Ardmore Music Hall in Ardmore, Pennsylvania hosted Unlimited Devotion: A Celebration Of The Grateful Dead on Friday and Saturday to raise funds for Camp Winnarainbow and the Rex Foundation. Counter-culture icon Wavy Gravy was on hand as the guest on honor and to MC the action. A pair of all-star ensembles were put together for the event with “The Wavy All-Stars” performing on Friday and “The Gravy All-Stars” playing on Saturday.
The Wavy All-Stars featured John Kadlecik and Dan “Lebo” Lebowitz on guitar, Reed Mathis on bass, Jay Lane on drums, Mike Borowski on keyboards and vocalist Hayley Jane. Kadlecik led the ensemble through Bob Dylan’s “When I Paint My Masterpiece” to open the set. Lebo then stepped up to front The Wavy All-Stars on “Bertha” ahead of an exploratory “Cassidy” sung by Mathis and Borowski.
Friday’s 90-minute set continued on with Kadlecik belting out the late era Grateful Dead gem “Lazy River Road.” Then, Hayley Jane led the way on “New Speedway Boogie” which the band worked into a cover of Paul Simon’s “Loves Me Like A Rock.” One of the highlights came next as the group jammed on The Rolling Stones’ “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” within a reggae-tinged “Sugaree.” The “Dark Star” that followed also had a funky upbeat groove and led into a set-closing “My Sisters & Brothers.”
Watch pro-shot video of The Wavy All-Stars set captured by Liquid Silver Stream:
Set: When I Paint My Masterpiece, Bertha, Cassidy, Lazy River, Road, New Speedway Boogie > Loves Me Like A Rock, Sugaree > Dark Star, My Sisters & Brothers
Saturday’s The Gravy All-Stars set featured Lebo with guitarists Steve Kimock and Eric Krasno, mandolinist Jeff Austin, bassist Robin Sylvester, trombonist Natalie Cressman, keyboardist Todd Stoops and drummers Matt Butler and John Kimock. The newly-created band began their performance with an “Althea” sung by Lebo. Next up was an expansive “Scarlet Begonias” led by Krasno and a stellar rendition of Jimmy Cliff’s “The Harder They Come.” The ensemble then showed off their bluesy side with “Mystery Train.”
The Gravy All-Stars continued on with a “Bird Song” that spanned nearly 15 minutes. Matt Butler and John Kimock then teamed for a drum duet that the ensemble used as a launching pad for “Shakedown Street.” Saturday’s improv-heavy “Shakedown Street” featured plenty of full band jamming and impressive solos. The same held true of the “Turn On Your Love Light” that brought the set to a close.
Check out professionally-shot video of the set thanks to Liquid Silver Stream:
Set: Althea, Scarlet Begonias, The Harder They Come, Mystery Train, Bird Song, Drums > Shakedown Street, Turn On Your Love Light
Stay tuned for more from this year’s Unlimited Devotion.
