It’s no secret that just north of the Golden Gate Bridge, where eclectic Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart just capped a 75th anniversary celebration with music inspired by the bridge itself, has long been a home-base for all things Dead. But with the recent reopening of Mill Valley’s Sweetwater Music Hall, and San Rafael’s Terrapin Crossroads, it’s even clearer that the four winds have blown deadheads safely home to Marin County.
When the old Sweetwater closed in 2007 many Mill Valley and area residents mourned. The closing of the intimate place that had seen more than a few stars pass through over the years left a major gap to be filled in the community. Five years later with the help of several partners, including Bob Weir, the scene has been revitalized. The new Sweetwater Music Hall opened this past January. With a new location, new bar, and a new venue not much reminiscing has taken place. There hasn’t been much of a reason to look back.
Having experienced the old place and walking into the new place, it was very evident that the spirit of the Sweetwater was alive and well. The beautifully constructed courtyard, the quaint café and dining area, and the overall placement in downtown Mill Valley spoke directly to the community-gathering place locals had hoped the Sweetwater would fill again once reopened. However, the bar and venue space is where the real charm was found, showcasing a comfortable bar area, perfect dance floor, and immaculate sound emanating from the stage.
It was no coincidence that I ended up having my fist new experience at the Sweetwater framed by a show featuring Stu Allen and the Mars Hotel. Stu is an extended Dead family member who plays the music with the integrity and passion essential to unlocking the magic of the catalogue. It was a fitting way to get acquainted with a venue rich in musical history and legend in the area, especially when speaking to the legacy of the Grateful Dead.
I was able to speak with one of the investors who helped make the reopening happen, Paul Winston, during the set break of Friday’s show before walking up a block to check out a nearby artistically inspired meditation garden. Paul shared his enthusiasm for the project, for his community, and for bringing back a special place to music lovers far and wide. He spoke to the vision of the new Sweetwater being a living room for guests to have a comfortable night out, and that the sound in the venue was no fluke. It was actually “built for [Grateful Dead] style rock and roll”, and was a true labor of love by all those involved.
It’s close to 1 a.m. now and the dance floor is warm, sweaty, and smiles are adorned by all. Stu and his band have brought the Sweetwater to unison after two immaculate sets of high energy Grateful Dead music. Although the Deadheads stand out in their unwavering connection to each chord, lyrical, and jam progression offered by the band, it’s obvious that many are just here to enjoy a few drinks and see who’s playing. The cool thing about the Sweetwater is its rich history, community value, and that it holds an even brighter future looking ahead. Even though the Dead vibe is highly influential here you don’t have to be a Deadhead to enjoy all the Sweetwater has to offer. Sure, some nights will speak more to that scene than others, but this place is for music lovers, and for those that respect the sense of community music has brought to this regional area for many years. Although, if you’re really looking to tap into a more Deadcentric feeling on the regular, you don’t have to travel too far as the Terrapin Crossroads is less than eight miles away up the 101.
If the Sweetwater is a locally informed place for Mill Valley and the north Bay Area music scene, Terrapin Crossroads in the same thing only more for Deadheads. The place itself is a product of a dream long held by Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh to have a musical home in Marin County. After plans to build a barn in the spirit of the East Coast rambles facilitated by late musical hero Levon Helm fizzled, Lesh bought a few properties in San Rafael and created Terrapin Crossroads to fulfill his West Coast dream.
The facility is stunning, housed right on the water with a beautiful outdoor patio dining area. The inside is equally impressive so much so that it almost feels a bit overwhelmingly upscale than one might expect. There’s a gorgeous bar serving a delicious beer, wine and cocktail selection as well as a spacious dining area and comfortable lounge space upstairs. In the past several weeks since its spring opening there have been long night ragers and intimate bar shows mixed with events like a storytelling evening, and even the first Telstar Jam session that I was able to attend this past Sunday.
The Telstar show was not your normal night of music. In fact, when Phil greeted the crowd he made mention that as a band tonight, “we don’t know where we’re gonna go”, to bring “no expectations” to the show, and that he was “happy people were weird enough” to come out tonight. The show lasted about 1:40 and was most accurately described as one long spacey jam. Every few minutes the feel would shift and a new tease might be heard, such as “Revolution 9” or “Dancin’ in the Streets,” however the band did sing a bit, offering both verses of “Dark Star” as well as a slowly peaking version of “Morning Dew” to finish the set.
It seemed that a few of those who attended the show were hoping for more of a Dead set experience even though the bill accurately described what was offered. Regardless, the night was unique and a special set of music played by Phil, John Kadlecik, Adam MacDougall, Jon Graboff, and Jaz Sawyer. After all of these years of music it was truly a stand-alone type night, something no one in attendance has heard the likes of unless they had attended one of the infamous Acid Tests in the 1960’s. Phil couldn’t have looked happier. His vibe on this evening seemed to capture the essence of what many who have been attending Terrapin Crossroads shows regularly have been sharing, and what I also felt after spending some time at his place last Sunday. Inspiration.
The Bay Area has long been a home for all things Grateful Dead, but in reality home just got a lot more centered and way more rootsy. With a Dead influenced space like the Sweetwater hosting diverse musical acts weekly, and a straight home for Deadheads in Terrapin Crossroads offering several new adventures each month the greater music community in this north Bay Area enclave from Mill Valley to San Rafael is beaming with vibrancy. Not only that, but the efforts put forth by many, notably Grateful Dead alumni Bob Weir and Phil Lesh, are making sure that if you get confused there’s more than one extraordinary spot to listen to the music play in Marin County.
