Dead Tour
While missing the hell out of Jerry Garcia, many here among us are aware that the surviving core of the Good Old Grateful Dead has reassembled from time to time since Jerry left us. Most recently last year, first for an Obama benefit on the eve of California's Super Tuesday primary and followed up by an autumn U Penn benefit show with the Allman Brothers Band heading into the home stretch. For the sake of meaningless disclosure, I personally fall into the Phil camp, and the recent vintage Phil & Friends lineup including Dylan vet Larry Campbell on lead guitar was tremendous last summer. Meanwhile, I have heard lots of good things about Bobby's Rat Dog from those whose opinions I greatly respect.
So, who's got some stories from the old days, and who's checking out The Dead on their Spring Tour?
Thirteen shows, in Chicago, Milwaukee, Madison, and St. Paul. Some strange, some awful, some transcendent. Including the first night back from their "sabbatical" in the late 70's.
And I am bummed that the closest they are coming is Chicago.
I even have the DVD of The Grateful Dead Movie, which I saw at the Granada in Chicago on its one theatrical run.
When I got the news Jerry died, I was at a fireworks convention in Wisconsin. Many of the shows shot that night had a Dead musical component.
And Phil may be one of the most awesome bassists ever - the dude can flat-out play.
February 28, 2009 6:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
The Granada Theater run of the Grateful Dead Movie was my first big experience. A little later a friend got me a ticket for the Friday the 13th (May 77) show at the Auditorium Theater, but I had to give it up because I had to work. Unlucky night indeed. Finally made it to my first show at the Uptown in Febuary 78.
I'm compelled to assume that you spent some time at Alpine Valley, eh...?
March 1, 2009 10:18 AM | Reply | Permalink
Ah Bar:
There were many Dead shows and at least as many stories. My first live shows were back to back nights in Rochester and Binghamton in the fall of '77. The shows were general admission and we waited on line all night and all day for the first show at the Rochester War Memorial. Worth every second.
I guess my favorite show of all time was the second time I saw them in Binghamton in May 1979 (I may have written about this already), but in any event I will never ever ever forget that second set. It was the first time I had heard them do China Cat into I Know You Rider live, and it was absolutely indescribable.
I think the last time I saw them was at the Nassau Colisseum with a buddy of mine who had just been through rehab in or about 1993. I remember joining him during intermission with a group of Deadheads called the Wharf Rats for their own version of an AA meeting. It was actually very moving in a strange sort of way.
Now my son and some of his buddies are still totally into the Dead. My son--who plays the bass in his band--and I went together to see Phil Lesh and Friends around two years ago, so I guess we're in the second generation and still cooking.
February 28, 2009 11:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
Considering Phil's unorthodox approach to the instrument, not to understate it too subtly, I sometimes wonder if he can be a bad influence on young bass players. Nevettheless, I like to call his position in the lineup "lead bass."
March 1, 2009 10:20 AM | Reply | Permalink
Have you guys seen, or heard the boots, of any of the Obama benefits? I have a copy of the show from the Warfield before the primaries. It's about the best post-Jerry Dead that I have heard so far, mainly for the contribution of Barry Sless on pedal steel in some key moments ("Brown-Eyed Women" comes immediately to mind). I admit to some minor level of fleeting disappointment when I learned that this tour features Warren Haynes on lead guitar. Not because he isn't a fantastic and capable improvisational guitar player, which he certainly is. But I was quietly hoping for someone like Larry Campbell, who has an arsenal of string instruments, including the beloved pedal steel. (Campbell also served double-duty on parts of last summer's Phil & Friends tour, playing leads in Levon Helm's opening sets.)
March 1, 2009 10:28 AM | Reply | Permalink