Jake’s Leg has been in existence in the St. Louis area for 30 years now. Although different players have come and gone, its musical spirit and intent has stayed intact. Over the years, Jakes Leg has played to thousands of people, cutting across age and lifestyle demographics. College kids have heard of them through word of mouth and live tapes that show up on Grateful Dead tape lists around the country. Yet to say they copy the Dead would be a mistake. They tend to interpret the songs and put their own stamp on the music, spiritually and musically. For instance, Dave Casper’s lead solos pay homage to Jerry Garcia, but also Pat Metheny, Carlos Santana and Miles Davis. This hybrid of styles ends up working into the music, yet bears Casper’s own style. Similar to the Dead’s approach, Jake’s Leg feeds off the energy of its audience, which is an integral part of the whole experience. This ongoing dialogue between the players in the band and their audience has been working for nearly 30 years, and shows no sign of slowing down.