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    clayv
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    "Welcome to the 10th year of the Dave's Picks series! We're amazed and humbled that this community of Dave's Picks fans keeps growing, and we just wanted to let you know how much we sincerely appreciate your support of and interest in the series. We started in 2012 with 12,000 of each release, and now we've more doubled that, with 25,000 in 2021. Wow! We keep working as hard as we possibly can to bring you the best, most exciting Grateful Dead shows in the vault. Our 2020 releases included music from 1977, 1974, 1984, and the latest, biggest release yet in the series, the two complete Hartford shows from 1987. Looking ahead, we've selected two exceptional, A+ Dead shows for Vol. 37 (more on that in the video below) and 38, as well as the Bonus Disc that will come with Vol. 38. Big year ahead! As we head into the 10th year of the series, there's no end in sight. We love what we do, and have loads of plans and ideas for the next few years. Onward to more great music!"

    David Lemieux
    October 2020

    Times may be trying but the music has never and will never stop! Keep the momentum going by doing the Dead all year long with a Dave's Picks 2021 subscription. We're taking the production run up one final time - to 25,000 - for each of the four Dave's Picks 2021 releases. We'll also be doing things a wee bit differently this year - subscribers will be the first to receive their Dave's Picks. A la carte sales will go up on street date (no more pre-orders) and if you don't subscribe - we highly encourage you to - you'll want to be ready and waiting because these releases sell out within hours. Hours - no hyperbole.

    In addition to the four releases in 2021, totaling 12 CDs, you’ll also get the subscription exclusive bonus disc, which has proven to be one of the most highly sought-after collectables we release, and free domestic shipping. Subscriber bonus discs will not be released outside of this offer. Early bird subscribers can nab a sub at $99.98 (regular pricing will be $115.92).

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  • JimInMD
    Joined:
    I Subscribed, I expect I will for the foreseeable future

    Not blind loyalty, I really like the music. Even the 'lesser' shows get occasional, usually pleasant relistens, there's usually a nugget or thee of truth in there somewhere. My advice, pony up for the early bird pricing and let the chips fall where they may. Easy breezy.

    We all should feel free to express our opinions, all views are welcome. It would make for a more enjoyable read if we can find a way to get our point across without slashing and burning the entire forest. It stinks in here.., or as my French teacher Mrs. Feldman used to say, "c'est odeur affreuse"

    Their business model is their business, our choice is to buy or not.. I don't think there is much we can write in these forums that will influence their short or long term decision making. Sales and purchase behavior are what they pay attention to. In almost all cases the music is already out there for free, ready to be enjoyed without much effort at all so you rarely have to buy physical product to listen and enjoy. I fully support their efforts to clean up, preserve and restore the now mostly ancient recordings and make them as good as they can be. These mastered recordings are part of an important historical record. The Band and Rhino have a responsibility to clean them up and preserve them to the best extent they can. This likely means the next ten releases will not be the next ten you want released, more like the ten that best fit this purpose.., in the end it will even out and those ten shows will get released. If that takes a cento out of my pocket each year, I'd call that a bargain.

    Where were we again..
    We are really due for a '69, fall '72 or a fall/summer '73. These are prime candidates for the second release slot of the year and offer bonus disc potential. In another month or so we will get news on #38. My guess is it's going to be a smoker.

  • daverock
    Joined:
    Snafu

    I would hope no one would send you hate mail for expressing an opinion. Your truth isn't my truth, but that's no cause for concern.

  • snafu
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    What's a circle jerk antifa?

    Well for those that need an explanation.... while antifa is certainly not a joke in my usage that's what I used it as. Circle jerk, yea I can see why the couple of dozen it refers would claim ignorance. As far as being harsh, not nice etc. Huh? The circle I was referring to were the same people who abuse and accuse the people who give us so much pleasure of heinous corrupt actions including the following making money, designing a business plan that allows us to enjoy so much etc.
    Dreading I'm sorry if you took any flak for stating the econ 101 basics. But me well someone needs to speak the truth clearly. Now you haters can start the obscene pms

  • Gratefulhan
    Joined:
    Happy Life Day!

    For those that may know its Life Day today...
    I am going to go for the Jammy Trinity of 11/17/71, 11/17/72, and 11/17/73. I may cap it off with both of the 11/17/78 affairs. Finally 11/17 happens in 1985, so I may add that to the mix as I do have that 85 affliction. It may take me a few days to get through it all but its worth it.

    Also has anyone listened to the 30 Day of Dead selection for today? Its got a bommin' Shakedown.

  • Oxford 88
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    Nice to see the era- wars…

    Nice to see the era- wars have calmed... Onto the business model! Love you all, miss the banter... It's all about the music, right?

  • Maine Dave
    Joined:
    Once upon a time...

    Once upon a time I went to a concert. I don't remember the band but they were really good. I bought a ticket and --check this crazy shit out -- I didn't even know what songs they were going to play ahead of time. Trippy, right? So then I went to the venue and they turned down the lights and the band came out and they had their instruments and everything and the crowd started yelling and then it was like, wait, wait, what song are they playing? We don't even know yet! And then they played a song and then when they finished that one they started playing another one and they didn't even announce what all the others were going to be even then. They just started playing it. You'd probably recognize which song I mean, it's the one with the guitar solo.

    So anyway... the whole concert was like that, it was like, here's another song now. And they didn't announce a single one beforehand. Try wrapping your head around that! My mind was seriously blown. But the thing is... it was kind of fun, you know? I mean, I liked the band, pretty much, so even if every single song wasn't their best one, there was still a pretty good chance that I would dig it, or a part of it at least.

    That was the only concert I went to that was all crazy and backwards like that. All the others were normal -- you know, like when I went to buy the ticket, they provided a set list, in order, of all the songs they would play, before I handed over the money. So, I knew exactly what I would be getting, which is obviously way better and way more fun, because it sucks all the spontaneity and surprise out of the experience of hearing music, which is after all the whole point. So I'm glad that most of the time, I had all my musical experiences curated for me beforehand, because it meant that I never had to listen to something unexpected. 'Cause man, I hate that.

    Hey, has anyone heard Green Lung? Great pagan-metal stoner rockers from the UK. Cheesy as hell and super fun.

  • hendrixfreak
    Joined:
    Whining wins, readers lose...

    With all the unmitigated crap-ola on our plates today, some few have to turn this site into a bitch-fest about the subscription model? Seriously? It's been the model for years. Do we have to return to the most basic logic of adulthood? If you don't like it, don't buy it. If you like to take a chance on which shows will be released, then buy it. At ~$7 per disc for well-curated shows -- some hit, some miss -- it's not a big deal either way. Personally, I'm not totally stoked over DaPs 35, 36 and 37, but I'm supporting the vault release program and looking long term for more killer shows from my own sweet spots. But the whining here is the definition of buzz kill.

    Looking forward to GarciaLive 15, Jimi on Maui and a stack of Petty, Prine, Jennings, and Dylan. And the news on DaP 38, whatever it will be.

  • Crow Told Me
    Joined:
    I remember when the Antifa Babies opened ...

    ... for the Circle Jerks at the Mabuhay. Great show, till the Babies’ singer bit his tongue off, somebody pulled the fire alarm, and all the sprinklers went off and ruined my toilet paper dog collar. But I digress.

    Let me see if I can figure out exactly what the complaint is here.

    After lengthy consideration, some proactive data mining cybermetrics, and a long talk with my cat, I have concluded the problem is that some people feel like Dave should announce ALL of the shows as soon as the “early bird” deal is announced so that could make a more informed decision. That’s not a totally unreasonable thing to ask, but I can think of a couple reasons why maybe the DP folks don’t do it that way.

    Maybe it’s not practical for them to plan that far ahead: auditioning tapes, reviewing sound quality, and everything else that goes into choosing a show for release takes time, and it’s not like they’ve got dozens of people working round the clock on this. Or maybe they just like being able to keep their options open as they listen to buyer feedback: like, say, if they get a lot of people saying they don’t like having so much audience noise in a given release, maybe they would reconsider plans for another one like it? You gotta remember: this is small operation, serving a niche market.

    I mean, they’re not just doing this to be dicks. And it’s not like they’re making a huge fortune off it. I would suspect that the profit from selling roughly 20k CD sets is probably just enough to employ a couple people to keep the series going. You’re enough of a fan to want the whole series sight unseen? You get the best deal. You want only to cherry pick only the shows you want? You pay a little more, but you still get what you want. You’re not interested in any of ‘em? You pay nothing. It all seems fair to me.

  • Colin Gould
    Joined:
    What's A "Circle Jerk Antifa Baby?"

    UNKLE SAM

    Is it a cousin conceived by an unusual form of artificial insemination?

    What I struggle to understand is how being called an anti-fascist became a term of abuse.

    I like the subscription model and I’m sure it’s good for the company as well since it means that they get a large amount of their money upfront so they know the releases are viable. If they had to wait to see how each disc sold then they would, I’m believe, put out fewer shows.

  • unkle sam
    Joined:
    what's a "circle jerk antifa baby?"

    wow, those are some harsh comments coming from some here. it's ok, breath, take a step back, breath. On a funny note, did you hear the one about the women in DC last weekend, they were screaming something about antifa and one woman asked another "who is antifa?" the other answered "I don't know, but they sure don't like her." wonka wonka wonka. Some folks just can't turn the page.
    I don't have a problem with the subs, especially the early bird special. Great name, early bird special, the early bird gets the special limited edition one time only never to be seen again only you and 22,000 others will have it disc. Gotta love that. ;)
    There have been a few Dave's I haven't been real fond of, but I still love the Grateful Dead and anything that has Jerry going up and down the frets and Phil thumping and Bobby cheesing and Micky and Billy keeping the beat is just fine with me. Thank you for still releasing these shows, they have kept me sane for a little while longer although lately things seem to be getting a bit weird. I haven't left the house except for groceries and dope for 8 months so I too have gotten weirder. But it's ok, take a step back, breath ...

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"Welcome to the 10th year of the Dave's Picks series! We're amazed and humbled that this community of Dave's Picks fans keeps growing, and we just wanted to let you know how much we sincerely appreciate your support of and interest in the series. We started in 2012 with 12,000 of each release, and now we've more doubled that, with 25,000 in 2021. Wow! We keep working as hard as we possibly can to bring you the best, most exciting Grateful Dead shows in the vault. Our 2020 releases included music from 1977, 1974, 1984, and the latest, biggest release yet in the series, the two complete Hartford shows from 1987. Looking ahead, we've selected two exceptional, A+ Dead shows for Vol. 37 (more on that in the video below) and 38, as well as the Bonus Disc that will come with Vol. 38. Big year ahead! As we head into the 10th year of the series, there's no end in sight. We love what we do, and have loads of plans and ideas for the next few years. Onward to more great music!"

David Lemieux
October 2020

Times may be trying but the music has never and will never stop! Keep the momentum going by doing the Dead all year long with a Dave's Picks 2021 subscription. We're taking the production run up one final time - to 25,000 - for each of the four Dave's Picks 2021 releases. We'll also be doing things a wee bit differently this year - subscribers will be the first to receive their Dave's Picks. A la carte sales will go up on street date (no more pre-orders) and if you don't subscribe - we highly encourage you to - you'll want to be ready and waiting because these releases sell out within hours. Hours - no hyperbole.

In addition to the four releases in 2021, totaling 12 CDs, you’ll also get the subscription exclusive bonus disc, which has proven to be one of the most highly sought-after collectables we release, and free domestic shipping. Subscriber bonus discs will not be released outside of this offer. Early bird subscribers can nab a sub at $99.98 (regular pricing will be $115.92).

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We tuned, we watched, we said "Meh".

I'm the first to admit I'm not much of a video man, but really? I found it did nothing but distract from the music. Where the devil and chained humans came from IDK? The spider?

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It might make for a nice t-shirt or temporary tattoo.

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8 years 11 months

In reply to by bigbrownie

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Also had St. Stephen with a rose.
I think that most of the images were taken from tarot cards.

But yeah, added nothing to the song.

Why not give us the gift of a free download?
Oh yeah, they just gave 30 free song downloads with 30 Days of Dead. Thanks for those songs.

.... just wasn't sure where the little bastard came into the song. Not what I picture when I hear about a ripple with no pebble tossed! "Ohhhhh, look at the ripple. I ain't tossed no pebble, must have been a spider!"

So what did cause that Ripple?

....yes the spider would make a great tee!

Looking forward to hearing what will be released next year and when.

In going through all the past box set releases, there remains a glarring hole, 1980. We did get the unfortunate news from DL this year that several of the multi track reels of the Warfield/Radio City run were recorded over for Brent's solo stuff 😭 and they didn't have enough full shows for a box release... So, how about the five shows to end the year in December at Oakland?? Looks like this had potential to be a good run and that 1980 hole needs to be filled.

Stay well out there.

Is really one of the statement mind bending releases of all time. ...and recorded in glorious, if not flawed multi-track. The band thought it was junk for years until Don Pearson figured out how to time the PA from the various mics and somehow cross fade or erase the overage and bleeding and create what I think is a masterpiece.

I believe all this is mentioned in the liner notes from the original release, but I have not read them in decades, so rest assured my description above is at least slightly off.

Simply, a work of art.

Did somebody mention 1968?

As for Alaska.. love it but we have yet to see a cassette mastered box set. Time will tell, but I don't see Dave blowing his box set load on a cassette mastered series of shows just yet.. '

But who am I to predict the future.

But seriously, love Anchorage 1980. Look at my comments as keeping the vibe alive.

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In reply to by JimInMD

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the recordings in the vault from 68 are probably few and far between, and not up to release-able standards. Although MY release-able standards are pretty liberal (that is not a political statement, btw.)

11/1/68: I have 45 minutes of this on cassette, and listened to it the other day in the car.

HOT.

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Maybe? I don’t know. But AFAIK, the only other spider in GD iconography is the one that appeared on the Two from the Vault back cover. I suppose the idea was that the “vault” was full of cobwebs and spiders.

What the spider has to do with Ripple, I have no idea. Seems to me kind of contrary to the spirit of the song. I know there’s no one clear answer to the question of what this or any GD song is “about,” but I always felt like Ripple has something to do with the idea of (how can I put this?) not knowing. About living life knowing that we can’t know, and being OK with that. It’s about forces in the universe beyond what humans understand: the “fountain that was not made by hands of men” and the “ripple in still water where there is no pebble tossed,” not knowing or caring where songs come from, not having anyone to guide you, not knowing the way home.

So now here’s this cartoon that seems to want to just give you a pat answer: the reason there’s a ripple in still water is not because there are cosmic forces beyond our understanding, but because there’s a spider. Duh!

I didn’t like the video, partly for that reason. Instead of a lovely, mysterious haiku at the center of the song, we now have a cartoon spider that’s going to be hard to purge from the mind’s eye whenever we hear the song. Whole generations will grow up thinking Ripple is “that song about a spider.” Also, the whole damn video’s just kind of creepy. I mean, the skeleton playing cards is fine, because it’s the GD. But the women (and men) in the video have naked breasts, but no nipples, and nipless boobs just make me uneasy. And then there’s the Giant Satan. Really? In Ripple, that nice little campfire song, we get a Giant Satan? What are we, Slayer?

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I know damn well (even if I really don't) that they've got release-able '68 shows in the vault. ForensicDoc and I agree that many of those period shows were multi-band nights, thus the GD sometimes had to lift the roof in 90 minutes or less. It's a theory at least. But that means probably not a Dave's Pick unless you stack a couple together.

But for the record, I'll take any reasonably well-recorded '68 shows in a heartbeat.

There, said it! Mean it! Gonna scream until they do it!

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This show is just waiting to be cleaned up.and released, it. burns.

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In reply to by hendrixfreak

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"well, please don't be surprised when you find me screamin', too"

68! 68! 68!

Attention all intelligent lifeforms...today is the anniversary of that awesome show in Florida: 12/18/73.

I would be quite happy with a single disc Dave's Picks from 1968 - on its own. Sometimes less is more, and one disc from that year would tickle my fancy more than 3 or 4 discs from a lesser year. Of which there are many!

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their forks and spoons on the stainless steel tables and chanting "68" "68" instead of, say, "69" "69" (pun intended) I start to feel right at home. I do have my favorite eras and band configurations, as do many of you, but I think we all could really enjoy even a one-disc set packed with explosive double drummer mutant Alligator > Caution >Feedback with maybe a DS > St Stephen > Eleven thrown in for good measure.

What? I already own 5-6 hours of official '68?? Then what the hell am I doing hanging around here??

I believe it'll be a '68 weekend, with some Jer, Dylan and Jimi thrown in.

As you were!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey.. it's called work release folks. And for the record, when we are out 'working' we are not inmates at all, we are functioning members of a productive society.

Did someone mention 1968? Well.. that's worth digging a tunnel under the vault. We need more 1968 Fully Normanized shows released.. Get your hands out of your pockets and bring on some one disc wonders from the most explosive year in Grateful Dead history..

1968, screw Cornell.. give us more 1968.

Blasphemy? Na.. a single disc 1968 in 2021. Have we not suffered enough?

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only in my mind, Mr. MD, thanks for pointing that out. Although I DO love that lunchtime in prison by Hollywood vibe. Call me sentimental. I will free my mind and soul by .... oh wait, I've already posted that.

Folks, using the word "happy" seems inappropriate at year's end of a tough one. In a moment of weakness, I would like to wish everyone stays safe, has someone close, makes or plays or cranks great music and finds a few moments of peace in that traditional lull between the Solstice or your chosen religious holiday and that first bleak day of January. For years my buddies and I have jammed on both the Solstice and New Years Day, because we could. The band is the audience, too. This year is different. But that'll make me appreciate all the more if and when we can all hang out as we please. We've lost so much in so many ways. You fill in the blanks. But...

We will get by.

That's my Solstice message, bros. And now back to our regularly scheduled frenzy at WORaunchy...

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Please just release whatever is useable from that year, regardless of whether there's two minutes or two hours from one particular concert. Complete-show purists be damned! :)

I really wouldn't mind thoughtful compilations from other years, either. Hearing the best two hours culled from a three-show run that doesn't have one stand-out show is fine by me. Obviously one shouldn't cut up a start-to-finish stellar show, but how many more of those are left, if we're being completely honest with ourselves . . . ?

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In reply to by Deadheadbrewer

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Dick Latvala said he thinks the tape he played for Phil that got him the job as archivist was 10/12/68.

Like many of you I didn’t get it, especially the spider.
But when I showed it to the misses, who knows a little about Tarot, she immediately knew what was going on.
I don’t have time to explain it all, but if you look into the images and meanings of the cards and then watch again it makes more sense. The spider = is the symbol of creativity, and the fountain = the ace of cups, when you draw that card it’s supposed to represent each person and event posses a precious gem hidden inside, and to make a conscious effort to find it etc..
Just a superficial taste of this, but if you take the time to compare the video images with the cards it all makes sense.
So this is actually pretty $#@&ing deep, and meaningful and not the goofy nonsense animation some might of thought it was...
Sometimes you get shown the light, in the strangest of places.....

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In reply to by Deadheadbrewer

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I am in the camp that would welcome great music being released, even if the full show isn't available. Especially from 1968. A great box could be constructed from the years 1966-1968-maybe starting with an Acid Test and leading up to 68. The more music that could be included, the merrier it would be. A bit like an audio scrapbook of odds and ends. I'd buy it like a shot.

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In reply to by Oroborous

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Here’s the description given in the ‘This Week At Rhino’ email from yesterday.

————-
We're taking 2020 home and offering up new hope for 2021 with the video premiere of "Ripple." Beautifully animated by Actuality Films, the video brings a Tarot card reading to life as it tells the story of The Fool crossing paths with The Muse, The Magician and The Devil. Can you spot the myriad of Easter eggs drawn from Grateful Dead lyrics and lore?
————-

I don’t know anything about Tarot, don’t need to, my dog tells me what the future holds.
Sorry, but he also swears me to secrecy, so I can’t share what he tells me.

Billy The Kid re-The Weight-Music From The Big Pink was the last thing I played last night before waking up and going to bed. They aren't really my favourite band by a long chalk, but I do check out the first two albums every once in a while. To me, more interesting rather than electrifying. Maybe time to dust off The Last Waltz, too.

Today opened with Dicks Picks 14 and 11/30/73. An unusual way to start a show, playing "Morning Dew". It works perfectly - feels a bit like reading the first chapter of a book, listening to the first few songs of this show.

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Daverock , I don't have any of the Band's music, I was just drinking beer yesterday and listening to different songs on You Tube, that song came up, I like it so I posted it. I always wondered why the Dead didn't play at the Last Waltz, at least Garcia, I always found that to be strange.

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Hadn't played in a while, dragged it out this morning.

Don't hear much talk about them here.

I used to say this is who I put on when I want people to go home :-)

The Residents - Commerical

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GarciaLive Vol. 15... 21 May 1971... just three weeks after killing it with the GD at the Fillmore East ("Ladies & Gentlemen...") Jer displays an awesome command of the guitar in a completely different musical setting. Merle handles bass duties with his left hand and I don't miss bass guitar at all. Just cerebral, loose but thoughtful jamming on a wide variety of tunes.

A cloudy winter day on the high plains brightened by sunshine issuing forth from my speakers. Oh, and a toke or two of Sativa leaning hybrid, courtesy of moi.

Cheers for the Solstice and the Jupiter/Saturn alignment!

From today’s GD email:

The Grateful Dead transformed a concrete jungle into a magical, mythical experience and our art director and producers turned that experience into a GRAMMY®-nomination for Best Boxed Set or Special Limited Edition Package. How's about that? The big one may be gone, gone, gone but you can still enjoy the music (and the fantastic art) from Giants Stadium 6/17/91 as a 5LP or 3CD set.
———-

Apparently that’s old news, but I never saw it before.

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17 years 2 months

In reply to by icecrmcnkd

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....NHL is back on the menu boys. Training camp on Jan 2nd. Season starts the 13th. No pre season games. 56 games. Divisions realigned and teams will only play within their own division. Whatever it takes. I'm in.
My Dolphins are looking good.

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In reply to by Dennis

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The Residents version of "Satisfaction" is guaranteed to clear out a room within five minutes.
I've always considered The Rez one of the two most important American rock bands.

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Nice! Bring it on! Only in the NHL could Detroit be in the Southern Division.

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