Dead & Company's drummer is playing two very different S.F. shows — here's why

San Francisco Chronicle​

2 days ago

Jay Lane, the veteran Bay Area drummer known for his deep local roots and genre-spanning versatility, is preparing for two vastly different performances in San Francisco — one in front of tens of thousands of devoted Deadheads at Golden Gate Park, the other a laid-back hometown set with his own band at Thrive City.
This weekend, he returns to the spotlight as Dead & Company — featuring original Grateful Dead members Bob Weir and Mickey Hart, alongside John Mayer, Oteil Burbridge, Jeff Chimenti and Lane — headlines a three-night run at the Polo Field, Friday to Sunday, Aug. 1-3.
Each show is expected to draw around 60,000 fans, making it one of the largest gatherings in the park since Outside Lands and last year's concert featuring System of a Down.
But Lane is equally focused on something smaller. On Aug. 8, he'll lead his group, Jay Lane & the Mayhem, at Thrive City's Harmonic Jam, a free community concert outside Chase Center.
'It's just a few close friends of mine playing some music together,' Lane said. 'It's going to be free, and hopefully we'll just get them dancing. That's my mission.'
He's eager to do more shows in San Francisco, where his career began in the early 1980s, playing in groups like the Uptones and the Freaky Executives.
'It'd be nice to play around here more,' he said. 'Lord knows we need more local people playing out.'
Although Lane is now firmly embedded in the Grateful Dead orbit, he didn't grow up a fan.
'I wasn't really a Deadhead,' he said. 'I think that's why I got the gig with Bob Weir. He wanted people that didn't have their minds made up about how it was supposed to go. He wanted some fresh takes.'
Lane's connection to Dead & Company traces back to his work with Weir's band RatDog in the early '90s. At the time, he admits he knew little about the Dead's expansive catalog.
'I knew 'Touch of Grey,' but that was about it,' he said. 'And then I started listening and I was like, oh man, this goes deep.'
His appreciation for the music grew especially after discovering recordings from the band's famed Europe '72 tour.
'They were writing music together in real time,' Lane said. 'It wasn't about solos — it was like collective, improvised composition. That opened me up.'
Outside the Dead universe, Lane's résumé spans a who's who of Bay Area acts — from Alphabet Soup and the Charlie Hunter Trio to Les Claypool's bands Sausage and Primus. That last connection resurfaced recently when Primus launched a global search for a new drummer.
Lane, who was part of the band's early lineup, said he wasn't expecting a call from Claypool.
'Les knew better than to ask me,' Lane said. 'We'd been down that road before when the schedules conflicted between the two worlds. But he spoke pretty highly of me during the auditions. He kept mentioning my name as some sort of bar to meet — which is very humbling.'
Still, Lane admits that the energy surrounding the Grateful Dead community is unlike anything else.
'It's wild,' he said.
Asked if the Golden Gate Park shows are truly a farewell for Dead & Company, Lane offered a measured response.
'I wouldn't know, man,' he said. 'That might be it for this year. But you know, if they call, I'll pick up.'
As for the Thrive City gig, Lane said it provides a refreshing change of pace.
'Last time, there was like 20 people there,' he said.
But with anticipation high during the Dead's 60th anniversary summer, that number may rise dramatically.
Wherever he ends up playing, Lane says he's just grateful to keep moving.
'Here's hoping for some more gigs,' he said. 'It sure is fun.'