The Cap is the room where the Dead played eighteen nights in 1971, where Springsteen and Janis Joplin played early, and where Peter Shapiro's restoration made it a jam-scene cathedral again. A hundredth birthday happens once, and the bill is built for sit-ins: a supergroup curating the venue's own history with a guest list deep enough to make the second set unpredictable.
What to expect
A long night - doors an hour and a half before the show - built around two Pink Talking Fish sets with rotating guests, opened by a full drag Grateful Dead tribute. Expect an unusually devoted regional crowd, a standing floor with reserved balcony seating, and a set of surprises the running order will not have told you about.
Good to know
- Metro-North's New Haven Line runs from Grand Central to Port Chester in about 50 minutes, and the theater is a five-minute walk from the station
- Check the last northbound-return departure before you go; the show runs long and the late-night schedule thins out
- The floor is general admission standing, with reserved seating in the balcony - pick your ticket type accordingly
- The venue's Garcia's room next door usually runs its own programming on big nights
- Port Chester's Main Street has a solid run of restaurants within the same few blocks if you come up early
- Guest lineups on nights like this are announced in stages, so re-check the venue's site the week of
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Common questions
How do I get there without a car?
Take Metro-North's New Haven Line from Grand Central to Port Chester - roughly 50 minutes - then walk about five minutes to 149 Westchester Avenue.
Who is playing?
Pink Talking Fish performing as The Centennial Band, plus BERTHA: Grateful Drag, with announced guests including Robert Randolph, Al Schnier and Vinnie Amico of moe., Goose's Cotter Ellis, Andy Frasco and The Gotham Horns.
What time should I arrive?
Doors open at 6 PM and the show starts at 7:30 PM on Saturday, September 19.
