Foolin’ Around with the Golden Gate Wingmen – Terrapin Crossroads 3.31.16

The Golden Gate Wingmen returned to where it all started – Terrapin Crossroads – for a three-show run, March 31-April 2.  The band first launched at TXR in November of 2014 and has since taken off on a powerful flight. The All Fool’s Day Eve show on 3.31 saw the supergroup made up of John Kadlecik (DSO, Furthur), Jeff Chimenti (Ratdog, Dead & Co), Jay Lane (Ratdog, Primus) and Reed Mathis (Tea Leaf Green, Billy & the Kids) crush the room with its full, unique sound and a varied set list. Their performance illustrated what audiences quickly discover — that they are a force unto themselves and much more than a Grateful Dead tribute act.  It helps that each member of the group is not only a virtuoso on his instrument but also has the big ears necessary to make both the solos and the full group improvisation gel and flow.  Another special attribute of GGW is that it affords Reed Mathis the freedom to use his octave shifter and play bass solos on many songs in an upper register.  This is something he appears to use sparingly or not at all in his other musical outfits and at times makes the quartet sound like they have TWO guitars, keyboards, bass and drums.

The March 31 show featured two of Kadlecik originals “Golden Wings” and a very jammed out “What’s Become of Mary.” The Police’s “Walking in Your Footsteps” featured a psychedelic interlude which took the tune in a mind-bending direction to the point of deconstruction and back. Grateful Dead favorites “Brown Eyed Women,” “Loser,” “Liberty”, “Help on the Way>Slipknot!>Franklin’s Tower,” “Estimated Prophet” and “Touch of Grey” were given fresh treatments with about half of the lead vocals handled by John Kadlecik and half by Reed Mathis. And if this All Fool’s Day Eve was a tribute to anyone, it turned out to be Bob Dylan. Being a Dylan aficionado, that was just fine with me. The evening opened with “It Takes A Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry,” and also featured “Just Like a Woman,” an up-tempo “She Belongs to Me” with John playing some raunchy slide guitar at the song’s end, a gorgeous “Ring Them Bells,” and an encore of “When I Paint My Masterpiece.”

The masterpiece that is the Golden Gate Wingmen continues at Terrapin Crossroads for the next two nights. I am excited to see what other vivid colors emerge from their palette.

— By David Tracer. Denver, CO.

Golden Gate Wingmen @ Terrapin Crossroads 3/31/2016

First set:

It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry

Brown Eyed Women

What’s Become of Mary

Just Like a Woman

She Belongs to Me

Loser

Liberty

Second set:

Help on the Way>

Slipknot!>

Franklin’s Tower

Golden Wings

Estimated Prophet

Walking in Your Footsteps

Ring Them Bells

Touch of Grey

Encore: When I Paint my Masterpiece