Music in the Park, June 29, 2013, Wirt Park, Hanover, PA

   Hello everyone. Hope you are all ready to celebrate the 237^th birthday of these United States. Hanover got the party started a little early with the trifecta of celebrations:  the 250^th anniversary of the founding of Hanover, the 150^th anniversary of the Battle of Hanover, and last but most important, the 25^th anniversary of my arrival in Hanover. So what better way to celebrate such a momentous and scene changing event than with music all day long at the third annual Music in the Park at lovely Wirt Park in downtown Hanover. 

 Flying the flag. This is a show after all.

     First and foremost, many thanks to Josh Perkins and Eyedeal Productions. He does all the heavy lifting with the Borough Council and lines up the musicians. The Council isn’t all that keen on cool people putting on music and said people having a lot of fun. They removed the port potties from the Park and only the intervention of Tommy Hufnagle got them returned. So if you went to the bathroom, please thank the Circle.  

                                    Our setup. Under the big tree, next to Pinch of Comfort

     I also have to give a shout out to Mother Nature. The weather was absolutely perfect. No, it was beyond perfect. Temps in the low 80’s with no humidity. The whole preceding week had been muggy and very unsettled. Friday afternoon was nothing but monsoon showers. The sky was so dark I had to turn my lights on at 2:30 to read a magazine. But Saturday was impeccable day. And what a line up Josh pulled together. First up Hanover’s own Boxcar Social

Moonshine Revival, Push > Which Way It Is > Push, The Greatest Day, Unrest > 43 > Symptoms, I've Just Seen A Face, Frannie Mae, Secret Of The Tree, Pete, One More Time, River Road

    They were scheduled to do an acoustic set at the Park and then a full electric set in the Square after the 3 Pixies. But once again, musicians are denied by the Man. The Borough Council has a lot of old Hanover uptight people and they felt Boxcar would cause the moral fiber of the youth to be weakened. So the band gave their all to a nice and tight set in the park. You could even hear the mandolin in the mix due to the top notch skills of Hanover area’s own sound genius, Slade.  The set highlighted the strength of their originals as they played only one cover.

     Nick Miller was next and did his one man band thing. He appeared at the Circle later that night with the amazing vocalist Gabe Green.  Jason Weinburg then did his solo acoustic thing until he was joined by the former members of Redwud for a new band called the Hidden Step Project. It was only their second gig and they were really good. It was mostly originals so I didn’t know the names but they are definitely a band keep an eye out for. And here is a link for their first show

http://archive.org/details/TheHiddenStepProject

  The Violet Hour, featuring Brittni Rupp and the incredibly slimmed down Eric Costello, did their thing for a while and I was blown away by Brittni’s voice. What a set of pipes! Eric also hosts Open Mic night every Monday at the Circle so some on out and ask him the secret of his weight loss.

     After them it was Dead Man’s Boots out of Gettysburg. This was also their second ever gig and they kicked ass. While they have a mandolin and an upright double bass, Boots plays a lot more than just bluegrass. The highlight for me was the Dear Mr. Fantasy>Hey Jude Finale>I Know You Rider. If that doesn’t put a smile on your face than I don’t know what will.

     And to close it all out, who else but Hanover’s own Winter House Band. Andy Miller skipped all pregame shenanigans because he said “I have to keep on point. And we have a lot of surprises for you”. See folks, you live in a place for a while, be a positive part of the community and you too will get your own personal Grateful Dead band. 

     I didn’t write down the setlist but here’s what went down. They opened up with Scarlet>Fire. Debut for them and the nailed it. Here Comes Sunshine is another perfect outdoor song.  Brown Eyed Women was another standout. My favorite song of the show was Under My Thumb by the Stones. Andy shares my love for the good old days of the Stones (I.e. not now). The boys absolutely killed it. My favorite moment of the whole day was during Eyes of the World. The sun was setting and all of my friends were dancing in the Park to one of the most beautiful tunes Robert Hunter ever penned. And Hanover doesn’t have an open container policy, so the refreshments were flowing.

     The unofficial after party was at Cliff and Sandy’s. He had so much food it was nuts. I got there and he had the Rebirth Jazz Band and Kermit Ruffins playing. Party Time! He had crabs, pulled pork, and a killer buffalo chicken cheese dip. I made it until midnight but those damn cigs I keep bumming from people wiped me out. I called it a night to get an early crack at this. Todd Robinson, who taped the Boxcar show at Nate and Christie’s wedding, taped the whole concert and I’ll post that link when it’s up.

     Everyone have a safe Fourth and I’ll see you all down at Merriweather on July 13^th and 14^th for my continuing 25^th anniversary celebration. Oh and I think Phish is playing as well.

Dave Kemp

BA American Studies

PhD Rock and Roll

It was 20 Years Ago Today : Grateful Dead June 25 & 26, 1993, RFK Satdium, Washington DC

     Greetings everyone. I hope you all are enjoying the somewhat moderate temps we’ve been having. Me, I’m just slaving over a hot laptop, combing through the folds of my grey matter to pull up all the details of yet another installment of my universally famous blog series, “It Was 20 Years Ago today…..”. And today it’s all about the Grateful Dead at RFK stadium in Washington DC on June 25 and 26, 1993.

     This was our first multi night run with camping for myself and my crew. I had been to a multi-day run in 1992 but that didn’t require camping. We had all been enlightened by now so it seemed much safer to camp a little closer than the 90+ minute ride back to Hanover from DC. We set up camp and headed to the stadium. You can stream the first night here

https://listentothedead.com/1993/6/25

06-25-93 Robert F. Kennedy Stadium, Washington, D.C. (Fri)

1: Half Step, Rooster, Tom Thumb Blues, Althea, Cassidy, Cumberland, Promised

2: China Cat> I Know You Rider, Saint> Uncle John> Corinna> Drumz> Miracle> Wharf Rat> Sugar Magnolia E: The Weight

with Bruce Hornsby on accordion - Sting opened

     I really like this first set. Tom Thumb is a great Phil song and Cumberland/Promise Land closer is A-OK in my book.  I FINALLY got a China Cat>Rider. Only took me 10 shows.  I am not a huge fan of Corrina and Bruce’s accordion doesn’t really add anything to it. The squeeze box did add something to Wharf Rat however and Sugar Magnolia was rocking as always.

    After the show, we got back to campsite and Watson scored some wood for our fire pit. What we didn’t know was the people next to us had bought that wood for themselves. I try to think of things like that when I find myself bitching about disrespectful kids at shows today. We made it through the night and headed to the show. Here is the stream

https://listentothedead.com/1993/6/26

06-26-93 Robert F. Kennedy Stadium, Washington, D.C. (Sat)

1: Stranger, B. E. Women, Spoonful, Lazy River Road, Masterpiece, Bird Song, Picasso Moon

2: Iko Iko, Way To Go, Playin> Terrapin> Drumz> Last Time> Days Between> Throwing Stones> Saturday Night E: Liberty

with Bruce Hornsby on accordion - Sting opened

Really good shot of Dead's 90's stadium setup

     First set was typical of the era. The Bird Song was pretty good even by my harsh standards of judging Bird Song. I’ve seen and heard too many slogging versions. Second set was a whole another story. After getting the party started with some N’Awlin’s gumbo, Playin’ took us into the ionosphere. Terrapin was really strong and there was more than a hint of Playin’ in the jam that led to Drumz. Sat Night reminded us of the day of the week and Liberty is something of a weak encore choice but I am nothing if not a picky Deadhead.

     I do have a lot of details for the shows but for the life of me, I can’t remember what happened on which night. Sting was a good opener. He played a nice mix of solo and Police hits with a few choice covers. He did Purple Haze one night and Strawberry Fields Forever the next night. And according to this photographic evidence, Jerry jammed with Sting at some point.

     I remember seeing Robert Coombs (sp) on the stadium floor. He was a guy I graduated with but wasn’t tight with. He stumbled upon our group and asked what I was doing there. Now I waved my freak flag high and wide in high school. This guy was like a J Crew model. So no, the question is what are you doing here? And if I remember right, he was going prematurely bald as well. And this was in our early 20’s, and here I am with a full head of hair in my 40’s. Check and mate.

     Stan Fidler also had a unique encounter at his first 2 shows. A rather good looking but non hippie chick looking woman was wandering through the crowd and bumped into our crew. She walked into Stan and he said sorry or something. She replied,”If you spank me, I won’t do it again”. She lifted up her short skirt and Stan swatted her on ass. Yes that actually happened and I witnessed it. Saw the boys 20 times and I never had a woman ask me to spank her. Way to go Fid.

     So I hope you all enjoyed this stroll down memory lane. Up next, Frank Miller’s Beard at the Circle on Sat June 15^th, and then the best of the Hanover music scene on display at Wirt Park on Sat Jun 29^th

Dave Kemp

BA American Studies

PhD Rock and Roll

Wedding Tour Part II Nate and Christie Altland's Wedding, 5/25/13

   Namaste. I hope everyone had a great Memorial Day weekend. The weather was gorgeous and ideal for outdoor activities. I was involved in a few. And what did I do? Nothing much, just conducted a wedding ceremony for the absolutely headiest wedding I have ever witnessed. This is the final part of my journey as we wrap up Wedding Tour 2013 with the nuptials of Christie Leiphart and Nate Altland.

     Yes you read that correctly. I conducted the ceremony. I’m sure some of you are thinking, OK Kemp, what makes you qualified to do this? Your mythical PhD in rock and roll? While it is true I do not have a divinity degree, I do have a BA in American Studies. The main reason I have that degree is because of my love and passion for the music of the Grateful Dead and the community that sprung from it. The only reason I know Nate is because of that community, specifically the Devolver family. I met Christie for the first time at a Phish show in 2009.

     I also think it’s fair to say that I receive a certain amount of respect from our community. I managed Devolver and currently manage the HMLL’s. The WHB has told me they base a shows success on my reaction. I named Frank Miller’s Beard and am a consigliere for Boxcar Social. And finally, I’ve always considered myself an elder of the scene. I’m among the oldest of our crew and this summer will mark my 23^rd year hitting shows. So I feel I definitely have the gravitas to officiate a wedding ceremony.

     The rehearsal dinner, ceremony, and reception all took place at the Naylor Wine Cellars in Stewartstown, PA. Among Christie’s wedding party is the granddaughter, Amanda Potter, of the founder of the vineyard. The rehearsal dinner was Friday night and was cold and blustery. This is the end of May right? Hell, I already have my window AC units installed.

     Evidently, it was a very chilled out informal affair. I never got that memo and was without a doubt the best dressed guy there, as I was only one of two people wearing a tie. Beard had a tie on as well but he loses GQ points because he is a Flyers fan.

    We did a quick run through and chowed down on some outstanding food from Capt. Bob’s Crab Shack. The crab cakes were all killer, no filler. I judge a meal by the potatoes and they were outstanding. The cream of crab soup was great as well. I somehow forgot to have any of the cake.

     The wedding was the following day and the weather was perfect. The high was like 68 degrees and sunny with picturesque clouds passing by. I really can’t do the job Mother Nature did justice. It was stunningly beautiful. I listened to James Brown on the way there to get myself pumped up.

      Naylor Wine Cellars has a huge covered pavilion and a stage underneath it about 5 feet off the floor.  The tables were all marked by ticket stubs from shows Nate and Christie attended. I was at the Super Ball Festival RV Pass Table

  I attended said festival with Nate and Christie. You can read about it here

http://kempepedia.blogspot.com/2011/07/phish-superball-ix-july-1-3-2011.html

 and here

http://kempepedia.blogspot.com/2011/07/more-thoughts-on-phish-superball-9.html

     Other outstanding tables were 6/19 and 6/20 2004 SPAC, and 12/27/97 US Air Arena. The seating notes were actual cassette tapes with your name and shows on them. As someone who had 1100 hours of the Dead and 500+hrs of Phish on those old school analog recording relics, it was a super cool move.

     There were about 150 people in attendance. The groomsmen and myself filed in and the bride’s ladies followed. Waste by Phish was performed on fiddle by Amanda Potter and Ben Canoles. I had candy to entice the flower girls, Adrian and Tara Assi’s daughters, to the front of the pavilion next to me. The rings had “Not Fade Away” inscribed on them.

     The ceremony went without a hitch except when they were going to open a bottle of wine and didn’t have a corkscrew even though it was taking place at a wine cellar. I concluded by saying “and now by the power vested in me from Nate, Christie, and the Helping Friendly Book, I now pronounce you husband and wife” You don’t get that from a priest, just a Jedi cleric.

     We did pictures in the rows among the vineyards and chilled out under my Quick Shade with the Gonzo flag flying high above us. Among the hors d’orves, five kinds of grilled cheese were served because that’s what you eat in the Lot.

     They had a bright blue cocktail called Ken Kesey’s Electric Kool Aid. I had one and sure felt something. I then had to do the second most important task I had that night, introducing the wedding party and the bride and groom. I felt the most pressure for that because the one thing you absolutely do not want to do is garble any of the names. I was at a wedding one time and the MC mispronounced the betrothed couple's last name and it wasn’t even a tongue twister.

      But I killed it and even timed out the happy couple’s entrance to the end of the 2001 from 6/25/10, which with Michael Jackson teases clocks in at 11+ minutes. After that we had the couple’s first dance,  father/daughter dance ,  and mother /son dance. Then the maid of honor, best man, and father of the bride (who was going with the theme of not losing a daughter but gaining a son, which I didn’t know about but used in my introduction for him. Not too shabby) all spoke.

    We sat down to eat and the food was scrumptious. Ginger Babies did the catering for this wedding as well as Christine’s two weeks ago and they are the bomb. Totally willing to give them the Kempepedia bump (with apologies to Stephen Colbert).

http://www.gingerbabies.com/default.asp

So we have eaten and performed the ritual dances so what’s left for a truly heady wedding? How about a raging 2 set performance by Hanover’s own Boxcar Social.

     Boxcar delivered the good and then some. After a slight technical difficulty was ironed out by the third song, they kicked out the jams. 

Set 1:  NFA, Moonshine Revival, Glendale Train, Pockets >  Steam Powered Areoplane > Wedding Rap > They Love Each Other, Appalachian Range 

The wedding cake was cut during the setbreak

Set 2: Wharf Rat, Funk 12> D > In Memory of Elizabeth Reed > Relativity > SWWFA, Pound of Gold, Frannie Mae, The Greatest Day, First Tube, Bananas and Blow > SPAP Rap > Pockets

E1: Unrest, Normal We're Not

     Not Fade Away was a debut and they nailed it. The Wedding Rap incorporated an encounter with Dr. Hunter S Thompson that Paul had on the way to the reception. They Love Each Other was played at the request of the happy couple.  The second set is where things really took off.  I saw one couple salsa dancing to Funk 12 and they were pretty good. In Memory of Elizabeth Reed was exceptional. Frank’s guitar tone sliced through the night air like a scalpel. The Ween classic Bananas and Blow was just what Nate ordered as he is a huge Ween fan. They closed the show with Normal We are Not, a perfect way to sum it up for all the friends and family that were there on that special day.
     So as we were cleaning up, Todd played Boxcar’s performance over his car stereo. He’s a pretty good taper and you can stream and download the show from here

 Boxcar Social 5/25/13, Naylor Wine Cellars, Stewartstown, PA

     We ended up at the Bill Bateman’s next to the Hampton Inn where we all were staying. It was a nice drunken end to a wedding and reception that had been held at a winery. Once again, congrats to Nate and Christie. It was without a doubt the headiest, coolest wedding I have even been to.  I’d like to thank them for including me in this historic event. Wedding Tour is now over and we can start to think about all the shows that are on the horizon as Summer unfolds before us.
Dave Kemp
BA American Studies
Phd Rock and Roll