Cosmic Free Way is a jam band formed by Bob Carhart (aka RJ Purple) formerly of The Mojo Men, Joe Warren and Joe Grissino in late 1989 with most of its current members. The band technically played their first show in Spring of 1990. The band is based in the Reno – Lake Tahoe area.
Within a year of forming, CFW had released their debut album. At the same time they had also created a national touring buzz, being one of Tahoe and Reno's premier jam bands.[citation needed] Over the next few years CFW played show after show including festivals such as the original GOTVs in Marysville, California before the festival was moved to the east coast and Meatcutters outside of Kirkwood California.
Cosmic Free Way has shared the stage with such acts as Blues Traveler, String Cheese Incident, Los Lobos, Jupiter Hollow, Zen Tricksters, Rubberneck, Jerry Joseph, The Paisley Brain Cells, Jambay, Daryl Lee Thompson (El Borracho), Lost at Last, Vinyl, Vince Welnick, Canned Heat, The Byrds, Montrose, Cubensis, Melvin Seals and the JGB, and Merle Saunders.
Cosmic Free Way has been featured in the Hightimes Hemp 100 uncountable times over the years. They also have been mentioned in Relix magazine in regards to playing the Phish lot at The Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas November 13, 1997.
Max Volume, one of the Reno–Tahoe's most notable top-notch DJs (105.7 K.O.Z.Z. Reno's classic rock) station, has been quoted as saying "Some of the most awesome experiences of my life have been at Cosmic Free Way shows".
Cosmic Free Way has played many venues in the Reno/Tahoe, and San Francisco bay area, which they are happy to call their home. As well as many performances across the U.S., they are grateful to have been a part of the original Gathering of the Vibes Festival in California, The World Hemp Festival in Harrisburg, Oregon in 99 and 2000, as well as several appearances at the Annual Dead In The Desert Festival in California.
Their influences include a wide variety of notable groups, including Grateful Dead, Allman Brothers, Yes, Phish, Widespread Panic, Deep Purple , Stevie Ray Vaughan, Tower Of Power , Led Zeppelin, The Tubes, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Little Feat, Greyboy Allstars, Los Lobos, The Beatles, New Riders of the Purple Sage , Rush, The Who, Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Blue Oyster Cult, The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, and James Brown.
