I was recently re-reading Bob Dylan’s Chronicles, and Jill and I started reminiscing about the 1987 rehearsal sessions with Bob that took place at Club Front, the Grateful Dead San Rafael studio/boy’s club from the late seventies until the mid-nineties. We were having lunch in the areaone afternoon and decided to take a drive by the old studio. While we were driving around we went by The Seafood Peddler restaurant, where Furthur did some rehearsal shows a couple years ago in their Palm Ballroom. We pulled into the rear parking lot and we saw a large painted Grateful Dead logo with the words Buckle Up Kids above it. We looked at each other and both had the same flash – that the Seafood Peddler had the foundation for us to realize our long-held dream of finding a place in Marin County to make music.
We originally thought of Terrapin Crossroads as a musical home- a way to reactivate the various lineups that I’ve put together over the past ten years. As we got deeper into it, it morphed into something more comprehensive: a community cultural and educational center. We plan to celebrate the arts – music, culinary, poetry, dance, literature, visual arts including photography, theatre, and other creative endeavors – so aside from a performance space and restaurant, Terrapin Crossroads will also host art exhibits, have an art-and-music-themed library and reading room, memorabilia displays, and a beautiful, comfortable place where friends can meet to exchange ideas over a glass of wine or a drink, a terrific meal, and of course hear some great music. We’ll also be a place for teaching and learning: in addition to regular musical performances, we will offer curated conversations with celebrated visionaries, luminaries, characters, and eccentrics, discussing topics ranging from cosmology to history to environmental issues to building team spirit and beyond.
Terrapin Crossroads intends to become a positive force in the Canal District in San Rafael. We plan to develop a close relationship with the City of San Rafael, and work to support the local police and fire departments and other community services along with local non profit organizations, as becoming contributing members of the community is very important to us.
This will be our home away from home, and we hope it will become yours as well.
