Mickey Hart Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Concert 4/11/12

The Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame gave a few privileged fans a sneak peak at the new Grateful Dead exhibit.  The exhibit covers the fifth and sixth floors of the museum and the bands iconic rise from a band playing at acid parties to the leading jam band in the world.  There are instruments that were used by the band over the years.  Although I did notice there were no artifacts from Bill Kreutzmann who has been in the band from the start.  There are biographies of all the band members even all five keyboardist.  I personally loved the live concert footage being played on the sixth floor and the hand decorated envelopes sent by fans to the band.  This is an exhibit worth seeing even if you are not a Dead Head.

Mickey Hart and his band played a concert in the Rock Halls lobby to help celebrate the opening of the exhibit.  My Honey Bunny and I were leaning on the stage right in front of Mickey's drum kit.  Mickey's drum kit consists of approximately 20 different drums, a 12 stringed synthesized instrument, a theremin and various pedals and boxes.  For a man in his sixties Mickey pounds and bangs and dances the whole time he is on stage.  He has to be in pretty good shape. 

At one point in the concert one of Mickeys foot pedals would not respond when he needed it.  Mickey was visibly upset that he could not produce the sounds he wanted.  Eventually Mickey's tech came out in front of the stage grabbed the pedal and fixed it.  Mickey was happy and back in business.  Most of the crowd probably never even noticed what was going on because the band just switched songs and kept on playing. 

The band played classic Grateful Dead songs such as; Not Fade Away, Brokedown Palace, Bertha, Franklin's Tower, And We Bid You Goodnight and a smoking hot Going Down The Road Feeling Bad.  They also mixed in some songs off of Mickey's new CD "Mysterium Tremendum" such as Heart Beat Of The Sun, Time Never Ends and Starlight Starbright. 

The band is made up of Crystal Monee Hall who gave a gospel sound to the music with her huge voice.  Tim Hockenberry who also plays with the Trans Siberian Orchestra shared vocals with Ms Hal and also played trombone and keyboards.  Gawain Mathews on lead guitar had a very Jerry sound.  He even got lost at one point in one of his jams and Mickey was trying to get his attention to come out of it so they could end the song.  That reminded me of how Jerry used to get lost in the music at times.  Ben Yonas on keyboards.  Percussion's Sikuru Adepcoju.  Drums Ian Herman.  And the one and only Dave Schools from Widespread Panic on Bass.

I danced, I sang, I had a good time and feel sorry for all of the people who chose not to go to this show.  The music was wonderful, familiar but different.  Mickey and the band kept every thing fresh.  I was expecting more of Mickey's original music but it was a nice surprise to have the band cover so much Grateful Dead music.  I would have to give this show a 5 twirl ranking.