Grateful Dead Music Forum

I’ve been playing at lots of jams (acoustic and electric) in CT for several years now. Lot’s of musicians I’ve met have blues/rock bands, and I’ve periodically played as a guest and brought friends to fill a few seats. I'm getting a little tired of traveling around a lot to play.

Most of these musicians bitch that bands can’t get a lot of work in the area, and club owners like dead bands because they always draw people.

So I’m thinking that hosting a Grateful Dead Open Mic near my town is a great idea.

I envision focusing on the Dead/JGB acoustic and electric repertoire so there should be enough variety for non-Dead musicians.

Has anyone ever heard of or played at one before?

well, it would be a hit with me! Sign me up!!

You know more about your area then I do of course. But, do you think you'd get a lot of musicians to play the open mic if it were a Dead open mic? Why not just host the open mic, play the Dead stuff, then leave it open?

dleonard wrote:You know more about your area then I do of course. But, do you think you'd get a lot of musicians to play the open mic if it were a Dead open mic? Why not just host the open mic, play the Dead stuff, then leave it open?

x2. An open mic night should be... open. You can't really tell people what to play.

Now a Grateful Dead jam session - that's a whole different story. There are millions of blues jams out there, but none that I know of catering to the Dead. As long as you could find a deadhead drummer and bass player who were willing to commit, this could really work.

Advice - Jamband open jam! Saw a successful one around here recently.
Sadly, despite good turn-out the bar still had more people for karaoke

I would travel her and there to do a GD-jam open mic. I am doing a ton of accoustic stuff right now even mixing tunes together that never have. Example would be Deep elem>cayman review>deep elem. I would be in depending on how far the drive would be.

How about Chicago then you could play with me and Strummin!

Rusty the Scoob wrote:

dleonard wrote:You know more about your area then I do of course. But, do you think you'd get a lot of musicians to play the open mic if it were a Dead open mic? Why not just host the open mic, play the Dead stuff, then leave it open?

x2. An open mic night should be... open. You can't really tell people what to play.

Now a Grateful Dead jam session - that's a whole different story. There are millions of blues jams out there, but none that I know of catering to the Dead. As long as you could find a deadhead drummer and bass player who were willing to commit, this could really work.

Both of your thoughts ran through my head.

If it's adverstised as a Dead open mic, I would think musicians would know what to expect. For example, there are a few jazz open mics in my area...I've never gone to one since it's not my cup of tea.

I posted a thread a while back on playing JGB songs at open mics and this was the eye opener for me....players seem to like since it's not the same old Mustang Sally/Tore Down/Sweet Home Chicago/Stormy Monday blues jam type stuff.

This may have some potential. The next step for me should be to see if I can find a place willing to try this out.

It probably makes sense to wait until spring to start if I can get a place to commit for a few months.

Thanks for the feedback. Any other comments are welcome.

I have been toying with this idea for awhile now. I set up/run and go to Dead jams.I know heads.
I jam near Bethlehem PA ( Steve kimock's hometown yo )a lot and there is a little club that does open mics. Its not a bar but a coffee house BYOB. Kimock has been known to play there ...
I figure since I set up jams right around the corner why not just do the open mic ?
The core member's would back up any singers/jammers.
In my search for band members I found online Dead meet up groups like this
http://www.meetup.com/Grateful-Dead-Appreciation-Group/
I was thinking of starting one up in Bethlehem and have the 'meet ups' at the coffee house and jam.
anyway just a dream ....