Phish, featuring The Giant Country Horns, kicked-off the summer to remember on July 20 and 21, 1991. Playing to a dusty field full of about 2000 hot, sweaty hippies. The weekend long concert also featured the just about to explode Spin Doctors, The Radiators, the Authority and TR3. It is considered by collectors to be among the phinest Phish concerts ever and is in wide circulation on the internet.

You can snag the opener from the second day right here.
Cavern (4029Kb)

The Spin Doctors were just about to explode into the conciousness and living rooms of American kids when they took the stage at the Arrowhead on a sunny Saturday afternoon, July 20, 1991. Opening for headliners Phish and New York based funk band The Authority, Chris Barron, Eric Schenkman and the rest of the band, spun, grooved and kicked the summer concert series off in a way no one who was there will ever forget.

The New Riders of the Purple Sage, featuring original lead singer John "Marmaduke" Dawson, along with about 500 fans, opened the Arrowhead lounge on Memorial Day weekend 1990. Featuring guitarist extraordinaire, Rusty Gauthier, NRPS opened with a bistering version of "Henry" and ran through beloved old classics like "Louisianna Lady" as well as some fine new songs from their album "Keep On Keepin On".

The original psychedelic cowboys then got a chance to squeeze in some horseback riding before praising the ranch as "the highest quality in having a good old-fashioned hippie time" and before splitting said, "We'll be back, it's a real hangout." And they kept to their word when they returned for the Gratefully Yours weekend of madness, Labor Day 1992.

Hot Tuna were just one of the many legendary artists to appear at the Arrowhead. Jorma & Jack graced us with their music on the small outdoor stage in 1990 and again on the big stage in 1991. They loved the ranch and we love them for that.

Merl Saunders played two incredible concerts at the Arrowhead Ranch. First appearing on our large stage on August 25, 1991 with Gratefully Yours, a show that included the talents of Tom (T.C.) Constanten, Kingfish, David Nelson, Steve Kimock and Papa John Creach. Sharing the bill was Max Creek and their annual Camp Creek weekend.

Merl returned triumphantly to the ranch for a Labor Day Weekend Festival on September 5-6, 1992, this time with his Rainforest Band. The New Riders of the Purple Sage, Kingfish, Tom (T.C.) Constanten, and Solar Circus were also on the bill.

Papa John Creach performed one of his last concerts at the Arrowhead. The one time member of Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna appeared along side fellow Bay Area music icons Tom (T.C.) Constanten, Kingfish, David Nelson, Steve Kimock and Merl Saunders on August 25, 1991 for a tour dubbed "Gratefully Yours".

The 80-something Papa John lit up the stage with his soaring electric violin riffs and proved to the crowd of 20-, 30- and 40-somethings, that you're never too old to rock and roll. If there's a rock'n'roll heaven, Papa John's gotta be there.

Richie Havens performed to a rapt crowd at the Arrowhead Ranch on August 4, 1991. The Band with Billy Preston on keyboards and the ranch's own house band The Hour, filled out the bill that day.

Blues Traveler took the Arrowhead stage in front of a field of sweaty, happy freaks, headlining the August 18, 1991 bill along with Widespread Panic and The Dreyer Brothers. John Popper and company jammed through a rockin' set that not only included soaring versions of "Gina", "Mountain Cry" and "But Anyway", we also were treated to Popper's commentary on Coor's rip-off of Blues Traveler's "sound" for a beer commercial. As he warned the crowd of about 2500 from the stage, "Y'know that beer commercial, well, it ain't us, so don't go and buy that stuff."

The Hour was the house band at the ranch in 1991 and played in the lounge regularly to a capacity crowd of old fans from New York City and new fans from the Catskills. On August 4, 1991, guitar/vocalists Marshall Madow and Matt Turk, plus Carey Harmon and Arrowhead owner Ken Hoff on drums and percussion performed on the big stage sharing the bill with legends Richie Havens and The Band featuring Billy Preston on keyboards.

Live music by The Hour

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