The Wildwood Boys grew out of the Hart Valley Drifters and kept the same core of Garcia, Hunter and Nelson. Other players came and went over roughly half a year. For Garcia the band was mainly a place to work on his banjo, and the tapes show fast progress in his speed and drive. They were a house favorite at the Top of the Tangent, the Palo Alto coffeehouse on University Avenue, and their February 23, 1963 set there appears on Before the Dead. In April they played Rickey’s Studio Inn in Palo Alto, and in May they appeared at the first Monterey Folk Festival. That festival also gave Bob Dylan his first West Coast booking. While he was there, Garcia entered an amateur banjo contest with Nelson backing him and finished second. By summer the players had scattered into other combinations.
Wildwood Boys
Years active
11963–1963 Inactive
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Members
Lineup timeline
Jerry Garcia
David Nelson
Robert Hunter
Norm Van Maastricht
Ken Frankel
1963
| Person | Role | Start | End |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jerry Garcia | Vocals, Guitar, Banjo | 1963-02-22 | 1963-07-06 |
| David Nelson | Vocals, Guitar, Mandolin | 1963-02-22 | 1963-07-06 |
| Robert Hunter | Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Mandolin | 1963-02-22 | 1963-07-06 |
| Norm Van Maastricht | Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Other | 1963-02-22 | 1963-07-06 |
| Ken Frankel | Mandolin | 1963-02-22 | 1963-07-06 |
