It was a chilly Memorial Day weekend in Thornville, Ohio; certainly not the norm from years past for the now 12-year-old Dark Star Jubilee. Despite the nip in the air, however, the crowd certainly warmed to the jam/funk sounds of Organ Fairchild heralding from Buffalo, NY for their first ever performance at the festival.

The trio of Dave Ruch, Joe Bellanti, and Corey Kertzie have been friends and stallwarts of the jam music scene since the early ’80s as members of a NY Grateful Dead cover band. It wasn’t until 2020 that they wrote their first original music together as a trio, thus becoming Organ Fairchild. Their debut album “Brewed in Buffalo” followed shortly in 2021.

The band came to Saturday’s performance on the Jubilee stage with three albums to their credit including 2023s “Leisure Suit” and last year’s “Songs We Didn’t Write,” which features selections from the Grateful Dead, The Beatles, Bob Marley, and more. With string of awards and milestones including 2021’s top emerging band status in New York; #1 on Relix/Jambands.com National Radio Chart in the summer of 2024; a feature on Spotify’s Instrumental Funk playlist; and numerous festival and club appearances with the likes of Goose, The Trey Anastasio Band, and Melvin Seals & JGB, the band has definitely made a name for itself in its relatively short lifespan.

It’s safe to say Fairchild made some new fans during their set at the Legend Valley Concert Venue, nearly 37 years to the day the Grateful Dead first played the festival grounds. Of course, there were those in the crowd already hip to the sounds of Organ Fairchild and happy to see them among the weekend lineup.

And for those keeping score, the band provided the crowd with an introduction of originals with a smattering of covers that all fit nicely within the vibe of the weekend. Specifically:

Bailar
Leisure Suit >
Terrapin Transit >
Chamelonious Monk
Amateur Night at the Apollo >
Sapana
Feel Like a Stranger

Dark Star Jubilee is one of several major festivals annually from promoter, All Good Presents, and features a lineup of fantastic bands with three nightly performances from the iconic Dark Star Orchestra. The event draws thousands of jam music fans from across the country and beyond to rolling hills of East Central Ohio to gather and experience the ongoing vibe of the Grateful Dead.

Organ Fairchild will be touring extensively through the summer and fall, primarily in the Midwest and up the East Coast. Be sure to check their tour page for the date closest to where you’ll be!!

Were you at the show? I’d love to hear your comments.