On Thursday night Grateful Dead fans joined fans of all types of music in Lafayette Square to see the Mickey Hart Band and Tea Leaf Green. It turned out to be an evening oozing with energy and enthusiasm.

Tea Leaf Green opened the event and played a very exciting and up-tempo style of rock and roll. Especially impressive were keyboardist Trevor Garrod and percussionist Scott Rager. Their play really drove the music and gave it tremendous energy. Garrod showed great versatility by also playing the harmonica brilliantly and doing most of the vocals.

The reaction to Tea Leaf Green was very positive.

"They're very good, and very talented," music fan Diane Malecki said. " They were easy to listen to and easy to dance to. They appeal to a lot of different people."

She was absolutely right about the diversity of people. Though there were many Grateful Dead fans who had been following the band for decades, there were also many younger fans at the Square as well.

After Tea Leaf Green, the Mickey Hart Band took the stage to a rousing chorus of cheers. Hart is a 1991 Grammy Winner and former Grateful Dead drummer. Naturally a band led by Mickey Hart featured fantastic percussion play throughout, from Hart, and also from fellow drummer Sikiru Adepoju. Keyboardist Kyle Hollingsworth, guitarist Steve Kimock, and bassist George Porter Jr. were also solid, though not the stars of the show.

It was no shock that Hart was great on drums, but vocalist Jen Durkin was an extremely pleasant surprise. She was nothing short of spectacular. Not only was her voice phenomenal, but she also brought boundless energy to the stage each time she sung.

The Mickey Hart Band started out with a bang, playing a really exciting piece with a distinct Caribbean flavor called "Your House."

During the course of the evening the Caribbean theme surfaced again, but the band played a variety of music. One song even featured Hart on vocals. The highlights were a franticly paced rendition of "The Wrecking Crew" and a phenomenal version of the Grateful Dead hit "Goin' Down the Road Feeling Bad."

When the band walked off stage after the performance the crowd burst into cheers for an encore. The band gave in and played two more numbers that were very appropriate for the closing of a concert. They started with "Goodbye, and See you Again" and closed with "Not Fade Away."

The fans really got into the music of the Mickey Hart band from beginning to end. One such spectator, Jack Smart, said "I enjoyed the band. I liked the first number with the upbeat Caribbean riff. I also really liked the encore and especially 'Goodbye, and See you Again."

The weather was perfect, the music fantastic, and the crowd was huge. With such a high profile event available for no cost it is no surprise that fans like McKenna Wipple felt proud of their hometown.

"I enjoyed the concert", Wipple said. "I love living in Buffalo and an event like this makes me proud of living in this city."

The Thursday at the Square series continues next week with the Gin Blossoms performing. As always admission is free.