Lots of you will know about one of the Dog’s cooler outings last year, when they visited Lowell, birthplace of Jack Kerouac, and paid homage to the 50th anniversary of Kerouac’s On the Road.  Nice night.

Last night (May 7th), Jay Lane was part of the group backing Beat poet Michael McClure at Yoshi’s San Francisco (very hip jazz joint) as he read his poetry.  McClure was one of the six poets who changed American poetry at the Six Gallery in San Francisco in 1955, the night Allen Ginsberg read “Howl” in public for the first time.  He was the youngest of the group that night, and now he’s one of the elder statesmen.  

The band included former Doors member Ray Manzarek on keys, Rob Wasserman on bass, and reedman George Brooks.  A very swinging night indeed.

 When Jay Lane helped begin RatDog as its first drummer, he knew plenty about playing jazz, R & B, and funk, but he’d only briefly listened to the Grateful Dead, at 16 in his friend Tom Pope’s room (“while smoking w---“).  Lane knew very little about the other sources for GD music.  “I couldn’t tell you the difference between bluegrass and zydeco,” he said recently, but he was hungry to go to the school of Americana, and Professor Weir was open for lessons. 
    How he got to the Dog was an interesting evolution.  When Jay was around nine, his mom took him around to various music classes.  The last one was a drum teacher, and that seemed to click; although he didn’t practice very much, he took lessons for 2 years.  
    Around the age of 16, Mom got him involved in a music camp in Cazadero, in the woods north of their home in San Francisco, and he began to work there during the summer, getting much more serious about music.  The camp was run by the city of Berkeley, and he began to meet young Berkeley players, including Dave Shul of Spearhead, and a very young and multi-talented kid named Dave Ellis, who also played the drums at the time.
    Ellis had formed a band at Berkeley High called the Uptones, which included a fine young sax player named Kenny Brooks. When Kenny went off to college, Ellis moved over to saxophone from drums, and they brought in a new drummer…Jay Lane.
    In the years to come, Jay moved on first to the Freaky Executives, then to Primus, eventually to Alphabet Soup, Sausage and the Charlie Hunter Trio (with Dave Ellis). Primus’ bassist Les Claypool introduced him to another bass player a few years later, Rob Wasserman, who suggested him for a session with a friend of his named Bob Weir.
    As Jay put it, the jazz gigs didn’t really satisfy him, because “I’m not into the audience sitting down and watching; If I can, I’d rather see people dancing any day.” Playing to those dancing Dead Heads in the first days of RatDog was fun but intimidating, because sometimes it felt like the fans “knew the songs better than I did.”  “No matter what we did, it wasn’t it. Bob hired me because I didn’t know the material. He wanted my take on it, but it wasn’t until I listened to the Grateful Dead a lot that I could put any take on it! So after a while I kind of became a ‘born-again Dead Head’.  After 15 years, I feel like I’m just starting to really connect with Bob. As I’ve learned so much from Bob, whether it’s about yoga, nutrition, politics or music, It’s time I gave something back.” 
    Jay’s always into new stuff.   Recently, he took up 3-D computer graphics – any (Macintosh using) Dog Heads out there versed in 3D modeling for Unity (a Mac-only game engine), Vue 6, Cinema 4D, ZBrush and Poser 7 are invited to apply for tutoring positions!  He’s also a family guy. His wife Aida is the afternoon director of a preschool program, and he has two daughters, Xenia (10) and Erika (14).  He swears he doesn’t allow Erika to date drummers – smart man – but he noticed that when he took her an SF club recently, she headed straight for backstage!
    Finally, he’s got a current project that you’ll all be hearing lots more about in the near future, a hip hop album of Grateful Dead tunes – “DeadBeatz,” with his new hip hop/reggae band, The Band of Brotherz, which Lane co-founded with original Alphabet Soup vocalists Zachariah Mose and Chris “CB” Burger. One of his best days recently was when Robert Hunter gave their project his blessing.
    A very interesting way to become a Dead Head!

Our fearless leader Senor Weir was invited by Mickey Hart to take part in yesterday's (Sunday, April 20)  Earth Day celebration, the Green Apple Festival in Golden Gate Park.  After detailed planning and massive rehearsals - well, maybe not so much - they dazzled a giant crowd with a set that led off with Bob, solo, on "Blackbird."  Joined by Mickey, Ben Kaufmann from Yonder Mountain String Band, and Michael Kang from String Cheese, he sang "Peggy-O" and "Friend of the Devil," then went into a "Not Fade Away" that he turned over to about 40 drummers, the Mickey Hart "Mass Drum" project, which included, improbably, Tommie Lee from Motley Crue.  (see pictures if you don't believe me!)Returning to the stage after much boom-boom, Bob, the aforementioned, and Joan Baez, returned to the "Not Fade Away" and brought a beautiful day in the park to a really lovely close.  A splendid time was had by all.

The 'Dog /ABB Tour of last August has been nominated for a Jammy as Tour of the Year.  Good thinking, we say.  So go to and you know what to do - early and often!

We’ve gotten to New York City – ‘just like I pictured it’ – and things are getting seriously New Yorked.  In our two shows so far, we’ve had approximately a thousand guests, both backstage and onstage, and a ton of fun.  Little sleep, maximum fun.

On Thursday, “Bird Song” began in the first set with Jimmy Herring joining the band (Jimmy also played on “Iko Iko”), and ended in the second set with Warren Haynes (also on “Sugaree”).  NY drummer Tom Pope joined Jay Lane in a furious duet during “Stuff,” and Steve Molitz and a newcomer to most, a fine vocalist with Janis-like powerful pipes named Dana Fuchs, jumped in for an incendiary closing “Lovelight.”

On Friday, Dana came back for “The Weight,” “Eyes” went wild with the great sax players George Garzone and Doug Yates joining Kenny Brooks, and then Alphabet Soup2 – the basic Soup played at the Highline Ballroom later in the night – took over the Beacon stage on “The River Song” – just about everybody already mentioned, plus Dred Scott on keys, Chris Burger and Zacariah Mose on mics, and your editor probably missed a few too.

A very New York kind of insanity.  We hear the Soup gig later on was equally thunderous.  Sleep is for babies.

...but we know better!  Let's see, a blizzard between Minneapolis and Milwaukee, floods in St. Louis (but we got have dinner with our old pal Jimmy Voss at his restaurant Duff's there (this is what is called in the trade a plug - and all Dog Heads should know about Duff's, it's a terrific place), and a kind reception for us all, Mark especially, in Covington, Cleveland, Detroit (more snow), Syracuse (frikkin' cold), and Philly.  The band has been rocking, and it's a matter of taste which show you like better.  Day off now in the Poconos, and we can use it.

Which brings us to our second subject, namely, the second monthly installment of our tour biographies.  The guy you see onstage to your right with the goatee, Charucki. 

    Our monitor mixer and production boss, Charucki – like Brazilian soccer players, he goes by one name – is an international man of mystery.  Little is known of his background before the day he began working for RatDog.  His penchant for all-black clothing has been explained as a result of his birth in Transylvania, but we can’t find any proof.  Rumors abound that he once served as a spy and agent provocateur for the Freemasons, but that may be simply because he’s handy with bricks and widgets.  His skills with diplomacy are complex and varied.  Thanks to him, RatDog has played before the crowned heads of Europe.  
    But mystery is the operative word.  No one, for instance, knows where he lives.  When your humble editor requested an interview and photo session, he and his photographer partner were simply told to make themselves available.  Our front door flew open to reveal two enormous thugs, who blindfolded us and put us in a no-window van with very loud German techno music and a strong odor of cathouse and Jack Daniels.  When we could see again, we were in a psychedelic vista of superheroes – Charucki clearly has many (mostly very small) friends.  
    During the photo shoot, your intrepid reporter briefly evaded the thugs and investigated details of the apartment as much as possible, and I can inform you that the sole food in the refrigerator was a 15 pound block of Velveeta cheese – but, contrary to rumors, there were no real human skulls anywhere.
    He brusquely refused all questions, but when asked about RatDog, he snarled, “They’re a bunch of leftist Marxists and they’re bad for America.  But I do like that “Money for Gasoline” song.”
    Photos done, the thugs helped us on our way, and I can only report that the pictures do not do justice to the tokens of affection sent him by every known superhero.  Whoever he once served as special agent for, they must have been heavy.
    They had to be, since he came to RatDog – of course.

  

photo galleries of the spring tour are being posted, starting in st paul. check under Gallery tab, 2008 folder. 

RatDog truck  as shot in Covington, KY
photo-Tom Sweeney

Backstage at RatDog shows there are signs printed up by the production guys that give the schedule, and occasionally add notes like "turn your laundry in tonight."  The one in St. Paul, the first night of the tour, read:  "MK's back.  Ain't that freekin' cool?"  Too true.  The Dog is running once more. 

Most of you know that Al Franken is a serious Dead Head...so on landing in Minneapolis to start the tour, Bob and Jay Lane went over to Archie and Tina Smith's house to support Al's campaign with song.
Bob Weir (guitar, vocals); Jay Lane (cardboard box); the Grateful Volunteers (Mike Weinberg, guitar; Jim Hinckley, bass; Annie Hicks, vocals).

K.C. Moan
When I Paint My Masterpiece
Friend of the Devil
Brokedown Palace

A serious good time was had by all.  Vote early, vote often!