Fool’s Paradise Artist Spotlight – Interview with Tom Hamilton, Jr.
I recently had a chance to catch up with Tom Hamilton, Jr, singer and guitar player for Joe Russo’s Almost Dead as well as the driving force behind bands such as American Babies, Brothers Past and Electron.
MFN: First up, Fool’s Paradise. It’s in Florida in St. Augustine at the end of March. It’s snowing in most of the country. How much are you looking forward to being in sunny Florida right now?
TH: Yeah, it’s cold and snowing where I am right now. It’s what, three weeks or so until we get down there? That’s going to be really nice. I am really looking forward to it.
MFN: Among the great aspects about Fool’s are the Artist Excursions (see links at bottom for details) where fans get a chance to spend some time with the artists. Is that something you will have time to get to do as well or will you get to join in any of the late-night-set fun?
TH: Artist Excursions? I didn’t know about that. That sounds awesome! As far as the After-Parties – that I just have to wait and see. I love playing so if I can, I’m always down for it. A lot depends on the schedule. Unfortunately, with a band like JRAD there are a whole lot of moving parts, and someone else puts it all together. I’m unfortunately just one part, and I wind up just going where they tell me. I will say though, I always always love to play, and if someone asks, I’m pretty much always in.
MFN: Just being part of JRAD is already a major accomplishment under your belt. However, you’ve gotten to play now with all four remaining members of the Grateful Dead. How has that been? Terrifying? Awesome?
TH: Oh it’s still great. It’s not like I’ve gotten jaded or anything. I’ve been insanely lucky to get to play with lots of different people and under all kinds of circumstances. With JRAD, for example, we try not to rehearse. We try to keep things fresh so it’s always exciting. I’m always working to keep up, hanging on to the ‘Oh Shit!’ handle, you know? I’ve been lucky enough to play with all four of the remaining Dead members, and each time it’s just insane. I walk out and think to myself ‘WTF is happening?!’
My first chance to play with any of them was with Phil (Lesh) at Terrapin Crossroads. Driving to the venue I was pretty much ready to throw up. I got there for rehearsal, and no one really even talked beyond a few simple introductions. Everyone just plugged in and started to play. I was kind of surprised at how easy it was until I realized: I’d been playing with them my whole life, they just didn’t know it. Meaning, I’ve grown up playing Grateful Dead music. So all along I’ve been playing along with them. So when it got time for a Phil part I knew what to expect. In my head it was like “Oh yeah, of course that’s what Phil is going to do here.” I already knew that language, you know?
What I did find great about working with those four (Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Micky Hart and Bill Kreutzmann) is that for all of them, playing Grateful Dead music is not about nostalgia. It just isn’t that. It’s not about what they’ve done; it’s about where it can all still go. They see this music they’ve created over the past 50 years as still having all kinds of possibilities. They don’t want to rest on what’s been created.
MFN: Do you find there is a difference in how JRAD approaches a song vs. Phil & Friends vs Billy & The Kids?
TH: Yes and no. With JRAD, we are trying very hard to honor what these guys have all done before us. Like I said earlier though, Phil, Bobby, Micky and Bill, they aren’t resting on what they have done. They are pushing harder to keep going with the music and see where it still can go. Look at what Weir did with bringing in John Mayer, for example. That took huge balls to step that far out and bring in Mayer. You have got to tip your hat to him, though, because it succeeded. Really succeeded. I feel like it would be insulting to the Dead guys for me to try to write songs that sound like them.
MFN: Speaking of writing songs, you debuted the first original JRAD song a few weeks ago with “Keeping It Simple.” Will we hear any more new originals at Fool’s Paradise? Any other surprises coming up that you want to tease?
TH: “Keeping It Simple” came from the Furthur days. There was talk for a while about Furthur putting out some new music. Joe (Russo) and I wrote some music, and it went back and forth for quite a while. By the time it was really fleshed out, Furthur was starting to wind down and wasn’t really into it. A while back we revisited the tune, and it was the right time to bring it into JRAD. I’m not sure if anything more will come.
MFN: When do you feel most connected to a crowd?
TH: The bigger the crowd the less varied it feels, you know? In a room with 100 people you can make eye contact. You can check in with people. The bigger the crowd it usually means a bigger venue, and everyone is further away. The crowd turns into one big object. Now, it’s great when you can get that big monster to let out a roar, which is really cool. Red Rocks, you know, it’s just one big ball… a big orb of energy.
MFN: How about music? Can you really feel connected to the music when you are out there playing it, creating it, or is it more of a connection when you get to just listen to it?
TH: Oh man, listening it still my favorite thing in the world, Sitting in a room, all alone with a pair of headphones or a really loud system and just letting it wash over you. There is nothing better. Old Freddy King records, man, that guitar that shoots through you. You can hear the smirk on his face.
MFN: I agree. It reminds me of one of the saddest things I remember hearing. A documentary about Dark Side of The Moon. It was near the end of this program describing how Dark Side was one of the greatest albums of all time from start to finish, and it cuts to an interview with David Gilmour and…
TH: Where he says he never got to actually just be someone listening to Dark Side for the first time and having that experience? Yes! Exactly! There’s almost this sense of entitlement now to music. To get to listen without thinking about it. People gave themselves to that music that we love. People don’t think about the price that went into it. Artists give up sometimes literally everything to create this stuff. Then people just tear into them if they don’t like something. It can be brutal. If Syd Barret didn’t give up his sanity to the point that he lived out his days at his mother’s house, we don’t get Dark Side. I’m pretty much a huge Beatles fan. You look at what they had to give up in making that music. They had to give up their entire lives, their privacy, and their ability to have a normal life for this music. Then when they wanted to come out with a new album everyone was immediately tearing it apart comparing it to what they’d already done. How the fuck do you compete with The Beatles? Even if you ARE a Beatle you can’t compete with that.
MFN: You often hear the phrase about going to concerts, especially Dead-oriented shows, people will say they are “Going to Church.” Is it the same feeling for you as a performer?
TH: I would say so, yeah. Take any place, a concert venue or a church or whatever. Without the people there it’s just a lifeless hunk of stuff. When you’re there, though, it’s your real estate. You own it for that time. I don’t want to sound like those cliché sports interviews about giving it all and doing the best and all, but that’s where I’m coming from. You’ve just got to go out there and help yourself and others whenever you can. You’ve got to bring a little clarity to the world if possible. That’s the real shit.
MFN: Tom, it’s been an absolute pleasure to get to talk with you. I know it’s very easy to get caught up in the JRAD/Dead world, but I really do love what you’ve done on your own as well, and I really appreciate where you are coming from musically and personally. Thank you so much for taking the time out of your schedule to talk with us. We look forward to seeing you March 31st and April 1st at Fool’s Paradise!