Grateful Dead

https://archive.org/details/gd1980-11-28.sbd.vernon.tobin.fix-20049.900… https://archive.org/details/gd1980-11-29.nak700.wagner.miller.90104.sbe…

I reread some books I have on Jerry, and tucked into one book, was this quote from Garcia:"I thought that maybe this idea of transforming principle has something to do with it. Because when we get onstage, what we really want to happen is, we want to be transformed from ordinary players into extraordinary ones, like forces of larger consciousness. And the audience wants to be transformed from whatever ordinary reality they may be, into something a little wider, something that enlarges them. So maybe it's the notion of transformation, seat of the pants shamanism, that has something to do with why the Grateful Dead keeps pulling them in. Maybe that is what keeps the audience coming back for and what keeps it fascinating for us too." I think that is what it was like when we joined with the Dead at those shows, their pouring out this unfathomable energy in that moment, and us in the audience rising in response with our collective surge pushing energy back to the Dead, which then propelled them to greater heights and levitating us with their aural alchemy. As we would watch/listen, with our mouths agape, each of the Dead would tease, improvise, call and response, cascading leads ('catch me if you can'), shimmering rhythm guitar, bass runs/bombs (that changed the very atmospheric pressure), keyboard interplay, that primal percussion then mutating into complex and compelling syncopation, urging and propelling the band further... and the bard's lyrics, that poetry, those revelations,...that song...and we would roar and exhort the Dead and pour that fervor into our tribal stomp and collective howl. And suddenly the moment slows and extends and everything becomes quite still and that voice..."nothing you can hold for very long..." and then all of us stumble out into that crystalline cool evening. Sad eyes, heads shaking, and smiles which alternated between satiation and longing for more. The Teacher opens the door, but you must enter by yourself.

"Man oh man, oh friend of mine,All good things in all good time." That's what Jerry said. Just wait, it's going to be great! They've never let us down before!