Smart Bets: Dirty Dead

The members of the Asheville-based Grateful Dead/Jerry Garcia Band tribute group Dirty Dead feel that imitating or emulating the creations of their musical heroes is a fruitless exercise. Instead, the ensemble uses its players’ diverse backgrounds to bring distinctly modern takes on the Dead’s beloved songs to the stage, uniting such styles as reggae, hip-hop, psychedelia and funk within a single tune. Performing live since September 2016, the group was founded by Paul Drum DeCirce (guitar/flute/vocals), who plays alongside John Humphries (guitar/mandolin/vocals), Bryan Solleveld (keys), Eric Swanson (bass/vocals) and Sean Mason (drums). Dirty Dead brings its live experience to Ambrose West on Thursday, July 12, for an 8:30 p.m. show. Free to attend. $5-10 suggested donation. ambrosewest.com. Photo by Dara Frustasi

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About Edwin Arnaudin
Edwin Arnaudin is a staff writer for Mountain Xpress. He also reviews films for ashevillemovies.com and is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association (SEFCA) and North Carolina Film Critics Association (NCFCA). Follow me @EdwinArnaudin

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