Dec. 1, 1977 review: The Jerry Garcia Band at Buff State

 


One of the things the Grateful Dead’s Jerry Garcia used to do on his days off. 

Dec. 1, 1977 review

Garcia Performance a Step Back in Time 

          The Jerry Garcia Band brought the old-fashioned kind of rock concert to Buffalo State College’s New Gym Wednesday night, the kind they used to have back before musicians evolved into superstars.

          Just like the old days, the music was great. But also just like the old days, the band was a little short on social graces.

          But first the good news. Garcia limbered up quickly in the opener, the old Motown-James Taylor hit, “How Sweet It Is,” and played dazzling guitar long into the night.

          He averaged two solos in each of the 10-minute selections, clearly enjoying the freedom he doesn’t get in the big group, the Grateful Dead, where Phil Lesh and Bob Weir share the spotlight.

          He had along two other members of the Dead, though. Keith Godchaux handled keyboards. Wife Donna Godchaux did vocal harmonies with Garcia and swayed twice as intently as she does with the big group. Providing rhythms, shuffle rhythms mostly, were Ron Tutt and John Kahn.

          The night ranged from Garcia chestnuts like “Catfish John” to a pair of powerful Bob Dylan songs, a reggae “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” and “Simple Twist of Fate,” where Garcia caught his solo on the upswing, the twisted it down and around.

          Accompanying it all were the old-fashioned concert-going hassles. The band was late getting to town, so the doors didn’t open on schedule. The price of admission included a wait in the cold rain.

          The group went onstage 35 minutes late. Between each number was an extensive tuning session. The crowd of 1,500 filled the void with shouts and mutterings.

          Their first 90-minute set came in 10 minutes short. The half-hour intermission lasted nearly an hour. It was approaching midnight when they came back.

* * * * *

IN THE PHOTO: The Jerry Garcia Band at another show in 1977.

* * * * *

FOOTNOTE: Second visit to Buffalo by Garcia in 1977, following that date in the Aud with the Grateful Dead back in May. The band’s Wikipedia page notes that Garcia officially founded this offshoot in 1975 and it was his favorite side project.

Mainstay was bassist John Kahn, who he met in a jam session in San Francisco in 1970 and who was his main musical collaborator outside of the Dead. They did a lot of dope together. Kahn, who had a huge record collection, led the band for a little while after Garcia died in 1995. “How Sweet It Is” was their signature song.

          Set list from that night, courtesy of a site called herbibot.com, goes like this:

          How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)

          Catfish John

          That’s What Love Will Make You Do

          Simple Twist of Fate

          Mystery Train

          Mission in the Rain

          (intermission)

          I’ll Take a Melody

          The Way You Do the Things You Do

          Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door

          Rubin and Cherise

          Russian Lullaby

          The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down

          Midnight Moonlight

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