John Kadlecik's Fellowship of the Wing

From the depths of Furthur, Golden Gate Wingmen and Electric Beethoven, emerges John Kadlecik’s Fellowship of the Wing! Formed in 2017 as an off-shoot of Golden Gate Wingmen, with a revolving line-up when one of the Wingmen is unavailable, Fellowship of the Wing features an amazing line up of longstanding musicians that have all performed with original members of the Grateful Dead. The set lists are original for each show and always include a wide variety of originals and covers. From George Harrison to The Who, from Bob Dylan to Van Morrison, their arrangements are both interesting and inventive. And while they enjoy paying tribute to many renowned artists, the song choices are unique and often obscure.

Members of Fellowship of the Wing have a variety of musical backgrounds, who offer an extensive repertoire of songs. On guitar and vocals is John Kadlecik. He is a singer, songwriter, and musician who is well-known for being a guitar-slinging sideman to Grateful Dead members Phil Lesh and Bob Weir in the band Furthur. An original member and co-founder of the group Dark Star Orchestra, John has been performing improvisationally-oriented shows regularly since the late 1980’s and touring nationally for over 20 years. While Kadlecik is well-known for his love of playing the music of the Grateful Dead and Jerry Garcia, his shows always include many of his original tunes, as well.

On drums and vocals is the incredible Jay Lane. Lane brings an energetic and dynamic back-beat for the dancers, along with fantastic vocal harmonies. He and Kadlecik, first played together in Furthur in 2009. Lane had been drumming in RatDog prior to the dawn of Furthur, and with Primus before that. As of late, Golden Gate Wingmen and The John Kadlecik Band have been ongoing projects for Kadlecik and Lane, as their musical brotherhood continues to deepen.

Rhythms are enhanced by Reed Mathis on bass and vocals. Mathis brings his unique style to the stage, along with several original tunes to the repertoire. He weaves his love of jazz and of the music of Bob Dylan into his jams, and raises the vibration with his soulful lyrics and vocals. Mathis, Lane and Kadlecik have been touring together in the Golden Gate Wingmen since 2014, concurrently with Reed’s project Electric Beethoven since 2016, which also includes keyboardist Todd Stoops.

Todd Stoops completes this fantastic quartet with his playful and funky grooves and fills on keys and excellent vocal harmonies. His heady approach has been influenced by greats, such as Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea and Keith Godchaux, along with roots in percussion from his childhood. Stoops and Kadlecik first collaborated in 2016 when Stoops joined The John Kadlecik Band and they continue to excite audiences with their improvisational jams with every Fellowship adventure.