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Cover Band?


JenL1125

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I missed far too many DSO opportunities because i had them labeled as a "cover band". People who i met that had seen always raved, but i just said to myself, eh...maybe when i have nothing better to do. So that Nothing better to do night arrived with an Epic Electric factory show in Philly a few years ago.

After taking in Mercer last night – the band, and good vibes reminded of the days before touch-heads invaded.

My goal is to get as many of my old friends to take in a show – some who i have known for 40 years, scoff with same cover band attitude.

I want to see their faces melt in front of a DSO jam – like the Eyes, GDTRFB, or Around played last night.

I am thankful to be on the DSO bus.banana.gif

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I am thankful to be on the DSO bus.banana.gif

If live Grateful Dead music makes you happy, you have gotten on the right bus. We're glad you're aboard. While my relatively short 10 or so years of seeing GD in coliseums and stadiums hold a very special place in my life, I now prefer the more intimate small venue, familiar faces, forum friends and hearing from the band, seeing shows up through 84 that i missed and the incredible musicianship this band possesses. Call 'em shit on a shingle or a gift from the jam band gods, I just call 'em my favorite band.

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I find it annoying because whenever i've heard it said, it's been in a debasing manner. The label of "cover band" has been applied as an insult, essentially, in the conversations that I've been involved in. I was just looking for some different points of view from the fans on this forum. But it's nice to be judged, too, Octal.

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I find it annoying because whenever i've heard it said, it's been in a debasing manner. The label of "cover band" has been applied as an insult, essentially, in the conversations that I've been involved in. I was just looking for some different points of view from the fans on this forum. But it's nice to be judged, too, Octal.

I was trying to say that one can invent any series of attributes and then apply them to whatever one pleases, but it doesn't change the actual thing itself. DSO is DSO regardless of whether they are a cover band or not.

I wasn't trying to judge anyone. The medium for expressing the thought may have left that feeling, but I chose that medium because it was elegant and left a lot of fecundity. I meant no offense.

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Phil always told me Grateful Dead music should be music for repertory. DSO is the living embodiment of that concept. But, unlike a symphony orchestra which reproduces classical music note for note, we have the luxury by design of improvising the whole show. Mind you, you pay strict attention to thematic motifs and the like. The rest is completely our own creation.

It doesn't matter much what people call us. We play to experience the journey and for all those who are there for it!

You're a wise man Mr. B.

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After reading this thread I found an old DSO cd, I think from one of the vines that we used to do on here. 2nd show ever. All I have is the third disc which is space>dew>sugar mag>nfa>gdtrfb... It was really cool to listen to, especially hearing young John's voice(far from developed at that point). Different Bobby guy and drummers altogether. At that point I think its fair to say that they were a cover band, a very well conceived cover band. Sure am thankful they took all that time to master the songs and the sounds. They built the music from the inside out...i'm not sure that it would have worked any other way. But now we get to see the songs played to perfection AND the deep jams. Yay for cover bands!

:dsorocks:

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Phil always told me Grateful Dead music should be music for repertory. DSO is the living embodiment of that concept. But, unlike a symphony orchestra which reproduces classical music note for note, we have the luxury by design of improvising the whole show. Mind you, you pay strict attention to thematic motifs and the like. The rest is completely our own creation.

It doesn't matter much what people call us. We play to experience the journey and for all those who are there for it!

What exactly do you think Phil meant when he said that? He probably wasn't talking about DSO, and I doubt it was in relation to recreating set lists.

I get the impression of Help>Slip>Franklins or China>Rider type of things, but these are random formulations.

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What exactly do you think Phil meant when he said that? He probably wasn't talking about DSO, and I doubt it was in relation to recreating set lists.

I get the impression of Help>Slip>Franklins or China>Rider type of things, but these are random formulations.

I think he had a jazz-like approach in mind, where musicans can get together and agree to play something like Autumn Leaves and everyone knows the standard way to play it, but also there's a freedom to reinterpret the song while retaining the essential melody and chord changes that make it unique.

In Phil's case, I think he didn't really like how the GD fell into highly predictable things like China>Rider. Why not China>The Eleven like they used to do, or China>Playin?

edit: Those are my interpretations of what Phil meant, NOT my own opinions.

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What exactly do you think Phil meant when he said that? He probably wasn't talking about DSO, and I doubt it was in relation to recreating set lists.

I get the impression of Help>Slip>Franklins or China>Rider type of things, but these are random formulations.

No, he wasn't talking about DSO, but, he was talking in general about how any orchestra works. He was talking about the entire body of work. RB

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I.e. over the course of a tour they have circulated through the GD repertoire? That's how a repertory works, I believe. They have a set repertoire of works that they preform, and then alternate through them. This week is Tchaikovsky's Firebird and next will be Debussy's Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun, etc.

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I think Rob B is right and it ties very nicely into his comment on another thread about Jam Band vs Improvisational Music. A good majority of music must at least be played partially note for note, regardless of who is playing the song, in order for the song to sound as people remember it(ie there is typically a specific melody, riff, etc that must be included). Songs written to be played as improvisational pieces do not always require this in order for the listener to know what song is being played and to be able to appreciate the song as a whole. Grateful Dead music, even when played by the Grateful Dead, rarely had the players playing the same thing they played the last time they performed the song yet all the pieces combined leaves you with the full piece of music. THAT is what made the GD a truely unique band as there are not many in any genre of music that can do what they did/do. There are so many different influences that mesh together into Grateful Dead Music. Jazz, Dixieland and Blues are about as close as you will find as far as genres that come close. I guess that is why Jerry always said something along the lines of "we don't play rock-n-roll, we play Grateful Dead Music".

With Aug 10th marking the 10th anniversary of Mickey Houser's death, there were quite a few articles floating around with comments from other musicians about Mickey, who had a very unique style of playing guitar. The general feeling from those who played with him is that they felt that he didn't "play" songs, he had "conversations" with the other people he was playing with. If you listen to a lot of his songs, that is a prefect description of his playing. I think you find that very much with the Grateful Dead, as Rob B also stated. Its not just a group of musicians comping behind the lead player and then switching off the lead. It is a group of musicians having a conversation onstage, before our eyes.

So to simply call DSO a "cover" band would greatly diminish the big picture of what is really going on up there. DSO is actually up there doing what very few bands period have EVER been able to do: they have ridiculously expressive conversations with each other night after night and while the notes may change.......the Song Remains the Same (I know, I know wrong band. But it fit so well :) )

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I don't find the term cover band to be a negative designation. The gd on any given night could cover Dylan, the beatles, otis redding, or noah lewis. I don't this think detracted from their greatness, but added to it. Jgb on any given night could play almost all covers. I think the real difference is between bar band and professional musicians. I went to see paradise waits last night. They play gd; it was fun, but they are def a bar band. Dso is a group of professionals that cover the gd.

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Phil always told me Grateful Dead music should be music for repertory. DSO is the living embodiment of that concept. But, unlike a symphony orchestra which reproduces classical music note for note, we have the luxury by design of improvising the whole show. Mind you, you pay strict attention to thematic motifs and the like. The rest is completely our own creation.

It doesn't matter much what people call us. We play to experience the journey and for all those who are there for it!

I've only read the fist few posts but I'm going to save this and copy and paste it to those in the need to know category if that's alright Rob...please and thank you.

:)

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