On Saturday, the Rex Foundation hosted its Black Tie-Dye Ball Fall Fundraiser at the New York Society for Ethical Culture. Before the evenings musical segment, Mickey Hart appeared at a pre-concert reception alongside such Grateful Dead-family luminaries as Donna Jean Godchaux-MacKay, David Nelson Tom Constanten, Michael Falzarano (Hot Tuna), Rob Barraco, Greg Anton (Zero, Heart of Gold Band), Wendy Lanter (Hope in Time) and David MacKay (Heart of Gold Band). The Zen Tricksters then served as the evenings house band, playing a two-set show which folded in each of the evenings guests. Hart opened the evenings festivities by adding vocals and cowbell to an all-star version of Iko Iko, before slipping into the night. The Zen Tricksters continued to weave each of the evenings guests into their set, including the two-keyboardist attack of Constanten and former Trickster Barraco. According to musical director, and Zen Tricksters guitarist, Jeff Mattson, the evenings highlights included Ripple, Garden of Eden, I’ll Be With Thee and Goin’ Down the Road Feeling Bad, during which time Relix Publisher, and Rex Foundation honcho, Steve Bernstein brought perennial New York concertgoer Dancing Will onstage.
The Rex Foundation will host its next Black Tie-Dye Ball in Washington, DC on December 3 with the Dark Star Orchestra providing the evenings entertainment.