“She had rings on her fingers and bells on her shoes

And I knew without asking she was into the blues

She wore scarlet begonias, tucked into her curls

I knew right away she was not like other girls, other girls”

“Scarlet Begonias” boasts some of my favorite lyrics of all time. I can’t even begin to dissect the Grateful Dead and deliver a due memento of what they mean to music, but I can summarize some things.  The “psychedelic, jam band” was eclectic, encompassing, and  improvisational.  They played a fusion from many fields of music and found innumerable fans.  “Deadheads” are dedicated and followed the band from city to city, creating a community at the concerts.  Among many symbols that the Grateful Dead spurred – the  Steal Your Face skull and the dancing bears, among the accolades and hall of fames and best-artists-of-all-time lists, they’ve left another legacy:  tribute bands.

The Get Down is not just a cover band, but an eight person panegyric, giving gratitude to the Grateful Dead.  The band:  Robby Parsons – Guitar/Vocals, Keith Luzader – Drums, Austin Alexander – Guitar/Vocals, Billy Sams – Bass, Jim Lennie – Keyboards, Carly Stephens – Vocals and Tessa Liniger – Vocals, set a similar tone at their shows.  Their set, in which the Rusty Haywhackers – Sarah Keener, Matt Locy, Marc Stedman, Dan Bridges, Mitch Lopez, and Brian Matalik – entertained during intermission, has nice nuances, on the spot spontaneity, a collective comradeship.  At Down on Main Street last night The Get Down brought everybody up!