ABOUT THE MAINE DEAD PROJECT

The Maine Dead Project features a wide ranging repertoire of Grateful Dead Classics through strong, high energy musical performance. Members of the MDP have shared stages with John Popper (Blues Traveler), Chris Barron (Spin Doctors), Tom Constanten (Grateful Dead), Mean Willie Green (Neville Brothers) Jeff Watkins (James Brown Band), The New Orleans Suspects, members of Strangefolk, members of the Trey Anastasio Band and more. MDP will cover entire historic Grateful Dead shows in their entirety upon request and can offer a compelling light show when available, or at venue request.

From The Portland Phoenix, July 11th 2016:


"For more than 20 years now, local Deadheads have been able to get their jam fix of great cover music performed by talented musicians. That streak stays intact with the formation of a group from several members of former bands that honor the Grateful Dead, refusing to fade away even though Jerry Garcia is long gone and the four other original members reunited last year for one “last” show. The Maine Dead Project plays weekly on Wednesdays at the Portland House of Music & Events, and they have been able to draw upon a loyal fan base that packs every house as long as the band promises “a miracle every day.” The band’s roots are Tim Sullivan (guitar and vocals), Justin Maxwell (keyboards) and Joshua M. Robbins (bass), who teamed up with three horns and formed The Shakes in 2011. To that mix they added Doug Emery on guitar and vocals, as well as Christopher Sweet and Ryan Benoit on drums. Last summer, the band got a residency at Slab Sicilian Streetfood to hold a 'Dead night, and the group has turned that outdoor gig into a mid-week mainstay at PHOME. Sullivan sings most of the Garcia tunes and has picked his way in the past with Band Beyond Description, Sweet Maxwell Sullivan and the Rolling Blackouts. He also performs with Maxwell as Hallowell Does the Last Waltz, a tribute band to The Band. Emery sings more of the Bob Weir songs and has played with Lazy Lightning and had eponymous jam bands and jazz trios, like BBD and the Pam Baker Blues Band. “People have commented that Doug brings something different,” Maxwell said recently, sipping a cold beer on PHOME’s patio. “A high energy and belligerence.” Pulling from more than 120 Dead tunes, The Maine Dead Project looks to go long, and the songs they cover only crop up every four to five shows. “One of the goals is to bring a large catalog to the table, throw some surprises in, and play the more challenging material,” said Maxwell, who has played with The Coming Grass, Cindy Bullens, and Girls, Guns & Glory. The band gets nostalgic for great shows gone by and will sometimes cover Grateful Dead concerts in their entirety, recreating such epics as the closing of the Winterland Arena’s famous New Year Eve’s show on Dec. 31, 1978 (a five-hour-long party that included breakfast) and the show from the Paladium in New York City (29 April 1977), a 24-song spree that included a 21-minute “Franklin’s Tower” and a 14-minute “Sugaree.” One of the most electric and peripatetic performers in the Maine Dead Project is Robbins, who roams and struts onstage, eyes uplifted but closed in a trancelike state. He’s also played with Eric Bettencourt and Kenya Hall, but is such an engaging stage presence he could play in a one-man band and still fetch a loyal following. “I’m new to this,” Robbins says of the jamband experience. “I’m not a huge Dead fan, but I like what I’m doing. I have to learn these deep cuts — not the stuff on ‘BLM.” This master of the low notes was an art major before switching his curriculum to music. Maxwell is another artistic member who has created film scores and done audio editing for short films. Sweet adds Micromassé, Model Airplane and the Pete Kilpatrick Band to his résumé. Benoit has provided beats for Smoked Salmon and Fules Gold. Although they have many collective years in the business, the Maine Dead Project still practices a lot, especially fine-tuning for big events like an August cruise around Casco Bay. The band loves running into the regulars, and is edified when they spot new faces in the crowd..."

— Tim Gillis