JD Torian

Palatable Dead, Perfect Night

Had a good Buckdancer’s Choice gig tonight. That’s the band I play bass in. It’s mainly Grateful Dead music, some Southern rock, but as a friend says, we’re a “palatable” version of the Grateful Dead band thing for people who say they like the Grateful Dead but don’t like them too much if you know what I mean.

We’ve got mandolin and fiddle, and it’s a great mix. There were ups and downs at first, but I knew this was a band to stick with, and it’s just so worth it, because now it’s just fun.

It’s a way to keep sharp, and honestly I wish we played more. It’d be easier. I really have to tune up the week of, since it’s my only bass gig right now.

And being in Austin, there’s nobody that isn’t at least Grateful Dead-adjacent.

Very grateful for the gig and these guys. A good lesson in trusting yourself, because there were a few times I wanted to quit, but something was telling me it was the right thing to do.

And here we are—another gig.

10-year-old me is slapping me some kind of metaphysical high five right now.

#austin music #band dynamics #bass #gig life #grateful dead #live music #long game #musicianship #practice #southern rock #sticking with it