Mark Karan

Mark Karan sometimes describes himself as “a male Bonnie Raitt filtered through a psychedelic blender”. A modern day classic, Karan oozes passion and rock and roll spirit, presenting his music in creative ways that make folks perk up, dance… and maybe think a bit after the shufflin’s done.

Best known for his extended time around the Grateful Dead scene as lead guitarist for Bob Weir & Ratdog, Mark is far more than his time in the “land of the Dead” might imply… a consummate team player for many years, his six-string contributions have added something special to tours with Ratdog, The Other Ones, Delaney Bramlett, Dave Mason and Paul Carrack… and as a “value added” guest for impromptu sit-ins with the Allman Brothers, Trey Anastasio, Gov’t Mule, Jackie Greene, ALO, Levon Helm, Chuck Leavell, Little Feat, Phil and Friends and many more…

“Playing with [Bob] Weir for a dozen years and being encouraged to freely interpret Dead music faithfully or as personally as I could imagine was a real blessing,” says Karan. “The experience was a huge opportunity to explore musical freedom and self-expression and that’s still what I’m all about.”

The San Francisco-based singer-songwriter-guitarist is currently working on a new record and embarking on the most personal phase of his career yet. Given his vibrant chops, warm voice, and intuitive, inspired grasp of music, it’s bound to be an exciting time.