Trippy Tribute

Johnny’s in the basement mixin’ up the medicine, I’m on the pavement thinkin’ ‘bout the government, Casey Jones is drivin’ that train high on cocaine, and Eugene psychedelic rock band Cap’n Trips is playing the WOW Hall Saturday, Nov. 29, with their signature yearly concert “Dylan and the Dead.” The show pays tribute to two of the greatest songwriters and musicians in history — The Grateful Dead and Bob Dylan — at least in the opinion of Cap’n Trips co-founder, lead guitarist and lead vocalist Tom Lemmon. The show covers what Lemmon considers to be the best of eras of both bands, being Dylan’s electric albums, Bringing it all Back Home, Highway 61 Revisited and Blonde on Blonde, and all the “good stuff” from Jerry Garcia’s repertoire. As a psychedelic rock band that was formed in 2008, Lemmon says that Cap’n Trips used to play for over four hours per set, “back when I was a young buck in my ’50s.” Now, their shows only last around two and a half. Though Cap’n Trips is primarily a Garcia tribute, they started doing this show every year to make sure Dylan gets the honor he deserves. “I just grew up listening to that stuff,” Lemmon says. As a teenager, he picked up acoustic guitar and learned how to play as much Dylan as he could muster. “I just know how to play them all,” he says. “He’s got like a million lyrics to some of his songs, and they’re all in my brain. They’re all memorized.” Having played the WOW Hall countless times with the six-piece band, Lemmon says, “A Grateful Dead show is full of dancing people. And so all those people that come to see us carry on that spirit, and they dance like crazy. They spin around and twirl.”

Cap’n Trips performs 8 pm, Saturday, Nov. 29, at WOW Hall, 291 West 8th Avenue. Doors 7 pm. Tickets are $18 advance and $21 day of show and are available at WowHall.org.

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