POP REVIEW : A Joyous Outing From Garcia Band

Jerry Garcia turns 50 on Saturday, when he’ll be performing at Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre, so it’s understandable that age seemed to be on his mind when he played Wednesday at the Universal Amphitheatre with the Jerry Garcia Band. But for the graybeard guitarist to sing Chuck Berry’s line “C’est la vie, say the old folks” as if he was not in that number himself . . . a bit too much, wouldn’t you say?

Well, to continue the song, it goes to show you never can tell.

Garcia may not be ageless, but his fans seem to be. And he wore gratitude on his sleeve Wednesday, opening with Marvin Gaye’s “How Sweet It Is to Be Loved by You” serving as a sentimental benediction, followed by Bob Dylan’s spiritual blessing, “Forever Young,” and then Berry’s frisky tale of puppy love gone right--a darn good metaphor for the Grateful Dead guitarist’s relationship with his following.

If that doesn’t exactly keep him young, it sure keeps him going. About half of the concert used favorite songs of Garcia’s youth to look back with joyous nostalgia, while the other half had a buoyantly forward-looking gospel thrust--the specialty of this band, with Melvin Seals’ organ and Jackie LaBranch and Gloria Jones’ backup vocals giving the music a churchy feel. Of course, no matter how frisky Garcia may feel, no one will ever mistake his craggy voice and deliberate pace for the youthful intensity of Nirvana or Ministry. On the other hand, it seems unlikely that Kurt Cobain or Alain Jourgensen will ever radiate the joy and contentment that Garcia does. The Jerry Garcia Band also performs Friday tonight at the Ventura County Fairgrounds, 10 W. Saturday at Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre and Sunday at Southwestern College in Chula Vista.