Steve Kimock Plays New ‘Wolf’ Guitar At Zero 40th Anniversary Concerts

Zero performed a pair of concerts at the Mystic Theater in Petaluma, California on Friday and Saturday nights in celebration of the band’s 40th anniversary. Co-founding guitarist Steve Kimock used the celebratory run to unveil a new replica of Jerry Garcia's famed “Wolf” guitar.

The original “Wolf” was the first of several custom guitars built for Jerry Garcia by luthier Doug Irwin. Garcia received “Wolf” in 1973 and used it extensively throughout the remainder of the decade. Grateful Guitars enlisted Bill Asher to build “Wolf 2.0 #4” for Kimock, which was first played in public during the Zero shows in Petaluma.

Steve Kimock and fellow Zero co-founder drummer Greg Anton were joined by bassist Pete Sears, guitarist/keyboardist Lowell “Banana” Levinger, trumpeter Hadi Al-Saadoon and keyboardist Spencer Burrows at the Mystic Theater. Friday’s concert began with a presentation of the newly-crafted “Wolf” to Kimock.

Zero loaded each setlist with classic originals and select covers. The band opened by performing a 35-minute pairing of “Cole’s Law” and “Tangled Hangers.” Next came a “Chance In A Million” and an “End Of The World Blues” dedicated to late Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh. “Rigor Mortis” and a take on Bob Dylan’s “Highway 61 Revisited” closed out Friday’s first set.

Counter-culture icon Wavy Gravy recited “Ocean Of Love” to get the second set of the weekend underway. After “Baby Baby,” vocalist Stephanie Salva emerged to sing “Pits Of Thunder” and “Catalina.” The rest of the frame was devoted to covers of Jimmy Cliff’s “Many Rivers To Cross” and The Temptations-popularized “Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone.” Zero wrapped night one with a “Gregg’s Eggs” encore.

Zero traveled the “Golden Road” to kick off the second night. Saturday’s first set also featured extended versions of “Shake It Loose,” “Big Love,” “Listen Here” and “Home On The Range.”

A +17-minute “Severe Tire Damage” began the final set of the weekend. “Tear Tags Off Mattresses” followed before “Nuclear War” gave way to “It’s Up To You.” From there, Zero treated fans to covers of The Beatles’ “Here Comes The Sun” and John Hiatt’s “Riding With The King.” Then, “Anorexia” became the final original played by the band in Petaluma. Kimock, Anton & Co. punctuated the closing stanza with the K.C. Douglas gem “Mercury Blues” and selected the Little Feat classic “Willin'” as Saturday’s encore.

Watch a series of videos featuring footage from Zero’s 40th anniversary shows captured by drbobzero below: