TDawg Presents brings you the finest in music that heals the soul and brings life to your life. You KNOW that a TDawg show will always be a solid show!
Make plans NOW to join us on Sunday, August 4, for our 12th Annual celebration of Jerry Garcia inside and out of The Grateful Dead. The Music Never Stops from 3 PM to Midnight, and no song is repeated. Gr8fldude & TDawg Presents are excited to feature the legendary Papa Mali this year, and he will be supported by Atlanta’s own Frankly Scarlet in what promises to be an incredible journey through the vast repertoire of Jerry Garcia! Below is a nice version of “Walk On Guilded Splinters” from the 4th Annual Holiday Hootenanny in 2014, also featuring Bobby Miller on mandolin, Kevin Scott on bass, Yonrico Scott & Mark Raudabaugh on drums, and Richie Jones on percussion. I believe you’ll enjoy!
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Speaking of the Holiday Hootenanny, it’s not too early to mark your calendar for Thursday, December 19, 2019, as the date for the 9th Annual Holiday Hootenanny at the Variety Playhouse! We’ll have exciting announcements about this year’s extravaganza at the end of August, but rest assured there are some grand plans for what has become an annual gathering of folks celebrating life, music, and Atlanta Habitat for Humanity!
Click Here to get your tickets now! $20 Advance / $30 @ Door
Where: Terminal West, 887 W Marietta St, Atlanta, GA 30318
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Schedule for Grizz Fest Performances
3 PM: Donna Hopkins Band 4 PM: Dotline Projekt 5 PM: Copious Jones 6 PM: Ain’t Sisters 7 PM: Deep Blue Sun with members of Apple Peru 8 PM: The Grapes 9:30 PM: Cleburne Jam. with Surprise Guests
Proceeds from Grizz Fest will directly benefit two music-based non-profits: 1)Gracenote Foundation,which is associated with Music on Main Street in Lilburn, GA and whose mission is to promote the role of music in child development, throughout adult life, and within communities. 2) Taproot Music Camp, continuing what Pepperland Music Camp started – a two-week overnight camp that provides instruction from professional musicians as well as traditional summer camp activities such arts & crafts with local artisans and of course swimming! No musical experience is necessary to participate.
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Deep Blue Sun @ 4th Annual Holiday Hootenanny 12/21/2014
Click Here to get your tickets now! $20 Advance / $30 @ Door
Where: Terminal West, 887 W Marietta St, Atlanta, GA 30318
Proceeds from Grizz Fest will directly benefit two music-based non-profits: 1)Gracenote Foundation,which is associated with Music on Main Street in Lilburn, GA and whose mission is to promote the role of music in child development, throughout adult life, and within communities. 2) Taproot Music Camp, continuing what Pepperland Music Camp started – a two-week overnight camp that provides instruction from professional musicians as well as traditional summer camp activities such arts & crafts with local artisans and of course swimming! No musical experience is necessary to participate.
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Grizz Fest is truly going to be a musician’s celebration of Kevin Meaders the music man. There are quite a few surprises in store for this amazing event, so be sure to grab your tickets now to ensure your place! Grapevine Talent has assembled an incredible lineup and folks continue to reach out who would like to be a part.
There have been quite a few passings that have occurred in many of my friends’ lives, some which have affected a few and some of which have affected many. To me, Grizz Fest is not only a celebration of the man they called Grizz, who touched so many and made so many special musical moments happen, but it is also an opportunity to remember our friends who have passed on from this realm.
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Enjoy this classic footage (almost 90 minutes!) from 1993 at the Variety Playhouse. Derek Trucks Band OPENED for The Grapes and Derek sits in with them.
Click Here to get your tickets now! $20 Advance / $30 @ Door
Where: Terminal West, 887 W Marietta St, Atlanta, GA 30318
The 1st annual Grizz Fest is the brainchild of Grapevine Talent (Fortin, Davidson & Hurley) and talented musicians from all over the country who have been positively impacted by Robert Kevin Meaders (1961-2019), aka The Grizz.
Kevin was a key player in the L5P underground music scene in the ‘80s & ‘90’s, while playing in bands such as The KIND and YUR. He also was manager/sound man for The Grapes, and formed Odom/Meaders Music Business Management Company with Bunky Odom (The Allman Brothers Band). The roster included Derek Trucks, Col. Bruce Hampton, The Grapes, Dr. Dan, The Urban Shake Dancers, and many more. Grizz touched a whole new generation of Atlanta musicians by doing what he loved most – sound engineering, guiding careers & making tons of friends along the way.
Grizz Fest is a celebration of Kevin’s life, music, and friendships. Please come and help us celebrate the legendary life of Robert Kevin Meaders, aka Grizz.
This will be a very special concert for Grizz, and I want to send a heartfelt thanks to Terminal West for providing us a venue worthy of this jam! Enjoy the video featuring The Grapes from January 2014 at the Variety Playhouse. We’ll be feeling that wonderful healing energy in just about six weeks y’all!
Happy New Year y’all! I hope that everyone has enjoyed a happy holiday season! Having fully recovered from the 8th Annual Holiday Hootenanny as well as taken time for reflection time upon such a wonderful event, it truly warms my heart (and hopefully yours!) to be a part of something unique and special in a time of year that can be difficult for many. We had a strong turnout of 500 for the concert, and I am proud to announce a $6,000 donation to Atlanta Habitat for Humanity, the largest donation yet! Let’s keep it up y’all and next year will easily be more! Thank YOU for caring enough to join us on a very rainy night and provide a filled room for our return to the Variety Playhouse. I felt like we were home again!
Jason Carter, Lyndsay Pruett, John Mailander
Thanks to our primary sponsor, Georgia’s own Spring Mountain Farms Chicken, all the musicians – especially Peter Rowan for flying across the country – and to Linda Brackner, Tamara Botkin, Brenda Stepp, Ben Brackner & John Griffin for their support and love of the Holiday Hoot movement. This show is indeed a labor of love that is so important in these divided times we live in these days. Can’t wait until next year!
The music was, as expected, completely over the top, as everyone brought
Jeff Mosier & Jim Lauderdale
their A-game to a night of jams that had no rehearsals, and it felt like they’d been playing together for years. It boggles the mind how good these musicians really are and how much they enjoy getting together for this annual gathering that I call OUR holiday office party on the big stage 😉 The mini set that started off the night paying tribute to the late, great Vassar Clements set the tone for the evening, featuring a fiddle trifecta that I’m sure had Vassar
Heather Gillis
flashing that smile from up above. Heather Gillis was sensational – gritty, soulful, vocals and some nasty, brilliant guitar play dominated her set. Can’t wait to do more with her in the future! Jim Lauderdale and Peter Rowan delivered exactly what you’d expect and more. You could tell that each of those two living legends were having a blast up on stage with such talented musicians surrounding them, and when Jim invited Peter on stage to sing “Sitting Alone in the Moonlight”, there was an incredible feeling of love and admiration between the two that anyone in the audience could feel. Jeff Mosier led the final set which was only fitting, and it certainly didn’t disappoint. His version of “Black Muddy River” is one of the best out there, and closing out the night with the fiddle anthem “Orange Blossom Special”, led by the incomparable Larry Keel with fiddles on fire, was the only way to go.
On that note, I really want to thank all the musicians who participated this year, it was a special one for certain. Peter Rowan, Jim Lauderdale, Heather Gillis, Larry Keel, Jeff Mosier, Jeff Sipe, Richie Jones, Bobby Miller, Jared Womack, Matthew Williams, Papa J, Bryan Lopes, Daniel Wytanis, Nick DiSebastian, Evan Sarver, Jason Carter, Lyndsay Pruett, John Mailander, Bill Fleming, Mark Henry, Franher Joseph, Kevin Thomas, and Wildman Steve. From top to bottom, what an amazing grouping of musicians to take this show on!
Stay tuned for details around the same time next year, same venue!
CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS: General Admission $35 Adv/$45 Day of Show, Reserved $45 Adv/$55 Day of Show (No service fee if purchased at the Variety Playhouse box M-F 12-6 PM or during all shows)
Vassar Clements was a dear friend to many, and I know I am grateful for the opportunity to have worked with him professionally and developed a close personal friendship with the man in the final chapter of his amazing life. Vassar first performed with Col. Bruce Hampton at HarvestFest in 1999, with Col. Bruce introducing him to the stage as the King of Kings. What a fitting title.
Vassar & TDawg 2002
On December 20, the 8th Annual Holiday Hootenanny will pay tribute to this amazing American music legend who transcended genres and generations to create a mystique all his own, performing with everyone from Bill Monroe to Jerry Garcia to Stephan Grapelli and all points in between. We will be kicking off the show with a short set of fiddle jams by one of the finer trifecta of players – Jason Carter (Del McCoury Band), Lyndsay Pruett (John Stickley Trio), John Mailander (Bruce Hornsby) – and joined by Jeff Mosier on banjo, Mark Henry on the upright bass, Matthew Williams on guitar, and Nick DiSebastian on mandolin. What a great start to the evening! The adjusted schedule is below:
7:00 – 7:15 ~ Vassar Clements Tribute
7:20 – 8:05 ~ Heather Gillis
8:30 – 9:30 ~ Jim Lauderdale
10:00 – 11:15 ~ Peter Rowan
11:20 – 12:15 AM ~ Jeff Mosier leads Jam Finale
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Here’s Vassar performing Orange Blossom Special with an all-star cast, including Jason Carter!
CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS: General Admission $35 Adv/$45 Day of Show, Reserved $45 Adv/$55 Day of Show (No service fee if purchased at the Variety Playhouse box M-F 12-6 PM or during all shows)
Wow – I can’t believe the time is almost here for another Holiday Hootenanny! What a great gift to give during this holiday season, one which supports a great cause AND provides the gift of amazing music to lift your spirits even higher! Each year I am amazed at the love and positive spirit that surrounds this event – it really is OUR holiday party and celebration. Everyone in attendance feels a connection to the music and to each other, creating quite a memorable evening in the process! Get your sitter if you need one, go ahead and purchase your ticket, and plan on coming out to the Variety Playhouse for a special night on Thursday, December 20. Zambi!
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Here’s a great clip from 2012 featuring the Mosier Brothers (Jeff & Johnny) & Friends, the last time the Holiday Hootenanny took place at the Variety Playhouse. It was an incredibly special evening with wonderful friends on stage and in the audience. See if you can name all the participating musicians 😉
