The Days Between at The Hamilton
August 1, 1942 was the day Jerry Garcia, one of the most influential figures in contemporary music, came into the world. He died, tragically, at age 53, on August 9, 1995.
The seven-day range between his birthday and the date of his passing is known as “The Days Between,” and is celebrated with nationwide musical festivals that pay tribute to the legendary guitarist and singer-songwriter’s life and music.
Locally, you’ll find it at The Hamilton Live, which has been staging a “Days Between” celebration since 2013. With The Hamilton’s doors once again open, this year’s festival has had what one might call a powerful ripple effect on Garcia fans, with tickets selling at a record pace.
“People get very excited about it,” says Dave Moran, area director of operations for Clyde’s Restaurant Group, which owns The Hamilton. “Typical of Grateful Dead fans, they come every night because they’re going to see something different every night.”
This year’s concerts kick off with Melvin Seals & JGB on Wednesday, August 4. A keyboardist in the original Jerry Garcia Band, Seals is highly regarded for his deft touch on the Hammond B3 organ, with its unmistakable tremolo.
It’s followed on Friday, August 6, by Splintered Sunlight, a magnificent Grateful Dead tribute band out of Philly, and concludes Saturday, August 7, with a performance by The Garcia Project, who pick a random Jerry Garcia Band show and perform it in its entirety, note for note. “We’re not going to know what show it’s going to be until the end, when they announce what it is,” says Moran.
Moran, 55, is no stranger to the Dead, counting himself among the faithful. “It’s a passion of mine,” he says. “I saw my first Grateful Dead show in May of 1980, and went on to see 127 shows with Jerry still around. I’ve probably seen another 200 since 1995. Somewhere along the line, it went from simply being a teenager and going to a rock concert with my friends to really understanding there was something really more to this.
“I always tell people that, to me, it’s the community. We’re all in this together, it’s a shared experience. Yes, it’s about the music, but there’s something altruistic about the Grateful Dead’s message of ‘Be kind.'”
Seated and standing-room tickets for “The Days Between” concerts range from $20 to $40. The Hamilton is located at 600 14th St. NW. Visit live.thehamiltondc.com for availability.
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