Bill Kreutzmann has been full of surprises in 2023.
After delivering the shocking news in April that he would not be joining his lifelong musical brethren on Dead & Company’s final tour this summer, the Grateful Dead drummer delighted East Coast-centric Deadheads with the announcement that he would be reviving his beloved Billy & The Kids ensemble for a pair of highly anticipated shows in Baltimore and New York City colloquially dubbed “Dead on the Water”.
Originally conceived in 2014 to perform at Warren Haynes Christmas Jam in Asheville, NC, Billy & The Kids finds the Dead’s co-founding member surrounding himself with the youthful energy of a few of this generation’s hottest musical firebrands, resulting in high-octane interpretations of some the Dead’s most cherished material.
Consisting of “core” members Tommy Hamilton (Brothers Past, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead) on lead guitar, Aron Magner (The Disco Biscuits) on keys, and Reed Mathis (Tea Leaf Green, Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey) on bass, Kreutzmann has gradually added to the collective with equally talented musicians by bringing on James Casey (Trey Anastasio Band) on saxophone and Jeff Franca (Thievery Corporation) on drums, in addition to a slew of guest appearances from “honorary kids” such as Molly Tuttle and Billy Strings for previous engagements.
Kreutzmann brought his winning formula to Baltimore’s Pier Six Pavillion on Wednesday 8/16, the drummer’s first appearance in Charm City since the Grateful Dead’s final show at the now-defunct Civic Center in 1982, but not without a few tricks up his sleeve.
Always one to keep his fans on their collective toes, Kreutzmann, in true Merry Prankster fashion, took delight in teasing his fans on social media with a series of obfuscated announcements about potential surprise guests and other happenings as the pair of shows approached. Already-high anticipation levels were immediately red-lined when word became official that the group would be joined by the likes of Daniel Donato (Cosmic Country) on guitar and Kanika Moore (Doom Flamingo) on vocals, along with the 60’s-inspired analog liquid light show from the San Francisco-based company Mad Alchemy.
As with all families, however, you have to take the good with the bad, and fans were unfortunately given the disappointing news hours before showtime that Casey would be absent from the evening’s proceedings as he continues his brave battle against colon cancer.
Despite the sobering news, or perhaps inspired by Casey’s seemingly insurmountable spirit, Billy & The Kids took to the stage at 7:30 and kicked things off with a rousing version of the Dead’s ode to a temperamental electric fan that used to cause havoc in the band’s offices, “Bertha”, with Hamilton on lead vocals.
Kanika Moore, who stole the show on numerous occasions thanks to some powerfully soulful vocal performances, took to the mic for the first time on the Dead’s lone top-ten hit “Touch of Grey”, a song she performs regularly with Doom Flamingo, albeit with a much more jazzy arrangement than the Dead’s version.
Daniel Donato, who clocks in as the group’s youngest member at 28 years old (nearly fifty years younger than Kreutzmann), has been among the hottest names in live music over the past year or so, for good reason, and did not disappoint during his debut appearance with Billy & The Kids. Though somewhat overshadowed by Hamilton for a majority of the evening as he essentially took over the “Bob Weir role”, Donato still managed to shine on numerous occasions, including on Jesse Fuller’s “Beat it on Down the Line” where the young Nashville-based guitarist delivered a smoldering solo infused with his unique brand of psychedelia-laden country & western licks.
Moore then returned to the mic to handle lead vocal duties on Little Milton’s “That’s What Love WIll Make You Do”, which was a staple of the Jerry Garcia Band’s live repertoire, before the group launched into an impressive performance of “Help on the Way”, which featured some mesmerizing cadences from the percussive duo of Kreutzmann and Franca in addition to some intriguing melodic sequences from Magner, Hamilton and Donato before settling into a spacy jam.
A surprise appearance of Garcia’s “The Wheel” sprung out of a hazy “Slipknot!” in lieu of the usual “Franklin’s Tower” pairing before a goosebump-inducing version of “They Love Each Other” that allowed Moore another chance to show off her gospel-inspired vocal stylings and counted among the many highlights of the evening. A high-energy reading of the Dead’s fan-favorite “Shakedown Street” elicited the requisite “Woo’s!” from the capacity crowd during the chorus and closed out the opening stanza on a high note.
As the break waned and the sun finished setting behind the horizon of Baltimore’s urban corridor, enveloping the venue in darkness, it gradually became apparent what kind of prolific impact the Mad Alchemy light show would have on the second set.
The undercarriage of the massive tent-like structure that covers the pavilion was suddenly awash in a stunning array of hand-manipulated colors and patterns that evoked ethereal memories of the legendary Acid Tests from the Dead’s embryonic years and provided the perfect backdrop as Kreutzmann and Franca emerged to open the second set up with a hypnotic Drums sequence before the rest of the band joined them for a brief “Space” jam that seemed to propel the pulsating light show overhead.
The LSD trip-inspired theme continued with a fitting take on the Beatles’ “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” that featured Donato on lead vocals before he led the troupe through a wildly psychedelic outro jam.
A brief return to “Space” preceded a masterful reading of Robert Hunter’s epic tale, “Terrapin Station”, with Hamilton once again handling lead vocals with aplomb along with some searing guitar leads, before a surprise segue into the late-era Hunter/Garcia gem, “Foolish Heart”.
Moore stepped back up to the mic to take the helm on a rollicking version of “Scarlet Begonias” before also leading the group through a red-hot performance of Stevie Wonder’s “Boogie On Reggae Woman” that continued her penchant for delivering spine-tingling vocals and was one of the clear highlight moments of the second set.
A typically high-energy version of “Deal” closed the set with some guitar fireworks between Hamilton & Donato during the outro jam. A brief encore was preceded by a heartwarming shoutout to James Casey, who grew up just down the road in Washington D.C before the band wrapped things up with Moore once again stunning the crowd during “Ship of Fools” as well as a surprise performance of Bruce Springsteen/Patti Smith’s “Because the Night”.
Fans can donate to James Casey’s GoFundMe campaign here, which will help with the mounting medical costs as the musician battles Stage 4 colon cancer. Read the associated statement from Casey’s camp below:
James Casey needs your support. As you may know, for the last two years James has been battling late-stage colon cancer. He has reached a critical point in his fight against this horrible disease that has left him unable to perform. Your donations will displace that crucial loss of income and help cover mounting medical and living expenses so that James may focus on his health and loved ones at this time.
Following an extended stay in Hawaii during the pandemic, James was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer after experiencing abdominal pain while performing with Bill Kreutzman at Red Rocks. Soon after he sought emergency surgery to remove a tumor obstructing his colon and spent the following six months in chemotherapy, missing tours with Trey Anastasio Band and other scheduled performances. Upon completing treatments, new scans showed the cancer had progressed to stage 4.
Incredibly, and in spite of the cancer, James has pushed forward. He released three singles in anticipation of his debut solo album and following another surgery in May 2023, James this summer was able to make a handful of special appearances on stage. However, his health has continued to decline and affect his ability to work as a musician. Despite his own optimism, James is unable to join Bill Kreutzman in New York this week as planned and is currently in hospital, with expenses mounting.
If you are able, we ask for your support of his battle. I am organizing this on behalf of James and his fiancé Ayla, who is steadfast by his side. With love and appreciation.
