In 1989 at 16 years old I snuck in a bar (Blondies in Nyack, NY – now called Olive’s) with my older cousin and his friends to see a band called The Roadrunners. It was one of the most memorable experiences of my youth. My life-long love with live music began that night. The band played a bunch of Dead/Jerry Garcia songs, but were not labeled a Grateful Dead-tribute band. That night I heard “That’s What Love Will Make You Do” for the first time, which led me down a Jerry Garcia Band rabbit hole for over a year.

The Roadrunners later evolved to “Lost Boys/Ripple” and were the only Dead-cover band in town. In fact, I hired them to play my cousin’s bachelor party in 1997 at the now leveled Hanchar’s in Congers, NY.

There were a few tribute bands on the local circuit at that time (Yesterdays and The Soft Parade were my favorites), but it wasn’t until Dark Star Orchestra started in 1997 that Grateful Dead tribute bands started popping up like Spotted Lantern Flies in downtown White Plains, NY.

My two favorites are Joe Russo’s Almost Dead (who are now playing sold out shows at giant venues like Red Rocks) and the more local Dead Meat. Here is a website that rates the top 16 Dead tribute bands in the US. The Dead-tribute band scene has been so robust that clubs all across the America host regular Grateful Dead Nights featuring different bands each night.

Maureen’s Jazz Cellar a few blocks from my house in Nyack, NY hosts Dead Night every Thursday and draws hearty crowds looking to shake their tail feather with like-minded music fans. I had the chance to interview co-founder and piano king David Budway in a great interview (click here) talking about the place and his love of the Dead.

I have written a few pieces in the past on the greatness of JRAD (click here) as well as my disinterest with the post-Jerry scene that culminated into the Disney Dead scene created Dead & Co (see here). Long are the days of Further Fest and The Other Ones… I even caught the first iteration of The Dead with Warren Haynes on leads and vocals at Darien Lake in Buffalo. That was great, but short-lived as it was Bobby Weir’s show now.

Here are two other articles from the past that show both sides of my relationship with the Grateful Dead’s music… click on the pics to view those stories.

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On May 7, 2023 the Nyack, NY-based Grateful Dead tribute band “Dead Meat” caught lightning in a bottle performing at Nyack’s “Dancing in the Streets” festival. The day was filled with Dead-tribute bands, who all had some great moments that thrilled the bigger than ever imagined crowd. The guys in “Dead Meat” were especially super and created musical magic that is uniquely found in the Grateful Dead’s music.

I had the chance to interview (click here or the picture above) two of the guys in band (Steve Jordan and Tom Clancey) and find out more about how Dead Meat came together, their approach to the music, and what drives this crazy Dead scene so many years later after the band lost its leader (Jerry Garcia).

If you live in the NYC, go catch Dead Meat… you will have a blast. They are regulars at Capital Theatre’s Garcia lounge and NYC’s SOB’s.

Here are some great photos from the Dancing in the Streets show…