KBOO Grateful Dead & Friends

17/10/2025

Saturday line-up for coverage of the nation-wide 'No Kings' events.

15/10/2025

Since I have no show details to share, I thought I'd post early to let you know that this week's show will be pre-empted for live coverage from Pacifica and KBOO newsies of the No Kings marches here, there and everywhere.

If someone at KBOO posts details about it to the website, I'll add a link here. Meanwhile, here are some places to meet up with others.

I had two excellent options for October, so at least one of them should happen in November.

10/10/2025

As heard on a recent show from Phil G.

The research and scholarship is deeeeeeep in this one (just like other books from Dennis).

Good Reads Department:

"[T]he sensory impact of rock, light shows, and L*D revealed some fundamental resonant affinity among electricity, high volume, and the psychedelic state. Those three things reduced, in the alchemical sense -- that is to say, they synthesized, purified, reified -- the previous twenty years of bohemian social and intellectual activity into an overwhelmingly physical and sensual experience that carried overtones of all that had preceded it."

Dennis McNally, our dear friend, publicist, and mentor, has written another wonderful book.
From Kenneth Rexroth in 1942 to Jimi Hendrix, from North Beach to Venice Beach, from London to Greenwich Village, “The Last Great Dream” moves at a ferocious pace and covers tremendous ground, packing an incredible volume of research into relatively few pages.

For example, we didn't know that Allen Ginsberg once shared L*D with Thelonious Monk (who asked for something stronger) and Dizzy Gillespie (who reportedly enjoyed it).

We did know that the Diggers passed out thousands of hits of Owsley's "finest" at the Human Be-In, but we didn't know that Owsley also contributed thousands of turkey sandwiches to the event! This led to some spirited discussion in the halls of OSF given Bear's well-known aversion to carbs. It seems that Bear actually provided the turkeys, as recounted by Emmett Grogan in the Digger archives. Such a great detail -- among many that we hope to draw upon someday in future liner notes.

Above all, Dennis presents so many lessons from history that were prescient then and essential now. The many examples of creative activism he describes are downright inspirational.

We've been meaning to post about this for some time. Two thumbs up from OSF!

26/09/2025

Phil G here,

Some of you may remember when KBOO Scooped the Wall Street Journal by interviewing Anthony Coscia about his journey to build smaller versions of the Wall of Sound (we're actually due for a follow-up, but I digress.

The Wall of Sound is both majestic and mythical, it changed the way live sound for concerts was done. It cost a LOT of money and took a LOT of manpower. Out of this, legends grew...

To that end, this Saturday, 9/27, I will have an interview with Brian Anderson, author of "Loud and Clear- The Grateful Dead's Wall of Sound and the Quest for Audio Perfection." In this book, Anderson chronicles the history of the band's audio dreams and how they tackled the challenges. We'll talk about his journey writing the book, what inspired him, and what he learned talking to some of the more adventurous characters.

We'll also play some newly released tunes from the Blues for Allah 50th anniversary release. Plus other surprises along the way.

Phil G here, Some of you may remember when KBOO Scooped the Wall Street Journal by interviewing Anthony Coscia about his journey to build smaller versions of the Wall of Sound (we're actually due for a follow-up, but I digress. The Wall of Sound is both majestic and mythical, it changed the way live...

23/09/2025

Thanks to all of you who recently contributed to KBOO Community Radio, we hit our goal!

I learned it happened a smidge before Saturday's broadcast, so everyone who contributed during 'In and Out of the Garden' were the literal icing on the cake. Good on you.

To celebrate, I'm going to assemble something special for October.

P.S. The playlist has been updated.

19/09/2025

Look sharp folks, it's fundraising time. And to motivate you to (perhaps) do something new, I'm doing likewise this Saturday at Noon PDT. What? Answers await you below.

Perhaps in retrospect, this might be considered the start of me playing more 1990s Grateful Dead. I've contemplated the idea for some time now, but haven't moved forward...yet; we'll see what may follow. Today's show features a small bit of the Fall 1991 run at Madison Square Garden.

17/09/2025

There's so much to love in this rarity. Don't know the 1966 Grateful Dead well? Make haste and get thee listening to this crisp board with renditions of tunes you've perhaps never heard.

I Know You Rider, It Hurts Me Too, It's All Over Now Baby Blue, Good Morning Little School Girl, Lindy, Dancin' In The Streets, E: Midnight Hour

08/09/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/14J798reFRy/

07/09/2025

Reminder: KBOO Grateful Dead and Friends Scooped the Wall Street Journal a few years back. Here's the latest https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19i1giMtGX/

06/09/2025

It's an Obsession but it's pleasing... https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1A4n9NkaN8/

03/09/2025

Just a reminder that Melvin Seals and JGB are playing on Friday with an acoustic set from Garcia Birthday Band at Crystal Ballroom