SPRINGFIELD – Before they were even born, every single band member in Skeletons from the Closet pretty much had their lives planned out for them.
“We’re all second generation, born into it,” guitar player Felix Blades said.
Blades’ parents were big Deadheads, always playing Grateful Dead music and following the band when it was on tour.
Rhythm guitarist Dylan Shock – who does a spot-on impersonation of lead singer Bob Weir – and bass player Kiefah Pearson were raised in similar all-Dead, all-the-time environments, and started playing instruments around the age of 8 or 9.
It’s mystifying how the phenomenon of the whole Grateful Dead culture continues to transcend generations long after iconic guitar player Jerry Garcia’s death, and the music has never waned in popularity.
Blades doesn’t see that momentum slowing down anytime soon.
“With ol’ Johnny Mayer owning 51 percent of Dead & Co., I’m sure we’ll see more of that,” he said, referring to the latest iteration of the Grateful Dead, led by Mayer on guitar.
“They seem to have tapped into something greater than themselves,” Shock added.
Skeletons from the Closet has tapped into its own creative way to spice up a Dead show.
“We pick a year from the repertoire and create a new set as if it existed in that time and change up the instrumentation.
“Tonight was 1972 – tomorrow (Aug. 1, Garcia’s birthday) will be 1973 – not like Dark Star Orchestra, where they select a show and recreate that setlist. We write our own setlist; we pick a year, based on what they were playing at that time, with different arrangements and stuff.”
The show featured an extended “Playin’ in the Band” jam and blues gems “It Hurts Me Too” and “Sing Me Back Home.” And of course there were a couple of the old standards like “Truckin’” and “Uncle John’s Band.”
The Eugene-based Skeletons from the Closet – which is also the name of a Grateful Dead greatest hits album – have all been friends since elementary school.
“Kiefah and I go way back,” Blades said. “He’s probably my oldest pal. We went to middle school together.”
Now, Blades and Shock work together at Guitar Center, while Pearson works as a chef.
Their home base is Whirled Pies in Eugene, but they mostly just play special events – like last week’s show surrounding Jerry’s birthday.
“We try not to play too often so we keep people interested,” said Shock, a U of O grad.
Robert Ruggiero, Van Morrison’s drummer for over 25 years, will join the Sugar Beets for their entire outdoor show on Friday, Aug. 14 at Island Park. They plan to play Side One of the legendary “Moondance” album at 6:30 p.m. The cost is $5 per person, or is free for anyone who brings two cans of non-perishable food to donate to the Willamalane Park and Recreation District food pantry.
