Robert Hunter performed and recorded with the band Comfort for about a year, from mid-1977 to mid-1978. In particular he wrote a lengthy suite of songs called “Alligator Moon” which is well worth listening to for any Hunter fan. Hunter was unhappy with his studio version of the suite, so the album was never released. Circulating live versions of the suite are excellent—it’s a shame they never saw an official release. A few Hunter/Comfort studio recordings were released on the album Promontory Rider.
I started compiling lists of Grateful Dead shows in the early 1980s, soon after receiving the “Janet Soto” list. My Comfort list mostly comes from contemporary copies of BAM and Relix Magazines, as well as a few circulating flyers. In the 1990s, someone named Doug Aldridge was working on a complete Hunter performing history, but his work seems no longer to be online (although some parts of it are accessible at Setlists.com).
Since there was no Internet or anything when I compiled this, I had no way of checking on late additions, cancellations or much of anything. There were considerably more dates, particularly around the Bay Area. Any updates, insights or corrections are welcome (note: dates added to the original post are shown as added).
ROBERT HUNTER AND COMFORT 1977-78
Robert Hunter-vocals, guitar
Kevin Morgenstern-lead guitar
Rodney Albin-violin, mandolin
Richard McNees-keyboards
>Ozzie Allers joins in February 1978, replacing McNees
Larry Klein-six string bass
Pat Lorenzano-drums
Marlene Molle-vocals
Kathleen Klein-vocals
Larry Klein, the bassist, was from Seattle, and I do not believe he is the same as the bassist Larry Klein who played on Joni Mitchell’s albums.
May 12, 1977 Keystone Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
Robert Hunter and Comfort
A setlist exists, which is my only source for the date.
July 29-30, 1977 Shady Grove, San Francisco, CA
Robert Hunter and Comfort
August 11, 1977 Shady Grove, San Francisco, CA
Robert Hunter and Comfort
August 25-26, 1977 Shady Grove, San Francisco, CA
Robert Hunter and Comfort
September 21, 1977 Keystone Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
Robert Hunter and Comfort [added]
October 20-22, 1977 The Troubadour, Santa Monica, CA
Robert Hunter and Comfort
Possibly moved to November [added: see Comments]
October 23, 1977 Fubar, Santa Barbara, CA
Robert Hunter and Comfort [added]
October 26-27, 1977 Rancho Nicasio, Nicasio, CA
Robert Hunter and Comfort [added]
October 28, 1977 Civic Auditorium, San Francisco, CA
"Hooker's Ball" Robert Hunter and Comfort/others [added]
November 10, 1977 Crossroads Inn, Santa Cruz, CA
Robert Hunter and Comfort [added]
A poster turned up on the Grateful Dead Archive.
December 4, 1977 Uncle Charlie’s, Corte Madera, CA Free Clinic Benefit
Robert Hunter and Comfort
December 5, 1977 Keystone Palo Alto, Palo Alto, CA
Robert Hunter and Comfort
Live broadcast on KFAT-fm (Gilroy, CA). There is an excellent 18-minute version of the Alligator Moon Suite, mixed by Bob and Betty in the truck. I discuss the entire show at length elsewhere.
December 16-17, 1977 Crossroads Inn, Santa Cruz, CA
Robert Hunter and Comfort
The Crossroads was at the Old Sash Mill complex, where Highway 1, Highway 17 and River Street converge.
December 19-20, 1977 Keystone Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
Jerry Garcia Band/ Robert Hunter and Comfort
December 22-23, 1977 Keystone Palo Alto, Palo Alto, CA
Jerry Garcia Band/ Robert Hunter and Comfort
February 7-8, 1978 Shady Grove, San Francisco, CA
Robert Hunter and Comfort
Richard McNees left the band at the end of December, and was replaced by Ozzie Ahlers.
February 18, 1978 Marin Veteran’s Memorial Auditorium, San Rafael, CA
Jerry Garcia Band/ Robert Hunter and Comfort
February 19, 1978 Civic Auditorium, Santa Cruz, CA
Jerry Garcia Band/ Robert Hunter and Comfort
March 4, 1978 Rio Theater, Rodeo, CA
Robert Hunter and Comfort/Peter Rowan
March 6-7, 1978 Shady Grove, San Francisco, CA Robert Hunter and Comfort
March 9-10, 1978 My Father’s Place, Roslyn, NY
Robert Hunter and Comfort
There were early and late shows each night. Each show had two sets, a solo acoustic set by Hunter and a full electric set with Hunter backed by Comfort. Some of the second night (March 10) was broadcast on WLIR-fm (Hempstead, NY). Setlists are available for all sets.
March 12, 1978 Suffolk Forum, Commack, NY
Jerry Garcia Band/New Riders of The Purple Sage/ Robert Hunter and Comfort
March 14, 1978 Music Hall, Boston, MA
Jerry Garcia Band/ Robert Hunter and Comfort
March 16, 1978 The Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
Jerry Garcia Band/ Robert Hunter and Comfort
March 17, 1978 Capitol Theater, Passaic, NJ (early and late show)
Jerry Garcia Band/ Robert Hunter and Comfort
March 18, 1978 Warner Theater, Washington, DC (early and late show)
Jerry Garcia Band/Robert Hunter and Comfort
March 19, 1978 Stanley Theater, Pittsburgh, PA
Jerry Garcia Band/ (Robert Hunter and Comfort)
UPDATE: A commenter says that while the Jerry Garcia Band played this night, Hunter and Comfort did not.
March 22, 1978 Veterans Hall, Sebastopol, CA
Jerry Garcia Band/Robert Hunter and Comfort [added]
April 15, 1978 Knightsbridge, San Rafael, CA
Robert Hunter and Comfort
May 7, 1978 Palace Theater, Albany, NY (afternoon show)
Bonnie Raitt/ Robert Hunter and Comfort
May 7, 1978 Memorial Auditorium, Utica, NY (evening show)
New Riders of The Purple Sage/ Robert Hunter and Comfort
May 8, 1978 SUNY, New Paltz, NY
Robert Hunter and Comfort
May 9, 1978 Paradise Club, Boston, MA
Robert Hunter and Comfort
May 11-12-13, 1978 The Other End, New York, NY
Robert Hunter and Comfort
May 14-15-16, 1978 The Cellar Door, Washington, DC
Robert Hunter and Comfort
May 19-20, 1978 Main Point, Ardmore, PA
Robert Hunter and Comfort
May 21 and 23, 1978 Player’s Tavern, Westport, CT
Robert Hunter and Comfort
May 24, 1978 Hard Rock Café, Hartford, CT
Robert Hunter and Comfort
May 26-27-28, 1978 My Father’s Place, Roslyn, NY
Robert Hunter and Comfort
Comfort stopped touring at this point. Hunter continued to tour, with bassist Larry Klein, and some excellent tapes of the duo’s performances endure, but that is a different post. Comfort did reform for the Rodney Albin Memorial (Wolfgang’s, San Francisco August 28, 1984) but Hunter did not perform with them. There was also a 1988 reunion show at The Shady Grove, which did include Hunter.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
No Hunter & Comfort show on March 19, 1978, only the Jerry Garcia Band. Great blog. Keep up the good work.
ReplyDeleteI was nosing around, and finally discovered Doug Aldridge's 70s Hunter set lists (and the rest of them) in a different location. Here they are
ReplyDeletehttp://www.darkstarcrashes.com/hunter/1970s.html
Well worth a look, as it includes set lists as well as concert dates.
Corry
I'd say that Ozzie Ahlers was added in late January. David Gans's "Dead Ahead" column in BAM magazine (#27, February 1978, p. 72) notes that Ahlers was added. The rest of the column reports on stuff from January/early Feb, including the planned JGB/Comfort dates on 2/18 and 2/19.
ReplyDeleteI found another Comfort date: September 21, 1977 at Keystone Berkeley.
ReplyDeleteCorry
Hunter has confirmed that Ozzie Ahlers did replace Richard McNees on keyboards, but he doesn't remember the date.
ReplyDeleteCorry - You can add a March 22, 1978 show with the Jerry Garcia Band to the lists of Robert Hunter and Comfort shows. I can only confirm this as I saw a poster for the event at Sebastopol Veterans Memorial Hall whilst browsing the goodies at the TRPS event in San Francisco today. Ross
ReplyDeleteLarry Klein was not from Seattle (although I read on the internet several years ago that he was living in Washington or Oregon, and played in a band called Tiny Giants or something like that). Larry moved to SF around 1970 from barely-upstate NY - Rockland County or possibly Westchester. It's my understanding that Kathleen Klein (who was Larry's wife at the time, and I've also seen her listed under her maiden name, Kathleen McSomething I think) sang with Comfort regularly, rather than sporadically. She was definitely a member of Comfort before Hunter started playing with them, as well as afterward.
ReplyDeleteAlso, this Larry Klein definitely isn't the one who was in Joni Mitchell's band. In the second half of 1980 he was playing mainly in local bands in the Marin area. He also toured once in a while semi-locally (Humboldt area) with another band. Previously - up until a very short time before Keith died - Larry had been in Keith & Donna's post-GD band, the Ghosts. I forget who all was in that band. Greg Anton and Bill Middlejohn, Larry, Keith & Donna, and I believe some others. (It's probably googleable - sometime in the early 80's, Relix Records released an album by that band, with members varying from song to song. On the album, the name of the band had been changed from the Ghosts to the Heart of Gold Band, and I have seen Donna refer to it as the HofG Band in an interview online somewhere, too.)
Interesting blog!
Thanks for the clarification. I don't know where I got the idea that Larry Klein was from Seattle--I think it was to distinguish him from the "other" Larry Klein.
ReplyDeleteI'm always careful about assuming relationships for people with the same last name, so its good to have Kathleen Klein clarified too. Since Marlene Molle married Rodney Albin, it sounds like a tight-knit little ensemble.
I discovered this spring that a cut and incomplete version of the late set of 3-10-78 circulates as 3-4-78, My Father's Place, Roslyn, NY. Obviously wrong by the date alone, but I spent an hour or so comparing the two, and the "3-4-78", such as it is, is identical to the 3-10-78.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this blog--very informative.
Here are a few more. These are all listed in David Gans's "Dead Ahead" column, BAM no 23 (October 1977), p. 67. I obviously can't say whether they happened.
ReplyDeleteOctober 20-22, 1977: Troubadour, LA ("might be moved to early November")
October 23, 1977: Fubar (?), Santa Barbara
October 26-27, 1977: Rancho Nicasio
October 28, 1977: Fourth Annual Hookers Ball, SF Civic
The September 21, 1977 date may be Keystone Korner in SF (the jazz club), not Keystone Berkeley.
ReplyDeleteNot sure where to put this info so here it is:
ReplyDeleteI have a copy of The Ghosts, 8/7/80, it's an audience recording from someone named Levene. John Cippolina plays on it.
There is a circulating tape dated 12/6/77 Keystone, FM broadcast, Bob-n-Betty in the truck, Alligator Moon.
ReplyDeleteIs there any chance this might be right? I don't have a Keystone listing for 12/6/77. Odds are obviously that this is a mislabel of your listing.
One interesting note: between Alligator Moon and Promontory Rider, Hunter invites any Cubberly alums of 1959 (he then says 1958) to come on by, because they'll be playing another set. Not sure where "there" is. Maybe an after-party at the Keystone Palo Alto?
The tape circulating as 12/6/77, per your description, has to be the Dec 5 '77 show from Keystone Palo Alto, broadcast on KFAT-fm out of Gilroy. Hunter is encouraging people to come down to Keystone PA for the second set.
ReplyDeleteI say more about it here: http://lostlivedead.blogspot.com/2011/10/december-5-1977-keystone-palo-alto-palo.html