As Oteil Burbridge or any of the bass player’s generations of fans will tell you, he’s led a blessed life when it comes to collaborators. From humble beginnings with Col. Bruce Hampton and the Aquarium Rescue Unit to serving as a rhythmic foundation of the latter-era Allman Brothers Band to carrying on the Grateful Dead legacy with Dead & Company, Burbridge has left his mark on some of the most cherished songbooks of the last half-century. A man in that position makes plenty of friends, and last week he brought some of them to the Ardmore Music Hall outside Philadelphia for a two-night run of Oteil & Friends shows.
Burbridge’s mix of skills—including his artful use of the extended melodic range on five and six-string bass guitars, soulful traditional vocals and scatt-singing, and smiling ease as onstage musical traffic director—make him an ideal axis for all the rest of the assembled players to revolve around. Fellow multi-instrumentalist Jason Crosby (Assembly of Dust) acts as musical glue on keys, guitar, and violin, alongside guitarists Tom Guarna and Steve Kimock, the latter of whom takes visible joy in performing alongside his son John Kimock on drums. To hammer home the gospel element, Melvin Seals (Jerry Garcia Band) was installed like a mad church organist drenching every tune with his reverential tones.
In contrast to Dead & Company fans’ spirited campaign to “Let Oteil Sing!”, Oteil & Friends shows place the mic directly under the bassist’s control. That said, Burbridge is more than happy to share vocal duties with Lamar Williams Jr., son of former Allman Brothers bassist Lamar Williams and a stellar soul singer in his own right.
Oteil seemed to spend most of the two-show visit to eastern Pennsylvania as he always does, lost in his bliss. Whether it was playing his own catalog on tunes like “Too Many Times”, “No More Doubt”, and “Rooster” or nodding to his Allman Brothers tenure with “Dreams”, “Blue Sky”, and a choice run-closing “Mountain Jam”, Burbridge was on well-trodden ground. Of course, Oteil wasn’t about to let his connection to the Grateful Dead lie completely dormant, obliging the many Deadheads who have clamored for his buttery vocals by sublimely singing “Dark Star” to open Friday’s second set.
Oteil & Friends — “Rooster” [Pro-Shot] — 10/17/24
Oteil & Friends — “Too Many Times” [Pro-Shot] — 10/18/24
Always a magnanimous host, Oteil allowed his guests to drop some of their originals into the mix. Kimock the elder contributed his “Hillbillies on PCP” while Kimock the younger added “Mother’s Song”, making the run into a family affair. Speaking of families, Lamar Williams Jr. not only honored his dad by lending his riveting, emotion-drenched soul stylings to a few sweet ABB jams including a weekend highlight “Whipping Post”, but he also had the chance to drop one of his tunes “Love and War” into the weekend’s setlist.
Oteil & Friends — “Love And War” — 10/18/24
[Video: Daniel Marino]
While we’re on the subject of soul, we’d be remiss not to mention Melvin Seals bringing the energy with some great work on the Grateful Dead tunes sprinkled in over the two nights like “Stella Blue”. The longtime Jerry Garcia collaborator also added some authenticity to JGB classics “Run For The Roses” and the always welcome “Rubin and Cherise”.
Oteil & Friends — “Stella Blue” (Grateful Dead) — 10/18/24
[Video: Daniel Marino]
Jason Crosby had some of the more individualistic music highlights during the concerts, including some fancy fiddling on the traditional tune “New River Train” and his own creation, “Gambler’s Conceit”. Tom Guarna got some sweet jazzy guitar in throughout both nights, and provided some stellar banjo work on the aforementioned “New River Train” to boot.
Legends like Bob Dylan (“Positively 4th Street”) got acknowledged alongside highly influential but less recognized artists like Junior Parker (“Mystery Train”), Earl King (“Time For the Sun to Rise”), and Little Milton (“That’s What Love Will Make You Do”). Oteil & Friends even evoked the late Bobby “Blue” Bland and his missive to “Turn On Your Love Light” as a stellar night one closer. But of all those tributes, one of the clear highlights of the weekend was Burbridge’s increasingly sought-after mashup of the Grateful Dead’s “Friend of the Devil” with Nirvana‘s “Lithium”. The eerie folk song about trying to outrun Beelzebub was made all the creepier with Kurt Cobain‘s timelessly dejected lyrics.
As always, it was an audiovisual treat to take in Oteil Burbridge’s multidimensional talents. Between Burbridge’s sweet bass tone, light voice, and beatific smiles it was clear he was truly feeling the music he was making and loving it, and that positivity infects both his friends’ musicianship and the overall audience experience. In an era when truth seems to be less important than appearances, the music and persona that Burbridge so boldly embodies couldn’t be any more real or inspirational.
Oteil & Friends have a few dates left on the 2024 calendar including a two-night run at Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom in Denver on November 1st and 2nd and an appearance at Golden Road Festival. Next year, Burbridge will return to Mexico with several of his Dead & Company bandmates for another installment of the Dead Ahead Festival. Find tickets and tour dates here.
Setlist: Oteil Burbridge & Friends | Ardmore Music Hall | Ardmore, PA | 10/17/24
Set One: Rooster (Oteil & the Peacemakers), Mother’s Song (John Kimock), Monk Funk, Midnight Moonlight (Old & In the Way), Dreams (The Allman Brothers Band), Rubin and Cherise (Grateful Dead), Love and War (Lamar Williams Jr), Friend of The Lithium Devil (Grateful Dead/Nirvana)
Set Two: Magnificent Sanctuary Band (Donny Hathaway), Gambler’s Conceit (Jason Crosby), Mystery Train (Little Junior’s Blue Flames), Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door (Bob Dylan), Les Brers in A Minor (The Allman Brothers Band), Run for the Roses (Jerry Garcia), Turn On Your Love Light (Bobby “Blue” Bland)
[1] “Friend of the Devil”/”Lithium” mashup
Setlist: Oteil Burbridge & Friends | Ardmore Music Hall | Ardmore, PA | 10/18/24
Set One: Too Many Times (Oteil & the Peacemakers), That’s What Love Will Make You Do (Little Milton), No More Doubt (Oteil & the Peacemakers), Hillbillies On PCP (Steve Kimock), Stella Blue (Grateful Dead), Whipping Post (The Allman Brothers Band)
Set Two: Dark Star (Grateful Dead), New River Train (Traditional), Love and War (Lamar Williams Jr.), Time For the Sun to Rise (Earl King), Come and Go Blues (The Allman Brothers Band), Positively 4th Street (Bob Dylan), Mighty High (Mighty Clouds of Joy)
Encore: Blue Sky (The Allman Brothers Band), Franklin’s Tower (Grateful Dead), Mountain Jam (The Allman Brothers Band)
The post Oteil Burbridge Recruits Melvin Seals, The Kimocks, & More Friends Of The Devil For Ardmore Run [Videos] appeared first on L4LM.
