On the weekend that Jerry Garcia would have celebrated his 68th birthday, many fans of the kind of jam-style psychedelic rock the Grateful Dead helped pioneer obviously held his memory close as they danced, camped and toked their way through the 12th annual Gathering of the Vibes [ tickets ] at Seaside Park in Bridgeport, CT.

Indeed, the memories and related images of Garcia on tents, T-shirts, blankets and tattoos were nearly as overwhelming as the smell of sweet leaf wafting through the entire neighborhood from early in the afternoon Friday (8/1) until long past Dead bassist Phil Lesh [ tickets ]'s set wrapped up early Sunday morning (8/4).

But while the four-day event--which has already inked a four-year return commitment with the Park City--was about having a good time, virtually no amount of intoxicating substances could have dampened the enthusiasm of music lovers who flocked to the scene from all corners of the globe and across North America. There were Canadians, Mexicans, Kentuckians, Californians, Floridians, folks from Maine, Maryland, Indiana, Texas and Colorado, all seemingly having the time of their lives.

What made the 2008 Gathering of the Vibes most special was the gathering of an incredible lineup of acts. Event mastermind Ken Hays and his team have in past years amassed an impressive collection of talent, but this year's bill was among the best, with the diversity of performers sharing the genre hitting all the buttons.

There were headliners including Lesh & Friends, fellow Dead drummer Bill Kreutzmann [ tickets ], Dead alum Donna Jean Godchaux [ tickets ], (Dweezil) Zappa Plays Zappa [ tickets ], The Black Crowes [ tickets ], The Neville Brothers [ tickets ], Taj Mahal [ tickets ], the husband and wife team of Derek Trucks [ tickets ] and Susan Tedeschi, Umphrey's McGee, Phish co-founder Mike Gordon, virtuoso mandolin player Sam Bush, Assembly of Dust, Dark Star Orchestra doing a Jerry Garcia tribute set, New Riders of the Purple Sage, and Bridgeport's own Deep Banana Blackout.

Several band members floated through the weekend sharing duties, including Jackie Greene [ tickets ], who did his own set, but also backed up Phil & Friends' Larry Campbell on guitar during that set. Another great double-duty effort was turned in by Scott Murawski, who went from a sweat-drenched 90 minutes fronting the Bill Kreutzmann Trio to another extended set backing Gordon and company, with about 10 minutes in between to quickly change his shirt.

Friday's early acts included American Babies and Ryan Montbleau Band, which each got things warmed up with a mix of easy-to-listen-to originals and a couple of cool covers. American Babies seemed to bring folks out of the campground and vending area with Paul McCartney's "Let 'em In," while Montbleau mashed up Eddie Grant's "Electric Avenue," with "Oh Yeah," from Yello, which most folks remember from "Ferris Bueller's Day Off."

Although his was among the acts most distantly associated with the Deadhead scene, one of the high points of the weekend was Zappa's set. Dweezil, along with his exceptionally talented group which included Frank Zappa alum Ray White, did absolute justice to his dad's complex arrangements, often times taking the material to new heights of intensity.

Opening with "I'm the Slime," Zappa moved through more than a dozen of his dad's songs, including obscure material from "200 Motels," and a surprising, 20-minute sing-along on "Don't Eat the Yellow Snow/St Alfonzo's Pancake Breakfast."

After a drenching rain threatened the Saturday show, the heavy stuff moved off leaving the grounds crew with more ponds and mud bogs than open field. Kudos to Bridgeport's Parks Department for tossing down hundreds of yards of straw to help minimize the soggy wetness, and the fans for making the best of it. The 11 a.m. start was pushed back until nearly 4 p.m., and the New Riders became the day's opening act, kicking out their vintage brand of California bluegrass including a crowd favorite, "Panama Red."

The Kreutzmann Trio gave the Deadheads what they'd been waiting for, opening with an extended "Eyes of the World," which sounded nearly as good with three players as the Dead used to with six. Kreutzmann's Swiss watch precision kept things interesting as the band debuted a couple of songs they wrote just last week, according to Murawski.

The second trio of the day, fronted by the ageless Taj Mahal, got as down and dirty as the muddy dancers up in front, thrilling all the blues fans with his brand of world-wise R&B. And Phil Lesh capped the evening off nicely, opening with "Here Comes Sunshine," which served as an impromptu tribute to Mother Nature's kindness having brushed away the earlier threat of further rain.

Lesh's highlights included a spectacular "Cumberland Blues," which gave Campbell a turn on fiddle, and its "Workingman's Dead" companion, "Dire Wolf." Both tunes were layered up nicely with multipart harmonies from Greene, Campbell and Theresa Williams.

Lesh's second set, which stretched into Sunday morning, was uplifting from the start with "Scarlet Begonias" and a blistering "All Along the Watchtower." Then the pace started slowing down a bit, reminding us all of who we were missing the most as Lesh paid tribute to Garcia with "He's Gone" and the soulful "Wharf Rat."