I have been a fan of Joe Craven since the first time I saw him with the David Grisman Quintet in 1989, and of course I was delighted with his work with the Garcia-Grisman band in the ’90s. Garcia Songbook, the 2018 release by Joe Craven and the Sometimers, presents mind-blowing reinventions of songs composed and/or performed by Jerry. I’ve played it on the radio dozens of times.
I’ve had the great privilege of sharing stages with him at various festivals over the years, but it wasn’t until March of this year that Joe and I played a full set together as a duo. It happened twice at the Dead Ends Live festival in Edmonton, Alberta last March: we jammed together at a pre-opening staff party, and again on one of the main stages. We had a blast, and the audience response was intensely rewarding!
So we want to do it some more! Our first gig here at home will be Thursday, July 21, at the Monkey House in Berkeley. Showtime is 7pm, and admission is $10-20 sliding scale. We’ll need you to be vaccinated, and masks may also be required.
Reservations: email ira@themonkeyhouse.org
From the Monkey House web site:
WE ARE A PRIVATE RESIDENCE AND OUR ADDRESS IS NOT DISPLAYED. To learn the address, please reserve a seat to any show. We’ll send you all the needed information.We check vax ID’s at the door and, due to the recent Covid surge, ask that you wear a mask. We have reduced our seating capacity by half as a Covid precaution. Due to limited seating, it’s very important that you RESERVE A SEAT.
Out of respect for our patrons, we will turn people away once we reach capacity.
Photo by Mike Olson
Photo by Brian Zaharodniuk