About The Band
“They are Jerry’s kindred spirits when it comes to making music.”
“The Garcia Project is a must-see for anyone who had the good fortune of seeing Jerry’s band live. I was lucky enough to share the JGB experience with Jerry, John Kahn, Maria Muldaur, Keith and Donna. Being on stage with Mik, Kat and the crew is the closest thing to the original. They are Jerry’s kindred spirits when it comes to making music. Even if you never saw JGB live, you can see and hear their spirit at a Garcia Project performance.” – Buzz Buchanan, Drummer for The Jerry Garcia Band 1977-1978
🎶 Meet the Cosmic Crew of The Garcia Project 🎶
(From right to left—because this isn’t your average band lineup…)
🟣 Elliot Jackson Scott Rauch – Hammond B3 & Keyboards
A mad scientist of the Hammond, Elliot conjures swirling sonic waves that lift the whole room into orbit. With his purple paisley flair and flowing silver locks, he’s equal parts wizard and groove architect. Your soul just found its organ donor.
🖤 Mik Bondy – Guitar & Vocals
The sonic shaman behind the tone. Mik’s beard has more mileage than the tour bus and probably contains a complete schematic of Jerry’s rig …and his soul knows the healing power of every Garcia lick. The only person we trust to both fix the amps and melt your heart with a solo.
💜 Kat Walkerson – Vocals
The soul of the band and the voice that makes the whole room glow. Kat doesn’t just sing—she reaches into your memories, your joy, and your tears, and ties them all together with a velvet ribbon of harmony. Pure love, pure light.
🖤 David Alderman – Bass
Holding down the low end with grace, groove, and grit, David’s bass lines wrap around the band like a warm blanket of funk and feel. Polished, powerful, and always in the pocket—he’s the heartbeat you didn’t know you were missing.
🟢 Jack Betzen – Drums
Rhythm cowboy and groove wrangler. Jack’s beard has its own backstage pass, and his drums drive the magic like a steam-powered train through a kaleidoscope. He doesn’t just keep time—he bends it. And that hat? 100% chance it was blessed by a desert mystic.
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Mik Bondy of The Garcia Project with the Cripe Tribute, built for Jerry Garcia ©2016 Jay Blakesberg
Mik Bondy – Founder, Guitar & Vocals
Mik Bondy fills the “Jerry” role with modesty and an understanding that no one can replace Jerry – but that we all together can rejoice in his music. Mik has three tribute guitars (gifted to him personally by Andy Logan, owner of Jerry’s Alligator guitar and Founder of the Grateful Guitars Foundation) and hand built and modded recreations of Jerry’s actual guitar amps, effects and speakers. Mik loves to create music and art, and he can really feel the music when he’s performing. A long time Jerry-head, Mik enjoyed the last few years of Jerry’s life (87-95) following the Jerry Garcia Band around whenever he could. Mik has guested on guitar and vocals with Melvin Seals and JGB and has performed in front of Phil Lesh and with Tom “TC” Constanton, Maria Mulduar and Buzz Buchanan.
Mik uses DR Strings exclusively and is a FEATURED ARTIST for DR STRINGS!
Mik’s Rig Fall 2023
Kat Walkerson, singer for The Garcia Project, the nationally touring Jerry Garcia Band cover band or tribute band, performing “The Strange Man”, by Dorthy Love Coates.
Kat Walkerson – Founder, Vocals
Kat Walkerson adds heartfelt and soulful female vocals to the mix. She brings an awesome energy to the project and you can feel her love for this music though her singing. She exudes positive vibes and her smiles are a testament to her appreciation of the music. Kat has performed as vocalist for Melvin Seals and JGB and has been a guest vocalist with Dark Star Orchestra.
Guests of The Garcia Project have included:
Maria Muldaur, Jerry Garcia Band
Buzz Buchanan, Jerry Garcia Band
Melvin Seals, Jerry Garcia Band
Jacklyn LaBranch, Jerry Garcia Band
Peter Rowan, Old And In The Way
Tom Constanten, The Grateful Dead
Jacob Jolliff, Yonder Mountain String Band
Andy Falco, Infamous String Dusters
Lisa Mackey, Dark Star Orchestra
Tom Circosta, The Zen Tricksters
Klyph Black, The Zen Tricksters
Ryan Montbleau, The Ryan Montbleau Band
GET EXCLUSIVE CONCERT LIVE STREAMS, VIDEOS, PHOTOS, EARLY BIRD TIX AND MORE BY SUPPORTING THE GARCIA PROJECT ON PATREON – Click this link and sign up to help our mission and get great perks:
https://www.patreon.com/thegarciaproject
Song List (songs performed by The Jerry Garcia Band and The Garcia Project):
| Name | Artist |
| Accidentally Like a Martyr | Warren Zavon |
| Ain’t No Bread In The Breadbox | Norton Buffalo |
| After Midnight | J.J. Cale |
| All By Myself | Dave Bartholomew / Fats Domino |
| Amazing Grace | Traditional |
| And It Stoned Me | Van Morrison |
| Bird Song | Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter |
| Bright Side Of The Road | Van Morrison |
| Catfish John | Bob McDill / Allen Reynolds |
| Cats Under The Stars | Robert Hunter / Jerry Garcia |
| China Doll | Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter |
| Comes A Time | Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter |
| Crazy Love | Van Morrison |
| Deal | Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter |
| Dear Prudence | John Lennon / Paul McCartney |
| Deep Elem Blues | Traditional |
| Don’t Let Go | Jesse Stone |
| Drifting Too Far From The Shore | Charles E. Moody |
| Evangeline | David Hidalgo / Louis Perez |
| Every Word You Say | Jesse Winchester |
| Everybody Needs Somebody To Love | Bert Berns / Solomon Burke / Jerry Wexler |
| Expressway (To Your Heart) | Kenny Gamble / Leon Huff |
| Finders Keepers | General Johnson / Jeffrey Bowen |
| Forever Young | Bob Dylan |
| Freight Train | Elizabeth Cotton |
| Franklin’s Tower | Jerry Garcia / Bill Kreutzmann / Robert Hunter |
| Friend Of The Devil | Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter / John Dawson |
| Get Out of My Life, Woman | Allen Toussaint |
| Goodnight Irene | Traditional |
| Going, Going, Gone | Bob Dylan |
| Gomorrah | Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter |
| He Ain’t Give You None | Van Morrison |
| Hi-Heel Sneakers | Robert Higginbotham |
| House Of The Rising Sun | Traditional |
| How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You) | Brian Holland / Lamont Dozier / Eddie Holland |
| I Hope It Won’t Be This Way, Always | Barbara Allison |
| I’ll Be With Thee | Dorothy Love Coates |
| I’ll Take A Melody | Allen Toussaint |
| I’m Troubled | Traditional |
| I Saw Her Standing There | John Lennon / Paul McCartney |
| I Second That Emotion | William Robinson / Al Cleveland |
| I Shall Be Released | Bob Dylan |
| I Want To Tell You | George Harrison |
| I’ve Been All Around This World | Traditional |
| It Must Have Been The Roses | Robert Hunter |
| It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry | Bob Dylan |
| It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue | Bob Dylan |
| It Ain’t No Use | Jerry Williams / Gary Bonds / Don Hollinger |
| It’s Too Late | Chuck Willis |
| Jack-A-Roe | Traditional |
| Jack Straw | Bob Weir / Robert Hunter |
| Johnny Too Bad | Winston Bailey / Hylton Beckford / Derrick Crooks / Trevor Wilson |
| Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door | Bob Dylan |
| Lay Down Sally | Eric Clapton / Marcella Levy / George Terry |
| Lazy Bones | Hoagy Carmichael / Johnny Mercer |
| Leave The Little Girl Alone | John Kahn / Robert Hunter |
| Let It Rock | Chuck Berry |
| Let Me Roll It | Paul McCartney |
| Let’s Spend The Night Together | Mick Jagger / Keith Richards |
| Like A Road Leading Home | Don Nix / Dan Penn |
| Little Sadie | Traditional |
| Long Black Veil | Danny Dill / Marijohn Wilkin |
| Lonesome and A Long Way From Home | Delaney Bramlett / Bonnie Bramlett / Leon Russell |
| Loser | Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter |
| Louis Collins | Traditional |
| Love In The Afternoon | Robert Hunter / John Kahn |
| Magnificent Sanctuary Band | Dorsey Burnette |
| Merl’s Tune | Merl Saunders / John White |
| Midnight Moonlight | Peter Rowan |
| Might As Well | Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter |
| Mighty High | David Crawford / Richard Downing |
| Mission In The Rain | Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter |
| Mississippi Moon | Peter Rowan |
| Money Honey | Jesse Stone |
| Moonlight Mile | Mick Jagger / Keith Richards |
| My Funny Valentine | Richard Rodgers / Lorenz Hart |
| My Sisters And Brothers | Charles Johnson |
| Mystery Train | Junior Parker / Sam Philips |
| Neighbor, Neighbor | Alton Joseph Valier |
| Not Fade Away | Norman Petty / Buddy Holly |
| Oh Babe It Ain’t No Lie | Traditional / Elizabeth Cotton |
| One Kind Favor | Traditional |
| Palm Sunday | Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter |
| Positively 4th Street | Bob Dylan |
| Ramble On Rose | Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter |
| Rain | Donna Godchaux |
| Ragged But Right | Traditional |
| (I’m A) Road Runner | Lamont Dozier / Brian Holland / Eddie Holland |
| Rhapsody In Red | Robert Hunter / John Kahn / Jerry Garcia |
| Ripple | Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter |
| Rosalie McFall | Charlie Monroe |
| Reuben And Cerise | Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter |
| Run For The Roses | Robert Hunter / Jerry Garcia |
| Russian Lullaby | Irving Berlin |
| See What Love Can Do | Jerry Lynn Williams |
| Senor (Tales Of Yankee Power) | Bob Dylan |
| Shady Grove | Jerry Garcia / David Grisman |
| Shakedown Street | Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter |
| She Belongs To Me | Bob Dylan |
| Shining Star | Leo Graham / Paul Richmond |
| Simple Twist Of Fate | Bob Dylan |
| Sing Me Back Home | Merle Haggard |
| Sitting In Limbo | Jimmy Cliff / Guilly Bright |
| So What | Miles Davis |
| Someday Baby | Traditional / Sleepy John Estes / Lightning Hopkins |
| Stagger Lee | Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter |
| Standin’ on the Corner [Blue Yodel No. 9] | Jerry Garcia / Bill Kreutzmann / Phil Lesh / Ron McKernan / Bob Weir |
| Strange Man | Dorothy Love Coates |
| Stir It Up | Bob Marley |
| Strugglin Man | Jimmy Cliff |
| Sugaree | Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter |
| Swing Low, Sweet Chariot | Traditional |
| Talkin’ ‘Bout You | Ray Charles |
| Tangled Up In Blue | Bob Dylan |
| Tears Of Rage | Bob Dylan / Richard Manuel |
| That Lucky Old Sun | Haven Gillespie / Beasley Smith |
| That’s A Touch I Like | Jesse Winchester |
| That’s All Right, Mama | Arthur Crudup |
| That’s What Love Will Make You Do | Milton Campbell / Henderson Thigpen / James Banks / Eddy Marion |
| The Harder They Come | Jimmy Cliff |
| The Hunter Gets Captured By The Game | William Robinson |
| The Maker | Daniel Lanois |
| The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down | Robbie Robertson |
| The Way You Do the Things You Do | William Robinson / Robert Rogers |
| The Wheel | Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter / Bill Kreutzmann |
| They Love Each Other | Robert Hunter / Jerry Garcia |
| Think | Jimmy McCracklin / Deadric Malone |
| Throw Out The Lifeline | Edwin Ufford |
| To Lay Me Down | Robert Hunter / Jerry Garcia |
| Tomorrow Is Forever | Robert Hunter |
| Tore Up Over You | Hank Ballard |
| Tough Mama | Bob Dylan |
| Twilight | Robbie Robertson |
| Valerie | Robert Hunter / Jerry Garcia |
| Visions Of Johanna | Bob Dylan |
| Waiting For A Miracle | Bruce Cockburn |
| Werewolves Of London | LeRoy Marinell / Waddy Wachtell / Warren Zevon |
| What A Wonderful World | Weiss / Thiele |
| When I Paint My Masterpiece | Bob Dylan |
| Who Was John | Mitchell’s Christian Singers |
| Wild Horses | The Rolling Stones |
| You Never Can Tell | Chuck Berry |
| You Win Again | Hank Williams |
The Garcia Project’s performances are recreations of full, classic Jerry Garcia Band set lists from 1976-1995. More than just a Jerry Garcia Band Tribute Band or Jerry Garcia Cover Band, using thoughtful arrangements and the proper instrumentation and feel, The Garcia Project faithfully channels and projects the feelings, emotions and music that propelled the Jerry Garcia Band and their fans through the years.
For anyone that never had a chance to experience the Jerry Garcia Band or for fans that want to relive a classic show, The Garcia Project delivers.
The Garcia Project has received rave reviews from the press and from fans. Touring across the country, The Garcia Project has made many fans extremely happy.
The Garcia Project is THE Jerry Garcia Band Tribute Band or Jerry Garcia Band Cover Band – and it’s about family, soul searching, rejoicing, contemplating, celebrating, seeking truth and loving one another.
I spent a lot of nights in a lot of places with the Jerry Garcia Band, and I’m here to say that I really enjoy what The Garcia Project does with those memories. Mik’s guitar and his and Kat’s vocals stir up some very sweet vibes…some times they almost make me feel like I’m back in, say, 1992 at the Warfield. Check ‘em out. — Dennis McNally, former publicist for the Jerry Garcia Band
“For those of us who crave late 70’s (and through the 80’s and 90’s) Jerry Garcia Band, The Garcia Project scratches that itch for hearing live renditions of JGB shows from that period.”
— Bob Minkin, legendary Grateful Dead and Jerry Band rock photographer
“The Garcia Project was on point with the whole experience and it didn’t seem like a cover band more like a mirrored band…they are just as real as the Jerry Garcia Band. “ – Buffalo FM Review
“For those of us who crave late 70’s (and through the 80’s and 90’s) Jerry Garcia Band, The Garcia Project scratches that itch for hearing live renditions of JGB shows from that period.”
— Bob Minkin, legendary Grateful Dead and Jerry Band rock photographer
“The Garcia Project’s attention to detail on intonation and performance structure does set them apart as an authority on Jerry Garcia.” – NYSMUSIC
“If you close your eyes, you’ll swear you are at a Jerry Garcia Band show.” – ecoLocal Magazine
“The Garcia Project’s attention to detail on intonation and performance structure does set them apart as an authority on Jerry Garcia.” – NYSMUSIC
“it was hard to tell that it wasn’t Jerry signing on “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down.”” – NYSMUSIC
“In order for a tribute band to be successful, fans need to look at them as the authority on the artist they are emulating. The Garcia Project pulls it off effortlessly. Go see them live …The Garcia Project is the whole package.” – Upstate Live
GET EXCLUSIVE CONCERT LIVE STREAMS, VIDEOS, PHOTOS, EARLY BIRD TIX AND MORE BY SUPPORTING THE GARCIA PROJECT ON PATREON – Click this link and sign up to help our mission and get great perks:
https://www.patreon.com/thegarciaproject