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This was indeed a unique experience that will stay with me forever. I have to thank family members Mary and Lane, who started their own Black Point String Band last year, for urging me to join them for this four-day musical extravaganza campout! Musical friends of theirs as well as new friends camping nearby held impromptu musical jams mornings and evenings, and cold beers, Edmeades fine zinfandels, as well as Captain & cokes were the order of the day in our camp!
Imagine sharing a long weekend of live music on an idyllic rustic private meadow with fewer than 200 other people, including master musicians and great chefs. Add into the mix all the delicious food and drink you can consume, and new friends to share this with, and you begin to see why Uncle John's String Creek campout has become the magnet it is. A few years ago when it was in its second year, attendees voted on whether to enlarge it or keep it small, even though that meant its cost would be $300 per person. They made the right choice! Please go to the site for photos and more information: www.deadonthecreek.com/Home.html
From the site: Dead on the Creek takes place at Uncle John's Camp on String Creek in the hills above Willits, California. It is held the second weekend of August in honor of Jerry Garcia, music enthusiast, who died on August 9, 1995. Its stated purpose is to present great music in a relaxed, rural atmosphere. It supports this with a bountiful array of healthy food, good libations and rustic camping for the whole family. Gates open at noon on Friday. Camping is available in a variety of spaces, some with vehicles and some without. No fires are allowed. No dogs or other pets are permitted. A pond is available for swimming during daytime hours. Meals are prepared on site using fresh, organic ingredients. Produce comes from both our own and neighboring gardens. Meats come from wild animals or those raised on green pasture. Baked goods are made here or at the local bakery. We cater to both vegetarian and carnivorous diets, with a small amount of vegan dishes. Grilled meats always include salmon, beef and lamb, with occasional treats of boar, venison and albacore. For the kids, we have either chicken or turkey hot dogs. We proudly serve local brews and wines. Non-alcoholic beverages include organic coffee, tea, soda, and our own spring water.
On each of the mini-reviews below there is one or more URL to hear some samples of the music and more!
First on Friday was Houston Jones from the East Bay hills. From the program: "If any of you heard the original Waybacks, then you've heard half the players in this band. Their new configuration features material written by band members, along with familiar standards highlighted by some red-hot flat pickin'. They've been trying to get here for a couple of years and this is now their time." This music was a wonderful introduction to the weekend. As the sun's rays mellowed, I got into the mood of the "High Octane Americana" blues, gospel, rock, and traditional music of these four--Chris Kee, classically trained cellist who is now a busy Bay Area bassist: Peter Tucker, percussionist extraordinaire; Travis Jones, singer and guitarist; and Glenn "Houston" Pomianek, Bammie-Award winning lead guitarist who is also a co-founder of The Waybacks and Hearts On Fire. www.houstonjones.com/
Friday night definitely lit up with the music of Shanti Groove from Boulder, Colorado (Berkeley East). They can best be described as psychedelic bluegrass. And, yes, they do play some Dead. These five musicians--banjo, bass, drums, guitar, and mandolin (as well as singers)--were amazing in the evening hours, just magical in their mixes and musicianship! shantigroove.com/
At noon on Saturday there was a round of mountain music with fiddler Laurie Lewis and her quartet. I had heard her earlier this summer at the Kate Wolf Festival, and found that her music didn't appeal to me that much, even though here and the quartet's musicianship is outstanding. laurielewis.com/
At four that afternoon, I was buoyed up by the verve and dash of Darol Anger's multi-generational group The Republic Of Strings. On his site he describes it as "the workshop, proving ground, and celebration of Anger's remarkable 30 year musical career. Featuring pioneering acoustic guitarist Scott Nygaard, The Republic of Strings introduces some of the best young string players in a quartet that delivers, more than ever before, Anger's well-known virtuosity, unique sound, and peppery sense of fun." Uncle John adds, "Two fiddles, cello and guitar. Darol Anger takes this group of players all over the musical map. I was so impressed with them that I booked them a year-and-a-half in advance!" I couldn't say it any better than that! www.darolanger.com/republic...ings.html darolanger.com/
Saturday night was like going to an amalgam of all the Dead shows I've been to from 1965 to 1995 and more (I did have a 21 year hiatus from 1970 to 1992). Uncle John puts it this way: "I have taken a little heat for continuing their run, however, they are the best Dead cover band I can find (and a great bunch of guys). Until this changes, I welcome them back for the closest we can get to the old sounds we love so dear." The Deadbeats are Paul Kamm - Guitar / Vocals, Tom Menig - Lead Guitar / Vocals, Gary Campus - Drums / Percussion, Rob Kopp - Drums, Dave Smith - Keyboards / Vocals, Glenn Tucker - Keyboards, and Eric Menig - Bass www.netshel.net/deadbeat/
Sunday noon's group almost literally knocked me out: Sweet Sunny South, with their solid pickin', original ballads and the old-time sounds of a single microphone, from the Rockies. Banjo and mandolin player, Bill Powers, writes most of the band's songs, which take the listener on scenic journeys into dusty old American music. Cory Obert plays a mean old-time fiddle, sometimes with a Cajun flare and sings a solid high tenor. Rob Miller also writes songs, plays the D-28 and sings lead and harmony. The newest member, Shelley Gray (a.k.a. “Laura Ingalls Wilder-n-Swingin”) plays the ‘ol kay Bass, sings, hollers, and puts the "Sweet" in Sweet Sunny South. www.sweetsunnysouth.com/
It was hard for me to imagine things building with the next group at four, but they did! Digging further into the musical mine of Colorado was the newly-formed Wayword Sons. Leading this band is Benny Galloway, known by fans of Yonder Mtn. for his songwriting. He has finally decided to come out and play, joining up with former members of the Broke Mountain band (who made their West Coast debut right here last year and who Mary and Lane told me breathless stories about). Dobro, mandolin, guitar and piano . . . this was a unique and rockin' assemblage! profile.myspace.com/index.cfm
Then we went up another notch--as hard as that might be to imagine--that night Melvin Seals, one of Jerry's old friends. Uncle John writes: "I never went to see the Jerry Garcia Band. Maybe I thought the Dead was all there was. Now I know otherwise. Revisiting JGB shows Jerry in a whole other way . . . and while the band will never be exactly the same without him, Melvin's current group comes pretty darn close. It's as good as we're gonna get." From Melvin Seals' site: "Melvin Seals, whose musical roots seep deep into gospel soil, has always been seeking that point where music merges with spirit, what he calls “church vibe.” He found it with Jerry Garcia over two decades ago, and he is finding it again in the new JGB. “Jerry Garcia Band was my absolute favorite band in the world and I’m honored to be able to carry on the torch and play homage to the heart and feel and tones. I’m honored to be playing with Melvin Seals who blew me away at every concert I went to. We’re all honored to be KEEPERS OF THE FLAME." Thanks to a little help from a new friend whose name I believe was Gypsy Davey, Uncle Will experienced that flame to the max! www.jambase.com/search.asp jgbband.com/blog/
We all slept over and had a great late breakfast Monday morning and experienced some more jams before wending our two hour way back home and to well-deserved afternoon naps!
Imagine sharing a long weekend of live music on an idyllic rustic private meadow with fewer than 200 other people, including master musicians and great chefs. Add into the mix all the delicious food and drink you can consume, and new friends to share this with, and you begin to see why Uncle John's String Creek campout has become the magnet it is. A few years ago when it was in its second year, attendees voted on whether to enlarge it or keep it small, even though that meant its cost would be $300 per person. They made the right choice! Please go to the site for photos and more information: www.deadonthecreek.com/Home.html
From the site: Dead on the Creek takes place at Uncle John's Camp on String Creek in the hills above Willits, California. It is held the second weekend of August in honor of Jerry Garcia, music enthusiast, who died on August 9, 1995. Its stated purpose is to present great music in a relaxed, rural atmosphere. It supports this with a bountiful array of healthy food, good libations and rustic camping for the whole family. Gates open at noon on Friday. Camping is available in a variety of spaces, some with vehicles and some without. No fires are allowed. No dogs or other pets are permitted. A pond is available for swimming during daytime hours. Meals are prepared on site using fresh, organic ingredients. Produce comes from both our own and neighboring gardens. Meats come from wild animals or those raised on green pasture. Baked goods are made here or at the local bakery. We cater to both vegetarian and carnivorous diets, with a small amount of vegan dishes. Grilled meats always include salmon, beef and lamb, with occasional treats of boar, venison and albacore. For the kids, we have either chicken or turkey hot dogs. We proudly serve local brews and wines. Non-alcoholic beverages include organic coffee, tea, soda, and our own spring water.
On each of the mini-reviews below there is one or more URL to hear some samples of the music and more!
First on Friday was Houston Jones from the East Bay hills. From the program: "If any of you heard the original Waybacks, then you've heard half the players in this band. Their new configuration features material written by band members, along with familiar standards highlighted by some red-hot flat pickin'. They've been trying to get here for a couple of years and this is now their time." This music was a wonderful introduction to the weekend. As the sun's rays mellowed, I got into the mood of the "High Octane Americana" blues, gospel, rock, and traditional music of these four--Chris Kee, classically trained cellist who is now a busy Bay Area bassist: Peter Tucker, percussionist extraordinaire; Travis Jones, singer and guitarist; and Glenn "Houston" Pomianek, Bammie-Award winning lead guitarist who is also a co-founder of The Waybacks and Hearts On Fire. www.houstonjones.com/
Friday night definitely lit up with the music of Shanti Groove from Boulder, Colorado (Berkeley East). They can best be described as psychedelic bluegrass. And, yes, they do play some Dead. These five musicians--banjo, bass, drums, guitar, and mandolin (as well as singers)--were amazing in the evening hours, just magical in their mixes and musicianship! shantigroove.com/
At noon on Saturday there was a round of mountain music with fiddler Laurie Lewis and her quartet. I had heard her earlier this summer at the Kate Wolf Festival, and found that her music didn't appeal to me that much, even though here and the quartet's musicianship is outstanding. laurielewis.com/
At four that afternoon, I was buoyed up by the verve and dash of Darol Anger's multi-generational group The Republic Of Strings. On his site he describes it as "the workshop, proving ground, and celebration of Anger's remarkable 30 year musical career. Featuring pioneering acoustic guitarist Scott Nygaard, The Republic of Strings introduces some of the best young string players in a quartet that delivers, more than ever before, Anger's well-known virtuosity, unique sound, and peppery sense of fun." Uncle John adds, "Two fiddles, cello and guitar. Darol Anger takes this group of players all over the musical map. I was so impressed with them that I booked them a year-and-a-half in advance!" I couldn't say it any better than that! www.darolanger.com/republic...ings.html darolanger.com/
Saturday night was like going to an amalgam of all the Dead shows I've been to from 1965 to 1995 and more (I did have a 21 year hiatus from 1970 to 1992). Uncle John puts it this way: "I have taken a little heat for continuing their run, however, they are the best Dead cover band I can find (and a great bunch of guys). Until this changes, I welcome them back for the closest we can get to the old sounds we love so dear." The Deadbeats are Paul Kamm - Guitar / Vocals, Tom Menig - Lead Guitar / Vocals, Gary Campus - Drums / Percussion, Rob Kopp - Drums, Dave Smith - Keyboards / Vocals, Glenn Tucker - Keyboards, and Eric Menig - Bass www.netshel.net/deadbeat/
Sunday noon's group almost literally knocked me out: Sweet Sunny South, with their solid pickin', original ballads and the old-time sounds of a single microphone, from the Rockies. Banjo and mandolin player, Bill Powers, writes most of the band's songs, which take the listener on scenic journeys into dusty old American music. Cory Obert plays a mean old-time fiddle, sometimes with a Cajun flare and sings a solid high tenor. Rob Miller also writes songs, plays the D-28 and sings lead and harmony. The newest member, Shelley Gray (a.k.a. “Laura Ingalls Wilder-n-Swingin”) plays the ‘ol kay Bass, sings, hollers, and puts the "Sweet" in Sweet Sunny South. www.sweetsunnysouth.com/
It was hard for me to imagine things building with the next group at four, but they did! Digging further into the musical mine of Colorado was the newly-formed Wayword Sons. Leading this band is Benny Galloway, known by fans of Yonder Mtn. for his songwriting. He has finally decided to come out and play, joining up with former members of the Broke Mountain band (who made their West Coast debut right here last year and who Mary and Lane told me breathless stories about). Dobro, mandolin, guitar and piano . . . this was a unique and rockin' assemblage! profile.myspace.com/index.cfm
Then we went up another notch--as hard as that might be to imagine--that night Melvin Seals, one of Jerry's old friends. Uncle John writes: "I never went to see the Jerry Garcia Band. Maybe I thought the Dead was all there was. Now I know otherwise. Revisiting JGB shows Jerry in a whole other way . . . and while the band will never be exactly the same without him, Melvin's current group comes pretty darn close. It's as good as we're gonna get." From Melvin Seals' site: "Melvin Seals, whose musical roots seep deep into gospel soil, has always been seeking that point where music merges with spirit, what he calls “church vibe.” He found it with Jerry Garcia over two decades ago, and he is finding it again in the new JGB. “Jerry Garcia Band was my absolute favorite band in the world and I’m honored to be able to carry on the torch and play homage to the heart and feel and tones. I’m honored to be playing with Melvin Seals who blew me away at every concert I went to. We’re all honored to be KEEPERS OF THE FLAME." Thanks to a little help from a new friend whose name I believe was Gypsy Davey, Uncle Will experienced that flame to the max! www.jambase.com/search.asp jgbband.com/blog/
We all slept over and had a great late breakfast Monday morning and experienced some more jams before wending our two hour way back home and to well-deserved afternoon naps!
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