Continuing the legacy that rockers John Dawson and Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead began some 40 years ago, the New Riders of the Purple Sage rock band will be in concert at The Ridgefield Playhouse on Saturday, March 13, at 8 p.m. The New Riders of the Purple Sage (NRPS) are popular to a whole new audience of Grateful Dead fans because of their association with Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh and Mickey Hart. Deadheads love the New Riders of the PurpleSageTM as substitutes for the real deal. The band will perform new songs from their 2009 release “Where I Come From” as well as numbers that they’ve taken from the Grateful Dead legacy of John Dawson and Jerry Garcia. This concert is sponsored by Danbury Holiday Inn, and the media sponsor is The Fox 95.9 fm.
Although their initial sound was country-acid rock, they later gravitated towards country rock. The NRPS were signed to Columbia Records by Clive Davis and released their eponymous first album in September 1971 to widespread acclaim. In the next 11 years, the band toured and released more than 12 albums, with sales surpassing 4 million.
The current lineup of musicians includes band principals David Nelson on lead guitar and vocals, and Buddy Cage on pedal steel guitar and dobro (resonator guitar), with Michael Falzarano (Hot Tuna) on guitar and vocals, Ronnie Penque on bass and vocals and Johnny Markowski (Stir Fried) on drums and vocals. John Dawson, an original band member in the ‘70’s, passed away in 2009 but had given the band his blessing to ensure that his music would be heard by a new generation of fans.
The New Riders of the Purple SageTM received a Lifetime Achievement Award from High Times magazine at their Doobie Awards in September 2001. They performed hits including “Lonesome L.A. Cowboy” and “Panama Red” at the festivities which took place at B.B. King’s Blues Club in New York City.
For tickets ($45 orch., $40 mezz.) to New Riders of the Purple Sage, call or visit the box office at The Ridgefield Playhouse at (203) 438-5795, 80 East Ridge, parallel to Main Street, Ridgefield, CT, or buy tickets online at www.ridgefieldplayhouse.org.
