Grateful for Biggie at 5 Points Roanoke — A Surprising Mashup That Works

Last night at 5 Points Music Sanctuary in Roanoke, I saw Grateful for Biggie, and here’s the thing: I’ve never been a fan of The Notorious B.I.G. or The Grateful Dead. No old CDs, no t-shirts, not even a playlist. I went mostly out of curiosity, expecting to leave with a shrug and a “well, that was different.”

Instead, I walked out smiling.

The whole idea seems like something a kid would try to do, like take the psychedelic, freeform jams of the Dead, which again is not my jam, and combine them with Biggie’s sharp, streetwise flow, which also, being a white boy not even from this country, is not in my basket. But the band pulled it off with energy, skill, and a real respect for both worlds. Garcia’s mellow, winding guitar riffs slid under Biggie’s verses like they’d been written to share the same stage all along.

If you’re unfamiliar:

The Notorious B.I.G. — Christopher Wallace, the king of ’90s East Coast hip-hop, with a smooth, hypnotic voice and vivid storytelling that made you feel like you were walking his Brooklyn streets.
The Grateful Dead — San Francisco’s legendary jam band, famous for marathon sets, improvisation, and a fan culture that’s practically its own ecosystem.

One highlight for me was hearing Casey Jones morph seamlessly into Big Poppa. It was uncanny, ecstatic, and naturally strange – and peering around, everyone from Deadheads in tie-dye to hip-hop fans in flat-brims was swaying to the same beat.

I came in neutral. I left impressed. If you think this mashup sounds weird, you’re right, but it’s the good kind of weird. If they come near you, don’t overthink it. Go.