Jerry Garcia and Chesley Millikin, date and location unknown. I don't know the source of the photograph, nor even if Jerry was photoshopped into it. In any case, it could have been taken, or ought to have been. The roots of 20th century rock music often gets described like ancient mythology, when gods and heroes roamed the earth, slaying dragons, freeing princesses and building castles. Figures like Jerry Garcia, Keith Richards or Bill Graham do seem almost mythical now, even if Keef is still actually with us. When industries are just starting, there are fewer participants, an ..read more

  New Riders Of The Purple Sage Tour History, May-September 1973 (NRPS V) The music of Jerry Garcia casts a large shadow, if a shadow that is bright rather than dark. It is so large, however, and so bright, that it outshines many things around it. In the 21st century, the New Riders of The Purple Sage are best known as the vehicle through which Jerry Garcia created an opportunity to play pedal steel guitar as a sideman in 1970 and '71. When the demands of playing full-time with both the Grateful Dead and the New Riders became too gargantuan a task, Garcia had stepped aside from the ..read more

Matthew Kelly and Bob Weir performing with Kingfish at Alpine Meadows in Lake Tahoe, CA on August 31, 1975 At the end of 1974, with the Grateful Dead on hiatus and apparently retired from performing, Bob Weir joined the local band Kingfish. A few fans who read the entertainment listings very carefully might have recognized the band's name, but otherwise they had been obscure up until Weir joined. Kingfish's only "known" member was bassist and singer Dave Torbert, who had left the New Riders of The Purple Sage at the end of 1973, after five albums. Weir would play full-time with Kingf ..read more

The ad in the February 22, 1973 Village Voice mentions "Special Friends" on the bill, a reference no one would have missed. The Grateful Dead were booked in Long Island during this weekend. New Riders Of The Purple Sage Tour History, January-April 1973 (NRPS IV) The music of Jerry Garcia casts a large shadow, if a shadow that is bright rather than dark. It is so large, however, and so bright, that it outshines many things around it. In the 21st century, the New Riders of The Purple Sage are best known as the vehicle through which Jerry Garcia created an opportunity to play pedal ..read more

A few decades into the 21st century, we look back at the iconic names of iconic 20th century rock and rollers with reverence, reflecting on the days when they criss-crossed the country playing modest gigs to modest acclaim. Bruce Springsteen and the Grateful Dead are two of the most important and popular acts in rock history, and the performance history of both has been researched in great detail. Their paths only crossed twice. Bruce Springsteen attended a Grateful Dead concert at a junior college gym in Edison, NJ on November 22, 1970. Bruce, nonplussed at the event itself, admitted later t ..read more

Gypsy Cowboy, the third album on Columbia by the New Riders of The Purple Sage, was released in December 1972. The name was inspired by a Western botique in St. Louis, MO New Riders Of The Purple Sage Tour History, September-December 1972 (NRPS III) The music of Jerry Garcia casts a large shadow, if a shadow that is bright rather than dark. It is so large, however, and so bright, that it outshines many things around it. In the 21st century, the New Riders of The Purple Sage are best known as the vehicle through which Jerry Garcia created an opportunity to play pedal steel guitar ..read more

    Chet Helms, late 60s (also: some guy) From the very beginning, the Grateful Dead had always tried to become a self-contained organism. One of their goals was to have some sort of permanent venue, where they could rehearse and perform at will. In the earliest days, the band even strove to live in such a place, although they only achieved it briefly at Rancho Olompali in Marin in the early Summer of 1966. Even though the band members' expanded personal lives pushed against communal living, the band was still looking for a room of its own. In old 1967 interviews, you can re ..read more

New Riders Of The Purple Sage Tour History, January-April 1972 (NRPS '72 I) The music of Jerry Garcia casts a large shadow, if a shadow that is bright rather than dark. It is so large, however, and so bright, that it outshines many things around it. In the 21st century, the New Riders of The Purple Sage are best known as the vehicle through which Jerry Garcia created an opportunity to play pedal steel guitar as a sideman in 1970 and '71. When the demands of playing full-time with both the Grateful Dead and the New Riders became too gargantuan a task, Garcia stepped aside from the Riders. Fo ..read more

New Riders Of The Purple Sage Tour History, May-August 1972 (NRPS II) The music of Jerry Garcia casts a large shadow, if a shadow that is bright rather than dark. It is so large, however, and so bright, that it outshines many things around it. In the 21st century, the New Riders of The Purple Sage are best known as the vehicle through which Jerry Garcia created an opportunity to play pedal steel guitar as a sideman in 1970 and '71. When the demands of playing full-time with both the Grateful Dead and the New Riders became too gargantuan a task, Garcia stepped aside from the Riders. For most ..read more

An ad from the Oct 16, 1970 Berkeley Barb for upcoming shows at The New Orleans House. James and The Good Brothers "Courtesy Of The Grateful Dead" are booked for the weekend of October 23-24 James And The Good Brothers James And The Good Brothers were a Canadian acoustic trio who were an extended part of the Grateful Dead family. Guitarist James Ackroyd had teamed with twin brothers Brian and Bruce Good, on guitar and autoharp, respectively. All sang, and their music was in a country-folk style, but without a pronounced Southern twang. The trio had met the Grateful Dead when they pla ..read more