Mickey Hart Seeks Poster From His Grateful Dead Debut, New Conversation with Marco Benevento
Colorado Elementary Schools Put on Gamehendge Play, Remembering Ike Willis

May 19, 2026
NEWS
Mickey Hart has shared a post online in which he pronounced his intent to acquire the Grateful Dead’s original concert poster from their two-night stand on September 29 and 30, 1967, at the Straight Theater in San Francisco – shows tagged as the percussionist’s first with the ensemble.
FEATURE
“It’s been almost four years since my last album,” Marco Benevento says, as he traces the origins of his forthcoming Big Crown debut, Glera. “However, I’ve been very productive since then. I finally finished my record and it’s coming out on a really dope record label. And I’m super excited about.”
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WATCH
“The kids are alright” took on new meaning last week after students from three elementary schools convened to stage a theatrical performance that paid homage to Phish’s Gamehendge epic. Put on for the friends and families of a cast made up of Colorado kindergarten through fifth graders, the presentation leaned into a full bank of Phish material, supported by a five-piece live band, including the program’s mastermind, music teacher Kirk Kubicek.
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NEWS
Ike Willis, the vocalist and guitarist who toured and recorded with Frank Zappa for a decade, died on Saturday, May 16. In his tenure with the band, Willis contributed to some of Zappa’s most enduring albums and became a beloved fixture of the artist’s musical world and fan community. He was 70.
RECAP
Toy Factory Project, the Southern rock supergroup honoring Toy Caldwell and the music of The Marshall Tucker Band, took the stage in Wilmington, N.C. last night to set off their four-stop spring tour. After making their electrifying debut at the 52nd annual Telluride Bluegrass Festival last June and setting up at Port Chester, N.Y.’s The Capitol Theatre in February, the powerhouse outfit set out on their long-awaited circuit with an 18-song tribute to their inspiration at Wilmington, N.J.’s Greenfield Lake Amphitheater.
NEWS
The Terrapin Roadshow has expanded its artist lineup for its August 23, 2026, concert at Two Rivers Park in Glenwood Springs, Colo. According to the latest dispatch, founding member of Little Feat, Bill Payne, will be joining an existing roster that features Grahame Lesh, Bill Nershi, Kyle Hollingsworth, Mark Levy, Ross James, and Elliott Peck.
NEWS
Song Summit has unveiled the musical participants and daily schedules for its August 27-29, 2026, gathering taking place in the heart of Park City, Utah. The impending event continues the mingling of food and music-focused entertainment with sweeping views of the Wasatch Range. This occasion has already been parsed into daily lineups, weaving a three-day schedule that draws on the senses.














