. I shared so many experiences with Martin I don’t know where to begin.  I traveled the country and played over a thousand gigs with the guy.  He was a philosopher, medicine man, composer, decomposer, composter, prankster, doctor, nurse, patient....this sounds impossible, but sitting here, thinking about him, I can’t think of a word, any word; noun, verb, adjective.... that doesn’t in some way describe him.....in fact even those words...noun, verb, adjective, describe him.

DSP: Well, tell me one of your favorite experiences you shared with him?
GA: I was there when Martin delivered what I think was one of the greatest lines in Rock and Roll. Zero played a concert with Kenny G. and his band in Minneapolis and at one point Martin and I ended up in the dressing room with Kenny. I don’t remember who walked in last, but it ended up just the three of us in the dressing room with the door closed and I’m thinking how epic this is; these two saxophone players hanging out together, when Martin turns to me and says "Hey Greg, I think I'm going to change my name." And I say, "Oh really, what are you going to change your name to?" and Martin says: "Martin F.........G."  He left just the right amount of pause between the F and the G....like Martin does when he plays a solo.

DSP: How did that go over?

GA: The conversation kind of deteriorated after that.  I miss Martin dearly.  He passed away a couple of years ago. I think about him almost every day.

DSP: Well, I have to say it is an honor to talk with you Greg. I look forward to the upcoming shows at the Great American and also to sitting down and talking more with you down the line.

GA: It’s great to talk with you too! Thanks for supporting the music.

(For more info on Greg and his various projects, check out: www.gregantonmusic.com) 

Until next time at Dark Star Palace!!