The JiMiller band is playing its annual night before Thanksgiving show at The Winchester. The band is (left to right) Steve Scheff, Brian Golenberg, Jim Miller and Brett Miller.

JiMiller Band to play at The Winchester
By Danielle Toth
Insights
Published Nov. 18, 2009

What do you get when you mix the Grateful Dead, Phish, blues, folk, jazz and good ‘ol rock ‘n’ roll?

You get the JiMiller band, which is playing its seventh annual night before Thanksgiving show at The Winchester in Lakewood.

The show is an all Grateful Dead show and is one of the band’s best events, vocalist and lead guitarist Jim Miller said. The band also includes Miller’s brother Brett Miller on bass, Steve “Nev” Scheff on keyboard and Brian “Bagel” Golenberg on drums.

“We’ve been doing it for many years, and it’s a really a fun event,” Miller said. “The owner, Jim Mileti, has always been very supportive of live music and of me. That’s something that’s an anomaly in the club scene.”

One of the special things about this show is that band members have invited special guests to come on stage with them, including members of Miller’s previous band he played with for 18 years, Oroboros.

“We don’t exactly know who’s going to show,” Miller said. “We’ve invited quite a few people.”

There will also be vendors selling things like T-shirts and art. Food will be available.

The band will be playing some of its new songs and recording a portion of the show for hopeful inclusion on a new live CD, Miller said. The band is in the process of compiling live shows, and this is one of the shows that will be included.

While the Grateful Dead is a big influence on The JiMiller Band and is the focus of this show, the band also performs its own music and plays songs from bands like Phish and The Allman Brothers. It also plays a “potpourri of music,” Miller said, including Latin, island, blues and Afro-Cuban.

“The Grateful Dead taught me a historical lesson about where music was coming from,” Miller said. “A lot of stuff they covered was old bluegrass and blues. It’s Americana at its very best.”

Miller, who also teaches vocals and bass guitar to children when he’s not playing in the band, has opened for such acts as Phish, The Kinks, Santana and members of the Grateful Dead. He has shared the stage with Blues Traveler, Sheryl Crow and The Allman Brothers, among others.

“Just from being around and involved in the music scene I’ve gotten to do a lot,” Miller said. “I’ve been very lucky.”

The JiMiller Band has played at the House of Blues, the Tower City Amphitheatre and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It also plays at festivals and has played at Nelson Ledges in Garrettsville. Its audience is a mix of young and old, Miller said.

“We love that music speaks from the heart,” Miller said. “It’s true and real.”

Tickets for the night before Thanksgiving show, on Nov. 25 from 8:30 p.m. to 1 a.m., are $7 at the door of The Winchester, 12112 Madison Ave.

Visit www.jimiller.com or www.myspace.com/thejimillerband for more information on the band or upcoming shows.