Quixote's True Blue

WOW!

Turn my whole world upside down!

The creation and cancellation of SKULL & ROSES has produced a tremendous effect which ripples throughout this tight knit community in numerous and unexpected ways. As an avid fan with a voracious appetite for all things Grateful Dead, I was a little worried that this might just be a little too much, but somehow it felt just exactly perfect. I attended twice and was impressed and amazed to see so many different obsessive parts of our community come together in a Grateful Dead convention and it be perfectly normal as if it was as it always should be. The guitar collection curated by Nathan Bidner, the photos by Jay Blakesberg Photography, the Wall Of Sound backdrop, meeting the most famous deadhead of all Mr. Bill Walton, talking to Rosie Mcgee along with seeing my friends old and new that make up the fabric of the Grateful Dead community was so comforting. This is before seeing the bands, once the music started it was a Utopian dream come true with the likes of Dark Star Orchestra, Phil Lesh and Friends, Jerry's Middle Finger and this year a huge Colorado contingent led by Shakedown Street, The Cosmic Charlies and the illustrious Dave Hebert on the stage all working together to elevate the music felt like a Utopian dream It was so nice to see others so dedicated to a cause that is close to my heart.

When me and my brothers first opened Quixote's True Blue it was to fill a deeply personal hole in our heart created by the unfortunate departure of Jerry Garcia way too soon. What we found was something way bigger than the walls of any space could contain. We discovered each other and discovered that we indeed were everywhere. This thing was no flash in the pan. Soon we opened Sancho's Broken Arrow and my brother Phil Bianchi would hold court in the friendly confines of that building and extolling the virtues of a certain Standing on the Moon or how the band controlled the weather. It was glorious thing.

There were successes and there were failures, but we kept forging ahead. There is always risk and the line that delineates success and failure is so thin. Skull and Roses built the foundations of something beautiful, but as I have learned thorough trial and error, "it seldom turns out the way it does in the song."

I have also learned through my adventures that when one door closes, another opens. I wanted to salvage some of the energy keep the music flowing, so I reached out to my friends Jake Wolf and Ben Rafferty and we conjured up a way to keep the music flowing for all of our friends who were planning a big weekend. What we came up was pretty sweet and mostly intake version of Sages And Spirits along with Cosmic Kush for an event that same weekend.

This is a epic way to spend you weekend!

Sages & Spirits Bicycle Day & 420 Fest: w/Cosmic Kush

So Many Roads Museum and Brewery is very excited to announce that Sages And Spirits will be here on Bicycle Day and for the illustrious 4/20 holiday.

That's right, this magical configuration will be blessing the new stage with the wisdom and spirits of the Grateful Dead. We are honored to have John Kadlecik, Rob Barraco, Skip Vangelas, Rob Eaton, Jay Lane and Chris Sheldon here to celebrate in style.

Our good friends, Cosmic Kush, featuring members of The Cosmic Charlies and Three Days in the Saddle, will be playing beforehand in the Sancho's Unbroken Chain Lounge.

Love will see you through!

Tickets are on sale now!

Coming soon to the closest So Many Roads Museum and Brewery in Denver near you is the

YOU CAN'T ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU WANT FESTIVAL!

When?
4/19 Bicycle Day $40/$50
4/20 Celebration Day $40/$50
4/21 Earth Day $40/$50

Who?
Special Guest with players to be named later!
Cosmic Kush featuring Gary Howard, Fleeb Keith Thomas and Ben Rafferty of The Cosmic Charlies and Alyssa Medina and Karl Kushner of Three Days in the Saddle

Well, FORGOTTEN SPACE with Stu Allen was just incredible as they hit songs from every Grateful Dead era with a keen introspective sense of how the band built and created their sets. It is a joy to see this band each and every time as they fill the songs with new life.

So Many Roads Museum and Brewery continues to grow and prosper with new bands coming in all the time as well as a good dose of nostalgia.

Mondays are Open Stage which has showcased some of the best hidden talent around.
Tuesday we spin records.
Wednesdays are a Widespread Panic Tribute Night with members of Three Days in the Saddle and The Cosmic Charlies paying tribute to one of the most enduring and endearing jambands around. Show starts at 6pm

Thursday we have the The Lucky Losers showcasing their blues which has earned them Winners of 5 Independent Blues Awards in 2021 including Artist & Song of the year and saw them become a finalist International Songwriting Competition 2020. After they play, we have Sequoia Rose brings a mixture of country bluegrass and folk.

Friday is Yesterday's Dead (Grateful Dead tribute) @ So Many Roadsfeating members of Shakedown Street and Left Hand Monkey Wrench with the D'Lovlies opening.

Saturday is Rocky Mountain Grateful Dead R***e featuring Jake Wolf of Sages And Spirits, Paul Murin of DeadPhish Orchestra, Jim Allard from Shakedown Street and Dark Star Orchestra, Michael Kirkpatrick of The Holler! and Pickin on the Dead with the illustious Bill McKay from Leftover Salmon and Derek Trucks Band. I can't wait to see this!

Sunday the 14th is the The Legendary Kathouse Pickers throwing down fast and furious to make you curious at 4pm.

Wednesday April 17th is the Return of King Yellowman!

Saturday 4/20 is a nexus of sounds as the Ween meets Phish with WeenerPHish and THE GRATEFUL DEAD with Dead Alive.

SEE you real soon!

The Soultrain to Funky Town starts tonight with Deshawn D'Vibes Alexander's 🍉 Watermelon Funk Saturday, March 30, 8pm & Sunday, March 31, 4pm. With special guest, members of George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic Benzel Baltimore and Garrett Shider Star Child Jr P-Funk. Get ready to get your groove on with D'VIBES Watermelon Soul Train w/Members of Parliament Funkadelic

This week at So Many Roads Museum and Brewery, we are very excited to bring back

Spiral Light on Wednesday the 20th with their wild and expansive exploration of classic Grateful Dead and the like.

Super Premium Ultra Deluxe returns for another action packed Thursday of Funky jams and jazz.

Tumbledown Shack and Scoop - The Band takeover the airwaves on Friday the 22nd for an action packed Friday that includes an Fundraiser for Positive Vibes Glass Shop.

On Saturday the 23rd we bring the spirit of The Allman Brothers onto the stage with In Memory: An Allman brothers Tribute preceded by Gritty Soles at 6pm

Next Wednesday the 27th is the triumphant return of Crew de Lou who made quite a musical impression last with time with their lively renditions of songs and their colorful hometown entourage.

On Friday the 29th WeenerPhish throws a free show to celebrate the newly minted Sancho's Unbroken Chain while DJJorraJorra

And on Saturday the 30th is Deshawn D'Vibes Alexander and Watermelon Funk performing a D'VIBES Watermelon Soul Train followed by an Easter Revival with some more Watermelon Funk Session

More surprises to come later this week!

So fun!

Friday and Saturday So Many Roads Museum and Brewery welcomes Skull & Roses Festival Preparty with Colorado's own Shakedown Street and the Alligatorz from California to the new and improved stage configuration with Electric Whiskey Experiment assisting with the atmosphere in the front Sancho's Unbroken Chain lounge. This is one hell of a party with our favorite friends from the West coast providing plenty of good times. It's been a long strange trip and I am sure it's going to get stranger.

It is amazing that I was only 19 years old when Shakedown Street just started. This group has been faithfully serving up Grateful Dead music for almost two generations and it looks like no end is in sight. SKULL & ROSES has invited both Shakedown Street and The Cosmic Charlies to be a part of the greatest single celebration of the communal/community Grateful Dead scene around. This festival is a glorious exploration into all facets of the scene.

Come get a little taste of this festival in our little slice of heaven.

We are so very excited to have Melvin Seals and JGB play once again at the new and improved So Many Roads Museum and Brewery. We have flipped the stage to the other side of the venue the result is a much bigger, dynamic stage with better sightlines. The concert hall feels so good and who better to break it in than our favorite keyboard player in the whole wide world Mr. Melvin Seals. We are so proud to have this band featuring the amazing John Kadlecik of Furthur, Dark Star Orchestra and Sages And Spirits on vocals and lead guitar grace the stage with his cohorts John-Paul McLean on bass and vocals and Jeremy Hoenig tear it up on drums. This unit doesn't just carry the spirit of Jerry Garcia like a time capsule, but they elevate and evolve the music with the changing times.

Over the years of seeing Melvin Seals and JGB in so many different configurations this particular one has seperated itself from the others and risen to the top. You can seee the dedication in this band and you can see that they take the songs into their heart and they matter. Each time they play a song they make it new and different and they make it their own. We feel very privileged to have the honor of hosting this treasure of a band for 4 shows in three nights.

We are also honored to have Lazy Summer Home on in Sancho's Unbroken Chain before and after the main event, Dijon Mustang on Saturday night and Faded Mirage on Sunday along with a whole slew of vendors each and every night.

This is going to be a good one!

Surprise of the month was Super Premium Ultra Deluxe on Thursdays at So Many Roads Museum and Brewery. Each week they played well, but this Thursday they were absolutely pulsing with you guessed it SUPER PREMIUM ULTRA DELUXE jams that originated from ethereal place of funk and jazz. It was divine, it was uplifting and it was inspiring. With that being said, we are very lucky that it is leap year and we have one more Thursday possible than if it were not.

More importantly, SPUD has signed on to play the merry month of March. So watch out, if you don't want to start spontaneously dancing you should avoid them this band.

If you do, you know the place to be!

Tonight Tumbledown Shack returns to So Many Roads Museum and Brewery to light the the songs with sense and color. More than that, do not ask!

On Sunday we have the fabulous Deshawn D'Vibes Alexander return for an early show. Like usual, he will bring the funk!

"Don't forget to stop and smell the roses"

When I started this project so many years ago, it was because I truly found myself when I went to a Grateful Dead show. I was fragile and broken growing up in a family where the word LOVE was tossed around so flippantly. I had seen my mom beaten so many times in the name of love. I remember the police coming to the house and and asking us questions if everything was alright and I would always answer that it was fine. But it wasn't and I couldn't understand why they wouldn't know it. It wasn't okay when they found my mom in the highline canal and took her to the hospital because of a failed su***de.

I had seen such cruelity bandied about while speaking of love so I decided to separate myself from emotions. I started to pretend that I was not one of us and just an observer on this world. I would compartmentalize my life as a survival tool.

This was not the LOVE that I wanted to be part of. So I dealt with it by blocking it out and working hard at school. I figured poverty was the reason behind this and so chose to be a doctor to escape this cycle. I was down to buy the script and become a productive member of the upper working class and labored to fulfill that dream.

But I had one obnoxious VICE and it was music. I loved music and I was becoming addicted to the Grateful Dead. Yes, I tried to hide this addiction, but it was becoming quite apparent that I had a problem with this band. My brother Phil Bianchi had the same problem with this band. It was through the connection of the Grateful Dead I started to communicate with my brother as a friend I chose rather than an arbitrary accesory that was assigned to me when I was born. He lived vicariously encouraging me to see more shows and I would demand I call him right after the show with field reports. My favorite was when I called him at the front desk of the fancy restaurant he worked at called Strings and I told him about Brent Mydland singing Hey Jude into Dear Mister Fantasy and back into Hey Jude and back and forth and he kept yelling at me what the f**k, shut the f**k up, really and I heard the hostess yelling at him to shut up and I tried to stop telling the story so he wouldn't get in trouble but he kept goading me to tell more by being so incredulous. He could not contain his excitement at all and it was awesome. We were a team, we were more than brothers, we were more than friends. We had found a path to the light.

We had embarked on the golden road to unlimited devotion.

There were so many glorious adventures until Jerry Garcia died and we were left in a state of shock. My brother was a wanted man in Texas and I called him to come back and help me open a little place which we called a VFW outpost for deadheads called Quixote's True Blue and we poured all our love into it. It made all sorts of magic happen, spread the seeds that helped create this burgeoning music scene, but it demanded much. Whatever she demanded I gave her back in spades and she gave back with the birth of Sancho's Broken Arrow, Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom, Dulcinea's 100th Monkey, Owsley's Golden Road, Be On Key Psychedelic Ripple and finally the greatest of all the creations: So Many Roads Museum and Brewery and Sancho's Unbroken Chain. She was the rose that The Little Prince dedicated so much to and she was unique in all the world.

I don't know, it must have been the roses
The roses or the ribbons in her long brown hair
I don't know, maybe it was the roses
All I know was I could not leave her there

This place which channels all the previous places is ready to fulfill the dreams of the past. It is uniquely equipped to do so with the lounge in front leading to concert hall. This place is awesome and amazing and I am currently looking for the Charlie Bucket or Bucketts to run this place after I am gone for I realize suddenly that I am ephemeral:

“But what does that mean– ‘ephemeral’?” repeated the little prince, who never in his life had let go of a question, once he had asked it.

“It means, ‘that which is in danger of speedy disappearance.'"

Yes, "I gotta go, but my friends can stick around." I dedicated my life to this place, but in doing so I lost a little bit of my freedom. I sometimes forgot to stop and smell the roses. I hurt people I truly loved with my monomaniacal quest. I could have been less exhuberent.

Meanwhile, So Many Roads Museum and Brewery is here to stay. It is necessary and it has a legendary month coming up.

I am very excited about what is going on with this place and I can't wait to see how it evolves, but one thing for sure, it is changing for the better.

This next weekend with Melvin Seals and JGB is going to be a phenomenal, transformational and utterly blissful showcase of what this place can do. The additions of Lazy Summer Home, Dijon Mustang and Faded Mirage in the front is going to be an extra treat. The place wil be absoluely pulsing with energy. If you have not seen this new set-up be prepared to be amazed.

This will be followed the next weekend by phenomenal shows from Skull & Roses Presents: The Alligators & Shakedown Street with Electric Whiskey Experiment

Followed by the highly anticipated Three Days in the Saddle Farewell Shows on St. Paddy's Weekend.

Prepare to see so many blossoms blooming!

Tonight is Super Premium Ultra Deluxe taking the stage and funkifying So Many Roads Museum and Brewery. They will be playing in Sancho's Unbroken Chain lounge area, so that means that the show is FREE! Check them out. You can thank yourself later!

Friday is Wandering Roads Band from 6- 10 followed by the world famous DOGLOG performing the music of Grateful Dead and Phish. This band featuring Ben Rafferty, Fleeb Keith Thomas, Ty Arnott and Chris Sheldon has a fine pedigree and deserves the utmost praise.

Saturday is the return of Tumbledown Shack and they will provide us with so many songs to ease our soul.

Next week is 4 shows in three nights for Melvin Seals and JGB starting March 1st and including the always highly anticipated Saturday afternoon show and the 6pm Sunday Show. What a weekend that will be!