Taper’s Choice Unveil First Wave of Guests for Relix 50th Celebration: Mike Gordon, Mikaela Davis, Scott Metzger and More

In 1974, a budding network of tapers across the country sought a way to connect beyond the lot as the Grateful Dead began their first hiatus. This grassroots assembly found community in the pages of Dead Relix, then a coveted cut-and-paste guide to the world of bootleg show recordings. With the guidance of founder Les Kippel and others, a magazine took root, steadily shifting from hand-drawn, meticulously Xeroxed pamphlets to the widely circulated, full-color voice of the emergent jam scene; as the Dead returned, and retreated again, and passed the torch to successive generations, the music never stopped on and beyond the print pages. 50 years after its founding, Relix is still going strong, and primed to celebrate its legacy of sound in 2025.

On Jan. 15, Taper’s Choice will ring in Relix 50 with a performance at Brooklyn, N.Y.’s Brooklyn Bowl. Today, the band have officially announced the first wave of its “old friends and new acquaintances” set to support their performance, sharing a sense of the star-studded affair ahead. Alongside the indie-jam ensemble–featuring Vampire Weekend’s Chris Tomson, Real Estate’s Alex Bleeker, DARKSIDE’s Dave Harrington and Arc Iris’ Zach Tenorio-Miller–attendees will be treated to guest spots from country-jam singer-songwriter and harpist Mikaela Davis, scene staple guitarist and founding member of Joe Russo’s Almost Dead Scott Metzger, and Daptone Records essentials trumpeter Jordan Mclean and woodwind multi-instrumentalist Stuart Bogie. Leading the charge among these new additions is legendary Phish bassist Mike Gordon, whose presence makes the program unmissable for jam fans.

Stay tuned for further guest announcements as the Relix 50 concert approaches. Tickets for the anniversary bash are on sale now. All ticket purchases will include a six-month subscription to Relix.

Dig in the Taper’s Choice vaults at taperschoice.com.