So I have been trying to cull information from the Big Steve show, which is just amazingly rich with all kinds of wonderful little anecdotes and tales. They don't always line up with the historical record precisely, but the man has an amazing memory and it's all right even when it's not strictly correct.
A few venues have popped up that he discusses for which we have no known specific dates, all mentioned in the context of Garcia On The Side (GOTS). I would love to hear if anyone has memories of Jerry playing these places, or any additional information. Will probably post more as I come across them. update: I have started adding venues thought to have been played, reportedly played, not form the Big Steve Show, but from everywhere.
Belly Up Tavern, Solana Beach, CA: experienced and reliable SoCal Deadhead "Paula S. Morgan" said on twitter that she recalls seeing Jerry Band play here in ca. spring 1980.
Frenchy's, Hayward. Big Steve came into the scene in the late 60s, so he is not referring to Warlocks playing there. He seems to discuss it in context of GOTS. But we have no GOTS dates for this venue at Jerrybase.
Paul's Saloon, San Francisco. Grisman had said that Old And In The Way played here (Forte 1979a, 34). It was the center of the Bay Area bluegarss universe for a minute, when bluegrass had its first really huge moment right at the time OAITW was happening. I think a weekly bluegrass show was broadcast from here, as well. But no specifics have ever emerged. Update: in a 2010 correspondence which I just rediscovered, David said "I think Jerry & I dropped in there one night and played a few tunes (in the early days when the back of the stage was in the front window) but the band never had a gig there"
Sand Dollar, Stinson Beach, mentioned in the same breath as the Red Whale (later, The Brigg) and in the context of Old And In The Way and the Stinson period.
Scoreboard, San Rafael: Just seen on FB: "Jerry and Merle would play at the Scoreboard [bar/club] when the Dead were not on the road. The Dead office was two blocks away in downtown San Rafael. This was mid to late 70's." My money is on January 3-4, 1975. More on that eventually.
Stepping Stone, Willits, CA. JGBP has hipped me to a youtube comment indicating that Great American String Band played its first gig at the Stepping Stone in Willits, CA. An online piece says that JGMS played there ca. early '74, and an attendee recalls such a thing.
"Whitey's Place", San Rafael: JGMS "play at some little clubs around Marin, but mainly at Whitey's place in San Rafael" (Scully 1996, 201). This is Whitey Litchfield. Not clear if he is referring to Pepperland, or whether there was a bar attached to the uber-seedy Bermuda Palms (home of a large number of events figuring on the local police report over the years - lots of prostitution, robberies, stabbings, drug deals, etc.).
Woody's Tavern, San Francisco. Harry Angus has sniffed around this one for me, and has found Woody's Tavern, 41 Powell Street, Owner Joe Francisco, listed in the Polk's Directory 1969-1973, then gone.
xxx Rehearsal space next to Red Tillman's automotive shop, Jacoby Street (now a different street name), San Rafael, ca. September 1971 when Keith was being rehearsed.
Frenchy's-named changed in 1979 from Frenchy's A Go Go...maybe Parish means Jerry played the 9/3/79 Reconstruction gig.
ReplyDeletePaul's Saloon
ReplyDeleteGood old Boys played here in 1975.7
7. Moss, Jim. 2006-08-27, http://www.candlewater.com/interviews/WakefieldandGarcia_1/.
Possible dates: 3/18/87, 11/27-29/87: “I took Jerry by there one time to hear a band-actually we were with the whole Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band..." 6
6. Rothman, Sandy. 2012-11-05, email message to author.
Woody's Tavern is listed in the Polk's as far back as 1964-1965.
I had seen that link before, but forgotten about it. It's unclear to me whether Jerry actually played that GOB gig at Paul's Saloon.
ReplyDeleteFound this memory on a website.
ReplyDelete“One night in 1975 at Paul's Saloon in San Francisco, a jam night as I remember, musicians were standing
around getting ready to put together a pickup band and jump up on stage to play a few songs. At the time
this was how musicians kept in shape and how bands were formed. I seem to remember this was how
the Phantoms of the Opry, the Good Old Persons, and the Done Gone band first got together. Paul's was
an incubator for SF Bay Area bands. Paul himself was very difficult... to say the least.
On this night things would be different. In through the swinging doors came Frank Wakefield, Don Reno
Jerry Garcia, Pat Campbell and David Nelson. What a buzz in that place that night. They went to the
back room, the warm up room. Before long all but Garcia had left for the stage where they would
perform 2 sets. Some of us hung back in the warm up room to see up close what kind of a Bluegrass guy
Garcia was. Garcia sat there with his banjo around his neck. Robbie McDonald the banjo player for
the Phantoms of the Opry in true gun fighter fashion blasted off a tune in a fiery fashion. This was clearly
a challenge to a big time rocker! A big time rocker with a missing finger on his right hand at that!
What would happen next? Well, Jerry Garcia simply looked at Robbie and said, "nice playing".
I would go on to meet Garcia several more times at different places in California only to see the
same unpretentious character who each time seemed interested in any Bluegrassers that might be there.
Jerry Garcia actually was a member of the Good Ol' Boys on several occasions. I have heard the
live tapes from at least one of these shows. Maybe Frank will find a record company to invest
and put these out for all to hear someday. I know that Frank has said that he would like to find
some photos of them playing together in that band someday. I know that Paul of Paul's Saloon
took pictures of that night in 1975, but who knows what ever happened to him after he shut down Paul's.”
http://candlewater.com/interviews/wakefieldandgarcia_1/
Just seen on FB: "Jerry and Merle would play at the Scoreboard [bar/club] when the Dead were not on the road. The Dead office was two blocks away in downtown San Rafael. This was mid to late 70's."
ReplyDeleteJGBP has hipped me to a youtube comment indicating that Great American String Band played its first gig at the Stepping Stone in Willits, CA. An online piece says that JGMS played there ca. early '74, and an attendee recalls such a thing.
ReplyDelete