Imagine—A Night full of Surprises

You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
...And the world will live as one .

Every now and then, there is a once upon a time, every now and then everything works out perfectly. Everyday I go to the place that I call my work, I guess that is what it is supposed to be called and some days it is work and some days it is not. It is the days that are work that makes the days that are not so beautiful. But for lack of a better word, I go to Quixote’s True Blue and I think about what I need to do and sometimes I do nothing, Sometimes I like to do nothing or am not compelled to do anything, so that is what I do, but I am always thinking. Sometimes I think about the people I love and the people I have left behind, sometimes I think about a show that could be really special for everyone. Yes, that is really what I do here is think. Well the other day I was thinking about thought and was thinking about naught, I was thinking about what a wonderful day to spend the night after Furthur would be. What would really be nice? So I schemed and I dreamed and talked to my good friend Melvin Seals and asked him if wanted to play after the show. He said yes, we can make it happen. So I called up my favorite person in the whole wide world, Mister Ray White and he said of course, “I’ll make sure I get on the plane.” Dave Watts told me he was game and he would hold the beat down, I said groovy, let’s make it happen. And then Garrett Sayers formerly of the Miracle Orchestra ( I only mention his previous band because last time they didn’t play was on Jerry’s Birthday and because they didn’t play I didn’t have a band for Jerry’s birthday and The Fillmore had a show and I was all stressed but then the power went out at the Fillmore and Dark Star Orchestra was scheduled to play, but they couldn’t so they called us and decided to play and luckily we didn’t have a band because then they would have not been able to play which reminds me of the second time that the power went out at the Fillmore and Phil Lesh and Ryan Adams couldn’t play so they came by and played pool at Sancho’s and because the couldn’t play music they really wanted to play music and luckily the band at Dulcinea’s was finishing early and so they could play at Dulcinea’s which just so happened to be my mom’s birthday and she just died of Parkinson’s that year and this place was dedicated to her and this is another story completely. There are so many coincidences going around that they surely can’t be coincidences ) calmly walked by and said “I am in, I believe in miracles.” Oh, yeah, we cannot forget Kim Dawson, who never said a word to me, she just came by because Mr. Watts told her so, and yes this petite girl has a powerful booming voice which swirls into masterpieces as it floats around the crowd and creeps into the ear canals. So, I really never believed in miracles, so I never really believed in anything so long, I had a darkness that held me for so long, but I always had hope, and sometimes I get despairing and therefore sit in despair. I am not sure I believed in love, but I always had hope, I always thought if I did positive things positive things would happen, but I was doing them for the wrong reasons. I was doing them for gain, but now it seems the more I do them just because, the more I get back. It is hard to eliminate the desire to get something for doing something. You are taught about rewards and punishments for your behavior, but sometimes you are looking for the immediate rather then the karmic which just happens. So I turned around at the bar and I said “HI JK,” which happens to be a perfect alphabetical happening, and he said he was just stopping by after playing at Red Rocks with Furthur. It was such a great feeling to see an old friend. No games, no strangeness, just old friends reminiscing. It was beautiful. So he stopped by again this peaceful Sunday and Melvin demanded that John Kadlecik play, for it was Melvin’s Birthday, so finally John got up and played that’s what love will make you do, because after all it is true blue and that is what love will make you do . And the only thing I really do know about love it that love is all there is. And I do believe in fairies. And yes Virginia there is a Santa Claus, and it really is a wonderful life after all.
All you need is love,
Jay Bianchi

Dyrty Byrds/Highland Ramblers/Captain Squeegee Jan 9th

This show kicked ass and it started with the Highland Ramblers ripping thorugh a high energy bluegrass set that ended with the diabolical Biz Markie's You say he's just a Friend. Sure it was jokey, but it was fun. The Dyrty Byrds launched into some southernish rock with sam Holt leading the guitar frenzy and it sounded magical. Meanwhile in the gallery Captain Squeegee was cleaning up the mess Highwater mark left by the Higland Ramblers, no wonder why they live in the highlands. Captain Squeegee, a band that makes you always question your spelling, had a high energy rock hip hop hoedown going on in back.

Oh yeah, did I forget to mention we have 3 pinball games back there, so just when you feel like you have been bouncing back aqnd forth seeing bands, you can go emphasize with that silver ball in back.

One KInd Favor/Boozegrass/40 Foot Journey Jan 8th

One of my favorite things about this new new Quixote's True Blue is its versatilty. I can do three diffent bands and it always works out. The new Quixote's somehow allows things to work outperfectly, but I really never know how it will work out till I get here and then it just does. I guess theree must have been some magic left in that old Quixote's spirit because when I do a show here it all just works out. I love this place and I love hearing bands here. They seem to elevate beyond there normal playing and push themsleves because I really think they love this place also. Boozegrass kicked some bluegrass ass in the Gallery then 40 foot journey did a good job creating an initial buzz on the maistage. And tehn came One Kind Favor and they played awesome, but were not able to briing the masses out, but if you were one of the people that were not here you definitely missed a great show. The whole thing was not great, but it was good and will just get better as people start to recognize there name

Zobomaze and Whiskey Tango Jan 7th

Zobomaze has been sloowing progressing and absorbing the scene and they are about to emerge in a big way. These cats are good, actuallly they started out reall good, but they keep on progresssing. They have the ability to be in complete command of the room. I see them backstage and I think how young they are, but somehow they are playing in the big leagues, they have done their studies because when they walk out on stage they are a complete band and they create very cohesive jams thata just gel. This is not a band of kids, these are musicians with a purpose and if they are this good now, who knows wheree in the hell they are headed. It can only be up. But who knows, they might start thinking they are so good that they never practice again and they become very average. This might happen that they become average, but I doubt it. It would be a shame because something that works so good at these early stages has so much potential, I can't wait to see where they with 10 years of life experiences and music under their belt. No doubt it will be very interesting.

And in the end, that is why I am here, to see what happens.

Digital Beatdown Jan 6th

Dig the crazy beat of Digital Beatdown, they are high energy electro-jam. These kids are doing there own thing and on a cold they they warmed us up.

Whiskey Tango Jan 5th

Bluegrass retunrs for the new and they keep absorbing music like sponges, this shit just keeps getting better.

Cashed Love Trio Jan 3rd

2010 is just getting out of the gates , but these guys brought and good vibe and energy to the New Year, a sunday after New years' can be disastrous, but today we narrowly averted it. They sounded great emanating reggae carribean vibes, but we will need to give it another shot before we can even trust our first impressions this year. The daze from the preious days has made me just a little loopy.

Dead Ahead Jan 1st and 2nd

Well the 1st day we were still blurry, our vision and actually we were actually blurry. People said we were aso the music ended up being blurry also. It was just really blurry. The 2nd night was a lot less blurry we enjoyed a reall good time with Dead Ahead. I t was fun and precise jams from the heart of the Dead. Dead aAhead is a great band that still needs to get some name recognition.

Quixote's True Blue Jan 1st Stanky Pockets/Dead Phish Orchestra/Shakedown Street/Kaiser Sunshine

So everything old is new again. The years go by and after 13 wonderful years we are back to where we started and yes, i say yes, it is such a wonderful life afterall. There is so much perhaps and hope left in this world and so much transformation, everyday leads to a new adventure and the merchants of greed have been vanquished at least for a little bit longer. Never has it felt so refreshing as now.

Stanky Pockets is grooving in the gallery, Dead Phish is tearing us limb from limb in the main room, lasers are cutting through the fog, life could be sweeter, for this I don't know, see how it feels in the end. and Shakedown Street is about to play a early morning set.
The transformation is very evident, everyone notices, the notice physically that the palce has changed and they notice the vibe has changed, most importantly they notice that I am happy. The fiuture looks bright, the people are wonderful and even as the lysergics fade happiness remains. Creativity is at an all time high.

Shakedown Start is delayed, so we get some ballons out and we start kicking them around, everyone is having fun. Does it matter matter when the band starts, not really no one is going anywhere, we are just having fun. But Shakedown does evntually start and they rip it, it is a beautiful morning and Shakedown has everyone dancing and grooving. Rachel kennedy is about to faint, but she does that every year here, slowly everyone gears down into complete and utter sillinous. It was a perfect start to 2010, one of the best starts in a long time, alth0ugh last year wasn't a bad start either, now that I think about it.

Stay True Blue
Jay Bianchi

JERRY GARCIA BAND/DEAD AHEAD Dec 30th and 31st

Serendipity--that is what we shall call it, serendipitous that I left Cervantes and found Owsley's which becomes Quixote's in only a few moments. Why did I need Owsley's Golden Road? Why indeed? Because the Golden Road led me right back to where I started, it led me back to that magical place that was always in my heart, it led me to the Real Quixote's True Blue and this place which is being transformed into Quixote's feels more like home then it ever has before. Each successive Quixote's represented a desire to get to where I started, but the trip was not to be straightforward, it was circuitous and tangled. It was an virtually Odyssey and my dear Penelope lay 13 years away. The trip was always about music and being true to what I believed, but along the things got diverted and I was courted by all types of sirens who caused me to stray from my path. What i found as we were transforming Owsley's into Quixote's was how much love was put in every step of the way and the amount of history that comprises 13 years of hard work. Somehow every sign that I made for Quixote's somehow fit into Owsley's perfectly, it was as if the place was always waiting for Quixote's to arrive. Owsley's/Quixote's felt more complete then any of the previous incarnations, it even felt better then the first and what this transformation so magical was the fact that the Jerry Garcia Band created the soundtrack for this event. It was today after midnight that Quixote's was finally fully realized.

Fresh Produce Dec 26th

OK, do you have cabbages, do you have spinach, that was the calls I was getting today, and although i did not have any of that we did have FRESH PRODUCE which brought with it a combination of hip hop folk and funk. This was something we have not seen in awhile some of it worked and other parts of it did not. It was good and we will try it again because it was fresh.

Grown Ass man Band Christmas 2009

This has been about 10 years that we have spent Christmas with the Medicine Man and everyone of them has been a pleasure. The Grown Ass Man band comes from the ashes of Askimbo, but they still produce a the same urban funk that makes from a very great party. Wherever the Medicine man is makes the place feel like hime.

Whiskey Tango dec 21st

Another day conquered by the bluegrass demons from Colorado. Sounding better every time.

Jack Douglas Trio/Courtesy Bandits Dec 20th

Jack Douglas Trio is tan awesome band, that just needs to collect a following. They create great folky drinky tunes which entice whoever is there, but they do need someone there and that is the crux of the problem with them. They are a perfect opener, maybe not the perfect main act. The Courtesy Bandits are a young talented kids that need to keep gigging as they grow into their shoes. Too old and to young was the tale of the day.

The Big Motif/Harmonious Junk Dec 19th

The Big Motif is one of the best bands going right now, nice sharp jams that get you dancing and grooving no matter what your mood is. These kids are great. Harmonious Junk also creates a some snappy jams and Damon Wood has a great vibe. A little work from both camps and this show becomes a monster.

Disco Floyd/Acoustic Dead /Ruins of Ooah Dec 18th

The Acoustic Disco, feat Disco Floyd and spoome Acoustic Dead, another fine mix that i got us into. We spent the evening grooving to floyd at the Disco and the Dead in a Acoustic setting with Rob eaton and some very Special Guest of Rob Eaton from DSO. This was really an incredible night where anywhere you walked you heard good tunes and one of the best surprises was the didgereedoo of Ruins of ooah. This band is just plain amazing. Disco Floyd is a triumphant production and Rob Eaton and Jim Allard of Acoustic Dead are actually quite spellbinding. The acoustic versions of Classic dead songs felt quite invigorating. This was a splendid show all around and any of the bands are capable of mesmerizing and audience by themselves, but this combination of sounds was just awesome.

Bigga Digga/Last Bus Dec 17th

Bigga Digga is truly a fun band as is The last Bus, both these bands sent harmonious notes through the room. But alas the room was not quite full which makes those notes fall to the ground unsatisfied which is disappointing for everybody.

Whiskey Tango Dec 15th

Wait I just reviewed these guys last week and they are back again, uh, maybe because they are good, rollicking fun.

Eric Mcfadden Trio/Dead Phish Orchestra Dec 12th

A double header tonight was well worth the money. Eric Mcfadden trio launched into to some raunchy voodo rock, but the story was in the gallery where Dead Phish Orchestra demonstrated the power that they have. This band is the Reeses's Peanut Butter of the scene, two great tastes that taste great together. if you could imagine how much I like Reeses's peanut Butter Cups you will be able to grasp how good this band is. The Cups, i really really think I could live on them. Just the right amount of chocolate and just the right amount of peanut butter. Phish is great, but they get a little too much at times and a the mixing of the Dead with Phish makes the Phish that much better. This is a great idea and contrary to popular opinion the two work splendid together. Franklin> Frankenstien is just the beginning. These guys create impeccable transitions to droll over that work even well beyond their alliterative names and catchy allusions.

DPO is one for the future.

Yamn/Home/Mason's Children/Ground Up

What a night! Yamn headlined this festival in the city and created the backdrop for a very wonderful night. Kind tunes emanated from every corner of the place and a spectacular light show to boot. Always a good time.

Dyrty Byrds feat Sam Holt Dec 10th

Eric Martinez, Sam Holt and Tori Pater make a pretty powerful team. Moving from Marshall Tucker to homespun American this band creates an inspirational portrait of life. There is something about these guys that transport you to that place you call now, but bringing with just a little light. Life seems a little more bearable every time these guys stop by.

Gristle Gals and Whiskey Tango Dec 8th

Bluegrass night is hsping up to be an event and Whiskey Tango is the main attraction. These guys are good and getting much better and the Gristle Gals threw in some nice even paced drinking songs to make the a tandem tango.