Events

[JAM] The Grateful Dead aside, Max Creek basically created the jam band template—something Phish’s Mike Gordon will wholly attest to. Originally hailing from Connecticut of all places, Max Creek has been in business since 1971, but the most telling bit of data is that throughout such a long, storied career, the band has put out a total of six albums—the first of which didn’t even come out until 1977. This is a band built entirely as a touring unit. By working hard well into the 1990s, the Creek have amassed an astonishingly devoted audience of fans that trade their shows and still turn up to see them, despite an increasingly slowed schedule over the last 15 years. And yes, the tone of a Max Creek show is shaped by the Grateful Dead, who they often cover (or perform covers of blues songs that the Dead favored). But the chemistry between the players makes Creek a special case: this isn’t a Dead cover band, but rather a five-piece jam band with its own, very distinct musical personality. Peppered between the Grateful Dead material are often tunes by the Band, Dylan, Donovan, the Rolling Stones and others. Now celebrating more than 40 years of music, the current lineup features founding member and bassist John Rider, along with Scott Murawski and Mark Mercier who together form the core trio. Newly acquired drummers Bill Carbone and Jamemurrell Stanley came on board in 2011. Lose yourself in the music on Friday, September 25 at Buffalo Iron Works with Cosmic Kat opening.