The Grateful Dead Theology Project
As with my last post, this is the content (mostly about FURTHUR) from a previous blog that simply vanished without a trace. so, just putting this here so it's out there after I've shuffled the mortal coil.
Note: the original blog obviously had multiple individual posts, whereas this is just ALL of those posts, cut and paste in one place. so, careful dear reader! this might be a bit of a rabbit hole!
happy reading!
(stealie courtesy of Kitty McTeague)
(stealie courtesy of Kitty McTeague)
6/27/10 - Coney Island, NY
Set I:
GOLDEN ROAD TO UNLIMITED DEVOTION
GOOD LOVIN
MUSIC NEVER STOPPED unusually good. very funky, slight 70’s feel.
SUGAR MAGNOLIA Really? This early in the set? We’re in for a good night. My friend Seth: “Bob and Phil are loving it, because this is the best music they’ve made in 25 years.” It sure sounds that way. If they can make this kind of music 15 years after Garcia dies—and, to be sure, music that harkens back even to some middle dead era—then it is quite possible that this might rejuvenate them to the point where they can keep going for another 10 or 15 years. Perhaps the MAGIC will continue to revive them. Bob and Phil look old, but they look good. and they sound good. phil’s singing has obviously never been fantastic (nor bob’s for that matter) but for someone who is 70 years old? shit, i hope i sound that good if i ever reach 70. i don’t think they played sunshine daydream, so look for that soon?
DEAR MR. FANTASY I saw this at radio city this past winter. i remember them rocking it pretty hard. they did as much tonight. a great tune for the repertoire of this incarnation of the dead. which makes me imagine deadheads for now 45 years (really? almost a 1/2 century?!?) at shows, especially those who went/go to consecutive shows, creating a buzz about particular songs. i saw darkstar a few times in the 90’s, but as exciting as it was nostalgically, i now have to admit that i know the difference between these and those of earlier decades. so, as the band—and the audience—continue to evolve together, we also see the songs themselves evolving. they hit their stride on a particular tune at some point, and then that song may carry a certain amount of weight for a certain # of shows; or a certain # of years?
> SCARLET BEGONIAS pretty impressive transition
> MAGNOLIA MOUNTAIN (a brian adams tune, i’ve been told?) another good transition
> UNCLE JOHN’S BAND i look around and realize that this is, without equal, the single most inter-generational event i have ever witnessed anywhere. there are 70 year-old deadheads enjoying this powerful iconic music side-by-side with scores of teenagers—and every age group in between, not to mention the usual hordes of toddlers running around dancing and having a blast. with so many “kids” of all ages turned on to this scene, it speaks of a hunger for something—anything—REAL. compare “GLEE,” etc., as the establishment of current entertainment: reality TV, lady gaga, katy perry, that new boy band from britain. it’s all industry-driven ephemeral crap! and the teenagers present here recognize that fact. where are all the top pop artists from the first decade of the 21st century? GONE. or lapsed into obscurity. the stuff produced these days has no staying power. well, guess what? THIS DOES. this music is now 45 years old! hell, considering what we put into our bodies these days (and i’m not talking about drugs and alcohol, but prescription meds and McFOOD), most of us will be lucky to make it to 45!
these kids who have been turned on to this scene, however, are quite wise for their ages. they refuse to buy into the latest fads: whatever the music industry is telling them they should be listening to; an industry intending to keep them hooked on whatever is the latest pop music drug they are putting out—intended to keep us all sucking at the power teet, asking for someone—anyone—to tell us what to do/think/feel/believe. somebody please tell us what to buy next! thank goodness there are some real kids out there smart enough to recognize that. in this scene, they see something REAL. there is hope for the future yet.
think about this: when phil and bobby get too old to sing these songs, this still very-young audience will be able to carry that torch—bringing full-circle the constant symbiotic relationship between band and audience that has persevered for so many years. if they wanted to, they could push this thing FULLTIME for another 10 years. (maybe 20??) and if they DO carry on for that long, is there then a chance for “mainstream” 60-70 year olds to still “opt out” of the system? because this multi-generational representation is pretty damn impressive. so, no longer can adults say it is “kids music.” in fact, maybe it is the “magic,” via band and audience, offering everybody one more chance to hop on the bus. what if, as with the current food crisis, (omnivore’s dilemma, food, inc., etc.) this is a call to arms? a zeitgeist offering us not one “more” chance, but one “last” chance? if you can’t get with the absolute spirit of goodness, love, compassion, tolerance, and peace that you find here, then where else will you hope to you find it???
-- set break -- bobby said, “we’ll be back in just a little bit,” a phrase that became commonplace at hundreds of later dead shows—if not a thousand. is this intentional? is he saying, “yep. we also recognize what this current band of musicians is tapping into”? cause DAMN if this ain’t the real thing! or at least close enough to pretend ;-)
Set II:
UNBROKEN CHAIN i saw this in ’95, when they surprised us with this addition to the repertoire after never having played it live before (i heard they “attempted” it once in the 70’s, it fell apart, and they never attempted it again....) all in all, this sounds better than it did then! SO, they’ve shown that they can sound better, at least at certain times or on certain songs, than they did 15 years ago. can they achieve the dream, and revisit a 5/8/77 or some such other show? can this group of musicians get THAT good? the quest for the holy grail! for the MAGIC....
LET IT GROW my friend seth points to a guy dancing in front of us and says, “that guy is so 1995.” my answer: ’95 needs to represent as much as ’65, man! this crowd is so diverse! and then, after the show, we’ll all exit the stadium into the pandemonium of coney island, in brooklyn, ny! we’ll take our high-octane hippie energy into the sea of freaks, tattooed people, druggies, gangsters, mermaids, freaks, side-show bobs, etc.—an amazing mixture of human expression. it puts wall street to SHAME. (p.s. what an UNBELIEVABLE let it grow - was that the magic that just stopped in for a visit? i don’t claim to be someone who can easily identify it, but it sure felt like it!)
FIRE ON THE MOUNTAIN i’m thinking about drug laws. the fact that marijuana—a naturally growing plant with amazing industrial and medical capabilities—is ILLEGAL. WTF????? but i know i don’t need to revisit that argument. i just wish we would WAKE UP and realize the ridiculousness of this particular law. but, thinking about this vis-a-vis the ENERGY that we create at dead shows: what would this energy be capable of achieving with NO interference from PARANOIA? that looking-over-your-shoulder-to-see-if-anyone-is-watching feeling? would that deadheads could take one little toke and simply enjoy this awesome music, without any fear of repercussion; multiply that times 10,000, or however many people there are here, and simply imagine the ENERGY that this crowd would be capable of unleashing. i think that would be a good thing. but, i imagine the powers-that-be, who desire to control EVERY aspect of our lives, are aware of this, which explains its illegality. what a shame. i pray that one day, in the words of bob marley, we will “get up, stand up, stand up for our rights.”
> THE OTHER ONE (with a long jam to start) i wonder if john kadlecik might be able to channel jerry? john is such an amazing guitarist. he really “gets it.” that is why this collection of musicians works so amazingly well together. jerry wasn’t ever about jerry; jerry was about the music—about the magic. i think the same could be said of john; about all of these musicians, to be sure, but especially john, since he had such big shoes to fill. well, his feet are definitely big enough!
this is no tribute band, folks. this is the real thing! just don’t deify the musicians, fans, or anyone who speaks or writes anything about them. (especially not me!) deify the MUSIC and the songs. this place is oozing spiritual energy, no doubt.
> CRYPTICAL ENVELOPMENT
> BLUES FOR ALLAH it sounds like the 2 backup singers are on lead vocals? it sounds a little bit tentative and excited, but pretty close to being spot on. if it is them, kudos to phil and bobby for throwing them a bone, allowing them to show off their chops (apart from the harmonies they provide, which are usually quite stunningly beautiful. as a professional singer, i am simply amazed at how good this ensemble can sound when they harmonize. i am in awe of it. this is one of the best singing bands actively touring right now.)
MORNING DEW john on lead vocals. he sounds unbelievably good. an obvious “passing of the torch?” shit, dark star orchestra with john was big enough in its own right. i think that after phil and bobby have passed on to the next realm, this band is capable of continuing on, as young as they all are. they wouldn’t be “further,” but they could just rename themselves and keep the music going for years and years. this is a comforting thought.
>EYES OF THE WORLD
>HELP ON THE WAY > SLIPKNOT! > FRANKLIN’S TOWER
ENCORE: BOX OF RAIN a perfect ending to a near-perfect show.
such a shame what happened to coney island, a historic place with a historic feel that shall now only be remembered through stories, artwork, pictures, songs, etc. corporate america continues its behemoth capitalist takeover of the entirety of america, gentrifying everything in sight, in its quest to make every place a respite for rich people to go on vacation and shop. they drowned the freaks with a tsunami of cash. the freaks were not “economically viable” (to quote the movie “falling down"). again, what a shame.
but, weirdness cannot be suppressed. neither can outright goodness. it will simply take seed and sprout elsewhere. whenever you cover ANYTHING with darkness, it will simply seek new light—and life—elsewhere. except, of course, for morels and monsters.
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partial notes on 7/27/11 Jones Beach, NY where did the rest of my notes go??? ;-(
possible book title: a guide for hipsters on how to act at dead shows (now that the dead have “gained credence” among the hipster community, they are probably going to spread like the plague among the fanbase. i want to tell them: “no, no! you were right! this band sucks! it’s terrible music! so please just stay away!!”
alas, even hipsters recognize how awesome this entire scene is. well, if they’re going to be here, we’ll have to teach them the right way to enjoy a show.
*singing from audience: be a part of the whole; don’t try to be the whole. sing softly for yourself, join in on the chorus with everyone else, not to show everyone around you that you know the words to every song - that YOU are a deadhead
*you can’t judge how much of a deadhead someone is based on the # of tattoos they have, or how much tie-dye they wear! (i recently went to a show without wearing a single external signifier of my love of the dead. yet, here i am, translating my experiences into theological interpretations. not to mention, i have spent countless hours playing along with the dead on my mandolin in my apartment. but, with my short hair and sneakers, you would never guess that. surely i’m an anomaly! i probably look like some businessman who just wanted to come check out the scene. au contraire, mon friere.
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security was loose at show; staff was incredibly friendly. have “they” finally clued in to just how unthreatening and unharmful we are? just let us be! if not, they should. local municipal $$ wold be better spent in other ways, considering how entire cities are actually filing for bankruptcy! there is no danger here! we are not violent! let us enjoy our music in peace!
SAMSON
they did it. they have recreated anew what they once created and then fell away from a bit. they have fallen away from it many times, to be sure, but especially post ’95.
DEAR MR. FANTASY
i know it . . . . perhaps?
i think i now have enough connection to / understanding of it, of what’s going on, that i think i could successfully walk someone through it, song by song, jam by jam, who to listen to / focus on at various points. amazing. i feel i have graduated to another level. i think i am reaching the point where i can identify the magic!
> BLACK-THROATED WIND
JACK-A-ROE
could the band members sense when each person, be it themselves or others, was/were making some kind of connection to it? to that source—the magic? because sometimes it seems to visit a particular musician; other times, the entire band all at once. THOSE are the moments.
----------WAY AFTER, several years------------
branford marsalis as an illustration of those who “get it”... and have actually done it. not a deadhead; he didn’t really know their music. but they were there, he was there, and, hell, maybe the magic itself suggested the idea to whomever extended the invitation. all this to say: considering how popular it has been for so many years to say, “the grateful dead suck”: well, unless you yourself have mastered an instrument and have experienced this jam phenomenon FIRST HAND, then you have no room to talk. period. i’m not saying you have to LIKE them. i’m just saying if you don’t understand it, then you have no room to be critical of it. perhaps it’s just a language that you don’t speak or understand.
i myself understand it entirely. not only do i love it, but i have played it. and i have played it damn well, if i may say so.
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4/10/12 - New York, NY Beacon Theatre
Set I:
GOLDEN ROAD
BORN CROSS EYED
> RAMBLE ON ROSE
LOSER
PRIDE OF CUCAMONGA
LAZY RIVER ROAD
REUBEN AND CHERISE
> PROMISED LAND
-- set break --
Set II
TRUCKIN so iconic. so conscious. a living, breathing beast that beckons to be wakened.
> NEW SPEEDWAY BOOGIE near flawless transition. where the hell did THAT song come from? somewhere other than here! these guys aren’t playing around. this is NOT a trip down memory lane—a practice in nostalgia. i am curious how large their current active repertoire is. some of these songs are now 47 years old, and some are brand new. every show is still a treat, encapsulated in a state of anticipation at what might be the next song. we are enjoying each song in the moment, with almost buddhist childlike fascination, but that sense of excitement as the next song unfolds is always one of the best things about a show. in reference to the earlier post about them breaking out unbroken chain in 95: i have a (poor quality) cassette bootleg of the show from philadelphia when they first played this, and it is amazing to listen to the crowd react. there are various stages of realization, as those with different levels of knowledge of the dead’s repertoire realize WHAT exactly they are playing. perhaps it is the quality of the tape, but the audience response eventually reaches levels of exuberance and volume that outdo the music itself. “holy crap! it’s frikkin unbroken chain!!!” it is a sound to behold. and speaks so much of the energy this band is capable of generating.
omg, this audience! if basketball were employed as an analogy, the deadhead audience is the perfect 6th man to the dream team—or the fab five—that guy who comes off the bench to provide the much needed lift in scoring and defense. what would this band be without this audience? and, what would this audience be without this band? regardless, this audience is always RIGHT on cue! as bobby ages, and needs more air in his lungs and diaphragm, you’d better believe that this crowd will be fully able to pick up the slack. you give us the music, boys, and we’ll take care of the words. think about it: a crowd filled with people who know every word to every song, and love to sing. individually, lots of these folks would probably sound terrible singing. but, when you put several thousand of them together, they successfully unite to form a chorus capable of contending volume-wise with the new york choral artists (the folks who sing with the new york philharmonic). no, leave the harmonies to the band; but, if bobby and phil reach the point where they can’t sing at all, the audience will gladly step in and fill their shoes. as long as they are able to play, the crowd would never ask, “why aren’t they singing?” this crowd has too much respect, love, and appreciation of simply being able to come to this show and experience all this energy—and perhaps some magic. they’ll sing if called upon.
they sang “this story’s got to give” like 16 times. to an outsider, it probably just sounds repetitive, boring. BUT: do these particular songs reach out more—or most—at certain points? when they reach these repetitious cadences, these songs really take on the quality of buddhist chants. in a culture so fond of delineating intelligence based on the size of one’s vocabulary and pretensions to eloquence, it is amazing to think of the power of words and their simplicity. “i said: one way or another, this story’s got to give. one way or another, this story’s got to give; ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, THIS STORY’S GOT TO GIVE! still not getting it?? say it to yourself over and over again until you do. then, maybe the words will make sense, and not just be a chance for you to hear yourself speak.” maybe it is a chance for you to think of the myriad ways in which one phrase can be interpreted or understood. that’s all we need in this world in order to achieve peace: understanding. stop talking and listen for a change. quit searching for a sermon to listen to, and be one with the chant. cause if it’s a sermon you want, there are hundreds—thousands—millions of people who will scream at you until you listen to what THEY say and follow THEIR platform, whatever it is. with the likes of advertisers, politicians, racists, xenophobes, and religious hypocrites out there vying for your attention, you might do well to embrace the simplicity of musical chant. the answers to your biggest questions might lurk behind them, if you’ll just shut up and listen. then perhaps you can proceed past all the NOISE out there.
feed the beast!!!
> CUMBERLAND BLUES another seamless transition. i think this band uses a setlist. it still baffles my mind to think that they made such seamless transitions for so many years without ANY member of the band knowing what they were going to play next. it defies understanding at times.
whoa. where did they just take us?
i think it just dropped in for a visit.
you know . . . the MAGIC. (or as some [me!] might call it, the DIVINE.)
i really could spend my entire life just listening to recordings of all the shows they have ever played, simultaneously scratching my head, wondering: HOW?????? holy shit.
MY BROTHER ESAU
SCARLET BEGONIAS any band playing the music of the dead, but especially at this level: possibly the ONLY band that could actually pull off not singing at all through the entire show and get away with it. sure, you can go and see madonna or the moody blues or prince, and the audience could probably sing all the words in lieu of the singer. but they wouldn’t be able to get away with it! people aren’t going to go to see these folks just to SEE them. but deadheads will come for the music, the magic, the merriment. as long as they are playing their instruments; as long as they are mediums for whatever it is they channeling. you can’t get this in ANY retail store. this shit ain’t for sale. yes, you have to buy a ticket, but these folks have to support themselves. and when you take away the ticketmaster and venue fees, which equal nearly 1/3 of the overall cost of the ticket, you are left with a fee of a mere $35 to $40 dollars for this evening of entertainment. try getting in to see lady gaga, justin bieber, billy joel or peter gabriel at THAT price.
at times, it sounds like they are all playing in different keys, but that it is INTENTIONAL. and it sounds good!
> FIRE ON THE MOUNTAIN
DEAR PRUDENCE
UNBROKEN CHAIN unbelievable chain is more like it! as in, i don’t believe it! it amazes me how many years people have jumped on the hippie-hatin’ bandwagon and said, “the grateful dead suck.” i am so sorry to say, my ignorant friend, but NO THEY DON’T. yes, fire on the mountain is only 2 chords; but how many musicians could do SO much with SO little? on the flip side, this current song is quite difficult to play. i have enough music theory background and performance experience to tell you that YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT THE HELL YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT. there are a number of songs in their repertoire that are, simply put, musically advanced. just because your hipster/goth/punk/pop friend doesn’t like them doesn’t mean that they are not world-class musicians. and it doesn’t mean that you don’t need to like them either. you don’t have to, but DAMN, at least just say “i don’t like this music.” don’t make stuff up that simply isn’t true.
fasten your seat belts ---
THE ELEVEN
> LOVELIGHT
ENCORE: THE WEIGHT so many memories of this song. such a good tune, and a good tribute to another great band.
why did i not get tickets to every show on this 10-night run? i really wish i could do this fulltime; just attend these shows and write about them. will anybody pay any attention to these theological musings? we’ll see. facebook page, here we come!
4/17/12 - New York, NY Beacon Theatre
Set I:
AFTER MIDNIGHT
IT’S ALL OVER NOW, BABY BLUE
FOOLISH HEART
> SPIN THE WHEEL
PEGGY-O
LOOSE LUCY
ROW JIMMY
MUSIC NEVER STOPPED
-- set break -- it’s so amazing, and beautiful, how multi-generational these shows are. 3 generations deep, perhaps starting on a fourth. it is a living, breathing testament to the timeless nature and quality of these musicians, this music, this scene. maybe these songs will become immortal. maybe they already are.
Set II:
WEATHER REPORT SUITE holy crap the harmonies sound SO good. it is truly majestic what these songs, these stories, are capable of! the singers, whoever they may be at any given show, are merely vehicles for them. i myself perform these songs at times, whether in recital or with a band - perhaps widening the circle of those who have heard and appreciate this music. i would imagine there are quite a few “dead haters” who, if they heard someone they DO like perform these songs, would absolutely love them. “wait, that song was by the dead?? i never would have known.” i knew there was a dead song for EVERYBODY when, playing american beauty for my dad coming home from college one year, after hearing “ripple,” he said, “now THAT’S a good song!” go dad!!
as bobby’s voice deteriorates, he is altering his presentation of the lyrics—interjecting shorter phrases in great, typical bob fashion, meanwhile surrounding himself with those gorgeous harmonies on the choruses. keep singing, bobby. it doesn’t matter what you sound like. IT’S YOU! that’s all that matters.
> SAINT OF CIRCUMSTANCE huh????
> WHARF RAT the crowd just went NUTS! was that for the song itself, or an expression of appreciation for the jam they just came out of? cause, indeed they WERE jamming! that might be the loudest i’ve heard a furthur crowd be.
i think it IS for the song; cause the audience is singing along, line by line, at least at a mezzo forte. man, these folks are SINGING! oh, and the band is tearing it up too! this is the best wharf rat i have ever witnessed and participated in! and shit, because this crowd is—and always has been—so forgiving, is it possible that even when the instruments start slipping, the crowd will still listen and love? because furthur is so far and beyond what grateful dead of the 90’s produced (which are the only shows i personally saw). fits and spurts; peaks and valleys; this band could go downhill a LONG way and still be better than the 90’s dead—and those were sold out concerts in huge sports arenas. how long will this engine keep driving??
bob and phil’s playing, as the oldest members of the group, will NOT “go overnight,” as they say. it will most likely be a slow deterioration. meaning, there will still be flashes of brilliance to pacify the crowd looking for the magic. or hell, maybe they’ll continue to execute this well and then both die on stage at the same time. would love (and hate) to be present for that moment!
we just want some more magic, man!!
> PLAYING IN THE BAND transition not 100% smooth (as i was saying!) but, hey, it’s can’t be every time, right? that’s why we keep coming back. they’re not always on, but when they are on, they are ON. we wouldn’t want it to be 100% perfect every time. we want them to take chances, to go out on a limb musically. cause we’ve been there before, and we LIKE it.
scratch that. we LOVE it.
how does each musician keep it so fresh? especially bob and phil? how many different ways can you approach a song before you start repeating musical ideas? playing similar segments that become “licks”? surely they’ve exhausted the arsenal after 47 years? or have they? ultimately, i’m still a neophyte, and wouldn’t even know!
HOLY CRAP. 47 YEARS?????????????
> LADY WITH A FAN oh! and not only is there a whole generation of dead lovers, but there is also a whole new generation of folks working the venues these guys frequent: management, security, bartenders, etc. i hope that we treat them well. (although some of them don’t treat US well. there is a really annoying buzz-killing security guy who keeps coming up in this section tonight. it really distracts from the music to have you shining your flashlight and screaming at 1 or 2 innocent deadheads who use a lighter for 5 seconds and then exhale a little bit of smoke. at a NY Philharmonic performance at avery fisher, sure; but, really? do you realize how many people are smoking in here? dude, just let it be. nobody is threatening anybody, or infringing on their right to enjoy the show likewise (except for those folks who feel the need to sing EVERY word to EVERY song to show that THEY are true deadheads. they should be the folks getting tossed out, in my honest opinion. [or at least relocated to a “singers” section?])
PERFECT delivery of the “lady with a fan” theme
> TERRAPIN STATION the crowd chants of “terrapin” are simply awe-inspiring. it’s like no one is singing the words: we are all just screaming together. but somehow, it is still musical. and magnificent. that mezzo forte from wharf rat is now a full forte.
> TERRAPIN SUITE THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! o music gods; song gods; whatever. to anybody who says these guys can’t play, listen to this. it will blow your mind. what a gift.
FLAWLESS execution of “suite”, followed by slightly rough transition back into final terrapin theme.
> UNCLE JOHN’S BAND that transition, on the other hand, was fairly flawless. i know they don’t rehearse these transitions. they can’t! so how can it sound like they do??
it is so beautiful. an audience of what? 3500? producing enough sound on a communal favorite lyric: “god damn well i declare!” to the point where they sound like a crowd of 10,000. forte to fortissimo. and you can feel it simmering below: a double fortissimo ready to be called upon if they bust out a complete gem.
a gem: that’s it! they are making diamonds! but these are more precious than “real” diamonds. “real” diamonds pale in comparison; they are a child’s stuffed animals; sand in the sandbox.
STANDING ON THE MOON always loved this tune.
SUGAR MAGNOLIA
ENCORE: QUINN THE ESKIMO
post show: i wish i could bottle that stuff. not to sell. just to imbibe when desired. or when necessary.
what was it that joseph cambell said? that this was the answer to the atomic bomb?
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-- between fall and spring tour, when there are a few shows here and there, mostly in CA --
so, there are certain shows i know intimately better than others. for instance, dicks picks 36, which i reviewed for “dead letters, vol. 3” and have probably heard more than any other show for this fact. since i’ve been really diggin on furthur lately, that now has me diggin further into my collection. of vintage dead. so, why do i come back to this one? because i have heard it so many times, i know much of the music from that particular concert. so many twists; so many turns. many different musicians to listen to individually, times when 2 or 3 complement one another in incredible, innovative ways. and holy shit times like in that darkstar where the shit is just ON. and THAT, my friends, is why i keep coming back to THIS recording. and just to think: there could eventually be in circulation something like THREE THOUSAND FOUR HUNDRED of these—each that i could “mark and inwardly digest” the extent to which i have done with this particular show.
this is a comforting thought. if, in the eschaton, we still have some means of electricity and some hemp seeds, then what a way to spend out one’s days?
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if i get enough followers, maybe i can sit around and listen to shows from particular years, and log them in to categories as such on the facebook page.
so amazing that i can come to this show, and know exactly what is going to happen for; not every single note memorized—who could do that? but to know when the magic is about to stop in: to have it documented, for all to listen to, if they so choose? it’s absolutely amazing. sorry: need to stop writing a bit and listen. i think it’s here already, but haven’t figured out when to identify it fully yet; but i KNOW it’s about to EXPLODE into the room through those speakers!
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GDTRFB - they can open and close the sets with standard rockers that they can play from memory. eventually, then can even play it exactly the same way every time they play it. and we will still love them. and we still love the songs. and to save their energy for the jams, they will need their strength. so, take as many songs as you need to simply get the blood flowing. and to let it calm it down at the end. take care of it. we love it. we love you.
and then they close the show with “and i bid you goodnight”? wow. the lyrics in there. the ark, the boat, the children, the beasts; where did those come from? are they part of the traditional? if so, i want to hear a recording of something like that. and thanks to mickey hart, there is a good chance something like that exists. now i’m curious. and, yes, he—and bill—and bruce—and even tom and donna all have contributed so much to our world, which is currently in need of having something contributed, not taken from. goddess bless everyone that had a part in making this the wonderful thing that it is. from the bottom of my heart, thanks. it has done wonders at the very least for me. that’s good enough for me, albeit selfish. but i have a feeling it has done as much for many, many, many others out there. i am with you all tonight. and i bid you goodnight.
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phil is SO cool. listen to the message he is sending to all the teenagers who are in the audience, or listening to a bootleg copy??????
THIS is what this ENTIRE thing is about. that’s all. that and some music. 4 hours and 20 minutes after the clock strikes noon. or midnight.
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NOTE: this really works best if you have the CD from the live show to listen to. and the more you listen to it, the more you’ll understand. because you have to listen to it numerous times. there are SO MANY layers here. holy crap it’s like an onion! and it makes you cry like an onion!
that is why i KNOW that the divine is unarguably present for so many people who listen to this music. not all people, mind you; but some of us feel it, unmistakably. because it makes us cry. and if there is a divine source of any kind, i would imagine that it is present whenever tears are present. think of it: funerals, death, fear, pain, discomfort, joy, unrestrained joy. if it exists, it is there. period.
and it doesn’t have to replace, supplant, compete with, displace, detract from, whatever concept of god/goddess/divine/spirit-filled whatever YOU work best with. matter of fact, it might be “of like substance.” matter of fact, this homoouisia HAS an “i”, bitches. it is of the SAME substance!
or does it really need to be? and if so, why?
feel free to comment . . .
NOW.
(oh, and by the way, if i just lost you—if you did not understand where i went with that whole “i” tangent (which i’m going to guess is probably somewhere close to 95% of you)—then you really need to reconsider whether or not you can call yourself a christian. you can’t preach and be a religion that you don’t understand. i’m not saying you have to stop being christian; i’m just saying, if you’re gonna be christian, you need to understand what that means—not just what YOU THINK it means.
but see, that’s the beauty! you can ALSO have what YOU think it means! you just need to know what it means apart from you. that’s all i’m saying.
now we’ll find out who is really reading this crap.
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don’t know if i wrote this elsewhere: but, still able to fully execute a show-stopping rock and roll song. to end each set? no tricks, no magic (although, who are we to say whether the magic is there or not? maybe it is the magic that allows them to pull these off so flawlessly?) and maybe eventually, it isn’t just the openers and closers, but a few songs in either or both ways? this saves some strength and stamina, for the juicy middle. it’s like a medium rare steak? (why is food all of a sudden playing into my descriptions? i know i’m not hungry... but i am hungry for more of THIS. that’s for DAMN sure.
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SHOW REVIEW: 7/7/12 - Philadelphia, PA - Mann Center
Set I:
TRUCKIN
> NOBODY’S FAULT BUT MINE
FIRE ON THE MOUNTAIN i love seeing deadhead kids at shows. if furthur (or some subsequent collection of musicians playing this music at the amphitheater / arena level) continues, then THIS is what these kids are growing up on. awesome, free-spirited crazy hippie love, music, goodness and happiness. hippieness? who knows.
but, wow. what an environment in which to raise one’s children. think of at least one alternative—this one a fictional account, but one that most assuredly hits close to home with many americans—the movie “american beauty,” which presents, really, a whole host of screwed up families (i would argue that the gay next-door neighbors are the only well-adjusted people in the entire movie....) i have a feeling that this cinematic glimpse into american life is closer to the norm for the type of environments we have created as a society, vis-a-vis this environment in which i now sit, with an adult beverage in my hand, music in my ears, a smile on my face, and a vista of numerous children dancing around acting like, well, children—as they should be!
there might be hope for american values just yet. (although, i really doubt it’s coming from tampa these days. or charlotte, for that matter....)
> CASSIDY rough transition, but obviously rehearsed. so, yes, they are definitely using set lists. (although, i’m wondering if they are sticking entirely to set lists, or do they allow any breathing room for songs that might just “pop in” for a visit? if anybody has the scoop on this, i’d love to know. it won’t change my theological understanding, but might help clarify possible misunderstandings i might have through this whole process....) still sounds pretty good to start, though. great harmonies, as usual—which are becoming a trademark for this particular band.
okay, back to my previous thoughts for a bit; please bear with me, and if you get too confused, just skip down to the next song.
it is such a beautiful sight to see parents interacting with their children in healthy, playful, creative ways. (note, my friend and i are sitting in the very back of the lawn section, where we have plenty of room to stretch out on a blanket or get up and dance if we so choose—this might be the best milieu for viewing, in my honest opinion.) THIS is how to raise your kids! republicans, take notice! (democrats, too!)
now, those who know me know that i have been singing professionally for many, many years. that includes singing in many churches of many different denominations; but i have also been singing in a jewish temple for high holy days for close to 7 years now. and, i have to say this right now: jewish culture is FAR superior to christian culture—generally speaking—when it comes to raising children. this scene unfolding before me—during a song about a child, and hope for that child’s future, nonetheless—illustrates parenting skills that strongly resemble what i have witnessed in that temple.
here is my breakdown on these 2 different cultural parenting approaches:
- the christian approach: in my many years of involvement in christian churches, ANY time a kid “acts up” in ANY way, the response of the parents is usually either stern words, harsh warnings, or even physical reprimanding. think about it. when little kids start to cry in the middle of the sermon, the parents do EVERYTHING humanly possible to get them to stop: rocking them, saying “shhhhhh!” and, if necessary, grabbing them by the arm and taking them out forcibly for WHATEVER goes on out there in terms of discipline (again, think american beauty, and the way most of the parents relate to the children throughout). this is even the case with INFANTS. now, most parents don’t hit their babies (notice i said “most”!) but when a baby starts crying in church, a parent scoops them up and runs out of the room. because GOD(ESS) FORBID A BABY CRY.
news flash, america: BABIES CRY.
news flash, christian america: didn’t jesus make quite a few comments about how children are the only ones who get it right? (as did nietzsche, by the way, who said something along the lines of “only children and madmen are truly happy.”) now, granted, i do not have children, so i don’t know how i would react if my child was acting up. however, whenever i hear a baby crying in church, i always think “awww. cute little baby.” i don’t think “oh my god we need to shut that thing up! quick! put a pacifier in its mouth! shut that whole thing down!!”
therein lies the problem with our christian upbringing. we are so saddled with GUILT and FEAR and SELF-LOATHING that if our baby starts to cry in church, we are worried what other people are going to think. we have an automatic, knee-jerk reaction of, “OH NO! if my baby doesn’t stop crying, then people are going to think that i can’t keep my kid under control, or that i’m a bad parent, or that i should leave the church! or they will think that i am infringing on THEIR rights!”
and, unfortunately, this last part is ABSOLUTELY TRUE: as most of you know, i now work full time in a church, and just the other day, i heard about an incident where one of the parishioners came over to a married couple with a newborn after the service and said, “you really shouldn’t bring your kid to church if you can’t keep it quiet!”
OUCH. that’s fucked. well, here’s a better alternative:
- the jewish approach: this doesn’t require as much space, because space is almost limitless in this scenario. that is to say, the jewish kids are given all the space they want. they are allowed to run around the temple, and play with toys, and crawl up in people’s laps. and they are allowed to cry. they are even allowed to walk up onto the bima (sp?), where the rabbi is speaking. and nobody runs over and screams “get down from there!” really, people tend to look at them and say, “so cute!” simply put, jewish people tend to regard children for what they are: children! which means they are going to act like children. this scene unfolding before me at this concert is quite similar. and has always been the case at “dead shows.” it is refreshing.
now, obviously, this isn’t necessarily applicable across the board. there are plenty of well-adjusted christians, as well as depressed, insecure jews. however, overall, i would argue that, culturally speaking, children that grow up being allowed to act like children, and appreciated for being children, are more likely to act like adults when they are grown. they are not going to let fear of reprimand for their actions dictate how they live their lives. they are not going to go through life constantly begging forgiveness for “sins” or, worrying that their actions are being monitored by some heavenly parental figure.
i think this scene from the movie “dogma” sums up my point pretty well:
Nun: let me get this straight: you don’t believe in god because of “alice in wonderland”?
Loki: no, “through the looking glass”. that poem, “the walrus and the carpenter,” that’s an indictment of organized religion. the walrus, with his girth and his good nature, he obviously represents either buddha, or, or with his tusks, the hindu elephant god, lord ganesha. that takes care of your eastern religions. now the carpenter, which is an obvious reference to jesus christ, who was raised a carpenter’s son, he represents the western religions. now, in the poem, what do they do? what do they do? they, they dupe all these oysters into following them and then proceed to shuck and devour the helpless creatures en masse. i don’t know what that says to you, but to me it says that following these faiths based on mythological figures ensures the destruction of one’s inner being. organized religion destroys who we are by inhibiting our actions, by inhibiting our decisions out of, out of fear of some, some intangible parent figure who, who shakes a finger at us from thousands of years ago and says, and says, “do it . . . do it and i’ll fucking spank you!”
in our christian religion so many of us have been brainwashed to bow and scrape and plead and prostrate ourselves to this intangible parental figure, for whose existence there is no tangible proof. and if we still allow such a parental figure to lord over us from on high throughout our daily lives as adults, then we have not fully stopped acting like children. we are, therefore, inchoate human beings. and this does not make for healthy living.
i would LOVE to go into a long discussion about what i perceive to be the differences between the so-called christian god and the so-called jewish god, and how we have been culturally conditioned to relate to these gods, but that might be another post for another time altogether. so, with that discussion tabled for later, here is the upshot of my point. for many of us “christians”: WE ARE NOT BEING FULLY HUMAN. we are not even being. if you spend all of your waking hours worrying about what other people think of you, then i would liken that to a psychotic break, of sorts. how can you be happy, or think about your own needs, wants, dreams, desires, etc., if you are always concerned about what others might think about you? insecurity is a plague that is killing our culture. because, here’s what has happened in this culture, thanks to the likes of philosophers such as ayn rand. for every person who gives up power, there is somebody VERY nearby ready to SEIZE that power. if you give an inch, they will indeed take a mile.
this creates an unhealthy imbalance. on the one hand, you have self-immolating, insecure, guilt-laden individuals who constantly worry about what others think, which affects their actions and how they behave. on the other hand, you have power-mongers, politicians, church hierarchies, advertisers and bullies ready to move in and prey on those individuals.
we cannot be emotionally, mentally, psychologically or spiritually healthy if we are always concerned about what other people think, thereby lowering our defenses and making ourselves vulnerable to anything that anybody says. i know this from personal experience. i have spent most of my adult life worrying about how people perceive me. and when you approach the world in this fragile state of mind, all it takes is ONE offhand comment from some stranger to RUIN YOUR DAY. trust me. i have had many days ruined by other people. or, i should say, i have allowed other people to ruin many of my days. because, ultimately, the power lies with me, and i can choose to own it and protect it or give it up to others.
but, it even goes deeper than that. after letting many people ruin many of my days, i have just recently realized that i have ruined many of my own days, by even just IMAGINING what somebody might think about me or say to me.
this is utter madness. does this resonate with any of you, my readers? i have a feeling i’m not the only one who has been living with this for most of my life. well, the good news is, you don’t have to keep living that way if you don’t want to. personally, i am slowly reconditioning myself. i am taking back my power. (this might be the whole reason why i have embarked on this grateful dead theology project. and, personally, it is akin to being rescued—even to being saved? i have lately been putting a lot of faith in the grateful dead; and furthur; and music; and the magic. maybe it’s all in my head, maybe not. do not atheists make the same claim about people who believe in the existence of some kind of god? well, i seem to have stumbled upon SOME thing divine. at least that’s what i choose to call it; because that is how i understand it, perceive it, and experience it. and nobody can challenge me on that. you can’t tell me that i’m not feeling or experiencing what i am feeling or experiencing. period. you, personally, don’t have to experience it. but don’t tell me that i can’t, shouldn’t, or won’t. don’t piss down my back and tell me that it’s raining.
cassidy was GREAT, by the way!!!!
PEGGY-O phil on vocals. quite solid. never really liked this tune when i saw it with the dead, but for some reason, it works well for me now.
TENNESSEE JED unbelievable how good this sounds!
MY BROTHER ESAU vocals a bit rough. but in that delicious bobby way. i’ve said it before, but as he continues his vocal evolution, with the crowd singing with him, there could be a possibly seamless transition between where we are now and the crowd carrying the songs. because if furthur continues, it will eventually be required. he will most likely reach a point where he can’t sing at all; and this crowd will then stand up if called upon. they will even cherish it.
DEAL hot!!
-- set break -- they do seem to take longer set breaks these days, compared to the grateful dead of old. that’s okay. take all the time you need, boys. rest up. you’re gonna need it for the long haul. the long haul tonight, and the long haul of however many more years you are able to push this thing.
Set II:
CHINA CAT SUNFLOWER
> I KNOW YOU RIDER loose, jammy transition, felt a bit forced. but, it is magical!
then it got a little spacey.
okay, sounds like actual “space.” and it’s really good!
morphed into a very jazzy frenetic awesome space, in fact.
wow, this is amazing.
and i called it!
> DARKSTAR
back into another awesome jam. john was absolutely 60’s sick at several points.
back into another frenetic spacey jazzy jam; so unreal. SO SICK.
back into darkstar. bob either making a timing mistake, or showing off his vocal chops and shaking it up a bit—he holds his “lady in velvet” phrase twice as long.
> CAUTION very smooth, beautiful ending
> ST. STEPHEN !!!! sounds SOOOO good. phil, on “lady finger,” has such great breath control: sustained, very professional, very polished. with a tint of age to it. bob and phil are not singing perfect on every song, but when they get it right, it really shines.
> some kind of awesome jam
john’s playing is really tapping into something from the 60’s. it is off the charts. he has rendered charts obsolete.
> UNBROKEN CHAIN phil is all over the place. sounds incredible.
DEAR PRUDENCE bobby with a voice of gold in his idiosyncratic fashion.
THE WHEEL beautiful intro, great vocals. (i feel like it’s getting old, me saying how great the vocals sound. but, they don’t necessarily sound great on EVERY single song. but, as with phil and bob, when the harmonies come out and they do it RIGHT, this band is a vocal force to be reckoned with.
GOIN’ DOWN THE ROAD FEELING BAD have to leave. :-( early morning tomorrow. but what a treat this has been.
AND I BID YOU GOODNIGHT
ENCORE (as we’re walking out, to beat the traffic): ONE MORE SATURDAY NIGHT
yummy on my tummy grilled cheese in the parking lot, on way to the car.
see you guys in vegas, i hope!
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anyway, a flawless execution, with beautiful, dead blemishes.
i mean, the dead ain’t pretty, are they? (except for necrophiliacs. ew.)
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listening to “truckin up to buffalo: july 4, 1989”
man, i’d love to have time to listen to EVERY transition between “cowboy songs” that bob spearheads in the late 80’s/90’s. to see if there is something one can hear to signify which one is going to follow... cause they had a number to choose from....
did the musicians change the backup harmonies over the life of a song, in order to keep it fresh for themselves? or did it evolve on its own? cause, without having focused on it (surprisingly) at all, i’d say that this evolved as well. whether or not they consciously did this. but thinking back, with a professional musician’s ear and a lot of air time, i think that it evolved either way. wow that was a really stoner post, now, wasn’t it?
holy holy holy this crap is roly-poly
it tastes so sweet, got a nifty beat,
i think i’ll call it guacamole
wow. at the end of the show, they have a crowd of 50,000 screaming/singing “you know our love will not fade away”? no wonder weed is illegal. this crowd is out of control!!
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august 1 - happy jerry day!
perhaps it’s time i started telling all of you about my own experiences playing with the dead. cause, honestly, i have MANY, MANY times thrown in a dead bootleg, at 4:20 pm, and played along on my mandolin. and—you know—i really think i am connecting with the magic; it is there, at whatever point of whatever show i happen to be listening to / playing with on each of those occasions when i have felt its presence. (did i mention there were MANY?) matter of fact, it’s not that i “think” i am connecting with the magic. i KNOW i am. i FEEL it. and you can’t argue with a feeling.
IF there is a divine source—of whatever kind—do you honestly think that you can better channel it or get in touch with it through THINKING? hmmmm. that might be the problem. you gotta feel for it, man. and let yourself be felt by it. you embrace one another; you weep ever so gently. this is unlike any feeling you have ever experienced; unlike any path you have ever walked down before. it rambles through the forest. the foliage is beautiful; the clouds are perfect; it is dusk. you are walking hand in hand—if hands even exist, apart from being some thought somebody had at some point. and what is walking? maybe you don’t know. maybe IT doesn’t even know. but, that’s the point! maybe it doesn’t NEED to be known! it simply IS! whatever it is!
and whatever it is strangely repetitively and ostentatiously keeps seducing you. holy crap, is this what i put off, all that time i spent out looking for some woman to “complete” me, or some such shit? that would be absolutely heartwrenching: that i put it off this long; that i didn’t see her eyes across the crowded room; (eyes? what???)
i am YOURS, baby. ;-) come over here and gimme a kiss!
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CD REVIEW: FURTHUR 7/7/12, Philly Spectrum
yes, that date does sound familiar to you. it is the show i reviewed in my last post on here. i thought so highly of the show, and had such a visceral theological reaction, that i wanted to hear it again. did i really hear all that stuff i thought i heard? the answer is YES—and MUCH more. so, consider this an “addendum” to the show review from philly. (have i previously made comment about peeling back the layers of an onion? either state it now, or re-state it. also re-state that it works better if you listen to this show while you are reading these....)
ST. STEPHEN this feels a bit quicker than i’m used to hearing, and is working quite well. have they been playing it at this faster tempo as a band each time? have they learned how to revitalize the repertoire, to recreate each individual song with tempo changes, etc.? either way, phil’s singing sounds like butter.
i love butter.
yes, his voice is slowly deteriorating, too. but, he’s PHIL! this crowd will take WHATEVER you throw at us, any time you sing, phil. it is the cure for everything that ails us. at least for a moment.
to quote the movie dogma again: cause that’s all life is, a series of moments. why don’t you seize yours, sister? ata girl . . . ata girl. :-)
these guys are banging the shit out of the jam on UNBROKEN CHAIN. phil and john had quite an amazing dialogue going on; then comes jeff on the keys, absolutely sick. and joe, holding the beat—what a pro! this is NOT EASY TO FOLLOW. i know. i’m a musician.
THE WHEEL bob on “won’t you try just a little bit harder,” perfectly illustrates the vocal slide i have been discussing. the stable harmonies carry the song, and bob is able to simply interject vocal phrases in and out—and pull it off. at times, it almost sounds like sprechstimme, a “new vocal technique invented by [arnold] schoenberg [a fascinating austrian composer who lived 1874-1951, who is attributed with the creation of atonal music, which the dead have employed QUITE often—notably on PLAYING IN THE BAND from 7/29/88],” which was referred to as “speech-voice” (Craig Wright, “Listening to Music,” West Publishing Co., ©1992).
since bobby employs this vocal technique so effectively and, apparently, so often, i might do well by my non-classically minded friends to explain a bit more: “Sprechstimme requires the vocalist to declaim the text more than sing it. The voice is to produce exact rhythmic values but rises and falls to only approximate pitch levels. This removes all vocal lyricism but adds a new intensity, even an element of hysteria, to the voice, an appropriate feature for this hyperexpressive text” (Wright, page 355). [if you want to hear the most famous classical example, check out schoenberg’s “pierrot lunaire.” this is probably easily accessible on youtube. try it out! listen to this piece, then compare what you hear to what bobby does on “won’t you try just a little bit harder.” it sounds like it shouldn’t work; that it shouldn’t sound good. and yet, it does—in my own humble opinion. (humble, athough i am NOTORIOUS for being critical of singers, specifically for pitch issues; but in instances like this, pitch is not such an issue....)
SO the question is then: how can a pop singer get away with this? i would actually argue that anyone else who sang this way, and sounded the way bobby does at times, would have a difficult time amassing this kind of following. but, let’s face it: he has earned respect. moreso, i wonder if this is an act of the magic as well? maybe it not only rears its head (so to speak) through the music (and especially the sound system); maybe it has some involvement in the entire scene. maybe it has a hand in how this whole thing has unfolded? whether you think about the modern day conceptions of the christian god, or the jewish god of 2000 years ago, or even the pagan gods and goddesses that ruled the earth previous to that, there has always existed ideas of some divine force “having a hand in” our earthly affairs. this is known in theological circles as “immanence,” and defined as such: “immanence is a technical term used to denote the nearness or presence or indwelling of god in the creation. it is usually contrasted with transcendence. . . . so far as god is regarded as immanent, he [sic (and, which makes me sick!)] is believed to be sustaining and preserving creations generally and, more particularly, energizing the wills and souls of the believers” (Van Harvey, “A Handbook of Theological Terms,” Simon & Schuster, © 1964.) i think that grateful dead theology (if i can refer to it in the 3rd person?) has always argued this as possibly occurring through the music. is it possible it has also happened in other ways? these possible ways might be worth exploring at some later point; this whole sidebar discussion of bob’s singing illustrates just one way in which this phenomenon might be spoken of or understood. either way, the fans hear this slow vocal transition occurring; and they still flock by the thousands to hear this guy sing.
you go, bob. you go.
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MORE FROM PHILLY
i have a feeling this is going to be the case on this site. sorry for that. just read and enjoy. it’s not about the destination. it’s about the journey. so, take each entry as its own entry. and take it with a big fucking grain of salt.
DARKSTAR i mean, are you kidding me? if you call this “bad” music, then let’s see your band—which you probably don’t even have—pull off that rhythmic shifting.
john is so great. because there is no john. but there is no jerry, either. but, without jerry, there is no john. and THAT is bizarre.
jerry might be there, but this isn’t jerry. or john. or EGO. (there is SO little of that with this group—and there always has been, at least musically. sure, they each had flaws and vices and temptresses and snowy egrets and a share in the gold standard. [although even THAT’S gone, so what do we have that’s left? i’ll tell you what we have left: LOVE. plain and simple. no explanation required.])
there is only the MUSIC. the same substance that jerry answered to, in a total “im in love with you” kind of way.
these guys are in love with the music! it’s one great grand acoustic orgy!
which makes sense to me, because i feel like i finally understand what the phrase “making love” really means. i’ve done it vocally! harmonically. and let me tell you, it is better than any sex i’ve ever had—regardless of however you choose to define that word. (cause, honestly, i think that word is like the word “god.” everybody has their own understanding/perception/definition/experience of that word—or that which it represents.
anyway, it was very fulfilling, allison. thanks.
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phil on “lady finger”: flashes of beauty, so well executed—even if imperfectly—and so seasoned. how long has this song been sung? 44 or 45 years? don’t know exactly, but this whole thing just turned 47.
what if they can turn that into 50?
what if we all pray enough (or whatever we each want to do), invoke jerry, and see if we can push it to 60?
i hear this music, and i think, most definitely we could do it. all of us together. show those politicians what real health care is: this.
UNBROKEN CHAIN phil again: “sink like a stone, look like a feather.” different melody than the recording (don’t really recall what they did in ’95 or since). on purpose? accident? did his voice lead him, and he knew it and was cool with it? because it’s GREAT, whatever it is, and nothing can compare. that’s not to say it is the best thing, or even has to be the best thing. it doesn’t. it lives and breathes on its own, apart from whatever you or i might think about it.
jeff on keys: that’s where the magic is right now. sitting on his piano, in vegas lounge posture; strewn across the piano, wearing a sexy dress. that’s right, ladies and gentlemen! the magic is decidedly feminine!!
now, i imagine some would object to this statement. GOOD. let’s go ahead and talk about it now, before it gets past the point of being able to even be discussed. just like the occupy movement, “THIS IS A PEACEFUL MOVEMENT.”
(hey, just wanna keep your well-endowed BIG GUY UP IN THE SKY out of this altogether. HE is not welcome here.
we’re goin’ with the chick.
(hippies always haven’t they?)
anyway, to those who would disagree: TRUST ME. let’s all just listen to the music play.
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how could you not want to play this for another 10 years, with the likes of joe russo behind you? (i had to mention him first, cause the drummer always gets the shaft. HE is the one driving this beast. or being driven by it!!)
christ, are there numerous musical deity-like whatevers, mostly good, all striving for our affection/attention/connection? what if there are thousands—millions—of gods and goddesses all just playing with us, vying for our attention? what a bizarre thought....
anyway, listen to furthur philly summer 2012’s rendition of DEAR PRUDENCE—mindfully—and let me know what you think then.
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bob is learning how to “peak out” vocally from beyond that harmonic forcefield, or whatever it is; safety net; big old summer camp hug; a romantic suneset. but he’s still singing the LEAD. and he OWNS it. and could possibly continue to for maybe another 10 years.
NO.
no way!
i mean, what? you think even for 20? PLEASE BITCH, they’ll have to roll those guys out in wheelchairs!!
question: “would they still be able to play this well?”
answer: “well, to a certain extent, it is quite mechanical. they ARE just hard-wired for it. hell, they’ve been doing it for close to 50 years!”
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it will be a HUGE event when bob or phil dies.
and then the other.
and eventually all of us.
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i don’t think i have many readers, so i am now writing for those of you who come after us, if you happen to be reading this, and for any reason you are giving this writing any kind of credence or authority, then, please: treat each other with kindness and compassion, those of you who follow after us. it’s all any of this was about in the first place, after all. you want something to worship? just worship the music. you can’t go wrong with that.
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THE WHEEL “round, round, robin run around”: very delayed, very beautiful short jam,; but perfect but slightly withdrawn; christ, could he get us to hang on a single note?
phil on “won’t you try just a little bit harder”: a VERY easy harmony, mostly stepwise motion; but very present.
these guys really know what they are doing vocally. all of them. and i vote all (okay, most) of the way through. and THAT i can speak of from experience, bitches.)
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ONE MORE SATURDAY NIGHT bob! sing it. sing it sloppy. it is beautiful. it is one of the reasons why people like the guitarist from elizabeth & the catapult can get away with such freedom. you have given so much hope and strength and power to so many musicians, including me. we thank you.
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CD review of furthur 7/8/12, columbia, MD
i had so much fun interacting with the recording of the philly show i went to, that i downloaded the very next night, and then spent quite a bit of time with this show as well (albeit at home. can’t experience all of them live!)
these are some seriously random thoughts that followed, over many, many days of listening. oh, and they are definitely disjointed, cause i have read over them, and notice some repetition. SCREW IT. that’s how i roll.
anyway, i am technologically challenged, and it is what it is. i blame the machines for any confusion you face when reading.)
here, maybe this will help.
---------------------- = clear your mind of the previous stuff you were reading and start afresh with a new line of thinking.
that should work!
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again, to the naysayers: listen to that SLIPKNOT and then SUCK ON IT.
FRANKLIN’S TOWER amazing, simple keys. i hear traces of pigpen. is he somehow, somewhere, here? it sure feels like it. anybody who is alive today knows absolutely nothing about what happens when we die. period. there are a few who have had so-called “near death experiences,” and such experiences have been discussed/analyzed by scientists, theologians, philosophers, etc. but nobody—NOBODY—truly knows what happens when we die. there is only speculation. and now, listening to this, i speculate whether or not jerry, pigpen, keith, brent, and/or vince are ever here in any spiritual capacity. who is to say? sometimes you close your eyes, dance, and listen to this band playing and occasionally—just occasionally—you might hear jerry playing. well, on this, i hear traces of pigpen. if he isn’t actually present in some way? can we channel him? can we channel jerry? i’ll see if i can do this sometime. (although, at times, i feel i have already done this... at least at home....)
this music is now being heard by fresh ears, by thousands upon thousands of individuals who never saw grateful dead live; by even SO many who weren’t even alive when jerry died! and yet here they are, experiencing this music live and LOVING IT. and this band is making the existing catalog all the more palatable and appreciable.
welcome to the circle, fresh ears! we’ve got room for you around this stage! it’s right in the middle from everyone. even if you have a seat in the nosebleed section, you can close your eyes and count yourself among those surrounding this music.
maybe we are forming concentric circles, of sorts? in the middle is the source: the magic. then the band. then the audience. then those listening at home to CDs or MP3s (or even cassette tapes, for the truly nostalgic–or the luddites. imagine! somewhere somebody is probably listening to some show from the 70’s or 80’s on a cassette tape, and loving it! hell, maybe even thousands of people? who knows??) are there more circles? who knows. but this band is better tuned into and circular with/around the magic/source than ANY other i have ever heard. that’s not to say that others can’t gather around the source. it’s just to say that these guys do it more often and better than any others that i personally know of. they are, after all, the progenitors of all jam music. think of what they have spawned: potentially HUNDREDS of jam bands, some dead cover bands or tribute bands, but more importantly an entire family tree of those who choose to follow the same musical path, seeking SOMETHING in particular: phish, moe, widespread panic, disco biscuits, donna the buffalo, david gans, to name just a few! (and, at times, even me!)
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the catholic and episcopal churches (and possibly others?) ascribe to a particular theological belief known as “apostolic succession.” this means every ordained person in these denominations have a superior’s hands laid on them at the time of their ordination. and the belief is that this hand-laying goes back to the apostle peter, one of the original 12 disciples of jesus of nazareth. whether you call yourself a christian or not doesn’t matter. the point is that, supposedly, there is some kind of PHYSICAL mystical prayerful connection that has traversed roughly 2000 years. you might also think of it in non-religious terms as the “passing of the torch.” think of the olympics every 4 years: a torch is passed from hand to hand, as many different individuals carry this beacon of hope, which represents a spirit of human connectedness, from one starting point to it’s culmination at the opening ceremonies. (and then it burns throughout the entire olympics; is it put out then? or has it burned since the first olympics, and every 4 years a torch is transported from the last olympic host nation to the next, where it is guarded by secret service types?)
anyway, my point was to say: this band, as this religious evolution continues, is poised to have some version of apostolic succession. if we don’t blow the world to shit, but even if electricity ceases to be, there could be in 100 years (maybe even 1000, who knows?) a musician who played with another musician, who jammed with some musician, etc., etc., who at one point played in a band featuring some guy or gal on lead vocals, who might have played at one point in Dark Star Orchestra, even post-john kadlicek, who currently plays in further with bob and phil who originally played with jerry garcia. just think of that: as time passes, i believe that the importance of jerry will continue to take on amazing new heights. it already has! and he has only been dead for 17 years. how will he be remembered in 100 years? 1000? and if he does, in fact, become some figure of religious significance (i would argue he has already), then what about those musicians who are directly connected to him through some kind of musical lineage? he himself played with an amazing number of musicians: bob dylan, melvin seals, david grisman, too many to name! and as each of these musicians spreads out and jams with many more musicians, what we end up having are potentially thousands of individuals who are connected to these original “apostles.” this could be pretty significant. or not! but, i say, let’s keep the magic alive and ALWAYS have somebody—anybody—who is connected in direct lineage to the original members of the grateful dead.
hey, if you guys want me to help with that, just let me know! [sarah! when are you going to bring some video recording equipment over to film me playing mando with these guys?? i needs to get that up on Utube!]
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i wonder: might phil and bob potentially reach a point of senility, where they can still play as just an automatic function? just roll ‘em out in a wheelchair and put an instrument in their hands! what then, if they glance up at a more advanced-in-age john, and maybe, just for a passing moment (or even permanently?) see and hear jerry instead? not only are his guitar tones and melodic approach so similar to jerry’s, such that (as stated above) at times you can close your eyes and think you are listening to jerry; but his voice is also, at times, reminiscent of jerry’s....) wouldn’t THAT be neat? :-)
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HELL IN A BUCKET another example of Sprechstimme mentioned in a previous post. [see CD REVIEW: FURTHUR 7/7/12, Philly Spectrum.] bob sings this one solo from start to finish, and at times it’s like he’s not even singing. he is melodically speaking the words in the general ballpark of where it used to be. and it actually WORKS. this is amazing to watch developing. 20 more years?
with this music, there is just so MUCH going on all the time, that it’s hard to hone in on just one element of it. and that’s only working with what we can actually hear. what, then, of everything not-so-present that it
stands for/
represents/
illustrates/
perpetuates/
accentuates/
punctuates
?
this is one big fucking onion.
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bob on LOOKS LIKE RAIN: one of the most impassioned performances i’ve ever heard of this song. listen to his voice break at 4:52 on “i’d gotten used to having you around.” even THAT is amazing. beautiful. iconic—in process. i can’t have my voice break in the middle of a performance and pull it off that well. if my voice breaks, it sounds terrible. but this guy can get away with it! and he then recovers so quickly. are we to hear more of this voice? goddess, i hope so!
you can even hear it coming: it is slightly foreshadowed at the 3:03 mark on “they’re only trying to make it through the night.” his voice is tired. but what that tiredness produces is quite tasty.
listen to tom waits; bob dylan; bob seeger; probably even a bit of jimi hendrix. these guys weren’t so much singers as amazing songwriters or performers. beauty is not only judged by clarity and purity, as with opera singers. it can also be judged by passion. and bob can be quite passionate at times. please, bobby, just keep going. as long as you can. we will learn to adjust with you, to this vocal slide.
i mean, people like slides, right? kids love slides at the playground; and waterslides. and adults like mudslides! now even sliders? hell, bobby, just slap some golden arches on it, pick up some royalties and miracle everyone in the parking lot! (most of whom know better than to eat that crap in the first place....)
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bob comes in early singing on COSMIC CHARLIE. i’m sure we’ll see lots more of that, assuming they keep going. it will be gradual. and beautiful.
anytime the dead (or furthur) have made a mistake, and i was there to witness it, the audience just cheered all the more.
we all make mistakes. let’s just admit it. it’s simple and humble and magnanimous.
(that includes you, mr. obama and mr. romney!) (oh the list could go on, couldn’t it?)
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i am humbled by the thought of bob singing CAUTION w/ furthur in 2012 and maybe perhaps thinking to himself, “holy crap. pigpen used to sing this 47 years ago and now I am singing it: what an honor.”
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bob’s singing is BRILLIANT on BIRD SONG. simple; almost accidental non-chordal tones, as he just fits his voice in—almost like cinderella trying on her slipper again. it’s a perfect fit, no question. the dance must go on; with some awesome vocal slide dissonance ta boot.
then phil, with compelling lead vocals, singing, “all i know is something like a bird within HIM sang” on verse 2. this one’s for you, jerry! and anybody paying attention and knowledgable recognizes—and all those have that moment of remembrance together. we are resurrecting you, jerry—in our minds and souls.
in the music....
wow! okay. so, yes, i guess i DO believe in resurrection! (not bodily, though. i mean, come on....) and the words are so perfect for that perfect moment:
all i know is something like a bird within him sang
all i know he sang a little while and then flew on.
laugh in the sunshine, sleep
cry in the dark, fly through the night.
don’t cry now, don’t you cry, don’t you cry . . .
anymore.
sleep in the stars, don’t you cry, dry your eye on the wind.
then what an amazing jam to follow. each musician is individually outstanding—how does this work as an ensemble, when everyone creatively plays at the same innovative time?
HELP ON THE WAY: bob, mostly speak-singing again, creatively rhythmically with little melodic turns tastefully placed once in a while. mmmmmmmm.
then john on verse 2: i love how they have handled divvying up jerry vocals. now, take it one step furthur, but just one simple step in the obvious unfolding process: give sunshine and jeff one solo song each. then, when phil and bob start to lose more of their voices, these two can step up and provide respite.
bob: “i will stay, one more day”: one more note - almost psalm-chant like. fantastic. as a singer, it is so exciting to watch bobby’s evolution as a vocalist.
PASSENGER transition a bit rough, but, if i remember correctly from listening to this previously, they TEAR THIS UP. john’s guitar: just listen! so simple, so elegant, and tributary.... (tribute-airy? tribute jerry??)
jeff’s keys on FRANKLIN’S TOWER: pigpen reminiscent throughout. we’re back in the 60’s for a bit, folks! look around! it’s the same thing! in a different time, of course...
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phil’s donor rap is the drums/space of this incarnation. PLEASE, PEOPLE! LISTEN! this is something incomparably important:
phil is telling us how much he loves us. how much they love us.
and that we should love one another. (didn’t jesus say much the same?)
that’s all this whole thing was ever about in the first place.
and the last place.
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LOST SAILOR very subtle entrance. some woman is going BONKERS in the background. WOW. listen to that testament of love, affection, appreciation. wow bob sounds good to start. i already heard him tax his voice earlier on “looks like rain.” and then he recovered. interesting to see what he will sound like. so far, so good.
that woman is still going crazy! i keep hearing her between verses!
everybody sounds SO good. how can each person really just sound like they are playing one long, amazing, creative solo, and still it all meshes together so well into an ensemble?
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i think i was just in the phil zone.
crap. that could probably be another thesis all on its own. what does it mean? where is it? who is in it at a given time? is phil always in it? or is it just when the magic drops down and treats the fretboard of his bass like a gymnast treats a set of beams, spinning and swirling—giving the music a work out? or does it give phil a work out? or the whole band? there are so many questions that i have about it, whatever it is. but, i shall not deign to believe that it would ever answer any of those questions. it probably won’t. but i am just tickled as pie that it would every choose to visit ME. it is ALWAYS welcome here!
> SAINT OF CIRCUMSTANCE sounded like a rough transition.
slower tempo of saint than i am used to. so, again, to my point earlier about remaking these songs, into whatever works best for this particular group of musicians: keeping it fresh. the magic keeping them fresh. they can’t play fast all the time. they will need more and more time to rest. so, probably we might expect much slower tempos to slowly evolve into the music? WOW. how about that? i mean, if it is a slow, gradual process, then we won’t even notice. many singer / songwriters play mostly slow stuff on a regular basis anyway, and still manage to attract a crowd constantly—of course with one or two uptempo pieces thrown in (think the opposite of the 80’s heavy metal bands’ propensity to have a “ballad or two”?) eventually, they will be able to get away with having just one or two rip-roarin numbers. as long as they can continue to figure out how to harness the magic, we’re in. or does the magic harness them? who the hell knows. maybe the magic is setting all this in motion, piece by piece. maybe we really are just all delusional.
but, i seriously doubt it.
what, you think JUST because they start doing everything at a slower tempo, that they’re going to lose the young folks in the audience? i don’t think so. cause, here’s how it works:
mark my words: if this keeps going, they will figure out a way to slow the tempos down to a point that might work for, say, an 89-year old bob who gets rolled out in a wheel chair, and a 94-year old phil, who is even wheeled out on a frikkin bed! he has been practicing playing his bass laying down. as he gets older and tired more often, maybe he “retires” to the bedroom, to a comfortable half sitting / half laying down (reclining?) position in his bed? so, maybe he is able to keep his chops up doing that, while conserving his strength and alleviating whatever debilitating physical conditions might slow him down?) but, in the meantime, john, joe, and jeff are tearing up solos in these slow tempos....
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good ending on saint!
BIRD SONG that’s right! i remember that this was next, just from seeing the song list in my I-tunes. and i remember that phil sings it. and, wow. how wonderful, how jerry’s vocals have been so evenly distributed among various members of the band. i wish they would—and maybe they will as their voices start to crack a little more—throw a few more lead vocals opportunities to those two wonderful backup singers. again, if they choose to TRANSITION this aspect of how the music is presented, it could be flawless and seamless. i could really see them doing this for another 20 years. let’s go for broke, round up the 47 they have right now to 50, and THEN say 20 more. not TOOOOOOO hard to imagine, is it? (did you see my earlier post about old-as-F*$% musicians playing well into their 90’s? if not, you should find it!)
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it leaves me on the floor, in tears; and then absolutely captivates me—i am sitting upright for the first time in a long time; (the church has not taught us very good posture, methinks....) with a look of amazement, covered by the tears, at how unbelievably unbelievable it is that they are all doing what they are doing musically. SHIT MAN, I’M NOT JUST SOME GUY LISTENING TO MUSIC AND THINKING IT’S GROOVY! (not that there’s ANYthing wrong with that!) I AM A FUCKING ACCOMPLISHED PROFESSIONAL MUSICIAN. i know what i’m talking about.
i mean, we can sit around and discuss theology all you want to. (i don’t argue. discussions only, please. let’s try learning from one another instead of yelling.)
but if we’re discussing the music, i know what the fuck i am talking about. you most likely can’t challenge me on this. we may end up agreeing to disagree, but you will never tell me that this band sucks and not have words with me. AND i will win you over. (i might almost guarantee that, but i have nothing to “award” you with if you were to not be won over. but, it doesn’t matter. because i WOULD win you over. ;-) )
you obviously haven’t read my FIRST thesis, have you? (by the way, for those who think this thing will turn into a dave bryan party, don’t worry about that. i’m just trying to get your attention—whoever you are who is reading this. shit, if these musings ever garner enough devoted followers, i’m sure the government will be reading it too! and it is to all of you (them) that this is addressed! ALL OF IT! not just me, but them! the band! the music! the magic! the fans! the whole counterculture! all we’re saying is:
well, all we’re saying is all we’ve BEEN saying—for a LOOOOONG time: give peace a chance! i mean (we mean), come on. FUCK. what does it take to get through to you guys? (i say guys cause i would imagine they ARE all guys. any non-guys in that bunch, shame on you. [and when i say non-guy, i don’t mean just chicks; i mean gay guys, closeted “straight” guys, black guys, foreigner guys, dumb guys, artist guys; intellectual guys; whoever is in collusion with the powers-that-be-and-really-always-have-been!]
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> SLIPKNOT
> PASSENGER
> SLIPKNOT
holy crap no way. are you kidding me? what sounded pretty seamless to me. PHIL SINGING. love it.
> FRANKLIN’S TOWER
wow phil singing franklin’s tower, and he sounds FANTASTIC.
bob’s guitar has been sounding a tiny bit out of tune at various points. but he even still sounds great. ARE YOU KIDDING ME, they can even be out of tune and still sound that good?
whatEVER. i’m in. count me in. i want in. let’s go. as far as you want to go. i’m there. when i can be. i love you. holy crap.
jeff was just doing some awesome pigpen riffs. wow, pigpen? you just evoked pigpen? at least in this one listener? well, then you’re not getting in touch with particular eras, or songs, or musicians, or locations or vibrations or textual sensations.... wait. WHAT??? i mean, you know what i mean! this shit goes all the way back to ’65! and SURELY taps into that which led to the 60’s! neal, ken, jack, etc. hell, even timothy.
and robert. :-) dear, dear, sweet robert. what an amazing gift you have given the world, not only for more than half of your life (actually, closer to 3/4, right???), but also—at least potentially for generations upon generations to come?
“roll away the dew” was great there at the end. are they ALL singing? it just sounds so good and thick and rich.
> SO MANY ROADS holy crap i hope i hear this at some point out west. jerry’s last lead vocal, if i remember correctly. what a poignant song. and these guys sound great, and the harmonies haven’t even started yet. i have a feeling they are about to. i am in love already. *signing off for a bit*
jeff: i’ve never heard anybody hit so many wrong notes and sound so good. you are OUTSTANDING. and then john comes in with that??????? i may be close to heaven here, folks. this is just a new show for me. i ordered philly, the concert from the night before, which i attended, and probably listened to it 100 times in a few weeks. now i have a new one? are you folks not reading my facebook updates about JONESIN for some furthur????? somebody please join me!!!!!
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i think i posted earlier that i might stray off course a bit. so, here we go.
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we have gone so far off the grid. the natural grid. tell me something: when is the last time you actually stopped to SMELL your food? and to think about where it came from? and who brought it to you? or perhaps even to think about how much oil was burned in the overall process of getting that food delivered to you? and you didn’t even stop to give thanks? even if just to the protons/neutrons/halotrons/voltaires whatever that makes your little molecules bounce and your atoms spin? cause, damn boy, even that shit can’t be explained??? it just is and just does. just like the music. so FUCK it.
SO FAR OFF the grid that you don’t give thanks?
and, yet, those who DO give thanks never seem to smell their food! or hell, even seem to enjoy it. it’s a big mastication marathon. we are a homer simpson nation, people. admit it!! do you know anything about your food??
I DOUBT IT.
no, come to think of it:
listen, if you are following me just for ME—if you’re just a big davehead, and know, really, nothing about the grateful dead, well, i’m here to tell you this: YOU PROBABLY KNOW MORE ABOUT THE GRATEFUL DEAD THAN YOU KNOW ABOUT WHAT YOU’VE BEEN EATING FOR THE MAJORITY OF YOUR LIFE.
if you want clarification—or resources, which is all i’m going to offer—then PLEASE let me know and i will CLARIFY! (or, that is, offer resources....)
i want to always give thanks for the food which i am about to partake. right now, the dead is all i know, so i’m just going to give thanks for them.
and it.
YOU know! . . . the magic.
my girlfriend.
i REALLY hope this one sticks around, mom.
:-)
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just for the record: if you think you ever see me playing air guitar, i want you know that i am, in fact, playing air mandolin.
just saying.
and i can rock the SHIT out of that, too!!
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was listening to ALTHEA. and started thinking of what kay wrote about jerry; and simultaneously calmly exclaiming “jesus christ!” after jamming with them on mando (i was smokin!) and then thinking “of the same substance.” [see previous posts if that doesn’t make sense....] but that’s dangerous language, right? but then i thought about kay, and the fact that she had made some fairly obvious jewish connections. so why can’t i make christian connections, as that is my background? i think we both can. and that anyone of any faith (or no faith) can find their own personal spiritual connection to this, or not! nobody is suggesting that they should! it either happens or it doesn’t. we have no control over it. we don’t want any control over it!
and that’s the point: we need to STOP competing against one another, claiming that WE have THE answer. NOBODY has THE answer. cause maybe there isn’t even only one! (at this point in my life, i have to say maybe there isn’t even one at all?) maybe there are many? you have yours, i have mine, she has hers, he has his. they have theirs, and it has its. who cares beyond that? let’s just enjoy this thing, man! (and woman!) whatever it is! let’s have a party! jerry would want it that way!
[and THEN, there is the “skip” issue - or the lack of.
wow, i’ll be blown away.
we will see.]
what if bob, phil and the boys (and sunshine! we LOVE you!!) have figured out how to channel that energy? to harness it? sometimes it feels like this band is some sort of gnostic dead community that has their pulse on some spiritual source; nobody else has a clue. i mean, of course we feel it. cause no doubt, it is popping in and out. i can even hear it popping in and out listening to live recordings, not just at live shows.
how would i ever explain it, though? that may end up being my shortcoming, if any person for any reason actually reads this crap and for some reason comes seeking any kind of advice or assistance or prayer or energy or guidance or whatever. i simply don’t know if i would be able to describe it.
[and since the CD player has NOT skipped this go-round, i am wondering if i, too, am starting to connect with that presence. i really think something wonderful might be starting.]
bob vocals not so great on cumberland; this is to be expected sometimes. he’s earned it. he even still sings SO well on so many other tunes. dude, we’ve got your back. just keep doing it. as long as you humanly can. and, then, after you check out, if you choose to continue on in some non-human or post-human way, we will warmly welcome you.
hmmmm. maybe i really DO believe in resurrection?
and now bob is sounding so gorgeous on “looks like rain.” after having just commented on his vocals. i knew he could do it. as time passes, . . . wait a minute.
wait just one minute.
HEY BOB OR PHIL, IF YOU ARE READING THIS, AND YOU WANT ANY VOCAL COACHING AS YOU PUSH THIS THING ON FOR ANOTHER 20 YEARS, PLEASE CONSIDER ME! I CAN HELP YOU PROLONG THE USE OF YOUR VOICE!!
(at least as far as any group/harmony singing is concerned. i’m not gonna touch your solos. you can come out in 20 years, with no teeth, and speak the words to us while you drool on yourself. as long as you keep the music real. and then, when you pass on, it shouldn’t be too hard to replace you. we will find someone who can take over your part. and the rest of these musicians will carry the music on as long as THEY can. and maybe they’ll get some younger folks who are of the same ilk to carry this torch; and what if, in 100 years, there is a band playing the music of the grateful dead connected all the way back to the original band? wouldn’t THAT be amazing? let’s see. i think it’s going to happen. their cultural reach is too deep for that not to happen. no, they are not going to lapse into obscurity. as i—and many others—have said, this looks like it will be a new religion, folks. so, let’s make it a good one! (i think there ARE good religions out there; i mean, each one has SOME good. but i think they all have SOME bad. and that’s the problem. and i’m sure this will too here. so let’s all do what we can to keep that darkness at bay as much as possible and whenever possible. just listen to the music play. that is ALL you have to do. period. end of discussion, in case you’re not getting the point.
shit, john. please take good care of yourself. you are the glue, dude.
bob: “gotten used to having you around.” his voice breaks; it sounds so amazing. i think i wrote that somewhere else, but just noting it again, to illustrate that i am hearing a lot of the same things each time i listen—as well as new things each time. wow. you can memorize something, and then experience it anew again for the first time.
just like marcus borg says about jesus.
and john shelby spong and robin meyer say. let’s get past the hate, folks. let’s unite and create a wonderful something new. with the current population explosion, only through cooperation are we going to make it. only.
to those who survive whatever the disaster is that takes care of that population problem: good luck. we hope you do a better job than we did. if, for any reason, you still have computers and can read this, please just respect one another. oh! and listen to the grateful dead if you have the ability to listen to MP3s, music files, cds, tapes, video tapes, dvds, etc., whatever: i think this music is pretty widespread as far as mediums go. i hope you can enjoy it as much as MILLIONS of people here/now were able to. at least for the last 47 years (it is 2012 as of this writing.)
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cosmic charlie, ending: hey guys! vocals at end of songs that have a rallantando: don’t be afraid to conduct them! pick one person, have them be the “lead” vocally; and they can even dictate EACH note, so that everybody still sings it together. just a suggestion!
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if bobby’s voice ends up sounding all the time like it sounds on that one line, “i’d gotten used to having you around,” then this thing might just go for another 25 years. it sounds so beautiful. with a slight tom waits quality to it, but filtered through that voice that has been singing—and sometimes struggling to sing—for 47 years. bobby, you never got the respect you deserved. but how could you with jerry on stage? and then after “the split” there seemed to be so many bobby haters out there. well, bud, i think you are winning those folks over again, or for the first time ever, with what you are now producing. it is such a elegant, weathered sound.
and, wow. just the fact that this is one song, of so many songs, that you can just drop into whatever set of whatever show, and it has been a while since many of the folks at that show have heard it; some haven’t heard that song in 20 years!!!!! i imagine there aren’t as many tourheads now as there were then (but i will gladly stand corrected.... actually, with our current housing/foreclosure/greedy bank climate, i think more folks could stand to make a living if they just followed a band around, selling grill cheese sandwiches or necklaces in each parking lot to raise the cash to get to the next show.)
hey, homeless people! (a term which bears little resemblance to what it used to?) follow a band! follow any band!
actually, you know, this would be a wonderful political act. let’s call them out on their bullshit and bring their complete and total hypocrisy to full light. what if, because of your greedy foreclosures and political machinations, you have produced a climate in which the ONLY way somebody can make it is to follow a band around, selling grilled cheese sandwiches in the parking lot for $2? and then here you are going to send in a police force to bust said person because they don’t have a vending license—and, plus, it is illegal in 3 other ways as well (so dude will end up getting 4 citations for one incident? WFT???)
what—just WHAT—do you expect us to do????????
(seriously, it follows the dead around. what if it followed EVERY BAND around? public enemy, peter gabriel, lady gaga, lady antebellum, the civil wars, elizabeth and the catapult, the tallis scholars, fran mckendree; you could DAMN sure bet the cops will start being more noticeably present at your shows, just as they are at dead/furthur/phish. and you know, no wonder! no wonder weed is illegal! this crowd is out of control!)
anyway, if you are interested in doing that, i’ve got a strong recommendation for who would be the best band to follow. no question there. (could anybody actually challenge me on that? with substance? it has been an alternate community—called a subculture by many—with proven success for quite some time already.) so, leave that foreclosed plastic McMansion behind without a second thought, get a reliable vehicle, or just stick out your thumb next time these guys are in town. let’s push this hippie commune idea to its fullest possible extent of realization. tell the government and those damn bankers to go F888 themselves! who pays taxes on profits from veggie burritos they sell in a parking lot? nobody! so let’s REALLY stick it to the man. HE is going to have OWS to contend with REAL soon. i almost guarantee it. we can slip under the radar and spread love in the wake of his hatred, vitriol, greed and corruption. we will water the gardens he tramples on, simply because the seeds used to let it grow were not purchased from monsanto.
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REVIEW OF 7/10/12, ALPHARETTA, GA (mp3 download) - PART 1:
somebody stop me! i’ve been “slain in the spirit”!
who needs a woman, anyway?
i haven’t even really finished delving and diving into the columbia, MD show, and i can already see myself getting lost in this one for a good week or three. and there are so many more to listen to! i really need to figure out a way to make this my full time job. this is getting ridiculous.
i just don’t have time for stupid mind tricks. or stupid pet tricks, even! ;-)
or game-playing. as many of my friends know, i am currently single. and a companion would be nice, but, really, i’ve got an awesome mandolin. OH. and did i mention that, in addition to furthur, i have been spending loads of time with her as well? she doesn’t have a name, but she’s definitely a she. man, talk about making love! (or should i say, woman, talk about making love? why doesn’t anyone ever exclaim the women to draw attention?) my playing along with the dead and furthur has been getting more and more intense. it is something that belongs on some website somewhere. you can even put it on one of those free sites if you want. i don’t care about money. i just want to share this with the world! (although, if you DO want to kick some cash my way, whoever you are reading this who might be able to do so, then i could do this FULL TIME. although, be careful. i don’t know if the world could handle me doing this fulltime. look at what i’ve created in just a few short months?
all i know is, in addition to furthur and my mandolin, i am also in love with simply spending my free time this way.
it’s about damn time.
somebody stop me! i’ve been “slain in the spirit”!
who needs a woman, anyway?
i haven’t even really finished delving and diving into the columbia, MD show, and i can already see myself getting lost in this one for a good week or three. and there are so many more to listen to! i really need to figure out a way to make this my full time job. this is getting ridiculous.
i just don’t have time for stupid mind tricks. or stupid pet tricks, even! ;-)
or game-playing. as many of my friends know, i am currently single. and a companion would be nice, but, really, i’ve got an awesome mandolin. OH. and did i mention that, in addition to furthur, i have been spending loads of time with her as well? she doesn’t have a name, but she’s definitely a she. man, talk about making love! (or should i say, woman, talk about making love? why doesn’t anyone ever exclaim the women to draw attention?) my playing along with the dead and furthur has been getting more and more intense. it is something that belongs on some website somewhere. you can even put it on one of those free sites if you want. i don’t care about money. i just want to share this with the world! (although, if you DO want to kick some cash my way, whoever you are reading this who might be able to do so, then i could do this FULL TIME. although, be careful. i don’t know if the world could handle me doing this fulltime. look at what i’ve created in just a few short months?
all i know is, in addition to furthur and my mandolin, i am also in love with simply spending my free time this way.
it’s about damn time.
---------------------
WHARF RAT.
a song that everyone in this country should listen to.
a song about a simple panhandler.
most of us ignore panhandlers on a daily basis. are you aware that each of these people has a story?
at its climax, this one offers possible redemption:
“but i’ll get back
on my feet someday.
the good lord willin’,
if he says i may.
i know that the life
i'm livin's no good.
i'll get a new start,
live the life i should...
i'll get up and fly away.
i'll get up an fly away, fly away.”
vocally, this is one of those songs i might point to and say, “it could sound better.” it becomes a bit cacophonous when it reaches this important point, cause it seems that everyone is singing it! but this tune—this wonderful, haunting jerry tune—perhaps everybody WANTED to sing on it? who wouldn’t want to? it’s a perfect sing a long. ooh! ooh! this might be one of those songs we could actually try that on!! it is slow enough; it is passionate. there is already enough vocal space being created among all the singers on stage, each with slightly different rhythmic and harmonic gestures; they have created a vocal vacuum, with such stunning passion, which the entire audience could rush to fill, and in which we could all luxuriate.
one giant vocal orgy. everyone in the audience (well, most) all touching such poignancy for one brief, magical moment.
i mean, think about it. other than eating and sex, use of the voice is probably the next oldest humanish activity. the ability to produce sound using vocal chords, mouth and diaphragm—whether speaking or singing. and i imagine speaking came first. imagine the look those speakers (or grunters?) gave those vocal pioneers when they first started singing. some damn early hominid, barely descended from something without the ability to even speak, making music.
unevolved, indeed.
and those lyrics. so poignant, considering the number of people who used to be “well off” who are now ostensibly in the position at which they scoffed not so long ago; and the government has convinced them that it is these other poor people who have caused this to happen? it’s brilliant!
i mean, think about it. the republican party has convinced an immense section of the american electorate to vote against their own best interests, by convincing them that the country is being torn apart by blacks, gays, women, artists and the well-educated. (and cats! don’t forget the cats!) how did they pull this off? it is a stunning sleight-of-hand. these guys are amazing magicians!
oh come now. you don’t think this is all just happenstance accidental, do you? this is totally orchestrated—possibly to levels which we cannot even begin to comprehend. my only question, as a seeker:
is there something else orchestrating above their orchestrations?
i think so.
(and what about something above even that, orchestrating the orchestrations of the orchestrators??)
but i think some relative of that something else—at least in this place (concerts) among these people (lovers of the dead)—is using, and has always used, these particular musicians to reach a critical mass of hungry seekers. (my fellow seekers!) THAT is why we come here. we are mesmerized by it. maybe the cross or the yarmulke didn’t do it for us; neither did all the money that they laid at our feet, a monetary path of promise which leads to OZ, which offers all the answers to all the world’s problems—but is run by a sham artist.
and that’s yet another problem. it used to be a yellow brick road, right. but now that dollars don’t even have gold to back it up, being just paper, well, i’m sorry to say but you lost some of us. i mean, at least tell me it represents my share in some big pile of shiny shimmery wonderful pristine rock (which is ultimately worthless, to be sure); that might work. but, just paper?
i don’t think so.
anyway, if you’ve never heard WHARF RAT, check it out. really listen and meditate on it.
given the current fragility of the global economy, none of us are far off from becoming an august west.
listen to it. and if you don’t tear up at some point, you might need to check back in with the early hominids.
-----------------------
more notes on WHARF RAT:
after the protagonist august west begs for a dime—a paltry amount for a simple cup of coffee—we hear the narrator’s response: “i’ve got no dime, but i’ve got some time to hear his story.”
when is the last time you stopped to hear the story of a panhandler? i’m sure that there are a number of homeless persons who choose to live that way; maybe because it means they can be “off the grid”. and, pursuant to my previous comments, who could blame them? money no longer stands for anything anymore, yet the government and the banks continue to conjure it out of thin air. (check out the documentary “zeitgeist” for more on this.) i’m personally less and less enamored with the grid: chasing after money, the 40-hour workweek, all the bills we are required to pay, the frankenfood that has inundated our mealtimes, all the mindless reality TV.
my goodness, the reality TV! i’m now seeing ads for a new reality show called “the face.” most recently it was “the voice”. now it’s “the face.” have you folks ever seen the movie “idiocracy”? if not, please check it out, because it is a hilarious artistic representation of what the future *could* possibly hold for us, if we don’t change our ways, and change them fast.
“the face.” with team campbell, team coco, and team karolina. christ almighty. what will it be next? “the ass”? with team firm, team flabby and team tanned. hosted by former porn stars.
do yourself a favor. get rid of your TV. do it now. especially if you have kids. (my sister and i don’t agree on a lot, but i am impressed as hell that she has kept a TV out of their household for something like 10 years. good for her—and especially good for my nephew!) (by the way, i don’t have TV either. so good for me. and my cats!!)
stand back a bit and think about your life. about how much you work, how little money you really make to show for it after all the bills are paid, and how little free time you have. do you ever stop to consider the lunacy of all of it? what do you do for a living? do you love your job? are you your job? i would imagine most folks do not enjoy their jobs. and many folks who do enjoy their jobs still don’t like the fact that they have to work so much. are you married? do you have kids? if so, do you not find it at least slightly ridiculous that on any given work day, after you account for commuting time, you spend more time in the presence of your fellow employees than you do with your family? isn’t that a bit off-kilter? [LINK TO INSANITY OF WORK POST HERE)
so, who could blame those who choose to live off the grid? they still somehow find a way to survive—be it panhandling, working the system and mooching off the government (yes, there are some, but they do NOT all fall into this category), dumpster diving, collecting recyclables from the trash to cash in for enough to eat (thereby doing us and the environment a favor, actually). i imagine many of these folks fall under the classification of those who see through the sham of the myth of oz. they have “opted out.”
but, again, NOT all homeless persons have chosen their current predicament.
look, in case you haven’t noticed, through your own hardships, trials, and tribulations, we have managed to create quite a “system” here, wouldn’t you agree? i know it is cliche, but it is absolutely true: the rich continue to get richer, the poor continue to get poorer. boom! one medical emergency and your life savings are GONE. boom! a natural disaster hits and the house you spent your entire life paying for, which you finally owned outright, is GONE.
(and do you think the insurance companies are not going to do everything possible in their power to avoid paying you any money? if you think this, then i have a bridge to sell you. a big fucking bridge.) and that’s not even entering in to the discussion of reckless speculators, rich business people making shady deals in back rooms, everyone but you gambling with your money—and if they make a bad bet and the next bubble bursts, too bad! if you trust someone else to safely handle your life savings, then, well, good luck with that. i think you’re safer putting it under your mattress.
yes, there is a chance of fire breaking out and destroying your life savings if you keep it under your mattress. but is that any more likely than citibank selling your debt to bank of america, who then turns around and bets it all on the likelihood that td waterhouse will go bankrupt when they bet their newly acquired wealth from jp morgan chase on whether or not sallie mae will ultimately collect all the student debt that has piled up over the last 50 years?
i don’t think so.
however, beware: if news of this gets out and large numbers of americans start keeping their money under their mattresses, i believe you’ll start to see a large number of “accidental” fires in residential areas. “see? it’s not safe to keep it there! you’d better bring it back to us!” oh, come now. if we ALL take our money out of the banks, do you honestly believe the response will be, “well, thanks so much, it was our pleasure to serve you all these years?” PLEASE. they’ll probably crawl deeper under the covers in the beds of all the politicians and figure out a way to introduce legislation that actually makes it illegal to keep your own money in your own house!)
anyway, as i was trying to say, before i drifted off into conspiracy theory dreamland (where i do, in fact, spend quite a lot of time, proudly): again, NOT all homeless persons have chosen their lives. yet, they are grouped together, unfairly, in borg-like fashion. as if they are all the same. if people comprised the alphabet, the homeless would ALL be grouped under one letter.
i would postulate that public perception of panhandlers if pervasively pernicious. put that in your pipe and puff it.
i work in midtown manhattan, surrounded by MONEY MONEY MONEY MONEY. and there are homeless people ALL over the place. and they are ignored, i would guess, by 98% of the busybodies rushing around talking into a sandwich while they take a bite out of their cellphone.
let’s face it: we are a fractured, broken, imbalanced, anxious, self-centered, disconnected people. to borrow from the christian vernacular, i would say we are a sinful people. at least in this country. and i attribute that to MONEY. the carrot before the horse—always right in front of our noses, if we could but reach it. THIS is why we work work work work work all the time. because, if we don’t, then we will end up like THEM—we will end up like august west.
poor, poor august west.
i have spent time in several poor central american countries, and let me tell you: yes, they work there, and they work hard. but, cash is not king down there like it is here. and they are, conversely, an incredibly spiritually rich culture. something that we are noticeably lacking here in Dollarerica. (or should we call us “americash”?)
i know i am totally rambling. ramble on rose! i just beg you: next time you see a homeless person, just stop and consider: maybe, just maybe, their circumstances were NOT of their own making. maybe they fell on hard times. we all have; so, where is our sense of compassion?
hell, don’t give them any money! go ahead and pledge to never do so! but, just stop, just once in a while, and LISTEN to them. have a conversation. see them as fully human, not as inchoate bottom feeders who subsist as parasites on society. GIVE THEM A CHANCE. your life might be changed.
and, you might realize how close you are to being in the same place.
-----------------------------------------
not sure about BORN CROSS EYED; it seems too short and not exploratory enough to commit to trying to carry those questionable vocals. overall, i’d say this song sounds pretty terrible.
maybe this is an example of “trying to salvage” a song? i don’t know. that’s why i just want to listen listen listen listen for a long period of time. to the entire catalogue. i want to go sit in the vault and just BE. (can i bring my mando? [and some small amplification with delay on it?]) because, maybe some songs should die? or be allowed to die. i mean, if songs can be resurrected, then they can also die, right?
maybe this is an example of “token” resurrection. “hey! we should do that song we haven’t done in years!” that would probably be what i thought about many of the songs in the “interim” between dead and furthur—which would explain why none of those post-dead bands persevered. as it states in the band bios on the furthur webpage about these bands: “The results, however, were erratic, leaving Weir feeling like the road trip was more work than fun and Lesh saying the music didn’t seem to be moving forward.” so there you have it. apparently, it is now moving forward, as furthur have been together approaching 4 years.
july 9, 1995: last grateful dead show
september 18, 2009: first furthur show
so, what of the period between the dead and furthur? does that time have a name? if not, i think it needs one. or will eventually have one. similar to the intertestamental period, the period between the close of the hebrew scriptures and the first letters of paul the apostle (or, the period between the old testament and the new testament, if you will.) if there is something magical and religious happening with furthur (which i believe there is), then the period of time between 1995 and 2009 takes on some kind of mysterious quality. what might we call it? just as the annual observance from august 1 to august 9 has taken on special significance (“days between”), i believe the 14 years between the dead and furthur will eventually share some significance.
but, back to the death and resurrection of songs: think of all those songs just hanging out, in some sort of musical purgatory; maybe the songs not currently in the active repertoire are in some acoustic astral spiritual projection of something equivalent to a dive bar, sucking on dry martinis while chatting it up, even with other songs by other musicians which are no longer performed live? maybe they are chatting it up with angels? maybe dragons and demons, too? ALL ARE WELCOME. (knowing the dead, these songs are probably hitting on the angels. or playing cards, at least....)
or maybe they just hang out in dreams? maybe our dreams? maybe their own dreams?? maybe they become the dream. after all, at times, “it seems like all this time was just a dream,” right?
anyway, i’ve heard “born cross eyed” on several furthur recordings, and as far as i’m concerned, this song is moribund. but, hey, so you’re telling me out of 3 consecutive shows, that there is only one song i don’t care for?? and then, after an ever so brief musical dreamy transitory pause, out come the opening strains of “terrapin station”?
sold.
you see, the vocals don’t ALWAYS need to sound good. i feel like i have heard the worst singing among these 3 shows in a row overall on this show, but probably specifically on this 2nd set; however, they’ve been KILLING it instrumentally. and then they come out with “he’s gone” and have the combined voice of an angel. it doesn’t have to sound perfect every time. if it did, it wouldn’t be real, in which case i’m not buying any of it.
maybe this is an example of “trying to salvage” a song? i don’t know. that’s why i just want to listen listen listen listen for a long period of time. to the entire catalogue. i want to go sit in the vault and just BE. (can i bring my mando? [and some small amplification with delay on it?]) because, maybe some songs should die? or be allowed to die. i mean, if songs can be resurrected, then they can also die, right?
maybe this is an example of “token” resurrection. “hey! we should do that song we haven’t done in years!” that would probably be what i thought about many of the songs in the “interim” between dead and furthur—which would explain why none of those post-dead bands persevered. as it states in the band bios on the furthur webpage about these bands: “The results, however, were erratic, leaving Weir feeling like the road trip was more work than fun and Lesh saying the music didn’t seem to be moving forward.” so there you have it. apparently, it is now moving forward, as furthur have been together approaching 4 years.
july 9, 1995: last grateful dead show
september 18, 2009: first furthur show
so, what of the period between the dead and furthur? does that time have a name? if not, i think it needs one. or will eventually have one. similar to the intertestamental period, the period between the close of the hebrew scriptures and the first letters of paul the apostle (or, the period between the old testament and the new testament, if you will.) if there is something magical and religious happening with furthur (which i believe there is), then the period of time between 1995 and 2009 takes on some kind of mysterious quality. what might we call it? just as the annual observance from august 1 to august 9 has taken on special significance (“days between”), i believe the 14 years between the dead and furthur will eventually share some significance.
but, back to the death and resurrection of songs: think of all those songs just hanging out, in some sort of musical purgatory; maybe the songs not currently in the active repertoire are in some acoustic astral spiritual projection of something equivalent to a dive bar, sucking on dry martinis while chatting it up, even with other songs by other musicians which are no longer performed live? maybe they are chatting it up with angels? maybe dragons and demons, too? ALL ARE WELCOME. (knowing the dead, these songs are probably hitting on the angels. or playing cards, at least....)
or maybe they just hang out in dreams? maybe our dreams? maybe their own dreams?? maybe they become the dream. after all, at times, “it seems like all this time was just a dream,” right?
anyway, i’ve heard “born cross eyed” on several furthur recordings, and as far as i’m concerned, this song is moribund. but, hey, so you’re telling me out of 3 consecutive shows, that there is only one song i don’t care for?? and then, after an ever so brief musical dreamy transitory pause, out come the opening strains of “terrapin station”?
sold.
you see, the vocals don’t ALWAYS need to sound good. i feel like i have heard the worst singing among these 3 shows in a row overall on this show, but probably specifically on this 2nd set; however, they’ve been KILLING it instrumentally. and then they come out with “he’s gone” and have the combined voice of an angel. it doesn’t have to sound perfect every time. if it did, it wouldn’t be real, in which case i’m not buying any of it.
---------------------------
i love the vocal splitting for all the old jerry tunes. the more I listen, the more it seems they are taking turns singing, sometimes splitting verses, sometimes splitting half verses. Even sometimes splitting half-lines?
From this show:
Bob and jon together: same ole
Jon: rat in a drain ditch caught on a limb
All: you know better but I know him
Bob: like I told you what I said
All: steal your face right off your head
Compare this to the performance at the joint in las vegas 10/4/12:
Bob: same ole
Jon: rat in a drain ditch
Bob: caught on a limb
All: you know better but I know him
Jon: like I told you
Bob: what I said
All: steal your face right off your head
Most interesting. On hearing them sing the “same ole” at the same time on this show, I had thought maybe one of them made a mistake, but after hearing it on several recordings, it seems they are might be shaking up all the singing on purpose. so did they both mean to sing it on this show? very curious.
Either way, here’s something else they should try. to have john and bob BOTH sing some lead vocals together—in whatever style or with whatever interpretation and tempo they may choose or be feeling. i think it’d be groovy. i don’t think enough of that happens in music in general: unison ensemble singing. However, these guys have pioneered JUST about everything there is in rock music. why not start pioneering ensemble vocal practices as well? It sounds like they may have at least flirted with it in some of these shows? plus, eventually, all the kids will be doin’ it. (all the COOL ones, at least!)
“oooooh, nothing’s gonna bring him back.” wow, those lyrics don’t mean what they used to. and if this song keeps seeking to be sung after bob or phil dies, it will take on even more significance. even when billy dies! or mickey! tom, we’ll take note of; and probably bruce (surprised he’s still alive, considering “the curse.” i mean, you guys all know dark star orchestra, right? they’ve been playing for what, like 16 years now themselves? and they are still going strong? anyway, the keyboardist died!! did y’all know that? isn’t that a bit—nutty?? (oh, and, i hear rumor that they are on quite a roll right now; didn’t i already comment that i would bet money that the DSO archive will get some attention after this whole “thing” picks up?) (i mean, let’s face it. it’s picking up.)
so, then especially after bob and phil have both gone; then, of course mickey and bill, then *boom* all the original members are gone. then just those who went to shows, etc. (i’ve covered all this before! at this point, if you have decided to follow what i am writing, please understand i can’t spend time re-explaining myself. if you find it interesting, read it all, from the beginning. it’s all there. that will keep me free to do whatever the hell it is i am doing. trust me. you want some more of what I got coming. ;-)
hell, DSO could serve as the minor league team to a sort of a musical apostolic succession; at this point, most of the folks in dark star have played with john. john has played with phil and bob, who played with jerry. and, since pig went first, let’s give him favored status. all hail pig!
[editor’s note: i just checked wikipedia, and much to my absolute surprise and delight (as it bolsters my argument), there are SIXTEEN past members of DSO. and 7 current.]
From this show:
Bob and jon together: same ole
Jon: rat in a drain ditch caught on a limb
All: you know better but I know him
Bob: like I told you what I said
All: steal your face right off your head
Compare this to the performance at the joint in las vegas 10/4/12:
Bob: same ole
Jon: rat in a drain ditch
Bob: caught on a limb
All: you know better but I know him
Jon: like I told you
Bob: what I said
All: steal your face right off your head
Most interesting. On hearing them sing the “same ole” at the same time on this show, I had thought maybe one of them made a mistake, but after hearing it on several recordings, it seems they are might be shaking up all the singing on purpose. so did they both mean to sing it on this show? very curious.
Either way, here’s something else they should try. to have john and bob BOTH sing some lead vocals together—in whatever style or with whatever interpretation and tempo they may choose or be feeling. i think it’d be groovy. i don’t think enough of that happens in music in general: unison ensemble singing. However, these guys have pioneered JUST about everything there is in rock music. why not start pioneering ensemble vocal practices as well? It sounds like they may have at least flirted with it in some of these shows? plus, eventually, all the kids will be doin’ it. (all the COOL ones, at least!)
“oooooh, nothing’s gonna bring him back.” wow, those lyrics don’t mean what they used to. and if this song keeps seeking to be sung after bob or phil dies, it will take on even more significance. even when billy dies! or mickey! tom, we’ll take note of; and probably bruce (surprised he’s still alive, considering “the curse.” i mean, you guys all know dark star orchestra, right? they’ve been playing for what, like 16 years now themselves? and they are still going strong? anyway, the keyboardist died!! did y’all know that? isn’t that a bit—nutty?? (oh, and, i hear rumor that they are on quite a roll right now; didn’t i already comment that i would bet money that the DSO archive will get some attention after this whole “thing” picks up?) (i mean, let’s face it. it’s picking up.)
so, then especially after bob and phil have both gone; then, of course mickey and bill, then *boom* all the original members are gone. then just those who went to shows, etc. (i’ve covered all this before! at this point, if you have decided to follow what i am writing, please understand i can’t spend time re-explaining myself. if you find it interesting, read it all, from the beginning. it’s all there. that will keep me free to do whatever the hell it is i am doing. trust me. you want some more of what I got coming. ;-)
hell, DSO could serve as the minor league team to a sort of a musical apostolic succession; at this point, most of the folks in dark star have played with john. john has played with phil and bob, who played with jerry. and, since pig went first, let’s give him favored status. all hail pig!
[editor’s note: i just checked wikipedia, and much to my absolute surprise and delight (as it bolsters my argument), there are SIXTEEN past members of DSO. and 7 current.]
----------------------
there is some real nice vocal swapping going on at the end of SUGAREE, between bob, john, and the backup singers. they really had me hanging on each note. the tempo / approach of the song doesn’t sound like what i remember of this song in the old days; they’re really milking something. i wasn’t there, so i don’t know if there were any cows present, but i imagine not. so, what was it? either way, sometimes a furthur show can seem like it takes place in a land flowing with milk and honey. and weed. milk and honey and weed. some power drink that’ll make after our stupid laws are changed! (or have been rendered obsolete?) (and, jesus, there are SO many of them, too—have you noticed that? is it just a johnny-come-lately politics kind of thing, or has it been this way all along and i’m just now starting to notice it? unfortunately, i imagine i have seen only the tip of the iceberg. and we all know what the result is when THAT happens. don’t we?)
or have we already forgotten that, too?
oh, how we pay people to mesmerize us for 2 hours and give us an environment in which it is safe to cry (well, unless you’re a straight white male). as a former awesome professor, ben ramsay, said, the word itself is telling: movie. we need something to move us. because we can barely find ways to entertain ourselves. why not try a good book? or just sit around and let your own imagination run wild, unhindered by anything or anyone else? but we can’t. so, we go see a hollywood blockbuster, and it makes us think for maybe, at most, the rest of the night. then we wake up in the morning none the better for it. we continue on with our frantic lives. what was the point in watching? if you didn’t learn anything from it, then it was a waste of time. if it doesn’t make you think, intently, about whatever—anything at all!—then it was also a waste of money.
oh dear—now this other stuff i’ve been working on is starting to creep in here. okay. well, my 7 1/2 dedicated readers, in the spirit of the dead and improvisation, i will ask for your help. let me know what you want. i’ll simply give you the title of the book i’m working on concurrently (somewhat) and you let me know if you want me to weave that into the narrative here, or just leave it out altogether. my mind is so all over the place these days, that i can’t make this decision alone.
title: the world is coming to an end!
subtitle: reflections on eschatology (look it up, it’s REAL easy) and awareness (or lack thereof)
subtitle: reflections on eschatology (look it up, it’s REAL easy) and awareness (or lack thereof)
hmmmm. if you like it, then this will possibly take on a political flavor as well. in that case, would this become “the grateful dead political theology project”? man, i’d love to take that on. i might then even start to get some responses / comments!
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wouldn’t it be awesome if these guys started covering some jerry garcia band tunes? that might get hot. and get that keyboardist, melvin seals, to sit in for a few tunes? keep the spirit alive, and then share the wealth. cause that will then increase traffic to his shows. (similar to how bruce hornsby shows were invaded by deadheads after he sat in for a few years—as well as surely countless other musicians.) let’s take our money and keep it in our own community. give it to all these dead-family musicians instead of giving it to a government who can’t tell its arse from its elbow. what a bunch of imbeciles and power-hungry demagogues.
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don’t remember if i’ve said it before (a phrase that has surely become commonplace in these musings), but bob is doing a great job popping his consonants. especially Bs and Ps. it will serve him really well as his voice continues to creep towards its own kind of death.
you see, everything dies. everyone dies. people, animals, dreams, thoughts, instruments, mechanical things, ideas, cultures, gods (i mean, holy shit; EVEN GODS DIE???) so, let’s just accept it and have a good time while we’re here.
now, to the aforementioned government: there is PLENTY FOR EVERYBODY TO SHARE. YOUR WAY DOESN’T WORK. IT HASN’T WORKED FOR MANY, MANY, MANY YEARS. IF IT EVER WORKED AT ALL. WE HAVE GIVEN YOU YOUR CHANCE TO PROVE IT DOES. scratch that—we didn’t even have a choice to give you a chance; you have TAKEN the chance to prove it does. and, simply put, IT DOESN’T. so let’s try something else, why don’t we?
otherwise, we haven’t evolved. right? in the rooms of 12-step program meetings, you’ll hear it said: insanity is repeating the same action over and over again, expecting different results (attributed to albert einstein, by the way. smart guy, that one.) so, i think we need to try some new action: LOVE.
i know, i know. what the fuck does that mean? well, even those of you who continue to exploit, dominate, ruin, control, destroy, rape, pillage, torture, extirpate, displace, etc., still USE that word. so, it must have SOME meaning for you, does it not? or is it just another part of your ruse? was that the way that you seduced the others (the actual lovers) into accepting that we should try it your way?
oops, sorry, i forgot, again!. i am really beginning to doubt that anybody actually ever agreed to any of this at any point! surely there must be a point somewhere in our country’s history when some group of people agreed to trying it your way, but if so, it is SO FAR from where we now stand, that it almost seems improbable. we know for a fact that you didn’t ask the indigenous americans to try it your way, and they were the first folks you encountered when you first “discovered” this bountiful land. so, it stands to reason that you started your ascendancy to power, fresh off the boat fleeing from your own persecution, with your “guns, germs and steel” (as jared diamond writes), and never looked back. you have simply “removed” anybody and anything that has gotten in your way since.
how on earth did you pull it off, you hypocrites?
WHATEVER. we’re a bunch of loving, hippie peaceniks and beatniks! we’re willing to give you a second chance. (or, probably more like a thousandth chance!!) so, here’s what i propose: if you EVER believed in that word (love), then simply accept that it is a good starting place. just accept it. that is ALL that you have to do. we can figure out the rest as we move forward—together. but we need a starting place. this is it.
this might be the last time. in fact, our last chance. what if—just what if—there were a point of no return? the more we can imagine its existence, the more we can chart a course away from it; or at least prepare for it. cause as it stands now, the people running just about everything (and controlling everybody) are absolutely clueless. look around at what is happening!
for the rest of us: if we don’t at least prepare for (or at least think of) every possibility, then we have nobody to blame but ourselves. apathy is king of this culture right now. i know this, because my allegiance currently lies with him—mostly because i’m too damn tired from my fulltime job to even pay attention to what is transpiring in the world around me, much less do anything about it. i feel so hopeless and helpless at times vis-a-vis the likes of monsanto, factory farms, corporate greed, a media entirely controlled by a small handful of individuals, our moribund 2-party political system, as well as our ever-expanding nonsensical behemoth legal and tax codes—not to mention the VERY ALIVE forces of racism, sexism, ageism, homophobia, etc.
get ready, folks! the end is coming!
i’ve got my survival kit. do you?
i’ve got my survival kit. do you?
now, i KNOW i talked about this earlier, but could you imagine some folks—just maybe like me, for example—wandering around, beyond the thunderdome, after the devolution of society as we know it, with instruments in tow? a post-apocalyptic troubadour, just like my ancestors. before we created all this INSANE crap like jobs, taxes, rent and copays and class hierarchies and INCREDIBLY DIRTY little pieces of paper with pictures of dead white men on them which define our “net worth” in the eyes of society.
ew. gross. think about that for a minute—how much we touch paper money on a day to day basis. and how much we touch our faces, too. conspiracy minded folk, get ready! this would be one way to test the capability of a virus or some kind of biological weapon. how many hands has a dollar bill touched? over the course of its entire life? and what if some kind of virus were created that could be transferred ever-so-slowly over the course of many years? your skin comes into contact with it, and then it enters your body by way of the pores in the skin of your fingers, then ever-so-slowly creeps into your bloodstream over a long period of time.
OH! and the “social safety net” is already in place. don’t worry, rich folks! the upper class will survive, and be intact to enjoy all their money (which, ironically and moronically, will most likely remain of some value after society crumbles, which blows my mind….) and all their precious luxuries, as the rest of us are killed off.
poor people probably touch $1 bills more than any other denomination, right? as do those struggling to get by, living “paycheck to paycheck,” right? and even lots of folks up there in that so-called middle class (which has all but dissipated) who might also make good guinea pigs? the rich, however, deal mostly with 20s, 50s and 100s, i would imagine. if they ever even touch money at all. they are probably so programmed to not even touch $1 bills (although you wouldn’t think it, considering the way some of them tip. JESUS CHRIST!!!) so, they will be protected, as the rest of us spread this virus back and forth to each other, while the scientists and politicians just sit back and keep a close watch for statistical and taxonomical purposes.
i digress.
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hey bobby!!! on MUSIC NEVER STOPPED, why don’t you let sunshine tear it up, like donna used to? that’d be a GREAT way to start to introduce her solo voice, as she eventually steps up to sing one or two of those tunes that you may choose to hold onto—for the love of goddess—and who can blame you? i would hold onto those lyrics and melodies as long as humanly possible. i would imagine that some of the jerry songs you sing actually have supplanted your own in importance? not that yours aren’t awesome! and not that those won’t have their own 2nd life—or resurrection—after you have checked out? man, i love hearing you singing. his songs; your songs; new songs; old songs. all songs. your voice is becoming iconic as well.
———————-
interesting thought: since close to day 1, the crowd has always exploded in cheers to the lyric from WHARF RAT, “half of my life, i spent doin’ time for some other fucker’s crime.” what’s interesting is that lyric is, in itself, completely detached from the grateful dead altogether; isn’t it? lyrically, it is just about some mythical guy that hunter created, and that jerry breathed into existence musically. such a testament to the spirit of universal brother/sister hood embodied by this band’s followers for almost 45 years strong; it’s just some guy from some story—a sad, redemptive, delusional, confusing insecure story—who has won our hearts over, in no small part to the deliverance of this individual’s story by garcia, and now by kadlecik. so passionate. you can’t help but be moved.
how many other songs is this the case for? i feel like i’ve opened a—yet another—can of worms….
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ok, just so that you all don’t think i’ve completely saddled up to the kool-aid keg, let me go ahead and say it a 2nd time: bob, your vocals on BORN CROSS EYED are absolutely terrible. this is why you should hire me. you sound SO GOOD on so many songs; some melody, some harmony, some solo lead with no support; and if you’re reading this now, then you’ve been reading everything else and know how much i have been praising you! so, take my criticism with love. that’s all i got for you, man. but, see, you should create a job for me: vocal consultant. i’ll give tips to the whole band! i think i am qualified, given my credentials [happy to supply]. but, that particular song should be jon and the 2 backup singers. or hell, if you want to go with that melvin seals idea from above, then bring in another musician—one who has a heart for this whole phenomenon—and let them sing with the backup singers. more guest singers as we move forward!! who would we invite to sing that one? i don’t know. let me listen to it a few more times (not tonight) and get back to you on that. i’ll bet we could find someone awesome who could fill in on just a couple of these songs which, maybe, don’t sound as good in your voice as others; someone whom the crowd would absolutely adore; and who would give even further credence to this band, and help it carry on (a la the “musical apostolic succession” i mentioned earlier). of course someone like warren haynes comes immediately to mind, just as an example.
———————-
if this music has done absolutely nothing else (which i hardly believe is the case), it has given me some kind of spiritual insight into this band, their music, my own life, the existence of humanity, and everything else i can probably fit in there; (as i am sure there is so much more that i could never even begin to imagine…)
———————-
bobby, did you drop out for a good solid minute, somewhere around the 18-minute mark of terrapin? sounded that way. yet the jam went on. if this is the case, then that will be another great way to save your strength in between jam sessions. we shouldn’t even think show to show. we can think song to song. cause eventually, you never know if it may come to that. [this is an old post, but being edited AFTER PORT CHESTER—which makes my case all the more. what if he had fallen due to a sudden stroke or heart attack?] it may come to that for the musicians; for this scene; and for us! let’s not worry about all the bullshite, and live our lives as if every minute were the last, as if we were sitting on a hospice bed surrounded by friends and family. do we really need to get to the point of hospice before we can start learning to live? why only then do so many people say “what if” and only then can say “i’m sorry” to all those with whom there has been contention? why not do it NOW??
so bobby’s just hanging in the shadows while jon and jeff trade amazing licks back and forth. you can play short repetitive phrases. you’ll probably need to do that when they have to wheel you out in a wheelchair in 20 years. maybe even after that point, you might not even be animate anymore. no problem. you will have already taken your place in the dead pantheon. hell, if you are comatose, i vote they roll you on out to the stage while jon, jeff, joe, sunshine and jeff jam on with whoever else is filling the holes (i didn’t say phil, cause he’ll probably be right beside you…) heck, put this in your will! you want to be dragged city to city, while the music continues on! jerry’s ashes were scattered in 3 different spots, i believe. maybe yours and phil’s will continue the long haul, and travel with some future incarnation of furthur! let’s set up a small shrine on the stage!
bless this music and its progeny, and your progeny, and the progeny yet to be imagined or desired!)
holy crap. it’s been quite a ride tonight. i imagine anyone still reading this is like: wtf????
yet, you’re still reading it, right?
yet, you’re still reading it, right?
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9/2/12 - listening to the cary show i just downloaded (7/11/12)
me personally, i believe that something incredible is happening. something transcendent. something immanent. something cosmic. something magical.
should we make comparisons between john and jerry? should we talk about hierarchies or successions or competitions or virtuosity or equality or whatever? if one were to liken the two equal, some probably would automatically rush in and say “you can’t compare,” or “how dare you compare.” but, do YOU, whoever says this, think that jerry would have wanted it that way? jerry was never about jerry. jerry was about the music. period. so, grant jerry his wish, in his honor and memory: let the music continue on. if you make it about jerry, then it stops with jerry!
so, what if john has also tapped into whatever jerry tapped into? i believe, unequivocally, that he has. and so what if this band has also tapped into whatever the dead were tapping into? i believe, unequivocally, that they have. that is what is so powerful about this band, this music and these musicians. and thousands of furthur fans (if not tens of thousands?) across the country—save the stupid drunk frat boys just looking for a party and the johnny-come-lately hipsters—would agree with me. the magic is there.
what, you thought the magic, whatever it is, would just give up? you thought it would be done, that it has said all that it needs to say? or maybe you thought it was only present through jerry?
think about john. pretty big shoes to fill, right? and he has filled them with golden feet, as far as i’m concerned. how could ANY musician (or any dead fan) even just meet phil or bob in person, without babbling like an idiot—much less get on stage with them and pull off what john has pulled off? well, i’ll tell you how. because to him, bob and phil are not bob and phil, just as jerry wasn’t jerry. bob and phil are—and jerry was—the music. i think these musicians are all living embodiments of absolute spectacular creatively delicious divinity. and john knows that, so there is no ego or fear or nervousness or, i would even say, hierarchy. if bob and phil were always like, “hey dude, we’re bob and phil, don’t forget that,” then furthur would NOT be touring, and this music would not be persevering. but, they’re like, “hey man, we LOVE the magic and want more and can’t get enough!” (hey, addiction to the magic is healthier than any of the addictions envisioned in, say, the movie “requiem for a dream,” which i just saw last night.) and john knows that about them, and he ALSO wants it. what about the other musicians? i imagine this is the case with everybody who takes the stage with furthur—maybe even guest musicians. (do they experience the magic?)
the fans have spoken extensively about the magic. (i sure have!) what have the musicians said? it’s time to speak up, boys! (and girls!) hey, mickey, why not put on your library of congress musicologist hat and really sink your teeth into and document this stuff for future generations?!? i’ve read many of the books about the dead (to name just a few higher profile books: blair jackson’s biography on jerry; dennis mcnally’s “a long strange trip”; phil’s autobiography most recently.) there are so many references to the magic strewn throughout all this literature; what is lacking is really an attempt to explain just what that magic is. maybe that would be anathema to these guys; maybe i’m just too eager to put on my academician hat. i was a teacher for several years; so, if you say “the magic was there,” then my response will be, “but what is the magic? i guess this whole theology project is just such an attempt. i just wish that those who have been closest to the source would really open up about it profusely before they die—or become too senile to recount it! (although, in grand prankster fashion, that might be the best time to elicit their various testimonies.)
we need this stuff just floating around in our collective cultural consciousness so that after “thunderdome,” this will be heavily remembered and discussed, not all that current crap that steals the headlines.
i’m so tired of reading “100 ways to destroy the planet and kill off every species in a short time span.” or, as you affectionately call it, the newspaper.
TO BE POSTED:
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9/12/12 i have been thinking about the songs; songs which have almost taken on a life of their own. (should i use the word almost?) at this point, the oeuvre of the dead is so immense, that they always have surprises tucked away which could energize the crowd beyond anyone’s wildest dreams. think: what if furthur, in say 3 years, breaks out “the way you do the things you do,” or “shady grove”? or “the night they drove ole dixie down”? you think “unbroken chain” in philly ’95 was big? wait til they drop THIS bomb. (and knowing this band, it won’t just be a nod. they will shred it to absolute bits and pieces. little musical-staff-note-shaped animals will come and feed on it, as like a pack of ravenous wolves on their first hunt after a long winter.) it’s acoustic shock and awe. but the peaceful kind. nobody’s children die in it. (except the unlucky (?) few who aren’t “able to hack it”—who fall prey to the scenario which jerry sang of, and which has been written about: “if the thunder don’t get you, then the lightnin’ will”....
we are all bound for one or the other: there is no escape. this can be a frightening thought. (frightnin lightnin?) until you accept it and make peace with it, that is. at this point, it becomes a comforting thought—that we all die. you, me, us, we. him, her, madam, sir. even your damn dog. (even china cat. bitch be wakin’ me up every morning to be fed at like 4 am! so, if she dies soon, you can probably guess why. ;-) if i die soon, however, it’s probably mostly from exhaustion. my eyes hurt. a lot.)
[editor’s note: in the proofing stages, many months removed, you’ll be happy to know that china cat has forsaken her feisty feminine feline ways, and she is now letting me sleep. at least til 5! what a doll.]
[editor’s note #2: i guess my eyes don’t still hurt, but really they do. staring at a computer all day tends to aggravate them. (duh.) whatever happened to going out and hunting for your own food anyway? who came up with this current alternative, and why was it accepted as the best possible scenario?? honestly, after watching a fair amount of “the walking dead,” i’d really honestly probably prefer survival mode to this “go stare at a box and/or weather your body down, so you can pay someone else to get your food for you.” what a strange culture. (seems i might have a fascination with death, huh? oh, but i also saw “the road” recently. great film! so maybe it’s more of a dystopian fascination?) oh, and the toilet needs to be flushed every time you use it. no matter what! period. it’s assumed that that’s what civilized people do. actually, “civilized people” assume quite a bit. (so much so, that they now get quotes!”) stupid people.]
oh! back to the topic at hand: my tired eyes and exhausted body. :-( but my brain, my heart, my soul, and my spirit are more alive than they ever have been. so, if for some reason i meet an early demise, and anybody can ever hack my password (good luck with that! i’ve got like 18 of ‘em!) and ends up reading this before it is posted on the gdtheology™ page, know this: I AM HAPPY. happier than i think i have ever been. at least on a consistent basis. i’ve been pretty blessed over the course of my life, upon reflecting back. but i don’t remember being this *mostly* happy for this long. oh, to be sure, i have bad moments. it is one of the things that makes me human. but, overall, i am THRILLED right now. and i have SO MUCH to look forward to.
:-)
anyway, back to the songs. these songs are so old, and have been so loved for so long, that it’s almost like, whatever song these guys pull out, it’s a winner. they are doing some new songs, rockin some old tunes they always rocked, as well as dipping into some really old stuff—even some that maybe isn’t working as well. (although i am amazed at how well some of those old songs do! might still be some life left in those suckers, after all!)
is there a song they can play that is completely a waste? born cross eyed isn’t great, but it is pretty iconic. (and my only issue with it really is the vocals. the instruments are SOLID. maybe that’s why they play it!) and i don’t even know that song well; that might be the problem—which might be with ME, by the way, not the song or singer. who knows!
anyway, every song has become such a force of weight, 47 years into this experiment in compassion, understanding, acceptance, individuality, free-thinking, free-loving, and just an all-around good time. THANK YOU FOR A REAL GOOD TIME! (that’s another thing: they have so many individual lyrics that are equally iconic in their own right. the phrase “what a long strange trip it’s been” has long broken into the mainstream. people who don’t even know anything about the grateful dead use that phrase. THAT is worth some recognition for cultural relevance, if there is none other. (which i’m busy at work trying to challenge, in case you haven’t noticed. i think i am becoming a dead apologist? but also a furthur apologist. i will probably argue for quite some time about so many different aspects of this phenomenon. and i won’t always be right, but i’m definitely informed.
and very well educated. watch out.)
TO POST TUESDAY:
9/19/12
i think that, if i were a *lil* tipsy, listening to the grateful dead at home on my trusty CD player, that if i were offered the opportunity to close my eyes groovin’ and peacefully pass on to the next realm, that i might take it. cause, what if, just what if that point at which you die were an eternity (as kevin spacey’s character suggests in “american beauty”) and reflected whatever was your experience at your point of passing? well, i’d love to listen to the grateful dead for all eternity. sure, there might be better ways to go or places to be; but, you know? i don’t crave perfection. i crave happiness.
and, just in case there isn’t anything after this short stay in the spectrum of all time, then i’m going to live my life that same way in which i hope to live my death: just seeking happiness. and, DUDE(TTE)(S), this band makes me happy. :-)
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10/26/12 now listening to the show right before philly, from canadaigua, NY, 7/6/12.
i’ve been digging this show on and off for a week or so, interspersed with some other old stuff as i worked on the recent maryland post, but also several new shows i inherited, thanks to a cool deadhead named dave, who i met after the first beacon theater show this past april. anyway, from the collection he gave me, i’ve been focusing more intently on this show, and i am starting to feel like a broken record when talking about this music. so, it makes me want to just dive straight into the meat and potatoes right away. (or the burritos and grilled cheese?)
although, i can’t start without saying: i haven’t quite known how to categorize my thoughts/feelings about furthur vis-a-vis the grateful dead. i’ve thought it might border on heresy at times, that i might find myself saying something like, “i like these guys better than the grateful dead.” or that “they are better as an ensemble” or “the singing is superior to anything the dead ever produced,” etc., etc.
but i finally figured it out. and i will say this without apology: phil and bob both sound better than they have ever sounded. that doesn’t detract from the dead. it doesn’t lend itself to comparisons, really. it simply is what it is, although arguably true. although i won’t claim it is indefensibly true, as i tend to avoid absolutist statements whenever possible.
maybe soon it will be time to bust out my resume, just so folks know that i do, indeed, know what i am talking about. i really don’t want it to come to that, but i keep waiting for some random person who i’ve never even met to leap forward out of the shadows looking to stone me. (to which i say: groovy!) but in good prankster spirit, this person is surely thinking more like a monty python stoning: “no one is to stone anyone until i say so! not even if they say that furthur is better than the grateful dead!”
i’ve spent so much time being a dead apologist, and now i am feeling even a stronger pull to being a furthur apologist. well, maybe i should just leave it at taste: these guys are my taste. and it tastes GOOOOOOOD. if honeysuckles produced sound, this would be it. i believe that. and i don’t care whether or not you do. you don’t have to! did anybody tell you that you had to think the way i am thinking? if you felt like i was ever saying that, then maybe you need to take a breath, sit down for a while and think about whatever issues you have going on that would make you automatically want to argue. i mean, really. just let it be!
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so, i’m just ever so curious if these guys ever smoke up. do all of them at all shows? or all at some shows? or some at all shows? or some at some shows? listen, if channeling of dead beings is even remotely possible, i would argue these guys are in the prime position to pull it off. what if, in the midst of some transcendent musical experience, jerry were to just “pop by” for a bit?
here’s why i thought of that. think of john. the fact that he is constantly playing—through means of his own creative improvisation—jerry’s guitar parts? he obviously wants to avoid trying to be jerry. he is probably even actively trying to avoid taking certain solos to certain places. what if, after a lil 420 at the set break, he happens to just “fall in” to one of those places? at that point . . . well . . . ? maybe? who knows....
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i’ve just got to say this and be done with it. the EYES OF THE WORLD from this show is absolutely the best it has EVER been sung.
and it’s PHIL singing it! that is some volume and/or passion that he’s not normally known for. i am impressed. yet again. for the one thousandth time. and 54. either way, in reference to my post earlier about maybe certain songs needing to die, or wanting to retire, or whatever: this is NOT one of them.
at some point in the jam after the 2nd verse, listen to jeff on keys. he is playing completely different rhythms with his 2 hands. 2 different parts. i have played plenty of piano, and know how difficult it is, what he is doing. anybody wanting to play piano for any band should listen to this guy and learn a thing or two. even if you don’t like them. (i mean, by this point, these guys have earned your respect. again, not your cup of tea, fine. but, please. give credit.)
1,055.
unbelievable.
i wish i could play along for a whole show. my arms, hands and fingers all just get tired, though. need to get more in practice. and they’ve been doing it for 47 years!
[editor’s note: apparently, i have tennis elbow. i don’t even play tennis! but, my fierce mandolin playing seems to be taking its toll. (and my age, to be sure.) so, i’d recommend you come see my show in NYC this august 9th. [LINK] it might be my last. hell, it might be your last! don’t worry, i’ll make it worth your while. maybe i’ll even use my mandolin as a tennis racket and volley against the church wall during the set break.
actually, to those folks i was addressing above: if you really hate the dead, then come and see me do their music. i might just change your mind. if not, i’m still glad you’re visiting, and the first round is one me after the concert.
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on THE ELEVEN, right after the concluding chorus, john is either off rhythmically, or he is playing some pretty intricate countermelody. if he knows what he is doing, it almost sounds like bach-style contrapuntal polyrhythms.
i don’t even know what that means....
or do i?
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and to think about the fact that the energy is not only different show to show; but also differs greatly by geographical location. these guys have always loved new york: all of em, even jerry. something about the energy produced in this particular area. very different from what the west coast brings to shows; or the south? i’d support these guys skipping new york and doing some random tour to like texas, arkansas, nebraska, iowa, new mexico and arizona. those folks need some spiritual sustenance too! when was the last time any of these guys hit any of these states?
hey midwest and southwest: if you build it, they will come . . . .
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march 2, 2013
title: a reaction to stephen allen’s “farewell to you old southern skies” (in “dead letters, vol. 1,” if i remember correctly. sorry, too lazy to look it up. i just need to start posting more—immediately—and stop worrying about being such a perfectionist. i mean, DAMN.
i am 40 years old. “mid-life,” as they say, if i am lucky enough to make it to 80. through those many, many years—although they be just a drop in the temporal bucket, and i am still really considered young—i have known many people who have died. friends, family members, mentors, even people who i barely knew, but had the joy of meeting and knowing if only briefly. even pets.
allen’s essay has touched an emotion tonight, one of mine that is touched every so often, through no control of my own. i can now publicly say, as strange as it sounds having never met the man in person, that jerry’s death still brings me to tears more often than any other person who has passed on. how is it possible that this person had such a profound impact on my life? that his death still moves me unlike any family member or close friend who is now gone?
here’s the amazing thing, and what speaks to this entire theology project: i imagine i am not alone. that there are potentially millions (how many is it, really??) like me out there who, once in a while, are simply overcome with a sadness in knowing that they will never again hear jerry garcia playing live. as allen points out, the man’s music has become a vast legacy through which we can know garcia, as pieces of history continue to be released from the vault.
i wasn’t yet even alive in 1971, but i can listen to a recording of a show from that year and become one with it: the band, the audience, the venue, the city—a 3-hour window into the past that can be relived repeatedly. what an amazing gift! to think that some deadheads experienced such an ecstatic sense of community and transformation for 30 years (some now 48), and that there are close to 2,300 such aural documentations of the power of this person, well, that is simply amazing.
and now, with furthur carrying the torch, we are treated to yet more of the magic. if we close our eyes and listen intently, i’d say that, unquestionably, jerry is still with us. as is the magic which he helped create and shape.
or which helped create and shape him.
and us.
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march 2nd, cont’d. much later in the day.
just played through “hard times come again no more”, by stephen foster, and realized this is the type of music i should be introducing at st. bart’s. i’ve been lately playing for our 6pm eucharist, mostly solos but lately with luscious 3 part harmonies.
and it got me thinking. the problem with contemporary christian music is, a lot of it piggybacks on genres that are well established, simply inserting different lyrics and some fairly dubious theological thinking. the thing is, if they piggybacked on that genre, then that genre itself must be good enough, right? it indeed does has merit—and without jesus.
but, while co-opting it, they claim it not “religious” or “spiritual” in nature—in its original form. they might say something like, “well, we took it from you and perfected it.”
my claim: it was already perfect.
i mean, anything that is created that lauds and loves and is a part of everything that is—and especially recognizes it—MUST be good, right? (well, except for those damn hippies over there!) this is part of a much deeper conversation, obviously, and one that has been discussed from many perspectives, over many years: that of secular vs. sacred music. but, without fully entering the conversation quite yet (merely “dipping my big toe into the pond"), i would simply say: who are YOU to make the distinction?
YOU. i mean you personally. whoever you are reading this. don’t think of yourself as part of any group who think likewise. "we think this or believe this, because this is what we think or believe." hell, that was one of the dark forces at work behind nazi germany. and i KNOW you don’t want to be affiliated with that. do you? and most definitely don’t EVER put your total faith behind ONE person’s opinion, no matter what. THINK FOR YOURSELF.
and now while you are you—and only you—answer me the question: who are you to make the distinction? if you think you can make that ultimate call, one that you fully believe EVERYONE should abide by, well, then. hmmmm. you might need to think about that.
me personally, i think “hard times come again no more” is as religious as it gets. and poetic. and beautiful. so, i’m going to take stephen foster to church soon. it might be just what one person needs to hear on that one night. and if those are to be my only “returns,” i’ll fucking take ‘em.
----------------------------------
on facebook only (not on blog site):
A BIT OFF TOPIC.
and to think: after the show, if you want a yummy veggie burrito, then technically you are purchasing an illegal product. think about it. those folks are supposed to have permits. and what do you have to do to get the permits? submit to THEIR inspections, rules, conditions, laws.
kinda makes you think, huh? i mean, we are literally KILLING ourselves—and our children—with the food we eat. or, maybe i should say our government is allowing the food industry to kill us. and THOSE folks, the ones killing us? THEY’VE GOT THE PROPER GOVERNMENT-SANCTIONED PERMITS. shit, we’re doing the chinese a favor! after we kill off the entire population via our revolting contaminated food supply, this vast expanse of land is free for the taking. and i’m puttin my money on china.
OR. think about this. the fact that we are, as a culture, almost to the point where we could probably subsist solely on high fructose corn syrup.
hmmm....
considering how cheap it is to make that stuff, coupled with the abundance of this sneaky plant in the midwest (read pollan's "the omnivore's dilemma"!), it might be REAL easy to feed entire segments of the population at very little cost. (such as any “non-combatant national security threats” that happened to do something, anything, they found offensive, who were then whisked away in the dark of night never to be heard from again....)
that whole “food problem” we hear about? dude, we’ve got it under control. let the rest of the world suffer. we’ll probably finally outlive the cockroaches! actually, it might be brilliant, if it isn’t ultimately used for devious or malicious ends. (think concentration camps. gotta feed your captives, right?) after the rest of the world has starved to death (meanwhile we waste HOW many tons of food in this country EVERY DAY?), our population can stay alive and healthy whilst sucking on the cornsugary teet of agricultural mid-america.
at least we’ll have an army.
and to think: after the show, if you want a yummy veggie burrito, then technically you are purchasing an illegal product. think about it. those folks are supposed to have permits. and what do you have to do to get the permits? submit to THEIR inspections, rules, conditions, laws.
kinda makes you think, huh? i mean, we are literally KILLING ourselves—and our children—with the food we eat. or, maybe i should say our government is allowing the food industry to kill us. and THOSE folks, the ones killing us? THEY’VE GOT THE PROPER GOVERNMENT-SANCTIONED PERMITS. shit, we’re doing the chinese a favor! after we kill off the entire population via our revolting contaminated food supply, this vast expanse of land is free for the taking. and i’m puttin my money on china.
OR. think about this. the fact that we are, as a culture, almost to the point where we could probably subsist solely on high fructose corn syrup.
hmmm....
considering how cheap it is to make that stuff, coupled with the abundance of this sneaky plant in the midwest (read pollan's "the omnivore's dilemma"!), it might be REAL easy to feed entire segments of the population at very little cost. (such as any “non-combatant national security threats” that happened to do something, anything, they found offensive, who were then whisked away in the dark of night never to be heard from again....)
that whole “food problem” we hear about? dude, we’ve got it under control. let the rest of the world suffer. we’ll probably finally outlive the cockroaches! actually, it might be brilliant, if it isn’t ultimately used for devious or malicious ends. (think concentration camps. gotta feed your captives, right?) after the rest of the world has starved to death (meanwhile we waste HOW many tons of food in this country EVERY DAY?), our population can stay alive and healthy whilst sucking on the cornsugary teet of agricultural mid-america.
at least we’ll have an army.
------
posted only to the FB group:
4/13/13
so think about this. every grateful dead song has a “best” performance by furthur. and following that line of thinking, there must be a single best concert by furthur. i just couldn’t begin to guess which it would be—in either case. because i’m a sentimental idiot, and probably over-theologize everything these guys do, but to these ears, almost every single song and every single concert is the best they have done. i would have said that last fall, after having digested quite a bit of furthur 2012. but, now, i’m getting into furthur 2013 and equally, if not more, impressed.
posted to blog, same night:
4/28/13
in the meantime, i’m listening to the dead rock the cradle and thinking about singing. you see, these guys were never great singers. and when you listen to how long they jam at times, it’s almost easy to think that they don’t even want to sing; cause they know they aren’t singers. at least it seems that way sometimes with jerry. i guess bob loves it, always did. and i love how much he loves it. that guy is mad awesome. but, so on this recording, the intro jam to eyes of the world was unusually long, but not even too exploratory. it’s almost like jerry doesn’t want to sing—cause jerry knows he’s not a singer. BUT, this is not an instrumental band. so, the words demand to be sung; and what pops out but the lyrics of robert hunter? so iconic, so american, so poetic. so theological. it’s brilliant stuff. THAT is what comes out in jerry’s voice when he utters his tentative, humble attempt to sing in the wake of so, so, so many better singers—not only in his own lifetime but throughout the course of history, and through so many genres. (some of whom he must have listened to and loved. who were they? woody guthrie? leonard cohen? ella fitzgerald? rodgers and hammerstein? did he listen to puccinni, monteverdi, palestrina, or dufay? gregorian chant?) and that is why robert hunter IS and always was a part of this band. even before he started writing for them. wasn’t it he himself who said if it didn’t happen with THIS grateful dead, it would have been another grateful dead? (or was that dennis mcnally?) it might have taken a different name, it might have appeared differently.
but it manifested nonetheless and we absolutely cannot erase it from the history books.
so, what do we do with that??
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they have also arguably redefined what constitutes a song. just look at a spattering of set lists from just a few years, any years. you’ll see a song performed “several times” over the course of the night. if you didn’t know, you might think “what a bunch of unoriginal bastards!” but those who know, accept. and those who accept, intuit that something more is going on here.
so, that first time it ever happened... when was that? and how/why? it must have been pretty exhilarating, since it became standard practice for 30 years? even to the point where now furthur, who knows what songs they are playing and in what order, still play likewise. without batting an eye. and without the audience batting an eye either. isn’t that kind of incredible? before these guys, there existed just whole songs.
am i right about this, or does the practice of something similar predate it? (actually, that’s not true, and even i know that. a perfect example that predates the practice is monteverdi’s (1567-1643) groundbreaking opera orfeo, with its recitatives, arias, ritornellos, etc.; so, were the dead the first to “popularize” this practice? and IF they were (almost 400 years later!), even if inadvertently, then was monteverdi possibly an influence on their live performances? phil did study classical music, so he must have known monteverdi’s work. fascinating if that practice found its way into the dead accidentally. or maybe it wasn’t accidental? but maybe even not accidental, but not of their choosing?) either way, it deconstructs our preconceived notions of what constitutes a song, as it has now been approached just about every way i think is possibly conceivable (which means there are probably even more possibilities we haven’t yet thought of....)
so, as i was saying, these guys were never great singers to begin with. but we asked them to do it for 30 years. and i guess many were even still asking during that “yet to be named period”. and now, in my humble opinion, these songs are sounding better than they ever have thanks to the vocal interpretation of these songs by furthur. and i believe the beauty, perseverance and increasing prominence of these songs in the american lexicon will further vindicate bobby and jerry’s singing of these songs over many years, as we recognize more and more who this band was and what they accomplished. and maybe even what they have been placed here to accomplish.
this makes me think back to robert’s quote above, and ask: why were they placed here? this we may never know. but perhaps it doesn’t even matter. perhaps all this time is just a dream anyway.
--------------------------
5/26
still just so impressed with this. all of it. furthur is awesome, and i’ve been spending lots of time with them over the last year. but, that has only moved me to listen to more dead. and when i am able to listen—to really listen—i am all the more blown away. listening tonight to dick’s picks 12. row jimmy right now.
and i got to thinking. about why.
you can listen to a jerry solo such as that and often times it is not perfect from start to finish. (yet sometimes it almost seems like it is, which is absolutely amazing.) but there might be a moment—just a moment—where he absolutely nails it. and you know it’s improv. this moment has never happened before. and you are there with it. now think of the folks who were actually there?? but then i guess considering the number of those moments, that one wouldn’t matter, would it? it’s just one of many. but maybe there was one person there who only had that moment.
and that person still carries that moment with them to this day. THAT is what this is all about. THAT is where the staying power resides. and THAT is amazing.
5/29/13 and to think, they kept playing with him! his playing had slowly deteriorated, and his addictions were taking over, and he apparently didn’t communicate much at all in any substantive way with them. yet, they kept playing with him. not only because of the shared and recognized experience from years before, but also because he would still surprise them. (didn’t they just release a box set from just one particular tour in 1990? right before brent died. RIP, brother. you were always a part of it. you felt like a stranger, but you weren’t.)
and if you listen to some of those later later shows, like 1995: ouch! and yet, there was still something magical about them. hmmm. i haven’t listened to enough recordings of those final years. i wonder if it actually wields its power at any point, even briefly, or if they are by that point chasing after it? and if this is the case, then when did it stop visiting? and was that because of jerry’s overall health?
i did go to like 12-14 shows that particular year, by the way. was i just being a poser? was i looking for a community—any community? was i strung out? (i don’t think so, as that’s never really been a major issue.) why did i feel the need to go?
so glad i did it, though, and when i did. and it made sense. i had just graduated from college. road trip! 9 shows out west, and the first time i had ever seen a dead show out west. (or any show for that matter.)
i had always wanted to. i had heard how relaxed the atmosphere was: the security, the folks, the traffic (save L.A.), the buds, the weather—everything. how blessed i am to have been able to have taken that trip. for many reasons. an entire month on the road! with 2 others; then 1 other; then another one added, a guy with wicked stinky feet who went by the name ________. (hey, haven’t we all picked up some dirty hippie at some point on tour? if not, then you’re missing the point of tour!) that guy’s feet smelled so bad that my friend / road companion made him put his shoes back on! but, man, we made it. we put some MILES on that subaru station wagon. way to go, subaru!
subaru? subado! sebado? spegado spokto mmook dock. presmokkindoik! zoiks!!!!!
and RIGHT now, i’m listening to that hidden track on dick’s picks WHATEVER, who the hell can keep track any more (i was never super great with the numbers. pretty good with the songs. excellent, at least now, with being able to detect the PRESENCE. it’s unmistakable, isn’t it? how can somebody not hear that? unless they’re simply not listening.) and it’s just HOT.
oh well, anyway. whatever.
-----------------------------------
another possible reason for the continued appeal of not only the dead in their latter years, but also furthur. you see, when folks started going to shows in *whatever year*, they were aware that there was something there. they probably couldn’t even articulate it. but, there was something that drew them there.
why? why them? who did this circus attract? tomes could be written about that, and some folks are probably already on the way to that, but i’m too ignorant of it because all i do is WORK WORK WORK just so i can have a roof over my head, food to eat, and basic healthcare. (oxford comma geeks, take note.) to those who have been writing such tomes: i apologize, here now, publicly, for ignoring what you have given to this community. and the statisticians! and musicians! and musicologists! and philosophers! and scientists! (do we have any scientific minded folk in this group, or any group??? fascinating if we do!)
anyway, joe shmoe goes to the show. and what a show it was! it was populated by an earlier critical mass that helped it keep going. so, i guess right here and now, i don’t wish anyone expelled from the community. you have all helped it to keep on truckin on. some of you could use a few basic social (dead) concert etiquette tips, however. just sayin. but you’re still welcome. (except for ann coulter. what a sad excuse for a human being. she is NOT a deadhead [i have finally decided]. she might like their music. but she’s most definitely not a deahead.
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GRATEFUL DEAD THEOLOGY PROJECT PUBLISHED AT THIS POINT
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posted to FB group only, 3/30/14
getting geared up for phil & friends on wednesday. reading through notes of 2013 shows. wondering . . . do any of you ever try to "send your energy" wherever you hear/feel/sense the magic to be at a given point during a show? (currently for me, further.)
who out there is able to HEAR IT and KNOW IT? you know, like "man, phil is really on right now!" or "for some reason when i close my eyes, i sense it dancing around the licks that john's throwing into the mix." or "i hear it! it's sitting on jeff's piano, reclining, wearing a neglige and smoking a european cigarette. it's DAMN SEXY!"
hell, just *thinking* about it reinforces it, don't you think? you hear it, you think about, you feel it, *whatever*. you FOCUS ON IT.
so, what is "it"? and by focusing on it, do you not think you are giving it yet more energy? or power, or whatever?
whatever and/or whatever. who knows. you know it's there though. that's why you're here! most likely. and there are yet more of you who have yet to find your way here.
speak up! i have so much to learn from all of you.
posted to fb only 6/3/15
possible book: a guide for hipsters on how to act at dead-family shows (now that the dead have “gained credence” among the hipster community, they are probably going to spread like a plague among the fanbase. i want to tell them: “no, no! you were right! this band sucks! it’s terrible music! so please just stay away!!”)
alas, now even hipsters recognize how awesome this entire scene is. (could they be any worse than the drunk frat guys who were—and still are—there?) oh well, if they’re going to be here, we’ll have to educate them on the proper way to enjoy a show. (hey frat guy, when you sober up, you might take note of these as well....)
*singing from audience: be a part of the whole; don’t try to be the whole. sing softly for yourself, join in on the chorus with everyone else, don’t try to show everyone around you that you know every word to every song - that YOU are a deadhead. it’s really mildly pathetic.
*you can’t judge how much of a deadhead someone is based on the # of tattoos they have, or how much tie-dye they wear. (or how good or bad they smell.) i often go to a show without wearing a single external signifier of my love of the dead. sometimes even with short hair and shaved face. and, honestly, sometimes when i do that, i feel like i’m getting the “he’s not one of us” looks. yet, here i am, translating religious experiences of the dead and furthur into theological interpretations—which i, personally, have a feeling has the potential to still be read 100 years from now. (if we haven’t blown the world up by that point.) but of course, i'm biased, right?? (and hopefully, whoever IS reading this won’t F it all up. to those folks: IF YOU GET CONFUSED, JUST LISTEN TO THE MUSIC PLAY.) not to mention, i have spent countless hours playing along with the dead and furthur on my mandolin in my apartment. NOT TO MENTION that my band is now permanently featured on the grateful dead website, under their “dead covers project.” (oh, and in case i haven’t mentioned, i’m also published on the subject—four times—and also thus have a place in the grateful dead archive at uc santa cruz.)
sorry, not really meaning to brag—or wanting to sound like i'm bragging. i just gotta put that to bed right now once and for all: i’m legit. i don’t think anyone—not even bob or phil—can question my street cred on the dead. so there. it’s been said, and i’m not gonna say it again.
(except to just make a plug for my brand new self-published spiral-bound “Grateful Dead Theology Project”! ;-) a compendium of everything i have written (til now!) that isn’t formally published anywhere else. get your copy now! BUT WAIT. if you order RIGHT NOW, i'll throw in . . . !!!!!! )
no really. and i don’t care about profit, i just want to share my ideas. (HIPPIE!) so i’m selling them just at cost. drop me a line if you want one.)
anyway, as i was saying: with my short hair and sneakers, you would never guess ANY of that about me, would you? surely i’m an anomaly! i probably look like some businessman who just wanted to come check out the scene. au contraire, mon friere. i never really realized it until now, but i am probably the biggest deadhead that most of my family, friends, acquaintances and colleagues know. i just don’t try to dress the part. or act that part! you shouldn’t either.
wear whatever you want, whatever is most comfortable. just come because you love the music!
oh, and, don’t sing during the verses, please.
to be continued . . .
REVIEW OF SANTA CLARA 6/27 SECOND SET
CRYPTICAL ENVLOPMENT >
DARKSTAR>
on the computer screen, the core four are shaped in a perfect rectangle, flanked on both sides by the additional musicians. at one point earlier, bob trey and phil were circling in close to each other—in bluegrass singing fashion—but seeming almost like they are circling around something. jerry’s spirit is definitely alive. obviously. perhaps a big chunk of it lives in that small space between them tonight. in that circle.
trey was a great choice!
and joe russo is AMAZING. and i am probably a little too obsessed with furthur, but it is so nice to hear and see these two drummers behind bobby and phil.
so amazing that these guys can put away their differences and come together for this very NECESSARY tribute.
scratch that earlier comment about trey.
trey was the ONLY choice for this gig. i mean, come on. he was a deadhead, right? (anyone is ALWAYS free to correct me if i make a mistake!) so he knows this music inside and out. but he has also been the front man for arguably the first—and arguably the best recognized—of this genre that the dead spawned. so he has been carrying the spirit for over 30 years. so, as far as jam band musicians go, he’s probably also the most experienced, most seasoned and most prepared for this gig, wouldn’t you agree?
> ST. STEPHEN
but he is also absolutely catching the spirit of this thing. (or is it catching him?)
okay, i’ll say it. the vocals are noticeably lacking for this concert. compared to furthur, or even the phil & friends shows i’ve seen. i’m having a hard time loving their singing tonight. also having a hard time loving bruce as a choice for this gig. but . . . he IS bruce, after all. and his piano contribution is wonderful. i’m just not sold on his vocals. although maybe it works at times? in a raw bruce hornsby kind of way! just sounds like he hasn’t been touring/singing regularly. but hell, maybe it’s just an off night in some kind of way. cause bob and phil both don’t sound nearly as good singing as they did with furthur.
by the way, the video feed is TOP NOTCH.
> THE ELEVEN
incredible jam leading up to the last bit of st. stephen.
first bit of the eleven was VERY decent. the subpar singing actually worked somewhat on this song??
is that the first time bob has ever stopped a verse like that when he flubbed the lyrics? i’ve never seen or heard that before, with the dead or furthur. what say ye, ratdog heads??
final vocals sounding REALLY good. maybe they’re finally staring to gel? and bobby finally had a chance to really rock it out vocally—in furthur style. this show just went to the next level.
how far can they take it?
we will see.
REVIEW OF SANTA CLARA 6/28 FIRST SET
trey haters, beware!
trey haters, beware!
STRANGER solid start. vocals sounding better all around. again, bobby sounding as . . . well, as bobby . . . as he possibly can. a little raspy at times—but sounds almost even better that way. remember what happened to tom waits' voice over many years? and that guy's sound is now an american institution. bobby has been singing for 50 years, folks. that voice ain't goin' nowhere! meaning, he's not going to develop laryngitis or blow out his voice or something like that. but it will continue to evolve, and will take on ever so much more character and quality as the years continue to pass.
MINGLEWOOD
rough transition into BE WOMEN. but now bruce, who i was criticizing for his harmonies just last night, does pretty well on lead vocals. as i also said last night, he IS bruce, after all.
and i noticed that phil isn't singing the "old man" line as he did with furthur. point of interest.
LOOSE LUCY
LOSER another bruce lead vocal—and again, sounding quite nice. good interpretations of these songs! also, i'm listening through headphones tonight, so i am really able to better hear the intricate piano contributions he is making.
okay, fine. bruce WAS a good choice.
and jeff too! so glad that guy is a part of this!
trey seems a bit more reserved tonight? i have a feeling he's going to tear it up in chicago, though. glad they scheduled these "warm up" shows. wink emoticon
crowd shots: as i've analyzed in detail elsewhere—again, this is a very diverse crowd, generationally speaking. so heartening. (although i don't see as many teenagers as i saw at furthur shows. but i'll be on the lookout for that in person in chicago.) also about the crowd shots from the stage: HOLY SMOKES that audience is HUGE! i thought that the grateful dead sucked, and that all the hippies had died? where did all these fans come from??
post-LOSER ahhh the lovely sounds of "BRUUUUUUCE" emanating from the crowd. it's been a long time since i've heard that! (although, admittedly, i don't go to his shows. i've been addicted to furthur for a number of years, and that's where all my money has gone. maybe deadheads go and scream his name on a regular basis when he tours, i don't know.)
man, i HATE it that the harmonies aren't tighter or more beautiful. (furthur really spoiled me [us?] on this.) it really seems like everything else is falling into place, but i don't really see a fix for this.
definitely a few mistakes in these first 2 shows. still just getting warmed up? chicago will bear witness to this question. although, as i've said, at times this group has got SOMETHING going on.
so, what is their something? i can't feel the magic since i'm not physically there, and just watching online—but i feel like maybe i've heard it drop in a few times? anybody in attendance live want to weigh in on that one??
ROW JIMMY what a beautiful guitar bob is playing! have we seen that guitar before? it doesn't look familiar. looks like it has autographs on it, which i think i would have noticed before. anybody got the scoop on that?
(totally loving this video feed, by the way. it is beautiful. the artistry of even the presentation of this live feed, with all the trippy graphics and such: remember all those negative comments/reactions/feelings/etc about the whole business side of this reunion (tickets, scalpers, mail order, etc.)? well THIS is more than making up for all of that as far as i'm concerned. they CARE enough about us to put in this kind of attention and artistry into the very smallest details. as they always have. oh, and it also looks like this might cost a lot of money to produce, BY THE WAY. i mean, come on....)
trey with a totally acceptable ALABAMA GETAWAY lead vocal. i think he's still getting comfy with this whole thing. let's remember WHERE he is, folks—and who he is playing with! and, most importantly, WHO IS LISTENING.
and this needs to be said: i'm a bit embarrassed at the way many of us reacted to the announcement of trey on lead guitar, to be honest. and if i may say so, some of you should simply be ashamed.
you think he doesn't know he's under a huge metaphorical magnifying glass? hell, i think he's got HUGE cojones to say yes to this gig in the first place. and he is ABSOLUTELY holding his own, if not shining at times. and fitting quite nicely into the ensemble as well. and it will surely only improve in chicago.
what, you think you could have done better???
my stream is cutting in and out now, so that's all for tonight.
REVIEW OF GD50: A study in ONE person’s fascination with arguably the most beloved band in american rock history
(these sections are really in no particular order, and i am eschewing my normal perfectionist tendencies and not over-editing these thoughts. i’d rather get them out ASAP, while it’s still fresh in our minds! so please forgive any mistakes, inconsistencies, or glaring omissions.)
ON THE TICKETS:
okay, so let’s put this to bed right now. my ticket for friday night was $59.50. sunday night, with better seating, was $119.50—an amount absolutely justifiable considering what i personally experienced. (which i gather from reading news articles, reviews, and facebook posts, was shared with just about everyone there.) yes, they had different tiers of pricing. yes, it costs more to be right up front than it costs behind the stage. yes, they had skyboxes. but, you know what? that hippie ideal that you might be holding onto, in which everybody should get to see the concert for free just doesn’t work anymore. sure, i would have loved to be in a skybox with an open bar, posh leather seats, and food made to order. but, you know what? i don’t have that kind of money. JUST BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE DO HAVE THAT KIND OF MONEY DOES NOT MAKE THIS WHOLE THING A “MONEY GRAB.” (more on this later....) the grateful dead, as well as every incarnation of these musicians since then, have ALWAYS made their shows incredibly affordable compared to all the other big-named acts out there. peter shapiro did not have those skyboxes installed especially for these shows. those skyboxes already exist, and every single event that takes place at soldier field utilizes these comfortable, private viewing areas, and they are reserved for the more affluent. to harangue the original band members and/or peter shapiro for setting expensive prices for these boxes is downright ludicrous. did you think they would just say “it’s a general admission lottery, and won’t some poor down-on-their-luck deadheads just be THRILLED to get such opulent treatment, as well as the best seat in the house”? in the final analysis, if you made it into the show and experienced what the other 70,999 fans experienced: YOU DIDN’T CARE WHAT YOUR TICKET COST. (oh, and this really doesn’t need to be said again, but just in case you missed it: to hold GD or shapiro responsible for secondary market prices is just downright delusional!)
okay, so let’s put this to bed right now. my ticket for friday night was $59.50. sunday night, with better seating, was $119.50—an amount absolutely justifiable considering what i personally experienced. (which i gather from reading news articles, reviews, and facebook posts, was shared with just about everyone there.) yes, they had different tiers of pricing. yes, it costs more to be right up front than it costs behind the stage. yes, they had skyboxes. but, you know what? that hippie ideal that you might be holding onto, in which everybody should get to see the concert for free just doesn’t work anymore. sure, i would have loved to be in a skybox with an open bar, posh leather seats, and food made to order. but, you know what? i don’t have that kind of money. JUST BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE DO HAVE THAT KIND OF MONEY DOES NOT MAKE THIS WHOLE THING A “MONEY GRAB.” (more on this later....) the grateful dead, as well as every incarnation of these musicians since then, have ALWAYS made their shows incredibly affordable compared to all the other big-named acts out there. peter shapiro did not have those skyboxes installed especially for these shows. those skyboxes already exist, and every single event that takes place at soldier field utilizes these comfortable, private viewing areas, and they are reserved for the more affluent. to harangue the original band members and/or peter shapiro for setting expensive prices for these boxes is downright ludicrous. did you think they would just say “it’s a general admission lottery, and won’t some poor down-on-their-luck deadheads just be THRILLED to get such opulent treatment, as well as the best seat in the house”? in the final analysis, if you made it into the show and experienced what the other 70,999 fans experienced: YOU DIDN’T CARE WHAT YOUR TICKET COST. (oh, and this really doesn’t need to be said again, but just in case you missed it: to hold GD or shapiro responsible for secondary market prices is just downright delusional!)
ON THE HATERS (who probably wouldn’t read this, but i just wanna put it out there):
in addition to all the positive reviews i’ve seen about GD50, there are of course a number of articles trashing the band and their fans (as there always has been), with that whole tone of “thank god this long strange trip is finally over!” listen, you don’t have to like this music. but, even if you have always hated the dead, you’ve got to give credit to these guys. 70,000+ tickets three nights in a row, setting a new soldier field record each consecutive night? (not to mention selling out santa clara, which has a capacity of 68,500.) let’s see YOUR favorite band pull off that feat! AND sound this damn good at it. i’ve posted a number of times on this, and need to say it one last time: please feel free to say “i hate the grateful dead” til you are blue in the face. more power to you! but you absolutely simply CANNOT say “they suck,” period. these guys are the absolute best at what they do. just because you don’t like it doesn’t make your purely subjective opinion count for anything. many people can’t stand opera. does that mean opera sucks? NO. it simply means you don’t like opera. and opera has been going strong for 500 years, so there’s obviously more to it than your personal taste. GD doesn’t have 5 centuries under its belt, but 5 decades is pretty damned impressive—especially in the pop/rock musical climate of the last decade or so.
in addition to all the positive reviews i’ve seen about GD50, there are of course a number of articles trashing the band and their fans (as there always has been), with that whole tone of “thank god this long strange trip is finally over!” listen, you don’t have to like this music. but, even if you have always hated the dead, you’ve got to give credit to these guys. 70,000+ tickets three nights in a row, setting a new soldier field record each consecutive night? (not to mention selling out santa clara, which has a capacity of 68,500.) let’s see YOUR favorite band pull off that feat! AND sound this damn good at it. i’ve posted a number of times on this, and need to say it one last time: please feel free to say “i hate the grateful dead” til you are blue in the face. more power to you! but you absolutely simply CANNOT say “they suck,” period. these guys are the absolute best at what they do. just because you don’t like it doesn’t make your purely subjective opinion count for anything. many people can’t stand opera. does that mean opera sucks? NO. it simply means you don’t like opera. and opera has been going strong for 500 years, so there’s obviously more to it than your personal taste. GD doesn’t have 5 centuries under its belt, but 5 decades is pretty damned impressive—especially in the pop/rock musical climate of the last decade or so.
ON TREY:
absolutely the right choice. i already posted this somewhere else, but: trey was a deadhead, right? he is also the lead man for arguably the very first (and the most widely recognized) 2nd generation jam band, right? therefore, as far as jam band musicians go, he has the most experience, right? yet, he hasn’t been playing or probably actively listening to the dead for 30+ years like many of the other guitarists out there. so, as far as i’m concerned (and i’ve read from others who share this sentiment), he wasn’t just the best choice. he was the ONLY choice. now, i know that *some* deadheads will never be happy until jerry garcia is standing in their bedroom singing them to sleep with personal lullabies every night. but guess what, y’all? IT AIN’T GONNA HAPPEN. we get what we get, and if you aren’t happy with the fact that jerry isn’t up on stage, then please: STAY HOME. simple as that. you can blog all you want about how terrible trey is, and how these guys were just looking to fatten their pensions and all that other BS. the rest of us don’t wanna hear it, though. you can scream as loud as you want, but don’t try to persuade 70,000+ fans who showed up each night that they did not, in fact, experience a grateful dead concert. or at least the pure, raw spirit of the dead. (let’s also not forget the RECORD number of folks who did a live stream—not to mention thousands more who made the trek to chicago just hoping for tickets.) this group of musicians absolutely tapped into that. and guess what, haters? THE MAGIC WAS THERE. sorry you missed out. (NOT!) have fun with your nostalgic memories from 40 years ago if you wish, but don’t try telling those who were in attendance that they didn’t have an absolutely amazing (even spiritual) experience.
absolutely the right choice. i already posted this somewhere else, but: trey was a deadhead, right? he is also the lead man for arguably the very first (and the most widely recognized) 2nd generation jam band, right? therefore, as far as jam band musicians go, he has the most experience, right? yet, he hasn’t been playing or probably actively listening to the dead for 30+ years like many of the other guitarists out there. so, as far as i’m concerned (and i’ve read from others who share this sentiment), he wasn’t just the best choice. he was the ONLY choice. now, i know that *some* deadheads will never be happy until jerry garcia is standing in their bedroom singing them to sleep with personal lullabies every night. but guess what, y’all? IT AIN’T GONNA HAPPEN. we get what we get, and if you aren’t happy with the fact that jerry isn’t up on stage, then please: STAY HOME. simple as that. you can blog all you want about how terrible trey is, and how these guys were just looking to fatten their pensions and all that other BS. the rest of us don’t wanna hear it, though. you can scream as loud as you want, but don’t try to persuade 70,000+ fans who showed up each night that they did not, in fact, experience a grateful dead concert. or at least the pure, raw spirit of the dead. (let’s also not forget the RECORD number of folks who did a live stream—not to mention thousands more who made the trek to chicago just hoping for tickets.) this group of musicians absolutely tapped into that. and guess what, haters? THE MAGIC WAS THERE. sorry you missed out. (NOT!) have fun with your nostalgic memories from 40 years ago if you wish, but don’t try telling those who were in attendance that they didn’t have an absolutely amazing (even spiritual) experience.
ON THE AUDIENCE:
both nights i attended (friday and sunday), were possibly (and probably) the BEST audiences i have ever been a part of. in so many previous posts, i have commented on the lack of etiquette, most importantly the fact that people feel the need to sing every word to every song, to prove that they—that THEY—are the BIGGEST deadhead ever! but this particular audience, both nights? totally respecting the music. and actually LISTENING. it was fucking beautiful. (yes, there were some conversations here and there. but not through the entire show. but what i also realized is that there is a noticeable shift in volume level standing up vs. sitting down. as long as the talkers sat, then if you stood you couldn’t even hear them. so i was (and we all were) able to focus on the music when i (we) wanted to. [although sitting to take notes then put me in earshot of conversations, if they were being had—but at least they weren’t on a constant basis.]) so, this crowd really came to listen! who wouldn’t? i’ve always been amazed at people who will pay $50-100 for a ticket so that they can come and hang out and chat with their friends. what a waste of money! so to each individual around me both nights: I LOVE YOU for allowing me (and all of us) to really enjoy this music, and for letting these shows be about the music, the songs, the band—and not about YOU.
both nights i attended (friday and sunday), were possibly (and probably) the BEST audiences i have ever been a part of. in so many previous posts, i have commented on the lack of etiquette, most importantly the fact that people feel the need to sing every word to every song, to prove that they—that THEY—are the BIGGEST deadhead ever! but this particular audience, both nights? totally respecting the music. and actually LISTENING. it was fucking beautiful. (yes, there were some conversations here and there. but not through the entire show. but what i also realized is that there is a noticeable shift in volume level standing up vs. sitting down. as long as the talkers sat, then if you stood you couldn’t even hear them. so i was (and we all were) able to focus on the music when i (we) wanted to. [although sitting to take notes then put me in earshot of conversations, if they were being had—but at least they weren’t on a constant basis.]) so, this crowd really came to listen! who wouldn’t? i’ve always been amazed at people who will pay $50-100 for a ticket so that they can come and hang out and chat with their friends. what a waste of money! so to each individual around me both nights: I LOVE YOU for allowing me (and all of us) to really enjoy this music, and for letting these shows be about the music, the songs, the band—and not about YOU.
as i’ve posted before about furthur and phil shows: it was fascinating to see so many generations of deadheads. from octogenarians to toddlers in tye-dyes, this was the most inter-generational musical event i have ever witnessed—but never quite to this grand scale. and you know what’s great about it? the “older folks” don’t scoff at the THOUSANDS (tens of thousands?) of teenagers or 20-somethings who showed up to experience this. i didn’t see or hear a single hint of “you’re too young” or “you weren’t there” or “you never saw jerry” or “you’re just a poser”. everyone was there because they love the music, and ALL ARE WELCOME. in fact, as i’ve said before, the presence of ever-younger deadheads validates the meaningfulness of these songs, and especially the poignant lyrics. if i were a teenager today and i turned on top-40 radio, i too would probably say to myself: “really?? there has to be something better than this out there.” well guess what? there is. and these young folks have found their way to it. AND they got a chance to experience it LIVE. long after the rest of us have “checked out,” they will likely be telling their grandchildren about these concerts—a 5-night event to which the crowds reacted perfectly, appropriately—and predictably. we were all just completely blown away by what we witnessed and experienced. did anyone really know what to expect in chicago? (i can’t speak to santa clara, but apart from the fact that they needed to “warm up,” it sounds like it was equal in stature.)
ON THE SINGING:
again, i’ve complained in the past when people sing the words to every song. but, since i have been openly critical of the singing (harmonies in particular) of this particular group (at least regarding santa clara, when they were getting their bearings): you know, sometimes the audience singing actually worked. this was, after all, a 50-year celebration of this band—AND their fans. and we DO know all the words. so, for a change, if the vocals were suffering, then the audience totally picked up the slack in the live setting. not so much on the santa clara stream/feed, as it wasn’t really too noticeable. but in the live setting? holy cow, we were all up there on stage with them. or, that is to say: the stage was not just the perimeter around which the security guys stood. it stretched 71,000 seats farther than the feet of the musicians. and probably even out into the parking lot. (i was wondering, during some of those huge chorus lyrics, just how far the audience could be heard distance-wise from soldier field. i doubt anyone was doing any kind of sonic/aural study, but if had to wager, i would guess that we broke yet another record, and that no singing audience has ever been heard from so far away. but, unless someone did such a study, that is mere speculation.)
again, i’ve complained in the past when people sing the words to every song. but, since i have been openly critical of the singing (harmonies in particular) of this particular group (at least regarding santa clara, when they were getting their bearings): you know, sometimes the audience singing actually worked. this was, after all, a 50-year celebration of this band—AND their fans. and we DO know all the words. so, for a change, if the vocals were suffering, then the audience totally picked up the slack in the live setting. not so much on the santa clara stream/feed, as it wasn’t really too noticeable. but in the live setting? holy cow, we were all up there on stage with them. or, that is to say: the stage was not just the perimeter around which the security guys stood. it stretched 71,000 seats farther than the feet of the musicians. and probably even out into the parking lot. (i was wondering, during some of those huge chorus lyrics, just how far the audience could be heard distance-wise from soldier field. i doubt anyone was doing any kind of sonic/aural study, but if had to wager, i would guess that we broke yet another record, and that no singing audience has ever been heard from so far away. but, unless someone did such a study, that is mere speculation.)
ON THE PARKING LOT SCENE:
what can i say? it was just like old times. as much as i loved furthur or phil and friends, the venues they played paled in comparison to GD venues of the 90s (my only point of reference, as my first show was 7/10/90), and therefore the parking lot scene in chicago was like a magical time-travel journey. old friends, new friends, vending, colors, smells, sights—i don’t really need to say any more, do i?
what can i say? it was just like old times. as much as i loved furthur or phil and friends, the venues they played paled in comparison to GD venues of the 90s (my only point of reference, as my first show was 7/10/90), and therefore the parking lot scene in chicago was like a magical time-travel journey. old friends, new friends, vending, colors, smells, sights—i don’t really need to say any more, do i?
but i DID hear that on sunday night, some innovative deadhead brought out some large vehicle and then set up some kind of huge high def TV screen and i guess hooked their computer up to it for the live feed? i hear this was in parking lot B, and i hear there were several hundred folks listening/watching through this medium. and what a testament to the community. we have always watched out for each other! (i’m curious: when madonna or U2 or Pearl Jam or Katy Perry or Jay-Z sell out an arena, do fans without tickets stay at home or do they come out for a big tailgating party just hoping to get in? i don’t know for sure. but this group has arguably [if not definitively] had 50 years of the best tailgating to be found ANYWHERE.)
ON PETER SHAPIRO:
dude, you rock. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WHAT YOU ACCOMPLISHED. i’m a total luddite and tech-phobe, so that whole streaming-all-over-the-country-AND-the-web bit alone BLOWS my mind. (my santa clara streaming was the first live stream i’ve ever attempted, so you have even brought me one step closer to the 21st century! LOL™) of course you did so much more, but i don’t need to go into all that, as others already have in public forums (everyone who hasn’t yet should read the letter from the “backstage folks” with nothing but encomium for the behind-the-stage setup).
dude, you rock. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WHAT YOU ACCOMPLISHED. i’m a total luddite and tech-phobe, so that whole streaming-all-over-the-country-AND-the-web bit alone BLOWS my mind. (my santa clara streaming was the first live stream i’ve ever attempted, so you have even brought me one step closer to the 21st century! LOL™) of course you did so much more, but i don’t need to go into all that, as others already have in public forums (everyone who hasn’t yet should read the letter from the “backstage folks” with nothing but encomium for the behind-the-stage setup).
ON THE ORIGINAL BAND MEMBERS:
i keep seeing comments—before and after GD50—in facebook groups saying “don’t let phil sing.” are you people crazy?? first of all, HE’S PHIL. second of all, both bob and phil’s lead vocals sound better than they have EVER sounded (save 2 or 3 questionable song choices for each of them). i am a professional singer, so i feel that i can make a strong argument in saying this. are they classical musicians? opera singers? NO. they are singing rock n’ roll vocals. and as far as i’m concerned, their voices have both aged beautifully. like wine or cheese, they have both only gotten better with age. when they really focus on their singing, and really get into the spirit of the songs, simply put, THEY BRING IT. (also consider the fact that they are 67 and 75, respectively. i hope to hell i can sing that well when i get that old!) (for those interested, you can read much more about my analysis of their singing over the last few years on my FB group page; the link is at the bottom of this review.)
i keep seeing comments—before and after GD50—in facebook groups saying “don’t let phil sing.” are you people crazy?? first of all, HE’S PHIL. second of all, both bob and phil’s lead vocals sound better than they have EVER sounded (save 2 or 3 questionable song choices for each of them). i am a professional singer, so i feel that i can make a strong argument in saying this. are they classical musicians? opera singers? NO. they are singing rock n’ roll vocals. and as far as i’m concerned, their voices have both aged beautifully. like wine or cheese, they have both only gotten better with age. when they really focus on their singing, and really get into the spirit of the songs, simply put, THEY BRING IT. (also consider the fact that they are 67 and 75, respectively. i hope to hell i can sing that well when i get that old!) (for those interested, you can read much more about my analysis of their singing over the last few years on my FB group page; the link is at the bottom of this review.)
a meme i saw on facebook had a picture of bob with the words “underestimated prophet.” with all the attention bobby has received over the last year or so, i would imagine he has secured his spot in the annals of dead history. and rock history. and even, possibly, all of music history! yeah, that’s right. i said it.
drums and space were SUPERB both nights, by the way. billy and mickey have also been off doing their own thing for 20 years, becoming better musicians, jamming with whoever the hell they wanted to. add to that the 21st century technology at their command, and let’s just say this was NOT the time for a bathroom break, as it used to be in the 90’s. the final concert in particular was simply mesmerizing. the sounds coupled with the light show were worth the price of admission alone. it really is an easy avenue to another dimension, even if just briefly. as far as i’m concerned, the “space” i heard at these concerts was to 90’s “space” what furthur was to the 90’s vocals: brought to near-perfection. taking the rough idea—long established—and perfecting the craft.
ON THE PLAYING:
this band was mostly great with the jams within songs, maybe not so 100% with intros and outros. but you know what? we don’t want it to be perfect! and each incarnation of each of these musicians’ lives have never been perfect. and they wouldn’t want it that way either. (although the outros sounded better than santa clara. i had read some criticisms of that online. did these guys read it, and heed it? it sure seems that way. and why wouldn’t they? they have always (mostly) listened to their fans, right?
this band was mostly great with the jams within songs, maybe not so 100% with intros and outros. but you know what? we don’t want it to be perfect! and each incarnation of each of these musicians’ lives have never been perfect. and they wouldn’t want it that way either. (although the outros sounded better than santa clara. i had read some criticisms of that online. did these guys read it, and heed it? it sure seems that way. and why wouldn’t they? they have always (mostly) listened to their fans, right?
ON THE CITY OF CHICAGO:
what could possibly be said? it was simply PERFECT. three—count ‘em THREE—arrests for marijuana over the entire weekend? a tye-dye skyline, with the words “GD USA” alight from one of the buildings. security at the concerts—as well as the chicago police department—simply took a step back and let us do our thing. thanks so much, chicago. we love YOU more than words can tell! (also let’s not forget about the direct TV blimp, and the small aircrafts that flew around above our heads [no pun intended!] during the concert, with some of our favorite lyrics in tow; i don’t know who paid for these—chicago, or GD—but either way, again: this wasn’t FREE. it cost somebody something. so, either the folks at GD wanted to spring a little more to show how much they love us, or else the city of chicago did. either way, it was incredibly touching.)
what could possibly be said? it was simply PERFECT. three—count ‘em THREE—arrests for marijuana over the entire weekend? a tye-dye skyline, with the words “GD USA” alight from one of the buildings. security at the concerts—as well as the chicago police department—simply took a step back and let us do our thing. thanks so much, chicago. we love YOU more than words can tell! (also let’s not forget about the direct TV blimp, and the small aircrafts that flew around above our heads [no pun intended!] during the concert, with some of our favorite lyrics in tow; i don’t know who paid for these—chicago, or GD—but either way, again: this wasn’t FREE. it cost somebody something. so, either the folks at GD wanted to spring a little more to show how much they love us, or else the city of chicago did. either way, it was incredibly touching.)
ON THE SO-CALLED “MONEY GRAB”
whether you were there live, or watching the live stream: think about how huge that stage was? how many top-notch speakers were utilized? those immense video screens in the stadium? the trippy graphics displayed on those screens throughout the show? the tens of thousands of free roses and commemorative playbills they produced for each night? that light show? the electricity needed to supply the power for these concerts? the fireworks? oh, and think about the intricate nature of the streaming—MLB channel, youtube, sirius, movie theaters, bars and restaurants all over the country; you know, the folks who have these systems in place didn’t just say, “oh hey, you know what? since you’re doing this awesome anniversary, we’ll just let you use our system for free. we want you to be happy.” yes, they made a killing on ticket sales. but, the amount of money required to put this whole thing into play was staggering beyond your wildest imagination. and don’t forget all the folks who needed compensation for whatever jobs they were doing to help this thing go off without a hitch: lights, sound, stage hands, roadies, publicity, security, ticket-takers, concession stand workers, folks cleaning the bathrooms, etc. this isn’t 1965, people. shit costs money, period.
whether you were there live, or watching the live stream: think about how huge that stage was? how many top-notch speakers were utilized? those immense video screens in the stadium? the trippy graphics displayed on those screens throughout the show? the tens of thousands of free roses and commemorative playbills they produced for each night? that light show? the electricity needed to supply the power for these concerts? the fireworks? oh, and think about the intricate nature of the streaming—MLB channel, youtube, sirius, movie theaters, bars and restaurants all over the country; you know, the folks who have these systems in place didn’t just say, “oh hey, you know what? since you’re doing this awesome anniversary, we’ll just let you use our system for free. we want you to be happy.” yes, they made a killing on ticket sales. but, the amount of money required to put this whole thing into play was staggering beyond your wildest imagination. and don’t forget all the folks who needed compensation for whatever jobs they were doing to help this thing go off without a hitch: lights, sound, stage hands, roadies, publicity, security, ticket-takers, concession stand workers, folks cleaning the bathrooms, etc. this isn’t 1965, people. shit costs money, period.
oh, and by the way, with the intricate nature of the streaming, etc., making this concert available to anyone and everyone the wide world over: i know this has been done before, but has it ever been done to THIS scale before? i don’t think so, as i thought i saw that we set yet another record for that. it amazes me that this band, which has pioneered just about everything there is today in the music industry (and even online, with the existence of “the well” long before the internet became popular), is still leading the charge after 50 years. they have potentially created a blueprint for every other huge musical act to follow. (correct me if i’m wrong, of course! i don’t claim to hold any absolute truths about anything!)
ON THE TRASH DEADHEADS LEFT BEHIND, WHETHER AROUND SOLDIER FIELD, OR THE CITY IN GENERAL:
so, those hundreds of employees who had to clean up after each of these concerts: were they ungrateful for all the trash? (damn dirty hippies!) OR were they getting some serious overtime? JOBS, WORK, EMPLOYMENT, MONEY, FOOD ON THE TABLE FOR THESE FOLKS’ CHILDREN! ‘nuff said. plus, this band generated some SERIOUS financial goodness into not only the city of chicago, but into all roads leading in as well. think of all the restaurant and motel owners and employees, and gas station owners on all the interstates leading in, as well as the snack companies who stock their shelves. (not to mention the airlines.) i’ve said it before, i’ll say it again: if a community is financially moribund, just bring this circus into town, and it will help stimulate the community economically. THIS is the answer to a recession!
so, those hundreds of employees who had to clean up after each of these concerts: were they ungrateful for all the trash? (damn dirty hippies!) OR were they getting some serious overtime? JOBS, WORK, EMPLOYMENT, MONEY, FOOD ON THE TABLE FOR THESE FOLKS’ CHILDREN! ‘nuff said. plus, this band generated some SERIOUS financial goodness into not only the city of chicago, but into all roads leading in as well. think of all the restaurant and motel owners and employees, and gas station owners on all the interstates leading in, as well as the snack companies who stock their shelves. (not to mention the airlines.) i’ve said it before, i’ll say it again: if a community is financially moribund, just bring this circus into town, and it will help stimulate the community economically. THIS is the answer to a recession!
ON THE THEOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF GD50:
it is a week since the last concert, and i haven’t experienced withdrawal like this since my high school church youth conference days. as one of my friends texted to me, “post-GD50 depression is real!” i wonder how many of us have felt—or are even still feeling this? i think we are all kind of scratching our heads saying “what the hell just happened?” and “i can’t believe i was fortunate enough to take part in something this amazing during the course of my life!”
it is a week since the last concert, and i haven’t experienced withdrawal like this since my high school church youth conference days. as one of my friends texted to me, “post-GD50 depression is real!” i wonder how many of us have felt—or are even still feeling this? i think we are all kind of scratching our heads saying “what the hell just happened?” and “i can’t believe i was fortunate enough to take part in something this amazing during the course of my life!”
the music for these shows was both mindful and mindless at the same time. it was zen buddhism at its very best: here, now, the present moment. so, put these concerts in the history books, folks. the production value and musicality of this reunion has surely set the bar. if we don’t blow up the world anytime soon, then our progeny will be watching recordings of these concerts for generations to come. (FABULOUS video work, by the way!!!) history will continue to unfold, and so will the religious nature of this community—as well as the significance of this *particular* gathering—if it was, indeed, the last time these 4 will ever perform with one another. these were a very important 2 weeks in grateful dead history, and they will continue to bear witness to this phenomenon as it continues to grow. and it will. (it already has! look at the amount of press coverage that has revolved around just these shows, from every news outlet imaginable?)
jehovah’s favorite choir indeed. those guys were settin’ us on fire! IF this is, in fact (as i and others have argued) the early stages of a new religious movement, then these concerts might be somewhat comparable to the christian story of pentecost: a day on which a “tongue of fire” rested on each of the people in attendance, with everyone speaking languages they don’t usually speak, and everyone understanding all of the languages. well, there was definitely something wholly other in attendance for these concerts. what it was, we don’t ultimately know. but that crowd was absolutely on fire—as were the musicians. kind of hard not to create such a space for the magic to enter when you have these particular musicians, this particular crowd—an immense crowd of 70,000 just radiating happiness and positivity—and a state-of-the-art sound system with absolutely no-expenses-spared. almost everything i’ve read so far (except for the haters!) points to these concerts being something more than what anyone thought they would be. as well they should.
there was a rainbow over the stadium first night in santa clara. and the audience at the final show on july 5th was sent home under a blood red moon. what was up with those? was jerry there?? we may never know whether or not he was present in some way for these shows, but i think it’s pretty substantial that 20 long years after his death, his former bandmates can—in his absence—summon a gathering of this size for 5 nights—with EVERY. SINGLE. PERSON. IN. THE. AUDIENCE. having nothing but the utmost amount of respect, love, and reverence for the man himself. we were ALL thinking about him throughout the course of this. and we all miss the fuck out of him. countless tears have been shed for 20 years since his early departure from this plane of existence. to have the chance, if only for one last time, to come together and celebrate and mourn his legacy on such a scale was absolutely cathartic. the magic—whatever it is—was DEFINITELY there.
my question is: how long will—or can—it continue to visit?
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my thoughts on bob’s singing as of late
personally, i think bob tore it up a number of times for GD50. and say what you will about his voice, i don’t care. and he doesn’t either. he’s 67 and he is absolutely kicking ass vocally. and as i’m now listening to furthur yet again tonight (cause i’ve been a lil obsessed with them for a few years now), i say: even if he had “questionable” moments for GD 50, he’s got 4 years of furthur under his belt. and let me tell you this—and as someone who just got paid to sing in a chorus at lincoln center with the cleveland orchestra, one of THE best out there—his singing with furthur is absolutely AMAZING. especially considering his age. so let me just tell you: THIS GUY’S VOICE HAS DONE NOTHING BUT STEADILY IMPROVE.
i don’t admit to knowing much about this scene. or claim to be a “veteran.” (although, i DO have some stripes!) but i absolutely know about singing. and bob is really impressive as a singer.
so, there.
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