Here is the latest news from David Gans, producer and host of the Grateful Dead Hour.
David Cross vs. SCI and GD
Ram Rod estate auction a big success
Top dollar for Dead’s skeletons
Grateful fans bid on road manager’s memorabilia to tune of $1.1 million
Steve Rubenstein, Chronicle Staff Writer
Grateful Dead fans, who have a tough time letting go, were grateful for the chance to shell out big bucks Tuesday in San Francisco for what less enlightened people would call, well, junk.
It wasn’t junk, said fans of the defunct rock group. Not hardly.
The stuff on the auction block might look like empty speaker boxes, corroded guitar strings and funky old steamer trunks, but it constituted the genuine and authentic castoffs of the great Jerry Garcia.
So the bidding started high, and it went higher.
One of the empty speaker boxes sold for $1,680. Other empty boxes sold for $1,200 and $900. In the 1970s, they had held speakers in the band’s enormous Wall of Sound concert loudspeaker system, but the speakers themselves were long gone.
Another treasure was a suitcase full of Garcia’s spare guitar strings. It went for $16,800. An empty red steamer trunk sold for $13,200.
…
As devoted Dead fans know, Tuesday’s auction fell on the 30th anniversary of a beloved concert by the band in Ithaca, N.Y., an event so stellar in Ithaca history that the mayor declared Tuesday to be Grateful Dead Day. Devoted Dead fans point out that it is almost always the anniversary of a beloved Dead concert, someplace.
The online article also includes a photo gallery.
Bonhams & Butterfields auctioneers said bidding at the San Diego sale was “brisk”.
The San Francisco band became global stars as the city became a counterculture hub in the 1960s.
They often gave free concerts, including several during 1967’s “summer of love”.
Shurtliff started as a truck driver for the band in 1967 and went on to become president of the group’s board of directors when the band formed their own company in the 1970s.
MagnoliaFest 2007
Just got this email from Magnolia Music, producers of my two favorite festivals – The Suwannee SpringFest in March and MagnoliaFest in October. I don’t know yet whether I’m going to be on the bill, but I still want you to go – it’s a beautiful place to spend a weekend, and Beth and Randy always bring in a wonderful assortment of familiar performers and bright new lights.
Hey MagMusic Family,
We sure hope this finds you all doing very well and getting ready for a great summer. There’s lots going on both musically and other fun wise, so we wish you the best of it all.
MagnoliaFest – October 25-28, 2007
We’re getting geared up for MagnoliaFest 07. The lineup has not been announced yet, but don’t despair because we really do have a terrific one we’re pulling together! Sometimes it just takes a while for the universe to get in alignment with us and the bands so it’s great for everyone. I’ll send out an email as soon as we’ve posted the lineup.
In the meantime, MagnoliaFest Early Bird Tickets are on sale now! I’m passing along a special request from Beth and Randy – if you know you’re coming to MagnoliaFest and you can easily afford to get your ticket now, that would be a very good thing to help us out and we would appreciate it very much.
There are also other ways that you can help us out. Bring a friend who is new to MagnoliaFest. Put some lineup cards in your area stores or give them out to folks you think might be interested – just email mail@magmusic.com and we’ll send you some when we get them printed. Many of you have supported us over the years in amazing ways, and we want you to know how blessed we are because of it. It really does take all of us to make these festivals happen in the ways that enrich us individually and collectively.
Patron Passes
There are a limited number of these special passes available. They include full festival laminate with special backstage access, your name listed in the program, meals, Signed Festival Poster, and a Festival T-Shirt. The passes are $300 each. If you are interested, give us a call at 904-249-7990 or email us at mail@magmusic.com – we’ll give you a call back and let you know how it works!
EARLY BIRD MagnoliaFest TICKETS on sale online now!
You may also purchase tickets by phone at 904-249-7990. Our office hours are varying wildly right now, so please be patient if you get a recording. Leave your name and number and someone will get back with you as soon as possible. Get those early bird tickets now!
These festivals are held at the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, Florida, about 25 miles south of the Georgia line near where I-10 and I-75 intersect. The Park is on the banks of the Suwannee River. The producers and crew have developed a wonderful working rapport over the ten-plus years they’ve been at it, and all the musicians and fans I know wouldn’t miss it for the world.
My own musical experiences there have been really wonderful. I’ve performed with the Waybacks, Railroad Earth, Joe Craven, Peter Rowan, Donna the Buffalo, Ollabelle, Crazy Fingers, The Grass Is Dead, Jim Lauderdale, and many others. Good things happen at MagFest and SpringFest!
Donna Jean and the Tricksters
Donna Jean and the Tricksters recently posted the following message on its website:
Dear Gang:
We know that recently we’ve been very quiet, at least publicly. It’s sort of like we’re elves, and it’s not yet the big day – we’ve been working ferociously, but it’s still too early to open the packages. For the past two months Donna Jean and the Tricksters have lived in the studio, and boy, are we proud of the results. You’ll get your first taste in June, when we plan to send out a promotional sampler with two studio tunes and two live tunes to accompany our summer shows. A full CD should be out early next year. The wait’s going to be worth it.
Best, DJ&tT
p.s. We ain’t kidding.