Eric Krasno Makes Billy & The Kids Debut At Gathering Of The Vibes 2015

This weekend marks the return of Grateful Dead drummer Bill Kreutzmann’s Billy & The Kids project. The quartet featuring Kreutzmann joined by keyboardist Aron Magner, bassist Reed Mathis and guitarist Tom Hamilton will perform at Sweetwater Music Hall in Mill Valley, California on Friday before making their San Francisco debut at The Warfield on Saturday. Greyboy Allstars will open in San Francisco, while Lettuce/Soulive guitarist Eric Krasno will be Billy & The Kids special guest at The Warfield. Krasno first teamed with Billy & The Kids at last summer’s Gathering Of The Vibes festival in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

Tom Hamilton tells JamBase about the importance of guests to the band, “Billy And The Kids has always been a band that has guests. It’s part of our appeal, I think. The rotating extra limb has always provided something exciting with folks like Jason Hann (SCI), Robert Randolph, Dominic Lalli (Big Gigantic), Al Schnier (moe.) or even Bobby (Weir). It’s exciting for sure. We’ve done a bit of this before with Kraz, and it was awesome. We have very different styles, which is the appeal to me and gives us each significant room to work off of each other. Should be a helluva run!”

Eric Krasno sat-in with Billy & The Kids on “Dancing In The Streets” at Gathering Of The Vibes ’15. Later in the set, Warren Haynes aided the group on a cover of The Beatles’ “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.” Kraz had a great experience, “I had a blast playing with Billy and the Kids at Gathering Of The Vibes. I loved the energy they brought to the old material. I instantly felt like one of the kids.” The guitarist enjoyed it so much he joined Billy & The Kids for most of a last-minute show in Charlottesville, Virginia on September 10 that was put together after the first day of Lockn’ 15 was cancelled.

Watch Eric Krasno guest with Billy & The Kids at Vibes ’15 as shot by Sean Roche:

Tickets for Billy & The Kids featuring Eric Krasno at The Warfield are on sale now.

Full Set Audio (Taped by Scott Bernstein)

Billy & The Kids GOTV 2015 Setlist

Set: Here Comes Sunshine (TH) > Cold Rain & Snow (TH), Ramble On Rose (RM), Mama Tried (RM) > Mexicali Blues (TH RM AM), Greatest Story Ever Told (TH), Dancing In The Streets (ALL w/ Eric Krasno) > Black Muddy River (TH), Women Are Smarter (TH), While My Guitar Gently Weeps (WH w/ Warren Haynes)