Donna Jean Godchaux, Grateful Dead vocalist in the 1970s, will return to Philadelphia on March 7^th to host a table at the annual WXPN Beggar’s Banquet fundraiser to be held at Penn’s Landing Caterers, 1301 S. Columbus Blvd. For more information, go to http://www.xpn.org/support-xpn/2009beggarsbanquet.

And since Philly Dead Heads are never satisfied, there’s more. After the Dead’s May 1st concert at The Spectrum (their 51st at the venue), Dead Heads will be able to stroll across Pattison Avenue to McFadden’s, a club located inside Citizen’s Bank Park, where they can – for FREE – see the brand-new Donna Jean Godchaux Band with Jeff Mattson. Good deal, huh.

This band is a new one, having morphed out of the former Donna Jean and the Tricksters. Donna Jean Godchaux was of course a member of the Grateful Dead. Jeff Mattson is a founding member of the Zen Tricksters, Long Island’s legendary Dead-oriented band, and has played with Phil Lesh and Friends. Together with David MacKay (a member of Muscle Shoals favorites, The Fiddleworms), Joe Chirco (Long Island’s hardest-working drummer), and Mark Adler (a member of Donna Jean’s original Heart of Gold Band), they’ll keep folks dancing ‘til the wee, wee hours.