NOTE: I WILL BE ADDING A FEW MORE TO THIS GALLERY SOON. Nine months after Mickey Hart brought his new band to Chico, California, he returned to the area for a show at the Performing Arts Center in Paradise. The African Showboyz, a rhythm ensemble from Ghana, opened the show. Now with about 100 shows under its belt, the Mickey Hart Band's performance was real fine. This band has a lot of strength and substance, with feet nicely planted in both the present and past. Mickey, Ben Yonas (composer, engineer, audio mixologist, keyboardist) Dave Schools (bass with MHB and Widespread Panic), and the rest of the players were very much in sync, showcasing compelling new material, some of which was woven with cosmic audio samples while still remaining quite accessible. And then there were big, strong versions of Grateful Dead classics, all done with power and joy. Set 1: Samson & Delilah, Cut the Deck > China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider, This One Hour, Time Never Ends. Set 2: Franklin's Tower > Heartbeat > Train > Fire on the Mountain > Supersonic (Rainforest) > Let There Be Light > Bertha. Encore: Not Fade Away. Images, shot for North Valley Productions, ŠAlan Sheckter / AlSheck@comcast.net.