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Late Night with Conan O’Brien is taping in San Francisco all this week, and Ratdog is scheduled to appear Thursay night (actually Friday morning) – 12:35 am Eastern/Pacific, 11:35 pm Central on NBC. San Francisco Chronicle TV columnist Tim Goodman writes about Conan’s SF visit in today’s paper.

And this just in from Dan McGonagle: Check-out the Glide Memorial Church Ensemble on the Conan O’Brien show this evening (wed). I do house sound with Betty Cantor-Jackson (“Betty-Boards” Grateful Dead, etc) as our recording engineer every Sunday in San Francisco. The song being performed is a Glide original sung by Martin Scott titled “I Surrender”. It’s purty darn cool….

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Proclamation from the Mayor of the City of Ithaca

Whereas, the Grateful Dead have been recognized by many highly credible organizations, individuals and entities including the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as significantly important and integral to the
musical and social fabric of our contemporary culture, and whereas, on May 8th, 1977 the Grateful Dead performed in Barton Hall on the campus of Cornell University in the city of Ithaca New York, a concert that is widely acknowledged and regarded as a defining and transcendent occasion and example of the art of contemporary musical improvisation, collaboration, musicianship, and performance, and whereas, many tens of thousands of individuals who were not in attendance that night in Barton Hall, have become knowledgeable & familiar with the extraordinary nature of the performance on May 8th 1977 through the trading and sharing of recordings of the show, and whereas, the cultural identity and perceptions of Ithaca as a community, have been informed and bolstered by the widespread acknowledgement of the magic of May 8th, 1977, and whereas, it has been said many times by many people that, “there is nothing like a Grateful Dead concert.”

Now therefore, be it resolved that as Mayor of the City of Ithaca, and in heartfelt recognition of the thirtieth anniversary of the May 8th 1977 concert performance, I declare May 8th 2007 as Grateful Dead Day in the City of Ithaca.

Dark Star Orchestra will perform the set list of 5/8/77 on 5/8/07 at the State Theater of Ithaca NY.

From the Springfield (Illinois) Journal-Register, news of a benefit concert for Bill Laymon, longtime bassist of the David Nelson Band (and before that, the New Riders) and just as sweet a guy as I’ve ever known:

Medicinal music
Local performers unite to assist typhus-stricken bassist with bills

By NICK ROGERS

Music and modesty have been the best medicine for Bill Laymon’s medical concerns.Since the journeyman rock bassist and Springfield native contracted typhus from a flea near his Hawaii home, his depleted immune system has warded off encephalitis, he suffered something similar to a stroke and, now, a recurrence of bladder cancer.

Ostensibly, a long list of local talent performing for Laymon on Sunday will do so to raise money for his many medical bills not covered by health insurance.

Laymon acknowledges that purpose, but says that it’s not the top priority for him.

“Ultimately, the thing is to have a good party for Springfield,” Laymon says. “I have every belief I’m going to get over this health stuff.”

Laymon didn’t conceive “With a Little Help From His Friends,” an eight-hour benefit for the bassist kicking off at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Firefighters Postal Club, 940 West Lake Shore Drive.

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