“Ace & Friends bring the true Grateful Dead vibe - not just in how they play the songs, but the feeling and the emotion. An Ace & Friends show is both a party and a loving tribute to the Dead!"
David Kaye, Co-Founder and General Manager,
Nod Hill Brewery, Ridgefield, CT
“Ace & Friends deserves a spot with the best dead tribute bands in Connecticut. Great to work with and kept it high energy the whole night. We loved having them!”
Brian Teagarden, Owner
Sugar Hollow Tap Room, Danbury, CT
“ACE & Friends is clearly one of the elite Grateful Dead tribute bands in our area. They always bring an energetic and receptive crowd. We look forward to their appearances at BRYAC!”
Michael Andre, Owner, BRYAC
Black Rock (Bridgeport), CT
“ACE & Friends is the closest thing you're going to get to a real Grateful Dead show. They are spectacular musicians, and bring a terrific crowd that appreciates the music of the Grateful Dead. Close your eyes and let the sweet sounds carry you away”
Jed Simon, Owner, OG Social Club
Old Greenwich, CT
The Band
ACE & Friends Larry Siebert, guitar; Mike Kaufman, guitar; Mark Mattson, keyboards; Megan Tyre, vocals; Todd Cummings, drums; Brian Zito ,bass; Larry Young, lead vocals;
Michael Kaufman, rhythm guitar and vocals. Michael's guitar is heavily influenced by Bob Weir, (original member and rhythm guitarist of the Grateful Dead). Michael previously co-founded and played with Stella Blues Band, a leading New York area Grateful Dead tribute band.
Larry Siebert, lead guitar. A student of several contemporary rock and jazz guitar styles, Larry completed a BA Degree in Guitar Performance from the Berklee School of Music in 2022. In addition to ACE & Friends, Larry is involved in several other music projects including a Steely Dan tribute band Logical Pretzel.
Mark Mattson, keyboards and vocals. Mark Mattson’s first Grateful Dead concert was 9/8/73 at the Nassau Coliseum, and he saw them live 51 times. His keyboard influences include Keith Godchaux, Nicky Hopkins, Bruce Hornsby, Chuck Leavell, Page McConnell, Garth Hudson, and Steve Nieve. In addition to playing with Ace, he performs classic rock, Grateful Dead, and Phish with Tiberius, Eric Fayer, Fred Scholl, and Big Phun. Mark is a long-time taper, even though actual tapes are generally no longer used, and is a member of the Grateful Dead Studies Association, with on published chapter on memories for Grateful Dead concerts and another on expressive and structural variations in performances of some Grateful Dead songs. Mark's brother is Jeff Mattson, the lead guitarist for Dark Star Orchestra, the premier Grateful Dead tribute band.
Todd Cummings, drums. Todd played in bands in high school and college and several bands in more recent years, including the blues & southern rock band Dirty Rice, the indy Woodland Hills Band, a reggae band Accidental Breakdown, and the Mile Marker 22 jazz ensemble. Todd has also been a frequent sub in several CT & NY area Dead & JGB cover bands.
Larry Young & Megan Tyre, lead vocals - Larry Young provides lead vocals for ACE & Friends and is also the lead singer in Laughin' Bones, a Grateful Dead tribute band that has performed throughout the tri-state areas since the late 1980s. Megan Tyre also provides lead and backup vocals for ACE & Friends. Megan is the lead vocalist in Cover Story Band and a backing vocalist in Logical Pretzel, a Steely Dan tribute band.
Brian Zito, bass guitar. Brian has been involved with a number of musical projects in the tristate area for decades, which include being the bass player for Laughin' Bones for the last 25 years.