The Tub Thumpers grew out of the Garcia–Hunter duo in the spring of 1962, adding banjo, dobro and a washtub bass for a looser, good-time string-band sound. Their gigs were typical of the era’s scene: a campaign rally held on a flatbed truck in Monterey County, a Stanford lecture hall, and then their biggest break. On May 12, 1962 they took a slot at the Stanford Folk Festival in Dinkelspiel Auditorium when the scheduled performer, Hedy West, dropped out sick. The band was gone within weeks, but its mix of old-time repertoire and homemade instruments points ahead to Mother McCree’s Uptown Jug Champions two years later.
Thunder Mountain Tub Thumpers
Years active
11962–1962 Inactive
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Members
Lineup timeline
Jerry Garcia
Ken Frankel
Jim Edmiston
Joe Edmiston
Robert Hunter
1962
| Person | Role | Start | End |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jerry Garcia | Vocals, Guitar | 1962-04 | 1962-05-12 |
| Ken Frankel | Banjo | 1962-04 | 1962-05-12 |
| Jim Edmiston | Vocals, Other | 1962-04 | 1962-05-12 |
| Joe Edmiston | Bass | 1962-04 | 1962-05-11 |
| Robert Hunter | Vocals, Bass | 1962-05-10 | 1962-05-12 |
