Billy & The Kids were just The Kids last night as Grateful Dead drummer Bill Kreutzmann was out of action for his band’s Day Of The Dead concert at the Santa Barbara Bowl in Santa Barbara, California. Kreutzmann missed the show after testing positive for COVID-19.
Billy announced the news of his absence on social media. Kreutzmann enlisted Vampire Weekend and Taper’s Choice drummer Chris Tomson to join the core band of bassist Reed Mathis, guitarist Tom Hamilton, keyboardist Aron Magner along with special guests drummer Andrew Barr and guitarist Brad Barr of The Slip and The Barr Brothers. Refunds were offered “for those who opt.”
“In show business they say the show must go on. In the world of the Grateful Dead, that’s never even been a question,” Kreutzmann began his note detailing his condition and decision to move forward with the concert. “Our community knows how to take lemons and make tie-dye lemonade. We know how to improvise and we know how to jam. And we know how to come together as a community and dance our way through twists and turns while the music plays the bands.”
Kreutzmann went on to reveal both he and his wife tested positive for COVID-19. “I’ll be okay other than the immense disappointment and frustration that I’m feeling about having to sit out tonight — I was looking forward to this show since the minute we first talked about it. I’ve been wanting to play the Bowl for years,” Bill The Drummer added.
“As a surprise treat, we were going to have our friend Chris Tomson from Vampire Weekend come out to jam on drums with us for Drums->Space,” Kreutzmann continued “Chris (‘CT’) was already on his way to Santa Barbara when my covid diagnosis came back, and he felt the same way as the rest of the band — the show must go on.”
Last night’s show, which completed Kreutzmann’s Daze Of The Dead series, and followed a Halloween concert in the Bay Area, started with the Billy & The Kids debut of “Don’t Ease Me In.” Another premiere followed as the group worked through The Beatles’ “I Am The Walrus” for the first time. “I Am The Walrus” gave way to cowboy song “Me & My Uncle.” Next up was “Cassidy” before the final debut of the set came in the former of late-era Grateful Dead tune “Lazy River Road.” From there “Eyes Of The World” bled into The Band’s version of “Don’t Do It” ahead of a set-closing “U.S. Blues.”
Billy & The Kids sans Billy kicked off their second set by pairing “Help On The Way” and “Slipknot!” but instead of completing the holy triumvirate with “Franklin’s Tower,” the band weaved into “Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo.” The Hunter/Garcia number led into a drum duet between Andrew Barr and Chris Tomson. The rest of the ensemble then joined in on the subsequent “China Cat Sunflower.” Mathis led the group through Bob Dylan’s “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall” next before passing the frontman baton to Brad Barr for “It Hurts Me Too.” Hamilton helmed the “Foolish Heart” that followed which melted into a “Slipknot Reprise!” to close the frame.
The band returned for an encore that started with the first “So Many Roads” since Billy & The Kids’ 2021 concerts at Red Rocks. After opening the California run with “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” at Mountain Winery on Halloween, the group delivered their debut cover of The Beatles’ “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band Reprise” to bookend the two-concert series and end the most unusual show in Billy & The Kids history.
Watch a few fan-shot clips from last night’s concert below:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CzLGMJbO516
https://www.instagram.com/p/CzKtVgLrFVl/
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More Billy & The Kids
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Billy & The Kids And Barr Brothers Keep Cover Debuts Flowing At Bay Area Halloween Show
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Billy & The Kids, Brad Barr + Andrew Barr Show ‘The Kids Are Alright’ At Capitol Theatre
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Up On The Roof: Billy & The Kids Recruit Sierra Hull For Pier To Pier Finale In New York City
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Billy & The Kids Dedicate Pier To Pier Run Opener In Baltimore To James Casey
Setlist (via Setlist.FM)
Set One: Don’t Ease Me In, I Am The Walrus > Me And My Uncle, Cassidy, Lazy River Road, Eyes Of The World > Don’t Do It, U.S. Blues
Set Two: Help On The Way > Slipknot! > Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo > Drums > China Cat Sunflower, A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall, It Hurts Me Too, Foolish Heart > Slipknot! Reprise
Encore: So Many Roads > Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band Reprise
