7 Walkers Beachland Ballroom 3/29/11

I caught the second set of the 7 Walkers at the Beachland Ballroom and was very impressed. This isn't just another Grateful Dead cover band. 7 Walkers takes Grateful Dead songs and makes them their very own. They have a mixed style between Jam band and New Orleans funk blues band. At times they sounded like Dr. John plays the Grateful Dead and at other times they sounded like Bill Kreutzmann plays New Orleans Rock. Very different but appealing to me.

I had one Dead Head telling me how longed to here that old Jerry twang in the songs. Jerry's dead this is new and exciting. Bill Kreutzmann Drummer, formerly of the Grateful Dead, did a fine job of switching between his old style of drumming to that syncopated New Orleans sound. Papa Mali Guitar and Vocals sounds like Dr. John vocally but plays an exquisite slide guitar and never once tried to reproduce any of Jerry's sound when they were playing covers. Matt Hubbard Keyboard, Harmonica, Trombone and Vocals multi instrumentalist that was very entertaining and added the twist that makes this band very different from any other band out there today. Reed Mathis Bass kept he rhythm going very nicely with Bill but stepped up to play the bass like a guitar which I always enjoy. As I said I only heard one set but was very impressed with the originals that they played kind of low down and funky blues, to up beat swing, to some good old rock and roll and they made the GD covers into their own. I loved them.

They had a light show like I have never seen before at the Beachland. They had the back stage surrounded in tie dyed hangings then they flashed lights onto the tied dyed hangings that brought the tied dyed hangings to life. At times I thought I saw faces then looked again and it was just tied dyed. I thought I saw fishes or birds swimming and flying through the different colors and then I looked again and it was just tied dyed. Very well done kind of reminded me of being basked in the 70's again. I give the portion of the show I saw Four twirls and some moth catcher moves thrown in.