When “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” author Ken Kesey and his Merry Pranksters took to the road from their base in the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco in the mid-Sixties, the destination listed on their psychedelic bus was: “Further.”

 

By Tom McDermott

 

When “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” author Ken Kesey and his Merry Pranksters took to the road from their base in the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco in the mid-Sixties, the destination listed on their psychedelic bus was: “Further.”

 

Not long after Kesey began leading those excursions, Phil Lesh and Bob Weir joined their pals, Jerry Garcia, “Pigpen” Ron McKernan, and Bill Kreutzman to play concerts in Golden Gate Park, the Avalon Ballroom, and other venues.

 

Now, Lesh, the Dead’s bassist, and Weir, who played rhythm guitar and sang vocals, have brought their band Further into town for nine concerts, which began April 15.

 

The last time Lesh and Weir played The Capitol Theatre was 1971 as members of The Grateful Dead. The band played nearly 20 mostly legendary concerts at the Port Chester gem throughout 1970 and 1971, with Jerry Garcia, who died in 1995, on guitar.

 

Garcia and other band members were fond of The Capitol’s size, which offered intimacy with their dead-icated fans, and especially its acoustics.

 

Further is also composed of Jeff Chimenti on keyboards; John Kadlicek on guitar; drummer, Joe Russo; and vocalist-lyricist, Jeff Pershon.

 

Most interestingly perhaps, is the band’s other vocalist, Sunshine Garcia. She is the daughter of Merry Prankster, Carolyn “Mountain Girl” Gar- cia, and Ken Kesey. Carolyn was also at one time married to Jerry Garcia.

 

You can’t get much Further than that .