Strawberry Fields benefit show in State College to feature reunion of local band

The Strawberry Fields benefit shows have been special each year for a variety of reasons, and this year’s show features the music of two seminal rock bands, and the reunion of a seminal local band, as well as some new performers and a healthy contingency of some of State College’s talented female performers.

The 9th annual Strawberry Fields Benefit Concert is scheduled to take place at The State Theater on Saturday, Jan. 25, starting at 7 p.m. The event is called “The Music Never Stopped: Songs of the Grateful Dead & Allman Brothers Band” and will feature local musicians —including the reunion of Jack’s Farm — playing songs written and performed by two bands that may be the originators of the jam band style as it manifested in rock music.

The decision to feature Grateful Dead and Allman Brothers music was obvious, said event organizer Dave Defilippis. This year marks the 50 year anniversary of the Allman Brothers band, and, unfortunately, the legendary Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter passed away this past September.

“The Grateful Dead and the Almman Brothers have both been bands we’ve been targeting for this kind of thing,” Defilippis said. “This year just seemed like the best, because of those things, and they also pair well together.”

This year’s performers include The Skoal Brothers with Jackie Brown, Tyne & The Fastlyne, Ted McCloskey & The Hi-Fi’s, Erin Condo & The Hoofties, Grain, The Stevedores, Eric Ian Farmer & Friends and a little something special for longtime State College area music fans.

That something special started with the decision to feature songs by the Grateful Dead and the Allman Brothers and led to another idea Defilippis had, which was to encourage Jack’s Farm, a rootsy jam band that has not played together in years, to put something together for the show.

“I called up John Rattie and I said, ‘What about getting it back together?’” Defilippis said. “And I got a great call back about a week later saying they really wanted to do it.”

Members of the band are looking forward to the show.

“Jack’s Farm was established in early 1998 by a handful of barely 21 year olds trying to break into the State College music scene,” Jack’s Farm singer and State College music scene super stalwart Kate Twoey said. “Our founding members (included) Chris Rattie, John Rattie, Chris Carithers and Corry Drake, (and we) decided to only play music written before our youngest member was born.”

The policy of playing music written before the youngest member was born resulted in Jack’s Farm covering a slew of Grateful Dead and Allman Brothers’ songs, and in a collective spirit that features heartfelt camaraderie, music-making and being young. As time went on, Jack’s Farm evolved to include Tom White, Arlo Tarr and Jimmy Lovcik, and this year’s performance will feature all of the members on stage together for the first time, with the exception of White, Twoey said.

“The chemistry in Jack’s Farm was just something we could never part with,” Twoey said. “This has certainly lit a huge fire for us to do a full reunion show sometime in the near future. Honestly, even after 20 years I don’t think we’ve ever sounded better.”

Proceeds from the concert benefit The State Theatre and Strawberry Fields. For more information, visit thestatetheatre.org.