Joe D’Amico of Mason Porter on his favorite Jerry Garcia Band songs

Tonight at the Ardmore Music Hall, Mason Porter open for Melvin Seals & JGB. Seals, was an organist with the Jerry Garcia Band for 15 years, joining in 1980 and playing in the band until Garcia died in 1995. Seals formed JGB, keeping the spirit and music of the Garcia Band very much alive.

It’s no secret that Joe D’Amico, who fronts Mason Porter, is a massive Grateful Dead and Jerry Garcia fan. Mason Porter took part of WXPN’s Day of the Dead celebration last April and played Free At Noon, performing the Dead’s Workingman’s Dead in its entirety. Opening tonight for Melvin Seals and JGB at the Ardmore Music Hall, Joe wrote about some of his favorite Jerry Garcia solos for the Ardmore Music Hall’s blog. Watch a few of them below, and go here to see the complete list.

Mason Porter opens for Melvin Seals & JGB tonight. Tickets and more information can be found on the WXPN Concert Calendar.

“Simple Twist of Fate” (Bob Dylan) – Jerry Garcia Band
“I back-pedaled into a lot of music through Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead, Dylan being the most important,” says D’Amico. “This is hands down the most emotional and dynamic version of this song.”

“The Harder They Come” (Jimmy Cliff) – Live at Keystone Vol. 1 (Jerry Garcia and Merl Saudners)
“Another staple in Jerry’s song book performed with notable Garcia collaborator Merl Saunders. Plenty of great versions exist of this to choose from.”

“After Midnight > Eleanor Rigby > After Midnight” (JJ Cale/The Beatles) – Jerry Garcia Band 3/8/80
“Forget about work for the rest of the day.”