This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

Bride and Groom Crash Grateful Dead Tribute Show

Grateful Dead tribute band's show was in the groove.

It’s drizzling.  The tourists are long gone.  We find a parking spot a block away from the show on the main drag.  We are greeted upon departure from our vehicle by a man wearing a blanket against the cold, clenching a deflated yellow balloon in his mouth, raving.  A cop car sits at the far end of the block, its driver standing on the street, leather gloved and ready. 

Yep Dorothy, we’re not in Kansas anymore!

The bar is already filling up.  We are greeted by Nahz the bouncer at the door, who embraces us like old friends.  This is The Eleven’s first Friday night show at Milk Bar, and the joint is crackling. I get the chance to talk with Steve Fundy, Ted Burik and Paul Scannell of opening act Jumping the Shark, a great jam band.  We grab some drinks, greet the guys in The Eleven, and after what seems like hours (remember, we are on GDST - Grateful Dead Standard Time!) they start their show with ‘Jack Straw.'   It’s apparent from the first chords that the band is into it tonight – tight, focused, flowing.  ‘Alabama Getaway>Promised Land’ has even the folks standing in the hallway in front of the restrooms dancing! 

Find out what's happening in San Rafaelwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

I suddenly see a bride in full wedding gown walk into the bar, followed by her new spouse.  What the . . . ?  Am I really seeing this?  They work an impromptu reception line at the bar.  She hands her bouquet to an onlooker, and they hit the dance floor.  After a few minutes the groom is twirling, an old-school deadhead from back in the day.   ‘Peggy O, Me and My Uncle->Cumberland Blues, Brother Esau, Friend of the Devil’ lead into the highlight of the evening, ‘St Stephen>The Eleven’.

Clint on lead guitar is literally bathed in sweat.   I can’t prove it, but I think I see smoke coming from the fingers of his left hand.  He is IN THE GROOVE.  He brings to mind those lyrics from the song ‘Cats Under the Stars’;  

Find out what's happening in San Rafaelwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“Cats on the bandstand,

Give’em each a big hand,

Anyone who sweats like that must be all right.”

That transition from ‘St. Stephen’ into ‘The Eleven’ is a beautiful thing to behold.  Mike on bass is just killing it – I have to go and stand right in front of him so I can focus on his hands and concentrate on what is actually coming out of his rig.   

On set break and we are all confronted with a sudden downpour outside.  We dash to huddle under the toll shack of the parking lot next door.  Any place with some kind of cover at all is packed with people.  Those that can’t find shelter don’t even care – they just stand in the rain, letting it cool them down for the second set. 

And the second set goes:  ‘Man Smart (Woman Smarter), Scarlet Begonias, He’s Gone, Estimated Prophet> Drums>The Other One, Touch of Grey.'

Someone’s long wet hair hits my back repeatedly while he twirls, leaving a spot on my tie-die. 

The encore is ‘Music Never Stopped.' After the encore, Nick and Clint sit down at the edge of the stage, spent after standing for several hours.  Folks line up to congratulate them on a job well done. 

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?