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The early hours of the morning crawled in and my feet were still involuntarily shuffling.
The jams have been seemless all night long, transitioning from one song to another, from one band to the next. I now find myself among other jam fans in the Red Room, listening to an ex perimental electric group, Dear My Android, consisting of the two drummers, Cochrane McMillan and Scott Rager, and keyboardist Trevor Garrod, all from Tea Leaf Green.
The music pumping is more modern and futuristic with drum pads along side traditional toms, and an array of pedals and synthesizers to boot.
Rewind earlier in the evening and you might have thought you skipped a few decades and ar rived at a “Dead” show with iconic front man Jerry Garcia pleasing concert revelers.
Tea Leaf Green played host to a Tahoe crowd with back-to-back nights Friday and Saturday, Feb. 4-5, in Crystal Bay Casi no's Crown Room with Saturday's grand finale headliner Melvin Seals and the Jerry Garcia Band bringing home the bacon.
With 201 original songs and more than 133 covers, there was no reheating required as Tea Leaf Green kicked off a second night hotter than a fresh pot of yerba mate. The ever-so-talented quintet hit the jam band stereotype to a “tee” as each member was able to showcase his talent in an array of solos, duets, and just plain jams.
Keyboardist, singer, songwriter and creative genius Trevor Garrod kept his fingers busy slapping and sliding across the keys switching between his various keyboards and mixing machines all while exercising his heart felt vocals across a large scale of chords.
A double dose of drums battled and fed off each other's energy as Mc Millan and Rager would switch from felt tipped sticks to rudimentary style drum licks. Even impressing themselves, McMillan lipped “wow,” at the finish of the song “John Brown” as the chorus echoed “it's not easy taking prisoners,” as the audience falls in line surrendering their feet to the dance floor. Sweat-drenched hair is stuck to the forehead of front man Josh Clark as he went from one tangent to another leading into heavy guitar riffs and smooth jam style guitar complementing the band as a whole.
It's easy nowadays to lose interest in a jam band as many songs can sound the same; constantly revisiting the jam you thought had already been outplayed for the night. Tea Leaf Green is the exception. From high intensity climaxes to mellower bluegrass style ballads this quintet set the bar for the evening as Melvin Seals and JGB took the stage.
“The harder they come, the harder they fall,” hit the audience right in the eardrums as Melvin Seals and JGB played homage to Jimmy Cliff, opening the night with a soulful classic that had you going to church with vocalist Judith Coleman and Mary Holland. Seals was spot on with the keys wearing an ear-to-ear grin, while Stu Allen displayed facial characteristics similar to that of the late Garcia, with his eyes opening wide as if mesmerized by the current state of music. Old “deadheads” danced and twirled lifting their hands up as if giving offerings to Jerry, summoning the sprit of the great man from the heavens. Jimmy Tebeau, with silver-haired dreadlocks waving beneath his black top hat, held his dance partner, a headless bass; the two danced back and forth serenading the crowd along side Allen.
You couldn't help but to sing-a-long to classics such as “Deal” and “Sitting Here in Limbo.” The spirit was alive and thriving with the entire crowd being the keepers of the flame. The music was melodic and soothing enticing the audience to slowly grace the dance floor, couples intertwined and groups of friends old and new came together to share the special evening. You couldn't help but to imagine Jerry smiling down upon the congregation as the musical communion came to an end.
The jams have been seemless all night long, transitioning from one song to another, from one band to the next. I now find myself among other jam fans in the Red Room, listening to an ex perimental electric group, Dear My Android, consisting of the two drummers, Cochrane McMillan and Scott Rager, and keyboardist Trevor Garrod, all from Tea Leaf Green.
The music pumping is more modern and futuristic with drum pads along side traditional toms, and an array of pedals and synthesizers to boot.
Rewind earlier in the evening and you might have thought you skipped a few decades and ar rived at a “Dead” show with iconic front man Jerry Garcia pleasing concert revelers.
Tea Leaf Green played host to a Tahoe crowd with back-to-back nights Friday and Saturday, Feb. 4-5, in Crystal Bay Casi no's Crown Room with Saturday's grand finale headliner Melvin Seals and the Jerry Garcia Band bringing home the bacon.
With 201 original songs and more than 133 covers, there was no reheating required as Tea Leaf Green kicked off a second night hotter than a fresh pot of yerba mate. The ever-so-talented quintet hit the jam band stereotype to a “tee” as each member was able to showcase his talent in an array of solos, duets, and just plain jams.
Keyboardist, singer, songwriter and creative genius Trevor Garrod kept his fingers busy slapping and sliding across the keys switching between his various keyboards and mixing machines all while exercising his heart felt vocals across a large scale of chords.
A double dose of drums battled and fed off each other's energy as Mc Millan and Rager would switch from felt tipped sticks to rudimentary style drum licks. Even impressing themselves, McMillan lipped “wow,” at the finish of the song “John Brown” as the chorus echoed “it's not easy taking prisoners,” as the audience falls in line surrendering their feet to the dance floor. Sweat-drenched hair is stuck to the forehead of front man Josh Clark as he went from one tangent to another leading into heavy guitar riffs and smooth jam style guitar complementing the band as a whole.
It's easy nowadays to lose interest in a jam band as many songs can sound the same; constantly revisiting the jam you thought had already been outplayed for the night. Tea Leaf Green is the exception. From high intensity climaxes to mellower bluegrass style ballads this quintet set the bar for the evening as Melvin Seals and JGB took the stage.
“The harder they come, the harder they fall,” hit the audience right in the eardrums as Melvin Seals and JGB played homage to Jimmy Cliff, opening the night with a soulful classic that had you going to church with vocalist Judith Coleman and Mary Holland. Seals was spot on with the keys wearing an ear-to-ear grin, while Stu Allen displayed facial characteristics similar to that of the late Garcia, with his eyes opening wide as if mesmerized by the current state of music. Old “deadheads” danced and twirled lifting their hands up as if giving offerings to Jerry, summoning the sprit of the great man from the heavens. Jimmy Tebeau, with silver-haired dreadlocks waving beneath his black top hat, held his dance partner, a headless bass; the two danced back and forth serenading the crowd along side Allen.
You couldn't help but to sing-a-long to classics such as “Deal” and “Sitting Here in Limbo.” The spirit was alive and thriving with the entire crowd being the keepers of the flame. The music was melodic and soothing enticing the audience to slowly grace the dance floor, couples intertwined and groups of friends old and new came together to share the special evening. You couldn't help but to imagine Jerry smiling down upon the congregation as the musical communion came to an end.
