An interview with Greg Anton — a veteran drummer, composer, author and lawyer whose career bridges music and literature — was featured on the Sept. 20 edition of Greasy Tracks.
Here’s the archive, while a playlist is here.
Best known as co-founder of the Bay Area band Zero with guitarist Steve Kimock, Anton’s drumming anchored the group’s improvisational blend of rock, jazz and psychedelia, making them a fixture of the jam-band scene.
Recently, he released It’s About Time (Rare Bird Books), his second novel.
Despite being a work of fiction — Anton brings his experiences in music, from writing and playing to the oft-tricky and complex inner band workings — the book reads like a real-life account of the cut-throat side of the music industry, especially when it comes to publishing.
A Hunter S. Thompson quote at the start of the book could serve as a cautionary indicator of the drama that will unfold throughout the ensuing pages: “The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free and good men die like dogs. There’s also a negative side.”
The latest saga is a follow-up to his debut foray into authorship, Face The Music in 2014. Anton says he’s already working on a continuation of the tale.
Anton was a long-time collaborator with Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter who co-wrote many of the 50-plus songs Anton has published.
Hunter once said of Anton as a writer: “Greg exposes the insularity of the pop-music business with stunning veracity. It’s an insider’s look at its highs, lows, and a whiff of the steaming guts, delivered with style and verve. . . not incidentally featuring an unforgettable leading lady. Good sh*t!”
A native of Hartford, Anton is now based in Sonoma County, Calif., where he’s been a practicing attorney for many decades. He’s long championed medical marijuana rights and in 2015 he achieved a landmark federal court decision which allowed medical marijuana to be distributed in California free of federal interference.
The paths of Anton and Kimock first crossed when they connected with keyboardist Keith Godchaux and his vocalist wife, Donna Jean Godchaux, following their exit from the Grateful Dead in 1978. Initially calling their new band Ghosts, they became the Heart of Gold Band, but only played one gig before Keith Godchaux died in an auto accident. It would only be a matter of time before Anton and Kimock formed Zero.