I love the Harmony Festival! I’ve been to many, it’s always a great time.
It’s right in the middle of Santa Rosa, which isn’t my home, but feels like it – my mother lived here in her latter years, and I took her to Harmony a few times. (that’s her hooping in the picture, from 2007)
Harmony has a 33 year history of new ideas and diverse musical entertainment, attracting people of all ages and flavors.
Harmony always presents new ideas for life with greater Health and Happiness and Harmony for us all.
And… there is always a “Grateful” vibe there, and usually something special for the Sonoma Deadheads to groove on.
In past years they have had Melvin Seals & JGB , Bob Weir and Ratdog, Mickey Hart and Planet Drum, Bill Kreutzmann and 7 Walkers, as well as Zero, Steve Kimock and Friends, Moonalice, and many other musical friends of the deadheads have played at this festival.
This year, in what is being called a “NOD TO ITS ROOTS”, the festival is hosting a special combined tribute to our brothers who’ve gone… Bear and Jerry.
Owsley “Bear” Stanley, famed chemist, audio innovator, was always a proponent of new ways of thinking and being. Sadly, after beating cancer, he lost his life this year in an automobile accident. Goes to show, you don’t ever know. One thing Bear was well known for was his work as an innovative audio technician – and his contribution to the awesome live sound of the Dead.
While Grateful Dead guitar player and singer Jerry Garcia has been gone for nearly 16 years now, the spirit of his music lives on in the hearts of those of us who bent our ears to hear his tune… and the music of Jerry Garcia is frequently heard at the Harmony Festival, the influence of the music of the Grateful Dead is pervasive.
Much of what Bear did was to help us hear Jerry better. The two friends had a deep influence on each other, and on so many of us. With their inspiration, many of us decided to pursue life in new ways, seeking fun and higher wisdom. And music!
Harmony Festival 2011 presents a musical and visual tribute to these two visionary legends as part of their Late Night/Harmony After Dark festivities!
“A Tribute to the Life of Owsley “Bear” Stanley and the Musical Spirit of Jerry Garcia”
featuring performers Steve Kimock, the David Nelson Band, Jesse McReynolds, members of Railroad Earth, and Moonalice. The show will be held Friday, June 10 in Harmony Hall on the festival grounds at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa, California.
In the Harmony Festival tradition, the visual arts grab just as much spotlight as the sonic, and Harmony Hall will overflow with Rock Art by TRPS; live art and installations by Tribe 13 featuring original art by Jerry Garcia, Owsley Stanley, Rick Griffin, Alton Kelley, Stanley Mouse, The Merry Pranksters, Alex Gray, Mati Klarwein, Martina Hoffman, and more; a collection of Original Blotter Art curated by Shady Backflash and Rick McCloud; live painting by Stanley Mouse and Mark Henson; visuals by Jonathan Singer; and ambience and interactive experientials by Johnny Dwork and Peak Experience Productions.
Access to this very special Late Night attraction is included with a Harmony Festival Three Day Plus, Whole Festival or VIP ticket OR a separate Friday Night Ticket ($45 online in advance), which includes all of the other Late Night concerts and after hours attractions.
BEAR’s CHOICE – RECREATED LIVE!
In addition to being the legendary chemist behind the psychedelic adventures of mid-60s San Francisco, Owsley Stanley, became the Grateful Dead’s soundman, and in 1973 produced the Dead’s last album with Warner Bros., Bear’s Choice. Kimock, Nelson, McReynolds and their friends will re-create the album, a long-time Dead Head favorite. This unique resurrection will cap an evening of performances by musicians who were part of Jerry Garcia’s legendary playing career and extended musical family, including:
Steve Kimock, unquestionabl
y one of the pre-eminent guitarists in the jam-band explosion that emerged after the Grateful Dead stopped touring, so it’s appropriate that in the early ‘80s Garcia himself identified Kimock as his “favorite lesser-known guitarist.”
David Nelson, whose first professional show at the San Francisco State Folk Festival of 1962, was in a band called the Hart Valley Drifters led by Jerry Garcia. David went on to fame as a founder of the New Riders of the Purple Sage.
Jesse McReynolds, an icon of bluegrass, a peer of Bill Monroe’s and a personal hero of Jerry Garcia’s, recently released a tribute album to Garcia and his lyricist Robert Hunter called Songs of the Grateful Dead.
Railroad Earth, one of the leading jam bands on the current scene, and members from the band will be playing.
Moonalice, which features the considerable talents of Roger McNamee (Flying Other Brothers), Ann McNamee (Ann Atomic), Pete Sears (Jefferson Starship, Hot Tuna), Barry Sless (Phil Lesh & Friends, Kingfish), and John Molo (Bruce Hornsby & the Range, John Fogerty, the Other Ones).
In short, musicians from all facets of Jerry Garcia’s musical life will converge on the stage at Harmony Hall to make music in the tradition of all traditions. In anticipation of the considerable attention this line-up will garner, music industry heavyweight Guitar Player magazine has joined forces with Harmony Festival to sponsor this once-in-a-lifetime event.
Celebrating 33 years of “Unity in Community”, Harmony Festival is a proud, repeat winner of The Bohemian’s Best Festival and Best Music Festival Sonoma annual reader awards.
HARMONY FESTIVAL Five stages, three days, two nights…one unforgettable experience!
This was the POSTER OF THE DAY a little while back from Wolfgang’s Vault.
They always got good stuff but this one caught DHL’s eye…
Why? Because we love it!
This is not by M-O-U-S-E though, it is by the late Alton Kelley
December 17, 1982 Pyramid Pins, Garberville
Mickey And The Daylites
Barry Melton-lead guitar, vocals
Mike Hinton-lead guitar
Kathi McDonald-vocals
Merl Saunders-keyboards, vocals
Bobby Vega-bass (source: Lost Live Dead)
still looking for a setlist or recordings… if anyone has help with that!
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Not from the same show, but a pretty awesome video of Mickey and the Daylites circa 1986:
Mickey Hart and the Daylights (Wavy Gravy calls them the Twilights, quite high-larious!)
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Full disclosure: the poster above is shared from Wolfgangs Vault, and is a historic collectible. Deadheadland is an affiliate of Wolfgang’s Vault, and as such may receive compensation for any sales that result from clicking the linked image and purchasing the poster. We hope so!
Phil Lesh and Friends were cooking! The line up known as the PLQ or the “Q” – the Phil Lesh Quintet – were ripping our minds open for a couple years, with great new songs and a tight sound. The Q was comprised of Phil Lesh (bass/vocals), Jimmy Herring (guitar), Warren Haynes (guitar/vocals), John Molo (drums), and Rob Barracco (keyboards/vocals). Their CD There and Back Again came out in Spring 2002, and features “Celebration” and “No More Do I”, two songs Furthur has performed in 2010.
And Ratdog was smoking as well! 2001 was a very busy year, they had many newish songs too, from 2000’s Evening Moods (including “Ashes and Glass” and “Two Djinn”, also in Furthur’s current song list).
Mickey Hart was busy as ever, with a ton of projects! He had done Supralingua in 1998, and then in 2000 the book and CD set Spirit Into Sound.
Bill Kreutzmann had released Backbone in 1998 and was playing with the Trichromes who would put out an album in 2002.
My point is, individually, these guys were busy making music in their own ways, doing their own things!
Plus, they all four had not played together officially since 1995.
Take another step back…
Yes, Mickey, Phil and Bob did tour in 1998 as The Other Ones, with both Mark Karan and Steve Kimock on guitar, and John Molo on drums (Only The Strange Remain), and at the final tour stop, 7/25/1998 Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View California (the place built for The Grateful Dead to play), Billy the K did sit in with his grateful bandmates.
After that tour, there was a semi-public disagreement between Phil and Bob on internet distribution of the Grateful Dead Vault recordings (Bob wanted to make a deal that Phil didn’t, is the gist). Anyway, word on the Shakedown street was they were not really friendly for a couple of years there.
Then, one night in June 2001, as they tend to do, Phil and Bob made up. They played a gig as Crusader Rabbit Stealth Band, at The Sweetwater in Mill Valley, California, and the rest of the band was Phil’s friends: Molo, Herring, Barraco (Haynes joined in on the last song). The Sweetwater, sadly no more, was a bar, so this was a small show, 100 or so people.
Crusader Rabit Stealth Band
Sweetwater, Mill Valley, California
June 10, 2001
Set 1: Jam > Truckin > Smokestack Lightning > Friend of the Devil > China Cat Sunflower > The Eleven > Brown-Eyed Women
Set 2: The Music Never Stopped > Jam > Get Together > Cassidy, Mason’s Children > Viola Lee Blues > Maggie’s Farm >
Viola Lee Blues
Encore: Promised Land > I Know You Rider
(Warren Haynes sat in for the encore)
Download from Nugs.net
Then, came New Years eve… Exciting enough to hear that Phil and Friends and Ratdog were sharing the bill… CRSB is listed on the line up! And rumors were rampant that Bill and Mickey would be there…
The New Years float featured four Wizards, and behind glimmering robes and fake beards, we slowly realized it was the boys themselves. As they landed on the stage, they were fleshed out by Jimmy and Rob, and played for us all a real sweet set. It was a pretty awesome night, really felt like a healing, all four guys coming together after so long.
12/31/2001
Henry J. Kaiser Auditorium
Oakland, California
Ratdog (listen to the RDog set here)
Jam > Feels Like A Stranger > Easy Answers > Youngblood, Odessa, Bury Me Standing, Scarlet Begonias > Aiko Aiko > Dear Prudence > Stuff (drums, bass, dj) > jam > Two Djinn > Touch of Grey
Phil and Friends (1st set)
Midnight Hour (w/Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks) > Hard To Handle > Viola Lee Blues > Tons of Steel > Viola Lee Blues > Dear Mr. Fantasy > Viola Lee Blues > Cosmic Charlie
Crusader Rabit Stealth Band – New Years Set featuring Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, Rob Baraco, Jimmy Herring (and possibly others… did Jeff Chimenti sit in at all?)
Intro – Happy New Year, Not Fade Away > Truckin’ > Playin’ in the Band > Space > Playin’ in the Band > The Wheel > Uncle John’s Tease > Sugar Magnolia (Warren joins at middle of song)
Phil and Friends (2nd set)
tuning > Help On The Way > Skipknot! > Dark Star > Terrapin Station* > No More Do I* > Uncle John’s Band*
Donor Rap – “Unity is Possible”
E: Celebration > Franklin’s Tower
Wow! The road from Shoreline to The Gorge is a trip!
I posted some live pictures from the road last week, and here is the full slide show. I don’t edit too much out, knowing full well some of the pictures are not clear, but as a slide show it all seems to flow – enjoy my ride!
~happycat!~
I love the 
While Grateful Dead guitar player and singer Jerry Garcia has been gone for nearly 16 years now, the spirit of his music lives on in the hearts of those of us who bent our ears to hear his tune… and the music of Jerry Garcia is frequently heard at the Harmony Festival, the influence of the music of the Grateful Dead is pervasive.
teve Kimock, unquestionabl
David Nelson, whose first professional show at the San Francisco State Folk Festival of 1962, was in a band called the Hart Valley Drifters led by Jerry Garcia. David went on to fame as a founder of the New Riders of the Purple Sage.
Moonalice, which features the considerable talents of Roger McNamee (Flying Other Brothers), Ann McNamee (Ann Atomic), Pete Sears (Jefferson Starship, Hot Tuna), Barry Sless (Phil Lesh & Friends, Kingfish), and John Molo (Bruce Hornsby & the Range, John Fogerty, the Other Ones).
came out in Spring 2002, and features “Celebration” and “No More Do I”, two songs Furthur has performed in 2010.
(including “Ashes and Glass” and “Two Djinn”, also in Furthur’s current song list).
in 1998, and then in 2000 the book and CD set
.
in 1998 and was playing with the 
who would put out an album in 2002.
), and at the final tour stop, 
