So many things to talk about.................I've been picking at this for the better part of a week.....

If you go and look at the Bio page you will see I added under percussion both Colin from CFZ and David formerly of CFZ and now of JBZ. We had been talking about adding a 3rd guy into the rotation due to Pete's injury and not wanting to put all the pressure on Jason. Well we decided that we like both Dave and Colin and if Jason or Pete can't make it that it's nice to have someone dropping bombs and filling up space. So they are both in. In fact due to circumstances beyond anyones control, we go to Maine on May 22 with Colin on drums and David on percussion.  I think they will do real well.

Jubilee
Great time at the jubilee. It has to be  the coolest room I have ever played in. With the courtyard set up with vendors and food to the ballroom with chandeliers ect. The String Band were hot. Legion of Jerry was on Fire. I played That's What Love Will Make You Do and Midnight Moonlight with them. Great time. I thought we souded great. Just A Little Light was fun, as was my new favorite tune Saint of Circumstance. Getting Jeff up there was awesome. Jeff is a complete student of the Dead musically so it's fun to hear him and play with him. We changed from Legion to BRW without stopping, slowly changing drums and noodling while colin bashed on the percussion station. Wait'll you see this rig. Unreal, we need pictures. The trip was complete with craziness all the way to Nick's and all the way home the next day. Catchphrase of the weekend? "What did I do?". If you ask that with this crew....we'll tell ya!

Worcester
My lovely wife and I dropped the kids off at Mom's about 20 miles away and caught both Worcester shows. The first night got a little slow after space but picked right back up. The sunday night show was killer. We had a great time , caught Sun with Jason and his wife. He and I had our same first show in Worcester. Come to find out so didn't my wife. 4/3/87. hot China >>> Rider. Check it out.  HERE

NJ shows
I went up for the May 28,29 shows in NJ at the Izod Center. Tuesday I met Nick Muce in CT and he followed me to Manhattan where LOTK had gotten us a room in a hotel right off Wall St.  Branford Marsalis played with the Dead both nights and they had some soaring jams, great shows both. Nick left Wed and I spent the day with one of my oldest friends in the world Justin who lives in NYC. We walked over the Brooklyn Bridge, around Wall St.  Great to see  him.  It was a lot of fun to catch up and laugh and see NYC all the same day. We drove past Ground Zero twice on the way to the Arena. Never walked by it. Looks like a construction site.
Hot shows with Branford, some of my best friends, made some new ones too, all in the big apple. Nice time.

Benefit
The benefit for Nick's Sister is coming up fast. I have both Nick and Tim Taylor sitting in with CFZ and Nick with BRW. we are going to do a mix of CFZ now and CFZ 1999. So basically some JGB and some Violent Femmes with some Stones and a little Sublime thrown in. We also expect an appearance by injured wing Peter " Bubbles" Waters with BrW. Not on a kit but on the percussion station we hope. Ray gets a shot at the bass seat as neither Kev nor Pino can make it. That'll be fun. We are having a silent auction of all sorts of local things. Restaurants, hotels. The Blue Water put up a 2 night stay. Jake Rooneys and some other Harwich and Chatham restaraunts too. It's not too late to donate something. carefactor@comcast.net

Speaking of Chatham. The old Sou'wester....a Dunkin Donuts. Unreal. That makes 3 places I played regularly sucked up by big time commercialism. The Compass Lounge - great rock room, wonder what happened to Murph? - A CVS, Shaws on the Bourne rotary - CVS.  When the last guys who had it were losing i actually tried to make a deal with Doris the owner, it was very close to flying. Would have totally changed my life, probably for the worse! Good times in that joint with Lazy Lightning and Care Factor Zero. Sad that Chatham is selling it's soul and a great piece of local music.

Maaarcus