SPAGA, the jazz trio led by The Disco Biscuits keyboardist Aron Magner, has announced a series of SPAGA Plays Dead tour dates following the debut of the band’s Grateful Dead tribute at Toulouse Theatre in New Orleans on April 30th during Jazz Fest.
Consisting of bassist Jason Fraticelli and drummer Matt Scarano in addition to Magner on keys, the “mostly acoustic” jazz trio will play songs from the Grateful Dead canon along the East Coast in early June, but first they will debut SPAGA Plays Dead in New Orleans as part of Live For Live Music‘s Fest By Nite series during Jazz Fest. The set was originally scheduled to take place at Brooklyn Comes Alive in 2020 but never happened since the event was canceled due to COVID-19. Since then, Magner has continued to beef up his Grateful Dead chops playing with drummer Bill Kreutzmann as a member of Billy & The Kids. The Dead supergroup, which also features Reed Mathis and Tom Hamilton, has been inactive since 2021 but will reunite in New Orleans for Fleur De Dead on April 27th, just three days before the debut of SPAGA Plays Dead at Toulouse Theatre.
SPAGA will then take its Grateful Dead tribute on the road in June: “We will begin on Thurs in Westchester County NY at the Emelin Theatre , a modern performing arts center,” Magner wrote on social media. “Friday June 2, we tap into the swanky Manhattan jazz club vibes The Iridium on Broadway. Saturday brings the show to our home town of Ardmore as part of Ardmore Music Hall’s annual #UnlimitedDevotion festival celebration. And the run will conclude with summer Sunday vibes in Washington DC at the beautiful The Hamilton with Mikaela Davis.”
Tickets for SPAGA Plays Dead are on sale now.
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