Jun 30, 6:04 PM

Fans honor Jerry Garcia

BY JEFF NALL
FOR FLORIDA TODAY

Though it's been nearly nine years since Jerry Garcia passed on, dedicated fans are making sure his spirit is immortal.

If you go What: Jerry Daze 2004 featuring Dave Grooms with the DEADbeats, Janet Reedy, Terry Kelly, Invisible Ink, Freudian Slip, Cal Johnston, Eddie Parshall and Willie Hunton and Barry Brogan. When: 1 p.m. to 1 a.m. Saturday. Where: Banana Breeze Waterfront Dining and Tiki Bar, 60 S. Banana River Drive, Merritt Island. Admission: $7, all ages. Information: 543-6226, or visit www.jerrydaze.com, www.koolbeanz.com or www.davegrooms.com.

In its sixth year, Jerry Daze 2004, will commence at 1 p.m. Saturday at Banana Breeze Waterfront Dinning and Tiki Bar, Merritt Island. Admission is $7.

There will be several artists performing a variety of music written or inspired by Garcia, event organizer "Java" John Goldacker said.

"This year I believe we have a musical mosaic," said Goldacker. "Eddie Parshall, Willie Hunton, Dave Grooms and the DEADbeats, a floating group of musicians that interchanges throughout the night. Cal Johnston is coming all the way from out of state. He's actually played several songs at every Jerry Daze."

Other scheduled artists include Janet Reedy, Terry Kelly, Invisible Ink, Barry Brogan and Freudian Slip.

"You'll hear traditional folk, jazz influence, psychedelic," said Goldacker. Additionally patrons of prior Jerry Daze events will notice one improvement.

"The only significant difference is we're going to have more room to play," he said. "There's not going to be just one stage. We're (going) to have a stage indoors, outdoors, and also a section where there's going to be drum circles and acoustic jamming. There'll either be two or three stages."

In addition to the music, there will be a light show and also a $5-per-ticket raffle to benefit Rock the Vote, a non-partisan, non-profit organization that encourages new voters to take part in the electoral process.

"We were thinking, 'Who are we going to do this for this year?' and we saw that as a good way to encourage people to vote in an non-partisan way, but not actually making it a serious political event."

Though the politics will be tempered, the atmosphere celebrating the spirit of the late Jerry Garcia will let lose.

"Jerry, I think, was always on a mission; trying to find his musical roots and enhance his spiritual being," said Goldacker, who reads a book about Jerry Garcia every year. "Sometimes he made some wrong choices in trying to enhance his spiritual being. I believe he struggled with his addictions and his problems up to the end. But I believe that he really wanted to be a more spiritual being."

Contact Nall at sabletide@yahoo.com.