Uncle Shoehorn Debuts a “Funky DEAD Party” at Garcia’s

Uncle Shoehorn is propelling the music of the Grateful Dead in an innovative and uniquely satisfying new direction with a show billed as a Funky DEAD Party. The event, which kicks off a full year of performances, debuts at Garcia’s at the Capitol Theater in Port Chester, NY at 8:00PM on Wednesday, December 7.

The Capitol Theater (and it’s club stage, Garcia’s) is the preeminent venue in the northeast for musicians lovingly working to sustain music and spirit of the Grateful Dead in the hearts, minds and ears of all those who have enjoyed the Dead’s special sound and inimitable vibe throughout the decades. Uncle Shoehorn’s Funky DEAD Party promises to deliver a jolt of fresh, horn-driven energy to a musical heritage already known for great danceability and fun.

Uncle Shoehorn, the perennial favorite of Warwick Valley’s live music scene, has been playing for more than a decade around Orange County and Northern New Jersey. “Beginning in 2005, our group – then a five piece – performed plenty of Grateful Dead material along with selections from other classic rock and blues greats like Bob Dylan, Little Feat, Little Milton, Magic Sam and others, building up a loyal fan base over time,” said Tony Vee, lead guitar and singer for the group. “But by the end of 2015, the band was growing hungry for a new sound and direction.”

“Adding horns to some of our existing material had long been a frustrated objective,” according to guitarist and vocalist Todd Lapenna. “In December of 2015 we finally found some players from Warwick’s burgeoning Jazz scene interested in joining a project focused on New Orleans funk like Doctor John, Galactic, Rebirth Brass Band and others; Classic Soul like James Brown, Bobby Byrd and Johnny Taylor; and Blues like Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy and BB King.” Adding a trumpet, tenor sax and trombone to the mix sent Uncle Shoehorn off into a funky and entirely new direction, as the band launched a new show billed as Uncle Shoehorn’s Funky Dance Party.

The Funky Dance Party was an instant success. The band has performed to sold-out houses since debuting the concept in January of 2016. “By late summer though,” says bassist Max Aronov, “we began to hear from long-time fans who missed hearing us play our Dead repertoire. We decided to explore ways we could apply our tight, funky horn section to the Dead catalog we all love and revere,” Aronov continued. “But there were no native horn parts in the Dead’s music for us to cop, except for those 90’s-era Branford Marsalis shows and one or two studio recordings,” remarked Lapenna, whose Master’s degree in music prepared him for the writing and charting of horn arrangements for classic Grateful Dead selections.

Uncle Shoehorn tested the concept this past summer at the Warwick Valley Winery’s annual Dead Tribute Festival. It was immediately met with raucous and enthusiastic support by the crowd of more than 1500 Deadheads in attendance. Flush from that successful trial, Uncle Shoehorn set to work to produce a show for Garcia’s that will include equal parts Funky Dance music and Funky Dead music. Tickets on sale now.

About Uncle Shoehorn

Uncle Shoehorn is an 8-piece band paying homage to the indelible mark made by American heritage music on popular culture; exploring selections from across the wide spectrum of American musical styles including Blues, Funk, Soul, R&B, Rock & Roll, Folk, Classic Country, and even a taste of Bluegrass.

Learn more about Uncle Shoehorn | www.facebook.com/uncleshoehorn