The Flame Keeps Burning

The legacy of Jerry Garcia’s 30-year music career is still going strong more than 30 years after his death. Garcia’s birthday, on Aug. 1, will be honored at several local venues in the days surrounding that date.

Silver Moon Brewing is kicking off the celebration with a Jerry Garcia Band Night on July 22. Fans can dance the night away with jam-band favorites StealHead and The Soul Sistahs, plus special guests Gbots and The Journeymen on “Jerry Duty.” All ages are welcome.

StealHead is performing at Silver Moon Brewing & McMenamin’s Old St. Francis School in the days surrounding Jerry Garcia’s birthday. Credit: Silver Moon Brewing Facebook

The owners of McMenamins are known “Deadheads” and celebrate Garcia for a full week from Aug. 1-9, which is called “Days Between.”

“Days Between isn’t just about Jerry Garcia’s birthday — though we do love celebrating birthdays! Instead, it’s a 9-day tribute to his entire life. It starts on his birthday, ends on the anniversary of his death, and covers allllll the days in between the two,” according to a post on McMenamins’ website.

The week includes food and drink specials including a special West Coast IPA brewed with Citra and Strata hops, “I Need a Miracle” grilled cheese, a sloppy Jerry sandwich and “Reckoning” — a Kentucky bourbon whiskey, ginger liqueur and lemon.

The author of “Dead in the Kitchen” cookbook will participate in a talk at McMenamin’s in Bend. Credit: amazon.com

McMenamins Old St. Francis School is hosting three nights of free music including StealHead on Aug. 1, which channels the music catalog of the Jerry Garcia Band; Late for the Train Plays Dead on Aug. 5; and Call Down Thunder, a local Grateful Dead tribute band, which rolls in on Aug. 7. The week ends with authors Gabi Moskowitz and Jim Newton in conversation. Moskowitz wrote “Dead in the Kitchen:The Official Grateful Dead Cookbook,” a vegetarian cookbook inspired by the band’s music, culture and community. Newton wrote “Here Beside the Rising Tide: Jerry Garcia, the Grateful Dead and an American Awakening” which explores the Grateful Dead’s history through the life of Jerry Garcia. Tickets for that are $15 in advance/$20 at the door.

One tribute band still holding a torch for Garcia is Jerry’s Middle Finger. The musicians say it’s a full fan experience, with everyone sharing a devotion to the same catalog of songs.

Jerry’s Middle Finger is devoted to the musican’s catalog of songs. Credit: jerrysmiddlefinger.com

More than a cover band, the group’s drummer and co-founder Rodney Newman says online,”We’ve studied these songs: the guitar tones, the vocal arrangements, the keyboard sounds. We play them the way Jerry did, and we connect with the audience in an interactive, open-hearted way. It’s an approach that transcends the perfection of a performance or the spectacle of a light show, because we’re not really about that. We’re about the music, the feeling and the communal experience.” Jerry’s Middle Finger is on a national tour, stopping at the Tower Theatre on Aug. 6.

Jerry Garcia was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. Credit: California Museum

A California Grateful Dead tribute band is heading to Volcanic Theatre on Aug. 7. Definitely Dead is on a mission to keep the spirit alive.

The Deadhead subculture developed in the 1970s when fans began traveling to see as many Grateful Dead concerts as they could. The band was known for not repeating sets and extensive improvisations, making each show feel unique. The band performed more than 2,200 live shows.

Garcia was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. “Rolling Stone’” ranked the rock legend, known for his distinctive guitar playing, 13^th best on its list of “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.”

Jerry Garcia Band Night 
Wed, July 22 7pm
Silver Moon Brewing 
24 NW Greenwood Ave, Bend 
facebook.com/SilverMoonBeer/
$10 

“Days Between”
Sat-Sun Aug 1-9 
McMenamins Old St. Francis School 
700 NW Bond St, Bend 
StealHead (8/1)
Late for the Train (8/5)
Call Down Thunder (8/7)
Free 
Conversation with Gabi Moskowitz & Jim Newton
$15 advance 
mcmenamins.com/Find.aspx?txtSearch=days+between&t=1

Jerry’s Middle Finger 
Thu, Aug 6 8:30pm 
Tower Theatre 
835 NW Wall St, Bend 
towertheatre.org/event/jerrys-middle-finger-8-6-26
$17+

Definitely Dead 
Fri, Aug 7 7pm
Volcanic Theatre 
70 SW Century Dr, Bend 
tixr.com/groups/volcanictheatre/events/definitely-dead-187584
$25 advance/$35 door