image via Youtube
The Maybe It Was the Roses Music Festival is currently underway in Ventura, CA. Sunday’s lineup includes the debut of Dead Aces, which will draw together a number of musicians who shared the stage with Bob Weir over the years, including: Alphonso Johnson, Aron Magner, Dave Ellis, John Molo, Mark Karan and Reed Mathis. Magner will also perform with two additional projects: SPAGA (featuring special guest Ellis) and Deadtronica.
Last night in Ventura, Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country performed a headlining set. In the spirit of the Grateful Dead-inspired event, the group debuted Jimmy Cliff’s “The Harder They Come” a longtime Jerry Garcia Band staple. Cris Jacobs sang lead on the tune with Kanika Moore adding background vocals. Jacobs first joined in on the previous selection, singing Johnny Cash’s “Big River” with Donato (a longtime Dead cover). Jacobs also contributed guitar to the band’s take on “Dark Hollow,” a staple of the Dead’s acoustic sets in 1970 and 1980, as well as Bob Dylan’s “The Mighty Quinn” (another song in GD rotation over the years). The core quartet also performed fitting versions of “Turn On Your Lovelight,” “Samson and Delilah” and “Tangled Up In Blue.” Earlier in the set, during Donato original “Sunshine In The Rain (Strange Presence),” he moved to a Garcia replica guitar for the tune…