Harvest adds Melvin Seals & Jerry Garcia Band to Levon Helm show
August 31, 2011
Harvest announced today that the legendary jam band Jerry Garcia Band, led by Jerry’s long-time keyboardist Melvin Seals, will open for the Levon Helm Band in the Budweiser Blues Tent on Thursday September 15.
This spot is in addition to Melvin Seals & Jerry Garcia Band’s headlining show in the Galaxie Barracks Tent on Friday, September 16.
The Jerry Garcia Band was founded by the legendary Grateful Dead lead guitarist in 1975, and for 20 years until his death it remained the most important of his side projects. Though Jerry died in 1995, his musical legacy and spirit has been kept alive through JGB.
As noted in Rolling Stone, “... when Garcia passed away in 1995, and the Grateful Dead went on hiatus, Seals took charge. Under his leadership, the slightly renamed ‘JGB Band’ pays tribute to Garcia by performing his songs and remaining faithful to his style.”
Seals has been a powerful presence in the music industry for over thirty years as both a performer and producer. He adds his signature gospel-soul touch to the rhythm and blues base of the JGB, playing his Hammond B3 organ like no one else.
Local bluesman Ross Neilsen will still play an opening set, prior to Melvin Seals & Jerry Garcia Band and Levon Helm Band.
Tickets to the show are currently on sale through Ticketpro and at the Harvest Store. Wednesday-Thursday passes are also still available, which gains access to this and all other shows on Thursday night, as well as the Buddy Guy show on Wednesday.
