“Khruangbin for Deadheads”: Winderman, Colman & Kimock Drop Debut Single, Instrumental Take on Grateful Dead’s “Help on the Way/ Slipknot!”
Cover Art by Jesse Veasey
The collaborative efforts of Winderman, Colman & Kimock (WCK), the new trio featuring Eli Winderman (keyboards), Jon Colman (bass), and John Morgan Kimock (drums), have released their first single. The ensemble has adopted the Grateful Dead’s beloved Blues For Allah pairing, “Help on the Way/Slipknot!” The new treatment leans dreamier than the Dead’s rendition, extending the expected run-through into an instrumental carpet ride through the acid-soaked cosmos.
Released on Thursday, July 4, the track checks out at just under nine minutes, nearly two minutes longer than the Dead’s Blues For Allah studio cut and other popular renditions, like the original band’s One From the Vault (Live) performance. Notably, WCK stuck to “Help on the Way/Slipknot!,” holding on to the other piece of the 1975 released suite, “Franklin’s Tower,” first played by the Dead live on June 17, 1975, at San Francisco’s Winterland.
The WCK rendition draws influence from the members’ other projects, including Winderman’s role in Dopopod and Octave Cat, Colman’s gig in Muscle Tough, and Kimock’s roles with Oteil & Friends, Mike Gordon, Crosby Collective, and Spirit Guide. When asked about the combined efforts of their output, the band told Relix, “Khruangbin for Deadheads!”
The band’s debut single arrives after their initial March run and ahead of their impending Phish after parties at Ardmore Music Hall in Ardmore, Pa., on Tuesday, July 15, with special guest Rob Compa, Winderman’s Dopopod bandmate, and Wednesday, July 16, featuring Eggy’s Jake Brownstein. The concerts will begin at 11:30 p.m., following Phish’s performances at the nearby TD Pavilion at The Mann in Philadelphia, less than 5 miles from Ardmore. Tickets are on sale now.
WCK is also slated to perform at Domefest at the ACE Adventure Resort in Oakhill, W.Va. Read their festival profile here.
Scroll down to listen to WCK’s take on the Dead’s “Help on the Way/Slipknot!”
