Photo Credit: Marc Millman
Shall we go, you and I while we can
Through the transitive nightfall of diamonds?
In November, Phil Lesh shared his intent to start a new project centered around “Dark Star,” the 1969 Grateful Dead jam vehicle known for its instrumental malleability, specifically during live performances. As a follow-up to the bassist’s musical promise “to make it weird,” he posted the first “Darkstarathon” to his Terrapin Clubhouse YouTube channel.
Prior to the music-centric video release, Lesh explained his intention behind a “Darkstarathon,” he said, “Hey now! Welcome to the ‘Darkstarathon!’ What is a ‘Darkstarathon,’ you may ask? I will be collaborating with many musical friends to create a “Dark Star” that pauses but never ends. Each band will pick up where the last band left off and it will be a living breathing, infinite piece of music. If you’re as crazy about this sort of thing as I am, please subscribe to the channel and join us on this journey. I promise to make it weird.”
Staying true to his promise, Lesh released a 40-minute-plus video featuring the same lineup as last week’s band practice YouTube drop: John Molo, Grahame Lesh, Nicki Bluhm, Holly Bowling, and Daniel Donato. Clips of pre-jam preparation kick off the video, with Lesh guiding his band, “It’s in everyone’s power to suggest a song.”
Sticking to the mission’s elongated musical drive, Molo guided the band into the cosmos, starting “Dark Star” before merging into “Franklin’s Tower,” featuring Donato on vocals. In the same vein as the original San Francisco jamband, this ensemble took time to feel the powers of the instrumentals and each other, before Lesh’s nod initiated a taste of “Here Comes Sunshine,” which held space for Bowling to showcase her talents.
“Good Lovin’” joined the sequence next, met with “Morning Dew,” which was excelled by Blume’s mighty vocals before the ensuing cover, Bob Dylan’s “When I Paint My Masterpiece,” a song that has been a part of the Dead’s repertoire since 1987 when they were on the road with the songwriter himself. Donato added final riffs on the outro, taking the clock to just over 42 minutes.
Scroll down to watch the first installment of “Darkstarathon.”
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