Its 3:45 pm on a Friday afternoon and I am in line at the local post office when my phone’s notification ring goes off. It’s a text from my friend Lou, who writes: “rumor has its Phil Lesh is playing with his son’s band tonight at the Pourhouse. You know anything about this? “
That’s crazy talk! If Phil Lesh announced he’d be doing gigs with Midnight North (son Graham Lesh’s band) I would have read about it at Relix or Jam Bands online. But then I recall reading in the Relix daily 7 that he made an appearance this past Wednesday in Nashville and Thursday in Asheville with Midnight North. I quickly switched over to the Pourhouse’s web site and, indeed, Midnight North was scheduled to take the stage on the outdoor deck at 7. Could it be possible that Phil was along for the ride and make it three in a row?
I decided it was worth the gamble and quickly bought four tickets for the three of us on this thread and another friend. By the time the texts stopped, we had secured 6 tickets for us and friends and had about two hours to hit the road to be there in time. My wife and I picked up a friend, Chris White, and headed down the Interstate for James Island, SC and the Charleston Pourhouse. If you’re not familiar with the venue, check out their website(charlestonpourhouse.com). The wall murals and the funky vibe makes this a special, intimate place for live music.
On the twenty-five-mile ride to the club, it was pouring rain and the clouds hung dark and low. At one point, Karen turned to us and said that she wished she’d have stayed home. In my mind, I was telling myself that this wouldn’t be a waste of my time and a disappointing ending to a spontaneous gathering.
We arrived and luckily found a remaining parking spot in the middle of torrential rain. Running from the car, we splashed through two inches of standing water, with more to come. Once sheltered by the roof covering the walkway and bar, we gathered with friends for an adult beverage. The discussion flowed about the craziness of this coming together and what might just come to pass. Lou said that he talked to a guy who sighted Phil getting off of the tour bus. Great, but who is this guy and can he be trusted to know what Phil looked like?
To put things in perspective, I first saw the Grateful Dead in 1974 and I never looked back. I’m a proud Deadhead and they have been the soundtrack to my life. I saw the last three Fare Thee Well concerts in Chicago (2015) and listen to their Sirius XM channel daily. I love all forms of music, but the Dead hold a special place in my heart.
Midnight North on the Back Deck at the Charleston Pourhouse
About 7:40pm, the band (Graham Lesh on vocals and lead guitar, Elliot Peck on guitar, keyboards and vocals, Connor O’Sullivan on bass and mandolin and Nathan Graham {no relation} on drums and vocals) takes the stage and begins their performance. I look behind me and ten feet back is Phil Lesh, watching the proceedings. He’s really here! This could be good! No, this could be great!! With Lou’s guidance, I position myself to photobomb a picture of Phil with me nearby. On both attempts, Phil is looking away and has no idea what we are doing.
Back to the band. They presented a nice selection of songs from their three albums, including “There’s always a story”, to be released July 23. Elliot Peck’s singing complimented Graham’s voice and the two delivered on their guitars. About thirty minutes in to the show, the rain stopped enough for people to spread out and dance. Each song was well received and enjoyed. I learned later that the band had been named “best New Act” at the Peach Music Festival in 2018. The magazine said that the band “takes the best parts of root music and Americana”. {Source: EverybodyWiki}
At one point, Lou comes over to me and shows me a selfie he took with Phil Lesh a few minutes earlier. He pointed me to where Phil was sitting and off I went. Phil Lesh was sitting behind a draped and skirted table that was likely meant for merchandise in an area where he could hear the band perform. As I approached the table, I told him that I followed the Dead since 1974 and wanted to thank him for all of the great music and memories the Grateful Dead has provided me all these years. It was when I extended my hand for a shake that one of the house security guys stepped between us to tell me that Phil wants to be able to enjoy the music. I told Phil I respected his wishes; he beat his heart with his closed fist to let me know “it was from the heart”. I returned to the crowd and the music and enjoyed my time with the band and our friends.
After about 90 minutes, the band took a twenty-minute break and returned to the stage with Phil on bass to the delight of the audience. They performed their own” San Francisco Rain” and got funky with the Grateful Dead nugget, “Viola Lee Blues”. After giving everyone a chance to contribute to the tune, they delivered a lovely “Ripple” from the Dead’s American Beauty album. This is one of my favorite Dead tunes and it touched a lot of hearts in the audience that night. They conclude their performance with another original tune and the show was over. Three hundred music fans were treated to a great performance by an up-and-coming band worth listening to and a four song sit in by the King of Jam Bass, eighty-one-year-old Phil Lesh. Here are links to the performance of Viola Lee Blue (https://youtu.be/j96D2A73WpI) and Ripple (https://youtu.be/Zetgzi64ohI ). Many thanks to Ed Congdon who posted these at his YouTube channel.
When the band left the stage, we ambled out to the parking lot to wade through the ponds that appeared due to the downpour. I was thinking of Phil Lesh, watching with pride as his son performs and follows in his dad’s footsteps. Just like many of us spent innumerable hours attending our children’s sporting events, cultural offerings and awards ceremonies, Phil was there to support his son and revel in a job well done.
As for those of us who took a gamble on a hunch that Phil wouldn’t pass up a chance to see Charleston and Midnight North, we were well rewarded. I didn’t know most of the three hundred or so fans who showed up for the show but I imagine that I will meet some when the conversation turns to great live music. As a lifelong Deadhead, along with friends Chris White and Jim Garvey, we have a memory that will always be a good story to tell when lovers of live music get together. My friends Lou and Chrissy Voylager Pfeiffer have been with us to see Dead & Co. shows but never saw the Grateful Dead live. They love the music, the vibe and the crowd’s energy along with the spontaneous nature of the entire evening. My wife Karen, who was at the Summer Jam in Watkins Glen (1973) and the Cornell show (5/8/77), said it was like a trip down Memory Lane.
#midnightnorth #charlestonpourhouse #phillesh #gratefuldead #Lovelivemusic #thatswhatdreamsaremadeof
Do You Believe in Magic 