Roots-rock meets prog-rock this week, when Marin’s longtime Americana outfit San Geronimo performs Pink Floyd’s seminal 1973 album, Dark Side of the Moon, in its entirety on Friday, May 10, at Sweetwater Music Hall.
It’s a show that San Geronimo has performed in the past, though it’s been a while. In fact, the group as a whole has been in a state of flux in the last year while co-frontmen Jeremy D’Antonio and Darren Nelson have spent time focusing on solo projects.
“I think we’re trying to figure out where we’re going to land as musicians,” says D’Antonio, who spent last month recording solo material with members of Merle Haggard’s old band. “We’ve been exploring avenues that San Geronimo doesn’t usually cover, but we always come back to San Geronimo.”
Formed over a decade ago, the five-man Americana machine began life under the name Tiny Television, the group that D’Antonio brought with him when he relocated to the North Bay from Colorado. Once Nelson joined the ranks, San Geronimo enjoyed a long-running residency at Terrapin Crossroads in San Rafael, and became known not only for their original tunes, collected in 2016 on their Better Days LP, but also for cover shows like the one coming up on May 10.
“Actually, we grew as a band by learning to play someone else’s material —it’s a great growing experience,” says D’Antonio.
While the group rarely makes a habit of playing cover shows, they are eager to once again cover Dark Side of the Moon, one of D’Antonio’s favorite records.
“My earliest memories are probably listening to that record with my dad,” he says. “It’s ingrained in me at this point.”
Of course, D’Antonio is not alone in that sentiment, and Dark Side of the Moon is still one of the best-selling records worldwide.
“We’re pretty true to the record, but there’s no other way than to make it our own a little bit,” says D’Antonio, who points out the sounds of pedal-steel player Dave Zirbel, bassist Mike Anderson and drummer Danny Luehring. “They bring so much to the table, and put the San Geronimo stamp on it.”
For the show, the group will also welcome special guests Phil Ferlino (New Monsoon) on keys, Teal Collins Zee (Mother Truckers) on vocals and Alex Garcia (Analog Us) on saxophone and synthesizer. “The songs are so good, it’s kind of hard to mess them up,” laughs D’Antonio. “Everybody brings their own twist to it.”
