MusiCares Grateful Dead Tribute Is Big on Laughs (Thank You, Woody Harrelson), Love and Vibes

A hole, lifeless convention corridor on the Los Angeles Conference Middle is simply in regards to the final place you’d look forward to finding a Grateful Useless tribute live performance on a Friday evening. But it surely was there that MusiCares placed on a present for the ages, honoring the band at its Individuals of the 12 months gala with founding members Bob Weir and Mickey Hart in attendance (drummer Invoice Kreutzmann couldn’t make the journey and delivered a message by video) and a slew of acolytes who understood the task.

Usually, the MusiCares dinner is a well mannered affair, with visitors seated respectfully for a lot of the performances, save the all-star finale, a staple of the occasion. And that’s to not say that earlier Particular person of the 12 months recipients — which embrace Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney and Barbra Streisand — didn’t have their very own rabid fanbases in attendance. However the Deadheads simply do issues otherwise. If there’s a spot to spin in, they are going to annex it; lax safety, they’ll beeline for a greater view; and, after all, viewers participation is essential and, robes not withstanding, impassioned singalongs had been very a lot on the menu.

The fantastic thing about this Grammy weekend perennial is how genres and generations are capable of come collectively and reinterpret basic, timeless songs, however it’s additionally about celebrating the music neighborhood that has supported these acts all through the a long time. And if ever there was a time to understand the Useless’s personal lyrics — “We are going to get by; we’ll survive” — it’s this 12 months within the wake of harmful wildfires which have consumed complete L.A.-area neighborhoods. MusiCares has pledged monetary help for musicians and trade professionals within the type of its Los Angeles Hearth Reduction Effort. The evening’s donation tally topped $9 million, it was revealed.

In an formidable and well-choreographed run-of-show, 17 performances went off with minor hitches, all beneath the route of veteran producer and musician Don Was. The evening began with a number of multi-act combos: The Battle and Treaty had been joined by Mick Fleetwood and Stewart Copeland for ”Samson And Delilah,” adopted by My Morning Jacket and Maggie Rose doing “One Extra Saturday Night time” and Zac Brown and Marcus King teaming up for ”Bertha.”

Some solo units adopted: Wynonna Judd delivered “Ramble On Rose” with a touch of nation; Norah Jones provided a devoted “Ripple”; and Noah Kahan joined Béla Fleck for “Good friend Of The Satan.”

With the slower tempo songs out of the best way, Vampire Weekend helped get the group on its toes for “Scarlet Begonias,” adopted by Dwight Yoakam’s pulsing “Truckin’.” Maren Morris got here subsequent with “They Love Every Different,” and Lukas Nelson and Sierra Ferrell teamed for “It Should Have Been The Roses.”

Billy Strings’ “Wharf Rat” was divine, whereas the lesser identified “Unfastened Lucy,” carried out by Sammy Hagar, and “Standing On The Moon” by Bruce Hornsby with Rick Mitarotonda, provided the black-tied a second to relaxation. (The invite urged ”colourful black tie” however famous “Grateful Useless apparel is welcome.”)

Winding down the evening was a standout efficiency of “Field of Rain” by The Battle on Medicine. Holding with the fan favorites, John Mayer’s stripped-down interpretation of “Terrapin Station,” a multi-act opus recorded with a full orchestra for the 1977 album of the identical title, was impressed in its intricate melodic math.

Requested earlier within the evening by host Andy Cohen which Grateful Useless music is horniest, Mayer urged “Appears to be like Like Rain,” a Weir-penned ballad with the questionable lyric, “Did you ever waken to the sound of avenue cats making love?” Mayer additionally shared his “gateway” music to the Useless’s music, “Althea,” and never lengthy after, he was on stage enjoying it alongside Useless & Firm bandmates Weir, Hart, Oteil Burbridge, Jeff Chimenti and Jay Lane. “Sugar Magnolia” and “Contact of Gray” closed out the evening with an all-star jam. By that time, most visitors within the commerce show-sized ballroom had converged within the entrance, thanking their fortunate stars that they had been capable of see this lineup that shut.

In between performances, the viewers was handled to video vignettes of the Useless’s historical past, made all of the extra poignant after the October lack of bassist Phil Lesh on the age of 84. And this August marks 35 years since Jerry Garcia’s loss of life at 53. To honor their reminiscences, and to face in for Kreutzmann, Trixie Garcia, Grahame Lesh and Justin Kreutzmann took the stage, flanked by Recording Academy president Harvey Mason jr., Amazon’s Steve Growth and MusiCares’ Laura Segura, for the band’s official acceptance as individuals of the 12 months.

However not earlier than Woody Harrelson regaled the group with tales of his first hangs with Garcia — smoking pot within the vice chairman’s mansion on one event and doing mushrooms backstage earlier than a present on one other. For a fuzzy night within the early Nineties, the actor certain had a crystal clear reminiscence of all that transpired.

Some highlights: “Jerry says, ‘If the universe is prolonged, isn’t time increasing?’ The gang will increase its pitch, the mushrooms are kicking in, and I’m perspiring as a result of I noticed Jerry is meant to be on stage proper now. … After which Jerry goes, ‘I obtained a job.’ … I’m facet stage with Bruce Schroed speaking about Bush and the way upset we’re about what we’re doing in Iraq. I climb up and I hear this wild cacophony of discordant notes blasting by the audio system. That is when every little thing goes slow-mo. Jerry, Bobby and Invoice all turned. Actually, the entire band is taking a look at me. After which I see the roadies working towards me. ‘You’re sitting on a dwell MIDI!’ Which, if you happen to don’t know, is an electrical keyboard. I used to be immediately persona non grata. However hey, you realize, I jammed with the Useless.”

Harrelson went on to characterize Weir as “some of the attention-grabbing, electrical, spiritually deep folks on the planet, and never a nasty musician.”

That this laugh-out-loud introduction prefaced Weir’s personal emotional acknowledgments of the difficulties of the street and the workforce it takes to maintain the Useless legacy going (he shouted out managers Bernie Cahill, Kraig Fox, Activist’s Liz Norris and Rhino Data president Mark Pinkus, amongst others) made the evening really feel singularly particular.

“Longevity was by no means a significant concern of ours,” stated Weir, eliciting just a few chuckles from the group. “Lighting of us up and spreading pleasure by the music was all we actually had in thoughts, and we obtained loads of that carried out.”

Learn Weir’s acceptance speech in its entirety under:

Once I was a child, dyslexia was a phrase that didn’t but exist, however I had , stiff case of it. Schoolwork was an infinite problem for me, so I spent the majority of my faculty 12 months doin’ what I may do: chasin’ the music I heard in my head, playin’ on varied sports activities groups and, after all, inflicting hassle. Then I’d spend my summers within the nation — summer time camp and that kinda stuff — and that finally become a summer time job working as a ranch hand, which because it seems, was the one actual job I’ve ever had outdoors of music. However in all of this, I realized early on that you just’re gonna get much more carried out — so much sooner — if you may make a workforce effort of your duties.

What we now have right here in SoCal as of late is a rebuild that’s gonna take some effort and time — and an immense quantity of teamwork. My guess is it’s gonna take just a few years, however SoCal might be again, stronger and shinier.

Anyway, if making music is what you’re gonna be doing, you’ll discover you can make significantly extra thunder if you’ll find of us to play with, and be taught to work with and play off of them, and allow them to play you. That’s what the Grateful Useless did over time, and success finally got here to us. All alongside, my outdated pal Jerry used to say, “You get some, you give some again.” And so we did. From early on it was greater than obvious to us that we might be of considerable profit to our broader neighborhood — and have huge enjoyable doing it. We additionally realized immediately that it was an honor and a privilege to be on this place — one thing we by no means took flippantly.

That brings us again to MusiCares, a beacon of hope within the music trade that gives monetary help, psychological well being sources, restoration packages, and different help to artists and music technicians dealing with challenges. Their work ensures that the individuals who make music — from behind-the-scene professionals to family names — will have the ability to stick with it.

I’d not less than prefer to attempt to categorical my gratitude for tonight’s recognition — and the chance to help such an important group. Being honored with the Individuals of the 12 months award is deeply humbling, however the true honor is having the possibility to amplify the fantastic work being carried out right here.

Now I’m grateful, after all, to and for all my band mates and songwriting companions over time — however within the spirit of Music Cares, I’d prefer to thank Rex, Steve, Ramrod, Candace, Child, Betty, Wiz, Robbie, AJ, Charucki and the remainder of the crew members who’ve carried out what they’ve carried out over time; they taught me (and us) the worth of teamwork — whether or not they meant to or not — and like I say, teamwork is what it’s gonna take to rebuild this city.

Additionally, because of my spouse Natascha and daughters Monet and Chloe for placing up with my singularity of focus. Not everybody has that kinda endurance.

Thanks Bernie and Kraig, and the entire Activist workforce — Liz, Crimson, NashvilleMatt for the form of artistic administration that’s past arduous to seek out. You already know who you’re, and what it’s you do. And particular because of Synjen for his half in all this. I don’t count on we’d even be right here tonight with out y’alls’ efforts.

Gotta thank Jonathan Levine for locating locations for me to play and typically folks to play with.

And even huge because of a file exec, Mark with Rhino, for getting what it’s we’ve been as much as within the first place, then determining easy methods to carry new faces to the celebration. Wow.

And I don’t know the place to begin with tonight’s holy shit, wonderful lineup, however I assume I gotta not less than strive. There are too many … blazing artists to begin naming names right here, so I’m simply gonna take a minute and drop a line of because of the outdated pals — and some new ones tonight — who took the time to come back on down right here and put their very own spin on our songbook and to as soon as once more each mild folks up and on the similar time present help to these in our subject who may use somewhat assist.

Because of Don, tonight’s musical director; huge job, but when tonight had been solely in regards to the music, he’s put collectively a present that might nonetheless be a really, very singular event. And particular because of tonight’s symphony gamers, lots of whom have had their very own share of misfortunes because of the fires of late.

I can’t start to inform you how deeply honored I’m/we’re to be becoming a member of the previous recipients of this award; it’s no small factor to be held in related regard as Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Paul McCartney and all the opposite time-honored artists who’ve been right here.

Yeah, the street is a tough existence, as plainly evidenced by the easy undeniable fact that there aren’t all that lots of my outdated bandmates right here tonight to obtain this recognition — however thanks, Grahame Lesh and Trixie Garcia, & Justin Kreutzmann for representing your dads right here. And longevity was by no means a significant concern of ours; lighting of us up and spreading pleasure by the music was all we actually had in thoughts, and we obtained loads of that carried out. And as I’ve stated, having the ability to carry that pleasure whereas on the similar time offering materials help to these in want was all the time extra than simply icing on the cake.

Thanks in your type consideration to MusiCares for doing what they do.