Grateful Shred has released a two-song single featuring the live covers of the “The Harder They Come” and “Bertha”.
The audio of the two songs was pulled from the band’s two-night stand at San Francisco’s The Independent on December 19th-20th of last year. The selections, the former from the Jerry Garcia Band repertoire and the latter the Grateful Dead, highlight the diversity of this west coast-based Dead tribute act.
Adam MacDougall‘s keyboards shine through in the Merl Saunders role on “The Harder They Come”, and the familiar tone of his Fender Rhodes and Hohner D6 Clavinet are immediately familiar to any fans of Circles Around The Sun, where he also plays keys alongside fellow Shred member, bassist Dan Horne.
Related: Bored Grateful Dead Fan Builds “Wall Of Sound” With Legos [Video]
On “Bertha”, Grateful Shred showcases why they’ve built a following as one of the premiere Dead acts on the west coast. With guitarist Sam Blasucci taking lead vocals on this tune, the band is able to put the same kind of high-energy enthusiasm the Dead would in the prime of the mid-1970s. While the song goes for a modest 6:29 run time, it manages to accomplish plenty during its duration. An inspired guitar solo from Clay Finch comes roaring in to keep the energy up while still managing to break some new sonic ground. The tenacity that comes out of “Bertha” is the ideal yin to the laid back yang of “The Harder They Come”, resulting in a heady brew for this single.
Listen to “The Harder They Come” and “Bertha” from the new Grateful Shred single.
Grateful Shred – “The Harder They Come”/”Bertha” – 12/19–20/2019
Grateful Shred, like every other band, is currently dealing with the fallout over COVID-19. The band’s scheduled appearance this past weekend at Skull & Roses Festival was axed, and the event was postponed until 2021. Likewise, Grateful Shred’s upcoming three-night stand at New York’s Brooklyn Bowl has also been canceled. Keep tabs on Grateful Shred by visiting its website.