Pink Talking Fish is a Hybrid Tribute Fusion Act that takes the music from three of the world's most beloved bands and creates a special treat for fans of the music. At this year’s fest the band will once again add The Grateful Dead into this eclectic mix of music. This year’s ensemble will feature some very special guests to be announced soon. with feature The Grateful Dead, Pink Floyd, Talking Heads and Phish are all more than just bands... they are Phenomenons. Their creations have artistically inspired people and their mind-blowing live performances have brought people together to form a sense of community around the love for their favorite bands. Although the music from each act is different, Pink Talking Fish has discovered that fusing the material together writes an amazing new story. The epic emotion of Pink Floyd... The funky, danceable layerings of Talking Heads... The multitude of styles, unique compositional structures and pure fun of Phish... to merge these three acts into one gives music lovers an experience like no other. Pink Talking Fish features Eric Gould on bass, Richard James/Stephen Learson on keyboards, Zack Burwick on drums and Cal Kehoe on guitar. This is a band created by musicians who love the music of these iconic bands. Its purpose is to heighten people's passion for this music by creating something fresh and exciting for fans.
Few bands stick around for thirty-five years. Even fewer bands leave a legacy during that time that marks them as a truly special, once-in-lifetime type band. And no band has done all that and had as much fun as Leftover Salmon. Since their earliest days as a forward thinking, progressive bluegrass band who had the guts to add drums to the mix and who was unafraid to stir in any number of highly combustible styles into their ever evolving sound, to their role as a pioneer of the modern Jamband scene, to their current status as elder-statesmen of the scene who cast a huge influential shadow over every festival they play, Leftover Salmon has been a crucial link in keeping alive the traditional music of the past while at the same time pushing that sound forward with their own weirdly, unique style.
The band now features a lineup that has been together longer than any other in Salmon history and is one of the strongest the legendary band has ever assembled. Built around the core of founding members Drew Emmitt and Vince Herman, the band is now powered by banjo-wiz Andy Thorn and driven by the steady rhythm section of bassist Greg Garrison, drummer Alwyn Robinson, and dobro player & keyboardist Jay Starling.
The current lineup is continuing the long, storied history of Salmon which found them first emerging from the progressive bluegrass world and coming of age as one the original jam bands, before rising to become architects of what has become known as Jam Grass and helping to create a landscape where bands schooled in the traditional rules of bluegrass can break free of those bonds through nontraditional instrumentation and an innate ability to push songs in new psychedelic directions live.
Formed in 1988 by Lo Faber, Aaron Maxwell, Dan Pifer, Jon Bevo, and Tom Osander, God Street Wine played a prominent role in the early jam band scene alongside fellow New Yorkers Blues Traveler and Spin Doctors. Veterans of the HORDE Tour as well as runs with The Allman Brothers, Bruce Hornsby and The Black Crowes, they also released 5 albums and performed more than 1,000 shows across the United States in their first decade together. In 1999 the band split up after playing a three-night farewell engagement at the Wetlands Preserve in NYC. After almost a decade apart, GSW reunited privately in 2009 and a year later played four concerts in NYC benefiting the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Infrequent but memorable gatherings continued at Bob Weir's TRI Studios, Sweetwater Music Hall, rambles with Phil Lesh at Terrapin Crossroads and Jam Cruise. In 2013 they released a 25th anniversary box set retrospective and the documentary film All the Way To Here. We are beyond excited to have the original fivesome performing together again at this year’s Dead of Summer Music Festival!
Humbly formed in 2015 by a group of professional musicians passionate about Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead, JMF started honing its one-of-a-kind sound at LA speakeasies and beachside dive bars. Audiences of all ages instantly fell in love and soon JMF was playing to packed rooms from legendary stages throughout California, Oregon, Arizona, Colorado, and Washington — dazzling new fans on the scene and pulling even the most discerning Jerry fanatics out of their seats for the first time in decades. The magic all starts with lead vocalist and guitarist Garrett Deloian. As a seasoned veteran of the blues circuit, he channels his lifelong love for the work of Garcia into every lick with his unparalleled mastery and tone. Drummer/founder Rodney Newman, a student of The Dead/JGB since his youth, leads the band’s reliable and relentless rhythm section. Rodney's kick shares the bottom end with the steady and inspired bass playing of the multi-talented Son Vo. Rounding things out are two powerhouse vocalists, Halina Janusz and Lisa Malsberger, and veteran pianist and organ champion Jon Gold.
Steely Dead is a national touring band from Denver, Colorado, that fuses the music of the Grateful Dead and Steely Dan. The four-piece band, consisting of Dave Abear on guitar, Matt Abear on bass, Chris Sheldon on drums, and Dylan Teifer on keys, creates unique live performances by weaving together the improvisational jamming style of the Grateful Dead with the intricate arrangements of Steely Dan. Their shows feature seamless segues, original jams, and interpretations of songs from both legendary bands.
Formed in 2001 in Rochester, NY, Giant Panda first received praise for their live show, which combined world beats and reggae rhythms with urgent energy and Jam band dynamics. It’s no surprise that Live for Live Music called the band, “...one of the most innovative and genre-pushing reggae bands out there.” The twenty-year-old band consists of Dylan Savage (guitar, vocals), James Searl (bass, vocals), Chris O'Brian (drums, vocals), Lucius Snowden (keyboards), Max Shuhan (keyboards), TJ Schaper (Trombone), and Drew Martin (saxophone, flute). Beyond their celebrated live energy, Panda has also released six studio albums, ranging from their alternative Americana releases Country (2012) and Bright Days (2015) to their Billboard Reggae Chart Toppers Steady (2014) and Make It Better (2016), Giant Panda has built an extensive and eclectic catalog that stands the test of time. Their new album Love In Time [Easy Star Records] has an April 7, 2023, release date and delivers a fresh new evolution of the band’s trademark sound
Since 1992, Splintered Sunlight has been captivating audiences with their authentic tribute to The Grateful Dead for decades. The band’s faithful following reflects their deep understanding of the improvisational traditions of The Grateful Dead. From its authentic double-drum kit lineup, to Butchy Sochorow’s soaring lead guitar and naturally dead-on Jerry-like voice, Splintered can do it all in a big way. If you have never heard them, get ready! They’re musically superb, imaginative, and always changing set lists, like the Dead. Experience them for yourself, c’mon out & dance!
Brown Eyed Women is an ensemble of powerful female players from popular bands around the country, celebrating the music of the Grateful Dead with a unique spin. Members hail from Massachusetts, New Jersey, Florida, New York, and Pennsylvania. Their high-caliber musicianship and shared love of the Dead drew them together. This band is decidedly different in a field brimming with tribute acts. BEW brings authentic jams and a soulful new approach to the familiar Grateful Dead catalog.
Dead Man’s Waltz Interweaving the classic songs and jams of The Grateful Dead, The Allman Brothers Band and The Band, Dead Man's Waltz is an all-star collective from the Northeast festival scene. Dead Man's Waltz features top-notch musicianship and offers a refreshing twist to the music of three legendary and iconic bands. At its core, DMW is a celebration of the long-standing tradition of crossover between The Dead, The Allmans and The Band
With 2 drummers, DMW's line-up mirrors those of both The Dead and The Allmans as well as later line-ups of The Band. Dead Man's Waltz features the all-star lineup of "Rev" Tor Krautter on guitar and vocals, Tom Major on drums, Parker McQueeney on keys and vocals, Tom Doherty on guitar and vocals, Jeff Prescott on drums and vocals, and Brian O'Connell on bass and vocals. Each hail from a unique musical background and adds their own personal style, influence and character to the mix (which is exactly what the music calls for).
Jatoba is a high-energy groove grass bluegrass trio that has been captivating audiences since their formation in 2008. Hailing from Brattleboro, Vermont, the band brings uniqueness to their songwriting and compositions and communicates seamlessly through spontaneous composition and improvisation, bringing an unpredictable and dynamic element to their performances.
Deadgrass, Matt Turk and C Lanzbom joined forces to form Deadgrass, a string band adventure through Jerry Garcia’s musical world. Bassist Dave Richards, banjo player Boo Reiners and fiddler Kensuke Shoji complete this fine group of seasoned pros exploring the life works of Jerry Garcia on the instruments that first inspired him. Deadgrass celebrates and interprets the music of Jerry Garcia, drawing from Old & in the Way, JGB, Jerry’s Jug Band days and The Grateful Dead.
Rhapsody brings the iconic music of Queen to life with a powerhouse performance starring Broadway veteran Mike Wartella. Hailing from the Berkshires, Wartella's roots run deep while his own voice soars echoing the spirit and flair of Freddie Mercury. Rhapsody delivers show-stopping renditions of Queen's greatest hits and deepest cuts. Get ready to experience the magic and music of Queen like you have never heard before as Wartella and his bandmates pay tribute to rock ‘n’ roll royalty.
The Po Boys formed in 2012 to shake the walls of a local club on Fat Tuesday but have honed their sound and become more than a Mardi Gras centerpiece. Exploring the vast musical traditions of New Orleans and expanding their repertoire to look beyond NOLA jazz, the band includes traditional Caribbean tunes (it’s been said that New Orleans is the northernmost city in the Caribbean), as well as Meters funk, soul, and brass band / street beat music. There are a myriad of traditions that flow into New Orleans culture just as there are tributaries that feed the Mississippi, and the Po Boys are eager to explore what makes the music of New Orleans so damn special. You’ll hear the heavy influence of the New Orleans sound across the band and in the stories told by their original tunes. In line with the scope of its sound, the outfit is eight people and thrives on the interplay and group dynamics that bring this music to life.
Terrafunk is an exceptional female-led psychedelic soul octet dedicated to bringing a vibrant funk atmosphere to your life since 2013! Our music seamlessly blends funky rhythms, soulful melodies, and elements of psychedelic rock, drawing inspiration from sixty years of musical excellence. Terrafunk will be performing a late-night tribute to The Funky Meters at this year’s Dead pf Summer Music Festival
Saints & Liars is a Vermont-based Americana band who has been blending their own variants of honkytonk, folk, bluegrass, and rock n roll since 2012. Having remained a live performance driven group for almost a decade, the band inevitably found themselves in the studio in late 2020, to record their very first professional release, ‘These Times’.
In addition to teaming-up on stage with amazingly talented folks like Pappy Biondo (Cabinet), Andy Falco (Infamous Stringdusters), Charlie Rose (Elephant Revival) and many others, the band has opened shows for distinguished acts such as Greensky Bluegrass, The Ghost of Paul Revere, The Mallett Brothers Band, and Leftover Salmon
Mystic Dead is a premier Grateful Dead tribute band based out of Mystic Connecticut, dedicated to capturing the spirit, improvisation, and musical depth of the legendary group. This year the band will covering the Dead’s double platinum and 12th studio album “In the Dark” and more.
On stage for over 10 years now, Creamery Station has truly found its greener pastures. After nonstop touring and a never-ending list of festivals played, they have truly honed their craft and are creating an organic grassroots vibe Calling upon their influences such as The Grateful Dead, The Allman Brothers, Little Feat, NRPS, Bob Dylan, they have begun to expand upon their jams and create unique live musical experiences full of harmony rich roots inspired songs that have stories to tell and deep jams They have played venues with acts such as Marshall Tucker Band, Goose, Twiddle, Ekoostik Hookah, Keller Williams, Melvin Seals & JGB, Max Creek, Kitchen Dwellers, John Kadlecik Band.
Way Up South has been tearing up the New England club and festival scene and rapidly gaining a reputation as an explosive live band with a deep well of compelling original music and stellar musicianship. Fresh vocal harmonies, instrumental virtuosity, and dynamic energy transference between the musicians and the audience are the hallmarks of Way Up South.
Way Up South's expansive sound incorporates a maturity and musicianship that weaves in and out of southern, blues, country, jazz, and Americana rock—music whose precision and finesse still retain the loose spacey qualities that epitomize improvisational rock bands. This style has earned them the right to call their music "Big Sky" sound.
The Picky Bastards are a high energy band from Western Massachusetts with a huge range of music from Bluegrass to Rock. They always bring the crowd up and on their feet dancing. For 10 years running and still going strong, The Picky Bastards are widely recognized as Berkshire county’s infamous bluegrass/punk band. The band features two of the areas most experienced performers: Chris Merenda, also of Whiskey Treaty Roadshow, is a songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and lead singer who has been performing and re-inventing his sound for the past two and a half decades. His experience includes Ska, Reggae, Punk, Rock or Folk, Americana, Blues and Bluegrass. Rob Sanzone is an eclectic multi-instrumentalist, heart-on-the-sleeve singer/songwriter
The Guthrie family story is interwoven into the fabric of American music. While Krishna Guthrie incorporates elements of his lineage, from the folk roots of his great-grandfather, Woody to the masterful storytelling of his grandfather Arlo, he’s not afraid of adding influences from his own generation as he carves his own initials in the family tree.
While never leaving behind the roots of his family’s music, Krishna Guthrie Band, or KGB.
turns it up a notch, infusing rock, blues and modern influences. The Krishna Guthrie Band is a collection of like-minded individuals, each with influences of their own, who value what music offers to the world and strive to make each show better than the last. They blend their varied musical experiences together to create a musical tapestry on which Krishna weaves his stories.
KID’S SET~ANDY THE MUSIC MAN
On Saturday in the Jam Tent, join Andy "The Music Man" Morse a children's musician who possesses an ability to forge an undeniable musical bond with his young audiences. With his masterful skills as a rhythmic guitarist, Andy artfully combines a medley of traditional and original tunes, along with delightful novelties, to captivate and engage children in an exhilarating musical experience. Through lively sing-a-longs, infectious dancing, and mesmerizing storytelling, Andy effortlessly transports kids into a world of pure joy and wonder.. www.andysings.com
Andy has been playing music full time for 28 yrs, ran children’s activity tents for 16yrs at festivals and leads the band The Wheel www.thewheelband.com based in Albany, NY.