Electronic music has proven itself to be one of the most inventive and imaginative genres in music, but piano-house star LP Giobbi has taken EDM’s boundless innovation to new terrain by means of an unexpected inspiration — Grateful Dead.
Tonight, Jan. 21, at The Big Dirty in downtown Eugene, LP Giobbi will headline her very own “Dead House Set,” a unique mashup of house music and dance beats with Grateful Dead songs and sounds interpolated into the mix. Doors open at 8 p.m. and the show begins at 9 p.m. Special guests Sara Z and Modern Lover will get the night started, with LP hitting the stage at midnight.
LP Giobbi, who grew up in Eugene, was raised by bonafide Deadheads. Her parents passed on their love for the Dead at a young age, and it became an integral part of her childhood. To this day, it still plays a prominent role in her music career.
“It was my parents’ music,” LP Giobbi said. “I loved it at first because it was home to me. Anytime I would hear it, I would think of my parents who I’m very close with. I would think of Eugene, Oregon. I would think of my upbringing. It made me feel free and whole, which is how my childhood was.”
The Dead House show will also serve to celebrate the release of her official remix package of Jerry Garcia’s solo debut album, entitled “Garcia (Remixed),” which hit streaming platforms last Friday. Garcia was the lead guitarist and vocalist for the Grateful Dead.
Jerry’s daughter Trixie Garcia and Marc Allan from Red Light Management, who run Jerry Garcia’s estate, reached out to LP Giobbi to remix the “Garcia” album following its 50th anniversary. It was a surreal opportunity for the musician who was so influenced by Garcia and the Dead throughout her life.
“It was kind of overwhelming at first because Jerry’s voice was like a member of my family growing up,” she said. “He was always on in the house; the music was always being played. I just wanted to do my best at these songs.”
The experience, while challenging at times, was a joyous time for her to put her twist and piano-house flavor on the music of her lifelong icon. Every song had its own creative process to figure out how to best combine the worlds, but the result was beyond rewarding, she said.
“Remixing this project is not about making the songs better — that is truly never going to happen,” she said. “It’s about bringing my community together with the jam band Dead community and giving my spin on it.”
The Dead House show will be her first show ever in her hometown. Getting the chance to perform for her family and the community she grew up with will make the show that much more meaningful, she said.
“I can’t tell you what it means to me,” she said. “It’s just so many beautiful things. I’m deeply excited to share it with the community that has raised me, like a lot of my parents’ friends who’ve known me since I was little and came to all my piano recitals growing up. They’ll all be there. It’s gonna be a very special experience.”
LP Giobbi’s original mashups of house and jam band music have made an impact between generations. Since she began mixing her house sets with Grateful Dead stems, she has received countless messages from Deadhead parents and their children alike. Parents who love the Dead have expressed their newfound appreciation for house music, while younger generations have voiced their admiration for the Dead’s music and what their parents love. LP Giobbi takes pride in being able to bridge the gap between generations, while also building community and happiness in the process.
“I think that my job as a DJ and producer is to be a conduit of joy for people,” she said. “When I can tap into my joy I can be a mirror for other people to tap into their joy. I think being at a live music show and standing in a room on a dance floor with other people and feeling part of something greater than yourself — I think it has the power to heal, and it has the power to make you feel not alone. I always try to make sure that people leave feeling joy and community.”
Be sure to check out FEMME HOUSE, LP Giobbi’s non-profit organization that teaches women how to produce music. People can access free workshops and online courses for electronic music production and beatmaking.
Doors open for The Dead House Set at 8 p.m. tonight, Jan. 21, at The Big Dirty, and the show begins at 9 p.m. Check out her new Garcia (Remixed) project here.
Editors Note: This story was updated to change all mentions of the artist’s name to her preferred title, LP Giobbi.
