In this post we profile Patrick Barbieri who first appeared in public with the band on a dark and windy evening in the fall of 2024 at Baked by Susan. To describe Patrick in one sentence, I would say he is the sum of his influences Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir, John Mayer packaged in the body of a 20-something year old guy with a serious work ethic and a love of the music. Those are words of high praise, but I'm getting ahead of myself, so back to the story.
Patrick is a generation younger than the other guys in the band and brings a breath of fresh air and young energy. On top of that, he provides some long-needed assistance to Jeff Thornton who has been doing double-duty playing both rhythm and lead guitar since the early days of the band. With the addition of Patrick, the band can play songs previously uncovered such as the classic Terrapin Station.
Patrick was kind enough to allow some Q&A as follows:
Q: Thanks for taking the time to talk, I appreciate it. The band has been around for just over 10 years, and you came onto the scene earlier this year, any comments on how that came about?
A: I began getting to know Frank a couple years back through mutual family friends. I had been learning the Grateful Dead songbook on my own and knew Frank had a Dead band with some local guys. After a while I started practicing with Frank and Chris, and the guys were impressed with my playing. Soon after we started putting a set list together.
Q: One observation is that you seem to know the music pretty well. Were you a fan of the Grateful Dead before you met Frank and the guys, or did you learn the material after the fact?
A: I got into the Grateful Dead when I was still in college at SUNY Purchase. Like a lot of classic bands I wanted to listen to the discography and see what was happening in different eras of music. The Grateful Dead was always on my radar and I knew people who were dedicated “heads”, but never understood why the band had such an enduring legacy.
After hearing the studio recording of Uncle John’s Band I was enamored with the group's harmonies, arrangements, and reverence for Americana. After that I started listening to live shows through the decades and became obsessed with the set list arrangements and Jerry’s ever changing playing style. After listening I took on the harder task of learning the material on guitar as a hobby. Even now I’m still learning certain Dead songs from scratch and revisiting live recordings to hear Jerry’s approach to certain jams.
Q: Do you any formal music education or are you entirely self-taught?
A: I wouldn’t say I’m formally trained in music, but I began guitar lessons shortly before my ninth birthday. I went to U Music in Montrose and learned from the master musician Greg Rappaport. With Greg I learned how to play my favorite songs, which at the time were exclusively by Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, and The Who. I stopped taking actual lessons when I graduated high school, but rarely went more than a day without playing the guitar. Keeping myself disciplined on the instrument has gotten harder as I get older, but still brings me great joy.
Q: Frank is such an interesting character, and you know I did a blog post about him. What's it like working with Frank, anything you would like to share?
A: Working with Frank is, in the words of Jerry Garcia, “always a hoot”. Frank brings a similar reverence and excitement about the Dead’s catalog and live performances as I do, with the added anecdotes of seeing the band live in the flesh. I like to joke that we are Croton’s very own Dead & Company, with Frank and I representing Bob Weir and John Mayer respectively.
Q: Do you have any musical inspiration or role models?
A: Beyond the Grateful Dead catalog I have a plethora of musical influences and guitar players I have learned from and emulated in the past. Robert Fripp and Adrian Belew of the 80s era of King Crimson has always influenced me, with their odd and delayed duel guitar parts showing me how much discipline (pun intended) is required to play certain pieces of music. More contemporary players I admire are John Frusciante of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Adam Jones of Tool. And of course, John Mayer’s playing and personal touch to the Dead has influenced me as much as Jerry Garcia playing. I believe Mayer has really added a unique touch to that music that I take so much inspiration from.
Thank you so much Patrick for all you bring to the band. Your dedication to the craft and obvious work ethic is an inspiration. We appreciate you and keep going.
