John Carter

Don Was and his incredible Pan Detroit Ensemble

At Le Poisson Rouge NYC 10/14/26

I have never seen and/or heard the United States integrated in this way

This group mashes up San Francisco from the late 60s with Motown Detroit from the same era. This was an era that was ripe for revolution and/or change. Sound familiar?

It makes so much more sense in practice than you would expect: A Detroit based band of superstars re imagining the Grateful Dead as if Barry Gordy produced it.

The band recreated the Grateful Dead's album Blues for Allah in a way that was just on the edge of recognizability. I'm of the age, where you saw the poster for this album in Peaches or Tower Records when you were a kid.

It's my favorite Grateful Dead record.

The band also used this as an opportunity to shed light on their latest release, Groove in the Face of Adversity. What a title. What a record.

The last song at the show was a reimagining of Curtis Mayfield's This is my country.. a track he made with the Impressions. It's a poignant statement at exactly the right time.

Don Was Bass

John Douglas trumpet

Wayne Gerard guitar

Dave Mcmurray sax

Phillip Whitfield keyboards

Steffanie Christi'an voice

Mahindi Masai percussion

Jeff Canaday drums

Vince Chandler trombone